4/23/2004 10:10:00 AM by Rob

Talk about a buzzkill

For all we know, the Cubs were scheduled to go out and lay an egg against the Great Kip Wells.

But, most of what I'm seeing, hearing, and reading suggests that last night's rainout in Pittsburgh only served to spare the poor, hapless Buccos another vicious beatdown at the hands of Dusty's Lumber Company (a registered trademark of the Chicago Tribune).

Me, I'm feeling that last night's unscheduled day off allows for a bit of perspective.

Maddux is going today, as scheduled. That means Wood is pushed back until tomorrow. That's a great thing, getting the guy, in effect, two extra days rest. For those of you who would quite rightly point out "Hey, aren't you the guy that said Never Take Wood Out if he's going well, no matter the pitch count?" Yes, I am, as a matter of fact. Over the last couple of years, he has shown to pitch as effectively, if not more so, at 120 pitches as he does at 12. He has been ridden like a packmule over the last couple of years, with seemingly little harm. Yes, he has been hurt, but not from overwork, but from bad form, which has been corrected.

But even I flinch after 130 pitches from this guy, so I applaud the move.

I also bet that it is also the best thing for Maddux. Some have labeled him "nonchalant"; he certainly has not been red-assed about his first three outings. No, he didn't throw fits, but having watched him for 15 years, he is DEFINITELY thinking about it. His attitude tends to lean more towards "Ok, this isn't working. Let's try this....", and I'm sure he is anxious to get out there and win a game, to show everyone that he is just fine, thank you.

I see in the Trib that Michael Barrett, on the other hand, is a red-assed hypernut. I'm in favor, especially considering the fact that Patterson is quiet, Alou is quiet, Sosa is completely full of shit, Lee is low-key, Gonzalez is as well, and Maddux comes across like a vicodin-addled golf pro.

Which begs the question: I can't wait for that extremely hot series in mid-July, when Barrett is catching Zambrano, and some calls don't go their way. Which one is going to keep the other one from pummeling the home-plate ump? What if they tag-team him? How many punches and kicks can they get in until cooler heads prevail? They're both big boys...it's gonna take an army to stop these two, once they get a head of steam going.

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