Random Baseball Musings

Because it's a scatterbrained kinda Friday.

Beware of the Birds: St. Louis Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter is on his game. Throwing harder, and arguably better than before, Carp improved his record to 4-0 Thursday with a complete game win against the Cincinnati Reds. The 2005 NL Cy Young award winner threw only 95 pitches, and while Cards fans are concerned about the potential of Carpenter turning into Mark Prior and returning to the DL, Cubs fans should be concerned that he will not.

Bent over Beckham: More alliteration, yes! And allow me to welcome myself to what will be many, many bad soccer puns over the Gordon Beckham Era. And after an 0-for-3 start, one might not be out of step for thinking he might have chosen the wrong sport. OK, maybe not. Still, he is playing out of position early in his career and usually those situations don't work out well. Just ask any Cubs position player prospect over the last 10-to-15 years.

Speaking of prospects: What was the point of bringing Jake Fox up? Just to sit him on the bench and use him as a right-handed thumper in a pinch? The Cubs are wasting a hot stick they desperately need. OK, Fox might not be sly with the glove but Andres Blanco, Aaron Miles, Bobby Scales and Mike Fontenot have all been given chances and thus far, have failed at the plate. Sometimes you've got to lose a little before you can win a lot.

You're welcome, Randy: Congrats to Randy Johnson on winning his 300th game against the Washington Nationals on Thursday. If Johnson is to write any "thank you" letters in light of his newest accomplishment, he should include the following:

• The Cubs, in which he earned 290 of his wins against. OK, he only won 13 games against the North Siders ... as he notched a 13-0 record against them. The Big Unit has more wins against the Cubs than he does with the Giants.
  
• Ken Griffey Jr., for all of the homers and Web Gem catches before they were known as Web Gems.
• The Montreal Expos, who drafted him waaaaaay back in 1985. Of course the Expos moved to Washington D.C. not too long ago. How fitting?

But seriously, the Washington Nationals are the Washington Generals of baseball, minus the confetti and fake baby trick.

They will be forever known as the team that gave up Barry Bonds' 756 career home run. And the team on the losing end of Johnson's 300th win. So what's next for the Natinals?

For starters, the Mets consider themselves blessed to see them at the end of the season when September rolls around, especially if the Nats are in a giving mood and the Mets are in one of their great swoons. Meanwhile, the Cubs are desperately trying to schedule the Nationals about 10 more times this season, preferably in October.