Harden Hard to Hit - Rich Harden continued his great pitching for the Cubs today, lasting seven innings with eleven strikeouts. Once again, a solo home run proves to be the only way to score against Rich. He's now allowed nine runs pitching for Chicago,...

[Baseball Musings]

David Pinto discusses how good Rich Harden has been for the Cubs.

Coming into play today, the Chicago Cubs lead the National League in runs scored, and it's not even close. They are outscoring the Philadelphia Phillies, who are second in the league, by 0.4 runs per game. The Phillies, of course, have Pat Burrell and Chase Utley, both of whom are in the top 10 in the NL in OPS. The Cubs do not have anyone in the top 10. Or the top 20. The first time you get to a Cubs' player on the NL OPS leaderboard is at #22, where Aramis Ramirez resides. And yet the Cubs' offense has been so good that it is even outscoring all of the DH-containing American League offenses save the Texas Rangers. The balance in the Cubs' offense and the strength of its bench is amazing. Which is helpful given that the $12M rookie -- Kosuke Fukudome -- may soon see more time on the bench, writes Yahoo! Sports Gordon Edes. Kosuke has a 720 OPS since April and a 602 OPS since June.

Hoffpauir ties PCL record with four jacks - Hoffpauir ties mark with four HRs [MLB.com Chicago Cubs News]

Micah Hoffpauir had himself a game yesterday. The Cubs' minor league first baseman and corner outfielder is now hitting .374/.397/.776 in 51 games for Iowa this year. He hit .378/.410/.541 in 19 games for the big league club earlier this year. He will undoubtedly get a call-up when rosters expand in September and should be given a chance to take over the Daryle Ward role next year.

I just filled out my All-Star ballot. (Yes, I know that you can vote up to 25 times, but I only vote once.) Here it is:

American League:

First Base: Morneau, J., MIN
Second Base: Kinsler, I., TEX
Third Base: Rodriguez, A., NYY
Shortstop: Young, M., TEX
Catcher: Mauer, J., MIN
Outfielder: Drew, J., BOS
Outfielder: Hamilton, J., TEX
Outfielder: Carlos Quentin (write-in)
DH: Thome, J., CWS

National League:

First Base: Pujols, A., STL
Second Base: Utley, C., PHI
Third Base: Jones, C., ATL
Shortstop: Ramirez, H., FLA
Catcher: Soto, G., CHC
Outfielder: Burrell, P., PHI
Outfielder: Holliday, M., COL
Outfielder: McLouth, N., PIT

I picked Nate McLouth over some other deserving outfielders, including his teammate Jason Bay, because I figured the National League could use an outfielder who could play centerfield.

Has anyone else noticed that Derrek Lee has been a not very good hitter for two months now? At the end of April, Lee was hitting .364/.437/.682 and looked like he did in 2005. Since then, he's hit .246/.303/.398. He has also hit into 17 double plays in that time frame. He only hit into 2 in April and has never before hit into more than 18 in a season. Lee is still hitting 3rd in the lineup. Unfortunately, the Cubs do not really have anyone else to put in that spot in the order.

Bad outfield defense can kill a team, giving up more extra-base hits and allowing teams to take extra bases. Today's starting outfield of Eric Patterson, Jim Edmonds, and Daryle Ward made me wince when I saw the lineup. It was like the days of Glenallen Hill, Sammy Sosa, and Henry Rodriguez, only without the offensive ability.

Patterson had not played a game in leftfield in the minors this year, but has played left in 11 games now for the big league club. Today may have been his last for awhile. "We'll put somebody else out here in left field. … We'll make some changes, and go from there," said Lou Piniella after the game. Patterson misplayed a base hit for a two-base error today and has misplayed some fly balls in previous games. Additionally, the White Sox clearly had it in their game plan to send runners when the ball was in Patterson's hand, as anyone and everyone was taking extra bases against him today.

Other options while Alfonso Soriano and Reed Johnson remain on the disabled list: Matt Murton, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Theriot (with Ronny Cedeno playing shortstop), recalling Micah Hoffpauir. Return soon, Mr. Soriano.

Rich Hill may be a long way from Chicago, but Jeff Samardzija is getting closer. (Of course, despite their histories, Samardzija does make quite a bit more money than Hill.) The Cubs are promoting Samardzija to triple-A Iowa, reports Inside the Ivy. Yesterday, Samardzija said on his blog: "Bags are packed. I'll see you guys in Iowa." Followed by him telling us what music he is currently listening to so that "maybe just maybe, I can get some of you to get away from whatever is 'popular' on the tube." (At least he doesn't talk down to his readers.)

The Cubs are apparently intent on promoting Samardzija perpetually notwithstanding the fact that his performance has not dictated promotions. Of the four starting pitchers who have made at least nine starts for double-A Tennessee (Donald Veal, Mitch Atkins, and James Russell being the others), Samardzija has the highest ERA at 4.86. Samardzija's 44/42 K/BB ratio is also poor.

Veal, on the other hand, has a 2.82 ERA. Atkins has pitched the most innings on the team and has a 72/24 K/BB ratio.

It does not take much speculation to guess how other pitchers in the Cubs' minor league system likely feel about Samardzija's consistent promotions, even if they consider him their friend.

Many of us expected Rich Hill to be Chicago's second best starting pitcher this year. Right now, Hill is pitching more like Rick Ankiel. "Rich Hill's long search for the strike zone continued Friday night at Principal Park," writes the Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson. "The former Chicago Cubs' starting pitcher walked four, threw two wild pitches, threw wildly to first and plunked a batter while pitching just the first inning during a 12-8 loss against New Orleans."

Hill has now made 7 starts for Iowa, but has lasted just 26 innings. While striking out 32, he has also walked 28. Hill says it is a problem with his mechanics. Whatever Hill and the Iowa coaches are doing to fix his problems, things are getting worse. Hill has walked 18 in his last 9.2 innings.

At noon on Wednesday, June 11, I was sitting in my 11th floor office, three blocks away from the Cedar River, with no idea that we would be affected by the few areas that were being evacuated. Our office building sits on the outside border of the 500 year flood plain zone. At that point, the river was still supposed to crest at 22 feet or so. The previous record, set in 1929, was 20 feet.

Three hours later we were told that all power downtown would be shut off and that we were included within an expanded mandatory evacuation area. At 4pm, I drove home over the only remaining open downtown bridge on 2nd avenue. Just after getting over the bridge, I drove through a block with water just about up to the bottom of my car. The 2nd Ave. bridge was going to be closed at 8pm. They ended up closing it at 6pm, leaving I-380 the only way to get from one side of the river to the other.

On Thursday morning, I was without internet access at home, so unable to get much work done. I received a call from my pastor saying that our church basement had flooded. Our church is nowhere near the river, but that area of town had lost power and the sump pump had stopped working. Normally an 8 minute drive, I was able to make it to the church in about 30 minutes. 15 minutes after I arrived, the power came back on, and several of us were able to get Shop-Vacs going. We had all the water out within a couple of hours. I then received a call from my mom telling me that the city was about to close I-380. I left immediately, was able to get on the interstate, and made it home in about 55 minutes. (They eventually only closed the left lane.)

As I drove over the river on I-380 both on the way to the church and on the way home, I could not believe what I saw. Businesses and homes around the downtown area with water up past their windows. The entire downtown area has turned into a giant lake. The amount of devastation will not be knowable until the water recedes. Certainly many homes, businesses, and historic buildings are going to have significant damage.

On Thursday, we were told that the river would crest at 24.5. By later in the day, the forecast had jumped to 28.5 feet. By evening, the forecast had jumped to 31 feet. As I write this at 9am on Friday, the newest forecast is that the crest will be at 32 feet in about 4 hours. Again, the previous record was 20 feet, in 1929. Nothing like this has even been seen. We are so far beyond the 500 year flood level that nothing like this was ever contemplated.

Our water supply is severely threatened. We have been directed to use water for drinking purposes only, a direction that may last for a couple of weeks. We are unlikely to have power downtown for a week.

Cedar Rapids is just one of many cities and towns in Iowa severely affected by the flooding of varying rivers.

Thankfully, there have been no reports of deaths from the flooding.

Here is some information about the flood:

River's unthinkable rise cripples Cedar Rapids (Rick Smith, The Gazette, 6/13/2008)

Photos of the flood in Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids flooding Friday

Aerial view of Cedar Rapids flood from hotel roof:

Alfonso Soriano was hit in the left hand by a pitch in tonight's 7-2 win and broke a bone in that hand. He will be out, it appears, at least six weeks. Interesting that it happens on the same day the St. Louis Cardinals lose Albert Pujols to a calf injury for three weeks.

The Cubs will call up Micah Hoffpauir, who went 8-for-19 with 3 doubles in a brief stint in May. He was going to be called up when the Cubs go to Toronto this weekend, anyway. However, Hoffpauir has drawn just 1 walk in 65 plate appearances for Iowa this year.

Meanwhile, two players who thought they were major league players at the beginning of this year, continue on in Iowa. Felix Pie has hit just .171/.223/.333 for Iowa since his demotion in mid-May. And Matt Murton has hit .311 with a .411 OBA, but has just 1 home run in 50 games for Iowa. Newly signed, and old Cub, Jason Dubois already has 5 in 12 games. After Hoffpauir, the position player most likely to be recalled is Eric Patterson, who is hitting .326/.361/.514 for Iowa. Patterson is also 10-for-10 in stolen bases.

Fox headed to DL; Ascanio to get call-up -

HOUSTON -- The Cubs' pitching carousel continued Monday night with the news that reliever Chad Fox will go on the disabled list today with irritation in his pitching elbow. Prospect Jose Ascanio will be called up from Class AAA Iowa to take his place.

Chad Fox's injury history continues. Ascanio is the better pitcher, anyway. Ascanio debuted with two scoreless innings in tonight's 4-2 loss to the Houston Astros.

Derrek Lee has played in every game this year. It may be time to give him a day off. After his 0-for-5 performance in today's 7-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, he is hitting .164/.179/.304 in the past 13 games. Prior to that, he had been hitting .352/.433/.639 over the first 30 games.

Thankfully, Alfonso Soriano has heated up significantly during Lee's slump, including 7 home runs in the past 6 games.

Prior's shoulder continues to delay Pads debut - Oft-injured pitcher Mark Prior has another shoulder problem that will delay his debut with the San Diego Padres. [ESPN.com: MLB Headlines]

It appears that the significant damage to Mark Prior's shoulder lingers on. The way things seem now, he may never pitch in the big leagues again. I hope he does.

From the Wire....Cubs Sign Jim Edmonds -

It's official....Jim Hendry announced moments after Wednesday night's game, during a press conference, that the Cubs have agreed to a contract with outfielder Jim Edmonds. Felix Pie was optioned down to Triple-A and will join the I-Cubs in Round Rock on Thursday.