Cubs continue unlikely run

By Justin Albers
Basketballss132002@yahoo.com
CLEVELAND- When the Chicago Cubs spent over $300 million during the busy off-season, many expected the Cubs to at least be better. But it didn’t start out that way.
On June 1st the Cubs were 22-30, and looked to be getting worse. On that day Carlos Zambrano, the ace of the pitching staff, got into a fist fight with catcher Michael Barrett. Zambrano then had a record of 5-5. On the very next day, manager Lou Pinellia came out to argue a call that was clearly correct; ending with him kicking dirt on the umpire and getting a three game suspension.
But things have since turned around. Michael Barrett was traded a little more than a week later, and Zambrano got hot. Since the fight with Barrett, Zambrano is 8-2 with an ERA under 2. He now has the most wins of any pitcher in the National League, and could make a run at the Cy Young.
Some other guys have turned it around as well. Pitcher Ted Lilly (10-4) has gone 6-1 since the Lou Pinellia outburst, and has become a very consistent second man in the rotation. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez has been as hot as any hitter in the game. Ramirez has upped his average from .299 on June 2nd to .321 as of this morning. The Cubs have finally found that third baseman they have been searching for years to find. They can thank the Pirates for that.
Was all of this success a direct result of Lou Pinellia’s outburst? Maybe not, but you better believe it had something to do with it. Many said Pinellia was not the right man for this job; many were wrong.