Well it's been one week into the 2010 MLB Season, and both teams are 3-4. Let's get the obvious out of the way though. In the small sample size of seven games, it's virtually impossible to draw any conclusions on how this season will play out for either team. There's just simply not enough information, or real statistics, or overall rhythm - for lack of a better word - to have a firm grasp of what we're looking at. That being said, here's a few things that have caught The Beard's Eye so far:
Cubs :
- New year, same problem with Soriano. Not only is he hitting a paltry .143 with 1 HR, he made an awful error in the eight inning of Sunday's loss to the Reds. At least Lou Piniella realized that he can't make the same mistake twice and pulled Soriano late in Monday's game against the Brewers for defensive purposes.
- Bullpen continues to be a big issue. The Cubs are still full go with their plan to extend starters through the seventh inning as often as possible. Especially in light of John Grabow's struggles. Sean Marshall has pitched well though.
- Fukudome is doing his Red Hot April act again, as he's hitting .400 at the moment. As most Cub fans realize, he does this every season. In '08 he finished April hitting .327 and ended up with a .257 batting average. In '09 he finished April hitting .338 and ended up with a .259 batting average. Until he proves otherwise, expect a swoon coming...
- New pickup wise, Marlon Byrd has been EHHH. Xavier Nady has been good, and might be asked to do more with Derrick Lee having thumb issues. Tom Gorzelanny and Carlos Silva have pitched well so far, even though Silva's shoulder is a little ouchy.
- Zambrano continues to be a infuriatingly good despite having the mental temperament of a three year old. If he, Ryan Dempster, and Randy Wells continue to pitch the way they are capable of, and Ted Lilly becomes available, the pitching staff will be very will equipped to help the Cubs make their move towards first in the Central Standings.
White Sox :
- Well they planned on being in close games all season and so far that has been the case. Unfortunately they've been on the wrong side of those games. Two 5-3 losses to Cleveland and two 1 run losses to the Twins last week are tough losses to take. Thank goodness they were able to wake Mark Teahen up last night and let him know that the season started last week...
- For as largely impotent as the lineup has been to this point, one positive that should be pointed out is Alex Rios. He's hitting .250 and doesn't look nearly as lost at the plate as he did a season ago. However he might be overshadowed if Andruw Jones keeps swinging the hot bat he has going right now. It's also nice to see Carlos Quentin healthy again, even though historically that won't last.
- Like the Cubs, the White Sox have serious bullpen issues. Despite his El Duque impression on Sunday, Scott Linebrink still scares the hell out of me. Same goes for Randy Williams. Jenks is no cakewalk either anymore. It's pretty sad that Sergio Santos seems to be the most reliable outside of Thornton. Putz has been OK at least.
- Alexei Ramirez continues to be the Anti-Fukudome with another slow start at the plate in April. He has however made some incredible defensive plays so far, including one Monday night in the sixth inning against the Blue Jays that prevented two more runs from scoring and kept the White Sox in the game.
- Jake Peavy might seriously be injured . There have been whispers all spring that he has been battling arm problems and once again did not show the velocity he usually features. As a result, he's been getting knocked around pretty good so far. I really hope I'm imagining things, but I believe the Rogers Centre speedgun when it says "90 mph" instead of "95 mph".
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