Fortunately Cards look like they will beat Brewers tonight as I'm writing. Cubs fortunate they are in a weak division. If Cubs do make playoffs certainly will be a quick exit especially if cubs continue to play giveaway ball. Derosa's bad throw & Soriano being doubled off mistakes veterans shouldn't make . Cubs long known for choking, it still wouldn't surprise me if they continue that tradition & let Brewers take division. Cubs must start playing like a contender or they will be watching Brewers in playoffs.No excuses for a high payroll club like cubs to play so poorly at times.Marriotti just might have to eat his column when he guaranteed a cub division winner.
I am sick and tired of Cub fans thinking that a high payroll means something. Maybe it means that the Cubs management made $300 million dollars worth of mistakes. Nobody is a bigger Cub fan than me, but I am sick because I absolutely HATE Jason Marquis! He has lost to the weakest teams in the NL this year. How the hell do you lose to Pittsburgh and Florida twice in a 3 week stretch?! They spent big money on a lot of bums. What is gonna happen is the Cubs will make the playoffs and be 1 or 2 games away from the World Series. Then Jacque Jones, Monroe or DeRosa are gonna be this years Alex Gonzalez. If you notice, everytime a player costs the Cubs a World Series, it's always a bum?! Never Derrek Lee or Aramis Ramirez. Always Alex Gonzalez, Mark Clark, Les Lancaster, or Leon Durham! Think about it!
Cardinal victory a big one. The Cubs have three with a Reds team that doesn't have Griffey or Dunn. Advantage Cubs. Brewers have four with a Padres team that will need these games. Advantage Cubs. I look for a clinch Friday night. After yesterdays loss, Ned Yost said "the math is on our side". He got pulled into a bean ball war and awoke the Cardinals. Inexperience of Yost. Advantage Cubs.
It's amazing Lou started Kendall rather than Soto whom cubs are 7-2 when he starts. Kendall has a weak arm, average at best bat,can't bunt & poor on defense (something like 12 errors). Lou talks about having a veteran behind plate . Hey Lou it's almost like having Rex Grossman as your catcher with Kendall behind plate.No surprise cubs are losing now with Rex errrr Jason behind plate.You can't blame one guy totally on two losses in Florida but Jason certainly does little to help you win.
I understand that the Cubs are looking shaky. There was actually a 5 minute or so time last night when both the Cubs were losing and the Brewers were winning that I thought the Brewers had a very legitimate shot, like 33% or so of forcing a playoff. Now that they lost that game, the magic number is 3, and the likelihood of the Brewers pulling even with the Cubs is all but killed, especially considering that they have to play the Padres while the Cubs coast on easy street (hey wait, aren't the Marlins supposed to be "easy street"?).
The Cubs are simply the better team and they have the 2 game lead. If I was a Cubs fan, I wouldn't be worried at all. Of course, this is because I don't buy into curses or negative energy, or Bartman, or billy-goats (cue Jay Mariotti freaking out that both of these things begin with 'b'). Rather, I believe that "baseball" is a sport played by 9 computers on each team spitting out random numbers with probabilities weighted by their skill level. Isn't that exciting?
uggggg....i cant even get over Hitman saying "my yanks" i am soooooo flippin outraged. I actually thought for a split second you were a chicago guy through and through. You just exploited yourself buddy!!!! and...exposed too!!!!
uggggg....i cant even get over Hitman saying "my yanks" i am soooooo flippin outraged. I actually thought for a split second you were a chicago guy through and through. You just exploited yourself buddy!!!! and...exposed too!!!!
Wow, when you bring it into context like that, it's a very scary thought. I never was a big Steve Trachsel fan before. Not sure how this is gonna play out. Cubs got super lucky that the Brew crew threw down a major choke job yesterday as well.
until I saw that the Cards had beaten the Brewers last night my thought had been ok the meltdown is in sept this year instead of august. with 4 games left and a magic number of 3 that does not exactly instill a lot of confidence, especially considering they have one more game yet with the Marlins who they have failed to beat this year. the one brightspot is that the Brewers face the Padres, who are only 1 game out of first in their division and are hanging onto the wild card spot in the west by only 1 game, in their last 4 games. but until I hear or read CUBS CLINCH DIVISION! I'll remain cautiously optimistic.
Cubs have this in the bag. Milwaukee has the most to be disappointed about. They should have ran away with the Central, but they choked and played cheap. Cubs went out and made enough moves to secure the division and they have. Its been gift-wrapped courtesy of the Milwaukee Bucks who despite seeing their glaring flaw at pitching did absolutely nothing. THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS when you wait on people to perform vs getting some guys in to do the job - see Chicago Whitesox and Bears for reference.
Cubs have this in the bag as long as Marquis and Trachsel don't have to pitch. (OOPS!) Also, the Brewers are closing the season against the Padres who are fighting for a spot. That's a tad bit better competition than the Cubs facing the Reds.
Note to Lou: Disregard whatever Rothschild tells you about his pitchers. If he says they are fine, then pull them and put in another pitcher. The guy doesn't know pitching or how to handle pitchers. He must have pictures of Cubs execs though, because I know of no other way that he could keep this job given the talent he's wasted over the past several years.
I suspect the Cubs will cut the magic number to two today. Then the Padres will cut it to one later on, and the clincher will take place tomorrow against the Griffieless and Dunneless Cincinatti Reds.That scenario may detract a bit from the drama, but I've had enough drama for now. Besides Arizona or the Mets will rekindle any incipient boredom that may accrue.
Well, there's still reason for hope, of course, but at the moment, the Cubs are playing catch-up again against the Marlins. The good things are, the Cubs are heading for Cincy where the Reds are Griffey-less and Dunn-less. The Brewers have 4 against the Padres, who aren't just "playing for pride" like the Cards were. They need to win as badly as Milwaukee does.
As of this writing, the Cubs are precariously close to being swept by a team 22-games under .500! Remember they got swept by the Astros awhile back? Milwaukee is a young team -- you expect mistakes and clamming up this time of year from a bunch of kids. (Exhibit A: their stupid retaliation against the Cards last night.)
The Cubs are a veteran team with an enormous payroll. What's their excuse? If they can't take this hapless division, they should be ashamed of themselves. Period. And they're doing their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Seeing as how unevenly they've played all season, I'm doubtful they'll go anywhere even if -- and that's a big IF -- they back their way into the playoffs.
Do the Cubs have their 1/4 of a championship in the bag by now? They may make it, only because Milwaukee is out of steam. And they could make it to the World because the other NL contenders are playing equally bad.
2 game lead, 3 games to play, magic number 2. a Cubs Win and Brewers loss tonight would seal it and a win or loss by both would insure at least a one game play-off. Hopefully big Z will clinch it tonight.
Hitman an outed closet yankee fan????? I just spent 4 years living in NY state and the one thing I hated most when I was there was Yankee fans! They are the most obnoxious arrogant people I have ever met and even as a die hard Cubs fan I relished the opportunity in '05 to rub the White Sox in their noses and the Red Sox in '04. I suppose next we'll find out you share the same enthusiasm for the Knicks that Keith has.
I believe that after a 162 game schedule, the best team gets into the playoffs. If the Cubs win the division, it will because they are the best team in the division. It will be because they won more games than any other team in the division. The talk about backing in, black cats and billy goats is just nonsense. the Cubs are taking it down to the wire because they have been a .500 team all year. They aren't choking by losing three to the Marlins. They are just being who they were all season. To quote Dennis Green, "they are who we thought they were".
Well, I was half right. Tracksel lived up to the pan I gave him when the Bears first got him, wee Willy lucked out because the center field fence is so far away, and Wood saved Eyre. The Cubs lost anyway but almost won in spite of those three dolts who pretend to be pitchers. Hooray for the Padres. Thanks to them, the Cubs may slide into the playoffs in spite of their own ineptitude. I feel sorry for the Brewer fans. Five errors makes one wonder if the goat moved to Milwaukee. Now if a fan louses up a Brewer victory tonight because of interference, I'll buy Roman's team of destiny theorizing.
Yes, the Brewers have played badly. Yes, both math and common-sense suggests the Cubs have every advantage to get into the playoffs. And then they go get swept by the Marlins. Swept?! At which point I'm reminded this it the Cubs, and as Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning is an attitude and a habit; unfortunately, so is losing."
I agree with Sean Moore that high payroll doesn't equal success, but it does demand results. And few Cubs have lived up to their paydays. I thought they overpaid with the 21 million for Marquis -- we all remember that LaRussa kept him off the playoff roster last year, right? And he'd theoretically be our #3 starter? No way.
And I'm absolutely sick and tired of seeing Soriano give up at-bats and whiff. He struck out 3x against Willis the other day -- and each time it was a hanging slider over the middle of the plate at an overwhelming...84 mph. Pathetic. He has consistently has some of the least productive outs on the team. He's like a thinner Sammy Sosa, though I'll admit he has a good arm in the outfield.
They should be playing Soto. He's thrown out runners, hit the leather off the ball, and he's hungry. You have to play who's hot. Just because it's crunch time doesn't mean you can't play youngsters. I seem to recall a certain Miguel Cabrera fo rthe Marlins playing like a house on fire in 2003 -- as a rookie.
Tim Little - that was a good clean shot! I am cracking up! Hitman likes the Spankees because they are winners. I don't blame him. I RESPECT the Knicks! I like the Knicks and Pistons to a degree because of the style of ball they play - tough (and I am an Isaiah fan, inspite of all his foolishness). Never liked showtime (LA), but loved Magic, Worthy, Cooper and Superman Kurt Rambis. Loved the three headed monster in Boston - especially Bird, but hated all of those phantom calls they got. Loved that pick and roll! One my favorites was the Chief! Because he always looked tough and was a blackbelt! (would chop you in the throat)! Go CUBS man!!!! My loyalties lie with winners!
Comments
I'm sitting here cheering for a guy named poohole watching the MLB scoreboard refresh over and freaking over...
That's a good sign I think they're in trouble...
My Yankees scored 12 runs...ARod to the Cubbies, baby
Posted by: Hitman | September 26, 2007 09:25 PM
Fortunately Cards look like they will beat Brewers tonight as I'm writing. Cubs fortunate they are in a weak division. If Cubs do make playoffs certainly will be a quick exit especially if cubs continue to play giveaway ball. Derosa's bad throw & Soriano being doubled off mistakes veterans shouldn't make . Cubs long known for choking, it still wouldn't surprise me if they continue that tradition & let Brewers take division. Cubs must start playing like a contender or they will be watching Brewers in playoffs.No excuses for a high payroll club like cubs to play so poorly at times.Marriotti just might have to eat his column when he guaranteed a cub division winner.
Posted by: Joe H | September 26, 2007 09:48 PM
Cards Win!!! Magic #3!!
Yes We're still in Trouble!!!
Posted by: Hitman | September 26, 2007 10:36 PM
All-timer? No way. But close. Don't remind me of the bigger ones right now; I am using The Secret.
Brewers lost tonight, so all is not lost today.
I nervously keep the faith.
And yeah! How about them Yanks!!
GO CUBS GO!
Posted by: Sweeney | September 27, 2007 01:38 AM
I am sick and tired of Cub fans thinking that a high payroll means something. Maybe it means that the Cubs management made $300 million dollars worth of mistakes. Nobody is a bigger Cub fan than me, but I am sick because I absolutely HATE Jason Marquis! He has lost to the weakest teams in the NL this year. How the hell do you lose to Pittsburgh and Florida twice in a 3 week stretch?! They spent big money on a lot of bums. What is gonna happen is the Cubs will make the playoffs and be 1 or 2 games away from the World Series. Then Jacque Jones, Monroe or DeRosa are gonna be this years Alex Gonzalez. If you notice, everytime a player costs the Cubs a World Series, it's always a bum?! Never Derrek Lee or Aramis Ramirez. Always Alex Gonzalez, Mark Clark, Les Lancaster, or Leon Durham! Think about it!
Posted by: Sean Moore | September 27, 2007 02:14 AM
Cardinal victory a big one. The Cubs have three with a Reds team that doesn't have Griffey or Dunn. Advantage Cubs. Brewers have four with a Padres team that will need these games. Advantage Cubs. I look for a clinch Friday night. After yesterdays loss, Ned Yost said "the math is on our side". He got pulled into a bean ball war and awoke the Cardinals. Inexperience of Yost. Advantage Cubs.
Posted by: Rick | September 27, 2007 08:03 AM
It's amazing Lou started Kendall rather than Soto whom cubs are 7-2 when he starts. Kendall has a weak arm, average at best bat,can't bunt & poor on defense (something like 12 errors). Lou talks about having a veteran behind plate . Hey Lou it's almost like having Rex Grossman as your catcher with Kendall behind plate.No surprise cubs are losing now with Rex errrr Jason behind plate.You can't blame one guy totally on two losses in Florida but Jason certainly does little to help you win.
Posted by: Joe H | September 27, 2007 08:10 AM
I understand that the Cubs are looking shaky. There was actually a 5 minute or so time last night when both the Cubs were losing and the Brewers were winning that I thought the Brewers had a very legitimate shot, like 33% or so of forcing a playoff. Now that they lost that game, the magic number is 3, and the likelihood of the Brewers pulling even with the Cubs is all but killed, especially considering that they have to play the Padres while the Cubs coast on easy street (hey wait, aren't the Marlins supposed to be "easy street"?).
The Cubs are simply the better team and they have the 2 game lead. If I was a Cubs fan, I wouldn't be worried at all. Of course, this is because I don't buy into curses or negative energy, or Bartman, or billy-goats (cue Jay Mariotti freaking out that both of these things begin with 'b'). Rather, I believe that "baseball" is a sport played by 9 computers on each team spitting out random numbers with probabilities weighted by their skill level. Isn't that exciting?
Posted by: Noles | September 27, 2007 08:50 AM
Hitman..i KNEW you were a phony.
It is stated in the Chicago Fan bylaws and Charter, that you have to be FUNDAMENTALLY OPPOSED TO ALL THINGS NY.
The fact that you are a Yankees fan.....says EVERYTHING.
YOU ARE OUT!
Posted by: Bculz | September 27, 2007 08:58 AM
Hitman..i KNEW you were a phony.
It is stated in the Chicago Fan bylaws and Charter, that you have to be FUNDAMENTALLY OPPOSED TO ALL THINGS NY.
The fact that you are a Yankees fan.....says EVERYTHING.
YOU ARE OUT!
Posted by: Bculz | September 27, 2007 08:59 AM
uggggg....i cant even get over Hitman saying "my yanks" i am soooooo flippin outraged. I actually thought for a split second you were a chicago guy through and through. You just exploited yourself buddy!!!! and...exposed too!!!!
Posted by: Bculz | September 27, 2007 09:01 AM
uggggg....i cant even get over Hitman saying "my yanks" i am soooooo flippin outraged. I actually thought for a split second you were a chicago guy through and through. You just exploited yourself buddy!!!! and...exposed too!!!!
Posted by: Bculz | September 27, 2007 09:06 AM
Wow, when you bring it into context like that, it's a very scary thought. I never was a big Steve Trachsel fan before. Not sure how this is gonna play out. Cubs got super lucky that the Brew crew threw down a major choke job yesterday as well.
Posted by: RogersPark Kris | September 27, 2007 09:30 AM
until I saw that the Cards had beaten the Brewers last night my thought had been ok the meltdown is in sept this year instead of august. with 4 games left and a magic number of 3 that does not exactly instill a lot of confidence, especially considering they have one more game yet with the Marlins who they have failed to beat this year. the one brightspot is that the Brewers face the Padres, who are only 1 game out of first in their division and are hanging onto the wild card spot in the west by only 1 game, in their last 4 games. but until I hear or read CUBS CLINCH DIVISION! I'll remain cautiously optimistic.
Posted by: Tim Little | September 27, 2007 09:56 AM
Cubs have this in the bag. Milwaukee has the most to be disappointed about. They should have ran away with the Central, but they choked and played cheap. Cubs went out and made enough moves to secure the division and they have. Its been gift-wrapped courtesy of the Milwaukee Bucks who despite seeing their glaring flaw at pitching did absolutely nothing. THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS when you wait on people to perform vs getting some guys in to do the job - see Chicago Whitesox and Bears for reference.
Go Cubs and Bears!
Posted by: Keith Lifetime Southsider | September 27, 2007 10:38 AM
Hitman, I knew you were a Chicago Sell out....yankees.....blah!!
Posted by: Bculz | September 27, 2007 11:26 AM
Cubs have this in the bag as long as Marquis and Trachsel don't have to pitch. (OOPS!) Also, the Brewers are closing the season against the Padres who are fighting for a spot. That's a tad bit better competition than the Cubs facing the Reds.
Note to Lou: Disregard whatever Rothschild tells you about his pitchers. If he says they are fine, then pull them and put in another pitcher. The guy doesn't know pitching or how to handle pitchers. He must have pictures of Cubs execs though, because I know of no other way that he could keep this job given the talent he's wasted over the past several years.
Posted by: Seedy Backslash | September 27, 2007 01:02 PM
I suspect the Cubs will cut the magic number to two today. Then the Padres will cut it to one later on, and the clincher will take place tomorrow against the Griffieless and Dunneless Cincinatti Reds.That scenario may detract a bit from the drama, but I've had enough drama for now. Besides Arizona or the Mets will rekindle any incipient boredom that may accrue.
Posted by: Paul Manter | September 27, 2007 02:58 PM
Well, there's still reason for hope, of course, but at the moment, the Cubs are playing catch-up again against the Marlins. The good things are, the Cubs are heading for Cincy where the Reds are Griffey-less and Dunn-less. The Brewers have 4 against the Padres, who aren't just "playing for pride" like the Cards were. They need to win as badly as Milwaukee does.
Posted by: Y2Jcub | September 27, 2007 04:04 PM
As of this writing, the Cubs are precariously close to being swept by a team 22-games under .500! Remember they got swept by the Astros awhile back? Milwaukee is a young team -- you expect mistakes and clamming up this time of year from a bunch of kids. (Exhibit A: their stupid retaliation against the Cards last night.)
The Cubs are a veteran team with an enormous payroll. What's their excuse? If they can't take this hapless division, they should be ashamed of themselves. Period. And they're doing their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Seeing as how unevenly they've played all season, I'm doubtful they'll go anywhere even if -- and that's a big IF -- they back their way into the playoffs.
Posted by: Mark Tardi | September 27, 2007 04:31 PM
If they are going to let Steve Trash head pitch...can I might as well get next??
Posted by: bculz | September 27, 2007 06:37 PM
I can see Jim Mora saying Trachsel? Trachsel?
The Cubs are pulling a Grossman....
Posted by: Hitman | September 27, 2007 06:39 PM
Do the Cubs have their 1/4 of a championship in the bag by now? They may make it, only because Milwaukee is out of steam. And they could make it to the World because the other NL contenders are playing equally bad.
Posted by: Victor | September 27, 2007 07:24 PM
Fortunately for Cubs Brewers are just as bad as a club as they are!Look for quick playoff exit for these Cub under achievers.
Posted by: Joe H | September 27, 2007 10:40 PM
2 game lead, 3 games to play, magic number 2. a Cubs Win and Brewers loss tonight would seal it and a win or loss by both would insure at least a one game play-off. Hopefully big Z will clinch it tonight.
Hitman an outed closet yankee fan????? I just spent 4 years living in NY state and the one thing I hated most when I was there was Yankee fans! They are the most obnoxious arrogant people I have ever met and even as a die hard Cubs fan I relished the opportunity in '05 to rub the White Sox in their noses and the Red Sox in '04. I suppose next we'll find out you share the same enthusiasm for the Knicks that Keith has.
Posted by: Tim Little | September 28, 2007 08:13 AM
I believe that after a 162 game schedule, the best team gets into the playoffs. If the Cubs win the division, it will because they are the best team in the division. It will be because they won more games than any other team in the division. The talk about backing in, black cats and billy goats is just nonsense. the Cubs are taking it down to the wire because they have been a .500 team all year. They aren't choking by losing three to the Marlins. They are just being who they were all season. To quote Dennis Green, "they are who we thought they were".
Posted by: Rick | September 28, 2007 09:40 AM
Well, I was half right. Tracksel lived up to the pan I gave him when the Bears first got him, wee Willy lucked out because the center field fence is so far away, and Wood saved Eyre. The Cubs lost anyway but almost won in spite of those three dolts who pretend to be pitchers. Hooray for the Padres. Thanks to them, the Cubs may slide into the playoffs in spite of their own ineptitude. I feel sorry for the Brewer fans. Five errors makes one wonder if the goat moved to Milwaukee. Now if a fan louses up a Brewer victory tonight because of interference, I'll buy Roman's team of destiny theorizing.
Posted by: Paul Manter | September 28, 2007 09:42 AM
Thurman Munson...don't know what else to tell ya
Posted by: Hitman | September 28, 2007 10:39 AM
Roman....a long way to go to match 1969....THAT was an "all-timer".....
Roman responds: Yeah, but I'm not sure a team every failed to qualify for the playoffs after leading by 2 with 3 to play.
Posted by: JohnF | September 28, 2007 11:32 AM
Yes, the Brewers have played badly. Yes, both math and common-sense suggests the Cubs have every advantage to get into the playoffs. And then they go get swept by the Marlins. Swept?! At which point I'm reminded this it the Cubs, and as Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning is an attitude and a habit; unfortunately, so is losing."
I agree with Sean Moore that high payroll doesn't equal success, but it does demand results. And few Cubs have lived up to their paydays. I thought they overpaid with the 21 million for Marquis -- we all remember that LaRussa kept him off the playoff roster last year, right? And he'd theoretically be our #3 starter? No way.
And I'm absolutely sick and tired of seeing Soriano give up at-bats and whiff. He struck out 3x against Willis the other day -- and each time it was a hanging slider over the middle of the plate at an overwhelming...84 mph. Pathetic. He has consistently has some of the least productive outs on the team. He's like a thinner Sammy Sosa, though I'll admit he has a good arm in the outfield.
They should be playing Soto. He's thrown out runners, hit the leather off the ball, and he's hungry. You have to play who's hot. Just because it's crunch time doesn't mean you can't play youngsters. I seem to recall a certain Miguel Cabrera fo rthe Marlins playing like a house on fire in 2003 -- as a rookie.
Posted by: Mark Tardi | September 28, 2007 11:36 AM
I think the Mets are stealing the Cubs screw-it-up thunder.
Posted by: Julie B. | September 28, 2007 07:14 PM
Tim Little - that was a good clean shot! I am cracking up! Hitman likes the Spankees because they are winners. I don't blame him. I RESPECT the Knicks! I like the Knicks and Pistons to a degree because of the style of ball they play - tough (and I am an Isaiah fan, inspite of all his foolishness). Never liked showtime (LA), but loved Magic, Worthy, Cooper and Superman Kurt Rambis. Loved the three headed monster in Boston - especially Bird, but hated all of those phantom calls they got. Loved that pick and roll! One my favorites was the Chief! Because he always looked tough and was a blackbelt! (would chop you in the throat)! Go CUBS man!!!! My loyalties lie with winners!
Posted by: Keith Lifetime Southsider | September 29, 2007 07:25 AM
I knew you'd have to comment on that Keith, I was crackin up as I typed it. looking forward to a few debates once BB season starts.
Posted by: Tim Little | September 29, 2007 09:35 AM