Bleed Cubbie Blue

Now that I got that out of the way

Bummed i missed seeing the game sounds like a good one and it’s a shame Z didn’t get the win. Unfortunately i had to sit at a fat house in the mountains looking at a million dollar view eating good BBQ and sipping on great homebrew.

it's tough to be alive, innit? ;-}

Yep hatin life

Sometimes you just have to sacrifice for the good of the team.

Where you from in Carolina?

I grew up in WNC myself.

REALLY miss good BBQ

AlabamaCubFan - August 4, 2008 reply

I live in Asheville

Been here about 20 years and over the course of time have turned into a BBQ junkie, I do the sidebox smoker at the house but the boss has a commercial grade smoker-cooker that I use for big bashes.

I'm sure it has been covered but

why did the game get moved up tonight?

Got 2 of 3, what the Cubs needed. Let’s keep truckin and get the bullpen back to a strength with the return of Wood.

slocs55 - August 4, 2008 reply

ESPN wanted the game.

Their Monday night games are always at 6 pm CT, thus the change.

This is the Cubs’ last Monday night home game of the year, so there won’t be any further time changes.

because it's on ESPN

Big Markets Involved

If you take way New York and Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston are two of the biggest TV markets out there. I’m sure Chicago is the number 3 market. Houston might be in the top 5 and certainly in the top 10 market wise.

memphiscub - August 4, 2008 reply

The reason ESPN wanted this game...

... has less to do with market size and everything to do with how well the Cubs are doing. In 2006, ESPN wouldn’t have touched a Cubs/Astros game.

Cubs Performance Matters...

but I somehow think if the Cubs were playing the small market Reds that ESPN would have chosen the Yankees-Rangers game tonight.

Yeah, I know New York is a bigger market than Chicago. Dallas-Ft. Worth might be a little bit bigger market than Houston, so market size isn’t the sole determinant in game choice.

Coupling the Cubs performance with Houston’s market size has put this game on ESPN’s program schedule.

memphiscub - August 4, 2008 reply

Disagree.

As noted, the Cubs don’t have any more Monday night home games this year (and only two Monday night games, period). ESPN wants the Cubs as a compelling story, as noted below. I think they’d have taken tonight’s game if they were playing a team from a town of 5,000 in Idaho.

Was that an option?

I’d like the Cubs chances. :D

AlabamaCubFan - August 4, 2008 reply

against a pitcher the cubs would never have seen before

and possibly have a bad scouting report against?

You wanna re-think that? :P

Mysterious Idahoan pitcher

LIGHT EM UP

This mysterious Idahoan pitcher

studied with the Dali Lama for fifteen years learning how to levitate in order to be able to save treed puppies in the Sahara Desert. He came one vote short of being elected Pope and had a Love Child with Charlieze Theron. He throws 124 miles an hour with a sinker ball that comes with its own drilling apparatus so it can dissapear 50 feet from the plate and then dig its way up through the base itself for a strike.

So that's what happened to Syd Finch..

Oh Lord, this again?

Paging Horace and his “scouting report” disclaimers…

He's not that bad...

Just your typical trollish behaviour. Certainly not in the same league with the Jesus dude.

thanks

slocs55 - August 4, 2008 reply

Speaking of time changes

what’s with the 3:05 start on September 1st?

labor day

Cheers.

That's my birthday.

A win would make a great present.

So this year your turning the being 24...congrads!

being=big

LOL!! I wish

21 then?

haha

Maybe Soto can hit a HR for you on your birthday!

That would be

a present to remember for sure.

The cubs are a compelling story line now. 1st place, late in the season, so anything cubs now is going to get broadcast. You wait, the closer it gets to september and definitely the end of the season, everything cubs will be fair game. Big Z can scratch his butt or Aram pick a bougar and you’ll have the BBTN crew anaylzing the good and bad aspects of it and how it’ll keep the cubs out of the playoffs and how it’ll help them get in!

nmcubsfan - August 4, 2008 reply

Seeing anyone covered other than the Red Sox and the Yankees is a refreshing change.

The fact that it is the Cubs getting coverage (and respect) makes it sweeter.

And by the way, as someone who minored in English in college, isn’t it spelled “booger?” ;-)

Cubfansince1957 - August 4, 2008 reply

Oops, my bad. Army has corrupted my brain and my spelling! :-)

nmcubsfan - August 4, 2008 reply

or Favre

I’ve seen tent pegs been into the grounder softer than this story. Gah.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

Cubs Not at Top, But High On Priority List

I’m sure if the New York and Los Angeles teams are playing quality opponents that they will get on national TV before the Cubs. That still means the Cubs would be number 5 out of 30 MLB teams in pecking order. The Yankees are playing a non-contending Rangers team tonight. That’s one of the reasons the Cubs and Astros will be televised tonight. I’m glad the game is on, whether or not Houston’s market size has anything to do with it.

Teams, like the Yankees, generally receive more attention from ESPN than the Cubs. Don’t take that to mean that the Cubs aren’t high on the priority list. The Cubs just aren’t at the top of the priority list.

memphiscub - August 4, 2008 reply

Also

Did you know it has been 100 years since the cubs won the world series :)

gocubsgo22 - August 4, 2008 reply

Yes. I once heard something about a goat.

But only once . . . .

I've never heard this story before!

Do tell!

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

Apparently, someone let a goat loose at Shea Stadium

And it crossed Ron Santo’s path. A Cub almost caught the goat, but a fan in the left field stands interfered (although some feel the goat was out of play at the time).

Since then, the Cubs have been doomed to not make it to the World Series, despite the fact that they had Harry Caray write “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” and invent Wrigley Field.

And then the Wright Brothers invented popcorn...

...and that’s why we all eat Cracker Jacks at baseball games!

LOL

Perfect!

So.....what happened to the goat?

I keed. I keed.

flachimesa - August 4, 2008 reply

Ever seen "Jurassic Park"?

well done

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

that sums it up nicely

fantastic.

Did anyone else throw up in their mouth a little

When the Phillies let the Cards load the bases in the 9th last night?

SackMan - August 4, 2008 reply

My reaction wasn't quite that strong...

...but Lidge definitely took it to the limit. The game wasn’t a huge deal – even if they won, the Cards would have stayed five back. I was mostly amused that TLR’s bench is so thin he has to use Cesar “Mr. Grabby Hands” Izturis as a pinch hitter.

I actually felt sorry for the Cards fans as I watched "Lights-Out" Lidge eat up their two

minor-league rookies to get the win. Must be really awful to have to bat two rookies against Lidge. Those guys have probably never seen a slider in their lives. On the other hand, whatever happened to Wellemeyer? He’s pitching really well. Can it really be the Cards’ coaching staff?

zevkalman - August 4, 2008 reply

Nope.

I’d rather see the Cards win the wild card than the Brewers. Granted, if the Cubs make the NLCS, whoever they play will be there because they earned it, but I still think the Brewers are a better team and a tougher match-up in a short series.

If the Cubs take care of business the rest of the way, it doesn’t matter what the other teams do—they’ll finish first.

Yeah, I'd definitely prefer the Cards...

...win the Wild Card, too. I just don’t think it’s gonna happen – so, if they’re gonna lose, I’d like to see them lose big and bury themselves now so the Cubs can focus solely on the Brewers.

Don't count out...

... the 2nd-place finisher in the East from the WC. The Marlins, currently 2nd, are only three games behind the Brewers.

Not counting them out, for certain

But I see the Brewers as the 2nd best NL team right now. But again, whoever the Cubs play - if they get there - will have earned the right to be there; I’m not overlooking that.

Agreed.

And I don’t care who the Cubs do play, if they make it.

Good point -- let's just get there

We could play a pop warner team

and i’d still be nervous. until we win 11 in oct i’m counting nobody out.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

I like the Cubs' chances to win 2 of 3 this weekend

But they should focus only on the team that they are playing.

I think you’re right about the Cards—their schedule looks pretty tough the rest of the way.

Ned Yost is a factor

whom would you rather face, there, LaRussa or Yost? Though I think Lou out thinks the both of them whenever the teams are matched up…

Not too many guys...

...out thinks LaRussa, but he can out think himself.

Managers can make a difference

But the talent level usually matters more.

All things being equal, I take Yost as my opponent over LaRussa—but I’ll take Wellemeyer, Lohse, Looper and Piniero over Sabathia, Sheets and Parra first.

Sort of OT:

Uni Watch noticed L&B’s discussion of the irritating Pirate vests yesterday. Its actually kind of an amusing wrap of the conversation.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

It's not as bad as their alternates

Did Ronald McDonald throw up all over their uniforms or what?

NittanyCub - August 4, 2008 reply

those are flat out awful.

blind school home ec made better stuff than that. seriously.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

Now, the defenders of that will say...

... that the red color is to honor a former Pittsburgh mayor named “Redd”. Which is true. But they could have figured out a better tribute. I think Mayor Redd would be horrified. Instead of a tribute, it makes the Pirates look like this:

Not Bruce Froemming - August 4, 2008 reply

you can do red and black

w/ doing vests that look like something … i can’t even come up w/ a metaphor of what they look like. But they’re bad.

I also really don’t like the numbers on the stomach thing. Thats just weird.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

I have no problem with the Bucs' regular unis

But those red ones are awful.

Still, better than the polyester double-knits and the pillbox, Gay ‘90s-style hats they wore in the ‘70s.

OT: Royals & Sox fight

Being here in KC, this fight is the talk of the KC sports radio this morning. Basically the White Sox were mad about getting blown out (and losing first place), and the pitcher went up-n-in a few too many times. Nice to see AJ get hit too, IMO. The beach-blonde hair just doesn’t do it for me.

Here.

Dan

(new window)

My favorite part of this fight...

...was the little love tap that Carrasco gives Olivo on the back of the head when he first runs out. Carrasco’s like, “Hey, buddy, chill out.” Slap. And, yeah, A.J. definitely deserves a knock to the cranium for that awful, awful dye job.

Made me wonder if he had the rest of the

augmentation usually seen with that hair color.

N Oakley - August 4, 2008 reply

well, I didn't WANT to think about it

but now I am! Yargh.

why are you thinking about

another man’s eyebrows?

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

As always

AJ is in the middle of it. Not that he had anything to do with it but I DO love seeing Ozzie suffer. Moving rapidly up the list of jagoffs in sports IMO. Wish he got kissed in that fight. Talk about contact with the ump. He all but shoved the ump.

he was a little

hot under the collar, wasn’t he…

Everytime Ozzie does something like this

I realize how thankful I am for Pinella. Over the last yr and a half he’s had opportunities to play bean & brawl, but he’s tried to see the bigger picture… and fighting w/ a last place team is not worth it.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

The best part was

A.J.’s interview in the club house after the game. He said ,”this team, Ozzie, our pitchers never throw the ball intentionally”. Then they have Ozzie on and he admits that he has in fact had batters hit intentionally but not yesterday. Ahhh, great day to be a Cub fan.

regarding a.j....

i’d kneecap every hitter on his team on any third strike. “hey, how should i know if the ump called it a dropped third strike?”

tim815 - August 4, 2008 reply

That was interesting...

...but I would agree that Guillen doesn’t go out of his way to throw at other teams players.

If you look at Bobby Cox, Yost (he is a Cox disciple) and LaRussa, those are the guys who will quickly order a batter be thrown at (when they showboat, your guy gets hit or one player is having a great series).

For the most part, Piniella doesn’t seem to be someone who promotes this either – unless it is really necessary to protect your players.

I never understood the

“bean a batter who is having a great series” rule.

Curtain Jerker - August 4, 2008 reply

As someone...

...who was a position player, I never did either.

Do hitters accidently let go of their bat and let it sail at the pitcher when he is throwing a no-hitter?

Pitchers are a littlle like QB’s, there is a code that protects them and to some degree allows them to get away with this stuff. This is why I don’t mind hitters wearing the protective gear on the arms/elbow, which trust me, is not a fun place to take a 95+ MPH fastball.

I'll take your word for it

regarding the protective gear on the elbow. However, I always felt that having a guy with a massive elbow pad (a la Barry Bonds) allows him to camp on that inside corner with no fear of getting hit for any damage.

Did you see the Rays/Tigers game yesterday? A Ray was trying to get out of the way of a pitch, and basically got hit right on the chest. Ouch.

Curtain Jerker - August 4, 2008 reply

There are plenty of spots...

...to hit somone other than the elbow.

What's the site for the Cubs BCB shirt?

I can’t find it on any sidebars…

Dan

you can find

it here

It's also permanently listed...

... under the “2008 BCB Project 3000 Fundraiser” link on the right sidebar.

Just bought two!

One for my dad’s birthday, and one for me! Maybe I’ll post a fanshot of us when we get ‘em. Love the look of the shirt.

Dan

OT: Morgan Freeman in serious condition

following car accident.

Wow, sorry to hear this.

Oddly enough, I just saw him in “The Dark Knight” this weekend.

That is odd daver

I heard no one is going to see that movie.

Oh I forgot to write sarcasm with a :)

Yeah, I've been known to...

...break new ground with my cinematic patronage. I’m now looking into some small, arty theaters in the Evanston area where I can see “Hancock.”

that's the biopic

about the large-signatured colonial revolutionary, is it not? pip pip…

I love Morgan as

an actor. Hope he has a speedy recovery.

I think he's ok

It looks like he was conscious and joking around with the rescuers while they were cutting him out with the jaws of life.

cubsonWGN4ever - August 4, 2008 reply

I read that too.

But at 71 recovery might take a little longer than if he was 41.

He's been in A LOT of good movies

Million Dollay Baby, Seven, Shawshank Redemption, Lucky Number Slevin, Gone Baby Gone(This movie was freakin awesome), and Driving Miss Daisy.

Hopefully the guy makes it out alright

NittanyCub - August 4, 2008 reply

The Bucket List

was pretty good too.

I'm kind of offended...

...that you are putting “Lucky Number Slevin” in the same list as Shawshank, Se7en, and The Dark Knight. Slevin? Really?! Com’on Nittany!

Dan

I liked the Slevin movie.

But to put it in the same category...

...as classics like Se7en, Shawshank, or award-winners like MDB or GBG?!

actually,

I’ve never seen Se7en or Shawshank. So I can’t tell you.

For real?

Both are great films. Esp Shawshank.

Concur

Shawshank is very good.

flachimesa - August 4, 2008 reply

Looks like your weekend's planned.

WHAT!?

You haven’t seen Shawshank?!

I think TNT has a sister channel…it just plays Shawshank in a loop…

PurpleLineToWrigley - August 4, 2008 reply

Slevin was awesome.

Instant classic.

My favorite Morgan Freeman...

Copped from imdb.com:

Red: [narrating] I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don’t want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I’d like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can’t be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.

"So go ahead and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time.

Cos I really don’t give a damn.”

wish me luck

it’s off to chicago for tonight’s game. hope the weather holds out.

Bring us a win Trey.

Totally OT but

I just noticed that Matt Clement was released by STL.

Discussed in the game threads last night

Shame. I liked him

Stan Cox - August 4, 2008 reply

Shoulder surgery is hard to come back from.

It’s amazing anyone does.

I did too.

Wonder if he’ll get some looks or a chance elsewhere.

Not unless

he can get his fastball over 83 mph.

Itchy - August 4, 2008 reply

Over under on "Bret Farve Updates" during the game:

5 1/2

What do you chose?

I don't even want

to think about that. I’ll say over.

I choose to watch it on WCIU

thank god for no espn for this girl!

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

If my softball game gets rained out, I'll keep you posted on Favre updates

And let us know if Joba is having regular bowl movements, ok?

America needs to know..:)

I hear hes out of college eligability

no bowls.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

LOL

I stepped right into that one didn’t I? checks shoes

Hmmm....

Tell ya what – I’ll let you know if I opt for beer or scotch…

Ha..

I’d rather know that than what Joba is doing. Beer for me tonight. Picked up a sixer of Three Floyds, Robert the Bruce. Brewed right here in Munster, IN. btw.

Isn't Joba at least pitching though?

Favre won’t even have practice until tomorrow afternoon.

All this… and we’re still just talking about practice.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS??

We’re talkin’ practice!

you got your beer commercials mixed up

i think.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

They are who we thought they were!

No, combined Jim Mora with an NBA player

I forget who . . . got that from a friend of mine.

Allen Iverson

Curtain Jerker - August 4, 2008 reply

Thanks

A bit

but honestly… I actually got the “college eligibility” line off of radio the other day. Van Pelt was hilarious.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

Yeah, he can keep his bowls to himself.

I'm resentful...

...that this football story keeps bleeding into my baseball coverage. Summer is short enough as it is.

do you take exception to it?

santoswoodenlegs - August 4, 2008 reply

You all are still using that line from that tarbox troll from the other day, huh?

Excellent.

Jimmyeatworld - August 4, 2008 reply

Yeah, I need a better scouting report...

...on the Favre coverage.

Well with all the coverage...

at least you know that it won’t be a last minute tarbox scouting report.

Jimmyeatworld - August 4, 2008 reply

Five and a half?

At one point someone goes, “You know, Favre, just today…ah, forget it.”

Blackout?

Does anyone know if the ESPN coverage will be blacked out locally? If so, I need to get to the one place in Rockford that gets WCIU’s feed via satellite.

worldcupfever - August 4, 2008 reply

I don't think

there are any satellites that get WCIU. I live in Iowa and have DirecTV and have never gotten WCIU. You should be able to watch it on ESPN.

Actually,

my regular bar gets WCIU as part of it’s HD-Local package on Dish Network. I’m pretty sure it’s the only place in Rockford that gets it.

worldcupfever - August 4, 2008 reply

If you have a DVR or TiVo ..

Just try recording the game and it will tell you if it’s blacked out or not.

Just scroll to it on the guide on your dish

and click info… if theres the “no” symbol (ya know, the circle w/ the diagonal line) then you are blacked out… thats how I tell.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

Yeah you might be blacked out in Rockford.

Too close to Chicago. I’m in NW Indiana, about 30-40 miles from Wrigley, and ESPN is blacking me out, so I have to watch it on WCIU.

We're in the Chicagoland market though

... is Rockford considered in Chicagoland?

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

Not sure...

Rockford is at least 75-80 miles away, so maybe not.

Where in NW IN, Bump?

Hobart

Are you in “the region” too?

Dyer.

My wife’s from Hobart…

Howdy neighbor..

HBCG is from Valpo I believe and jimmyeatsworld is from around here too IIRC.

californiachicagoan - August 4, 2008 reply

Looks like Wrigley's new drainage system will get another test today

but I think it’ll clear up by game time.

Saw Ryno this morning.......

Noticed him walking past my office building towards the big Sports Authority on LaSalle. I discreetly said good morning Ryne and he smiled and replied. I watched him continue to the Sports Authority and realized about 6 people, decked head to toe in Cubs gear, were walking straight towards him.

They didn’t recognize him and walked around him! He had to walk THROUGH the group! LOL

toaster - August 4, 2008 reply

Good story

Better avatar…

You mean the drink of course, right?

Nice pair of…mmmmm….straws..:)

It's really hard to find

a natural pair of straws these days.

The natural ones

Flex better

lol

lol

you are such a man.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

Cheap thrills...

We find em wherever we can..

Well I'd sure like to have my lips around....

the beverage in that picture.

santoswoodenlegs - August 4, 2008 reply

How many times did you have to look at

the picture before you saw the glass in the foreground?

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

There is a glass involved?

Possibly

you might need to look again.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

What glass?

Itchy - August 4, 2008 reply

TWSS

santo4hof - August 4, 2008 reply

lol! sneaky pete.

How'd you know my name?

way out out yourself the rest of the way

dood

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

whoa. i can't type

way to out yourself.

god. i need more caffeine.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

I don't think that's giving away a whole lot

It’s not like I said my SSN is 123-45-6789

Besides, who says

I’m telling the truth?

true

you ARE a sneaky badger.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

And everyone knows your name

is really Shanghai.

Your mom & dad really wanted you to learn your vowels growing up.

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

That's right -- better we hear about my vowels

than Joba’s . . . never mind.

Besides, I'm not a way out

These guys are

Is that a lime in that drink?

I can’t seem to get my eyes to focus there, something’s distracting me.

Itchy - August 4, 2008 reply

Wow, that is a cool story.

Those boneheads in the Cubs gear literally had a brush with greatness.

Admittedly

I wouldn’t recognize him either… but I do have a sort of excuse. :-P

halfblindcubbiegirl - August 4, 2008 reply

well...

I recognized him from a long way away, but did spend waaay too much time at Wrigley in the 90’s!

toaster - August 4, 2008 reply

lucky you!

on both counts