Cubby-Blue

Cub Fan DNA: The Worry Gene

I was in my office working like 10 dogs when Olson came in.

"Did you hear about LIlly?", he asks?

I go, "No."

He says, "Shoulder surgery."

I look up from my computer and wonder if I'm gonna need to throw up.

"They say it's all good." he says. Then adds: "But that's what they said about Prior."

All my nerve endings go off the charts and I become irrational, partly insane.

Danger Will Robinson, my breath has grown hair. 

Of course that's what they said about Prior, of course they're gonna say that about Terrible Ted. What do you think they're gonna say? Why do we immediately go to the worst possible scenario every freaking time we hear something like this?

Well, it's in our DNA. 

No Cub fan reading this blog is old enough not to have had this particular type of Worry DNA magically and horrifically transported into their body. It comes with the territory. It comes with your Cub hat and your "Left Field Sucks" t-shirt. It's reinforced every time you hear the replay of Ron Santo howl when Brant Brown dropped that fly. Or when you see a black cat or go have a doublacheez at the Billygoat. 

I sometimes think we choose to revel in it. Because we have no choice.

Today you read that Reed Johnson and Rich Harden filed for free agency.

Okay so they're both gone, right?

Well, hang on a minute.

I'm not gonna just fall for it. I'm recognizing it for what it is: my own hysterical worry gene.

And I'm here to tell you Terrible Ted will be fine. Probably this surgery makes him stronger and his Cub career goes longer. 

Wow.

That actually feels better.

Crazy.

ps: Think I told you it's really really busy, and will continue to be thru the rest of the year. But be patient. I'm not going anywhere.

AJ Burnett: short rest equals 6 earned runs

Well, sometimes you win. Sometimes you give up 6 earned runs in a couple innings.

I'm certain there will be angst in NY today, with Joe Girardi's decision to go with Burnett on short rest not panning out a day after it worked pretty well with CC Sabathia. Last night the Phillies smacked Yankee pitching around and won 8-6. 

So the thinking goes, I think, like so: The Yankees were probably gonna lose to Cliff Lee anyway. Had Girardi let Burnett rest and started Gaudin, then Burnett woulda been rested and shut down the Phillies in game 6 for the WS title. Now Joe's looking at starting Andy Pettitte in game 6 on short rest and Andy's no spring chicken.  

It's kinda nice, thinking of Yankee fans experiencing angst.

But I'll tell you what, the Yankee bats just look too scary, and I thought the Phillies and Ryan Madsen were pretty lucky in the 9th. 

Wednesday it'll be crafty veteran and old man judo-flipper Pedro Martinez for the Phils.

Until he gets off the mound, I hate to say it but I'm pulling for the Yanks.

Last thing - Chase Utley. There ain't no bigger place to state your case for superstardom and future HOF consideration than right here. He's 6'1" and a hundred and ninety pounds and smacking World Series homers like they're nothin'. Man oh maaaan. 

And another last thing - this is a shot of the moon over Lake Michigan out my office window last night. I'm one who believes weird stuff happens during a full moon. Probably AJ Burnett does now too.

Johnny Damon totally pantsed Pedro Feliz.

Yeah, I know the shift was on and a steal there is a weird play for Pedro Feliz, but when Johnny Damon took off for 3rd, Pedro was left with his pants down for the entire nation to see. Luckily, Joe Buck was there to explain that Pedro was trying to "fake" Damon out. (huh?)

This was really a pretty good game to watch, and I actually thought Feliz was gonna be one of the heroes of a Phillie W, but man did that ever not happen.

Yankees break the 4-4 tie in the 9th and win 7-4, Brad Lidge is probably a shell of a human today, Mariano Rivera FREAKS ME OUT he's still so good, and the Yankees? Well, those guys are seriously talented and professional as it gets. 

Tonight it's a rested Cliff Lee vs. AJ Burnett on 3 days rest. My money's on Lee, but even a W here can't really change the Yank momentum, you think?

Well Cubs. Is it "fall back" or "spring forward"?

For sure we'll have to re-visit this idea come Spring. But right now, how's it feeling, Cub fans?

First off, there's the new ownership that's got me feeling very good.

But then there's this World Series going on. One can't help but look at the Phillies and the Yankees and then compare with the home team here on Chicago's North Side. 

Surely the Cubs won't suffer the same devastating series of injuries next year, and the epidemic of career lows - that can't happen again in 2010, right? But even if it doesn't, just look at the lineups playing October baseball. D. Lee would have a hard time unseating Mark Teixeira. Aramis? Well, if they didn't allow steroid guys to play, he could probably start. Theriot, Geo, Alfonso, Milton, Kosuke, Fontenot or Baker? Don't think so. 

Pitching's another matter and while there is no Cub right now who looks like Cliff Lee, pitching's kind of a moving target, you know? Like, Cliff Lee - did he look that good in July? I don't know. Cole Hamels sure ain't the same guy he was last year. Big Z, his skill level seems to go up and down a lot during the season. And Rich Harden, if you catch him on a good day he's pretty awesome. But the bad days are...bad. Ted Lilly's waaay the most consistent thru the season (GET HIM A NEW CONTRACT NOW, PLEASE). Ryan Dempster and young stud Randy Wells seem pretty even-keeled, at least last year. 

Well, one thing is certain and that is baseball is a team sport. The whole chemistry thing was shot to hell last season. But once Milton scrams, I figure there's a great base of guys in Chicago and that team concept might come back into focus a little more. I used to listen to guys I thought were smart baseball people and when they said team chemistry is over-rated, I used to believe them.

Not any more.

Any more, I think team chemistry is more like a 10th guy or something. 

So here's hoping that next year the Cubs have that chemistry mojo, and they get back on track. Because the other thing about getting all depressed as I compare lineups to the WS teams is that if the Cubs can just get in the freaking door, it boils down to who's hot and who's not right then. 

Okay, the series. 

Tonight'll be interesting with the 3 day rest thing for CC Sabathia. Personally, I think a rested guy is better than a 3-day rested guy. But if you read the NEW YORK TIMES, you'll see the rested guy is Chad Gaudin. So I completely understand Girardi going this way, even if Sabathia looked kinda not hot last time out.

Okay, if you haven't yet - TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK AN HOUR.

And here's the mask my daughter made to wear to something called "Freak Fest" in Madison. I believe it's made of a couple paper plates, a couple paper cups, and a Coke can. She likes that "Day of the Dead" thing. Me too.