Cubby-Blue

Harden: Don't let him get this nickname

I just hope these failure themes don't keep repeating:
Great pitching, bullpen failure.
Great pitching, bat failure.
If they do, it'll be "Hard Luck Harden" for our new stud, Rich.
He looked unbeatable last night while Randy Johnson seemed to be getting smacked around.
Problem was none of the smacks fell anywhere but D-back centerfielder Chris Young's glove.
Cubs shut out zero to 2 in Arizona.
Brewers beat the Cards 6-3 in 10 innings, scoring 3 in the 10th.
So, both teams are now 2 1/2 behind the feast or famine Cubs.

Went to dinner last night at one of those places stuck in a sort of Twilight Zonish time.
Sabatino's on Irving.
They had this violin player with the worst haircut ever backed up by a guy with an acoustic guitar and a broken foot limping around from table to table.
"Are you celebrating a special event this evening?" Bad Hair asked.
Like clowns, restaurant musicians ALWAYS give me the fear.
"No." followed by nervous laughter from me.
"Well then, here's one you'll certainly like." he said.
And they began playing "Take me out to the ballgame."
Forgot I was wearing my Cub hat.
So it was kinda awkward, but after a bit everybody started laughing.
Bad Hair louder than anybody when I slipped him the fiver.
Okay, tonight it's Jason Marquis against Yusmeiro Alberto Petit, who's photo vaguely resembles Bad Hair in his younger days.
Go Cubs.

I hope Carlos Lee gets stung by a bee

Redundant?
You bet.
But, I don't care because...
I hate the Astros.
Hooray for the bats doing what they should have been doing the last couple days.
Mike Fontenot is in the middle of his yearly hot streak.
This from the Trib: "Fontenot is hitting .361 in July with four home runs and nine RBIs in only 36 at-bats. That is reminiscent of his hot streak of June 2007, when he hit .397 with three homers and 15 RBIs."
Pretty spectacularly, Dempster wins on the road finally, shutting out the Astros for 8 with a little over 100 pitches.
And Carlos Marmol closes it out.
Cubs 9 Astros Absolutely Nothing.
Lotta stuff going on right now.
The rotten news, and I've had a bad feeling about this for a bit, is Kerry Wood going to the DL for a blister.
That has got to be one mutha of a blister.
Marmol will close til he's back.
Alfonso Soriano is going to Phoenix for a rehab assignment that, of course, he doesn't feel he needs.
But I think we're all happy he's doing it, and I CANNOT WAIT FOR HIS BAT TO GET OVER HERE!
Tonight late in Phoenix it's Rich Harden against ancient scarecrow Randy Johnson.
Not to get too far ahead, but in one week the Cubs will be in Milwaukee for a 4 game series I'm pretty sure will be "the most important series of the year."
Go Cubs.

I hope Carlos Lee gets stung by a bee

Redundant?
You bet.
But, I don't care because...
I hate the Astros.
Hooray for the bats doing what they should have been doing the last couple days.
Mike Fontenot is in the middle of his yearly hot streak.
This from the Trib: "Fontenot is hitting .361 in July with four home runs and nine RBIs in only 36 at-bats. That is reminiscent of his hot streak of June 2007, when he hit .397 with three homers and 15 RBIs."
Pretty spectacularly, Dempster wins on the road finally, shutting out the Astros for 8 with a little over 100 pitches.
And Carlos Marmol closes it out.
Cubs 9 Astros Absolutely Nothing.
Lotta stuff going on right now.
The rotten news, and I've had a bad feeling about this for a bit, is Kerry Wood going to the DL for a blister.
That has got to be one mutha of a blister.
Marmol will close til he's back.
Alfonso Soriano is going to Phoenix for a rehab assignment that, of course, he doesn't feel he needs.
But I think we're all happy he's doing it, and I CANNOT WAIT FOR HIS BAT TO GET OVER HERE!
Tonight late in Phoenix it's Rich Harden against ancient scarecrow Randy Johnson.
Not to get too far ahead, but in one week the Cubs will be in Milwaukee for a 4 game series I'm pretty sure will be "the most important series of the year."
Go Cubs.

Venting

WAKE UP you STUpid BATS!

the cubs have scored jUST 2 STUpid RUNS in TWO GAMES against what WAS the 44-51 (NOW 46-51) AND 5TH PLACE ASTROS!.

WAKE UP you STUpid BATS!

the cubs have LOST 3 STRAIGHT while the CARDS ANd the BREWers have WON 4 AND 3, REEspectivulleeeUH. reSULtingUH. in 2 GAMES GAINED ON THE CUBS IN THE LAST 2 DAYS!

WAKE UP you STUpid BATS!

this MORNing I forGOT TO PUT THE STUpid POT UNder THE MAker and my FRESH COFfee POURED ALL OVER THE KITchen, my CAR is MAKING FUNNY NOISes, i have to WORK ALL WEEKend, YESTerDAY I LOST MY STUpid PARking RECEIPT so i had to PAY THE MAXimum, the CAT PEED ON THE RUG and in front of the JEWel a guy I'D NEVer seen before IN MY LIFE WEARING A STUPID BREWERS HAT said "HELLo" SO LOUD THAT I LOOKED AT HIM LIKE "WHAT, MAN?" AND HE LOOKED AT ME LIKE "WHAT, MAN?" BECAUSE HE WAS ACTUALLY TALKING ON HIS PHONE AND HAD NEVER SAID "HELLO" TO ME AT ALL SO THEN I FELT STUPID TOO!

SO JUST...WAKE UP
YOU STUPID BATS.

Cubs: Not Enough

On the annoyance scale, this was pretty much the old out-of-toilet-paper thing.
A little messy for sure, but nothing life changing.
One time at work I found myself in this exact situation.
Had to hold my pants and crab-hop secret agent style from one stall to the next, praying no one would walk in.
And now I've told everyone that happened, when in fact nobody knew.
I'm such a dolt.
But even if they had, it woulda just been some hallway laughter and that's it.
Well, maybe a new nickname.
"Stinky the Crab Man"... "Paperboy", I don't know.
Anyway, Ted Lilly looked pretty good until Carlos Lee homered so hard I spit beer, watching.
Earlier, Jimmy Edmonds inside-outed one out over the left field wall and giving the Cubs the lead.
Lee's shot had a bit more... purpose.
But it went to the 9th tied 1-1 with the Cubs mustering only 4 hits.
Then Howry, I thought he was gonna fool Tejada with the high heat 'cause that guy just can't resist, but Miguel connects for a double.
And young Hunter Pence, which is one letter away from "ponce" by the way (if you've never seen my 4th favorite movie of all time, "Withnail and I", well, then you haven't seen the perfumed boot scene where I first heard the word) hits the liner to left center that Edmonds fielded but just couldn't get enough mustard on to nail Miguel at home.
Astros 2 Cubs 1.
I'm cutting the Cubs a little slack for the All-Star game hangover.
But it's another road loss, and there is no excuse for the measly 4 hits against an old hack like Brian Moehler, .
Now WAKE up, bats: I command you.

See you at 6 tonight.