Cubby-Blue

You Kids Be Good

Well, the kids were pretty good last night.
Carlos Marmol, he’s one of the best relievers in baseball right now. How about striking out Prince Fielder with guys on 1st and 3rd?
And young Matty Murton came through with the big go-ahead homer.
I’ll only mention his error because if you were listening to Pat and Ron on WGN…you heard Ron Santo’s hilarious and amazing animal-moans of disaster.
The day before, I found the Cubs game on some station up here (I’m waay up in Wisconsin), so I figure that’s the station.
Now I’ve got the grill going, an icy cooler-Bud, the kids are playing, the wind is gone and the lake is a mirror.
I’ve been waiting all day for this perfect moment to tune in the game and…no Cubs.
It’s a Packer pre-season game.
In fact, there’s the Packer pre-season game on every freaking FM station except the one playing disco-polka.
I almost beat the dog.
Then, and I don’t know what is up with AM radio, but before the sun went down there were no stations to be heard.
After the sun went down I fournd the Score, ESPN, and finally the game on WGN.
So I got to sit in front of a camp fire by the cabin and listen to the game.
Dee. Luxe.
The only hitch was when D. Lee flipped into the stands and I almost hurled.
Otherwise, this game was as perfect as son Wyatt’s s’mores.
Come on, Lou, drive us into September.
illustration

Greetings From Wisconsin

So, I’m way up in the North Woods of Wisconsin, up past Minocqua.
Went to a restaurant called The Flame last night where they have the “largest collection of stuffed giant muskie in the region”.
And they are – about 15 of them I’d say – all bigger than you can imagine.
Loren Burgess caught a 51 inch, 36 pounder in Flambeau Lake, in fact.
Anyway, watched the game with a couple Brewer fans.
I thought when Weeks fell down rounding 3rd, given some of the late magic the Cubs have mustered lately, that the game had turned.
Wrong.
Ryan Braun smokes the double, Big Z is finished, and then Eyre doesn’t look too hot giving up the rest of the runs.
And I discover once again how friendly the local people are when I’m in their city watching the Cubs lose.
So the Brewers are a game and a half out, while the Cards lose and stay at two away.
Cubs still in first.
And I still haven’t caught a muskie.
Here was a cool thing though.
When you’re watching the Brewer channel, they have a thing where they name some Wisconsin bar the “Tavern of the Game!”
Awesome.
Last night it was someplace in Janesville.
Okay Ted Lilly, get back to winning, dude.
You’re facing a guy named Manny Parra, who has pitched 23.1 innings this year, given up 22 hits and 10 runs.
Go Cubs.

Felix Pie: Fight for your Right to Party

It’s killing me watching this guy struggle at the plate.
I still think when he’s in center, the pitching staff is waaay better because he catches everything hit out his way.
He’s electric.
The energy he adds to the team can’t be measured.
It’s just the stupid bat.
Get this guy on base and he’ll create mayhem with his speed.
So Felix, pull out the bat and fight with it.
There’s a big party happening in October, I’d love to see you there.

Gimme Some Hair of the Dog From ‘03

Say what you want about the 2003 Cub season, but I say it was the greatest in my lifetime.
I am aware of the cursed ending, thank you, but…
If you were lucky enough to get to Wrigley when they clinched or during any of the playoff games, there was something in the air that was the greatest feeling in the world.
And I got a shot of it.
And I’ve been waiting for another ever since – a little hair of the dog.
Seriously, this ’07 team has been an evolution from the get-go, and I’ve always felt like old Lou was on a multi-year plan to get what he really wanted on the field.
Look at the different line-ups.
It’s only the dawn of man for this team.
But they still ought to do something more than have an interesting season.
I can’t take the Reds seriously.
The Cards, this year they should be just that – a house of cards that this Cub team should be able to topple.
The Brewers seem to actually have the horses, they just got out of the corral.
Lets hope they stay out there wandering over the next 3 days.
Because I need a shot, bro.
A little hair of the dog of ’03.

Soriano Out: What I Miss Most

What do I miss most about not having Soriano?
It’s what he does to the opposing pitcher.
Whenever he comes up, I figure the pitcher is thinking something like this:

Okay, so the Cubs couldn't get the bats going last night, but they're still...
They're a game and a half in first place on August 26th.
A. Game and a half. In. First place. On August 26th.
So if Lou says the team is sort of jogging right now and not quite sprinting yet it doesn't matter to me.
I'm dancin'.

Another Sign: Take 07 Series Lou

Well, the signs are everywhere.
For instance, did you know that Lou Piniella rhymes with “You win, fella.”
Or…“the WINdy city” – explain that.
But this…this is just plain freaky: “TAKE 07 SERIES LOU” can be found hidden in “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”.
Like “The DaVinci Code” or something.
That message has been secretly embedded in our seventh inning stretch, ever since Harry Caray first uh, sang it.
It makes you wonder if it isn’t actually Harry…communicating with us since it is basically his version.
The thing that’s so weird is I always sing it like Harry did, with that “Ah one, ah two, ah three” up front and the “Lets. Get. Some. Runs!” at the back.
So, I shoulda noticed this long ago.
Since I didn’t, here’s a big “thank you” to Jonathan Linton, who did.
He must be some kind of lyric-puzzle genius, figuring it out after hearing Eddie Vedder sing it at the Vic recently.
Okay, so the Cards win two, Brewers win one and lose one.
The Cubs take the first two against the Giants, and they’re still in first.
Take 07 series, Lou.

Victory Snatched

Well, we were at the rainout Sunday night.
I don’t know what you saw.
But I saw this:

I saw Mister Baseball God in the form of a never-freaking-ending rainstorm come and steal away certain victory.
That's right.
Certain victory.
Well, at least it was something to talk about standing next to the opportunistic Bud vendor guys inside where it was dry.
And really something to talk about if the Cubs lose the game when it's rescheduled.
Because Carlos Zambrano was looking pretty dang sharp.
Had the three perfect innings and then it's raining and I'm suddenly sharing an embarassing Nicole Miller fashion umbrella with Pete Taylor, the one he found on a bus seat about the size of a sunflower.
And it was pretty much time to go.

Yesterday was crazy busy, so I saw nothing of the last Cardinal game til that lame ending hours later.
After another rain delay.
What happened to Ted Lilly?
Curve ball not working in 100% humidity?
Well, okay.
Lets go to San Francisco where the weather’s perfect.
Doh!

ps: can anybody tell me if my ticket will be good when this game is re-scheduled?
Pete, Jay, Ding - you guys still in?

ps ps: A soccer note. My brother Grog and wife Yvonne are buddies with Jesse and Kim Marsch. Jesse is the ex Chicago Fire midfielder traded to Chivas USA, and really a truly good guy.
Grog called to tell me Chivas is playing the LA Galaxy Thursday on ESPN 2.
And Jesse's gonna be lined up against this guy Beckam.

School him, Jesse.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

He was out.

The announcers said the Cubs caught a break, the TRIB said he was safe, Lou said the ump made the right call, LaRussa said it didn't matter since they lost by more than one run, and the ump said "OUT!".
The ump's the one that matters.
But that's two games in a row where old Tony yells at the umps, and if you think his yelling doesn't have an effect then, well...you haven't watched Mr. LaRussa's magic work over the years.
I'll bet the Cards get some kind of break tonight.
But I gotta go back to '03, when Moises Alou hit that rocket down the left field line (go here) and it kicked up that cloud of "paint" or whatever that stuff is, which meant it hit the line, which meant it was fair.
And the umps called it foul.
Maybe this finally makes up for it.
Because if Albert Pujols is safe, then it's 5-3 with one out and Encarnacion, I think, in scoring position.
That's pretty huge - pretty different then 5-2 with two outs.
But the day belonged to Daryle Ward, who not only hit the grand salami but also didn't make a mistake in right field, and he had his chances.
So, Milwaukee (funny how everybody just forgot about the Brewers) won, but the Cubs stay in first place, a half game in front.
I'll be at Wrigley to see newly signed Carlos Zambrano tonight, even though it's freaking pouring right now.
Go Cubs.

An Apology to Jacque Jones

Come on.
He almost single handedly beat the Cardinals yesterday.
He's basically been amazing since the all-star break.
So, I wanted to write Jacque Jones a letter of apology.
How?
I Googled "apology" and...
there’s a whole website dedicated to writing apology letters!
Check it out here.
They’re trying to sell apology-writing software of course, but they have 6 free tips right up front:

1) Write your apology letter carefully on a piece of stationery; don’t type it on a computer.
2) Express your apology in the beginning of the letter: “I am so sorry…” or “I want to apologize…”
3) State exactly what you did wrong early in the apology letter: “I shouldn’t have lost my temper when…” or “I have looked all over, but I’m afraid I have lost your book…”
4) Accept responsibility for what you did and don’t blame the other person: “I accept full responsibility for what happened…” or “I know this was completely my fault…”
5) Promise in your apology not to repeat your offensive action and ask the injured party to give you an opportunity to prove this to them.
6) Suggest that the two of you get together at a restaurant or some other non-threatening place so that you can apologize in person and begin to rebuild your relationship.

Okay, so here it is.
Feel free to copy this onto your hard drive, print it out and fill in the blanks.
And send it to Mr. Jones.
He deserves it.

Wrumble At Wrigley

I was leaving work last night around 9-ish, driving out the garage at the Aon Center. The Fairmont Hotel is right next door.
There were Cardinal fans getting out of a cab, carrying pressed Cardinal jerseys, and it hit me.
Oh.
They’re here.
They’re here and it’s August and the games that happen this weekend will probably define the season for each team.
The Cubs are a big man down, and the Cardinals are hot.
I went to the loss (to the Reds) on Tuesday, and there was a dad and his son behind me.
The dad was one of those guys who knows everything, and he was making comments about the game the entire time.
But towards the end when there was still hope, Jason Kendall came up.
The kid goes, “HIT A HOMER, KENDALL!”
Then the dad corrects, “Wellll, he’s not really a home run hitter, son.”
And the kid speaks up, “So what? Why can’t he hit one out right now?”
Of course Kendall didn’t, but I liked the kids spirit.
Yeah, the Cubs are missing Soriano and the Cards are all hot and they’ve got the emotion going with the Ankiel thing, but…so what?
It’s the Cardinals, it’s August, and the games really really matter.
As Lou said, August is when the men are separated from the boys.
I say: hit one out, Kendall.