Cubs Faithful - A Chicago Cubs Fan Site

Introducing Chicago Cubs Online

2005-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone that has logged in to read my opinion over the past few months. I am proud to say that I will no longer be posting on this blog.

My new site is up and I have begun to post. I took all of the info from here and linked into my new site.

Click here to go to Chicago Cubs Online.

Keep on singing!

The Countdown Has Begun....

2005-10-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been so quiet. I am very close to having the new site up and that has been taking all of my time.

Everything is looking great and I am hoping to be up by the weekend.

Keep logging in and....Next October The Cubs Faithful will be VERY BUSY.

Dusty's Boys Will Be Back

2005-10-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

The Cubs announced today the entire coaching staff will return for 2006, including pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

Rothschild apparently turned down the opportunity to go to Detroit to be reunited with Manager Jim Leyland. Rothschild says 'he owes Chicago to bring home a winner'. I hope he means that. He will retain most of his starting staff from 2005 (Prior, Zambrano, Maddux and hopefully Kerry Wood). Plus a more experienced bullpen. Let's hope they have more success and better health in 2006.

All of the coaches signed a 1 year deal and 2006 is the last year on the current contract for Dusty Baker. The Cubs coaching staff for 2006: Dusty Baker, Juan Lopez (Bullpen Coach), Dick Pole (Bench Coach), Gary Matthews, Sr. (First Base Coach), Larry Rothschild (Pitching Coach), Gene Clines (Hitting Coach), Chris Spier (Third Base Coach) and Sonny Jackson (Special Assistant).

The launch of my new site is VERY SOON. Keep on reading....Go Titans! Go Predators!...174 Days until Opening Day 2006.

How You Became A Cubs Fan?

2005-10-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

As I work on my new site...I have a question for all of the fans of the Northside. How did you become a Cubs fan? Leave a comment. I will tell my story soon and would like to include yours. Even if you are a 1st time visitor or a regular, I want to hear from you. Send this link to a friend, tell a co-worker...whatever...I wanna know how you became a fan of our beloved Cubs and a member of the Cubs Faithful.

Keep logging in...176 days until Opening Day 2006.

Under Construction

2005-10-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

I have been working on my new site and I am excited about launching it VERY SOON. With the season just ending, I feel this is the right time to be switching over. Keep coming here for updates as they break.

One thing that came out today is Larry Rothschild, the Cubs' pitching coach has been given permission to talk to the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers fired Manager Alan Trammel on Monday and hired former Pirates and Marlins' manager Jim Leyland. Leyland and Rothschild were together in Florida when the Marlins won the World Series in 1997.

I have mixed feelings about this. What has been happening the past 2 seasons on the Northside has not worked and change is necessary. I do not know if Rothschild needs to stay or go. We(the fans) keep hearing how good the Cubs' pitching staff is...and I have not seen it in 2 years. Even in 2003 when they won the division, everytime Dusty had to go to the bullpen...it was hold your breath time and hope no one blows it. Is this coaching or talent?

I look in Atlanta and see great pitching year after year and the only constant is Leo Mazzone. It seems to me pitchers go to Atlanta and become VERY good (Farnsworth, Millwood, Hampton, Wright, etc.) and when they leave Atlanta they become either average or below average (Glavine, Millwood, Merker, Remlinger, Wright, etc). Would a new pitching coach on the Northside help these young pitchers, that we have heard so much about, reach their full potential? Somebody help me with this one.

Also, my wife says I should be happy for the White Sox (and their fans) for winning their 1st post season series since 1917 today.

Keep on keeping on...new site is coming soon...178 days until Opening Day 2006.

The 'B' Word

2005-10-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

(Note: added 10/29/05 for updated Cubs info visit Chicago Cubs Online)

I was listening to the Angels-Yankees game tonight on ESPN radio. And there was a play where a fan almost interfered with a ball near the seats in the left field foul area. Does this sound familiar? The Angels' outfielder made the catch...then Dave Campbell blurts out 'That was almost like Steve Bartman'.

Almost like Steve Bartman??? Will the Cubs Faithful ever get a break from that horrible night? I said it the day after and I will say it 2 years later...Bartman did not cost the Cubs the game...he changed it. I think Alou would have caught the ball..no doubt. But Alex Gonzalez should have turned the double-play. He did not. The Cubs still had game 7. And they lost.

I did not sleep that night. That moment in time kept playing in my head. I remember looking at my wife and saying '5 more outs', then all (blank) broke loose. I still get sick when I think of what could have been. I still root for the team playing the Marlins.

One day all of the curses and goats and Steve Bartman will be erased. The Red Sox got rid of their's last year. Now there is hope for the Cubs Faithful.

It is amazing how the mention of one person's name can bring back such bad memories.

AC026198 & EAMUS CATULI!

2005-10-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

(Note: added 10/29/05 for updated Cubs info visit Chicago Cubs Online)

I was not planning on doing a blog today....I was going to take a day off. I have been getting a lot of searches on 2 signs that are on the rooftops on Sheffield Ave.

These 2 signs are 'AC026198' and 'EAMUS CATULI!'.

I have done research on these 2 signs that have become a fixture of Wrigley Field. Here is what they stand for and a translation.

The 'AC' sign is operated by Lakeview Baseball Club. The 'AC' stands for 'After Championship' the first 2 numbers (02) are the number of years since the Cubs won the division(2003). The second 2 numbers (61) are the number of years since the Cubs were in the World Series or were National League Champions(1945). The third set of numbers (98) are the number of years since the Cubs won the World Series(1908). Let's all hope in next year it reads 'AC000000'.

The 'EAMUS CATULI!' has been translated several different ways. It is Latin and most think it says 'Let's Go Cubs!'. The actual translation(from Latin) is 'Let's Go Young Bears!'.

Keep on reading and there will be a picture and a more in depth explanation on the new site...it's coming soon...are you ready?

That's All Folks

2005-10-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Astros 6

The last day of the baseball season is usually a very sad day for me...and today is no different. I am a HUGE football fan, but baseball(and the Cubs) are my first love. I get used to watching and listening everyday for 6 months...see how the team did, who's pitching tomorrow, etc. Baseball is unlike every other sport, it takes a commitment to keep up with your team and the teams in their division for 162 games. With football, it is basically 1 day a week. With baseball it is 7 days a week for 6 months, just ask my wife she hears it all (she will also tell you she is the best wife in the world). So I guess the plans I have with this blog and my new site will fill some void until Spring Training in March. Anyway today's game....

The Cubs got to watch their 2nd celebration of the year today. The Cardinals celebrated the Division Championship at Wrigley and the Astros celebrated the Wild Card today. Maybe this will leave an impression over the long winter that will make whoever is left more hungry. I am not going to recap the game...they lost and the season is over. Next year starts tomorrow. I did want to list the opening day lineup and today's lineup...pay attention to the changes.

Today's Lineup:
Patterson
Macias
Lee
Nomar(3B)
Burnitz
Barrett
Murton
Perez
Maddux
(off the bench or bullpen)
Grieve
Walker
Theriot
Wuertz
Ohman
Van Buren
Hill

Opening Day:
Patterson
Walker
Nomar(SS)
Ramirez
Burnitz
Lee
Hollandsworth
Barrett
Zambrano
(off the bench or bullpen)
Hariston
Perez
Macias
Dubois
Bartosh
Wellenmeyer
Rusch

A LOT OF THINGS CHANGED in 6 months.

Derrek Lee did win the 2005 National League Batting Championship. Lee is the first Cub to win since Bill Buckner in 1980. Lee finished with a Major League best .335 average. Lee had a great year and I will talk about him in the Year in Review.

Keep reading the Cubs Faithful. Watch for changes and a new address coming soon. I have some cool stuff planned for the offseason.

Until then....Opening Day 2006....April 3rd in Cincinnati!!!

A Rocket for the Ages

2005-10-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Cubs 1 Astros 3

The extra outs killed the Cubs today. In the 6th and 7th innings, Williams got the ground ball he needed to get out of the inning and the infield could not turn the double play. Both of those plays cost the Cubs 2 runs and the game. Clemens did not have a good game. He threw a lot of pitches(101) in 7 innings. But the Rocket on a bad day is better than 90% of the league on a good day. For the 6th start in a row, Williams received little run support while throwing a very good game. Williams will be back next year and he could compete for a 4th spot in the rotation.

Milo Hamilton and Alan Ashby are just horrible. At one point today, they both said how bad of a pitcher Jerome Williams is and they did not understand why the Astros were having such a hard time with him. Did they not do their show prep? There have been many occasions this year when Pat Hughes and Ron Santo could have said the same...and they did not...to much class!! Hamilton may be a Hall of Fame Broadcaster, but he needs to retire...he is so hard to follow and Alan Ashby is worse. Jerome Williams has had a up and down season, but has been very good of late. I hope Williams beats the Astros everytime he faces them next year...you better believe when he does, I will bring this up again.

The offense was just sad today. They did not do the little things that you need against Clemens. Thankfully with 1 game left, I should not have to hear 'Neifi pops up to (insert position here)' or 'Neifi out at 1st...double play'. He has been a good player this year, but he is not an everyday shortstop anymore and if you play him...do not hit him in the 2 hole. Neifi grounded into 2 dp's today. Lee went 0 for 2 with 2 walks. He should win the batting title(Derrek Lee .337, Albert Pujols .330)...I just hope he can get 1 more hit and please make it a double. He is a hit and and extra base hit away from history(will explain tomorrow, if he gets it).

With today's loss, the Cubs are now 3 games under .500 and the best they can finish is 80-82. Another losing season on the Northside...but next year will be different. Today they made a step in the right direction by signing Ryan Dempster to a 3 year contract extension.

Ryan Dempster signed a 3 year, $15.5 million contract extension. He is locked up through 2008.
According to cubs.com Dempster, who began the year in the Cubs' rotation and made six starts, leads the National League in save percentage at .943 and has been successful in 33 of 35 opportunities.

The Last Game of 2005

Sunday - Greg Maddux(13-14/4.18) vs. Roy Oswalt(19-12/2.86)

Maddux is going for pride tomorrow and the Astros are playing for a playoff spot. Oswalt has been tough on the Cubs for years...and expect more of the same tomorrow. Like today, Sunday's game will be a tough one to win. Runs will come at a premium against Oswalt and the Cubs will have to play a near perfect game in order to win. I do not know which would be better...a win to finish the season or a loss. With a win, the team could go into the offseason feeling good about themselves. With a loss, they could be very hungry during the offseason to correct what went wrong. Who knows? I just hope this is the last below .500 season for a LONG LONG TIME.

Be patient, no extra outs, DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO CELEBRATE!!!...keep horrible Milo and Alan quiet and beat the (blankin') Astros!!!

Comeback In Houston

2005-09-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Astros 3

How many times have we heard this...the bullpen could not hold the lead...Cubs lose. BUT NOT TONIGHT. Tonight it was the Astros' pen that blew the ballgame. The Cubs came back in the 9th to win the game.

Roberto Novoa has had a good year, but not tonight. After Zambrano had left the game in the 8th, the Cubs were ahead 2-1. Novoa gave up a 2 run blast, opposite field to Lance Berkman and Big Z did not get his 15th win. Zambrano had a good outing. He threw a lot of pitches 115. Zambrano's pitch count really concerns me for the future. Carlos has been the best pitcher on the Cubs' staff the past 2 years and I would hate to see him go the way of Prior and Wood. Z finished the night giving up 1 run on 4 hits and throwing 9 strike outs. Zambrano has had a GREAT YEAR...hopefully he can continue in 2006.

But back to the ballgame...in the 9th the Cubs were down 3-2 and Murton led off the 9th with a single. (MATT MURTON HAS TO MAKE THIS TEAM NEXT YEAR) Burnie singled, Murton to 3rd. Barrett doubled to tie the game. Patterson got a fielder's choice and Todd Walker came off the bench to drive in the winning run. UNBELIEVABLE!!! This was a great comeback. I thought it was over when Lidge came in...but boy was I wrong. Novoa gets the win and Dempster gets number 33. The Cubs are now 9-5 on the year against the Astros. The Cubs won the season series against the Astros and the Cardinals...can anyone out there explain that to me?

Derrek Lee got 1 hit closer to 200, he is in the top 10 in 16 offensive categories in the National League. AMAZING!! Any other year or maybe if the Cubs had a winning record...he would be the MVP. Theriot got his 1st career double, Barrett had a good night...I am SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW. The Phillies won, so the Astros are only up by 1. The Cubs are within 2 games of .500 and ANDY PETTITTE HAS NEVER BEATEN THE CHICAGO CUBS in 6 career starts. Gotta Love It!!! No Champagne For You!!

Saturday - Jerome Williams(6-9/4.28) vs. Roger Clemens(12-8/1.89)

O.K. my excitement might be short lived. The Rocket will go tomorrow for the Astros. Williams will have to pitch his best game of the year to beat Clemens. Williams is 2-2 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts in September and he will have to be better than that tomorrow. Clemens has had a tremendous year and is VERY tough to beat. This will be Clemens' 1st start since September 19th. The Cubs must not give the Astros any extra outs and play a near perfect game. Small ball is the key tomorrow. Sac bunts, sac flys...whatever it takes. Lee is only 1 away from 200 and wouldn't that be nice against Clemens.

Play smart, play small, keep Hamilton and Ashby quiet...and beat the (blankin') Astros!!!

Out At Home

2005-09-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

Cubs 3 Astros 2

The roof was off at the Juice Box tonight, but the Cubs pitching staff was not. Glendon Rusch had another quality start. Rusch went 7 strong innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits. He actually beat Rodriguez for the 3rd time this year(3-1). Micheal Wuertz came in and pitched another fine 8th inning and Dempster picked up his 32nd save.

DLee and Matt Murton supplied the pop for the Cubs offense. Lee went deep for number 46 and Murton had a solo shot as well. Nomar added 3 hits and there are rumors he wants to stay in Chicago and the words 'play in the outfield' have been mentioned(will talk about this soon). The offense did not light up the sky, but with the pitching and defense the team played tonight, 3 runs was enough.

The excitement came in the 9th. Dempster had 2 outs and a runner on 1st. Charles Gipson was the pinch runner and he tried to score on a hit by Luke Scott. Corey Patterson made one of the best plays he has had in a long time. He fired the ball in to Jose Macias and Macias relayed a perfect throw to catcher Henry Blanco...Gipson out...Cubs win and the Astros' magic number is still 2. No champagne for you!!

I am trying not to sound to excited, it is only 1 win....but it is a win. The Cubs are now 3 games under .500 with 3 games left. Wouldn't a sweep be nice?

Friday - Carlos Zambrano(14-6/3.33) vs. Andy Pettitte(17-9/2.42)

Big Z had a bad game last week against the Astros and it would be nice to see him bounce back and finish the season on a winning note. Pettitte has never beaten the Cubs and hopefully that will not happen tomorrow. The Astros need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Maybe that in itself will fire up Zambrano. Lee is 2 hits short of 200 and it would be great to get that over with on Friday. The Astros will be eager to get the win tomorrow with the Phillies only 2 games back. Play to that, the Cubs need to make the Astros beat them...play smart and hard.

Have I mentioned how bad Milo Hamilton and Alan Ashby are? Just checking....

Be patient, keep Hamilton and Ashby quiet...and beat the (blankin') Astros!!!

Wake Me When It's Over

2005-09-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

Cubs 2 Pirates 3

The Cubs were at Wrigley today, to bad they forgot to play a game. The Cubs were swept in a 2 game series by the Pirates. For the second straight day, the Cubs offense made another Pirate Rookie look like a Seasoned Vet. The Cubs had plenty of chances today.

In the 5th, the Cubs had first and third with one out and failed to score. And in the bottom of the 9th, the bases were loaded with no outs and the Cubs failed to score...again. The past 2 seasons of lack of 'small ball' is DRIVING ME CRAZY. The one positive that came out of the 5th inning mess, was that Matt Murton (a rookie), hit a ground ball to score a run. Murton...did I mention he is a rookie...gave himself up for the good of the team...not himself. Until the Cubs find more players like Murton and Derrek Lee, we will continue to watch(or listen) to them lose. Today was just awful. Santo sounded like I felt. Santo is not going with the Cubs to Houston to finish the season, so he gets to remember this horrible effort for the next 4 1/2 months.

To add insult to injury, Ryan Theriot was supposed to start the game and was pulled due to illness. Is Dusty going to have enough guys to finish the season? Where is Hawkeye Pierce when you need him?

The Cubbies fly to Houston tonight to finish the season with the Astros. Time for the Juice Box and the horrible Astros announcers.

Thursday - Glendon Rusch(8-8/4.62) vs. Wandy Rodriguez(10-9/5.62)

This is a rematch of the September 23rd game that Glendon Rusch won. It would be great if the Cubs could sweep the Astros this weekend, finish .500 and end the Astros season(I guess I am sleeping). I just hope the guys make a good showing in Houston. It is going to be hard enough to hear them celebrate their playoff birth....I just hope the games are close and the Cubbies make them earn it. The Cubs have been a better road team this year...so who knows.

Keep Hamilton and Ashby quiet, be patient...and beat the (blankin') Astros!!!!

Maddux's Streak Is Over

2005-09-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

Cubs 3 Pirates 5

Tonight was an end to an era in Chicago. Greg Maddux's pursuit of 18 consecutive seasons with at least 15 wins ended tonight. For the second time this season Maddux threw a complete game and lost. Maddux pitched a fine game and deserved to win, he made one bad pitch to Jason Bay in the 5th inning, a 3 run homer, and it cost him a chance at history.

Greg Maddux has had a remarkable career, we will not go into that. I hope he returns for 2006. I am not a sentimental person. It was time for Sosa to go...but I do not think it is time for Maddux. I would like to see Maddux be on the winning end of a season in Chicago. He has been a great Cub and I hope he goes into the Hall with a 'C' on his hat, not the 'A' he wore for to many years. Greg Maddux is an Everyday Joe. He does not look like an athlete, but he is one of the best of all time. The Cubs let him go once...I hope they do not make that mistake again.

Nomar tried to give him the win. Nomar went deep for a 2 run homer in the 3rd. DLee got another hit and is still 10 points ahead of Pujols. So there is still hope for that one. Ryan Theriot did score a run tonight, but ended up 0-4. The ad in the Trib should read, 'Wanted A Leadoff Hitter...Apply Within'. The Cubs have to fix this in the offseason.

The Cubs announced today that Aramis Ramirez, Jerry Hariston Jr. and Todd Walker will likely miss the rest of the season. I think with only 5 games left...likely is more like...definite.

With tonight's loss, the Cubs drop to 3 games under .500. I have been hoping for a better end to the season....but I guess this year will end like so many of the others. How many days until Spring Training?

Wednesday - Mark Prior(11-6/3.73) vs. Paul Maholm(2-1/2.08)

Mark Prior will make his last start of the season tomorrow. He needs to finish the season with a win. Prior has had a lot of success against the Pirates and should continue that success tomorrow. Mahlom is a rookie and patience at the plate could result in a win. The Cubs are 12-4 this year against the Bucs and number 13 would look very good. Wednesday is the last home game of the season and the Cubs announcers will call the game from the bleachers, weather permitting....ala Harry Caray....please do not let them sing too.

Be patient, have fun....and beat the Bucs!!!

Transactions, Thoughts and Useless Information?

2005-09-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

While the Cubs take their last day off of the season....

Ryan Dempster has had a great year out of the bullpen for the Cubs. He has converted 31 out of 33 save opportunities this year, a .939 success rate, which is the 14th best since 1969 for pitchers with at least 30 saves. The highest is Eric Gagne's perfect 55 for 55 season in 2003 with the Dodgers. Dempster joined an elite list of Cubs relievers to have saved 30 games in a single season. According to cubs.com, the other Cubs pitchers who have totaled at least 30 saves in one season include: Ted Abernathy (1965), Rod Beck (1998), Joe Borowski (2003), Randy Myers (1993, '95), Lee Smith (1984-87), Bruce Sutter (1977, '79), and Mitch Williams (1989). Dempster is riding a streak of 17 straight save conversions. He's the sixth Cub with 16 or more consecutive saves in one season. The others are Rod Beck in 1998, Tom Gordon in 2001, Randy Myers in 1993, Lee Smith in 1982, and Bruce Sutter in 1979. Also, Dempster is one of only three pitchers to have registered at least 30 saves and started a game in the same season since the save became an official stat in 1969. The other two are Danny Graves, who started four games for Cincinnati in 2002, then moved to the bullpen; and Mike Marshall, who started one game for the Minnesota Twins in 1979. Dempster is 4-0 with 31 saves and a 1.92 ERA (12 earned runs in 56 1/3 innings) as a closer.

A couple of things to watch for over the last week of the season:

Derrek Lee is the first Cub to have 100 runs, 100 RBIs, over 40 home runs, and over 40 doubles in a single season. DLee now leads the National League with a .340 average over Albert Pujols of the Cardinals (.333). He could be the first Cub to win the batting crown since Bill Buckner in 1980.

Greg Maddux will start Tuesday, seeking his 14th win of the season. Maddux is trying to extend his streak of consecutive seasons of at least 15 wins to 18. Maddux will also start the last game of the season in Houston on October 2nd. Let's hope the Cubs can get those 2 wins for him.
According to cubs.com, the pitcher with the most consecutive seasons with 13 or more wins is Cy Young, who did so 19 straight years. Maddux is second, having done so 18 consecutive seasons. Warren Spahn is third at 17 years. Spahn and Maddux are tied for most consecutive seasons with at least 14 wins at 17 years each. Cy Young won at least 15 games 18 times, but did so 15 years in a row....second to Maddux.

Wednesday's final home game against the Pirates will be the last time we see Wrigley Field in its current state. The bleacher expansion project will begin soon and the Cubs are saying the renovations will be complete by Opening Day 2006. Hopefully the change of Wrigley will bring about a change in Wrigley.

Hopefully the Cubs can put together a successful last week of the season. What I am looking for is .500 and a third place finish. Can they do that? I hope so...

Just because the season is almost over does not mean I will stop talking about the Cubbies. I have A LOT PLANNED in the offseason, including an entirely different web address, look and name. I will be reviewing the 2005 team, who I think will stay and go, potential free agents, breaking news, rumors and EVERYTHING NORTHSIDE BLUE for the CUBS FAITHFUL. Next year starts in a week and the pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training before you know it. Don't be left out in the cold....2006 is the Year the Cubs get their Series Fix!!!

A Delayed Win

2005-09-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Cubs 3 Astros 2

For the second straight day there was rain in Chicago. Unlike Saturday, the Cubs came away with the win. Jerome Williams had another qualtity start and put his team in a position to win the ballgame.

Derrek Lee hit his 45th home run to give the Cubs the lead in the 1st inning and it was 1-0 with the rain came in the 3rd inning. After a 58 minute rain delay both starting pitchers came back and pitched into the 7th inning. When Pettitte left the game the Astros were ahead 2-1 and the bullpen for the Astros could not hold the lead. Derrek Lee led off the 7th with a single and after 2 fielder's choices...Jeromy Burnitz stepped up to the plate. Burnitz hit a 2 run homer off of Mike Gallo to give the Cubs the lead at 3-2. Andy Pettitte has NEVER BEATEN THE CUBS. Gotta love it!!

Michael Wuertz came in to pitch the 8th and did another fine job. Wuertz is one of the bright spots this year for the Cubs. Wuertz is in his 2nd season with the Cubs and is 6-2 with a 3.96 ERA in 71 games (72 2/3 innings pitched). He looks like he is getting more comfortable in his role out of the pen with every appearance he makes. With all of the changes I see coming, all of the experience the young guys have gotten this year in the bullpen will pay off in 2006. I think we will see Wuertz, Ohman and Novoa back in the pen next year, along with Ryan Dempster.

Dempster came in today and picked up his 31st save. I thought when the club came out of Spring Training that Dempster should be the closer and it turns out I was right. Dempster is 'just wacky' enough to make an excellent closer. Dempster has blown only 2 saves all year and the Cubs won those games anyway. Just think of the 15 that were blown and lost before Dempster got the job...if they could have won 1/2 of those games...the Cubbies would be at least 6 games above .500.....what could have been? Woody has said he wants to be a starter again next year, if that is the case the Cubs must sign Dempster for 2006.

With today's win the Cubs are back to within 2 games of .500 with 6 games left. With the Pirates coming in for 2 games on Tuesday, the Cubs must sweep the Bucs before finishing the season in Houston to have a chance at .500.

Monday - The Last Day of Rest before the Bucs come to town.

Tuesday - Greg Maddux(13-13/4.14) vs. Zach Duke(6-2/1.94)

The Pirates come into Chicago on Tuesday for the last 2 games of the year at Wrigley. The Cubs will face Zach Duke, the rookie left-hander, who has pitched very well for the Pirates in the 2nd half of the season. Duke went 8 innings against the Cubs in July and shutout the Cubs on 6 hits. Maddux will have his hands full with the young Pirates. Runs will come at a premium against Duke and the Cubs must play smart. I still think Dusty should change the lineup on Tuesday. Macias is 0 for 8 the last 2 days. Play the kids....

Be smart, play smart, be patient...and win one for Maddog!!!

Z Is Not Perfect After All

2005-09-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Cubs 3 Astros 8

Although the post season hopes for the Cubs ended weeks ago, the Astros officially eliminated the Cubs from the playoffs today. Zambrano could not hold down the Astros' offense and gave up 6 runs on 9 hits in 6 1/3 innings before the rain came.

Before the 1 hour 28 minute rain delay, the Cubs could not get the offense started. Dusty not only played Macias, but hit him in the lead off spot. Macias went 0-4. I bet you Ryan Theriot could have done that. One of the many differences between the 2 teams today, were the Astros' top 2 hitters. Taveras and Biggio went a combined 4 for 7 with 3 runs scored, 2 RBI's and a walk. Needless to say Morgan Ensberg (#3 hitter) had a big day as well. On the other hand, Macias and Perez went a combined 1 for 8 with 1 run scored. One of the major changes that must take place in the offseason is for the Cubs to find a leadoff hitter. The Cubs were held to only 4 hits today. Nomar had a nice 2 run home run, but that was really it.

With today's loss the Cubs fall to 3 games under .500 with 7 left to play. I cannot believe the season is almost over...feels like I was just at Spring Training.

Sunday - Jerome Williams(5-9/4.39) vs. Andy Pettitte(17-9/2.45)

Andy Pettitte has never beaten the Cubs and I hope that streak continues. Dusty has to mix up the line up tomorrow in order to win. Pettitte is a great veteran pitcher, but maybe the kids do not know that yet...and....well maybe the Cubs could use that to their advantage. While I was listening to the rain delay, one of he ESPN guys mentioned that Chipper Jones of the Braves is showing up to the park in a better mood than he ever has with the Braves. When asked, Jones replied it is because the team is playing well and all the young players are great to be around. Young players are great to be around? Does anyone have Dusty's email address? The kids are the Cubs only shot at having a winning season....

Play young, play smart, be patient...and beat the (blankin') Astros!!!

Congratulations...I'm Sorry!!

2005-09-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Cubs 5 Astros 4

It was a good win...and a bad loss today at Wrigley. Glendon Rusch had a good start. He went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits. I did not think the Cubs could beat the Astros if Rusch had a short outing and I was wrong. Wuertz came in for the 6th and 7th and had 2 good innings. He held the Astros at bay and did not give up a hit and stuck out 4. Williamson started the 8th and gave up a lead off double. Before Williamson was done, he loaded the bases with only one out. Dusty brought in Novoa, and I just held my breath. Santo was yelling at Williamson, it was great. Novoa got Jose Vizcaino to pop out to DLee and struck out Willy Taveras to end the inning. I thought Santo was going to have a heart attack. Novoa was AWESOME. Ryan Dempster pitched the 9th to record his 30th save. He is now only the 8th Cub pitcher in history to have 30 saves in a season. The pitching staff did their job and according to Glendon Rusch, the bullpen deserved the 'W' today.

The Cubs got on the board in the 1st inning. After a Todd Walker single, Derrek Lee doubled and Walker left the game. Walker was on his way to 3rd base and came up with a leg injury. He hit the bag and went down on all 4's. According to cubs.com, Walker collapsed at the bag in obvious pain. Walker was able to walk off the field, although he needed help. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for an MRI exam. "He does not have any significant ligament damage," Cubs athletic trainer Mark O'Neal said after seeing the MRI results on Friday. "There's no ligament damage in his knee, there's no meniscal damage in his knee.

I wonder if today was Todd Walker's last day in a Cubs' uniform. With only 8 games left, I really do not see him playing again this season. Walker joins Hariston and Ramirez on the 'walking wounded list'. It is a shame Walker had to go out this way. He gave the Cubs a chance to get back to .500 and with him gone, the chances of that happening are very slim. Dusty will continue to play Jose Macias and I do not agree. Macias is a GOOD BENCH PLAYER and that is all. Try Ryan Theriot. He is trying to make an impression and will play hard. This is what the Cubs need for the next week. Maybe his hustle and enthusiasm would spill over to the rest of the team. This would also be a good time to put Nomar at 2nd and have Scott McClain play 3rd. Anything different at this point would be good...just do not stick in Macias.

With today's win the Cubs are back to within 2 games of .500. Anything less than 6-2 will not get them back to .500.

Saturday - Carlos Zambrano(14-5/3.17) vs. Ezequiel Astacio(2-6/5.76)

The Cubbies get a break on Saturday. Roger Clemens will miss his scheduled start and Ezequiel Astacio will go in his place. Like today, the Cubs need to get up early and not let off. The Astros are a dangerous team. For a team that has been shutout 16 times this year to be leading the Wild Card race...be careful. Zambrano will get the ball and hopefully he can keep pitching the way he has. Carlos is 8-1 with a 2.36 ERA since the All Star break and has become the ace of this staff. Hopefully Carlos will keep the Astros offense in check and let Nomar, Burnitz and Lee do their job. Play Theriot or McClain!!!

Be patient, get up early...and get #7!!!

Put Away The Broom

2005-09-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Cubs 3 Brewers 0

First I was right about Scott McClain and yesterday I was right about Maddux...Dusty whenever you want to add me to the payroll, leave a comment and I will get back with you A.S.A.P.

Greg Maddux pitched a GREAT game. He went 8 innings, giving up only 4 hits and NO RUNS. NO RUNS... and he threw only 78 pitches. I really hope Prior was watching today and took very good notes. Maddux gave the Cubs everything they needed and Dempster finished them off to get his 29th save. The game only lasted 2 hours and 19 AWESOME minutes. Win today's win Maddux is now only 2 away from 15.

The offense did fine and with the way Maddux was throwing today, 3 runs was more than enough. Neifi had a good day. He went 3 for 4 with and RBI and a run scored. Neifi was also involved in a bizarre play.

In the 5th inning, Barrett was on 3rd and Neifi was on first after a single. Helling kept throwing over to 1st to keep Neifi close. He kept throwing and throwing. Several times both Neifi and Gary Mathews asked the 1st base umpire if Helling was committing a balk. Finally, Helling threw one wide of 1st, Neifi went all the way to 3rd and Barrett scored easily. I do not remember how many times Helling threw over, but even the Brewers' fans were starting to 'boo'. I have never heard a play like this...

Today's win helped the Cubs get back to 3 games under and prevented the 2nd sweep in Brewtown this year. Time to go back down I-94....

The Houston Astros

Friday - Glendon Rusch(7-8/4.59) vs. Wandy Rodrigues(10-8/5.43)

Friday starts the last homestand of the season. The Astros are in for the weekend and then the Pirates. The Astros are leading the Wild Card race and wouldn't it be nice for the Cubs to spoil the October plans of the (blankin') Astros. Rusch will get the ball in the opener and I hope the Glendon Rusch of the last month shows up. Rusch is 2-0 in September with a 3.20 ERA. He has been pitching better and needs to keep it up to give the Cubs a chance to win. A short game for Rusch will result in a loss. They must keep the ball out of the hands of the long relievers. Wandy Rodriquez has had a up and down season, but he beat the Cubs in August. Rodriquez is a fine young pitcher, just not consistant. The Cubs are 5-4 against the Astros this year, win number 6 would be real nice. At least I do not have to listen to Milo Hamilton and Alan Ashby tomorrow.

Be patient, score first...and get number 6!!!

Nine Times

2005-09-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

Cubs 6 Brewers 7

ROONEY "If the Cubs think they'll coast through these last 10 games, they're sorely mistaken."
JOYCE: "This is all news to me."
ROONEY: "So far this year alone, they've lost against the Brewers nine times, including today."
JOYCE: "Nine times?"

Yes, nine times. With today's loss the Cubs have lost the season series to the Brewers for the 1st time since 2002 and the all time series is now even at 61 and 61. I would like to know who's bright idea it was to move the Brewers from the American League to the National League. Just another reason to dislike Bud Selig.

Mark Prior did everything he could to give the Cubs a win tonight. Prior went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits and struck out 10. He left for a pinch hitter in the 7th and the Cubs were in line to get the victory. Prior even drove in the first 2 runs the Cubs scored tonight. The offense was not the problem.

Everytime the offense fought back to tie or take the lead, the (blankin') bullpen would give up he lead in the next half inning. Burnie, DLee and Nomar all had a good game...Patterson even had 2 hits, yes 2 HITS, but he was picked off 1st after one hit and thrown out at 2nd on the second. The Cubs kept fighting tonight but they could not get past the Brewers offense.

Like I said yesterday, the losing season to the Brewers...blows my mind. I really do not understand how they can beat the best team in the National League and lose to the team up I-94. When Baker and Hendry sit down to review what needs improvement for next year, they must point to the Brewers (and the other sub-par teams) a championship caliber team should beat. From where I am sitting, the 2005 Cubs play to the level of their competition. Until that philosophy is changed the Cubbies will continue to be a sub .500 team themselves.

With tonight's loss the Cubs drop to 4 games under .500 with only 10 games left. The dream of reaching .500 again this season...is that just a dream.

Dusty needs to play all the kids. Try Murton in the lead off spot. He has a very high OBP and who knows how he will react. I know Murton is not very fast, but who cares. The objective of a lead off hitter is to get on base so the RBI guys can knock them in. I can only imagine how many RBI's Derrek Lee would have if Patterson had not been hitting lead off for half of the season. Try Ryan Theriot. The Cubs brought him up, see what he has got. Like Murton he seems very patient at the plate. Give McClain more at bats. What about Nomar at 2nd base? Mix it up!!! This year's team is broken...try to fix it for 2006!!!

Thursday - Greg Maddux(12-13/4.31) vs. Rick Helling(2-0/2.19)

Maddux is 11-3 with a 2.29 ERA in his career vs. the Brewers and tomorrow he needs number 12 to have a shot a 15. Maddux must go 7-8 innings for the Cubs to have a shot at the win. The bullpen is young and after 151 games very overworked. DLee and company must bring the lumber and get on these guys early. In the first 2 games of this series, the Brewers have scored first.

Mix it up...and win one for Maddog!!!

Hasenfeffer Incorporated

2005-09-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Cubs 3 Brewers 5

After tonight's game, I could use a beer....Why can the Cubs beat the Cardinals and not the Brewers? I do not understand it. After tonight's loss the Cubs have 6 wins in 14 games against the Brewers. And have dropped 3 games under .500 and 1/2 game behind the Brewers for 3rd place in the Central. Tonight did not even seem like the same team that took the field on Sunday. Remember this...the Brewers will be a lot better next year and this is just the beginning of the Cubs troubles with the Brewers. The Brewers have a very strong farm system. Do not be surprised if the Brewers make the playoffs or even win the Central Division next year. (I will talk about this after the season is over).

Jerome Williams had a rough start, settled down and ended up giving up 4 runs on 9 hits in 6 innings. Carlos Lee continued giving Cubs' pitchers nightmares, he had 2 big RBI's that proved to be the winning run. I really do not care for Carlos Lee and I hope he does not end up with the Cubs next season. Lee's name has been mentioned in the rumor mill for next year. He is a good hitter, but I do not like his attitude or playing style. The Cubs are almost finished paying for one headache, I hope they do not add another.

The Cubs biggest problem again tonight was fundamentals. For example they loaded the bases in the 7th inning with no outs and failed to score. They miss the cut off man, get caught stealing 3rd, miss sacrifice bunts and cannot catch the ball at home plate to tag a runner out. Spring Training should be very interesting for the guys that are still on the team next year. Nomar had a 2 run homer and Murton had a solo shot and went 2 for 4. Tonight was Murton's 40th game at the big league level and he is hitting .340 with 5 home runs and 10 RBI's. He has an OBP(on base percentage) of .402 and a SLG(slugging percentage) of .545. The lack of clutch hitting has been the downfall of the 2005 Cubs and it continued tonight. As much as I do not want to admit it, the Brewers played the game tonight to win and the Cubs just showed up again. I will talk about the overhaul I think this team needs after 11 more games.

Wednesday - Mark Prior(11-6/3.70) vs. Tomo Ohka(11-8/3.97)

Tomorrow's game is the 15 of the season between the Cubs and the Brewers and believe it or not, Mark Prior will make his 1st start of the season against the Brewers. I think this is another good example of what went wrong for the Cubs this season. Like Nomar hitting his 1st home run in August, Prior making his 1st start against the Brewers in September is a good recipe for a losing season. Tomo Ohka lost his only start against the Cubs this year giving up 5 runs on 9 hits in 6 2/3 innings. Ohka has had a good season, but if the Cubs bring their bats, he can be beat. The Cubs need these next 2 games to have a shot at .500 and 3rd place, plus a split of the season series vs. the Brewers.

Be patient, hit the ball...and just beat the (blankin') Brewers!!!

Transactions, Thoughts and Useless Information?

2005-09-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

While the Cubs rest, thought I would pass on some information. And away we go...

-Sunday's win gave the Cubs their first 10+ win season against the Cardinals since they went 11-7 in 1992.

-Sunday's win was the first time since 1995 the Cubs won the home and road series against the Cardinals in the same season.

-The Cubs are now 74-76 for the 2005 season. At Wrigley they are 36-40 and on the road they are 38-36. Maybe Dusty should find a hotel in Wrigleyville.

-Greg Maddux has a record streak of 17 years with at least 15 wins. The closest active streak is 5, held by Mark Mulder. With Maddux's loss on Saturday, it looked like the streak would not get to 18 years. The Cubs announced on Sunday, Maddux will get 3 more starts this year. Larry Rothchild and Dusty Baker shuffled the rotation and Glendon Rusch will skip a start in order to give Maddux a chance at getting to 15 wins. According to cubs.com, Maddux did not ask for the extra start and Rothchild and Baker are doing this out of respect for him. Usually I do not agree with trying to 'get or hold onto' a record. I do agree with Rothchild and Baker. I think that if the bullpen would have done their job for Maddux, he should have gotten at least 3-4 more wins with 2 starts left. His record is 12-13 . Maddux will pitch Thursday against the Brewers, on September 27th vs. the Pirates and on October 2nd vs. Houston, the last game of the season.

-With all of the bullpen talk I am doing, I thought I would do research on the origin of the term 'bullpen'. To my surprise it was in Monday's Cubs' Mailbag. According to cubs.com and The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, the term bullpen arose when fans were allowed into games for 10 cents if they arrived after the first inning. Latecomers were penned in like bulls behind ropes in foul territory beyond first and third base. Relief pitchers warmed up along the sidelines near those areas. The term was not used until around 1915, but the first formal bullpen area was in the Polo Grounds (The New York Giants) in 1905.

-It has been 40 years since the last time a pitcher threw a no-hitter against the Cubs. Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers threw a perfect game against the Cubs on September 9, 1965.

-Only 2 pitchers in Major League History have 3000 strikeouts and under 1000 walks. Both are Cubs. Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux. Jenkins was with the Cubs from 1966-1973 and 1982-1983. Maddux was with the Cubs from 1986-1992 before he resigned at the beginning of the 2004 season. Did you know they both wore (and still wearing) #31?

That is all I have, for now. Keep reading and watching to C the changes coming to my site. Time to beat the Brewers.

Until Tuesday.....

A BEAUTIFUL Day

2005-09-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

Cubs 7 Cardinals 4

The Cubs did not win the division or make the playoffs...but they did BEAT THE CARDINALS. The Cubs finished their season series today with the Cardinals. The Cubs won 10 of 16 games this year and the Cubbies are the only team in the Central Division to have a winning record against the Cardinals. Hopefully next year they will figure out how to beat the Reds, Astros and Brewers. I cannot believe how good the team played today. I am still in shock.

When the pitching matchups were announced on Thursday, I figured the Sunday game would be the tough one. Chris Carpenter. The Cubs lit up Carpenter for 4 runs on 4 hits in 4 innings. The guy that should win the Cy Young this year looked like the 5th starter in the rotation. He and Dusty even exchanged words. These 2 teams do not like each other. And then there is Zambrano...

Carlos Zambrano pitched his 2nd complete game of the season and kept his head on straight. Zambrano did not have his best stuff today and still won the ballgame. Zambrano is now 8-1 since the All Star break and picked up his 14 win. Big Z also went 2 for 4 and his average is up to .303. UNBELIEVABLE!!

Patterson had a good day going 2 for 3 with a run scored and a RBI. Patterson has the ability to be an excellent major league ball player, it is a shame he has not realized it yet. DLee went 1 for 2 with 2 walks, LaRussa will not pitch to him. And Todd Walker had a homerun in the 7th to give the Cubs some insurance.

Matt Murton hit the go ahead home run in the bottom of the 5th, after the Cardinals had just tied the game. Murton is really making an arguement for the Cubs' brass for the starting left field spot next year. I will stay off of the soap box...

With today's win the Cubs are back to within 2 games of .500 and are now in 3rd place in the Central, 1/2 game in front of the Brewers and the Cardinals are ALL DONE!!

On a personal note, this was one of the best sports days in my life. Not only am I a life long Cubs fan, I am a diehard Tennessee Titans fan and season ticket holder. The Titans shocked the Ravens today 25-10 and it was AWESOME. Then the CUBS BEAT THE CARDINALS. Both of my teams beat their arch rival today and this is the 1st time the Cubs and Titans have won on the same day (that I can remember). Outside of a World Series or Super Bowl, to beat the Ravens and the Cardinals on the same day....MY SPORTS LIFE DOES NOT GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS.

Monday - A Day of Rest and off to Milwaukee

Tuesday - The Milwaukee Brewers

Jerome Williams(5-8/4.30) vs. Doug Davis(10-10/3.95)

The Cubs will battle for 3rd place this week with a 3 game series vs. The Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have always given the Cubs more than they can handle and this week should not be any different. Jerome Williams is 1-1 in his last 3 games with a .084 ERA. Williams needs to stay hot against the Brewers offense. The Brewers have gotten better this year and will continue to do so over the next few years. The Nashville Sounds just won the PCL Championship and they are the Brewers' AAA affliate. The Cubs have a winning record(38-36) on the road this year and they need these 3 games. A sweep of the Brewers would put the Cubs a game above .500 and will go a long way towards a 3rd place finish. The Cubs will need to score early and often to keep the pressure on the young Brewers.

Be patient, no extra outs, smart base running, timely hitting...and beat the Brew-crew!!

Another One Bites The Dust

2005-09-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

Cubs 1 Cardinals 5

When I heard the lineup today...I was in shock! I kept asking myself...why is Jose Macias hitting in the leadoff spot? Why is he playing 2nd base? Where is Todd Walker? Where is Jerry Hariston, Jr? What the (blank) is going on? Does Dusty not want to win? And all of this against the Cardinals with Greg Maddux trying to get to 15. I almost threw my XM out the window. I immediately got online...and what did I find? ANOTHER INJURY!

Jerry Hariston, Jr. arrived to the ballpark on Saturday on crutches. He hit a ball off of his knee on Friday and was unable to walk on it on Saturday. According to cubs.com Hariston was wearing a brace on his left leg because of a severe bone contusion suffered when he took a foul tip off his left knee in Friday's game. Hairston will be sidelined to let the swelling subside and wait for the pain to go away, Cubs athletic trainer Mark O'Neal said on Saturday. Hairston apparently has "jumper's knee," which is an injury to the patellar tendon and usually happens to high school or junior high athletes. "There is a real minor crack of the calcification [on his knee]," O'Neal said. Great just when the Cubs were getting production out of the leadoff spot...this happens. The Cubs have not said how long he will be out, but with only 13 games left, could we have all seen the last game of Jerry Hariston in a Cubs' uniform?

With the injury to Hariston, a couple of questions come to mind. Dusty does not trust Patterson in the leadoff spot...that point was proven today. If Dusty trusted Patterson, he would have hit CPat in the leadoff spot instead of removing Walker from the lineup and putting Macias in the leadoff spot. I know some of you will argue that Mulder is left handed and so is Walker and Walker would sit anyway. Wrong...Walker is hitting .337 vs. left handers and .293 vs. right handers. Does Dusty's actions today mean the end of Patterson in a Cubs' uniform? Second question. The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx season was ended today. They lost the Southern League Championship 3-1 to Jacksonville. Will the Cubs recall Adam Greenberg to try in the leadoff spot?

The game was...another disappointment. Maddux lost and now his streak of 17 years(working on 18) with at least 15 wins, is over. With today's loss, his record drops to 12-13 and with only 2 starts left the best he can do is 14. Maddux has done a good job for the Cubs this year. If the bullpen and not blown at least 4 of his games, he would have reached 15. Maddux should be back with the Cubs next year. His option has kicked in, so if he does not return that would be his decision. Hopefully the Cubs will have a better bullpen next year and Maddux can reach 15 again.

Sunday - Carlos Zambrano(13-5/3.22) vs. Chris Carpenter(21-4/2.31)

The last time Zambrano and Carpenter faced one another was a pitching clinic. Both Big Z and Carpenter went 9 innings in St. Louis and neither one got the decision. The Cardinals won that game in extra innings on a squeeze bunt by David Eckstein. That game in July was the best pitching dual I have seen in years. Tomorrow should be more of the same. Carpenter should win this year's Cy Young in the National League and Zambrano is 7-1 with a 2.40 ERA since the All Star break. Runs should come at a premium. The Cubs will have to play a near perfect game in order to beat Carpenter.

No extra outs, smart base running, timely hitting...and BEAT THOSE BIRDS!!

Gotta Love It!!

2005-09-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Cubs 5 Cardinals 3

Yes, this has been a disappointing year (one I kinda expected, will discuss in 2 weeks). But anytime the Cubs beat the Cardinals is a GREAT DAY. The walls could be coming down around me and it would not matter because the CUBS BEAT THE CARDINALS. With today's win, the Cubs have WON THE SEASON SERIES against the CARDINALS. Can you tell I am very happy? There are still 2 games left against the Redbirds, so I will hold back.

Glendon Rusch pitched very good today. He got the Cubs into the 7th inning with the lead and earned the win. Rusch went 6 2/3 innings and gave up 3 runs on 7 hits. A quality start. Wuertz and Novoa held the Cards in check and Dempster picked up his 28th save. The pitching staff as a whole did their job for the offense.

Burnie is the one that stepped up today. Jeromy Burnitz went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI's and a run scored. His 2 run single gave the Cubs the lead. DLee hit his 44th homer in the 1st inning and Walker, Nomar and Murton came through as well. Murton came in after Hariston was ejected for arguing balls and strikes and scored on the Burnitz single. CPat even had a hit today. The Cubs beat Matt Morris for the 4th time in a row. The offense was hot on a cool day in Chicago.

While I was listening to the game, I further realized how much I enjoy Pat Hughes and Ron Santo. Hughes delivers a solid play-by-play and Santo...well...is just being a Cubs fan. It is great to hear him yell at the team when they make a bonehead play. Santo is not the greatest of announcers, like Harry Caray, but he is so enjoyable to listen to. If Santo was not announcing the games, he would still be yelling at the radio or tv. Santo would be trying to tell the guys what to do or not to do. How many of you have done that? I have. And that is what makes Ron Santo priceless.

Just when I thought the Cubbies were going through the motions, they play like this...who knows what will happen tomorrow?

Saturday - Greg Maddux(12-12/4.22) vs. Mark Mulder(15-7/3.51)

Maddux has beaten Mulder in their last 2 matchups. Can Maddux do it again? To have a shot at 15, he must. Maddux has been pitching like the old 'Maddog' in his last few starts, so if the offense can do their job, he has a shot. Lee got help today and will need it tomorrow. Who will it be? Murton? Burnie? Nomar? Could McClain get a start? Maybe Blanco? A win tomorrow would put the Cubs to within a game of .500. LaRussa said today, even though the Cards clinched the division last night, he will not allow the team to celebrate until they win. From this Cubs fan...please do not allow them to celebrate at Wrigley.

Be patient, bring the bats, have fun...and just beat those Birds!!!

A Rainy Night in Chicago

2005-09-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

Cubs 1 Cardinals 6

It was a rainy, gloomy night in Chicago and the Cubs started the series against the Cardinals with a loss. Mark Prior started the game tonight and had another bad inning. He did not have a bad start, just one inning. Prior allowed 3 runs in the first inning and threw almost 40 pitches again. Prior has had at least one bad inning in every start this year. After that he settled down and held the Cardinals scoreless. Prior left after 5 innings, throwing 93 pitches. This is the 1st time the Cardinals have beaten Prior this year. Prior has had a good year, especially after missing the month with his elbow injury. I was glad to see Dusty pulling him out in the 5th. Prior has been throwing a lot of pitches lately and with the way Jeff Suppan pitched tonight...it was a good call.

Jeff Suppan shut the Cubs down, except for DLee. As usual this year, Derrek Lee was the only bright spot. Lee went 2 for 4 and hit his 43rd home run. The rest of the Cubs only managed 4 hits against Suppan. I do not think the guys did a bad job tonight, Suppan just had their number.

The Cubs fought back in the 9th, but with the bases loaded and 2 outs, the rain came back to stay. The game was delayed for 51 minutes and then called. It was a strange end to a strange night.

With tonight's win, the St. Louis Cardinals are the 2005 Central Division Champions.

The Cubs have played the Cardinals better than any other team in the Central this year. If the Cubs can win 1 game of the series, they will actually win the season series against the Cardinals for the first time since 2001. The age of the Cardinals' players are starting to show will all of the injuries they have had this year. I hope this is the beginning of the Cubs beating the Cardinals on a regular basis...and who knows...maybe the 2 teams could switch place in the standings next year. Wouldn't that be nice?

As one would expect, the Cubs look like they are going through the motions. It has been a very long season, there is only 15 games left. With tonight's loss the Cubs dropped to 3 games under .500.

Friday - Glendon Rusch(6-8/4.62) vs. Matt Morris(14-8/4.04)

Matt Morris will go for the Redbirds on Friday and that could benefit the Cubbies. Morris has lost his last 3 starts against the Cubs. Morris started the season very strong and has cooled down lately. Glendon Rusch has pitched better in his last 2 starts and even had a perfect game into the 7th inning his last start against the Cardinals. The bullpen has been used to much in the last 3 games and Rusch will need to pitch into the 7th or the 8th for the Cubs to win. DLee could use help, who will step up? Nomar? Murton? Burnie? Walker? Hopefully a day game will wake up the offense and the Cubs can get back in the win column.

Be patient, bring the bats...and just beat those birds!!

Same OLD Song and Dance

2005-09-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Reds 7

FUNDAMENTAL BASEBALL. According to Merriam-Webster .com the definition of fundamental is of central importance or belonging to one's innate or ingrained characteristics. I am going to email this to Dusty's boys.

The Cubs had plenty of chances tonight to put away the Reds and did not. They had a chance to win the game in the 8th with Lee on 3rd and Nomar on 1st with no outs. Burnie popped up and Barrett got hit in the head to load the bases. Barrett is O.K. and walked off the field on his own power. Murton then ground to 3rd, force out at home and Neifi popped up to end the inning (on the 1st pitch). Winning run left on 3rd. The Cubs missed the cut-off man, gave up the go ahead run on a balk (for the 2nd time this year against the Reds) and tried to force a play at second in the 11th inning that cost them the game.

The lack of fundamentals have cost the Cubs all year and tonight cost them a chance at getting to .500. I never thought I would be so excited about the Cubs getting to .500 as I have been in the past month. The last time the Cubs were at .500 was August 4th. At this point the playoffs are gone and a winning season is all there is to root for. If they could pull that out, it would be the 1st time since 1970, 1971 and 1972 the Cubs had 3 winning seasons in a row.

As good as the bullpen pitched last night, they were just as bad tonight. Jerome Williams pitched his best game of the year at Wrigley and should have gotten the win. Jerome went 7 strong innings and only allowed 1 run on 8 hits. Then here comes the bullpen. Novoa gave up 2 and Ohman balked in the go ahead run. Dempster and Wuertz held the Reds in check. Jermaine Van Buren walked the leadoff hitter in the 11th and Dusty brought in Rich Hill. Hill loaded the bases and gave up a 3 run double to Sean Casey...game over.

The young Cubs all played like rookies tonight. I have been singing the praises of Matt Murton....well tonight Matt Murton had one of his worst games as a Cub. I think this guy will be something special, just not tonight. Murton ended up 0-5 and left 8 runners on base, including 2 times with the bases loaded. Hopefully Murton will learn from this and he will become a better ball player. A baseball player has to put his team above himself...see Derrek Lee.

No more Reds until 2006....

There is a joke that goes 'an optimist sees the glass half full, a pessimist see the glass half empty and a Cubs' fan waits for it to spill'...that sums up tonight.

Thursday - The St. Louis Cardinals

Mark Prior(11-5/3.64) vs. Jeff Suppan(14-10/3.69)

Thursday starts a 4 game series against the Cardinals. This is the Cubs last 4 games against the Cardinals and hopefully the Cubs can play them as tough as they have all year. A win this weekend will give the Cardinals the Central Division Title for 2005. I do not want to see that at Wrigley...but we all know it is going to happen sometime this weekend. The Cubs are back to 2 games under .500 and anything less than winning the series will put a big dent in the chance of a winning season. The Cubs are a better team than the one that played the Reds...or are they?

Play hard, play smart, be patient...and just have FUNdamentals.

Finally...A Cubs Win!

2005-09-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Reds 3

The Cubs finally beat the Reds tonight in the bottom of the 10th inning. Tonight's come from behind win ends a 6 game losing streak against the boys from Cincinnati. Matt Murton led off the bottom of the 10th with a single and scored on a Todd Walker single to end the game. This was not a pretty win...but a win is a win.

Zambrano pitched a good game. Big Z went 6 innings only giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and striking out 9. Carlos has become a real stopper for the Cubs when they need it..and the bullpen came up big tonight. Williamson, Ohman, Novoa and Dempster all did their jobs and held the Reds scoreless. Micheal Wuertz pitched the 10th for the win. It was not a pretty performance from the bullpen, but remember a win is a win. Derrek Lee had another good night going 2 for 4 with a home run and a RBI. But it was Matt Murton that had the BIG night.

Murton ended up going 3 for 5 with a RBI and 2 runs scored. He also hit his 2nd triple of his career and hustled all night long. Murton was responsible for 3 of the 4 Cubs' runs tonight. The past 2 nights there have been 2 Cub veterans that have not run out balls hit in the infield and both times it cost the Cubs. Last night the lack of hustle from Todd Walker cost the Cubs the game and tonight it almost happened again. Then there is Matt Murton...he is running out every play, every ground ball and doing everything he can to help the team win. He is a rookie and knows how-to-play-baseball better than some of the vets. Dusty has to let Murton play out the season in left field. He is going to make mistakes, but the good of Matt Murton out weighs the bad.

With tonight's win the Cubs pull back to within 1 game of .500.

Wednesday - Jerome Williams(5-8/4.52) vs. Randy Keisler(2-0/6.69)

Wednesday the Cubs go for the series win. Jerome Williams will go for the Cubs and his starts this year at Wrigley have been very inconsistant. Williams is 1-5/5.73 at Wrigley this year and is 4-1/2.93 on the road. Dusty needs to put him in a hotel tonight.... Williams has to pitch well for the Cubs to win tomorrow. If Williams has a rough start look for Rich Hill to make an appearance. Hill has not been used since his callup and should have a fresh arm. Randy Keisler will make his first start of the season tomorrow and if the Cubs can be patient they should be able to win. Nomar needs to get hot again tomorrow and help put the Reds away early. Tomorrow is the last game of the season vs. the Reds (thank goodness) and a win would be great. Wouldn't it be nice to be .500 again?

Be patient, get on 'em early...and just win!!

The Cubs Faithful MVP

2005-09-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

During the Cubs-Reds game on Tuesday night. Derrek Lee made history. In the 1st inning off of Eric Milton, Lee hit his 42nd home of the season to go along with 100 RBI's. Derrek Lee is the first Cub to total 100 runs scored, 100 RBIs, 40 home runs and 40 doubles.

Congratulations!!

Transactions, Thoughts and Useless Information?

2005-09-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

While the Cubs play the Reds, thought I would catch up on what has been going on.

On Monday, September 12th the Cubs called up Ryan Theriot from AA West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. Theriot is an infielder and was the Diamond Jaxx Most Valuable Player in 2005. According to cubs.com Ryan Theriot is a native of Baton Rouge, La. and Theriot (TARE-ee-oh) batted .304 with 28 doubles and 53 RBIs for West Tenn. He's the third player in Diamond Jaxx history to hit .300 or better for an entire season.

On Tuesday, the Cubs called up outfielder Ben Grieve from AAA Iowa. The Iowa Cubs season is over and Grieve had gone home. Dusty decided the Cubbies needed another left handed batter off of the bench, so they ended Grieve's vacation.

FYI - Cubs' Centerfielder Corey Patterson is hitting .163 since the All Star break and has yet to decide if he will play winter ball. On a similar note, Ronny Cedeno has announced he feels he could use extra work and will play winter ball. Cedeno is hitting .300 for the Cubs this season in 40 games.

Cubs' Hall of Fame Pitcher Ferguson Jenkins sang the 7th inning stretch during Tuesday's game. It was good to hear Fergie, especially with Ron Santo. Jenkins is one of only 2 pitchers in Major League history with over 3000 strikeouts and under 1000 walks...the other is Greg Maddux. Jenkins pitched over 300 innings 4 straight years for the Cubs between 1968 and 1971. Ferguson Jenkins was a member of the Cubs from 1966-1973 and 1982-1983.

The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx(AA) will play Jacksonville in the Southern League Championship best-of-five series. The series starts on Tuesday in Jacksonville. The Diamond Jaxx swept Carolina in the first round, 3-0.

Keep on reading and watch for major changes to this site...

The Friendly Confines?

2005-09-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Cubs 2 Reds 5

The Cubs could not get it done against the Reds tonight. What made them a success on the road could not carry over to Wrigley Field. During the 8 win road trip, the best the Cubs have had since 1993, they got timely hitting and good pitching. Tonight....well...

Tonight they got good starting pitching from Greg Maddux, but nothing else. Nomar and Matt Murton had a good night. It seemed everytime Nomar got on, Walker would hit into a double play or a fielder's choice. Murton hit his 4th homerun of the year. The top of the Cubs' lineup ended up going 1-12, with Hariston getting the only hit. It is a shame Maddux did not get the win, he only allowed 2 runs, 2 solo homeruns, but did not receive any run support. Maddux is now 12-12 and with maximum of 3 starts left, his shot at 15 seems very unlikely.

The bullpen did not show up tonight, I think someone forgot to get them off the plane. Ohman got the first 2 outs in the 9th and then walked the next 2 batters. Dusty pulled Ohman and brought in Sergio Mitre. Yep, you got it. Mitre gave up a 3 run homer to Willy Mo Pena. Got ahead 0-2 and then hung a curve ball(I thought Santo was going to have a heart attack). Hopefully the Cubs will be able to package Mitre in a trade this offseason. Other than the 2 starts early in the year, Mitre has been a disappointment on the Major League level.

Just when I thought the Cubs might get back to .500, they ran into the Reds. Why is it that the Cubs can beat the Cardinals and the Astros, but not the Reds? Why does the Cubs make the Reds' pitching staff look like Hall of Famers? At the end of the season it will be games like tonight that Dusty should look back on as examples of what to improve on for next season.

The Cubs also announced today that Ronny Cedeno did break his hand on Saturday and will likely be out for the rest of the season. GREAT! ARam might be back in a week, but I think they should shut him down for the long offseason.

Tonight's loss was very disappointing. The Cubs played so well on the road...it is a shame they had to go home.

Tuesday - Carlos Zambrano(13-5/3.18) vs. Eric Milton(7-14-6.63)

Zambrano has to come out and shut down the Reds offense. The Reds have won the last 6 in a row vs. the Cubs. Big Z has to be the stopper. Milton threw his best game of the season the last time he faced the Cubs. The Cubs need to get a good night's sleep and light up Milton like the rest of the league has. Milton has been a huge disappointment for the Reds this season and if the Cubs could get on top early, they could get into Milton's head. Burnie should be back in the lineup tomorrow.

Be patient, get up early...and just win!!!

A Team Effort by the Bay

2005-09-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Cubs 3 Giants 2

The Cubs finished the road trip today with a big win over the Giants. The Cubs got down early on an RBI single by Moises Alou in the first inning. Nomar kept his hot bat going and singled and scored in the 3rd on the triple by Todd Walker. Matt Murton got a start today against the right hander Tomko and hit his 3rd home run of the year. Glendon Rusch had a quality start and deserved the win, but got a no decision in today's game.

The break came in the 8th with 2 outs. LaTroy Hawkins retired the first 2 Cubs he faced, including a strikeout of Corey Patterson...surprise, surprise. Hariston then doubled off of Hawkins and Neifi Perez doubled home Hariston to give the Cubs the lead. Williamson and Dempster held the Giants and the Cubs finished the road trip 8-2. Dempster picked up his 27th save. Where has this been all year?

This has been a very impressive road trip. The Cubs had different contributors in every game. One night was Nomar, the next was Burnie, Cedeno and Murton, DLee had a couple and today was Neifi. This road trip was the first time I saw a Cubs TEAM this entire season. I hope they can go home and have the same success. The Cubs are now 1 game under .500 and tied for 3rd with the Brewers.

Back to Chicago and the Cincinnati Reds

Monday - Greg Maddux(12-11/4.28) vs. Aaron Herang(9-12/3.60)

Monday starts a 7 game homestand vs. the Reds and the Cardinals. For the 1st time in history the Cubs will have 4 night games in a row to start the homestand. Maddux will go on Monday and to have a chance at 15 wins he cannot lose again this year. Maddux has to bring his A game against a very dangerous Reds team. The Reds have played the Cubs tough for the last few years and let us not forget the series sweep in early August. The Reds offense is one of the best in the league, it is their pitching that is questionable. Aaron Herang will go tomorrow night and he beat the Cubs his last time out. As with all pitchers, the Reds staff will buckle if the Cubs show patience at the plate. A win tomorrow will get the Cubs back to .500.

Be patient, no extra outs, pitch like a Hall of Famer...and just win.

Notes from the Soap Box

2005-09-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

I found this info on the web to help prove my point about Ronny Cedeno and Matt Murton.

Here is the Cubs' record with Murton playing:
- 17-14 .548 in games he's played (89-73 projected)
- 11-8 .579 in games he's started (94-68 projected)

Here is the Cubs' record with Cedeno playing:
- 13-26 in games he's played (54-108 projected)
- 8-11 in games started (68-94 projected)

However, the Cubs are 5-5 .500 in games where Murton & Cedeno start...they are hardly hurting the team while learning to play at the Major League level and no worse than the seasoned veterans, considering the sub .500 record.

Here is the good news. The Cubs are now 4-2 (.667 win %) with Murton and Cedeno in the lineup since Murton was recalled to fill Ramirez's roster spot. The Cubs are 5-1 (.833 win %) in games Murton has played since returning and they're 6-3 (.667 win %) in games played by Cedeno since he returned on August 26th.

There are the numbers...and we all know numbers do not lie...I will keep you posted on this.

SOURCE: Yahoo Sports game log statistics for Murton & Cedeno.

Finish What Ya Started

2005-09-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

Cubs 5 Giants 2

It is not how you start, but how you end...and Mark Prior proved that today. Prior had a very bad 1st inning, giving up 2 runs and throwing 40 pitches. Wellemeyer actually started warming up in the pen. But Prior settled down and held the Giants in check for the rest of the game. Prior has had 1 bad inning in every start this season and he held to that form today. He had to many 3-2 counts all day long. Prior's pitches were close...but he was not getting the calls. He ended up throwing 122 pitches.

The offense played very good today. Blanco came through..again. Since he switched his number from 9 to 24 he has been on fire. Lee had another RBI and 2 doubles today. Lee's RBI gave him 99 for the year, a new career high. He should have broken 100, but a ground rule double kept that from happening. Burnie had a 2 RBI game as well. Just a good performance..with a couple of things...

Ronny Cedeno was hit by a pitch in the 2nd inning and the X-Rays were negative. But the Cubs' trainer Mark O'Neal thinks there might be a hairline fracture and Cedeno will see a specialist on Monday when the team returns to Chicago. O'Neal said if he is right the possible point of the fracture is not in a 'bad place on his hand'. I do not know about you, but a fracture is a fracture. It is on his left hand, his non-throwing hand. So that is good news...this is a storyline that I will keep an eye on.

Corey Patterson....why is he leading off? Not only should Corey not be hitting leadoff, he should not be playing at all. Patterson needs to sit, put Hariston in center and Dusty needs to find out what Matt Murton is made of. Patterson went 0-5 and his batting average dropped to .219...look out Mendoza here comes CPat. Hopefully only 20 more games with Patterson.

With today's win the Cubs moved back to 2 games under .500 and into a tie for 3rd in the Central Division with the Brewers. The Cubs are 7-2 in September and on this road trip.

Sunday - Glendon Rusch(6-8/4.67) vs. Brett Tomko(7-14/4.71)

Like all of the games of late, Sunday's series finale is big for Glendon Rusch and the Cubs. Rusch showed what he is capable of in his last start vs. the Cardinals and with Bonds not playing, Rusch needs to build on his last start. A win tomorrow is big to finish this road trip 8-2 heading home 1 game under to face the dangerous Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs goal for the year has changed. The new goal is to have a winning record and a win on Sunday will go a long way to meet that goal. Tomko has always pitched the Cubs tough and with Cedeno out of the lineup, Murton and Nomar need to pick up the slack.

Be patient, keep hitting...and just win.

The House of Cain

2005-09-09T23:30:00.000-07:00

Cubs 1 Giants 2

The Giants rookie pitcher Matt Cain shut the Cubs down tonight. Cain gave up only 1 hit, a homerun to Derek Lee(41) over the first 8 innings. Hariston added the 2nd Cub hit in the 9th and I can see why the Giants are so high on this guy. Cain out pitched Jerome Williams, who only allowed 2 runs, 1 earned in 7 innings. Williams on any other night would have won this game. Williams had a quality start, one I hope he can build on for the rest of the season.

This was a very quick game, just under 2 1/2 hours. Quality starting pitching and not much offense. Williams gave up 7 hits and the error by Neifi Perez cost the Cubs the win.

Dusty scratched Cedeno from the starting lineup, and I do not know why...yet. Cedeno was posted as the starter, I hope he is not hurt. Cedeno has been playing better than Neifi of late and Dusty would be better off with Cedeno in the lineup. Could Cedeno have made the play? We will never know...but Dusty has to put the best players on the field. PERIOD.

Patterson went hitless again tonight and after last night's pick-off at first base, what can he provide the Cubs with for the rest of the season? Like Cedeno, Dusty needs to play Murton as often as possible to give the Cubs a chance to win. Murton was on base 3 times last night, I do not remember the last time I can say that about Patterson.

After tonight's game, I am going to continue to be on the Cedeno/Muton bandwagon. I really feel these guys are doing a better job than Perez and Patterson. With the tying run on 1st base in the 9th tonight, Neifi swung at the 1st pitch (from a rookie) and popped it straight up. Why is a veteran doing this? A veteran should know to make a rookie work to earn the win. Neifi just gift wrapped it.

The Cubs did not play bad tonight, they just did not play the right guys. Let the vets sit...play the kids and finish above .500. A future star just won tonight...

Saturday - Mark Prior(10-5/3.69) vs. Brad Hennessey(4-6/4.96)

Mark Prior is losing his hold as the 'ace' of the Cubs staff and he needs to remind us how he earned that title tomorrow. The Giants still have hopes of the playoffs and with Bonds coming back, who knows what can happen in the NL West. Blanco should catch tomorrow's game, which will help. Hennessey is a right hander, so who knows if Cedeno and Murton will play. The Cubs can beat the Giants with Prior on the mound. The Cubs should show a little more patience at the plate tomorrow, go deep in the count and make the pitcher work. There were entirely to many 1st pitch swings tonight. The Cubs can still leave the bay 1 game under.

Play the kids, be patient...and just win.

Zambrano World

2005-09-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Cubs 5 Giants 3

It is becoming pretty obvious that this is Carlos Zambrano's World and we all just live in it. What can Big Z not do? He is 7-1 since the All-Star break. He is hitting .286 (.63 points higher than Patterson). He struck out the last five batters he faced last night and scored the go ahead run, after a single to start the inning. Zambrano ended up going 2 for 2. The big moment that impressed me was when the Giants came back to tie the game, Zambrano looked like he was going to have one of his classic meltdowns. He calmed down and continued to play the game. Zambrano is quickly becoming one of the top 5 pitchers in the league and yes, the ACE of the Cubs. Can Prior and Wood ever catch up?

Ronny Cedeno had his first 3 hit game of his career and continued playing a VERY good shortstop. Nomar continued his hot streak, driving in 3 RBI's, including the 2 to give the Cubs the lead. And what more can I say about Derek Lee? A triple with 2 outs...on a winning team he would be the National League MVP.

Hats off to Jerry Hariston Jr. He made 2 of the best catches you will ever see in centerfield, ala Jim Edmonds. Check out mlb.com to see the highlights. Hariston has been playing a lot better after his return from the DL.

The Cubs are now 6-1 in September and 2 games under .500, tied for 3rd with the Brewers. Where has this been all year?

Friday - Jerome Williams(5-7/4.77) vs. Matt Cain(1-1/2.25)

Jerome Williams will make his first start against his former team on Friday. Williams was acquired in May from the Giants, along with David Aardsma for LaTroy Hawkins. Williams will have his hands full with a very talented Giants lineup that could include Barry Bonds. Williams has to have his A-game on Friday. He is facing Matt Cain, a young phenom, who is only 20 years old, and was listed as the top prospect in the Giants system when the season started. Hopefully Dusty will continue to play Cedeno who has recorded multiple hits in 4 of the last 7 games that he has played, and has also scored 5 runs in 7 games. A win on Friday would bring the Cubs to within 1 game of .500 with 21 games left in the season.

Play the kids, be patient....and just win!!!

Transactions, Thoughts and Useless Information?

2005-09-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

While the Cubs start their visit at the Bay, I thought this would be a good time to share some information. This is my first in game post. Check back on Friday for the Thursday night wrap up.

The Cubs finished their September call-ups this week. Geovany Soto and John Koronka joined Rich Hill and Sergio Mitre to complete the callups from AAA Iowa. This is Geovany Soto's first trip to the Major Leagues.

The Cubs have announced Ronny Cedeno will participate in Winter ball this year. The Cubs would like Cedeno to learn how to play 2nd base. I agree in making Cedeno well rounded, but I do not like this idea. I would love to see Nomar back and at 2nd base. Does this mean Hendry is going after Atlanta's Rafael Furcal? Furcal plays shortstop and is a good leadoff hitter. Furcal will be a free-agent at the end of the year and demand a HUGE contract.

Kerry Wood's shoulder surgery went well and he is back with the Cubs doing his rehab. Woody is planning on being in Mesa in late February in time for Spring Training. He has also said he is looking to rejoin the starting rotation. I have almost got my sign finished, 'Kerry for Closer in '06'...stay tuned for this one.

Last night was the last game at Busch Stadium and there have been many connections with the Cubs and Cardinals over the years. Here are some...and in no particular order:

-Harry Caray started his career as the play-by-play voice of the St. Louis Cardinals. He broadcast for Cardinals' radio for 25 years.

-Hall of Famer Lou Brock was originally a member of the Chicago Cubs.

-On September 7, 1998, Mark McGuire hit his 62nd home run of the year to break the record of 61 held by Roger Maris....against the Cubs at Busch Stadium.

-Bruce Sutter, the Cardinals all-time save leader, was originally a member of the Cubs from 1976-1980.

-Hall of Fame Relief Pitcher Dennis Eckersley was a starting pitcher for the Cubs from 1984-1986.

The Cubs will conclude the season series against the Cardinals next week end, September 15-September 18.

Time for the Giants...and just win.

Down Goes the Cardinals!

2005-09-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

Cubs 2 Cardinals 1

The Cubs won their first season series at Busch Stadium since 1995 tonight. Maddux beat Mark Mulder for the 2nd time this year to earn his 12th win of the season and the 317th of his career. Maddux threw another great game and even pitched himself out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the 3rd inning. With tonight's game, Maddux passed his 400 innings needed to be back with the Cubs in 2006. The option is a part of the contract he signed before the 2004 season and is worth $9 million dollars. Maddux pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball and the Cubs offense did just enough to win the game.

All of the scoring for the Cubs came in the 2nd inning. Perez had a RBI double and then Matt Murton had a single to right to drive in Perez. Mulder pitched very well, but Maddux and company just plain beat him tonight. Dempster came in for a nail bitting 9th to pickup his 24th save of the year.

The Cubs are the only team in the Central Division to have a winning record against the Cardinals this year. Why could they not play like this against the rest of the league? With tonight's win the Cubs are 5-1 in September, and on this road trip, and are back to 3 games under .500.

Anytime the Cubs take 2 out of 3 from the Cardinals is a reason to celebrate.

Time to head to the left coast..and The San Francisco Giants

Thursday - Carlos Zambrano(12-5/3.16) vs. Noah Lowry(12-11/3.71)

The big question for Thursday's game is will Barry Bonds be in the lineup or not? And if he is, will the Cubs pitch to him? The Giants have been playing good ball lately winning their last 7 of 8 before Wednesday's night game against the Dodgers. They do not need Barry to win, but who knows what Alou will do. This will be another homecoming for Dusty and the 2nd series of the year against Moises Alou. The Giants have always played the Cubs tough and Zambrano needs to continue to pitch well to give them a chance to win. Zambrano is 6-1 since the All-Star break. Dusty needs to play the kids. Nomar and DLee must keep hitting for the Cubs to have a chance. This is a big 4 game series before heading home to face the Reds. A sweep would put the Cubs above .500....well..I can dream can't I?

Get rest, enjoy the plane ride...and just win!!!

Hey..Hey..Hey..Goodbye!

2005-09-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the end of an era when the Cubs play their last game in 'Old' Busch Stadium. The Cubs played their first game at Busch Stadium on May 24, 1966. The Cubs won the game 2-0 and the Cubs lineup included Billy Williams(RF), Ron Santo(3B), Ernie Banks(1B), Glenn Beckert(2B), Don Kessinger(SS), Randy Hundley(C), Adolfo Phillips(CF), Bryon Browne(LF) and Bill Hands was the pitcher. We know Greg Maddux will pitch tomorrow, and that is very fitting, but who will Dusty have in the lineup and will it be as successful? A crowd of 15,790 was on hand for the first game and over 47,000 will be there tomorrow night.

The Cardinals have pretty much owned the Cubs in St. Louis over the past several years, so I am glad they will have a new address next year.

Thanks to ESPN building up the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry, the media has forgotten about the Cubs and Cardinals. To me the Cubs/Cardinals rivalry is the best in the game.

What I find very interesting is that ESPN is not showing this game. Why? If the Yankees and Red Sox were to play on a Little League field in the middle of nowhere, they would show that game. Why is this different?

This game does not need the hype, the TRADITION is there.

GO CUBS!!

Will The Real Glendon Rusch Please Step Forward?

2005-09-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

Cubs 5 Cardinals 2

Glendon Rusch threw one of the best games of his career tonight. Rusch actually had a Perfect Game going through the first 6 innings. David Eckstein led off the 7th with a single up the middle and the thought of the 'perfecto' was over.

Those out there that did not see or hear this game missed something very special. Not only was a Cub pitcher throwing this well, but it was a Cub pitcher against the (blank) Cardinals. IT WAS GREAT!! I just wish I could have heard Ron Santo.

Derek Lee, Nomar, Neifi and Patterson supplied all the offense the Cubs needed. DLee actually hit his 40th homer on his 30th birthday. And the Cubs pounded out 13 hits against a very good Cardinals staff. The bullpen did it's job and Dempster recorded his 23 save.

This was a very good game and I think there will be more like this in '06!

Wednesday - Greg Maddux(11-11/4.41) vs. Mark Mulder(15-6/3.62)

The Cubs play their last game in 'Old' Busch Stadium tomorrow. The Cubs won the first game they ever played there and hopefully they can finish the way they started. Maddux will have his hands full with this line-up, but he needs the win to have a shot at 15. Mulder is one of the best pitchers in the league and after losing his last game against the Cubs will be hard to beat tomorrow. A win tomorrow will bring the Cubs to within 3 games of .500, and most importantly win the series against the Cards.

Be patient and...just win!!

Hang 'Em High

2005-09-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Cardinals 6

In this case it was a curve ball to Albert Pujols that did in the Cubs. With the game tied 2-2 in the 8th inning. Dusty brought in Roberto Novoa to face the top of the Cards line-up. Novoa walked Eckstein and gave up an infield single to Nunez. Before I go any further, I would like to say Ronny Cedeno made a great play on the single by Nunez and almost nailed him at first. The throw was a little off the mark and pulled Derek Lee off the bag. This was one of those plays that makes me look forward to Cedeno being the Cubs everyday shortstop. It was AWESOME. Back to the game...Novoa ran the count to 2 and 2 and then hung a curve ball to Pujols that left Busch Stadium VERY QUICKLY.

Pujols is one of those players that you do not like because he plays for the other team, not because he is a 'bad' guy. All reports that I have read say he is a top notch person, as well as ball player. So it stinks to see him do well because he is a Cardinal, but it is good to see because of what you read about him. Then there is Jim Edmonds...

Edmonds hit a solo shot right behind Pujols to pretty much put the game out of reach. Dusty brought in Will Ohman to face Edmonds and this is one of the few mistakes Ohman has made all year. Ohman has been a very bright spot on an otherwise dim bullpen.

The offense played well today and Nomar kept hot. Burnie delivered a big 2 out single to tie the game. Prior pitched very well. He only gave up 2 runs on 5 hits in 6 innings. A very good start against a very good team. The only problem I had today, beside them losing, was the fact that Dusty pinch hit for Cedeno in the 9th with the bases loaded.

Dusty pinch hit Cedeno with Jose Macias and Macias did his job with a sac fly to drive in a run. But why not leave Cedeno in? See what the kid is made of and if necessary let him fail. Do not take him out, for a far less talented player, and send the message to him that you do not trust him. Dusty is a player's manager and I can respect that, but a player's manager must learn to trust young players until they prove otherwise. Both Murton and Cedeno seem and act like they want to be there and to learn, do not discourage this. Lead them and they will follow.

Tuesday - Glendon Rusch(5-8/4.83) vs. Matt Morris(14-6/3.91)

Tuesday is a BIG GAME for Glendon Rusch. After his last several outings Dusty has to have him on a short leash. Look for the bullpen to be ready early and often. Sergio Mitre was recalled from Iowa and pitched today. Dusty has a lot of arms in the pen to rely on tomorrow. The Cubs need this win to have a shot at .500 and 3rd place. Nomar needs to stay hot and the kids MUST PLAY in order to win. Patterson is just playing out the string. Murton wants to be there.

If you play them...and just win!!!

Get Out The Broom

2005-09-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Cubs 2 Pirates 0

For the first time since July 8 - July 10 against the Marlins, the Cubs earned a series sweep. I know it is the Pirates, but a sweep is a sweep. The 2005 Cubs have not beaten the teams they should and this weekend they did.

Jerome Williams had a very good outing. He went 7 1/3, allowing only 4 hits while striking out 5. The bullpen held the lead and Dempster recorded his 22 save of the year.

Nomar continued his hot streak going 2 for 4 with his 2nd homer of the series, 6th overall. Burnie supplied the only other RBI the Cubs needed. There were 2 times today the Cubs got a lead off double and failed to score. The lack of small ball might have cost them the game against a better team. But a win is still a win. The Cubs are 4 games under with 26 left to play...now for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Monday - Labor Day in St. Louis

Mark Prior(10-5/3.72) vs. Jeff Suppan(13-10/3.90)

The Cubs start a 3 game series with the Cardinals. This is the last visit to the current Busch Stadium. The Cardinals will open their new park, inspired by Wrigley Field, in 2006. The Cubs have played very well against the Central Division and the Cardinals this year. Nomar gets a chance to return to St. Louis where his season was cut short in April. The Cardinals are tuning up for the playoffs and will look to beat up on the Cubbies. Dusty needs to play Murton and Cedeno to have a shot at winning this series. The Cubs are playing for pride and jobs at this point. Prior will have his hands full with the best offense in the National League. Who knows....maybe we will see another glimpse of the future in St. Louis this week...the Cards are getting old and the Cubs are getting younger by the day...I choose youth. Shut down Pujols and...well....just win!

Extra! Extra! Extra!

2005-09-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Cubs 9 Pirates 5

Just when I thought I had Dusty figured out, he goes and changes the line-up again...and it worked. The Cubs had 13 hits today and 7 were for extra bases. Hariston had a good day going 1 for 3 with 3 runs scored and Henry Blanco added a 3 for 5 day with a home run and 3 runs scored. But it was the rookies that came through again.

Ronny Cedeno had another fine day in the field and at the plate. He went 2 for 4 with a RBI and a double. While Matt Murton hit his second home run of the season and went 2 for 5. I have been saying, these guys are playmakers and should be in the line-up everyday. Cedeno and Murton are going to make their share of mistakes, but the experience will play a big part in the Cubs' success for years to come.

Nomar played well again today and continued to showcase his abilities for other teams in the off-season. Although Todd Walker has been a good pick-up for the Cubs, I will wonder if Nomar at 2nd in 2006 would be the best move the Cubs could make. With Nomar's recent injuries, he cannot demand the high dollar contract that he could have a couple of years ago. With his recent play at 3rd, the Cubs would have a back-up for Ramirez, a back-up for Cedeno and the best offensive bat at 2nd base since Sandberg. The Nomar experiment at 2nd would not cost the Cubs a lot of money and could pay big...as in wins. This is not the last time I will bring this up...

Zambrano pitched well again today. Before the 8th inning, he only allowed 2 runs. Like Prior, Dusty left Zambrano in too long. Allowing Prior and Zambrano to pitch too many innings in September could come back to haunt Dusty in '06. Dusty needs to find out what he has in his bullpen and if he cannot trust those guys, LET THEM GO.

Sunday - Jerome Williams(4-7/5.20) vs. Kip Wells(7-14/4.66)

The Cubs go for the sweep tomorrow and they need it before heading to St. Louis. Williams has been very inconsistant for the Cubs this year and needs to let his last start be a memory. The young Bucs cannot feel good about the last two games and the Cubs need to get on them early and finish them off mentally. They have done a good job the past 2 games at not playing to the level of their competition and need to keep that up. A win tomorrow would be a great lift to head to St. Louis and would get them to 4 games under with 26 to play. A winning record and a third place finish in the division would be a great way to head into the off-season.

If you play them...just beat the Bucs!!

3 Strikes and the Pirates Are Out

2005-09-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

Cubs 7 Pirates 3

The Cubbies started September off in the win column. With Derek Lee out nursing a bruise on his foot, the Cubs pitchers struck out 13 and allowed only 3 runs.

Greg Maddux started the game and won his 11th of the year. He had a very strong performance, but had to leave in the 6th after giving up 2 runs and having runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Michael Wuertz came in and gave his best performance of the year. After a wild pitch allowed the runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd, Wuertz reached back and struck out the next three batters he faced. Williamson and Novoa held the Pirates and Dempster got his 21st save of the year. This was one of the best team pitching performances of the year. Maddux can still get to 15...keep it up.

Nomar kept hot and had a 2 run homer. All of Nomar's homers, 5, have come since his return from the DL on August 1st, 21 games. Nomar also had a great defensive play at 3rd that preserved the win for Maddux. Nomar will make a good pick-up in the off season, I just hope he can stay in Chicago and play second.

Dusty was right with the line-up today. The vets came through. How does the saying go? 'In Dusty We Trusty!'

Saturday - Carlos Zambrano(11-5/3.04) vs. Dave Williams(10-10/4.21)

The Cubs get a brunch game tomorrow. An 11:35am C.D.T. start time. Let's all hope the coffee kicks in and they can win the 2nd game of the series. Zambrano has pitched well his last several starts and Blanco should catch tomorrow's game. Big Z can shut those guys down and maybe the offense will keep rolling. Rich Hill got the call-up today and he should be available in the bullpen. Look for Neifi to play again tomorrow. He is hitting over .500 for the year against the Pirates and went 3 for 5 tonight. Murton should get the start tomorrow. Hopefully this is a start of a winning month...just win!!

Transactions, Thoughts and Useless Information?

2005-09-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

While the Cubs rest...

On Monday, August 29th the Cubs traded OF Todd Hollandsworth to the Atlanta Braves for 2 minor league pitchers. Todd Blackford and Angelo Burrows. Blackford was drafted in 2004 by the Braves and is in Class A ball. Burrows, 25, is a converted outfielder who is also in Class A ball. Both pitchers are projects and should be interesting to watch their career.

On Tuesday, August 30th the Cubs called up Jermaine Van Buren, 25, from AAA Iowa. Van Buren is a right handed reliever that picked up his 25th save on Monday for The Iowa Cubs. His first appearance on Thursday, was his Major League debut. According to cubs.com, Van Buren had a 1.98 ERA in 52 relief appearances, and was honored with a selection to the all-Pacific Coast League team. This is one of the young arms that we have heard so much about.

Did you know? The last Cubs player to wear #23 before Ryne Sandberg was current Dodgers' manager Jim Tracy. Tracy was a member of the Cubs in the 1980 & 1981 seasons.

It was great to see Ron Cey sing the 7th Inning Stretch on Tuesday night. 'The Penguin' was a big part of the Cubs success in the 1984 season. Cey signed with the Cubs in 1983, after playing with the Dodgers his entire career. Cey was a member of the Cubs from 1983-1986.

Kerry Wood's surgery went well on Wednesday. According to cubs.com, Wood underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. The surgery entailed reinforcement of the labrum, debridement of the rotator cuff and debridement of the bursa. Beginning Monday, September 5, Wood will begin an exhaustive four-month rehabilitation program to regain range of motion and strength. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2006 season. This is the first good move of the 2006 season.

Did You Know? Mike Remlinger was DFA'd by the Red Sox last week. He did not do well in their bullpen and currently is not on a Major League roster.

I am very surprised that the Cubs did not make anymore moves. I really thought Todd Walker would be traded. I still do not think he will be in their plans for next year, but who knows. I wish they could have gotten something for the guys that will be free-agents. Walker really loves Chicago...but I like the idea of Nomar at 2nd.

The September call ups were not announced today. The call-ups should be done before tomorrow night's game in Pittsburgh. Look for the Cubs to call up Rich Hill and Sergio Mitre. As far as possibilities, Felix Pie, Eric Patterson(Corey's little brother), John Koronka, Angel Guzman, Geovany Soto, Ben Grieve and David Kelton. Eric Patterson is supposed to be better than Corey, with the year CPat has had, let's all hope so.

If you play them, you will win!!!

If It Is Not Broken...

2005-08-31T22:02:00.000-07:00

Cubs 0 Dodgers 7

Do Not Try To Fix It! The line-up was changed today and none of the young Cubs got to play. Dusty needs to realize this year is now about preparing for next year. Johnny B. sat Cedeno and Murton in favor of Perez and Patterson.

Neifi Perez has been a very solid player this year for the Cubs and without him the Cubs record would be worse than it is. At this time in Neifi's career, he is just a back-up. Perez is not an everyday player anymore, but someone good to have on your bench. Cedeno is a very good prospect with his entire career in front of him. He has shown progress everytime the Cubs have brought him up this year. Not playing Cedeno everyday is not going to allow him to grow.

Corey Patterson's games with the Cubs are down to 29. I do not see him returning next year. Corey needs a change and the Cubs need to provide it. Matt Murton has shown he is a better hitter and team player, at this point, than Corey Patterson. Patterson needs to sit and allow Murton to play and get very valuable experience. Hariston is not a left fielder, the Cubs need to leave Hariston in center and allow Murton to mature as well.

Glendon Rusch was horrible. I did not realize he had become the batting practice pitcher for the Dodgers. 7 runs on 7 hits in 2 innings. Bring back Rich Hill. Rusch needs to go back to the bullpen where he can get spot outs when necessary. He is not a starter and should not be in the future plans of the Cubs. I cannot believe how bad he was...

The offense got one hit today and made Derek Lowe look like Sandy Koufax. When they got down today, all the vets had no reason to try. This is another reason Dusty should play the young guys...they want to prove something. And if they do not, they just answered a big question.

The bullpen did come in and hold the Dodgers. Jermaine Van Buren made his major league debut and in 2 innings only allowed 1 hit and struck out 2. Very good sign.

Thursday - Off Day

The Cubs get an off day before heading on a ten game road trip. There are 3 stops on this trip in 3 different time zones. Friday starts a 3 game set with the Pirates before heading to St. Louis and San Francisco. Hopefully the calendar change will be good for the Cubs. The Cubs were 9-19 in August.

Friday - The Pittsburgh Pirates

Greg Maddux(10-11/4.43) vs. Josh Fogg(6-9/4.90)

The Cubs make their last trip of the season to Pittsburgh. The Pirates have been playing better ball lately and will give the Cubs all they can handle. The Pirates are very young, but are getting better as the season goes on. The Cubs took 3 out of 4 in mid-July and should do it again. Dusty has to play Murton, Cedeno and Co. to have success. The September call-ups should be interesting and will Todd Walker be traded? We will all find out...

If you do not give them experience, how will they get it?

Play 'em...and win one!!

A Glimpse of The Future?

2005-08-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Cubs 6 Dodgers 3

And the youth shall led them...tonight was so much fun to watch. In my eyes this is what the future can look like. The Cubs played a solid game..one they could have easily given up on.

Mark Prior pitched very well, he had a shaky start and the Cubs got down by 2 early. Prior settled down and kept his team in the game. Prior ended up going 6 strong innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits, while striking out 7.

Nomar got the scoring started with a solo home run. Nomar has had a lot of health problems over the past several years, but he can still hit. When he went on the DL in April, he was hitting .157. Nomar is now up to .267. I would still like to know if he can play second base.

Ronny Cedeno hit second in the line-up tonight and played very well. Got his first stolen base and went 2 for 3 with a run scored. Cedeno is really playing well, both at the plate and in the field. I hope Dusty lets him play as often as possible. He does not look or act like a rookie. And then there's Matt Murton..

Where can this guys not hit? When Murton was sent to AAA (for the first time), he hit .353 and tonight he went 1 for 3 with a run scored and his Major League average is up to .339. With the recent departures of Matt Lawton and Todd Hollandsworth, Murton should play everyday. He also stole his first big league base tonight and had a sac bunt that led to a run in the 8th. DLee also went 1 for 3. The bullpen of Ohman and Novoa held the lead and Dempster closed it.

Also, by boy Scott McClain had a pinch-hit double tonight, keep an eye on this guy. He wants to play and it shows.

This team looked different tonight. The Cubs looked like they wanted to play...and away we go!

Wednesday - Glendon Rusch(5-7/4.35) vs. Derek Lowe(8-13/4.11)

The rubber game. The Cubs need this game with the long road trip ahead. Derek Lowe has been a disappointment this year for the Dodgers after coming over from the Red Sox. The Cubs have beat him this year, and with the way they played tonight, they should again tomorrow. Rusch has to pitch better than his last 2 starts and give the offense a chance. Dusty needs to keep playing Cedeno and Murton and see what they can do on a daily basis, not just spot starts. Hollandsworth was traded last night, could Walker be going to the Indians tonight? Will Neifi be a Cub tomorrow? Nomar? We will see...but what will the Cubs show us tomorrow?

Build on this... and just win!!

Nightmare on Clark and Addison

2005-08-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Cubs 6 Dodgers 9

Too little to late. The Cubbies got down 6 runs in the second inning and could never bounce back. Jerome Williams pitched as bad tonight as he has pitched all year. Williams is only 24 years old and will have great years for the Cubs...just not tonight. The defense was shaky to start and they just simply could not get the six runs back.

Burnie hit 2 homers tonight and added a double. Nomar had a good night with a home run. And my boy Scott McClain had a big RBI in the 8th inning. The Cubs actually had the tying runs on in the 8th and Perez grounded out to end the inning. Williamson came out of the pen and gave up a big home run in the 9th...and the Dodgers put it out of reach. This has been the repeating story of the 2005 team. Inconsistant pitching, lack of clutch hitting and when the offense starts to battle back, the bullpen gives up extra runs to put the game out of touch.

I did hear several things today that will make next year better.

The Cubs actually announced today that Kerry Wood will have his shoulder surgery on Wednesday, ending his season. I think this is a very positive move and one that should get him into Spring Training on time. Woody apparently talked with Rick Sutcliffe before tonight's game and Sutcliffe asked him when he came back would he be a starter or a reliever and Kerry's response was he 'just wants to come back and be good at something'. Although that does not sound good, I take it as positive. From that statement I take it that Kerry is tired of being hurt and tired of hurting. He wants to come back and be the pitcher he is capable of being and do what it takes for him and the Cubs to win. This is good...no ego. Also, the Cubs training staff will be changing and giving Aramis Ramirez an off-season work out schedule to strengthen his legs to keep the injuries from happening next year. This is the 2nd year in a row Ramirez has had to be shut down for quad problems. And Derrek Lee...

It is a shame that Derrek will not be awarded for the great year he has had. And has anyone noticed he is the only Cub to wear a 'Believe' bracelet? He was interviewed before tonight's game about the Triple Crown and he could only mention that 'the game is about winning..the most important thing is for this club to finish above .500 with a winning record and all of the other stuff will take care of itself'. Where can the Cubs find more like this guy? He is a throwback to the players I grew up watching. Derrek Lee will probably not win this year's MVP, but he is one...and that is more important.

Tuesday - Mark Prior(9-5/3.68) vs. Brad Penny(6-8/3.75)

The Cubs offense will have their hands full with Brad Penny. He is a very good pitcher, just on a bad team. The Cubs will call up Matt Murton tomorrow to replace Kerry Wood on the roster. The Cubs need to play Murton and Cedeno. This is the future. Do not be surprised if some of the veterans like Todd Walker, Todd Hollandsworth, Neifi Perez, Glendon Rusch and even Greg Maddux, yes Greg Maddux get a new address this week. Teams have until August 31st to set their playoff rosters and the contenders will be looking to add veteran players. It has been a couple of years since the Cubs have been through this. The Cubs organization is preparing for next year...I hope Dusty is too.

Play the future...and just win one!

Sunday's Fish Fry

2005-08-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

Cubs 14 Marlins 3

There was a wonderful fish fry at 1060 West Addison in Chicago today. The extra activities included a jersey retirement, a home run display and a look into the future.

Sandberg's jersey retirement was very tasteful and showed Sandberg the same respect he showed the game. Sandberg had plenty of his teammates with him, including throwing out the first pitch to Andre Dawson. I found it very interesting that the Cubs were the last team to have numbers on their jerseys and now #23 will never be worn again. Sandberg was in the booth for the big 8 run 7th inning and it was great to here him talk in length about his playing time, the respect he has for his teammates and his repect for the game. His comments were extremely interesting about today's players..Sandberg spoke the truth and will make a VERY GOOD MANAGER someday.

Anytime I get to see Josh Beckett lose a ball game is a VERY good day. He pitched very well, but Zambrano just out pitched him. Beckett got down early thanks to DLee.

Derrek Lee is warming up again. He hit 2 more home runs today, with one going out to rightfield. It would be great to see him get hot again and win the Triple Crown. He has been a very bright spot on an otherwise dim year.

Speaking of brightspots. Here are 2 more:

1) Zambrano came through again. 3 runs on 6 hits through 8 innings. He pitched great. The only thing I did not like about Big Z's outing today was the fact Dusty allowed him to pitch in the 8th. The Cubs were up at that point 12-3 and Zambrano had nothing else to prove. Get the starters out and save their arms. Zambrano ended up throwing 108 pitches. Be careful, he is a big part of the future.

2) Ronny Cedeno...wow is this kid going to be a good one. Not only did he go 2 for 4 today, he scored a run and had 2 RBI's. And had an unbelievable at bat against Beckett in the 6th, fought off pitch after pitch and finally got a hit that drove in a big run. Cedeno showed maturity at the plate that most of the veterans have not shown this year. He also played a solid shortstop...get on the Cedeno bandwagon this year, before everyone else does.

Between Derrek Lee, Carlos Zambrano and Ronny Cedeno's play in today's game makes tomorrow look a lot better.

Also, Scott McClain made his Chicago Cubs debut today in the 9th and recorded 3 put outs. Welcome to the Show!!

Monday - The Los Angeles Dodgers

Jerome Williams(4-6/4.74) vs. D.J. Houlton(4-7/4.86)

The Cubs can sweep this series and could really use 3 wins before going on a 10 game road trip. The Dodgers are not playing well and are having a soap opera of their own. Apparently Milton Bradley, a very talented player, has accused Jeff Kent of not being able to get along with his 'black teammates'. Kent has always had trouble being a good teammate and this just adds to his reputation. The Cubs need to take advantage of this and beat the Dodgers. Williams had his best outing as a Cub his last time out and needs to build on his last start. Get on these guys early, Gagne is out and their bullpen is horrible.

Just win again...wouldn't it be nice?

Chicago's Other #23

2005-08-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

This past July 31, Ryne Sandberg was inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame. And on Sunday, August 28, 2005 the Cubs are retiring Ryno's #23. This is a great day for Sandberg and a great day for the Cubs.

Ryne Sandberg is one the reasons I am a Cubs fan. I always enjoyed coming home from school and turning on WGN and watching Ryno and listening to Harry Caray. Sandberg was 'a throw in player' on a trade from the Phillies before the 1982 season. The Cubs sent shortstop Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies for shortstop Larry Bowa and a little know third baseman, Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg moved to second base and became the best at his position in his era. In my eyes he as an 'everyday Joe' that looked like he was having as much fun playing the game as I was having watching him. Ryno made every play in the field like it was second nature to him. His glove was just a big hand to gobble up every grounder and liner hit at him.

Sandberg was a part of the 1984 and 1989 National League East Champion teams and was a leader every step of the way, including winning the 1984 National League MVP honor. Ryno led by example, he was not blessed with the given talent that most of today's athlete wastes, he made himself a Hall of Famer. Bowa always wondered why Sandberg took extra infield practice and now he knows, to make himself the best ballplayer he could be.

I was fortunate enough to see Sandberg play on several occasions and was living in Chicago the first time he retired in 1994. I remember being very sad that one of my heroes had retired and that I would never see his grace and joy on the field again. Well he returned several years later and like all of us a little older and a little slower. Sandberg retired for good in 1997 and in 2005 took his place in Baseball's Hall of Fame.

I miss the days of the 'Daily Double'. I miss the days of Sandberg to Dunston to Grace. Although those teams won as many games as they lost, it seemed different. It was a different time. Then you hoped the Cubs would win and today you expect it. Wrigley Field was a place of magic and Sandberg was the magician. I have and will always be a fan of Michael Jordan, but the only 23 in Chicago is Ryne Sandberg.

Thank You Ryno!!!

HBM - Hit By Maddux

2005-08-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Cubs 1 Marlins 2

Maddux pitched his 2nd complete game of the season today..but he lost. Maddux held the Marlins to 2 runs on 5 hits, but the other 2 hits cost him and the Cubs the game. Maddux plunked Juan Pierre to start the game and he came around to score. In the 6th he did the same with the bases loaded. Maddux hit Dontrelle Willis to give the Marlins the lead and Willis and company shut the door down on the Cubs.

With today's loss, Greg Maddux's streak of 17 years straight with at least 15 wins is in jeopardy. With only 33 games left and maybe 5 more starts for Maddux, he will have to win the remainder of his starts to keep this unbelievable streak going. I think today was a great showcase of pitchers, however Willis is on his way up and Maddux is near retirement. Maddux has said if he feels he can remain effective, he will pitch again next year. Maddux and the Cubs have an option on his contract that he signed prior to the 2004 season. The option states if Maddux pitches 400 inning in 2004 and 2005, then he can exercise the option for the 2006 season. According to my math, he is 9 2/3 innings short of that option kicking in. Maddux and the Cubs will have to make a decision on his future with the club very shortly. If he decides to stay, the Cubs could use his knowledge to help all of the young pitchers that will be on the staff next season. If he goes it will be an end to another era in Chicago...one without a pennant.

While I was listening to the game today, Dave Campbell mentioned that the Cubs pitching staff's ERA is 1 run per game less when Henry Blanco is catching then when Michael Barrett is catching. This is very interesting and a topic I have brought up before. What is more important to the Cubs, a catcher that is hitting .289 with 13 home runs and 58 RBI's or a one run per game difference on their staff ERA? This is another area the Cubs will have to address in the offseason. How many more 1 run games do the Cubs have to lose?

Sunday - Carlos Zambrano(10-5-3.03) vs. Josh Beckett(12-7/3.45)

Great, my favorite pitcher in the whole wide world...Josh Beckett. I really wish he would go pitch for an American League team, as long as it is not the White Sox, so the Cubs will not have to face him again. I saw enough of this (blank) in 2003 to last a lifetime. I hope the Cubs can at least win 1 out of 3 against the 'Stinkin Fish' and beat Jost Beckett.

The Cubs played well today, just not well enough to win. Zambrano can beat these guys. Big Z has to have his head on straight and throw strikes. The Cubs hitters have to be patient against Beckett and let him beat himself. Get on him early and often. The pressure is off guys, relax and remember why you started playing this game to begin with...

Have fun...and win one!

My Crystal Ball

2005-08-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

The Cubs today purchased the contract of Scott McClain from AAA Iowa. I want to point out that on my post from Wednesday, August 24th titled 'Somebody Get Me A Doctor!', I brought up the Cubs should bring up Scott McClain from Iowa. Apparently someone is reading...I wonder who?

In order for McClain to be brought up the Cubs traded OF Matt Lawton to The New York Yankees for RHP Justin Berg.

What will I see next?

Transactions and Thoughts

2005-08-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

Before the Noon game today vs. The Marlins the Cubs traded OF Matt Lawton to The New York Yankees for RHP Justin Berg.

According to cubs.com, Justin Berg is 21 and in his second professional season, as he was selected by the Yankees in the 43rd round of the 2003 draft. In 30 career games (10 starts), the right-hander has gone 9-4 with a 4.33 ERA. This season, Berg is 6-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 15 games (nine starts). He has held opponents to a .226 average and allowed just 3 home runs in 58.2 innings of work.

Matt Lawton was acquired at the trade deadline from The Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for OF Jody Gerut. Gerut was acquired in a trade with The Cleveland Indians for OF Jason Dubois in mid-July. So basically the Cubs have traded Jason Dubois for a minor league pitcher. Dubois is a fine young hitter, but a work in progress. His bat is better suited for the American League, but I did not like it when they traded him then and now I really do not like it. Dubois will be a very good major league player for the Indians for years to come. The Cubs tried the Hollandsworth / Dubois platoon in left field to replace Moises Alou and it did not work and they traded Dubois.

Also today, the Cubs purchased the contract of IF Scott McClain from AAA Iowa to fill the roster spot vacated by the trade of Matt Lawton. According to cubs.com, Scott McClain, 33, joins the Cubs after spending the entire season at AAA Iowa where he hit .291 with 27 doubles, 30 homers and 93 RBI in 121 games. He had 30 multi-hit games and 24 multi-RBI games - and drove in a season-high 5 runs on June 20 at Nashville. McClain was a non-roster invitee to big league camp in 2004 and batted .348 with 6 homers and 16 RBI in 24 spring training games. He re-signed with the Cubs on February 8, 2005, as a minor league free agent. In 1,364 career minor league games, McClain has batted .268 with 265 doubles, 203 homers and 794 RBI.
McClain will wear uniform #9.

McClain will add depth to the Cubs bench and give us a look at the future.

As the season comes to an end, I think we will start to see more and more moves to prepare for the 2006 season. I know this has been a very difficult season, but this could help the Cubs for years to come. Remember this is just year 3 in the Dusty Baker reign, year 4 could be very special.

Just Believe!!

The Dusty Baker Experiment

2005-08-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

Cubs 5 Marlins 7

6 innings late and no cigar. The Cubbies dug themselves a hole they could not get out of. Again the Cubs got no clutch hitting, 10 LOB. Poor starting pitching, Glendon Rusch had another bad start 5 runs, 4 earned on 8 hits over 4 2/3 innings. Despite all of this, in my eyes there were some bright spots.

With all the things that seemed to go wrong, the bullpen pitched very well. Scott Williamson, Will Ohman and Roberto Novoa held the Marlins hittless the last 3 innings of the ballgame. It was a gut check for these guys and they came through. They held the Marlins in check and the offense almost came back. They scored 5 runs in the 6th inning topped off by a Jerry Harriston double to empty the bases. The Cubs had a chance in the 8th with 2 on, but Lee could not do it again. The Cubs could have easily given up, but they continued to battle until the end.

Another bright spot today was that Dusty stepped out of 'his box'. He played Ronny Cedeno(Ramirez was put on the 15 day DL and they recalled Cedeno from AAA Iowa), mixed up the line-up and played Nomar at third. Nomar has never played third as a professional and the last time he did was in high school. Nomar went to Dusty and asked to play there and Dusty listened. Nomar did make an throwing error today, but I still stay Nomar at third is better that Jose Macias at third. I know this does not seem like major moves, but to me it was. Dusty could have stuck Macias at third, and Nomar at short, and been done with it..he did not. He played Cedeno, he tried Nomar and he hit Barrett 4th. This shows me with all of the changes coming for this team, he has the ability to change with his team. Dusty is known as a 'player's manager', which in my eyes means he plays veterans and stands by them. With the fact that philosophy has not worked, this may teach him change is good...roll with it.

Saturday - Greg Maddux(10-10/4.56) vs. Dontrelle Willis(17-8/2.67)

Look out for the D-Train. Willis is having a Cy Young type season and everytime I hear his name...I just want to cry. Willis was in the Cubs farm system and was traded for Matt Clement, who is now in Boston, and Antonio Alfonseca, who is now pitching for Florida. This trade did not work out too well for the Cubs and Willis seems to rub it in everytime he pitches against them. Although the last time out against the Cubs on July 8, the Cubs got 8 runs on 9 hits and knocked him out in the 4th inning, one of his shortest outings of the season. Willis is a young, exciting pitcher and can dominate a game. He can be beat, but the Cubs will have their hands full. Maddux has to be sharp and needs a win to have a shot at continuing his streak. Be patient, take pitches, stay out of the box...and just win one.

Useless Information?

2005-08-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some more thoughts and tidbits:

Monday night's Cubs/Braves game was televised locally on TBS Superstation. Earlier in the season I attempted to watch a Braves game on TBS and could not because Chip Caray was calling the game, well Monday I did not have a choice. The phrase 'Don't know What You Got 'Til It's Gone' kept ringing through my head. See this is only the second season of me being a Cubs' fan that I have not listened to and or watched a member of the Caray family call a Cubs' game. (In the off-season I will talk more about the Carays and the current WGN play-by-play guys) Monday night I realized how good Chip is, how much I missed listening to him and how much that family means to Cubs' fans. The entire Caray family can make watching or listening to a ball game, feel like the first one you have ever seen. Here's to you Harry and Chip...

I also noticed on Monday they changed the sign at Wrigley to 'AC026097'.(I will explain this in the offseason). Sad...but true!

No further information is available on Aramis Ramirez. The Cubs said he would be looked at again on Friday before making a decision.

Cubs.com reported possibilities today on the September call-ups. Ronny Cedeno, Matt Murton and Rich Hill are easy choices. What about Felix Pie? Pie has been hurt most of the year and I think a September call-up could be as dangerous as helpful. Leave him in the minors and invite him to Mesa, start fresh in 2006.

Todd Walker and Todd Hollandsworth cleared waivers today. I think this is the beginning of the end for those 2 in a Cubs uniform.

I also found this info very interesting. Although I like Nomar, this is what cubs.com had to say about his future with the Cubs. 'Nomar Garciaparra, 32, does have good years left, just don't know if they will be with the Cubs. That's another hot topic for the Cubs brass to discuss. They are high on Cedeno, who batted .355 with eight homers and 36 RBIs in 65 games with Triple-A Iowa and had an on-base percentage of .403.'

My question is, can Nomar play second base? With them putting Walker on waivers, that is telling me he's gone at the end of the season. Would Nomar be able to remain healthy at a less physical position? Would we see the 'old' Nomar? The one that can hit the cover off the ball. His defense has gotten worse over the years, could this help. Remember Ernie Banks was a shortstop and when he got older moved to first base. Johnny Bench did the same. I am not comparing Nomar to these guys, I am just comparing the situation. An infield of Derrek Lee, Nomar Garciaparra, Ronny Cedeno and Aramis Ramirez..that might be something special.

Time to go Fishin'...just win one!!

Somebody Get Me A Doctor!

2005-08-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Cubs 1 Braves 3

And the hits just keep on coming. The game ended as it started, on a bad note. The Cubs' All-Star Third Baseman, Aramis Ramirez, went down in the first inning of today's game trying to beat out a double play ball. He hit the first base bag and immediately went face down and had to be helped off the field by Cubs' Trainer Mark O'Neal and Manager Dusty Baker. The extent of the injury is yet to be determined, but is listed as a moderate to severe strain of his left quadricep. So now half of the 'Daily Double' is out for an extended time.

According to cubs.com, "It's another hit," Cubs second baseman Todd Walker said of losing Ramirez. "I guess at this point you could say it's almost expected that somebody you depend on is going to go down. I've never heard of this, much less seen that many people you depend on go down."

So far this season, Nomar Garciaparra, Todd Walker, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Scott Williamson and Jerry Hairston, Jr. are among the current Cubs that have spent time on the DL. Is this a continuation of 2004? Or is this depending too much on a group of guys with a questionable track record? Lee said 'you can't make excuses for losing on injuries' and he is correct. A baseball season is a marathon and not a sprint, guys are going to get hurt. It is up to the coaches and management to fill the holes with quality players that want to win. See The Atlanta Braves.

Mark Prior pitched well today, he just got tired. His throwing error in the 7th, put runners on first and third with no outs. Prior then struck out the next 2 batters he faced. With 2 strikes, Furcal hit a rocket off of Lee's glove, into right field, 2 runs scored. 'Superman' cannot do it all. The offense just could not get that one hit today when they needed it. Macias left 3 on base, hitting in ARam's spot, could Ramirez have done better? What bothered me about Prior today was that Dusty allowed him to throw 131 pitches over 6 2/3 innings. 131 PITCHES! Why? I know they want to win, but 131 PITCHES! If the Cubs are not careful, Prior will join Woody with arm problems. Find a bullpen in the off-season you can trust and quit abusing Prior and Zambrano. Prior is one of the best in the league, treat him this way and he and Zambrano will anchor this rotation for many, many years.

Thursday - A Day of Rest

The Cubs get a much needed day-off on Thursday. With the question marks around Nomar and ARam's health, this will give them an extra day to find a solution. Nomar is saying his back is not getting better, put him on the DL again and call up Ronny Cedeno. Give Cedeno some playing time. Dusty said this week, 'Cedeno is our shortstop of the future'. Well the future is now. How about bringing up Scott McClain from Iowa? I saw him play here in Nashville and he looked good. I think he hit a homerun that night. I remember thinking with Ramirez at third and DLee at first, they better teach this kid another postion. Good stong bat and arm. What would it hurt? Macias is not the answer. See what this kid is made of.

Friday - The Florida Marlins

Glendon Rusch(5-6/4.21) vs. Jason Vargas(4-1/2.43)

I know everyone is picking the Phillies or the Astros to win the Wild Card, but I think the Marlins will. They have great young pitching with Willis, Beckett, Burnett and Vargas and just enough offense to be a force in the playoffs. They have not had any consistancy this year. The Cubs swept the Fish in Florida right before the All-Star break, and depending on which variation of the 2005 Cubs shows up, could do it again. The weakness of the Marlins, like most teams, is the bullpen.

Be patient...stay healthy...and win one!

Slammin' Burnie?

2005-08-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

Cubs 10 Braves 1

10 runs on 15 hits, and only 1 home run. This is the line that I have been wanting to see all year. It was the Jerome/Jeromy show tonight. Jerome Williams pitched his best game as a Chicago Cub. He threw 7 2/3 innings, giving up 1 run (a bomb by Andruw Jones), on 3 hits and striking out 5. Williams also added a 2 for 4 night at the plate with a double and a run scored. Tonight they showed up and played as a team. They played small ball and did not depend on the long ball to score.

Burnie has officially broken out of his slump. He went 2 for 4, with a walk, 5 RBI's and the 'Slam'. I was not happy when they signed Burnie in February, but I will have to say he has played better than I ever imagined. Burnie has done much better than the former right-fielder for the Cubs. Sosa is not having a good year. He is hitting .223 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI's and Burnie is up to .264 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI's. I wish Sammy the best, but I think Hendry made the right decision with this one.

It was so fun to listen to Ron Santo tonight. I will talk about Santo in the off-season. But he is so awesome. He says and feels what all Cubs fans go through with every pitch. Santo sounded like a kid in a candy shop tonight. I'm 'Clicking My Heals' for you Ron.

Build on this one. Don't let up...you just never know. Is this the brilliance? Or is this .500?

Wednesday - Mark Prior(9-4/3.66) vs. Mike Hampton(5-3/3.50)

O.K. guys, you beat John Thompson pretty badly. Prior is pitching, how do you respond? I read somewhere today, the Cubs are still alive. Yes, technically they are, now they have to believe it and show it. Hampton is a very good pitcher, if you allow him to get comfortable, he WILL beat you. The Cubs need to get on him early and get to the bullpen. Farnsworth and company are the weakness of this team. Expose it!!

Keep hitting..show pride and...just win!!

And My Other Brother Larry

2005-08-22T23:39:00.000-07:00

Cubs 2 Braves 4

Larry "Chipper" Jones pretty much put an end to the Cubs hopes of the post-season tonight. Carlos Zambrano and Kerry Wood only made 2 mistakes tonight, both to Chipper. Jones went 2 for 4, with a pair of 2 run homers. Zambrano served up the first one in the 4th inning, after allowing a lead-off double by Furcal and Woody served up the second one in the 9th.

Zambrano showed why he has become the ace of the staff. He gave up 2 runs on 3 hits, through 8 and striking out 10. Z was just out pitched. Hudson threw a complete game and Derrek Lee's 37th of the year was the only mistake he had. The Cubs had a chance with the bases loaded in the 4th, with no outs, to do some damage. ARam grounded into a double play, to score the first run and Burnie grounded out to end the inning. This Cubs team has not learned how to play 'small ball' and until they do, these are the results that will continue to happen. Woody just made a bad pitch, to a good hitter, a mistake. But when you are fighting to get to .500, a small mistake becomes a big one.

The Cubs front office and Dusty Baker will have to start looking at next year very soon. I know they think they still have a shot, but from where I am sitting..not really. This team has shown spots of brillance this year, like taking 5 out of 7 from the Cardinals and Astros, but then at other times they have looked like a Babe Ruth team just playing out the season. Dusty Baker and Jim Hendry have to change their philosophy of what they want this team to be. The Braves are on the verge of their 14th straight division title and they are winning with young, homegrown talent.

The Cubs farm system is full of this talent and I have mentioned names over the past several weeks. The days of trading for a veteran, in my eyes are over. Veterans are acquired usually by trade or free agency. With a trade you are giving up your future, see Mr. Willis who is now pitching for Florida, for players that usually do not stick around, i.e. rent-a-player. Or by free-agency. With free-agency you must ask yourself, why does their present club not want them anymore? Usually it is too much money for what the player has left in their tank. See the 2005 New York Yankees. Evaluate and motivate what you have, not what you wish you had.

Tuesday - Jerome Williams(3-6/5.13) vs. John Thompson(3-3/4.53)

It is a new day and yes, next year starts tomorrow. The Cubs need to show some pride and scratch and claw to get back to .500. The September call-ups are just around the corner and I hope Dusty will play these kids that are their future. Dusty said today they are still in the race, but that they first must get back to .500. They are now 5 games under and just 2 infront of the Reds. Bring on the Youth.

The Fat Lady is singing...show some pride and win one!

The Rockies Horror Picture Show

2005-08-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Cubs 7 Rockies 9

Today's word boys and girls is 'Fundamental', as in 'Fundamental Baseball'. According to Merriam-Webster.com, the definition of fundamental is 'of central importance, belonging to one's innate or ingrained characteristics and one of the minimum constituents without which a thing or a system would not be what it is'. The Cubs need to learn what this means.

7 runs on 14 hits, 10 LOB and a popped-up bunt. Several times today the Cubs had runners in scoring position with 1 out or less and failed to score. And what has become a mainstay for the 2005 season, allowing the other team to score runs with 2 outs. In the bottom of the 5th, after the Cubs offense had made it 5-3 in the top of the inning, Maddux could not retire the side. He gave up a 2 run homer and a solo blast back to back(Holliday and Atkins) to make it 6-5 Rockies. Then in the 8th with 2 outs, Scott Williamson puts 2 on and then gives up a 3 run homer to Jorge Piedra, a pinch-hitter, a PINCH-HITTER. Unbelievable.

Nomar had a good day, 2 doubles. He should be hitting in the 2 spot. Harriston did well in the lead-off spot, 2 for 5. DLee(36) and ARam(31) both went deep in the 9th, this generation's 'Daily Double'. Burnie had a good series, hit his first homer(18) in almost a month today. It was just not enough.

Extra outs, extra outs and more extra outs. This is the main reason the Cubs are now 4 games under .500 and 6 1/2 back of the Wild Card. And how many times can Corey Patterson NOT do his job at the plate. The past 2 games, he has been up with the winning runs on base and has not even gotten the ball out of the infield. The Rockies even walked Barrett to get to Patterson in the 8th. Why does he refuse to shorten his swing? With 2 strikes a batter must shorten his stroke and make contact with the ball, putting his team above himself. NOT COREY. Corey is swinging for the fences everytime. Maddux gives up a home run on a bad pitch and gets visibly upset, Derrek Lee fails to get the runner home from 3rd and gets visibly upset, Patterson strikes out and shows no emotion. Can Mr. Hendry get a group rate at the psych ward?

Monday - Carlos Zambrano(10-5/3.07) vs. Tim Hudson(9-5/3.45)

The Braves have shown the entire league how to win with young talent. At one point this year the Atlanta Braves looked like the Richmond Braves and they still won. Hopefully Baker and Hendry will have their notebooks with them for this series to take notes on how to motivate young players and utilize their talents. Like I've said before a manager can only put players in the right situation to be successful, but at the end of the day it is up to the players to be successful. Bobby Cox knows how to make them successful. The Cubs must play almost perfect ball against the Braves to sweep this series. The Braves starting pitching is their strength. For the Cubs to win, they must get to the bullpen. Allowing the Braves' starters to get to the 7th or 8th is a recipe for a loss. The Cubs have 38 games left, 21 at home and 17 on the road.

That fat lady is going through her scales...just win!!!

Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen

2005-08-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

Cubs 2 Rockies 4

It was Aaron Cook's night. The Rockie right hander held the Cubs to 1 run on 7 hits through 7 innings. The sinker-baller was on, getting ground out after ground out. Rusch did a pretty good job tonight, but the defense...oh the defense. Walker's 4th error of the year in the 1st allowed the 2nd run of the inning and the Rockies never looked back.

The Cubs did not play bad tonight. A game like this in May or June is fine, not a big deal, but in August when you are fighting to get to .500, it cannot happen. They had a chance in the 8th, but left the bases loaded down 3-2. DLee doubled for the second time in the game and Ramirez singled him home, Burnie singled and Barrett walked. With one out and the bases loaded Perez popped up to the short-stop and Mr. Patterson hit the first pitch to second. Ground out...inning over.

I have always liked Corey Patterson, until recently. It appears that he has all of the talent in the world to make himself one of the best players in the game. But for some reason, he thinks he can do things he clearly cannot. He has trouble focusing during ballgames. Patterson has more mental breakdowns that an institution. Corey has world class speed, but he chooses to swing for the fences everytime he gets to the plate. Of Patterson's 12 home runs this year, 11 are solo. That is not a team player. Sacrifice yourself for the good of the team and good things will happen for you. When Derrek Lee was asked earlier in the year about how important winning the Triple Crown would be to him, he response was 'I would rather win in October'. That is a team player. I would imagine we are all watching the last of Corey Patterson's career in Chicago. Don't let the door hit you...

Sunday - Greg Maddux(10-9/4.40) vs. Jeff Francis(11-9/5.87)

This one is HUGE. A win tomorrow puts the Cubs back to 2 games under .500 going home to face the Braves. The Wild Card is still there, but barely. With the loss tonight, they are 5 1/2 behind Philadelphia. Maddux's last 2 outings were the best he has pitched all year. He has to do it again. Francis is a good young pitcher, but the Cubs got to him big in Chicago on May 29th. They got 5 runs on 9 hits in 5 innings. They need that again. Dusty needs to be very aggressive tomorrow with his game plan. Francis is a rookie, run on him, make them make plays, do not wait for the breaks, make them. Change the line-up. Hit Nomar in the 2nd spot, or even Barrett. Move Todd Walker out of the 2 hole. Put him in a position to drive in runs and give Ramirez or Burnie some protection. Just a thought....

That famous lady is starting her warm ups....just win!!!

Welcome Back!

2005-08-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

Cubs 5 Rockies 3

It was homecoming in Colorado today. 4 of the 9 starters for the Cubs are ex-Rockies. And all of them came back to bite their former team. Henry Blanco(1999), Todd Walker(2000), Neifi Perez(1996-2001) and Jeromy Burnitz(2004) led the Cubs to victory today. Burnitz used the thin air of Denver to his advantage. He broke out of his slump, going 3 for 5 with 2 RBI's and a run scored. Walker went 2 for 3 with a homer and a run scored. Neifi went 1 for 3 while filling in for Nomar, who sat out today's game. And Henry Blanco went 0 for 3, but he had a big RBI and called a great game.

Speaking of pitching, Prior had a quality start today. He threw 6 strong innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 10. He seemed to be a little off with his command today. Prior threw way to many pitches for 6 innings. Dusty has to be careful with him. In his last 2 starts he has thrown 122 pitches against St. Louis and 118 today. I know Dusty does not trust his bullpen and they need the wins, but he cannot run down his starters. Remember 2003. Woody pitched great again, he did walk one, but in between he struck out 2. The campaign poster will read: KERRY WOOD FOR CLOSER IN 2006. Dempster had his first 1,2,3 inning in a long time to get his 19th save. With the thin air in Colorado to only give up 3 runs, consider it a success and move on.

Also, Jerry Harriston, Jr. was activated today and to make room for him Matt Murton was sent to AAA Iowa. I knew this was going to happen and there was nothing that could be done. Murton will be back in Chicago with the September call-ups, but he should not have been sent down at all. Harriston has not been consistant and is very close to just being an answer to a trivia question. Murton, Ronny Cedeno, Felix Pie and Rich Hall ARE THE FUTURE of this team..and from where I am sitting the future is looking good.

Saturday - Glendon Rusch(5-5/4.28) vs. Aaron Cook(1-1/5.16)

The Cubbies took the first one today, now its time for number 2. Rusch has to be better than his last start in Houston. Prior's outing today gave the bullpen additonal rest, which could prove to be very valuable. With the importance of every game, Rusch should have a short leash. The offense did fine today, but in Colorado 5 runs is usually not enough. Hopefully Nomar will be back tomorrow (Message to Dusty, 'Hit Nomar in the 2 hole') and will still have the hot bat(.350 since coming off of the DL).

Be patient, no extra outs...and just win!!

AC016097?

2005-08-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

(Note: added 10/29/05 for updated Cubs info visit Chicago Cubs Online)

The Day of Rest....

This is a quick preview of what I will be doing in the offseason, days of etc. I will post little tidbits, reviews, roster moves...just things that will make you think. This is one of the many tidbits I will share. On a personal note, my grandmother lived and died since the last time the Cubs won the World Series.

Just in case we need to remember how hard it can be to be a Cubs fan, here are 20 major events that have occurred since the Chicago Cubs last laid claim to a World Series championship:

1. Radio was invented... Cubs fans got to hear their team lose, now there is XM that adds to the frustration.

2. TV was invented... Cubs fans got to see their team lose.

3. Baseball added 14 teams... Cubs fans get to see and hear their team lose to more clubs.

4. George Burns celebrated his 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th and 100th birthdays.

5. Haley's comet passed Earth... TWICE.

6. Harry Caray was born... and died. Incredible, but true.

7. The NBA, NHL and NFL were formed, and Chicago teams won championships in each league.

8. Man landed on the moon.

9. Sixteen U.S. presidents were elected.

10. Eleven amendments were added to the Constitution.

11. Prohibition was created... repealed.

12. The Titanic was built, set sail, sank, was discovered, and became the subject of major motion pictures, the latter giving Cubs fans hope that something that finishes on the bottom can come out on top.

13. Wrigley Field was built... and becomes the oldest park in the National League.

14. Flag poles were erected on Wrigley Field's roof to hold all of the team's future World Series pennants. Those flag poles have since rusted and been taken down.

15. A combination of 40 Summer and Winter Olympics have been held.

16. Thirteen baseball players have won the Triple Crown; maybe another this year, Go DLee.

17. Bell-bottoms came in style and went out... and came back in.

18.The Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks and the Florida Marlins have all won the World Series.

19. The Cubs played 14,153 regular-season games, and lost the majority of them.

20. Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Oklahoma and New Mexico were added to the Union.

I know Red Sox fans thought they had it bad, notice the past tense. But while Red Sox Nation has Babe Ruth, the '75 Sox and Bill Buckner. The Cubs Faithful are stuck with a goat, Leon Durham and Steve Bartman....

Just something to think about.

Zambrano Knows Best

2005-08-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Astros 2

2 outta 3 ain't bad! There is still hope! Zambrano pitched another great game. 2 runs on 3 hits, only 1 earned and 10 k's over 8 1/3 innings. The Big Z became the second Cubs pitcher to win 10 this year. When the Cubs needed the win, Zambrano got it. Z also hit a home run off of Roy O, not bad, not bad at all. It looked like for a minute there, he might get his 6th complete game of his career, but he fell short in the 9th. With one out, he ran the count to 3-2 and just missed on the outside corner of the plate, Dusty pulled a double switch and brought in Dempster. And the adventure began, Dempster threw a ground ball out, perfect setup for a double play. Walker did not charge, Perez missed the bag. Runners safe. Dempster then throws another ground ball out, DLee to Perez for one, and Dempster dropped the ball at first. He then walks the bases loaded and I started to wait for the glass to spill (wonder what Santo was going through). He got Ausmus to ground out to Perez, game over...Mission Accomplished!!

This team has played its best ball of the season over the past week. 5 out of the last 7 against the Cards and Astros. This is what we were all hoping for at the beginning of the year. It just never happened. I think this is what Dusty is capable of doing with a healthy team. And speaking of health, Nomar left the game in the 4th with stiffness in his back, he is listed as day to day. Just when you thought he was back...this happens. Nomar hit his 2nd homer of the season tonight and made a great play at short early in the game. He is my favorite shortstop(and not because he is a Cub), but he cannot stay healthy anymore.

According to the awful Astros announcers (just another reason to not like the Houston Astros, these guys are HORRIBLE), Nomar just made a bad throw, they said nothing about his injury. One thing I can say about Pat Hughes and Ron Santo is they are baseball fans first, Cubs fans second and they do a very good job of painting a picture for you, I do not think Milo Hamilton and Alan Ashby even knows what a canvas looks like.

The Cubs are still alive. They are 5 1/2 games back in the Wild Card Race. With 5 teams infront of them. 59-62 over all, 3 games under .500. Time to head to Colorado.

Thursday - A Day of Rest

Thursday the guys will get a much needed day off. This is their first day off since August 1st....off to the Rockies.

Friday - The Colorado Rockies

Mark Prior(8-4/3.70) vs. Byung-Hyun Kim(3-9/5.33)

As with every game left this season, this is a huge series. A sweep of the Rockies and the Cubs will head home at .500 to meet the Braves, anything less could be trouble. There is not much time left to keep digging holes. Hopefully the thin air of Denver will wake up Burnie's bat. He did well there last year and hopefully this will act as a homecoming. Prior can beat this team and should have a lot to show them after their last meeting. Give Nomar sometime to heal, the Cubs need his bat and they should be able to beat the Rockies without him. Dusty put Jerome Williams in the pen for the next week, a big reason for that is Colorado's launching pad, and Harriston is supposed to be activated on Friday. Note to Mr. Hendry: 'Do not option Matt Murton to AAA Iowa'. But I think that is what will happen. The last time the Cubs played the Rockies they got on a roll and won 11 out of 12...Can this happen again..wouldn't it be nice?....just win!!

Is There Anybody Out There?

2005-08-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

I have been noticing over the past few days the hits on this site have increased. I am VERY pleased about this. However, I started doing this for several reasons and one is comments. I would enjoy talking sports and our beloved Cubs with anyone interested. Your comments are welcome.

I have a passion for Cubs baseball and I hope you do too. Continue to log in and...

Let's Get Some Runs!!!

The ARam and Maddog Show

2005-08-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Astros 1

What a difference 24 hours makes..where has this Greg Maddux been all season. His past 2 starts have been AMAZING to watch, it is like we all went back in time when he was with the Braves and kept thinking he should be doing this with the Cubs, and now he is. One earned on 3 hits over 7, with a very low pitch count...WOW!! And look who called the game. The last time he pitched this well, the young guns got going again...continue to follow the leader boys.

O.K. it is official, I am now on the Kerry Wood for closer bandwagon. He looked like he wanted to be there. I really like Ryan Dempster, but Woody seems to have the hitters scared and guessing. He recorded 3 outs on 9 pitches and made those hitters look little leaguers.
UNBELIEVABLE!!

Ramirez came through with a 3 for 4 night. 2 doubles, 2 runs scored and a home run. Not only did he bring the lumber, he also brought the glove. Several great plays at third, including the game ending 5-4-3 double-play. ARam and DLee have to keep hitting in order for Cubs to have any chance at the post season. Nomar is starting to pick it up, what about hitting him second? He went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored, while Lawton and Perez went 1 for 10 combined, without any runs scored. I really think Walker in the 5th spot would suit him a little better and might allow Lee to have runners on base in front of him...just a thought...

I also forgot last night to mention Matt Murton hit his first big league home run. And followed up tonight going 1 for 3 against Andy Pettitte. Message to Dusty, 'Keep playing this Kid'. Red has something special and he seems to always be on base. CPat did fine again tonight, couple of k's and one big mental error running the bases. Did anyone notice that Maddux and Patterson's batting average is very similar? Great game guys...

Wednesday - Carlos Zambrano(9-5/3.17) vs. Roy Oswalt(14-9/2.57)

Get this win and hopes are still alive. Oswalt is a number 1 pitcher on every other team in this league that does not have Roger Clemens on it. He always beats up on the Cubs, so Zambrano will have to have his A+ game tomorrow. A win of this series, against the team in the NL win the best home record, would be a huge lift going into the off day, before heading to Colorado. The Astros are starting to question their offense now. Biggio said before the game he was expecting yesterday's result after what the Pirates had just done to them over the weekend. He said it was today's game the was very important to them to keep the offense going. Well the Cubs staff just held them to 1 run on 4 hits...the doubts are there...the Cubs have to turn their doubts into reality. Time to return the favor from last year...and just win!!!

Free Passes in Houston

2005-08-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Astros 12

What started out as a promising night...turned out to be a nightmare. The Cubs pitching allowed 7 more walks. I do not understand all of the walks and 2 out trouble. Do these pitchers not realize there are 7 more guys behind them with gloves? This is the pure definition of teamwork, they just do not trust one another. Rusch was horrific. The offense got 'em up and Rusch let 'em down, got to be able to get outs. A manager can only attempt to put the right guys in the right situations, but when he does the player has to perform more often than not. Tonight was the 'than not'. Wellemeyer comes in and does the job with the bases loaded in the 4th, comes back in the 5th and gives up 6 runs, all earned on 3 hits and 3 walks, while giving up 2 home runs. Was he throwing under hand? Give me a break. They just called him up on Sunday and he just got rocked.

This has been one of the problems this year, the bullpen. Between the young arms and the dead arms, it is an adventure everyday. Mr. Hendry has to address this problem in the offseason. I think the young arms will be better next year and more consistant (Novoa, Wuertz, Ohman), but you have to let the dead ones go. There is not a starting pitching staff that can be perfect everyday, you have to have a bullpen that is reliable and can stop the other team long enough for their offense to catch up. I think this is the major reason Woody and Prior have had so many arm problems the last few years.

In 2003, Dusty knew his bullpen was unreliable. So he did what any manager would do and rode his horses 'til they could go no more. And 2 years later he still does not have a setup man or closer. Everyone is on the 'Get Dusty Out Of Town' bandwagon, but what I wonder is how many games has he had his starting line-up on the field, his starting rotation in tact and his bullpen setup the way it was planned out of Spring Training? I will find out....

I said it last night...NO WALKS and NO EXTRA OUTS..Houston got the free pass tonight.

Tuesday - Greg Maddux(9-9/4.54) vs. Andy Pettitte(10-8/2.62)

The Cubs have their work cut out for them tomorrow. Pettitte has been lights out his past several starts and it will not get any easier on Wednesday with Roy O. Maddux has to continue what he started last week. Right now they are back to 7.5 out, a loss tomorrow would just about put an end to the post-season hopes.

On a side note, the play-by-play for Astros radio, Alan Ashby and Milo Hamilton are just impossible to follow....I thought the WGN TV guys were bad...

Go get up on the guys early, throw strikes, hold the lead and just win!!!

Prior and Nomar and Woody..Oh My!

2005-08-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

Cubs 5 Cardinals 4

Oh boy is this great!!! 3 of 4 from the Cardinals. Prior looked good, no bad innings. Although he did not have any 1-2-3 innings, he still pitched VERY well. Nomar is looking very good, hitting over .370 since his return, 3-4 tonight and was in the middle of all of the scoring chances. We will not talk about the 9th. Woody, WOW did he look great. 2 scoreless innings, that was awesome. I have not been on the Kerry Wood for closer bandwagon, but now I am beginning to wonder. Mr. Morgan brought up the fact that hitters hate hitting against Wood....well in my book that is a closer and with the way he looked tonight, at one point a 99 mph fastball, who knows. Can he do it again tomorrow? Who would have thought at the beginning of the year Prior and Wood would pitch in the same game? Not me!!

Macias did it again, 2 run single...just when you thought end of inning, ball goes up the middle and the Cubs were up again by 2. CPat also had a homerun. You almost question, is that a curse or a blessing? The LAST THING this team needs is for him to be swinging for the fences again. Worry about that later....

Was that fair or foul. ESPN could not show a good angle on the ball, but Mr. Morgan thought is was foul, so I quess that is good enough. Please somebody stop Joe Morgan.

Lee must have taken batting practice today. Although I thought he hit the ball well, just right at their defense. 14 total hits against the Cardinals pitching. Take it and go to Houston...

Monday - Houston, TX

Glendon Rusch(5-4/3.98) vs. Wandy Rodriguez(7-5/6.18)

You want 'em, you got 'em. I remember around this time last year, the Cubs were leading the Wild Card race and if the Cubs could have taken the series from the Astros in Chicago, the Astros season would just about have been over. Well, the Astros took the series, got hot and won the Wild Card. I think it is time for the roles to be reversed. The Cubs got help this weekend from the Pirates, who shut-out the Astros the past 2 days. The Cubs are 6.5 out, a 3 game sweep and some help from other teams, would be a great way to start this road trip.

Rusch is a better starter than reliever and this could work to the Cubs advantage. Everyone knows this is a big game and series. It is important to get the first win and keep them down. No extra outs...and NO WALKS.

...just win!!

Transactions and Thoughts

2005-08-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, August 11th, the Cubs optioned Rich Hill to AAA Iowa and recalled LHP John Koronka from AAA Iowa to go to the bullpen.

According to cubs.com, Koronka is in his second stint with the Cubs, as he was also with the club June 1-15, going 1-2 in three starts. The southpaw has spent the remainder of his season at Iowa (AAA), going 7-10 with a 4.71 ERA in 19 games. He struck out 82 batters and issued just 9 homers and 37 walks in 109.0 innings of work in the minors.

Koronka was impressive in his first start against the Dodgers and won his Wrigley Field debut. I had a chance to meet Koronka in spring training this year. He was very gracious and signed autographs for everyone around.

The Cubs also announced that Glendon Rusch will be inserted back into the starting rotation and will get his first start on Monday in Houston.

I think Rusch is a better starter than reliever and should do just fine in this role.

As far as Rich Hill, I still say he is one to watch. The Cubs brought this guys through the system VERY QUICKLY and let's hope that does not affect him in the future. Look for him to make a big impact in '06.

The Youth Movement is on its way...will preview in the weeks to come.

Go BEAT THE CARDS!!!

Deja Vu

2005-08-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Cubs 2 Cardinals 5

I think we have seen this team WAY TO MANY TIMES this year. Bone-head defense, zero clutch hitting, walks, walks and more walks. Everytime the Cardinals scored today was because of a lead-off walk. What is the problem with throwing a pitch over that big white thing right below the catcher's glove. GIVE ME A BREAK. Jerome Williams threw well enough to win today, except for the walks. Career high in strikeouts. But like I stated yesterday...NO EXTRA OUTS. What is ARam thinking?....on the first run of the game, he should have went around the horn...5 steps is way to many to take, then he makes a great catch, with the bases loaded, tags third and throws VERY wild to Lee, run scored. There is no way 1 person is going to get this team out of the hole they put themselves in. They need to take their time and PLAY THEIR GAME. Do not try to force something that is not there. BE A TEAM. TRUST YOUR TEAMMATES. I think DLee is getting hot again. That could take some of the pressure these guys have put on themselves away. Lee seems to be a leader by example, if he gets going again. Who knows?

Sunday - Mark Prior(7-4/3.65) vs. Matt Morris(12-4/3.65)

Great, we get to listen to Joe Morgan?!?!?!

The Cubs got to Morris the last time in St. Louis, hopefully they can do it again. Morris has cooled down after the start he had before the All-Star break. Prior has to stay away from the big inning. It cost him the last time against the Cards with the 3 homers in the first. The guys need to shake off today and get in front first. Scoring first will allow these guys to play their game. Just relax and take a deep breath. DLee continue to stay out of the cage...stay as far away as possible. The Cubs can win tomorrow, take the series and head to Houston feeling good about themselves....

Forget about it...and just win!!

Follow The Leader

2005-08-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Cardinals 1

Maddux showed 'em how and Zambrano did. Six innings of shut out ball against the best team in the National League. Z has some of the best stuff I have seen in a while. As long as he keeps his head on straight, in my opinion he is one, if not the best, in the league. DLee came through AGAIN TODAY...is he gonna get hot again? If he does..lookout you never know what could happen with this team. Woody came in and did his job and well under pressure. The only problem I had today is, what is up with the 2 out meltdowns? It has killed this team all year and just when you thought the game was over, Burnie slips, does not catch the ball in the 9th and all I am thinking is..NOT AGAIN, NOT AGAINST THE CARDS. I will give it to Dempster, he collected himself and got the next out...game over...NO PUJOLS.

BELIEVE me, I am not getting too excited, but I think this is how the team could have played all year. Clutch hitting, good defense and the STARTING PITCHING.

Saturday - Jerome Williams(3-5/5.18) vs. Chris Carpenter(16-4/2.26)

This one will be tough. Carpenter is the best pitcher in the NL this year. Should win the Cy Young. Williams did have a quality start the last time against the Cards in St. Louis, but now this team has lost 2 in a row. The guys will have to be patient and Williams will have to be at his best tomorrow. No extra outs. DLee stay away from the batting cage.

Continue to follow...and just win!

The Other 42

2005-08-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Cubs 11 Cardinals 4

Where has this been? DLee 2 home runs, ARam, Nomar, CPat...and a complete game by Maddux. Believe me I am not too excited, but anytime the Cubs can beat up on the Cards like this IS A VERY GOOD DAY. When I heard the line-up with Macias batting lead-off, I was very scared. I will have to say, it was a good move. Let's keep this up. Maddux really pulled through today, he showed why he is a first ballot Hall of Famer. The bullpen needed the rest and the Cubs needed the win. Great team effort. Dusty said he told Derrek not to take batting practice, to save his energy...GREAT MOVE.

I know Dusty has been mixing up the line-up, and today it worked. Keep on managing.

After yesterday's loss, the Cubs had lost 60 games. I read somewhere once that 'Every team will win 60, every team will lose 60, it is the other 42 that separates the good teams from the bad teams'. It was great to see them start the other 42 with a win.

Friday - Carlos Zambrano(8-5/3.30) vs. Jason Marquis(9-10/4.24)

Maddux showed the young guys how it is done. It is time for Z to follow his lead. Hopefully Zambrano can pitch like he did the last time vs. the Cards. Need a stong performance to stay out of the bullpen too early. Keep the Cards on their heals.

You never know...this could be the start of something...just win!!

WALK This Way

2005-08-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

Cubs 2 Reds 8

O.K., Rich Hill showed me up again. What an unbelievable 4th. Just when you though it could not get any worse...BAM! a 7 run 4th. I will get back to Rich Hill. As a pitching staff today, 10 BASE-ON-BALLS, 10...that is...horrible. Did the umps start the Reds with a 1-1 count? I know 2 were intentional, but come on.

Rich Hill will be a VERY GOOD major league pitcher, I just hope it is with the Cubs. He has the stuff, I am beginning to wonder if they pulled him up to soon. As far as the rest of the pitching staff, what the.... Has anybody thought about Michael Barrett's game calling? It seems to me Woody, Prior and Zambrano were all better in '03? Yes, they were younger..but they seemed better. Was that because they were winning? or Was that Damian Miller? I know the Cubs were not happy with Miller's offense, so they got Barrett. But did they sacrifice the pitching staff? Did these pitchers get worse overnight? I do not think so. So could it be the catcher? Miller has done well for the Brewers? Discuss among yourselves...

8 in a row, 6 games under .500(season worst), 19 games out of first place and 7 out of the Wild Card race...did I get it all?

The Matt Murton experiment as a lead-off hitter did not work today, maybe down the road. I have said it all year, these guys need a LEAD-OFF HITTER. It is amazing DLee has as many RBI's as he does with the OBP these guys have. Note to Jim Hendry: Find a lead-off guy in the off season...does the name Johnny Damon ring any bells??? The guys need to relax and play the way they can....get out of the quicksand.

Thursday - The St. Louis Cardinals (or The 2nd Evil Empire)

Greg Maddux(8-9/4.57) vs. Mark Mulder(13-5/3.79)

I CANNOT STAND THIS TEAM...I wish they would go away. I have two favorite teams...the Cubs and whoever is playing the Cardinals. I said earlier in the week, the Cubs needed a 5-2 homestand, now they just need to win this series. Hopefully Maddux can shut the door and the wind is not blowing out.

Go get 'em guys, what else do you have to lose?

Thoughts and Transactions

2005-08-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

The Cubs today traded Mike Remlinger to the Red Sox for Olivo Astacio and cash considerations.

According to cubs.com, Astacio, 21, has gone 7-11 with a 4.33 ERA in 38 career games in the Red Sox organization. The right-hander has struck out 110 batters and allowed just 4 home runs in 139.1 innings of work. Astacio has worked primarily as a starter (31 games) and had his greatest success with Boston's Gulf Coast affiliate in 2004 - where he posted a 3.13 ERA and hurled his first career complete game.

I would like to wish Mike Remlinger the best. He has always seemed to be a class act.

Also, today the Cubs optioned infielder Ronny Cedeno to Iowa to make room for Corey Patterson on the roster. Hopefully this is the last time Cedeno will be in the minors. I really think this kid has the goods to be the Cubs everyday shortstop for many years. An infield of DLee, ARam and Cedeno could be the best infield this team has seen since the late 60's early 70's..of Santo, Beckert, Kessinger and Banks...but we will have to wait to see.

Also, I have been reading a lot about how much the Cubs' payroll is this year and how does a $100 million dollar team not make the playoffs? Here are my thoughts:

1) $11 Million is in right field or DHing for Baltimore...had to be done..no more future in Chicago
2) $8 Million just hit his first homerun of the season today
3) $3.5 Million is in San Francisco, doing what he was supposed to do in Chicago, set up the closer
4) $1.2 Million will no longer be pitching
5) $2.3 Million is in Tampa, saving games for the Devil Rays
6) $8.5 Million is pitching one inning a game now
7) $2.8 Million just returned from AAA Iowa
8) $3.8 Million was just DFA'd and traded to the Red Sox for a prospect

So of that $100 Million dollar payroll, $41.1 million is NOT doing what they were paid to do. So who is not doing their job...Mr. Hendry? Mr. Baker? Or the players?

...just a THOUGHT!

"Mr. Hendry, Can the Cubs Come Out and Play?"

2005-08-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Cubs 3 Reds 8

...Knock, Knock...Who's there? Not the Cubs offense that's for sure. The Big Red Machine strikes again. I thought Mark Prior pitched better than he has in his last three starts, just no run support and no leather. Hey guys, if you are not bringing the wood, you better bring the leather. Two runs on two errors..NOT GOOD. Who would have thought in Spring Training with the way Nomar was hitting that we would be saying 'Nomar hit his first home run of the season today', on August 9th. That sums up a lot. I thought CPat did well today, seemed a little bit 'less selfish'. I really thought the guys would do better today with Prior on the mound.

It was VERY disappointing to hear how Aramis Ramirez treated his pop-up to right field. Pat Hughes said he only made it about 40' down the line and was carrying his bat. After that Ron Santo said, 'Does he not want to play?'. I feel that sums up what the guys have been doing through this seven game losing streek, the 3rd of the season. They are just showing up. No emotion, no drive and no pride. Mr. Hendry or Mr. Baker MUST shake things up, close the doors and yell, spit, curse...whatever it takes to wake these guys up. Start issuing fines for taking plays off, not running out plays..etc. Hit these guys where it counts...in the POCKETBOOK. Set rules and follow them. Do not let the inmates run the asylum! Appoint a team captain, make him accountable. This year might be gone, but continuing to ignore and not admit there is a problem is going to affect this team for many years to come. There is to much young talent on this team and in the organization not to be competitive for MANY YEARS to come. This organization has the talent to become what the Atlanta Braves have been for the past 14 years. WINNERS, NOT LOSERS.

....Anyway....

Wednesday - Rich Hill(0-1/7.00) vs. Eric Milton(5-12-6.75)

Curve..baby..curve. Hill has to be the stopper tomorrow. Going into a series with the Cardinals on a losing streak, could be season ending. Milton is a VERY good pitcher, he has just lost it this year. The guys MUST get on Milton and not let up. Let's do not forget the one-hitter he threw last year when he was still with the Phillies. Nomar, DLee and ARAM have to come through tomorrow.

Win..baby..win!

Back to the Future

2005-08-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Reds 9

It was anniversary night at Wrigley, 17 years ago tonight they turned on the lights, August 8, 1988. In some ways it seems like yesterday, but in someways it seems like the lights have always been on. I remember that game, and if memory serves me, that game was never finished. They restarted the next night. If I am wrong, someone please correct me.. Damon Berryhill, I think hit the first homerun under the lights.

Tonight was also '70's night at the old ballpark and I will tell you the Big Red Machine came in and looked great. It was nice to see Bench, Rose, Perez, Morgan(we will talk about him later), Griffey and Concepcion hit the ball the way they did....hold on wrong decade...I must be confused...that's right it is 2005, not 1975...but it sure did seem like it tonight.

I have been saying for the past couple of years, if the Reds could get some pitching, that offense is VERY scary and tonight they proved it.

Claussen shut the doors on the Cubs, two hits over 7 innings of shut out ball. If this kid could get some consistency, look out...he has the goods and showed it tonight. Please do not get me wrong, with the way the Cubs were hitting before the 9th inning, slow pitch softball might have been a challenge.

It was nice to see Nomar get the 9th started with a hit and to see DLee get one as well. Lee is struggling, over the past 10 games, he is not even at the Mendoza line. NOT GOOD, GIVE HIM A DAY OFF. Matt Murton, 1-3 with a walk, run scored and RBI. This kid has the goods. Look for him in Spring Training, cannot miss the red hair. Burnie did a fine job in center, maybe this outfield will work. The grapevine is saying CPat will be up by the weekend for the Cardinals, so this could all change.

Build on the 9th....

Tuesday - Mark Prior(7-4/3.64) vs. Aaron Herang(7-10/3.90)

Mr. Prior has to shut the door on the Reds, the season is hanging on by a thin thread. Maybe the nice sunshine will wake the offense up. Mix up the line-up again, try Murton 2nd and Walker 6th. Murton seems to be VERY patient and could get on base for the big boys. The would put Walker behind Nomar and give him some protection. Walker is a very good hitter, just not in the 2 slot.

No more magic number...just go win a game!

There Is No Crying In Baseball

2005-08-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

Cubs 1 Mets 6

..Well after tonight there should be. When a big league team gives away extra outs, this is what happens. Big Z did everything he could, with the defense that is behind him, I am supprised he made it that long. Dusty has to quit playing Macias in centerfield, I know the team is banged up, CPat is in Iowa and he thinks this is his best option. But it is not. Macias and company showed the national television audience that you can run on the Cubs outfield. NOT GOOD. This Met team is not the '86 Mets and although the offense made Glavine, Seo and Zambrano look like Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz, it is not. Unless the outfield is changed, teams will continue to run. I know Dusty is a players manager and will not sit guys when they are slumping, but like Hendry said today 'time is running out'. Try something new.

Here is what I see. On the active roster the following players are listed as outfielders:

3 Jeromy Burnitz
28 Todd Hollandsworth
50 Matt Lawton
19 Matt Murton

First off, let me state the obvious JOSE MACIAS is not listed above, please do not use him again in the outfield. If you do please petition the league to use a right center fielder and a left center fielder, like in softball, the guy is AN INFIELDER.

Todd Hollandsworth has done well off the bench and in sub roles, continue to use him as that, not a starter. After that you have Burnie, Matt Lawton and Matt Murton. I know Lawton is coming off of knee surgery, that is fine leave him in left and to me Burnie has done a great job in right this year, leave him. That leaves Matt Murton. This kid is young and dumb, use that to your advantage, he wants to play, what is the worse that can happen, a guy can advance to second base on a routine fly out to center or a guy can score from first base on a hit and run grounder to center field.

All I can say is mix it up. What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing twice and expecting different results.

Monday - Sweet Home Chicago vs. the Reds

Jerome Williams (3-4/4.60) vs. Brandon Claussen (6-8/4.85)

Claussen is a good young pitcher, just not consistant. I saw him earlier in the year in Cincy and he was VERY good. Hopefully the offense will step it up. I was nice to see Nomar get a couple of hits, maybe this homestand will be good for him.

The way I look at it, this season hangs on the next week worth of games. Three at home against the Reds and with that offense anything can happen. And then four against the 'wonderful' Cardinals. This homestand needs to be 5-2 at worst, with a trip to Houston on the 15th.

Guys do not mail this in...none of the fans have...BELIEVE...magic number is 39.

This Is A Simple Game...

2005-08-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Cubs 0 Mets 2

...You Throw the Ball, You Hit the Ball and You Catch the Ball...well 2 out of 3..gets you beat. The offense was a non-factor, but Maddux pitched well enough to win. I think that the above statement sums up the entire year. Seems to me, 2 out of 3 has been present all year and I guess now that results in a 2 game below .500 record.

Again messages to Dusty, GIVE DLEE A DAY OFF and PLAY MATT MURTON. Why can't they try this kid in center. What do you have to lose? 5 in a row? I like the outfield of Lawton, Murton and Burnitz...try it, you might like it.

The Mets....it really hurts to see them lose to the Mets...hopefully tomorrow will bring a win and get out of New York...blah, blah, blah.

Sunday - Carlos Zambrano(8-4/3.24) vs. Victor Zambrano(5-9/4.19)

"Let's BEAT The Mets, BEAT The Mets, Step Right Up and BEAT The Mets". Hopefully Big Z will show up and shut the door on the Mets, end this losing streak and get home and continue winning.

Magic number still at 39....

Learning Curve

2005-08-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

Cubs 5 Mets 9

Well....the curve did not break, the defense did not show up (i.e Todd Walker) and the Mets made the Chicago Cubs look like the Iowa Cubs. Mr. Hill has a lot of games ahead of him, I still say he WILL BE SPACTACULAR...just not tonight. 7 earned in an inning and a third, not good. Welcome to New York kid...have a nice day.

What is disturbing about this loss is now 4th place behind the Brewers is VERY embarrassing, I was not predicting greatness, but this is horrible. Now that I am done complaining....or am I? This is the Mets....

Bright spots...Scott Williamson looked great. No complaints here. Woody did fine...but he looks like a guy just showing up to complete his shift. Nomar...it was good to see him on the field...what else can I say. I cannot stand the Mets, almost as mush as the Astros, Cardinals and Marlins..tonight is very disturbing.

Message to Dusty...PLEASE GIVE DLEE A DAY OFF. He looks tired and frustrated. I think we are all learning how much he carried this team early on and with only 53 games left THE CUBS NEED DLEE.

Saturday - Greg Maddux(8-8/4.67) vs. Jae Seo(2-1/2.00)

Will Maddog show or will it be Greg? Maddux needs to show how he became a first ballot hall of famer on Saturday. Stop the bleeding. Show the fire that has become your trademark...do not just 'show up'. Neifi is supposed to start at short, how about Lawton in center? Another message to Dusty...PLAY MATT MURTON.

Magic number still at 39.....

The 3 Amigos

2005-08-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Amigos, Saviors...or just ball players. I think Jim Hendry and Dusty are hoping they are all 3.

Nomar, Woody and Williamson

T.G.I.F. might have a whole new meaning.

Will they be able to help..we will all find out.

My hope is that Nomar will spark the offense, if nothing else just to show the guys if he is willing to come back from this kind of injury, the season is not lost.Woody and Williamson will hopefully give the starters confidence there are guys in the bullpen that 'have their back'.

Will this be the end of Mike Remlinger in a Cub uniform?

Is this to late? Is this the Trade Deadline deals that were not made? We will all see.

BELIEVE

Stuck In The Middle With You

2005-08-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Cubs 4 Phillies 6

Wow...another bad inning for Mark Prior. With everything that has happened this year, injuries etc..the expectations put on Prior and Zambrano is unbelievable. With Woody being out, Maddux...well not being Maddux, Williams being a good 5th, not a 4th and (insert another starter here)...the pitching staff has not lived up to expectations.

When the year started, it was easy to look at the line-up and wonder 'How are these guys going to score runs', but I never thought the starting pitching would be this bad. Bullpen yes, starters no.

A couple of weeks ago, Pat Hughes said 'this is typical of a .500 ball club, great one-day and horrible the next. No consistency.' He's right. To me, that is a perfect description.

Right now this team cannot seem to get all of the pieces to work together on the same day....a .500 ball club...but considering most of the years I have followed this club, they have not even been that, I should not complain, or should I?!?!

Well....let's go to New York

Friday - Rich Hill (0-0/3.79) vs. Tom Glavine (7-9/4.50)

What can I say, its the 'wonderful' Mets. I REALLY like Hill..GREAT curve ball.

Can the guys get the Philly Steak out of their heads and get out of the middle of the road... let's hope so...Brew crew on their tails...magic number still at 39.

How Bizarre?!?!?

2005-08-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

Cubs 3 Phillies 4

Just when you thought this season could not get any stranger....here comes the passed ball..I still do not understand what Barrett was thinking. Anyway...they should really look at not using Remlinger anymore. He has become VERY uneffective. I think a dfa would be good as this point, especially with Williamson and Wood coming back on Friday.

It was great to see Hollandsworth come through off the bench. I think that is the best place for him...pinch hit.

I do have two words "PLAY MURTON". This kid came up short today in the pinch hit role, but I really think there is something there. Can he play center? That is the big question. I do not like the idea of a Murton/Lawton platoon, if that is the case "Why make the trade?"

I also think DLee needs a day off....play Walker at first and Neifi at second...and give Cedeno A LOT more time..again something special in that kid as well.

Thursday- Mark Prior(7-3/3.26) vs. Brett Myers(9-5/3.21)

Can they win the series? Hopefully the bats will wake up and Mr. Prior will pitch better than his last 2 outings....magic number still at 39....

"Now There Is Hope!"

2005-08-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

"Now There Is Hope!" This is a phrase that has been sticking with me since last October. For all of us (fans) out there, we all know what this means. I do not know if this is a phrase for Cubs fans or for just life in general...but we shall see.

Now back to the game.

CUBS 2 - PHILLIES 1

Zambrano pitched his usual great game tonight. Pitch for pitch with Padilla. Four hits over eight, shutout ball. Thankfully the "good" Zambrano showed his face. Ramirez(ARam) came through in the clutch..again. Thankfully they pitched to him, 2 iw's for Derrek Lee. And Dempster supplied us with another heartattack, but he got out of the jam.

Hopefully with Williamson and Wood coming back on Friday, this will ease the bullpen woes. I still think Dempster is the best choice as closer. I like this guy, he is "wacky" enough to be effective. Although I will say, whoever stole his bicycle, PLESE GIVE IT BACK. It seems like he has been struggling since it was stolen....just put it behind his house, let yourself out, and millons of fans will say 'thank you' at once.

I would also like to say, 'Welcome to Chicago Matt Lawton'. 2 for 5 in his Cub debut, with a run scored (he started the 8th) is not bad. One of these days, Pittsburgh will not answer a single phone call from Jim Hendry(and he got cash).

Wednesday - Jerome Williams(3-4/4.61) vs. Robinson Tejeda (2-2/2.95)

I read somewhere over the weekend the Cubs need to go 40-17 to get in the playoffs. Well there is #1, 39 to go...let's all believe.

Well...Here We Go

2005-08-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well...here we go. That is a VERY broad statement. I have spent the past several months reading what all of the "so-called" Cubs fans are saying on the web. I am going to provide a place where "real life-long" fans can come to learn and discuss our beloved Cubs. This is all very new to me, so be patient. I have lived through the ups and downs like everyone else. And now I would like to share my thoughts, as well as yours.

So hang on for the ride and remember to "Root for the Cubbies"!!