Welcome Aboard Theo

You have so much to look forward to.

"THEO. WOO. BERNSTEIN. WOO. THEO. WOO."

".........."

"First, you gotta sign Pujols and then move him back to third. HELLO, he was good there. Then sign Prince, and BOOM. And get DeRosa back here. Why the HELL did we let him go?! CLASS ACT and GRITTY as all hell. And what's it gonna take to get CAMPANA in the lineup everyday? HELLO! And get rid of those bums SORIANO and MARMOL. And tell Zambrano to give back some of that ACE money! Kick him to CURB for all I care. Play on playa. GO CUBS GO. GO CUBS GO. Hey Chicago, whadaya say?

".........."

"Hey there."

".........."

"I tell ya, there's nothing like a day at the ballpark. Good, wholesome entertainment. I love just rounding up the family in the ol' Honda Odyssey and taking a trip to the greatest city in the world. Keep the doors locked, boys! Sure, I payed 25 dollars for parking, but it's nothing to me. In fact, I'm going to pay upwards of 300 hundred dollars today! Who cares? You can't put a price on fun. But is there something you can do about the language around here? Now I'm not trying to impede on anyone's good time, but, pardon my French, some of these guys can be real jerk-offs. I have two young boys here with me, ya know what I'm sayin'?

".........."

"Attaboy, Steiney. We're getting better everyday. I can feel it."

".........."

"I will remain visible."

".........."

*Blows gently in the wind.*

".........."

"Well, shit son."

".........."

"I bet you thought I was going to say 'Here's looking at you, kid.' Well, I'm not. And we're clearly not at the end of the movie yet, anyway."

"Yes, my grandfather co-wrote Casablanca. I love deep dish pizza, Oprah, and Jim Belushi. Whoops, it's not called the Sears Tower anymore. I don't put ketchup on my hot dogs. I don't believe in curses. Ron Santo was a wonderful, wonderful man who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Let's play two! Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Cheeseburger. I hope I never have to see any of you again." 

The Obligatory "Catching Hell" Reaction

Catching Hell, ESPN's latest in their 30 for 30 series, debuted Tuesday. It's easy to see why ESPN would choose to lead off the new 30 for 30 season with a documentary about Steve Bartman. The baseball playoffs are just around the corner and the Bartman play is one of, if not the most well-known MLB playoff moment of the last decade. It's also just a flat-out unique and compelling story, revealing the worst and saddest aspects of sports fandom and even society at large.

I'm not going to delve into any kind of review of this film because it isn't necessary. Catching Hell reveals very little new information that baseball fans don't already know. If you watched the Cubs-Marlins series or are a fan of either team, I wouldn't consider this film required viewing. If you are unfamiliar with the Bartman incident, then it's worth a watch for the story.

The only portion of the film I did find particularly interesting was the account of one of the security guards working Game 6. She describes the process the security team underwent to try and escort Bartman from the stadium. This process included hiding him in Wrigley Field, changing his appearance, smuggling him outside of the stadium, and eventually ushering him into her apartment because he was recognized on the streets. This was a man who reached out for a foul ball being treated like a member of the Witness Protection Program. It's surreal to think this happened during a baseball game.

Catching Hell tries to be more than a Steve Bartman documentary. Director Alex Gibney attempts to draw comparisons to Bartman and Bill Buckner and make a larger point about scapegoating in sports. Bill Buckner of course, let Mookie Wilson's infamous ground ball squirm through his legs in the bottom of the tenth in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Despite enjoying a very productive 22-year career, Buckner is almost exclusively remembered for his gaff that cost Boston the championship. Towards the end of the film, Buckner is shown throwing out the first pitch of the 2008 Red Sox season. The Red Sox were coming off their second World Series championship in the last four years. Buckner finally found it within himself to throw out the first pitch after the 2007 title, a request he refused in 2005.

Gibney suggests that winning heals all wounds. He says the Boston fans have forgiven Buckner and now welcome him with open arms. He says when the Cubs win the World Series, Cubs fans will do the same for Bartman. I have a real problem with this statement. Bill Buckner was a player. He dazzled fans with his bat for over two decades. For the one "wrong" Buckner supposedly did the fans, he provided them with plenty of great baseball memories. Steve Bartman is a fan. Reaching out to grab that foul ball is all he'll ever be known for to Cubs fans. Imagine the ridiculousness of inviting Bartman to throw out a first pitch. What could the crowd cheer for? We acted like assholes, but all is forgiven (applause). You've been a loyal, paying customer to the Cubs organization (roaring applause). Bartman would decline any invitation, like he's been doing the last eight years anyway.

Catching Hell sells a fairy tale ending. Steve Bartman is never going to get that kind of closure. What's been done to him cannot be undone. This is why I fell like this documentary wasn't really about the flimsy nature of scapegoating, as I think was the intention. This documentary speaks to the ugliness of spur-of-the-moment mob mentality. Cubs fans didn't need a sympathetic film to make them regret how Bartman was treated. Almost everyone, from the message board tough guys, to the beer-throwing, asshole-chanting fans in attendance that night will tell you they were frustrated and acted out of character. That was eight years ago and they've moved on. Let this serve as a reminder that acting in accordance with an angry, drunken mob didn't and never has turned out well. One man bore the brunt of it and we're trying to determine if Cubs fans will ever forgive him? The real question should be: will Steve Bartman ever be able to forgive his fellow Cubs fans? I see no reason why he should.

An Exercise In Futility

The baseball playoffs are upon us and for Cubs fans that means staring at the corner of the ceiling for a good 45 minutes, spit forming at the sides of our mouths as we contemplate killing the spider that's been there since April. The difference this year is we have a Steve Bartman documentary that presumably is going to teach us about the nature of scapegoating in American sports culture. This is very important stuff that we need to know, especially in this day and age. Utmost importance, friends.

October is a month dominated by Pumpkin Spice Lattes and changing leaf colors. Somewhere in there (Tuesday-Thursday) people find time to discuss the baseball playoffs. This is fine, but what about the consistently bad teams who can't be bothered with trifling matters such as winning? Their contributions should not be forgotten. That is why I have created the Idleons. The Idleons are the exact opposite of the Playoffs. The worst three teams in each division earn an Idleon spot, in addition to one Wild Card. The Wild Card is the team with the worst record who did not finish at the bottom of their division. Seeding and Wild Card tie-breakers are determined by W-L record within the division -- the team with the worse record receives the higher seed or Wild Card spot. It's all the same as the Playoffs, with bad records instead of good ones, and no play-in tiebreakers.

Microsoft Word is acting up -- punishment for trying to encroach on MLB's stronghold on the coveted Tuesday through Thursday work day slot. Therefore, I do not have a handy illustration of the Idleon seeding. Don't worry, if seeding is important to you, it's easy enough to set up yourself. Instead, I present the number of times each team has made the Idleons in the last ten years.

Who would you guess is the most successful Idleon team of the last ten years?  

?

If you said the Royals, then congratulations, you are correct. The Royals have qualified for the Idleons an amazing nine times in the last ten years. This is arguably more impressive than anything Playoff-related in the last ten years. We need to start paying attention to the Idleons, for no other reason than to remind ourselves Kansas City is an American city with two professional sports teams. Wear that crown proudly Sluggerrr and enjoy your harem of Kansas City's finest. Whatever extracurricular activities you plan on getting into tonight, just remember: Under no circumstances should you take the crown off.

The list of Idleon appearances in the last ten years are as follows:*

Kansas City - 9
Baltimore - 6
Pittsburgh - 6
Seattle - 6
Tampa Bay - 6
Washington - 6
Arizona - 4
Chicago Cubs - 4
Detroit - 4
San Diego - 4
Cleveland - 3
Milwaukee - 3
NY Mets - 3
Texas - 3
Cincinnati - 2
Colorado - 2
Florida - 2
Atlanta - 1
Houston - 1
LA Dodgers - 1
Minnesota - 1
Oakland - 1
San Francisco - 1
Toronto - 1

*2011 results are as of September 26th. Number of appearances may be affected based on what happens in the last two games of the season.

The Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Angels, Cardinals, and Phillies have not qualified for the Idleons in the last ten years. So, you know, fuck 'em.

Would You Name Your Child After This Man?

Tony Campana has looked uncomfortable at the plate all season. He's batted .262 in 33 games, including two doubles, but generally doesn't offer much but a threat to bunt. Campana did enough in Monday's 7-3 win over Colorado, singling in the 3rd, and working his at-bat long enough in the 4th to allow Geovany Soto to score on a wild pitch.

In center field, however, is where Tony shines. Not because he's a particularly good fielder, although his speed does allow him to cover a bit of ground, but because he's not alone. Tony has friends, and plenty of them in center field.

This is nothing new. The bleacher bums love embracing their outfielders, especially the undersized, overachieving ones that have "Career Minor-Leaguer" written all over them. Tony was drafted by the Cubs in the 13th round of the 2008 Draft. He's stolen 144 bases in his minor league career, and carries a cumulative average of .303. Not bad, but he's still 5'8 and doesn't hit for any power, and has been told countless times he'd never make it. Adversity! That's the ticket.

I presume, it's difficult to boo him because of the adversity he's overcome. Even if his on base percentage continues to hover around .300 (from the 2-hole), Tony is well aware of his get-out-of-jail free card. One has to look no further than the different ways Soriano and Campana interact with the fans to witness the sort of privilege Campana enjoys.

Soriano and the left-field bleachers play a little game. "How many outs Sori," the fans yell, and Soriano more often that not obliges. He waves his index to indicate one out, and his index and pinky to indicate two. Sometimes he'll turn around and watch the crowd. His willingness to engage is usually determinate on his performance. It's unclear, to me at least, the purpose of the "How many outs" game. I've sensed the left-field bleachers feel Soriano will likely forget the number of outs, and are just trying to keep his head in the game. Or maybe they're seeking the thrill of a celebrity response. Can I get a retweet?

Beyond the number of outs, Soriano is generally disinterested in what the fans have to say. He carries himself as if he's heard it all before, probably because he's heard it all before. Or he doesn't understand English too well. I don't know. He seems to get the most joy out of tossing the third out into the crowd. He waits for everyone to stand up and get frantic and teases a few people before pointing to the lucky winner. I suspect he enjoys imposing his will on the game within the game. And tossing a ball is easier than hitting a 1-2 slider in the dirt out of the park.

Thirty-three games later and Campana is still reveling in his new found celebrity. Fans in left center and right center (mostly in right) shout things that I cannot make out. Tony seems to hear them just fine. He's the type of celebrity that takes all autograph requests. It doesn't matter if his reservation is in five minutes, there's people that came to see him, and these people need things signed. Tony flashes his boyish smile as if a female fan offered to blow him after the game. She might have, I can't hear what they're saying, remember. And then he does the cutest thing. He waves at a young fan. Not with his free hand, but with his glove. That big bird's nest of a thing. He'll do this a number of times and the 25-year old will look thirteen doing it. He can hit .150 and you still can't boo him. You just can't.

A drunk woman stands up and makes slaughterhouse-appropriate sounds. Tony smiles at her too. Jesus, this kid is a saint. "Tony," a guy yells. "I'm naming my first-born son after you." Tony laughs and is probably blushing. He has the best job in the world and now will be the namesake of someone's child.

Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta hits a high fly to short center field. Campana camps under it and records the final out of the game. Right center begins chanting Tony's name. The Cubs won and a bunch of people would rather cheer for him. Take your time getting healthy, Marlon. Tony could use a few hundred more friends.

Big Z's Burden

Carlos Zambrano breaks bat over powerful left leg; sends chunks of wood flying.

Zambrano isn't the first or only baseball player to break a bat over his leg, but the act is most commonly associated with him. Pure, unbridled rage is how some choose to view this act, and really, Z's career up to this point. Similar to how Dennis Rodman used to take off his jersey and whip it into the stands after being ejected, Zambrano's bat-breaking takes on the same measure of unpredictability. Rodman could fling his jersey into the stands one hundred times without incident, but that 101st time could very well be the day he chooses to manufacture his jersey into a self-made noose and ring the neck of the nearest fan. Zambrano breaks his bat into two even pieces and does nothing more than bang them together as if to call his dog in for supper. But would anyone be surprised if he tossed them at an unsuspecting spectator, or even threatened to attack Houston pitcher Jordan Lyles with the sharp side?

This is what many of the media types would like for you to believe. That Zambrano is uncontrollable, and an inherent ball of rage. His spats with Michael Barrett and Derrek Lee, his demolition of the Gatorade machine, and his other scattered tirades over the last 11 years serve no greater purpose. They're simply who he is.

Wrong.

Consider Zambrano's most recent bat-breaking incident: May 31st against Houston. Zambrano had given up 5 hits through the first 5 innings, including a solo homer in the 4th to Brett Wallace; the only run on the board at this point. Surely, he senses this might be one of those solid performances wasted because of lack of run support.

Blak DeWitt leads off the bottom of the fifth with a double. Tony Campana sacrifices him to third. Geovany Soto strikes out with one out and a man on third. With the pitcher batting next, the RBI was Soto's responsibility and he failed. But Carlos Zambrano doesn't view it that way. After working the count to 2-2, Zambrano stuck out on the fifth pitch of the at-bat. His anger and subsequent bat-breaking were most likely directed at himself for not getting the run home. Even though that RBI should have been taken care of by Soto. Such is Big Z's burden.

National League pitchers aren't expected to hit. They are expected to pitch well and then be able to lay down a sacrifice bunt when the situation arises. This is why so many of us can become flummoxed when we see Zambrano put so much pressure on himself to succeed at the plate. We don't expect pitchers to hit, and therefore, pitchers shouldn't expect to get a hit either. But Zambarno prides himself on being a complete player because, by nature, he's accustomed to placing the burden on himself.

Not to rail on Sammy Sosa, but Sosa was content with going 1-5 with four strikeouts, a home run, and a fielding error. He recognized his role as an entertainer, and as long as he hit long balls, he was doing his job. Hitting a home run is an individual accomplishment. It helps when people are on base, and pitchers definitely change their approach (i.e. more or less hittable pitches) based on the merits of the rest of the lineup, but a teammate cannot hit a home run for their teammate.

Carlos Zambrano cannot win a game without the help of his teammates. They need to make the routine defensive plays and an occasional spectacular one, and they need to provide a decent amount of runs. Players like Zambrano, who look to assert themselves in every way they can, are uncomfortable with the amount of control afforded to them. I'm not suggesting that Zambrano doesn't trust his teammates, but that he places an unbelievable, even unrealistic burden on himself to succeed. When he doesn't see the rest of his teammates do the same, it frustrates him.

Here are a few quotes from ESPN's "Zambrano Apology" article to illustrate my point. These comments came a day after Zambrano's now infamous rant in which he criticized Marmol's pitch selection and said the Cubs were playing like a Triple-A team.

"I really feel for this team. I think sometimes I care too much. I just want this team to do good. I don't like to be in this position where we keep losing and keep losing, and we don't do nothing about it. I just want to win with this team and do the best I can."

Zambrano speaks like a man who takes the Cubs' failures personally, even though he's been one of the lone brights spots this season. Also notice the apparent disconnect between him and his teammates, "I think sometimes I care too much." As opposed to his teammates, who don't seem to be as bothered by losing as him. I can't help but read "I think sometimes I care too much" and feel like Zambrano is condemning himself. As if being passionate about winning is a bad thing.

"I have a mission here. I've said it since I've been in the big leagues, and that mission is to win with the Cubs. Anything can happen in the big leagues. Anything can happen in the next two months. The previous two months we didn't play well, we didn't pitch good."

Say what you want about Zambrano, but he's been intensely loyal his entire career. It's rare in today's athletics to see an athlete intent on winning with a particular franchise.

"It's not over yet. Believe me guys, it's not over for the Cubs."
              
Even the most optimistic of Cubs fans don't feel this way.

Zambrano hasn't always handled things well. The less-mature Zambrano probably would have strangled either Ramirez, Marmol, Lopez, or all three, after the game. He instead took the more diplomatic route, going to the press, and was blasted for that as well. While Zambrano probably didn't need to call out Marmol by name, his comments were veracious and necessary. Some folks haven't come to Zambrano's defense, I suspect because they mistake his anger for selfishness, rather than an unparalleled will to win. 

Imagine making it your life mission to win with a franchise that is best known for finding every conceivable way to lose. That is the self-imposed burden Zambrano walks around with all day. Live like this for eleven years. How even-keeled would you be? 

Ernie Banks Home Run Derby Footage

Two of baseball's most engaging personalities and 1,048 combined career home runs sounds like a winning combination to me. Hall-of-Famers Ernie Banks and Mickey Mantle provided just that when they faced off in the second episode of Ziv Television Program's 1960 series, Home Run Derby. Not only are these clips entertaining, but are important because very little footage exists of these two sluggers.
The 1960 Home Run Derby was quite different than our current format. For one, it wasn't a yearly supplement to the All-Star Game, but a syndicated television program that aired weekly. Two hitters vied for the two thousand dollar prize every week, with the previous week's winner returning to defend his crown. In addition to the two thousand dollar prize (and one thousand dollars to the runner-up), hitters received a 500 dollar bonus for three straight home runs, another 500 dollars for a fourth straight, and one thousand for each additional home run after four. In other words, they took this shit seriously. A few swings of the bat could lead to a substantial payday.
My favorite part of this program is the format of the derby itself. Nowadays, we give hitters ten outs and see what they can do. They're allowed to swing or lay off of any pitch they want. This wasn't the case in 1960.
The format was similar to a real baseball game. They played nine innings, and each hitter was given three outs per inning. Outs were recorded the same as they are now. Anything that doesn't leave the yard in fair territory is an out. The biggest difference in the 1960 version was the presence of an umpire that called balls and strikes. If the hitter didn't swing at a pitch the umpire deemed a ball, it was counted as an out. You'll see Ernie rack up a few outs this way.
An unintended consequence of the event was some awkward interviews in between innings. When hitters weren't at bat, they sat in the dugout with announcer Mark Scott. Maybe it was because they were focused on the game, or maybe Mark Scott wasn't a good conversationalist, but for two players who were supposedly some of the most media-friendly of their era, there were plenty of cringe-worthy exchanges in this episode.
One last not for Cubs fans. If the stadium looks similar, it's because it was modeled after Wrigley Field. In fact, this ballpark in Los Angeles was also known as Wrigley Field, named after the same chewing gum founder William Wrigley Jr., and bared the name before the current Wrigley Field. And I'm guessing their ivy didn't die in the winter.

PART I



PART II



PART III

Punky Brewster Goes To A Cubs Game

Unfortunately, I wasn't alive in 1984 and thus didn't have the benefit of parking in front of the TV after Sunday afternoon football to watch the first season of Punky Brewster. Thanks to VH1, I know what Punky Brewster is. And thanks to my girlfriend's eight year old niece, who loves Punky and owns the Complete First Season on DVD, I discovered a gem from 1980s television.
In Episode 8 of Season 1, entitled "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," Punky and Henry buy scalped tickets to the 1984 NLCS at Wrigley Field. The footage is lifted from the Cubs' 13-0 victory in Game 1 against the Padres, including, among other moments, Rick Sutcliffe's home run.
A few things you'll notice about the clip:
1) It describes everything you need to know about an 80s sitcom in seven and a half minutes. Everything from the music, to the nuns, intimidating guy who doesn't look all that intimidating, to their eventual dugout seats really dates this one.
2) Cubs fans were a little less cynical in 1984. Look at the '39' signs (referring to the 39 year drought since the Cubs had last been to the World Series). Nowadays we count down from 1908, the last year we won a World Series, not the last time we lost one.
3) At the 6:40 mark, you'll notice the Padres footage is taken from San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium and the Padres look to be facing the Dodgers. How does this happen? Did they seriously think the contrast between the padded blue and brick back stop would be easy to gloss over? They probably would have been better off cutting that part out and losing an entire one second from the run time.



I felt kind of bad though. I let it slip that Punky Brewster is actually a grown woman with two children, not the spunky seven year old and possible friend that my girlfriend's eight year-old niece thought she was. To be fair, the same thing happened to me in 1995, when eight year old me found out my potential girlfriend, Shirley Temple, was really 67 years old and had been married twice.
Watching this episode also led me to another unintended consequence: I finally looked up the game logs from the 1984 NLCS. The Cubs outscored the Padres 17-2 en route to wins in Games 1 and 2 (of a five game series, mind you). Then went on to lose their next two by a combined score of 14-6. With Sutcliffe back on the mound for Game 5, the Cubs took a 3-0 lead to the sixth before giving up 6 runs in the 6th and 7th to lose 6-3. Thanks for the reminder, Punky.

My Tribute To Ron Santo, And One Last HOF Plea

Growing up as a Cubs fan, I found out quickly there weren't any teams to reminisce over. Other fan bases could look back on the great teams of so-and-so a year and smile eternally. We as Cubs fans don't have that luxury. Our teams, 1969, 1984, and 2003, are brought up to express bitterness and disappointment -- pain and suffering.
The "judge an athlete by the amount of championships he's won" way of thinking doesn't apply to Cubs players. My theory is that because we don't have championships to celebrate, we need another outlet to celebrate the greatness of our individual players that didn't achieve team success. This outlet is found in MVP and Gold Glove Awards, and ultimately, Hall of Fame induction. We need some sort of order to be restored to the universe. There has to be a silver lining in all the suffering, and that comes in the recognition of great individual effort.
Former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo, who died last Thursday, served as the longstanding symbol of a great Cubs player denied his proper recognition. Santo impressed both offensively and defensively on terrible Cubs teams for the first seven years of his career. While the Cubs achieved a degree of team success later in his career (including the 1969 team), Santo ultimately never played in a playoff game. The playoffs were structured differently and only allowed for the top team from each of the two divisions in each League to face off for a World Series birth.
Taking a look at Santo's numbers, it's hard to argue that he should not be in the Hall of Fame. There are currently thirteen third basemen in the Hall of Fame -- the position with the least amount of players. I compared Santo's career batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, runs batted in, and runs scored to ten of the thirteen players. I didn't include Hall of Famers Ray Dandridge, Judy Johnson, and Jud Wilson in the statistical comparison because they played in the Negro Leagues, and the statistical data in question is not available for Negro Leauge players.
Here is how Santo would rank compared to the other ten Hall of Fame third basemen in the following six categories: Batting Average - 8th, On Base Percentage - Tie 7th, Slugging Percentage - 4th, Home Runs - 3rd, RBIs - 5th, and Runs Scored - 7th. Santo also won five Gold Gloves, which would be third most among Hall of Fame third basemen.
Statistically speaking, Santo's inclusion seems like a no-brainer, but that's only when compared to other third basemen. Santo's career numbers in the so-called most important categories look like this: .277 AVG, 342 HR, 1,331 RBI, and 2,254 hits; not particularly impressive when compared across positions. We've been told a .300 BA, 500 HRs, 1,500 RBIs, and 3,000 hits are the gold standard and Santo reached none of those. This type of thinking is misguided and probably has played a huge part in Santo's rejection from the Hall. Does it make sense to attach such lofty offensive production to a position that historically has housed more defensive minded players? Would you penalize a center for dishing out less assists than a point guard?
When compared to the more offensive minded first base and outfielder positions, Santo's numbers are dwarfed. Compare him to other Hall of Fame third basemen, take into account the five Gold Gloves, and you see a player that is one of the greatest offensive and defensive third basemen of all time. The voters need to do a better job of differentiating production by position, rather than production overall.
Baseball, more so than any other sport, claims to champion character, honesty, and integrity when selecting their Hall of Famers. Their strict ethical stance is why MLB's all-time hits leader and the greatest home run hitters of my youth aren't sniffing the Hall.
Diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 18, Santo kept his disease a secret, fearing he would get cut from the team. Very little was known about the disease in the 1960s, in fact, most people diagnosed with diabetes were not expected to live into their 30s. In wasn't until the end of his career that Santo announced he had diabetes, and subsequently became of the foremost figures in the fight against the disease. It is estimated that he raised over 60 million dollars for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation over the course of his life. Santo also hosted camps and spoke to kids who were living with diabetes. Numbers aside, Santo possessed all of qualities the voting committee say they care deeply about.
For myself and many Cubs fans around my age, too young to see Santo play, we came to know Ron through his radio broadcasts. He's been criticized over the years for not providing the most insightful commentary, and this criticism was definitely warranted. Santo wasn't the type who was going to pepper you with the details of the game. He was a fan first and foremost, as evidenced by this clip:




Some may call that bad color commentary, and I guess, by definition, it is. Personally, I love it because his reaction was the same as everyone at home. Santo's announcing style was the definition of accessible. He had no intention of being the smug announcer snubbing his nose at the know-nothing fans. He was one of us, who just so happened to blessed with the talent to play professional baseball. Santo was never overly optimistic or pessimistic about the team. His feelings were usually a reflection of the larger fan base. He lent a voice to the frustrations, joys, and general masochism that is being a Cubs fan. For that, he was loved.
The Cubs aren't winning a championship anytime soon. Funny, how that phrase applies every decade. It's my guess that Ron would have wanted to see a championship even more than his Hall of Fame induction. But because we are Cubs fans, we need to settle for Ron's Hall of Fame recognition -- an honor that has been long overdue.

Gonzalez, Not Sandberg The Favorite To Land Cubs Job

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, sources have suggested that GM Jim Hendry is leaning towards a manager with major league experience to replace the retired Lou Piniella, and that man is former Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez.
Gonzalez was fired midway through this year after Florida posted a 34-36 record through 70 games. Gonzalez's career record is 276-279 in three and a half years with the Marlins. This record will hardly thrill Cubs fans.
Actually, any decision Hendry makes these days won't thrill Cubs fans. That's why with this decision, he has to go with the fan favorite, former Cubs second baseman/ Hall of Famer, Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg has worked his way up from single A ball and is currently managing the Iowa Cubs (AAA), who coming into today, were 20 games over .500 and sitting atop their division.
I'm definitely not an advocate of general managers making decisions based on the opinions of the fan base. I'm a fan myself and realize that our opinions are off base the majority of the time. But this time Hendry needs to defy conventional wisdom and take a chance on the fan favorite.
It makes sense that Hendry wants an experienced manager to fill the position. But ask yourself this question: Will an experienced manager make next year's team any better?
I'm not sure, but it's an interesting question.

The 2011 Cubs are going to be young, and quite frankly, not very good. They probably won't contend in the NL Central for at least another three years. So is it better to have an experienced manager in Gonzalez (who is still considered an up and comer, by the way), or to throw the rookie Sandberg in there and allow him to experience some growing pains along with his team.
I feel very certain about one thing, if the team struggles, the fans will be much more forgiving if Sandberg is the manager. He's the Hall of Fame second baseman, the guy who did things the right way, and according to all reports is doing a great job of teaching the AAA kids. Basically, he can do no wrong.
If the team sucks next year and Gonzalez is managing he'll be heavily criticized. He'll likely be painted as a manager who isn't getting everything out of his players, and more importantly, the guy standing in Sandberg's way.
If the team struggles and Sandberg is managing, expect the blame to be on the players. I can see it now. "What's he supposed to do? He has a terrible team to work with."
In my opinion, neither manager will have this team in contention next year, or is better suited to make them competitive in the future.
That's why Sandberg needs to be given his chance now. It would be a disaster to have him sign on as an assistant somewhere else and eventually become a head coach. I doubt he'll wait around to see how Gonzalez works out.
Sandberg is a former Cubs player. He understands the expectations and knows what it takes to win here. He's one of our own and wants to be here. His loyalty should be rewarded with a major league job.
Just this once, the fans may be right.

The 10 Worst Things About Being a Cubs Fan, Part II

12 runs in the bottom of the 8th, made possible by 11 straight hits (an MLB record), and the return of Big Z. Now is a better time than ever to unleash Part II of the worst things about being a Cubs fan, Reasons 5-1. For Reasons 10-6 click here.
5) The White Sox - Cubs fans try to downplay the White Sox as much as possible. We say they're the less popular baseball team in Chicago (which is true), their ball park isn't as historic and Chicago neighborhood is shittier (also true), and we only worry about our own team, while they worry about ours (not true.)
As much as Cubs fans try to deflect attention away from the White Sox 2005 championship, we can't. Any rational fan can tell you that their performance in the 2005 playoffs was one of the best, if not the best in baseball playoff history. They plowed through the Red Sox, Angels, and Astros en route to a 12-1 playoff record, and some of the best starting pitching you will ever see.
Here's the worst part. It's been said a million times that the Cubs only have one World Series victory since 1908. Do you know how many the White Sox have? Two. It just so happens that one of those has come in the last five years, erasing almost 90 years of failure.
4) Payroll - As I've said many times before, baseball isn't fair. There's no salary cap, so its essentially designed to keep the big market, high payroll teams in contention every year, while a small market here and there makes a splash. It would be one thing to consistently lose if they were the Pirates (30th in payroll), Diamondbacks (25th), Indians (24th), or Nationals (23rd). It's quite another when the Cubs have the 3rd highest payroll in the league, just under 147 million.
Compare that to some other teams that will make the playoffs: Padres (38 million, 29th), Rangers (55 million, 27th), and Rays (71 million, 21st).
Now let's compare the Cubs to the other teams in the top 10 in payroll. 8 of the 10 teams are over .500, the Cubs and Mariners (9th) being the only two left out. 4 teams ((Yankees (1st), Phillies (4th), White Sox (7th), and Giants (10th)), all have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.
So while being a top 10 payroll doesn't guarantee playoff entry, it almost always guarantees a competitive season, and the Cubs can't even produce that this year.
3) Ticket Prices - According to Team Marketing Report, the Cubs had the third most expensive average ticket in 2009, coming in at just under 48 dollars. Not surprisingly, the Yankees and Red Sox are 1 and 2, coinciding with their payroll rank.
I know, it's Chicago, it's a big market, and Wrigley Field is a tourist attraction, so they can price the tickets as high as they want, and people will still come. It's a shame because this results in richer, less knowledgeable fans, who are there for the atmosphere and not the game. Once again, the real fans lose because they're priced out.
In college, I roomed with a Twins fan from Minnesota. He said on Wednesdays, or some other random day, you could get tickets for a dollar. A dollar! You can't even get a pack of gum for a dollar in Wrigleyville. Cubs ticket prices will always be ridiculous, but they would be a little more bearable if, like the Yankees and Red Sox, they put a winning team on the field every year.

2) 2003/Bartman - I include Bartman in the bolded not because I blame him for losing us the NLCS against Florida, but because he's the most recognizable figure in the disaster that was 2003.
The front office constructed the 2003 team around winning a title for that year. It was a make or break year and was still the best chance the Cubs have had in my lifetime to win a World Series. Top to bottom, the 2008 team was better, but the 2003 was better constructed for the playoffs for two reasons.
 1. Veteran Starting Lineup - The Cubs brought in Randall Simon and Kenny Lofton at the trade deadline to make an already old team even older. The average age of their starting lineup was 33. 33! Just think about how old that is for a playoff team. However, they could all play. They still had Sosa and Alou in the middle of the lineup, who were both declining, but still huge threats. Add in a young Aramis Ramirez, who took the middle of the lineup to another level. Lofton and Grudzielanek were both smart top of the order hitters with high on base percentages.
2. Starting Pitching -You're not going to win in the playoffs without great starting pitching and the Cubs had it. This would mark the only time that Mark Prior and Kerry Wood were healthy and on top of their game at the same time. Carlos Zambrano and Matt Clement were also also capable of shutting any lineup down. Just look at these strikeout numbers: Wood (266), Prior (245), Clement (171), and Zambrano (168). It's mind boggling that a team with 4 starting pitchers in the neighborhood of 200 strikeouts could not win a World Series.
I remember it like it was yesterday, Cubs had a 3-2 Series lead, Mark Prior was scheduled for Game 6, and Wood for Game 7. There was not one Cubs fan I knew that thought Prior and Wood would lose back to back games. Well, that's what happened, and that's why 2003 is so high on this list.
1) 101 Going on 102 Year World Series Drought - I might as well have put this one at the top, you all knew it was coming. Everyone talks about baseball records that will never be beaten. The two most common that come up are Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak and Cy Young's 511 career wins. Cy Young's will never be broken, DiMaggio's maybe someday. But will the Cubs World Series drought ever be broken? It seems like a legit question because even random small market teams are competitive once in a while. Of course, this streak is still going, so we can't even place a number on it yet.
To illustrate how depressing it is to be a Cubs fan, let me say this. Everyone knows someone, or is related to someone that lived a long productive life and didn't get to see the Cubs win a World Series. My grandpa, a life long Cubs fan was born in 1918, and lived to be 87 years old. He died in late November of 2005. He hung around just long enough to see the White Sox win a World Series. If that's not depressing, I don't know what is.

The 10 Worst Things About Being A Cubs Fan, Part I

August is almost here and the Cubs are 10 games under .500. Now is about the time I start wishing I was a fan of another team, any other team. To cope with the misery that is baseball in August, I present the 10 worst things about being a Cubs fan.
10) 1:20 Games - Wrigley Field has been around since 1914, so as you may expect, the Cubs are reluctant to change. Unfortunately this has extended into the game schedule as well. Lights weren't installed in Wrigley until 1988, so the Cubs were forced to play afternoon games so they could get them in before dark. They have lights now but still the afternoon games. Unlike me, some Cubs fans are actually, you know, employed. Most people aren't free at 1:20 on Tuesday.
9) No Instant Replay - Yeah, this is another gripe about the Cubs being reluctant to change. I love Wrigley Field, and I love the fact that they've maintained its appearance even 100 years later. However, its not the most fan-friendly of ball parks out there. The old time scoreboard is certainly a throwback, but is it too much to ask to have an electric portion of the scoreboard capable of showing replays? It's never a good look when you can just stay at home and get a better sense of what's going on than when you're at the game.
8) The Fans - This point needs a bit of clarification. I feel Cubs fans are unjustly criticized most of the time, so let me start by saying, that there are a lot of great Cubs fans out there. They follow all the games, are knowledgeable, and can admit when the team sucks. This isn't about them (I include myself in that group, by the way). Here are the three types of Cubs fans I hate:
1) The "Happy to be Here" Fan. The male version of the "Happy to be Here" fan drinks as much as he can at the game. He only knows half of the players, knows nothing about the game of baseball, but roots his heart out as loudly has possible. You find a lot of these types at the bleachers. Sometimes they're funny, most of the time, just annoying.
The female version is one that treats a Cubs game like a Friday night party. You can tell they took at least three hours to get ready for the game. To accommodate them, Wrigley Field has added margaritas and vodka mixed drinks to their menu. They care a great deal about meeting people, texting and talking during an important at bat. Basically anything that doesn't involve the game. Most people, as misguided as they are, think this fan represents all Cubs fans.
2) The "I'm in the Neighborhood" Fan. Wrigley Field is located in a very rich, trendy area in the north side of Chicago. As you may expect, this area attracts quite a few 20 somethings that are living off of their parents' trust funds. They find it trendy to root for the Cubs, and since they're in the neighborhood, they go to a bunch of games. They know nothing about baseball and may not even be from Illinois or any of the other states that typically root for the Cubs. It should be known that many of these fans can also fit into category number 1.
3) The Delusional Fan. He or she thinks "This is the Year." They probably think that right now, the Cubs still have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. It's one thing to be optimistic, it's another to be delusional. Every team has fans like this, but it's harder to justify it when your team hasn't won in 102 years.

7) Mark Prior - No player sums up the Cubs organization better than Mark Prior. He was the supposed savior of the organization who suffered a freak collision with Marcus Giles running the bases, which laid the groundwork for a career filled with shoulder injuries. Unrealized potential. Those two words sum of Prior and the Cubs perfectly. It still frustrates me to think about the type of player Prior could have become. In his short time with the Cubs he's already the best Cubs pitcher I've ever seen and will most likely be a top 3 Cubs pitcher of my lifetime.
6) Defeatist Attitude - Despite how confident, ignorant, or cocky Cubs fans appear at the surface, they are all miserable deep down. None of us have any confidence that our team can win a World Series. We may talk like we do, but deep down, we don't believe it. This was on display during Game 1 of the 2008 NLDS against the Dodgers. Despite jumping out to a 2-0 lead, Cubs fans at Wrigley didn't get excited. It was like they were waiting for something bad to happen, and the announcers noticed it.
Funny thing is, I reacted the exact same way watching the game. I was literally shaking while watching the game, waiting for something bad to happen. It was easy to criticize that crowd for not rallying behind their team, some of it was warranted, but if you're not a Cubs fan, you don't understand.
Part II coming up next.

Cubs Second Half Talking Points Revisited

Last week I wrote about a few things I'd be looking for in the second half of the Cubs season. As it turns out, many of these questions have already been answered. Some answers were the ones I was looking for, and others I weren't. Here's those points revisited.
Lou Piniella's Demeanor: So we've finally found how why Sweet Lou has been so calm this year. Many have suspected he's mellowing with old age, or simply taking things slower and appreciating the game more. Turns out he's appreciating retirement a little early. You can only get so frustrated watching a team that continues to fail, and Lou realizes this.
Don't act like any of you wouldn't coast through your last year on the job. Remember Thursday two weeks ago when you had that Friday off? You didn't give it your all either. Lou's doing the same thing. He just so happens to have side stepped criticism because the team's woeful record isn't the result of his managerial decisions. It's also kind of hard to criticize a guy who has managed for 23 seasons, has amassed a .519 winning percentage to date, has won three Manager of the Year Awards, and one World Series.
Carlos Silva's Record: I speculated that Silva's luck would end this second half, and unfortunately I appear to be right. Coming off his worst outing of the year against the Dodgers, Silva tried his best to match that in his first start after the All-Star break. Against the Astros, who are at the bottom of every major offensive statistical category this year, Silva needed 41 pitches just to get through the first inning. He gave up five earned runs on seven hits and two walks. His record has now dropped to 9-4 and his ERA has shot up to 3.86.
Aramis Ramirez's Run Production: Let's talk about something positive, shall we. Aramis Ramirez carried over his hot streak into the second half of the season. In the seven games since the All-Star break, Ramirez's numbers have been mind boggling: .379 BA, 5 HR, 15 RBIs. With Derrek Lee picking it up as well, one can only dream about how this season might have turned out if they had produced and remained healthy in the first half.
Marlon Byrd's Approach at the Plate: As expected, not much has changed. However, that's not a bad thing. Byrd was an All-Star after all. He's still falling behind early in counts but has shown an increased willingness to take a walk. In fact, he's walked four times in the last seven games, compared to the 14 times he walked in the first half, this can be considered progress. Byrd has been in a little bit of a funk at the plate lately though. He's batting .260 in the last seven games, but that's due mainly to a brutal Houston series where he went 2-13.
Division Record: Their struggles within the NL Central continue, as the Cubs dropped two of three to the 5th place Astros. Their season record against the Astros now sits at 3-6, and overall division record is 16-27. This doesn't bode well for their next series match up against the Cardinals.

Home Record: This is a positive if we're stretching for positives. The Cubs have won 4 of their last 7 at home, but it hardly seems satisfying when we drop two of three to the Astros. Maybe the Cubs should just start playing all of their home games at Miller Park in Milwaukee. The Cubs are 44-32 at Miller Park since its opening. That would be the type of home field advantage they need. The park is already packed with Cubs fans as it is.

It's A Start...

In a series that already saw nine home runs through the first three games, it's no surprise that the Phillies and Cubs would combine for five more in Sunday's 11-6 Cubs win. The win not only secured the current series victory, but the season series victory over Philadelphia as well.
Cubs catcher Geovany Soto catapulted the power surge with a two run homer in the second inning. A two run deficit is the closest the Phillies would come all game.
Phillies starter Roy Halladay had an uncharacteristically bad outing giving up six runs, five of them earned, through six innings. After the loss, Halladay's record dropped to 10-8, despite a 2.40 ERA.
The Cubs added two more runs in the second on a Starlin Castro single and throwing error from catcher Carlos Ruiz that allowed Tyler Colvin to score from third. Colvin and Castro, batting first and second in the lineup, combined for six hits in the game.
The Phillies scored two in the fifth to dwindle the Cubs lead back to two, but Alfonso Soriano gave the Cubs the four run lead right back with a two run homer in the top of sixth. The home run was Soriano's 17th, the most on the club.
The Cubs put the game away in the seventh as Derrek Lee hit a bases clearing double in the left center gap. Soriano and Soto came through with one out RBI singles later in the inning to stretch the Cub lead to eight.
Not to be outdone in the home run department, Phillies pinch hitter Greg Dobbs hit a solo home run off of Cubs rookie right hander Andrew Cashner in the seventh. Ryan Howard and Ben Francisco followed that up with solo homers of their own in the bottom of the eighth off of Cubs left handed rookie James Russell. The three home runs proved to be too little too late for Philadelphia, who, after the loss, dropped to third in the NL East, a half a game behind the second place Mets.
Cubs starter Tom Gorzelanny continued to show why he deserves a permanent spot in the rotation, pitching 6 2/3 innings giving up three runs, two of them earned. The win evened Gorzelanny's record to 5-5.
The Cubs will continue their ten game homestand Monday with a three game series against the Astros. The division rival Cardinals will come to town for a weekend series, and then the Cubs will head to Houston.
The next nine games will prove to be crucial in determining if the Cubs can contend for the division. With the July 31st trade deadline fast approaching, how the Cubs play in the next few weeks will determine whether they are buyers or sellers at the deadline.
The Cubs are currently 42-51, tied with the Brewers for third in the NL Central. 

Second Half Talking Points

At the very least, I think most Cubs fans expected to be over .500 and in playoff contention at the midway point of the season. It hasn't exactly worked out that way. The question marks (starting rotation, particularly Carlos Silva, long relief, outfield production) have been the least of the Cubs concerns. Those concerns have been replaced by the offensive worries of our two best hitters, the inner workings of Zambrano's mind, and beating the Pirates. Maybe you saw Zambrano's meltdown coming, but that's about it. Here's a few things I'll be watching for in the second half.

Lou Piniella's Demeanor - Lou has looked like a broken man of late. He's gone weeks without shaving, probably without bathing too. Every time he's asked a question about why the offense is struggling he doesn't have an answer. It's like a husband who just ended his 25 year marriage, can't give you an answer why, but knows he'll be happier for it. That husband is Lou when his contract expires after this year. I doubt he even wants to be back, but if he does, the Cubs need to dramatically turn it around in the second half.
Carlos Silva's Record - I know I'm not the only one thinking that first half was a fluke. Looking at the numbers it's hard to be convinced otherwise. Silva is currently leading the team in wins (9), and ERA (3.45). As a starter for a full season, Silva career high in wins is 14, with a 3.44 ERA. That tells me it's likely going downhill from. Hopefully his last start before the break (1.1 IP, 6 ER) wasn't a precursor for the second half.
Aramis Ramirez's Run Production - His batting average, currently sitting at an anemic .207, is already a lost cause. But Ramirez still can make a huge impact on this team. After returning from his thumb injury, Ramirez has been on a tear. His July numbers (.361/4/9) are a promising start for a team that will be heavily reliant on his bat in the second half.

Marlon Byrd's Approach at the Plate - Byrd has been one of the best hitters in all of baseball this year, taking a .317 BA into the second half of the season. This is all great, except he's only walked fourteen times on the season. That's who Byrd is, he's a free swinger, who often times gets himself into 0-2 or 1-2 counts. I don't expect him to draw more walks because he goes up to the plate swinging, but it would be nice. Byrd hasn't had a prolonged slump yet this season. I'm worried when he does, he will be a huge hole in the lineup.
Division Record - The NL Central has not been good to the Cubs. They're 15-25 within their division so far. The good news: they have twelve games left against the Cardinals, and six against the league leading Reds. They also have twelve games remaining with the bottom dwelling Houston Astros. The good news is also the bad news. The Cubs have the ability to get back in the division race by beating the best and the worst the division has to offer, but they haven't proven they can beat any of these teams on a consistent basis.
Home Record - The Cubs are currently 20-23 at home, which is terrible. A sub .500 record on the road is expected, but not at home. The Cubs have a chance to improve that record, as they will start the second half with a ten game homestand. Overall, they have 38 games left at home, and 35 away (they are 19-27 on the road). How the Cubs play at home will play a big part in their success. But keep in mind that it they will be playing division leaders San Diego and Atlanta at home, as well as the Phillies and Cardinals. The second half schedule looks brutal, especially the month of August.
Prediction - 74-88, 3rd in the Central.

All Good Things Must Come to an End: Cubs-Reds Game (7/1)

I've spent a fair amount of time harping about how the Cubs never lose when I'm in attendance, and they should consider giving me season tickets if they want to contend every year. Well, yesterday's 3-2 loss in ten innings took me down a peg. All good things must come to an end as they say. My overall Cubs record is now 8-3, not nearly as robust as a 9-2 mark would have looked.
First I'd like to thank Ron Santo, not for his lighthearted, substance-lacking analysis on the radio, but for being such a great player. The Cubs have been offering ten dollar bleacher seats this entire week in honor of Ron (he wore number 10).
Needless to say, I wanted to go to at least one more game this year. The original intention was a Thursday afternoon game against the Padres, but I couldn't pass up on the price. Substituting the NL West division leader for the NL Central division leader, I was determined to help my team gain a game in the standings.
First order of business was deciding where in left field to sit. There was no question between left and right, my girlfriend enjoyed Soriano's hand gestures so much last game that we had to go back. We got there "late" this time around. Late as in two hours before the game, when the gates are open. If you haven't been to Wrigley Field, it's truly an amazing sight watching how fast the bleachers fill up. I know it's first come first serve, but when you arrive two hours before a game and there's a line for left field bending around the stadium, that's impressive. Especially considering the game was on a Thursday and the team was ten games under .500.
Both teams must have started batting practice late because we actually saw both teams take some swings. The Reds put on a show, hitting more bombs than I could count, including two off of the left field foul pole.
One guys says, "I miss Sammy, he'd hit out 30 every batting practice."
I agree. If there was one thing Sosa was good for, it was that he entertained the crowds. I remember watching him in batting practice and he didn't subscribe to the notion that players should work on bunting, hitting the ball to left and right, up the middle, etc. No, he swung for the fences every time.
The one and only ball I've ever brought home from a game was a Sosa home run in batting practice. I was sitting a few rows back from the front in right field. The ball took a bounce over the entire crowd in the front row, and basically fell into my lap. Which odds are greater? That a ball would fall into your lap in batting practice, or that Sosa would hit a batting practice home run to right?
Nothing interesting happened until the 7th inning. I mean that. Carlos Silva gave up a run in the 1st and that was all that happened. He got himself out of a jam every inning. I mean that. The Reds should have put this game away by the 5th inning.
I remember looking up at the scoreboard in the top of the 7th. Reds had outhit the Cubs 9 to 1, yet the score was still only 1-0. It didn't feel like only a run though. Actually it felt insurmountable the way we were swinging the bat. There's something about witnessing a sporting event live that just intensifies how you feel about the moment. The Cubs offense looked so much uglier in person. Hits directly at the outfielders, strike outs, weak groundouts, all looked worse in person.
Best (and worst) moment of the game happened after the Reds third out of the 7th inning. Soriano catches the last out and is looking to throw it into the stands.

Let me preface this by saying I was sitting between two jackasses. People to the right of me were from Tennessee. The guy was really loud and unoriginal. He must have said "31, you suck" at least 25 times during the game. 31 was Reds left fielder Johnny Gomes. If I'm Gomes I'm laughing because my name is on the back of my jersey. How hard is it to read the back of a player's jersey and call them by that instead of by number? He was also bragging about how his son pitched for Middle Tennessee State and all that.
Person to the left of me looked like a guy who would greet you as you walk into Urban Outfitters. He was drinking margaritas (more on that later) and had a towel that he kept hanging over the rail. He did it so many times one of the security guards? bleacher patrol? whatever they're called had to step on my face to get to him and tell him he was going to be thrown out if he did that again. As a matter of fact he was also warned about putting his drink on the rail. Did I mention he had a piercing, feminine-like scream? My girlfriend got the brunt of that directly in her left ear drum.
So after the last out, I'm the first one to stand up. I point at Soriano and let him know we're in this together. He gives me the nod and points back and throws the ball. I get a little nervous because I was acknowledged by a player making more than 130 million dollars. I'm assuming my pupils began to swell with excitement as the ball approached me.
It's about ten feet away and I notice Soriano didn't put a lot on it. NO...it starts to tail to the right. I desperately try to will it into by bare hands but it's too far. It hits the guy next to me in his stone hands. He drops it and it ends up in the basket. I'm convinced I could have caught that lollipop. A man put his five year old son into the basket to retrieve the ball. I can't be that mad, a kid got the ball. I would have left the ballpark devastated if I hadn't got that Sosa home run many years before.
Back to the margaritas. Two (kind of) drastic changes have occurred at Wrigley Field since last year, as far as I know. The serving of margaritas and other vodka themed drinks, and the switch from organ music to introduce batters to pre-taped songs. One I can deal with, the other I can't.
First to the pre-taped music. I realize that Wrigley is so set on keeping tradition that they're way behind the rest of baseball when it comes to updates in anything stadium related. The scoreboard still isn't digital, more and more ads are creeping up after the place was free of them for a century, the clubhouses (even the home clubhouse) are small and uncomfortable, and until mid-June they still used an organ, instead of recorded music. At Wrigley, we party like it's 1899!
As far as the player's at-bat music, I don't have a problem with it, as long as I can hear it. As of now, that's the main problem, I have no idea which song is being played. I know Jeff Baker was introduced with the Beastie Boys "Sure Shot" and Derrek Lee with what I think is Jay Z's "A Star is Born." I don't think it really takes away anything from the Wrigley Field experience to play pre-taped music, most of the people complaining are old and boring and looking for something to complain about. But as of now, the the sound system needs to be reconfigured so us good folks in the bleachers can clearly hear the songs we most likely won't recognize anyway.

As far as serving margaritas at a baseball game, I'm completely against it. Serving any alcoholic beverage other than beer I'm completely against. Beer to me is synonymous with sports. Margaritas and vodka are synonymous with college girls getting drunk at costume-themed frat parties. A third of the crowd would probably be more interested in attending a costume-themed frat party than a sporting event, so I guess they're just giving the people what they want.
A glimmer of hope came in the bottom of the 8th when Tyler Colvin hit a one out single to tie the game. Next batter is pinch hitter Mike Fontenot, who singles. Men on first and third, one out, Derrek Lee at the plate. At this point, the Reds have outhit the Cubs 11 to 4. I begin to think we can actually win this game despite how terribly we've played. I stand up and emphatically yell, "They can't lose when I'm here!"
Lee grounds into a double play. The worst thing he could have done, he did. That's when I knew we were not going to win this game. Carlos Marmol came pitched the 9th and made it really interesting. Striking out Orlando Cabrera and Joey Votto (each had some silly looking swings in their at-bat) with bases loaded to get out of the inning.
Bob Howry comes in to pitch the 10th and that spelled the end. The guy from Tennessee yells that "He hates this team." He also called for Marmol to be taken out when Sean Marshall was pitching. And then called for Marmol to be put back in after Marshall gave up a single to the first batter he faced.
Riding the packed L train isn't the same after a loss. It's like a tightly packed ball of depression. No one says a word to each other. I also notice that I got another sunburn that will make me look stupid(er) for the next week. The worst of it is red streak underneath my right eye, making it look like I got punched in the face. After this game, it felt like I did.

Excuse My Cynicism

I'm not Jack Buck, but "I don't believe what I just saw!" Did the Cubs just win one of their first two games of a series? Tuesday's 3-1 win breaks a three series streak of dropping the first two games of a series and winning the third. The cynic in me says that the Cubs are just mixing it up, and will find a way to drop two out of three, just in a different order.
Here's why I don't feel good about this win: it wasn't a good win. Let me expand upon that generalization. Alfonso Soriano accounted for two of the Cubs three runs, with solo home runs in the 4th and 6th inning. Koyie Hill scored on a Starlin Castro sacrifice fly in the 2nd. In other words, without the long ball, the Cubs don't win today. And we all know the home run has been hard to come by this year.
Besides Soriano's performance, the Cubs hitting was pretty much the same. They went 0-5 with runners in scoring position. Five different hitters tried their luck and failed.
The Cubs had eight hits on the night, two from Soriano, and two from Koyie Hill. The two hits from Hill are an aberration if I've ever seen one, leaving the Cubs with four hits amongst the other six position players.
This is a Pirates team that is last in the league in WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), meaning two guys should not have to account for your entire lineup's production. I know that before Tuesday's win the Cubs were 2-8 against the Pirates. That does not mean that any win is a good win. The Pirates were 24 games under .500 going into this game, last in the NL Central, and the worst hitting and pitching team in baseball. Hits and runs should not be hard to come by against them.
The one positive Cubs fans can take out of this game was Ted Lilly's performance. Lilly has done a nice job bouncing back from his eight run disaster against the Angels. Lilly pitched seven quality innings, surrendering only one run and six hits. His only blemish was a 3-2 outside fastball in the 5th inning that Ryan Doumit sent to the left field bleachers. With the win, Lilly improved his record to 3-6.
I'll be watching the rubber match cynical as ever.

Who is to Blame?

What would you do with 91.5 million dollars? Buy a mansion? A yacht? A couple new cars? Or you could just buy all of that and have 80 million left over.
Would you sign a MLB pitcher to a five year contract? No. Ok, that's understandable. What if he was 26? And already a two time All-Star. With a career record of 78-51 while still approaching the prime of his career. Plus he was the best hitting pitcher in baseball, an added bonus for a run starved NL squad.
Did I mention this pitcher may be prone to mental lapses? One missed call, bad pitch, or defensive gaff could potentially ruin six innings of well-pitched baseball.
Those were all the factors the Cubs took into consideration when signing Carlos Zambrano to a five year 91.5 million dollar deal at the end of the 2007 season. Should Zambrano finish first or second in the Cy Young voting, or in the top four in 2012, he would be eligible for a sixth year worth 19.25 million. You did the math right, that would come out to 110.65 million in six years. Good thing that's not happening. Zambrano has never finished higher than fifth in Cy Young voting, and would need to actually be on the roster in order to pitch.
On Tuesday, the Cubs placed Zambrano on the restricted list, which basically means he's still on the team but not the roster. It's a way of allowing the Cubs to expand their roster back to the normal 25 men.
So let's all bash Zambrano, then we can bash Hendry for making the deal happen. But here's the sad thing. The signing wasn't ridiculous at the time, and Zambrano would have actually gotten more money if he chose to bolt for another club. It's turned out to be a bad signing, along wit the Soriano contract, and Hendry got lucky with the Bradley for Silva trade.
But at what point does personal accountability factor in? Yeah, Hendry knew what he was getting into when signing Zambrano. Look back at any of the articles detailing Zambrano's contract and his name is always preceded by feisty, fiery, temperamental, emotional, or a number of other similar adjectives. And how exactly is it Hendry's responsibility to curtail Zambrano's emotional outbursts?
You would think a man who is getting paid 90 million dollars to play a game would have the decency to respect his teammates, manager, and organization. You would think he would have the decency not to question the defensive effort of a three time Gold Glove winner who in fact, approached the Juan Pierre liner with just as much effort as he's displayed over the course of his career.
Maybe I'm missing something, but since when is a player a nut case that does not have the ability to control his emotions? You hear this all the time about Zambrano, Milton Bradley, and the same is being said about the Nationals's most recent number one pick Bryce Harper. It's as if a bad attitude is inherently with them and can't be corrected.
Bad attitudes should not simply be an accepted trait of a professional athlete. Rather than blame the GM for signing a guy with a perceived attitude problem, blame the athlete for not being able to conduct themselves in a professional manner. I must bet getting old, but it's becoming harder and harder to defend the ridiculous behavior of Zambrano and others like him.

6/26: Worst Day Ever

Slick Rick once said, "It's like a day, where nothing seems to go your way." His quote was in the context of a failing relationship, but for those of us not in a relationship, or who take sports a little too seriously, the line still applies.
Any sports fan can tell you that there's nothing better than having two big games in one day. Especially if these two games don't overlap each other. Such was the case on Saturday when the US and Ghana capped off the round of 16 at 1:30 CT, followed by game 2 of the Cubs and Sox at 6:05 CT.
To keep things in proper perspective sequentially, let's start with the US game. I can't lie, I have a March Madness like bracket of the round of 16 for the World Cup. I penned in each team after they advanced and looked at the thing for what amounted to over an hour. I couldn't get my eyes of off the US road to the Semifinals. It looked so good, I could already envision myself smiling, slowly but surely writing U-S-A into the next two thin white boxes.
Maybe I got ahead of myself, considering the US national team has exactly zero appearances in the World Cup semifinals. If they were going to do it, this was the bracket to do it in.
The US got outworked, out hustled, and were just plain slower than Ghana. Speed is usually an advantage for our strikers, and we didn't have it. We missed at least three easy opportunities that more experienced players would have converted. The officiating was terrible. The amount of yellow cards issued to us in the first half was ridiculous, coupled with the lack of foul calls in our favor.
It was a frustrating game all around. The US gave up their customary goal before the 15 minute mark, and to prove that wasn't a fluke, allowed another one in the first few minutes of the first overtime. Tim Howard let in two stoppable goals, especially the first one in the 6th minute. At the end of the game, rather than compete, Ghana fell to the field and rested for a few minutes while they let time go by. It's frustrating to watch all that, knowing the World Cup experience is over and won't be coming back for another four years.

Expecting the Cubs to win was a little irresponsible on my part. For the third series in a row they will drop their first two games and win the third. That first game should have been the tip off. But no, it wasn't. The season had been so utterly hopeless that splitting the season series with the White Sox, not winning but splitting, was the only thing left I could look forward to.
It took a half inning to know there was no way the Cubs were winning this series. Four runs and a Carlos Zambrano tirade (more on that in a future post) with all of Chicago watching, was all it took to showcase how this team has unravelled. 
I'm not even ashamed to say it. I turned the game off after the top of the 1st. I reluctantly listened to some of it on the radio. I hung out with some friends and was able to keep myself busy enough to miss the first 7 innings of the second game of the series, only to watch the Cubs blow it in the bottom of the 8th. "At least they'll win Game 3," I said after the loss.
On second thought, any sports fan can tell you that there's nothing [Edit] worse than having two big games in one day.  

Cubs vs. Angels (6/20)

On Sunday, I made it to my second Cubs game of the year, tenth overall at Wrigley Field. Their 12-1 win pushed my overall record to 8-2. Let me state once again, should the Cubs decide they want to be contenders every year, giving me season tickets should be a top priority.
Think again if you assumed I was being a good son and taking my dad to the game on Father's day. However, I have a good excuse, kind of. I bought the tickets months ago originally as a birthday gift for my brother. His birthday was about three weeks ago, but these were the closest weekend tickets I could get to his birthday because the Cardinals and White Sox were the previous weekend series.
We get to Wrigley and I ask my brother whether he wants to sit in left or right field. He doesn't really care, so I tell him we should go to left, Alfonso Soriano will spend half the game looking at you, you can wave to him in the middle of the third inning, and he'll likely wave back.
We got there a little later than the last game I went to, and by that I mean we arrived about a half hour before the gates opened (2 hours before the start of the game). We wanted to sit in the front row, so we made our way all the way down to the left field foul pole. It was a beautiful view as always, and better than sitting a few rows up, because your view isn't cut off when the ball is hit to the wall.
Our section was the last in the bleachers to fill up, and my brother seemed to take offense to that. Are they idiots? This view is amazing, what's wrong with them? The people next to us tell him that this is always the last section to fill up.
One of the more fun things we did while waiting for the game to start was discuss how we could get on TV. The most obvious way would be to make a sign. The two best signs we could come up with: "We ditched our dad to go to the Cubs game," and "Growing up, the Cubs were my father." Both would have been great signs, in my opinion, especially the second one. Although I'm not sure they'd show that second one on TV.
We both have World Cup fever, so we were thinking that if one of the Angles hit a home run to left or at least a double, we could raise our hands on our head, lean back and scream, like a soccer player after missing an easy chance.
Another moment that made me proud was my brother's reaction to about two rows of Red Sox fans who showed up in all Red Sox gear, and were sitting down the left field line. Like me, my brother assumes everyone from the Northeast is rich, and a douche bag. He complained that those rich douche bags were taking up good seats from the real fans. The dad of the group also spent the entire game on his cell phone, to which my brother replied, "I know he's an investment banker and has business to take care of, but he can give it a rest for a few hours." Couldn't have said it better myself.
As far as the game goes, there was really too much scoring to recount here. I remember that the game was over in the 3rd inning, once we scored our 8th run. My brother and I went back and forth before deciding on 6 runs being the line which Zambrano wouldn't be able to blow. Truth be told, there was never a doubt in my mind that the Cubs would win, even though they dropped the first two games to the Angels by a total of 13 runs. They've made a habit of losing the first two games of the series and then winning the third.

Up 4-0 after two innings, Geovany Soto leads off the third with a solo home run. I think, good thing my girlfriend is not watching this game, she'd be mad that I didn't take her to the game that her favorite player hits a homer. I contemplate whether I'll even tell her, and I decide I will. I routinely give her Geovany Soto upsets, and usually they're not very positive, so it would be wrong to not report when he has a good game.
Sitting on the train on our way back home, an entire family sits behind us, all of them drunk. The dad says how happy he is to see Soto play well because he's always loved him. "He's such a nice guy, too," the dad says. Ten minutes later he reiterates his statement, "Wasn't it nice to see Soto out there though? I'm so happy for that guy."
In the 7th innings I broke one of my cardinal rules: Do not take part in anything that will cause you to miss any of the game. In order to break this rule I had to break another cardinal rule: Do not consume more than two beverages at a game that does not have a halftime. Two beverages I'm ok, three and I need to take a piss and won't be able to hold it in because it's all I'll be thinking about.
So after the 6th ends, I head to the bathroom, hoping I won't miss too much. I've eternally thankful that they've decided to install urinals for reasons I don't care to go into. By the time i make it back to our seats, the bases are loaded with one out. My brother informs me that Zambrano gave up three singles and struck out one. Juan Rivera pinch hits for the pitcher and grounds into a double play. At least I didn't miss the important part.
I realized that sitting in the front row isn't all it's cracked up to be. The last game I was at, I noticed that the guy in the front row kept leaning back and hitting me in the knees. I chalked it up to the guy being a jackass and drinking too much. I was wrong. It's really difficult to not lean back when you're sitting in the front row. I think it has something to do with grabbing the railing or something like that. Either way, if someone in the front row continually leans back into you, give them a break.
As an added bonus, Lou brought in Andrew Cashner and Carlos Marmol for the 8th and 9th because they hadn't pitched in a while. Losing 12-0 in the previous game will do that to you. I believe I said it last time, but I'll say it again. Even from the bleachers, Marmol's slider caused my knees to bend. You truly have some incredible movement if you can notice it from 350 feet away.
It was a great Father's Day, for two sons at least.