Cubby-Blue

Cubs/Padres fight video

Wow.
What was the Padre catcher thinking?
How is it that nobody stopped it before it happened (I had time to think about what I was watching, pull out my camera, set it to video, all that before the fight actually started).
Anyway, what a weird game.
First off, you don't hit Derrek Lee near that wrist.
Just don't.
Second, it coulda been the ugliest no-hitter ever.
I don't know what Z's pitch count was, but it had to be up there.
I would have pulled him right after the first hit...
Anyway, me Grog and Flynn went to Jake's (Clark and Oakdale) after, and owner Scott Johnson poured us a Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 year old Whiskey.
Amazing.
Then, I played a game of pool with Scott.
Not amazing.
Think I sunk maybe two before he went on the long run.
Oh well, lets see how bad D. Lee's suspension will be...
In the meantime, Happy Father's Day.

Wrigley Wrule #14: Minus 50 Man-Points for a Beverage Block

Obviously, women are not excluded when it comes to Man-Point dockage, and my Bud is simply off limits.
I’ve seen guys make this insensitive move as well: uncool.
Okay, back to the Cubs.
I was in a Tweeter when Bob Howry took care of business in the 9th, and it was really impressive on about ten large, hi-def TVs in a row.
I’m actually not afraid of Ryan Dempster.
I don’t think the Cubs ever have had an “automatic” closer, so I’m used to the heart attacks.
But there’s something about Bob Howry - his look and his approach - that inspires confidence.
He looks like he should be called something corny like “Iron Man Bob Howry”.
Which he sort of was last year, and maybe it’s coming back to him now.
Anyway, Cubs beat the Mariners 5-4 in a nice comeback win and take a series.
The kids (Pie, Fontenot, Theriot, Marshall) are all playing well.
The Padres are in town, as are Grog and Flynn.
This will be a fun weekend.
ps: I hope it was obvious that the "Michael Barrett T-Ball Video" was not really him, but actually Wyatt when he was 5. Now that I know I can put video in here, though...I might be doing more.
illustration

Rare Michael Barrett T-Ball Video

Well, after last night's 5-3 loss in 13 innings to the Seattle Mariners, the Cubs have now lost 6 of 8 extra inning games.
I fell asleep (thankfully), but Sutter went last night, and this morning came thru with another email describing the ending: "I stayed until the bitter end last night and all 2,000 of us left were numb after watching them balk in a run, get doubled off second (again), miss Derek Lee by 20 feet on a pickoff throw, leave the bases loaded twice, only to be topped off by the single most inept play of the season--Jacque Jones stutter stepping, double clutching, and rolling the ball home so Barrett could miss both the ball and the runner who had missed the plate."
The Barrett part reminded me that I have this rare footage of a young Michael Barrett playing t-ball.
He began his career as a catcher, you know.
A moon-walking catcher.

By the way, I don't think Mr. Barrett is the sole problem with the team. Joe over at View From The Bleachers raises some good points.

Zambrano is the Ace of Clubs

We were all wondering about him.
Is he the same guy, is his head messed up by the contract thing.
Then comes last night.
Oh.
That’s right.
When the bullpen is trashed from pitching almost two complete games in a row, Carlos is the guy who gives them the night off.
Carlos shuts down the Astros and goes 8 dominating innings, giving up one little pixie run.
Carlos also clubs the winning homer through an upper wind stiff enough to keep everybody else in the park.
That’s because Carlos is The Ace of Clubs.
Cubs 2 Astros 1.
As sweet a victory as you can imagine on a perfect night at Wrigley Field.
Towards the end of the game my wife Kim says, “Hey! Where’s Lou?”
And I said well, he didn’t have to come out.
Everything went right tonight.

Cubs victim of "left hook" slide

We could talk about all the aspects of this for days.
The saddest part is, had the Cubs won, they just would have been the good guys.
Instead…trainwreck.
Everybody’s angry.
I’m getting all kinds of phone calls, but here’s what Sutter emailed me:
"I am embarrassed to be a Cubs fan after tonight. That was truly a gutless performance. Piniella can stage a fake argument last Saturday when the ump makes the right call and tonight he does nothing when they throw out Lilly when the ump says I know what he was thinking? Give me Lee Elia for a much smaller salary. And then we do nothing when Renteria elbows our guy in the face? We deserve to finish behind the Brewers. Prince Fielder would have killed Renteria on the spot. And now we'll use the bullpen being tired as the excuse when we lose the next seven in a row at home."
That about sum it up?
I’m pretty used to pitchers throwing at guys, and retaliation and all that.
Just the price of priesthood.
But this Renteria play, I REALLY wish somebody woulda done something.
Cause that one’s gonna fester.
Who knows, maybe the Cubs rebound and get a rematch with the Braves in the playoffs.
(And maybe Paris Hilton really does have a medical condition...)
Anyway, I’m going tonight.
I detest the Astros.
Go Cubs.