New Cubs shortstop Cesar Izturis injured his hamstring early in Monday’s 6-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies and will likely hit the DL. If Neifi Perez hadn’t been traded over the weekend to the Detroit Tigers, he would have gone in at shortstop and Ronny Cedeno would have to stayed at second. Instead, Cedeno moved to short and Ryan Theriot came in at second.
After starter Rich Hill allowed the first two batters to reach in the fourth, Cedeno snagged a grounder and threw home. The ball hit runner Pat Burrell and skipped to the backstop. Unfortunately for Cedeno and the Cubs, baseball’s rules differ from kickball and Burrell was not out after being hit with the ball. Instead, both runners scored, and minutes later the score was 4-0 after a Jimmy Rollins home run.
The logical thing to do would have been to concede the run and go for the double play.
“All the guys miss Neifi,” Cedeno said. “Had he actually been able to get his 85-year-old body to the ball, he probably would have thrown home. So that’s what I did.”
Reporters asked if Cedeno feels he might be the fan’s new whipping boy with Perez gone, but he said he thinks he’s safe because Freddy Bynum is back from the DL and doughy pitcher Glendon Rusch will probably start a few more games.
Aramis Ramirez went 3-4 and Jacque Jones smacked a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth to bring the Cubs within one. Phil Nevin then lined a single to left, but Michael Barrett followed with a foul out, preventing the Cubs from pulling off a come from behind victory.
“I just wish it was Neifi,” Barrett said of his game-ending at-bat. “That old kook would have tried to leg out a bunt and at least we’d all have gone home laughing.”
Number of the day: 0
People who agreed with multiple Cubs players who insisted that Cedeno made the right move by throwing home.
