The Cubs Chronicle

After my speculation late Thursday night regarding the Cubs possibly acquiring Aaron Boone following Ken Griffey, Jr’s injury, the Trib’s Paul Sullivan writes in today’s paper:

Hendry wouldn’t discuss names, but with Cincinnati slumping and center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. out for the rest of the season, there’s some feeling that Reds third baseman Aaron Boone will soon be available.

Further evidence of his reading Cubs blogs, including this one, can be seen here, here, and here. Mr. Sullivan: How about writing a feature on the world of Cubs blogging?

In other Cubs beat reporter news, both the Daily Herald’s Bruce Miles and the Sun-Times‘ Mike Kiley appeared to take a small dig at Dusty Baker’s decision to sacrifice with Ramon Martinez with no one out in the 4th inning of last night’s disappointing start to the post-Break season. Miles was more obvious. From his article today:

The Cubs had their best chance in the fourth. Mark Grudzielanek led off with a single. In a move reminiscent of the team under former manager Don Baylor, No. 2 hitter Ramon Martinez sacrificed. After Sammy Sosa singled, Moises Alou grounded into an inning-ending double play.

From Kiley’s article:

The Cubs didn’t have a hit until Mark Grudzielanek’s leadoff single in the fourth extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Seeing how ineffective his offense was, Baker elected to have Ramon Martinez push Grudzielanek to second with a bunt.

Then four paragraphs later:

The Marlins didn’t bunt following Ivan Rodriguez’s leadoff single in the fourth. Florida loaded the bases with no outs on another single and hit batsman. Starter Matt Clement hit three batters and unleashed a wild pitch. But he still pitched OK, giving up Todd Hollandsworth’s two-run double in the fourth and a two-out RBI single in the fifth to Juan Encarnacion.

It seems to me the first sentence in that second parapraph is generally unnecessary, unless you are trying to say something about Baker’s decision to bunt.

Baker has been doing this more lately. I hope the beat reporters continue to note the poor strategy bunting with no one out in the early innings, except with the pitcher, is (if, in fact, that’s what they’re doing). Big innings win games. Giving up an out significantly reduces the chances of a big inning.