Cubby-Blue

Say It Out Loud: Cubs Are NL Central Champs

Yep, young Rich Hill, Sean Marshall and Scotty Eyre looked really sharp in the 4-nothin' win against a toothless Reds team yesterday.
Yep, young Mr. Murton and Mr. Cedeno hit homers off serious tough guy Aaron Harang.
Yep, it would be nice to get the possible 86th win today.
But...just say this out loud: The 2007 National League Central Division Champion Chicago Cubs.

I said it enough yesterday to annoy pretty much anyone around me.
It sounds so cool.
Try different ways, good for hours of amusement:
"Why, did you know the Cubs are the NL Central Division Champs of 2007?"
"Wonder who won the NL Central?"
"GUESS WHAT? The Cubs won the NL Central! They're going to the playoffs!"

We won't know who the Cubs will play until the NL East is decided, and it's pretty wacky out there.
But anyway, did you know the Cubs won the NL Central?
Yeah, it's true.
They're going to the playoffs.

Your 2007 NL Central Division Champion Cubs

Wow.
After this last week, this clinching thing came sort of...suddenly.
I woke up all angsty about the Sweep By The Fish, then driving home I heard Fonsie's leadoff homer, then I watched Carlos Zambrano mow down the Reds, then the Brewer/Pods game was on ESPN, then...they lost and the announcers said that the Cubs have...clinched?
I flipped channels and there were the Cubs.
It was the middle of some crazy party, with CSN's Gail Fischer's hair soaking up air-champagne like a mop as she spoke to Ted Lilly, and Brenly spoke to The Riot and Fonsie and...everybody.
I'm still in shock sort of.
I mean, Thursday night the world was collapsing, wasn't it?
I'm such an idiot...of COURSE this was about to happen.
THEY CLINCHED!
And at the end, Gail Fischer finally got Lou Piniella on camera.
"When we win at Wrigley and those fans start singing "Go Cubs Go", I get tears in my eyes. I really do." he said.
And lucky no one was in the room, cause that worked like "Brian's Song" on me, dude.
I might be dad, but I got tears in my eyes.
I really did.

It's the Worst Nightmare Ever

I am so trying to keep it together.
Isn't Florida in the Bermuda Triangle or something?
That's probably it, because that was not the Cubs for the last three days.
That was just a nightmare.
WAAAAAAKKKKEEEEEE UUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!

A Sudden Change In Cabin Pressure

I’ve always wondered what it would feel like if those oxygen things popped out of the ceiling on a plane.
Then last night happened and well, now I know.
It feels like panic and dread.
Like we’re all goin’ down.
But I woke up this morning, had a cuppa joe, and remembered who the pilot is.
Why, that’s Lou Piniella flying this bird!
So we hit a little turbulence in Florida – there’s always a freaking storm down there.
Doesn’t matter what place they’re in, the Fish have always given the Cubs a bad time, so while this is unfortunate, it’s not that unexpected.
And the Brewers losing to about half the Cardinals?
That’s waay worse for them, dude.
So Buck UP, Cub fans.
Do not talk to me of panic today.

Okay Cubs 4 Marlins 7, Brewers 3 Cards 7, magic number is now 3.
Today’s another day, and we’ve got Steve Trachsel on the mound this evening…
Hey wait, was that noise from the…
JESUS – WAS THAT THE ENGINE???!!!

(Phil Rogers, I painted this way before I read your “Turbulence” article which, as usual, I enjoyed. But the painting dovetails nicely don’t you think?)

Soto: The Gift Behind Home Plate

You know how when somebody hits a smash to third and the third baseman might even flinch or look away but somehow fields the ball, and you know it’s all luck?
A gift.
If you’re the one watching that happen, you’d say, “Look what I found!” – it literally means the guy had no idea he was gonna make the play and poof! There’s the ball, in his glove.
You learn that saying in Little League.
Well, that’s what happened when the Cubs brought up Geovany Soto.
Because Geovany Soto is the biggest gift I’ve ever seen the Cubs get.
Yeah, he came from the minors and had a spectacular year down there, but I never saw any of that.
I was just watching the Cubs one day and Len or Bob or somebody said, “…and here’s Geovany Soto at the plate.”
And he got a hit.
And then he got another one.
And he threw a out a would-be stealer.
To me, he dropped out of the sky and just…took the catcher position.
Look what I found, man.

Okay, about last night’s miserable 2-4 loss to the Marlins.
I knew that was gonna happen.
Yesterday morning, I was less than 10 seconds from where I park for work, going through that intersection at Stetson and Southwater – it’s sort of underground and there’s all the ramps going up to Columbus?
So I stop at my stop sign and I’m going through the intersection when suddenly this Saturn blasts through without stopping at their stop sign.
I slam on my breaks but it’s too late and Saturn just barely hits me (although she was going way faster than I since she didn’t stop, so it was a jolt).
When I got out of the car, there in the middle of the intersection was my poor license plate with the Chicago Cub frame, all mashed.
Bad sign?
You bet.
And it was really busy so I didn’t have time to get a new one.
But I will this morning, so you know...don’t worry.