Today, I'm declaring this a bullpen free zone [due in large part to last night's thrilling conclusion, which must have felt similar similar to a 2-for1 colonoscopy and prostate exam special in a back alley].
Ryan Dempster loves Reed Johnson. Reed Johnson loves Ryan Dempster. After all, Dempster was on the mound when Johnson introduced himself to Cubs fans last season against the Nationals with what may have been the Cubs' defensive play of the year. Just in case Dempster forgot, Johnson reminded him that he's still patrolling real estate on occasion.
Replacing an injured Milton Bradley [too soon, but not unexpected], Johnson became the object of Dempster's affection again with last night's heroics. In case you didn't see it, here it is again. And again. And again. You get the picture.
EHarmony.com jokes aside, Johnson's catch wasn't the only key to a crucial win. While he did prevent a potential grand slam with a catch OVER the wall in center, prompting even Prince Fielder to tip his cap, it was the Cubs offense that made tonight's win possible.
Please hold your applause until the end.
Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Theriot continued to worship the OBP stat, with Soriano leading off with another home run, Fukudome going 1-for-3 with two walks and an RBI, and Theriot finishing with yet another 2-for-4 performance that also included a walk.
Last night was also a great example of the Cubs' tremendous patience at the plate. They coaxed 10 walks, including six from starter Jeff Suppan. Whether this is due to hitting coach Gerald Perry, dumb luck, or a desire to get opponents onto as many Baseball Blooper reels as possible, it's working.
The Brewers essentially beat themselves by walking in runs and putting the lead off man on [Joey Gathwright is arguably our fastest player, and they walked him to lead off an inning, failing to realize that pitches over the plate may prevent him from stealing bases], but the Cubs capitalized. Johnson took care of the rest.
Dempster wasn't at his best [Fielder's blast would have tied the game 6-6] but he was good enough over six innings, which is fine when you can put that many runs on the board. He even scored a run for good measure. Maybe he was trying to impress Johnson, I don't know. But he's going to have to do a lot more if Johnson keeps making these plays, which could make him eligible for the NBA Dunk Contest if David Stern gets ahold of this tape.
Seriously.
If Nate Robinson can win, I think Reed Johnson has a shot. It's no coincidence that his pose as he caught the ball resembled Chicago's recent Hall of Fame inductee. No coincidence at all
Alright, you can applaud now.
[You see, even I can give the bullpen a night off.]
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This was all so "Right On" and a great read. Thanks for the awesome articulation. You really need your own newspaper column!
ReplyDeleteAnd that was my applaud.
My additional take on your take;;
Luck. Three runs were walked in.
Kismet. Lou puts in Johnson for an injured Bradley.
Fate. Let's only hope.
Reed Johnson is really good at catching a baseball. I think we can all agree with that now.
ReplyDeleteI think the clear thing that you missed in this post is this: Joe Morgan is still the worst announcer to ever walk the earth. From now on, only thing he should be allowed to say are the following: (1) i should be fired; (2) Ryne Sandberg is better than me; (3) I am purposely blackballing Santo because of my jealosy of Sandberg.
Phew. Got that off my chest. Feels good.