Ron Santo hugs Kenny Holtzman after his no-hitter on August 19, 1969. photo via www.nwherald.com
If you have not already read it, I commend you to BatCubFan's excellent post about Kenny Holtzman's first no-hitter, thrown 40 years ago today on August 19, 1969. While I wasn't at the game like BatCubFan was, I remember it well and what I remember most was the atmosphere among Cub fans -- both my age (12) and older -- after that game. As BatCubFan wrote, we were "on top of the world". It seemed as if the no-hitter was just another peak in what was going to be "our year".
Obviously, that "year" never happened, and in fact, the Cubs went 15-35 after that game till the end of the season -- something you never, ever in your worst nightmares would have guessed was going to happen on August 19, 1969. The Cubs were eight games ahead of the Mets, had just finished a stretch where they had gone 24-12 (including the 8/19 game), and the Mets were at best treading water; over the same stretch they were 20-17.
Sound familiar? Sound like 2009? OK, not exactly, but right now you have a hot Cardinals team that is 17-7 over its last 24 games and a Cubs team just barely keeping afloat -- 12-12 over the same 24-game stretch.
Each year is different and the comparison to 1969 is only superficial; the Mets started winning because their starting pitching simply would not lose and they had miracle games (example: on September 15, Steve Carlton struck out 19 Mets, then the major league record, but the Mets won because Ron Swoboda hit a pair of two-run homers in the at-bats when he wasn't striking out), and the Cubs simply stopped hitting, overtired because Leo Durocher had no bench to give them any rest. This year's Cardinals team is a more-than-solid team and the 2009 Cubs don't quite have the starting pitching that those Mets did.
And yet. The 1969 NL East race is only one example littered over the four decades since when a team came out of nowhere to make the postseason. And many of those teams -- 1978 Yankees, 1980 Phillies, and yes, even last year's Phillies, who were 3.5 games out with only 16 games remaining, won the World Series?
Is it likely for the 2009 Cubs to do that? No, of course it isn't. I see the numbers and I see who's on this team and if they keep playing like they have the last 10 days, they won't.
And yet. We know this team has talent; we have seen it shine through at times all year. All they need to do is to play the way they are capable for the next seven weeks. Starting tonight. Go Cubs.
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Mat Latos is one of the new breed of Padres. He is 21 years old, making his seventh major league start, and his first facing the Cubs.
Rich Harden has been outstanding since the All-Star break: 2-1, 1.95 in six starts. He got rained out of his outing on Sunday and got pushed back to tonight. He has one lifetime start vs. the Padres, May 12 at Wrigley Field, a 6-2 Cubs win. He did give up a HR to Adrian Gonzalez that day, but then again, a lot of good pitchers have given up homers to Gonzalez this year.
Today's game is back on cable only, CSN Chicago and TV4 San Diego. For other games today see the MLB.com Mediacenter.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball.
Overflow comment threads will post today at 10 pm, 11 pm and 11:45 pm CDT.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
0 recs | 77 comments
Can Lou please start Fuld instead of Soriano tonight ?
At least then I have a reason to watch the game.
Doggie Stalker - August 19, 2009
Sorry Doggie...
Riot, Bradley, Lee, Ramirez, Fukudome, Soriano, Baker, Hill Harden
ballhawk - August 19, 2009
SD's lineup
Cabrera, Eckstein, Gonzalez, Headley, Kouzmanoff, Venable, BBR, Blanco, Latos
ballhawk - August 19, 2009
Ugh....you would think that Lou might
….try Fukudome at leadoff to try and get them back on track. They were winning games when he was leading off…mix it up!
JB 23 - August 19, 2009 via mobile
I agree with this.
I just don’t understand screwing with something once it was working.
Al Yellon - August 19, 2009
It would make too much sense to stick with something that's working - DUH!
Let’s go Cubs – at least make the last 6 weeks of the season interesting. Go win 9 of 11 or something. We know you can do it. It starts tonight, baby…
DKT - August 19, 2009
how about they win
11/11
jesus christos - August 19, 2009
I didn't want to be TOO greedy.
I’m guessing they won’t sweep the Dodgers, but stranger things have happened…
DKT - August 19, 2009
Again with the flippity-flop
Why. The. Crap. Is. Theriot. Batting. Lead-off. ?
chilango2 - August 19, 2009
Well at least no Miles
I wish Dome would lead off though. What part of Dome ( or Fuld) at leadoff does he not like ? Does Sori’s ERA have to drop below the Mendoza line to get him on the bench for some games ?
Doggie Stalker - August 19, 2009
A lineup with 9 Aaron Miles'
average pitching and defense. Would win 17 games.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/milesaa01-bat.shtml#batting_advanced
shake n bake - August 19, 2009
That many?
Al Yellon - August 19, 2009
Sori's ERA?
is he the new closer? :P
Dome’s not at leadoff because Lou doesn’t want two lefties in the 1,2 spots.
drewishdrewid - August 19, 2009
OOPS BA on Sori
ÅND SCREW THE LEFTY/RIGHTY thing. It has been SO successful so far.
Doggie Stalker - August 19, 2009
I don't necessarily
disagree with you. But I expect this is Lou’s reasoning.
drewishdrewid - August 19, 2009
And, those darn 1964 Cardinals
who came out of nowhere to erase the Phillies’ 7 and a half game lead to take the NL Pennant. (I hope the year and games gained are correct, no time at work to look up)
San Diego Smooth Jazz Man - August 19, 2009
6.5 game lead with 12 games left.
The Phillies lost 10 in a row.
I would have included the 1987 Tigers, who erased a 3.5 game lead with 7 to go (and were one out away from being 4.5 games down with 6 left, but won) — but they lost the ALCS.
Al Yellon - August 19, 2009
Maaaaaaaan
crazy nasty storms in the area…They may prevent/spare me from seeing the game tonight.
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
Nah
It’ll blow over before 9 for sure.
chilango2 - August 19, 2009
Not unless my power is knocked out
I don’t want to jinx myself or anything though, but when I lived closer to the ND campus and downtown, my power would go out all the time. I bought a home about 15 minutes away from downtown, not far enough to be considered country, but we’re not considered in the city, and our power doesn’t go out much.
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
I had to visit your lovely state today
Why is it permanently under construction? In the 12 years I’ve transited through I-80/94/90/65, there has been massive construction.
chilango2 - August 19, 2009
Good question
80/90 around here is never really that bad, except for when you get in the Gary/Hammond area to the Skyway.
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
Yeah
Today I went to Goshen, and it’s just never-ending. However, today’s bad traffic was because of construction within Chicago proper. The Bishop Ford is a mess.
chilango2 - August 19, 2009
Goshen, you say? I work in Elkhart/Goshen
hope you were treated well by us locals.
davidalanu - August 19, 2009
Of course!
Every time I’m there I’m treated right. I deal with the very nice folks at Goshen College.
chilango2 - August 19, 2009
+1
I go to Indiana and 65 has been under construction now for three years. I would believe it if you told me it’s been going on for more prior. I’ve never seen anyone out there working on it.
Musicdude10 - August 19, 2009
That's the thing
I seldom see actual construction going on.
chilango2 - August 19, 2009
And, the weird thing is, the state has a butt load of money because of the toll road
Ever since it was leased out, we’ve pulled in a lot of money, and have been able to keep people doing road work employed. I just kind of see it as a neverending full time job for those guys.
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
Have you ever driven south/east/west of Indy?
The roads are not in tip-top shape but there’s never construction. It must be that congressional district that gets the earmark.
chilango2 - August 19, 2009
More than a few times a year
And yeah, those roads are crap.
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
I think I-88 has been under construction since I moved here
over a decade ago.
I don’t know anything about how road construction is planned, but the whole “let’s rip up 50 miles of road at a time” thing seems to be extremely poorly thought out. There has to be a way to essentially have several teams of people, tearing up, surveying, prepping and rebuilding to minimize the amount of road that is being worked on at a time.
Maybe it just feels like it, but it seems like at any given time half a dozen major roads are torn up, but only 1 or 2 being fixed at a time
chitownhawkeye - August 19, 2009
And wow, funnel cloud near downtown...
Moving northeast towards my area, definitely so if it strays more east than north.
Tornado warning in/near Chesterton too. Hope a couple BCBers on here that live there are ok.
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
Chesterton looking scary right now
I hope everyone is ok. Michigan City is under the gun next. South Bend/Granger is clear. Things appear to be clear after this. Hope everyone else in Illinois or Indiana got through the storms damage free.
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
Quote from our weatherman:
“The northside of Portage, IN was clobbered by a tornado.”
Take care readers if there are any there.
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
Yeah
There was a tornado that touched down multiple times in Chesterton and the northside of there is a mess. There’s a couple people that participate on here that live there, so please keep them in your thoughts.
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
Is one of
them Alli?
sue369 - August 19, 2009
I talked with her today
via email, but not since about 2:20 pm. I’ve dropped her another email.
drewishdrewid - August 19, 2009
I believe so
and I thought there was someone else too, can’t remember who though
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
ah man I hope
she is okay.
sue369 - August 19, 2009
Yeah thats us
Missed us completely. Our sirens didn’t even go off.
Thanks for the thoughts everyone! :-)
Allie - August 19, 2009
Glad you are okay.
sue369 - August 19, 2009
Thanks for checking on me.
:-)
Allie - August 19, 2009
baker goes deep tonight cause
he’s been reading the deromantics comments about his lack of power compared to thier deity and he’s out to prove them wrong!
doofus cubs guy - August 19, 2009
Works for me.
Al Yellon - August 19, 2009
lou has done a 2/10 job this year. I think he has cost the cubs a lot of wins.
lexmarklover - August 19, 2009
Stupid storms.
Go Cubs!!!!
sue369 - August 19, 2009
We have storms here in Nashville tonight too
the weather Gods must be Cub fans…. They are unhappy
LT - August 19, 2009
ack, they must be
sue369 - August 19, 2009
How Do you win the world series??
Get a good team hot at the right time….Lets start it tonight…Go Cubs
BelieveinBlue2314 - August 19, 2009
+ I wish you win
Hammer - August 19, 2009
The End is near.........
At what point do we become “sellers”………. and what do we have to sell….? I know a few we can’t give away……!!!!
James031 - August 19, 2009
we don't.
drewishdrewid - August 19, 2009
Sellers?
..wont happen ….. sigh
Hammer - August 19, 2009
A question about switch hitters - specifically Milton Bradley
If Bradley’s average and power numbers are so much higher as a righty, I wonder why he wouldn’t try batting right-handed against a RHP for a game or two. Just to see what would happen. What does everything have to be by the damn book??
DKT - August 19, 2009
to lou, yes
jesus christos - August 19, 2009
If you do something that big, offseason would be the place.
KaliCub - August 19, 2009
Smoltz a Cardinal....
JB 23 - August 19, 2009 via mobile
How do you smoltz a cardinal?
Craig in South Bend - August 19, 2009
I don't think that's a question you really want answered.
Al Yellon - August 19, 2009
lol!
JB 23 - August 19, 2009 via mobile
good
hopefully, we’ll face him.
drewishdrewid - August 19, 2009
And hopefully, he'll suck as bad for them as he did for the Red Sox.
Al Yellon - August 19, 2009
he'll probably channel
Ty Cobb, but sure, what the hell… :D
drewishdrewid - August 19, 2009
Could Lou stick
up for MB any more than he just did on the pregame?
sue369 - August 19, 2009
whatd he say
jesus christos - August 19, 2009
He defended MB
not backing up Dome on the in the park homerun.
sue369 - August 19, 2009
what would you have him do?
galloway0023 - August 19, 2009
Stop making excuses
for this team.
sue369 - August 19, 2009
Um
Que horror! The manager stuck up for a player? Shocking.
galloway0023 - August 19, 2009
LATOS
LIGHT EM UP
Hammer - August 19, 2009
too bad we arent at Wrigley
because this is my best year I am 10-0
Hammer - August 19, 2009
Hey bud
chilango2 - August 19, 2009
Exactly 40 years ago today
I turned nine.
It was August 19, 1969, one of those sweltering dog days filled with screaming cicadas and an endless starchy yellow sky, in which my life forever changed. My DNA code wonderfully shifted – my weltanschauung became a cosmic consciousness that transcended space and time.
It was on my 9th birthday, when Ken Holtzman’s no-hitter and a brand new Ferguson Jenkins mitt initiated me into the Cubs Nation for good. My parents sat transfixed before the shipping crate sized old color TV set at the house. I cradled that mitt on the floor by the TV. It smelt fresh and clean and was the color of Cracker Jack the way they made it at Sears and had Jenkins’ potent, boldly defined signature embossed black and stark in it’s palm.
It’s now old and cracked and covered in autographs, and it is the living connection to those first days of admiration, which, after a lifetime of citizenship in the Cub Nation I have never regretted. The suspense was there and Ken did his thing. And my father made sure I understood that the man who signed it was part of a baseball team we were watching that very day doing battle at a place called Wrigley Field.
I haven’t looked back yet. I may regret painfully what goes on at that old baseball cathedral all too often, and scream loudly and joyfully when other things happen ..
but I am a Cubs fan and Mr. Holtzman, thanks for the great memories.
Go Cubs.
cubnational - August 19, 2009
via twittermyer
Last chance lineup in SD: riot, milt, lee, rami, fuky, sori, baker, hill, harden.
laidbackliam - August 19, 2009
winner winner
Hammer - August 19, 2009
leftover pizza dinner
Hammer - August 19, 2009
Whose ready for a.... oh wait, this is the 2009 Cubs. Loss?
Theroid - August 19, 2009
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