Sometimes I Am Wrong

I have been fairly outspoken about certain Cubs players.  I appreciate everything they do for the club, and I know they are great for the team, but I don’t care for Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano.  These two are the biggest culprits of guys that love to admire any ball they hit.  However, usually that ball leaves the yard.    Of course I cheer like a fool, but I do it through gritted teeth as I watch them stand and watch the ball fly.  You both have seen homeruns before.  You know what a homerun looks like.  I promise it will eventually land…they always do.  Put your head down and run the bases.  This is all throughout baseball and in no way limited to these two guys. 

Soriano was off to an awful start.  Batting average under .200 and a stupid injury that was most likely caused by another habit of his that I will always see as being cocky.  But now he has just hit a lead-off homerun in three out of four games.  He’s on fire at the plate.  This team was putting up silly numbers without him and I can only imagine how busy that scoreboard worker will be at Wrigley with him hitting like this.  Of course, I have followed the Cubs long enough to know that since he has heated up, chances are the rest of the team will cool down. 

So yeah, I’m wrong about players.  And if this is what happens when I’m wrong, I’ll take some more of it.  I have finally forced myself to admit that Ramirez is way better in the field than I ever gave him credit for and although his swings drive me nuts, he does have a really good eye at the plate.  I didn’t think Soriano would amount to anything after this April and half of May, but I will now remember to not count him out.  I’ll still get annoyed by Ramirez swinging for the fences and hitting foul-out and infield pop flies that go up about 500 feet.  I will still be frustrated with Soriano taking the first pitch and swinging at the send, regardless of their locations 9 out of every 10 at bats.  It’s hard for me to admit, but I’m glad these guys are on the north side. 

As I finish writing this entry, Alfonso Soriano just hit his second HR of the day.  2-2 with 2 HR and 4 RBI’s.  God I love being wrong!