Shake this one off.
What else can you do after a loss like this one, 9-0 to the Reds, a game that was over after the second inning?
The Reds slammed seven home runs off the Cubs, including four in that second inning. The last time the Cubs gave up four home runs in an inning was nearly eight years ago, on August 8, 2000 in Los Angeles, which also happens to be the last time a pitcher -- Darren Dreifort, if you must know -- hit two home runs in a game. The four homers in the fourth inning that night were off Phil Norton, who -- and if I'm a regular ol' writer I'm supposed to say "ironically", but it really isn't -- eventually wound up pitching a couple of years of mediocre middle relief for... the Reds.
There's nothing to say about this game. The Cubs never really had any chance of getting back into it, despite drawing seven walks and leaving twelve (!) men on base; their six hits were all harmless singles, and despite having RISP in the third, fourth, fifth and ninth innings, the Cubs never got a man past second base.
I'm not worried about Jon Lieber. Sometimes you just get hit, and he did today. I'm not really worried about Sean Marshall, Sean Gallagher or Michael Wuertz, either, and all but Wuertz were touched for at least one home run. Joey Votto hit three of them, one each off Lieber, Marshall and Gallagher, and now has four HR in six games against the Cubs this season, and five of his eleven career HR against the Cubs.
Maybe it's a good thing the Cubs don't see the Reds again till July.
I hesitate to write this, because of the way such things are often viewed, but my copy of Sports Illustrated with Kosuke Fukudome on the cover arrived in the mail last Wednesday. You know, this one:
via i.timeinc.net
The Cubs won 19-5 that day, but since then -- starting Thursday, the day the magazine went on general sale on the newsstands, the Cubs are 2-5, and Dome is hitting .296 in those seven games with only one walk, after hitting .327 with 19 walks in the 26 previous games.
So it can't hurt to say this: Hey, SI. Could you keep the Cubs off the cover? Say, like, forever? Or until after they win the World Series?
It won't be a fun plane ride home for Lou, the coaching staff and the ballplayers this afternoon, but you can bet Lou and Jim will be discussing potential roster and/or lineup moves for the important 10-game homestand (the longest of the season) starting Friday against the Diamondbacks. At 19-15 the Cubs are three games better than they were after 34 games in 2007. But there is still much work to do.
Everybody take a deep breath, blow the stench of this game out of you, and enjoy the day off tomorrow.
0 recs | 133 comments
A nice lineup change
will hopefully bring some spark to this team.
Rudey - May 7, 2008
They're due...
...and the D-Backs have been playing average, the Padres have been bad and the Pirates are you know….bad. I’ll predict an 8-2 homestand. (2-1 against AZ, 3-1 against SD and 2-0 against PIT)
TXCub - May 7, 2008
oops
3-0 against PIT
TXCub - May 7, 2008
Hope your right!
Rudey - May 7, 2008
Oh wow that would take more luck than anything
I’d say we go 1-2 vs az, 2-2 vs sd, and 2-1 vs pittsburgh
CubsBall2202 - May 7, 2008
That sounds about right to me
At this point, I would take a 5-5 stretch. We will go through stretches like this and then we will be world beaters for a week or two again. We got teased with that stretch a couple of weeks ago and were winning everyday. We are really inconsistent right now, look great one day, sucky the next.
BigJohnAZ - May 7, 2008
The problem is the pitching folks
It’s not good enough.
Sobering thought….take away our 6 for 6 record against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates and examine the results, to include pitching performance. It’s the stuff of a 4th or 5th place ballclub.
MDBNIU - May 7, 2008
Sobering thought
Take away all of their losses and they are amazing….....this isnt nintendo, the Pirates count.
Hammer - May 7, 2008
The point is
we beat up on the bad teams early on and, with the exception of the short series against the Mets, have been geting beaten consistently by the better ones . With the exception, of course, the last two out of three with Cincy-now we’re starting to struggle with the bad teams too.
bluekoolaide - May 7, 2008
the point is
you and MDB keep making “exceptions” to make the teams record look unimpressive. this is a good team, quit the doom and gloom people seriously. and MDB, i will take Z and Demp with era’s under 3, knowing that Lilly is righting the ship and that Hill will be back after he gets his head straight, much in the same way he did after looking like a little girl against the South Side in 06, only to come back from that demotion to dominate.
kylejo - May 8, 2008
ROTFL
n/t
gocubsgoradio720 - May 8, 2008
I'm actually glad
I was unable to watch or listen to this game. I was hoping for a decent start by Lieber so we could stay away from our bullpen a bit to give most of them a 3-day break including yesterday and tomorrow. So much for that plan. Lieber will turn it around, I have faith.
The Cubs need to take a deep breath, enjoy the day off and get after it starting Friday.
slocs55 - May 7, 2008
This game was a perfect storm.
Lieber had nothing. Marshall probably wasn’t ready to pitch that early in the game and, who knows, maybe he was so unnerved at what happened to Lieber that he was bound to fail anyway. Gallagher is still relatively inexperienced enough to expect him to give up some big hits. Meanwhile, Reds batters were obviously locked in and Volquez was completely, utterly filthy.
The only thing I have a hard time agreeing with, Al, is not being worried about Jon Lieber. I mean, a bad outing is a bad outing. But giving up four home runs in one inning? That’s profoundly disturbing.
daver - May 7, 2008
GABP is a launching pad, always has been.
I’m still not worried. Let’s see what happens in his next start.
Al Yellon - May 7, 2008
Launching pad?
I guess the Cubs had a failure to launch
Basman - May 7, 2008
That's fair
Jon Lieber is an okay pitcher. One lousy day does not an indictment of him make.
MDBNIU - May 7, 2008
that and
lieber couldnt hit the catchers mit to save his life. lieber does not normally mis his spots with that consistency. this looks like a blip in the radar, though he obviously isnt as good as he was in the games leading up to this one. he’s still a solid major league pitcher.
kylejo - May 8, 2008
it really did seem like the baseball gods
decided to make an example of us, didn’t it?
I mean, losing 9-0, that happens, but seven home runs in one game, off four different pitchers? FOUR HRs in one inning?
Rare, man. Very rare.
drewishdrewid - May 7, 2008
lol
You’re another one of those who always makes an excuse or rationalization for Sean Marshall. Newsflash for you….he’s not very good. 10th or 11th guy on a pitching staff is his probable highest and best use. The guy you bring in during a game like this.
MDBNIU - May 7, 2008
I don't have a problem with the Cubs getting blown-out once in awhile.
Yes, it happens. I’m more concerned with the 5-3 losses. I’ll trade a weekly blow-out for three or four close wins any day.
bluekoolaide - May 7, 2008
the blowouts
are more indicative of inherent flaws
the closer a game is the more luck is involved. Most teams record in 1 run games over the course of the season will be very close to .500
I’d rather us lose a lot of close games and win a lot of blowouts. It would show we were a good team who was getting rather unlucky.
DartmouthCubsFan - May 7, 2008
Last year...
... the D’backs made the playoffs doing the opposite, winning close games and losing blowouts, which is why they wound up with a negative run differential.
Al Yellon - May 7, 2008
So far this year they have a positve run differential
and that scares me. Al, we both said in ST that we were ready for the D Backs to fall back a bit, but these guys are amazing. This team can hit and they have speed. Haren, Owings and Webb are the studs, but Randy is looking better each start and Lyon is pretty solid as the closer. I am trying to see what you need to do to beat this team and there aren’t too many chinks in the armor yet. No lead is safe against them for the most part.
BigJohnAZ - May 7, 2008
yeah
that’s not exactly the norm though… I mean if I told you a team won every game giving up 9 runs throughout the year you’d take it but would you expect all other teams giving up 9 runs to win?
DartmouthCubsFan - May 7, 2008
Arizona's Pitching staff..
Is FAR better than the Cubs staff as well. Makes a huge difference. You can win more close games when your staff is so strong.
HIGGY - May 8, 2008
I'm too exhausted to argue with the likes of you.
Suffice to say, if he were that bad, the Cubs would’ve traded or DFA’d him long ago. Plenty of major league teams would love to call Marshall their fourth or fifth starter. Look at his numbers last year. Hell, even this year—he came into today’s game with a 2.70 ERA (albeit in only 6.2 IP). He went from being a starter to a LOOGY in about 2.5 seconds and, overall, has responded pretty well. Your irrational biases toward players make anything and everything you say suspect.
daver - May 7, 2008
MDBNIU may have irrational biases
but at least his head is still up his a$$....
crazymountain - May 7, 2008
Location, location, location
You throw fastballs over the heart of the plate, they get hammered a long way. Lieber had an off day. It happens. Tip your cap to the Reds.
And Al, enough of this jinx stuff. There is no jinx, no curse, only occassional, even frequent, incompetence and ineptitude. We human beings love to find patterns in life, don’t we?
Ross - May 7, 2008
Like I said...
... I hesitated to mention that. But I’d still just as soon not have any Cubs on the SI cover. Wouldn’t you agree?
Al Yellon - May 7, 2008
No.
No. I don’t agree. I don’t believe in curses or jinxes. I want the Cubs on the cover because it means they are doing well, and because it ticks off Brewers, Cardinals and White Sox fans.
People who believe in them are looking for excuses to justify or explain ineptitude. When something bad happens to somebody who was on the cover of the magazine, it is always thought of as a curse.
But seriously, if there really were a SI jinx, Michael Jordan would be long since dead, having been hit by a falling speaker at the United Center.
Ross - May 7, 2008
LSA
gary varsho - May 7, 2008
if there are any excuses for Marshall
its the fact he’s being used as a lefty specialist and all of the sudden he was called on as a long man
he hadn’t even pitched a full inning in over 2 weeks
DartmouthCubsFan - May 7, 2008
Sean Marshall sucks...there I said it
Marshall tasted success last year because the league didn’t have a book on him. He throws two non-descript pitches as his bread and butter. Fortunately, Lou is smart enough to realize that you don’t dare have him go through a lineup more than once.
Marshall is not an option for the rotation. Not now, not ever. Unless of course we are destined to be a very lousy ballclub and have no other options to plug into the rotation.
MDBNIU - May 7, 2008
book on him?
he threw 125 innings in 2006 and 103 innings in 2007
so the book they had on him when he struggled in the first 125, they then lost for the next 103?
DartmouthCubsFan - May 7, 2008
Whatever
If you want to love Sean Marshall and think he is a fine young pitcher who should be in the rotation, then go for it. He’s not. But if it makes you happy then I won’t stand in your way. I can only argue with sabermetrician robots for so long. Tell you what, maybe you should examine Marshall’s pitching repetoire before you spit out historical numbers up the wazoo.
MDBNIU - May 7, 2008
"sabermetrician robots", lol
I’m starting to think you don’t even really know what “sabremetrics” even means.
daver - May 7, 2008
you suck... there i said it
If you want to think you know what you’re talking about then go for it. If it makes you happy we won’t stand in your way. you spew nonsense and if you can’t see it with your own trained professional scout eyes i just dont know what to say, I can only argue with uneducated muppets for so long. Tell you what maybe you should examine what actually happens on the field and is recorded with measurable numbers before you go spitting out nonsense up the wazzo
DartmouthCubsFan - May 7, 2008
You are wildly uninformed.
He’s not an option for the rotation? Really? That’s funny because Lou has mentioned him as an option for the rotation on many occasions. For instance, when he sent Hill down, Marshall’s name was one of the first ones he brought up. Do you even know how many major league games Sean Marshall has started?
daver - May 7, 2008
Whatever
So if Lou mentioned Sean Marshall as rotation option (which yes he did do) then tell me why isn’t Sean Marshall in the rotation?
I’ll tell you why. Because it’s a REAL, REAL bad idea. Marshall has two pedestrian pitches as part of his repetoire to the plate. He is not going to make it as a starting pitcher in this league. He is Neal Cotts redux.
MDBNIU - May 7, 2008
Lou knows best
he sure seems to have figured out the best rotation so far! Heck I’d be willing to bet everything Lou does is right and he’s gotten the absolute most production out of the rotation so far
DartmouthCubsFan - May 7, 2008
He's not in the rotation because...
...a veteran pitcher named Jon Lieber was standing in his way. And, by the way, when you say, “whatever,” it makes you sound like a teenager. (No disrespect intended to any actual teenagers reading this.)
daver - May 7, 2008
where were you yesterday?
when the cubs won? do you still think Wood sucks?
Chanman25 - May 7, 2008
He wasnt posting but he WAS watching
Hammer - May 7, 2008
lol
sue369 - May 7, 2008
Thank god....
.... that we have your astute and unbiased scouting and observational ability to tell us which of these players are good and not good.
Could you also tell me who will make the best president? My friend says Ron Paul, but I don’t think so because I don’t think his curveball is White House ready. What say you?
Ross - May 7, 2008
death spiral
eject, eject, eject!
(This response contains as much substantive content as the above post)
drewishdrewid - May 7, 2008
The problem
is not that blowout loss today, but rather, the give-aways of Friday and Tuesday. You win those two games and you can more easily set aside today’s game. Lou recoginizes that and is probably more disappointed in Wood’s blown save and the defensive lapses of the last few days than a day like today. Of course when it happens in the midst of a bad stretch it looks a lot worse. They’ll be fine. A day off is needed and a good homestand would be the perfect elixir.
Ups and downs happen all the time in baseball. It’s not easy to see through them but the Cubs have been down worse roads than this. Take a deep breath and get back after them Friday. Nothing else you can do.
krummy12 - May 7, 2008
Absolutely agree
I would throw in Monday’s game against the Reds as a giveaway. Dempster pitches a great game (eight strikeouts, no earned runs), but because of two errors, he loses. The Cubs should have won that game 3-0, just like Tuesday.
Not Bruce Froemming - May 7, 2008
OK i will match your SI magazine...
and raise you Soriano came back into the line-up. We have scored in order, 3,3,9,3,3,3,0 in those games. Spread the wealth if you believe in jinxes.
HIGGY - May 7, 2008
to be fair
he wasnt in the lineup today
DartmouthCubsFan - May 7, 2008
Yes you are correct...
Buuuutttt you catch my point. I was just saying, if you believe in jinxes you also have to look at what also happened at the same time.
You have this fun stat too:
The Cubs are 16-1 when they score four or more runs, only 3-14 when they get
less.
HIGGY - May 7, 2008
we did win
one of those three run games.
drewishdrewid - May 7, 2008
yea - with our ace...
our ace doesnt throw everyday.
HIGGY - May 7, 2008
just saying.
we can win the close ones.
drewishdrewid - May 8, 2008
just a hunch
but i think over the stretch of the season having soriano in the lineup will lead to more runs scored.
kylejo - May 8, 2008
I dont care how they get wins
we just need to get some wins here.
//stating the obvious
mjk83 - May 7, 2008
Thank you Al!
I haven’t even read the first paragraph of this post yet, but I had to stop and give you a BIG THANK YOU.
One of my biggest pet peeves is the over-use of the words irony and ironic. I have this crazy theory that Alanis Morrsette is to blame for the current crazy over-use. NOTHING IN HER SONG IS IRONIC. Sorry for yelling.
Most of the time people should simply use the word “coincidence.”
So please, everyone reading this, know the definition of a word before using it.
End of mini-rant.
soonerbered - May 7, 2008
I thought irony was like silvery or coppery:)
Literally is another one that drives me nuts.
Bump Bailey - May 7, 2008
What bothers me the most
is the possibility of falling 3 1/2 games behind the stinkin Cardinals and their butthead fans.
Itchy - May 7, 2008
Yeah
time to put a stinkin’ birdo on an SI cover.
JFCubFan - May 7, 2008
Yeah! Why hasn't Ankiel been on the cover yet?
ESPN can’t make the circle jerk big enough for that guy.
santoswoodenlegs - May 7, 2008
classic
kylejo - May 8, 2008
and now for some new news on an old subject...
Looks like the For Sale process is getting ready to actually begin. According to this article, financial books are set to go to MLB very soon, and from there, out to six potential ownership groups.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed-cubs-sale-may07,0,4151881.story
Interestingly enough, Don Levin doesn’t seem to be in the mix, unless he’s a silent backer behind one of the groups. Besides the group headed by John Canning (Bud’s crony), the other five are:
Another interesting concept raised in the article is that of “equity seat rights” as a financing tool as opposed to “personal seat licenses”. Intriguing concept – haven’t heard of anything like this before in the sports world.
IMO, there was not much good news in this article, but interesting stuff nonetheless.
ballhawk - May 7, 2008
if Levin's not in...
then why NOT Cuban? At least he’d be more fun.
drewishdrewid - May 7, 2008
I don't need or want that kind of "fun".
Takes the focus off the team and puts it on the owner. Do you really want that?
Al Yellon - May 7, 2008
Really?
Do you really think that by having Mark Cuban that people arn’t going to focus on the actual team? I don’t. this is the Chicago Cubs. At least I know that I won’t lose focus of the team. It will just make things more exciting. But that’s my take. I see what you are saying but seriously. The fans havn’t lost focus for a long time. I don’t see any reason that wouldn’t remain the way things go.
huskercubby - May 7, 2008
i meant are in that first sentence
huskercubby - May 7, 2008
Cuban's always been an "all about me" guy.
I want a guy with deep pockets who will stay in the background and hire good people and let them do their jobs without interference.
I am not convinced Cuban is that guy.
Al Yellon - May 7, 2008
He is an all about me guy
But he is also a no nonsense “all about winning” guy as well. But I don’t really care who it is as long as they do the job and get us a world series. But again he is in the spotlight a lot. But I think that in the Major Leagues he would not only be different. He would have to be different. Baseball is not as flashy as the NBA, I think we can all agree on that. I think the NBA wants him to be in the spotlight because it draws fans. But in baseball he would need to be more in the shadows. Does that make any sense? I think so
huskercubby - May 7, 2008
How many championships have the Mavericks won?
Al Yellon - May 7, 2008
They haven't won any
But they’ve gone from a perennial loser to a perennial contender under Cuban’s ownership. Cuban gets a lot of credit from the media for that. I honestly can’t evaluate for myself whether he deserves it or not; he puts himself in a position to get lots of credit because of how visible he is.
The NBA playoffs are generally considered to be less of a crapshoot than MLB’s. Still, the difference between winner and loser in any 7-game series, especially in the Western Conference the last few years, is not all that great, particularly in terms of evaluating ownership.
aldimond - May 7, 2008
C'mon Al, that's pretty weak. You're better than that.
ballhawk - May 7, 2008
The point is...
... people talk about Cuban like he’s brought the Mavs to being a championship team. They’re good, but they keep getting eliminated in the early rounds.
And mostly when I hear about them, I hear about Cuban, not the team.
Al Yellon - May 8, 2008
I think people
assume he will bring the $. If he bought the team, I wish he would bring nothing to the table but his wallet.
Hammer - May 8, 2008
ha exactly
sure the guy will be a douche bag sometimes and will probably sip mai tais with jay mariotti in the bleachers, but the talent on the field would likely be better too.
kylejo - May 8, 2008
dont you think though
that it is safe to assume cuban will have deeper pockets than the current ownership? thats all i care about, if mark cuban owned the team, i would expect that the cubs would have a better chance of signing a top free agent than they currently do. im all for mark cuban.
kylejo - May 8, 2008
I am convinced
that Cuban is not that guy. Look at how he behaves with the Mavs. Sitting courtside, yelling at the refs. Helping make personnel decisions. He is not the right guy for the Cubs.
gwood - May 8, 2008
Two problems with Cuban
You mentioned the first-he is obnoxious at courtside, a superfan/lout. I wonder how much of this has to do with the open nature of the NBA court-he certainly wouldn’t be walking around on the field or joining a conference on the mound like he sometimes does in Dallas. I don’t see that this is much of a problem (though there is the possibility of an owner/coach tussle as with Girardi in FL).
The second is Al’s point—will he micro-manage personnel decisions instead of hiring baseball people and trusting them? I don’t know the answer to that.
TC Cubby - May 8, 2008
I don't think
he’d be able to do that in baseball. And people yell at the umps ALL THE TIME. They’re not going to let him sit in the dugout, after all.
drewishdrewid - May 8, 2008
I see your point if you're comparing Cuban to Levin, but
if my choices are Cuban or Canning, I’ll take Cuban every single time.
ballhawk - May 7, 2008
I don't know if
even Mark Cuban could do that this year.
drewishdrewid - May 8, 2008
Isn't Anixter the "Pink Hat Guy"?
CubsBall2202 - May 7, 2008
I think
you are correct.
sue369 - May 7, 2008
I think we all know the Canning group is gonna get it.....
What Buddy wants, Buddy gets…...
crazymountain - May 7, 2008
COME ON MARK.
huskercubby - May 7, 2008
Mark Cuban.
Yeah if anybody knows anything about the ricketts family they might think that me being a husker fan and living in Omaha would want them to own the cubs. The fact is I don’t like the Ricketts family and Pat Rickets who played for my huskers in our secondary sucked.
huskercubby - May 7, 2008
A bad case of get away day itis...
....These guys couldnt wait to get back to Chicago for the off day. That was evident from the get go….Today was a clear case of get away day itis….and it certainly took full effect after the 2nd inning.
Time to focus on the best team in baseball coming into Wrigley this weekend.
JB 23 - May 7, 2008
Obviously
Lou will adjust, and tinker. Hill, Marquis, Marshall, Lieber, and Gallagher, “Hey fellas join the class, come on right up front please” Please two of you step up and join the rotation, just give us some consistent innings.
I like the Cubs approach at the plate, ie taking more pitches, just seem to get that big hit.
A day off should help this team, Ramy rested wrist, Johnson and Dome need a day big time.
7-3 homestand would be ideal.
Grockcubs - May 7, 2008
Keep dreamin about that type of homestand
6-4 at best
CubsBall2202 - May 7, 2008
Keep dreamin?
If we think that we are a good enough team to win a world series somehow which i think we are. I think 7-3 should sound pretty capable. Not saying that it will for sure happen, but it’s not a complete stretch saying it. We need to get hot, and hot teams win games at home against good teams. Now whether we will get hot is another story.
huskercubby - May 7, 2008
Realistically we will go 1-2 vs az, 2-2 vs sd, 2-1 vs pitt
No matter how bad san diego is we ALWAYS struggle against them, we can’t beat pitt every single time we play them so we are due for a loss there and arizona just simply isn’t going to be beat against a team like us, they find ways to win, not lose.
CubsBall2202 - May 7, 2008
I don't find it
unrealistic to go 2-1, 3-1 and 2-1, Padres are not that good and the Bucs should get one, the Key is the D-backs series. I believe the Cubs will be prepared and play well, I think getting swept in the playoffs will push the incentive button hard. Just my thoughts.
Grockcubs - May 7, 2008
I see no reason
we can’t sweep the Bucs. But Blue-Mike thinks they shouldn’t count.
If we can have GOOD GAMES against the Diamond-Backs, I’m not sure I care if they beat us every game. I want us to play WELL against them.
drewishdrewid - May 8, 2008
Does anyone know if Maddux is scheduled
to face us next week and if so, when?
Jayo525 - May 7, 2008
Thursday
Um you might say I have been tracking this for a while. He would actually have been the ONE
Padre pitcher to MISS the 4 game series until he flipped with Young the other week as Young had tweeked something and for his efforts he got to be the punching bag the day after the 22 inning game
( GRR why did Young have to flip with him)
Barring some weather issue it will be Thursday and I will be there rooting for lots of
UNEARNED runs at least while Maddux is still pitching.
I may post to remind folks on this later but it is entirelly possible he may retire after the season
so SEE HIM WHILE YOU CAN
Doggie Stalker - May 7, 2008
Is he still stuck on 349 W's?
If so, I’m a bit torn as I have tickets for Thursday (all week, actually). Obviously I want the Cubs to win, but it’d also be sweet to see “Doggie” get a milestone victory. I guess I’m pulling for the Cubs to take 3 out of 4 from the Fathers – and that one loss better be Thursday.
btw – Maddux at Wrigley Field in a day game. How sweet is that?
ballhawk - May 7, 2008
I WORSHIP THE MAN
But I would NEVER want him to beat the Cubs unless the game were totally meaningless
He faces the Rockies at Petco on Sat so hopefully he gets 350 then but trust me he just
wants to WIN period and does not give a rats ass about the numer. He is starting to get
a tad cranky about the number
Anyway just root for those UNEARNED runs ( and bad Padres BP ) on Thursday
PS I will be there Wed-Sunday Yipee
Oh and you are SO right about the Day game thing. Maddu is one of the few players
that really appreciates them
Doggie Stalker - May 8, 2008
I think it is the travel
We had a 7-1 homestand then 2 in Denver, 3 in DC, 3 Home, 3 each in St Louis and Cincy….that is just weird scheduling….
crazymountain - May 7, 2008
It's ridiculous scheduling
And although professional athletes do have to deal with travel, the schedule since April 22 has been just plain stupid.
Al Yellon - May 7, 2008
does it get better?
drewishdrewid - May 8, 2008
Not really.
Too many road games the 2nd half of the season.
Al Yellon - May 8, 2008
Just got back from the game
Well after my 3 hour drive back from my first trip to Great American Ballpark. It just seemed like the batters knew what was coming before Lebier knew it. In the second inning it seemed like it was the second pitch that got hit out to all the batters.
O well it happens, nice park but wow is that place small.
miamicanes - May 7, 2008
This was one of those games
Where you’re glad that you can’t watch at work.
Brett Taylor - May 7, 2008
You said it!
Went to the local watering hole for a bite to eat for lunch. Saw the 9-0 score on the crawl in the late innings and didn’t even ask the bartender to change to the Cubs game. Was pissed enough seeing the score and didn’t want to go back to work in a funk. Still can’t believe we gave up that many HRs. arrrgggg
BigJohnAZ - May 7, 2008
just curious
any chance there was a camera on the scoreboard at all times….there is a chance pitches were being given to the hitters via the scoreboard…..its been done before
cozmotaylor123 - May 7, 2008
I don't like jinx stuff
More than that, I don’t like to see people worrying and whining about jinx, curse or myth stuff, and too much affected by it in real life… I understand that now all of you folks are kinda bitter after bad loss and needed something to blame on to resolve it… But I believe there are always much more practical and technical reasons for this kind of little slump in baseball, and as in almost any kind of world.
I’ve always seen Dome had good times and bad times while he was with Dragons – just like he’s hitting below .200 in a month and over .450 next month. His numbers are good consistently by years (after he was converted to outfielder, and excluding injured seasons), but always up and down by weeks or months. In Dragons spring training in my neighborhood, his training is aimed to shorten his slumping time by changing his batting form technically, like changing the height of grip in his stance (in 2006). He always needed 1500+ swings everyday and listened to former 3-time triple crown coach to absorb it and obtain more consistency – I’d been watching it in person.
And more than that, it’s only 34 games after he started his MLB life and in still (very) early phase of getting to know things like pitchers and pitches there.
Dome wrapped up his very 1st month in MLB with .900+ OPS:
I know he is very strong minded guy among so many ball players in Japanese league and always seen he overcome. Ken Griffey Jr. commented on Dome:
One of the most famous jinx in Japanese baseball is “2nd year after (great) rookie season” – those guys are vociferously said about it from outsiders and some nervous boys are trapped in that pitfall, but those strong minded guys overcame it and become superstars. There is always this kind of stupid reporters, bringing SI magazine to Dome and said “What do you think about the SI jinx?” Dome’s answer should be always same like above.
So again, there are always good and bad times, even for Dome, and there are always practical and technical reasons behind them. Think out of box to be real champions, and on all of that sort of practical stuff, I would pray for your luck ;-)
dragonsfanatic - May 7, 2008
nice post dragon
Grockcubs - May 7, 2008
*click*. There. Recommended.
This would have made a great FanPost as well!
northsider - May 7, 2008
Yes, very interesting. Thank you!
daver - May 7, 2008
WOW
Great POST
Hammer - May 7, 2008
pure boo ya
good post dragonsfanatic. ha and nice touch with the green background. here’s to dome hitting .450 in may!
kylejo - May 8, 2008
The green background means the post got recommended
sort of like a recommended fanpost.
Al Yellon - May 8, 2008
I am green with envy.
daver - May 8, 2008
How 'bout those Marlins
...and I love BCB. ‘Gets you through the rough times…despite serious troll issues (they will be invested by unalterable passage to the depths of Beaumont).
Cajuncub - May 7, 2008
Ughh how do the cardinals keep winning?
CubsBall2202 - May 7, 2008
They didn't.
Al Yellon - May 8, 2008
Well
while watching him hit in the cage….YES, i would do anything to be a proballplayer. Instead…Ill get up at 7 and go, and wait til Friday to ROOT, thanks DFantastic once again
Hammer - May 7, 2008
Cheer up everyone!!
I hope I don’t jinx it, but I just wanted to share some good news with you. I’m here in Denver watching the Cards play the Rockies. Down 3-0 in the bottom of the eight, the Rockies have scored four runs with two outs, and are still batting.
It’s always good when the Cardinals are losing.
Cubfansince1957 - May 7, 2008
Yeah, the fact that...
...both St. Louis and Milwaukee lost yesterday does take a little of the sting out of yesterday’s loss. And don’t look now but the Brew Crew has lost five straight and is currently a game under .500. Plus, the Brewers and Cards square off for four games starting on Friday, so one team or the other is going to be suffering some more losses soon.
daver - May 8, 2008
Even better news!
Despite giving up a leadoff single, Brian Fuentes got the save and the Rox beat the Cards 4-3. Pujols smoked a liner that Clint Barmes jumped up and got. Yeah!
Cubfansince1957 - May 7, 2008
Once again
Albert is surly
Hammer - May 8, 2008
Pujols or Belle? ;-)
ballhawk - May 8, 2008
Either way
ha
Hammer - May 8, 2008
More Good News
And the Brewers lost to Florida too – the top three remain where they were yesterday.
JFCubFan - May 7, 2008
Good for the Rox
What’s up with the Stros? Won 5 straight now and just a game behind us. I still think the Brewers pose the biggest threat to us.
Bump Bailey - May 7, 2008
I disagree
I think the only team that poses the biggest threat to the Cubs is the Cubs.
McRipper - May 8, 2008
well said
cubsnlinux - May 8, 2008
Might I add that...
...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself!
daver - May 8, 2008
Don't you mean FDR, not Winston?
Shanghai Badger - May 8, 2008
D'oh! You're right! I got my WWII-era leaders mixed up. Here ya go:
daver - May 8, 2008
Here's what Winston would have said...
We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in Wisconsin, we shall fight on the East coasts and the West coasts, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our title, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the Busches, we shall fight on the three rivers, we shall fight in the Deserts and in the Rockies, we shall fight on the South Side. We shall never surrender.
ballhawk - May 8, 2008
Ha ha...that's awesome. I'd love if it someone actually recorded your version.
Oh, and I’d add that if you’re a child of the 80s and former metalhead like me, you immediately hear the opening guitar licks of Iron Maiden’s “Aces High” after reading that.
daver - May 8, 2008
No fair - Iron Maiden copied off of Supertramp!
I too get a musical memory from that speech, but mine is from Supertramp, circa late ‘70s. Churchill’s speech is in the background during a musical interlude on “Fool’s Overture” (album: Even in the Quietest Moments). Good stuff.
Supertramp also used snippets from a Ronald Reagan speech as well as one by Geraldine Ferrarro in another song, “Better Days” I think. Not sure of the album. Again, good stuff, if you like your rock more on the intellectual thought provoking side.
ballhawk - May 8, 2008
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