Cubby-Blue

Lou Goes Loullistic, So Do I

Well.
That wasn't good.
If you were watching, you probably got even madder when the replay showed DeRo was out.
I know I did.
So I did this drawing in a flurry right after, pretty much what I felt like.
Then, I convinced my wife Kim to go to see "The Dark Knight" so I could forget the whole thing.
Good movie.
Soon as it ended, I looked at her and said, "DAMmit."
She knew I wasn't talking about Heath Ledger.
That play at first was kind of...emotional.
I have a new-found love and respect for Mr. Sinatro and his talents as first base coach.
I do not believe I have ever seen a man thrown out of a game as quickly as he was today: bravo.
I was SO glad to see Lou finally go LOU on somebody, and it might as well be that jag ump with the long hair and dickhead smirk.
All for a loss, but hopefully Lou's Lou-ness lit a fire under this suddenly meandering team.
Harden looked fabulous, Marshall looked fabulous, Johnson and DeRo looked fab in the field...what can you say?
Well, how's this:
IF THE CUBS CAN'T HIT THE FREAKING MARLINS IN FREAKING JULY, HOW ARE THEY GONNA FREAKING HIT BOSTON IN FREAKING OCTOBER?

11 Men Left On Base! Call The Exterminator!

See this part of the line-up?
Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Kosuke Fukudome, Geovany Soto?
Those guys should all be exterminators - the guys we depend on to get rid of our little Men Left On Base problem.
All of them combined yesterday for one RBI, from Soto.
Add in Soriano and DeRo (didn't play yesterday), and they should be a fearsome group of exterminators.
This is a gigantic, enormous, huge part of the season coming up, these next 6 games.
I would like to see these bats begin to smack the ball around like we all know they can.
It would be nice to go into the bottom top of the 7th with ohhh - a 5 run lead, so the pressure on the bullpen dissipates some.
Sounds so easy when I type it.
Apparently, Florida doesn't have anybody on their pitching staff who doesn't throw 95.
Anyway, Dempster was good as usual, Jeff Samardzija threw one to the backstop but otherwise I thought was surprisingly impressive, failure with the bats and a bad pitch from Howry, Cubs 2 Fish 3.

Today it's Rich Harden on what looks like a perfect day.
I like that Lou's treating him with kid gloves, I hope he goes 5 and the Cubs are up and the bullpen hangs on - Marmol should be avail today.
W please.

Kerry Wood's Blister Speaks

The blister on Kerry Wood's index finger has spoken, and unfortunately we'll all have to listen.
It's sort of the Alexander Haig of blisters.
Remember him?
Former Secretary of State who, upon finding out that President Reagan had been shot and was in the hospital, exclaimed to the Nation: "I am in control here."
Scary guy.
So Kerry went on the DL yesterday, and his blister is now in control.
Because obviously the rest of the bullpen has lost theirs.
What should have been an enormously fun game to watch turned into the worst stomach-churner of the year.
Carlos Zambrano looked pretty Carlos-like (the good Carlos) both on the mound and with his bat, hitting a double for a ribby.
Soto got a rest and Henry Blanco hit a homer in his place, Cedeno hit one out, and maybe the most encouraging was Aramis coming thru in the clutch with a 2-run double that might have been more if D. Lee hadn't slid past the plate and gotten the late tag.
But when Carlos left and it was up to the bullpen, you could hear Kerry Wood's blister speak up.
There is a cadence to the bullpen that is just off without Kerry, and it affects the whole shebang.
Chad Gaudin let 2 guys get on (yank!), Neal Cotts with the 4 straight balls (yank!), Bob Howry gets an out but has (I think it was) ex-Cub Luis Gonzalez absolutely smack the snot out of the ball to right center, and Mark DeRosa made the game-saving play, perhaps the best catch of his outfield career to limit the damage to only one run.
Howry (yank!).
Marmol comes in and gets the last out of the 8th with a strikeout, but then came the 9th.
And this is the part we're really gonna have to get used to for this series.
3 walks, bases loaded.
Turn off tv.
Pour scotch.
Let the dogs out.
Turn on tv.
2 outs, nobody has scored.
Turn off tv.
Look at scotch bottle.
Make bowl of ice cream.
Turn on tv.
Cubs win 6-3.
But the blister had spoken, and his words gave me the fear.

I just saw that the Cubs have called up Jeff Samardzija.
For the closer role?
The blister is still speaking, guys.

Reed Johnson has Radar

Seriously.
That guy gets a jump on the ball like nobody else.
Plus, a little pop now and then.
With the Grandest Pop last night in the 8th against the Snakes in AZ, and the Cubs win 10-6.
It was so nice last night I fell asleep in the back yard, probably around the 3rd (been working too much).
Cubs were still losing.
Missed all the good stuff except for D. Lee's homer in the first.
Pretty much everybody got a hit (even winning pitcher Ted Lilly, who then stole third) so I guess the bats woke up a little bit.
Alfonso Soriano is back, which changes the dynamic of the line-up, and I'm glad for the change.
But Johnson went 3 for 4, scored twice and drove in 4.
Nice.

The other night, Len and Bob asked what was the most exciting play of the year so far, and you could text in your answer. Can't remember all of them, but I texted in The Catch by Speedy Reedy.
Pretty sure that play won.
And I figure whatever goes on in his mind must include a little radar.

The Cubs are home vs. the Marlins this weekend.
Tonight we got 6'5" 255 pound Mr. Z on the mound against 6'5" 215 pounder Scott Olsen the lefty.
With Milwaukee and their fearsome current mojo up next, the Cubs need conjure up some of their own, or we're talking about the wild card by next weekend.
So no sleeping with the Fish, guys.
May the revolting slumber of the Cub Bats finally be OVER!

Cubs: Lose Your Label

Not gonna talk specifically about the sucky game last night.
This is worse.
This Can't-Win-On-The-Road label they've developed.
You get that in your head and it will mess with you the entire year.
Conversely, the Can't-Lose-At-Home label isn't the best either.
The example would be early playoff game in Chicago and they lose.
It's like Sampson: you just got all your hair cut off.

I can live with the winning at home thing, but if they don't figure out a way to start winning on the road, that tag will haunt and headline all freaking year.

Hey, am I crazy or did Reed Johnson grow a fu manchu overnight?
I saw it Monday night and couldn't think of a funny drawing for it, but I swear he grew that thing in about 24 hours.
I've been trying to grow sideburns for thirty years.
Not fair, man.