Cubs fans, let's pause, reflect and relax

As panic grips Chicago concerning the Cubs - psst, relax - let's take a moment to stretch as we hit the stretch drive and answer some questions about the Cubs.

Some of them come from you, the readers. Others we'll raise for the fun of it.

Is there a bigger bargain anywhere than Mark DeRosa?

Well, maybe Geovany Soto, but at three years and $13 mil, DeRosa's looking pretty good.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has signed some free-agent duds (LaTroy Hawkins, Mike Remlinger and, for now at least, Kosuke Fukudome), and he took a lot of heat for signing "utility guy" DeRosa for three years after DeRosa came off a "career year" with Texas.

DeRosa pretty much matched that year in 2007 with the Cubs, and he's topping it this year, with career bests in homers (20) and RBI (83) to go along with a sparkling on-base percentage of .382, second on the team among regulars only to Ryan Theriot.

It's been awhile since we've heard how much the Cubs need Brian Roberts at second base.

"I don't worry about personal stuff," DeRosa said. "Obviously, I've done well this year. You always want to do better. I don't worry about personal stuff until the off-season, where I can be like, 'OK, that was a good year. This is what I need to improve on going into next year.'

"As far as (last) off-season was concerned, I got over it pretty quick once the season started."

DeRosa said he'll work on first-step quickness in the field this off-season. Next year is a free-agent year for DeRosa. Maybe Hendry ought to think about extending him now.

What's with Fukudome?

The beleaguered right fielder has been benched by manager Lou Piniella for two straight games, and Piniella couldn't have liked that pirouette Fukudome did as he struck out as a pinch hitter Sunday.

Baseball people say it's now nonsense to say that the league has adjusted to him, but Fukudome hasn't adjusted back. They say it's past that point, and some say he's backing away from pitches. His selectivity at the plate has all but vanished.

We tried to ask Fukudome about things the other day in Cincinnati, but he told his translator he would appreciate the "day off." Funny thing is, Fukudome gets most days off from the Chicago press corps, whom he doesn't seem to hold in very high regard.

I suspect we'll see Micah Hoffpauir in right field Tuesday night against the Cardinals.

Is Jason Marquis on the playoff roster?

He should be. Marquis has performed creditably lately. He has 3 of the Cubs' last 6 "quality starts," with Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly and Sean Marshall having the others.

Marquis' ERA (4.36) is lower than that of Lilly (4.43). Marquis also has a groundout-to-flyout ratio of 1.31, which ties him with teammate Carlos Zambrano for 20th in the National League. He also has his WHIP (walks plus hits per 1 inning pitched) at a respectable 1.40.

Is it OK to like Ryan Theriot now?

Every time you want to write this guy off or say that he's starting to slide, he gets on base three out of six times, like he did the other night at Cincinnati.

My good friends in the stats community - they're nice enough to have me as an honorary member - vastly underrated Theriot.

Baseball Prospectus projected his OBP to be .330. Right now, he leads all Cubs regulars at .390. For those of you who like VORP (value over replacement player), Theriot's is 27.3, which ranks him 78th in baseball. Baseball Prospectus, which gets a lot of things right, projected Theriot at 6.4.

Yes, there are limitations to Theriot's game, such as his 13 caught-stealings in 34 attempts. No, he doesn't have the greatest range or arm, but whom would you have rather have had at short in Sunday's ninth inning at Cincy, Theriot or Ronny Cedeno?

The verdict: We like Theriot, or I do.

Is Geovany Soto Rookie of the Year?

Yes, and maybe MVP, too.

Should Cubs fans panic?

Not yet. Pitcher Ryan Dempster tried to quell things Sunday while stopping to chat with the writers. He noted that after the Cubs ended their six-game losing streak, the Sears Tower straightened back up and that the water returned to Lake Michigan.

There are no black cats or Willie Stargells or 1969 Mets hanging around here. Heck, maybe even the Cubs can clinch their division at Shea Stadium.

Panic? Nope. Not yet, anyway.

bmiles@dailyherald.com