Didn't do anything? Ramirez did it all

Aramis Ramirez feigned surprise over the gathering around his locker late Monday night.

"What's up?" the Cubs' third baseman said. "I didn't do anything."

Right, and Eisenhower didn't have anything to do with winning World War II and Lincoln didn't have anything to do with emancipating slaves.

All Ramirez did on this day was start out by advancing the sale of the Cubs. Then he provided perfect baseball weather at Wrigley Field. Then he still had the time and energy to participate in a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Ramirez went 0-for-4 at the plate, so just imagine the difference he can make if he resumes being the Cubs' leading run producer.

"I'm happy to be out there," Ramirez said of his first game since going on the disabled list May 9 with a dislocated shoulder. "That's what I'm paid for."

But, didn't do anything? With Ramirez back on the field, Milton Bradley suddenly made a nice catch while crashing into the right-field wall and Alfonso Soriano suddenly hit a couple of balls hard.

Quick, for that alone add Ramirez to the National League all-star team, hand him the league MVP award already and name him chairman of the Cubs' board.

"We're very glad to have him back," Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot said, "as a player and especially as a presence."

Ramirez was one of three Cubs to come off the disabled list, along with outfielder Reed Johnson and pitcher Angel Guzman.

This was the first time since Opening Day that the Cubs had all eight of their regular position players in the lineup. On paper, and hopefully for the Cubs on the field, all the pieces appear to be back in place.

The starters are back to starting, the bench players are back to coming off the bench, and the minor-leaguers are back in the minor leagues.

Take the bullpen. It lined up just as manager Lou Piniella planned - a scoreless inning apiece from Sean Marshall in the seventh, Carlos Marmol in the eighth and Kevin Gregg in the ninth.

Who knew Ramirez was working with the relievers during his time on the DL?

Then there was the batting order now that Ramirez is in the fifth spot and Piniella finally has decided to go with the semblance of a leadoff man as a leadoff hitter.

Kosuke Fukudome has had three big games batting first, Derrek Lee is still smoking batting third, and Soriano has to start hitting some day in the sixth hole, uh, doesn't he?

"We're happy to have him back, needless to say," Piniella said of Ramirez, needlessly saying it anyway. "He'll help us play good baseball the rest of the way."

The crowd of 40,042 sure seemed relieved to see Ramirez, giving him a standing ovation before his first at-bat in the first inning.

Now, for Ramirez's next series of contributions tonight he figures to get starting pitcher Ryan Dempster's ERA below 4, Bradley's batting average above .250 and Fukudome fluent in, say, Portuguese.

Meanwhile, just because Ramirez is around, the Wrigley restrooms will sparkle and the grandstand seats will feel soft.

When Ramirez eventually throws in a couple of basehits, all will be good with the Cubs.