Won’t be long before we see Nomar Garciaparra back at Wrigley. At least that’s what we hear from the Cubs’ organization. The target date is August 1. Right now he’s working out in Mesa, AZ and word has it he’s looking pretty good. ‘Course we’ve heard that before from the Cubs upper management.
But what to do with Neifi Perez? The Neifi phenomenon, such as it was, has grown to cult status within the Cubs blogosphere. Some may not be ready to give him up. Well, come August, he may need a break. Despite his hot start, Neifi has cooled off considerably. A friend mentioned this to me so I decided to look it up. Since June 1, his stats are indeed quite messy (.227, .244 OBP, .299 slg, ouch!). I believe the Cubs have squeezed every ounce of production out of Neifi and are anxious for Nomar’s return.
I am the first to give Neifi kudos. He stepped up when the team really needed him and until the end, really produced. The Cubs have made use of of his bat and occasional defense.
But I am ready for Nomar.