14 Games In, the Cubs and Sox Are Headed in the Right Direction

Cubs and White Sox Report

So far this baseball season, the Cubs and White Sox have both been playing a brand of baseball that has been very workmanlike, complete with come from behind wins, blowouts, and good pitching.

Being that you wouldn’t be surprised if Jim Thome or Reed Johnson showed up to the ballpark with a lunch pail and hard hat like at a 9-5 job, and that the Cubs and Sox both have 9-5 records as of 4/16, this seemed like a good time to look at the previous 14 games for both clubs and see what we have learned from our hardball playing boys.

 Offensively, both teams are playing extremely well. The Sox have a run differential of +25, and have a divisional record of 7-4, including 13-2 and 11-0 blowout victories over the Detroit Tigers.

The Cubs are averaging 5.71 runs a game, 8-3 record against their division, and a sweep of the Pirates in Pittsburgh. In terms of individual performances, Joe Crede had seven extra base hits, 16 RBI’s, and a .576 slugging percentage. Also, Crede has made several web gem eligible plays in the field, so any questions about his back have been put to rest.

AJ Pierzynski is off to a blazing start, with a batting average above .400 and a .690 slugging percentage. His eight extra base hits leads the team. In terms of the young guys, Carlos Quentin has 13 RBI’s in place of the injured Jerry Owens.

On the North Side, Derrek Lee is lighting up NL pitching with a .393 average, six HR, six doubles, and 13 RBI’s. Kosuke Fukudome has a .353 average, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, and 12 walks. The Cubs also have their own young stud lighting up the scoreboard, in the form of Geovany Soto. He has seven extra base hits and is second on the team with 12 RBI’s. 

On the pitching side of things, both teams have had stellar performances from surprising players. In Cubdom, Ryan Dempster has had a 2.37 ERA, a 2-0 record that should be 3-0 if not for Kerry Wood getting his only blown save of the year, and a 0.95 WHIP. His off-season work seems to have paid off in spades, as he has been the best starting pitcher on the roster. Carlos Zambrano has a 7.67:1 K/BB ratio, 0.68 WHIP, and 3.04 ERA in his first four starts, and to boot he had a three hit game against the Reds in his last start. Finally, Carlos Marmol has a 1.74 ERA, with 12 strikeouts in a repeat performance that is indeed a pleasant reminder of his success last year.

With the Pale Hose, Gavin Floyd has a 2.03 ERA, a 2-0 record, and in his last start, he had a no hitter going through seven and a third innings against the Tigers’ seemingly indestructible lineup. Also, Bobby Jenks has six saves in his seven appearances, with no runs allowed and a dazzling array of fastballs and break-ups. He is in tip top shape, and he is controlling his pitches, much like he did last year when he set the record for most hitters consecutively retired.

The Cubs and White Sox are both off to good starts, and hopefully this run of success will continue for both franchises. The Cubs have an improved lineup, with Kosuke Fukudome and Geovany Soto hitting great, and the Sox have a massively improved bullpen and solidified lineup with Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera anchoring the top.

As the Cubs look to exorcise the demons of their completely flat playoff run a year ago, and the White Sox try to forget the way their season imploded,  the city of Chicago will hope to all things holy that they have two teams to cheer on down the stretch instead of just one.

All statistics have been culled from box scores found on www.mlb.com, and compiled by the author.