Cubby-Blue

No Threes for Cub Fans until...

That's right, Cub Fans.
I'm asking you to make a semi-supreme sacrifice today and refuse anything that has to do with the number 3.
There's just some kind of bad karma thing about that numeral.
Maybe if we stay away from it, even just til 2:20 today, the Cubs will finally win 3 in a row.
So...nothing with threes.
Like, even if it's past noon you not only must you stop at beer #2, but it cannot even be a beer from Three Floyds.
And that's a big ouch, because a cold Alpha King is one fabulous brew.
You go golfing, you gotta skip the third hole and stay away from the par threes.
Reading something to the kiddies?
No Three Little Pigs, no Three Blind Mice.
Actually, you could make that two and that should be fine.
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life as two blind mice?
Me neither.
Goldilocks?
She only gets to choose between the too-cold and the too-hot porridge, because the third bear isn't there.
You can listen to 2 Doors Down, 2 Dog Night, and 2nd Eye Blind.
3 Mile Island?
Never happened.
Reading, riting and rithmetic?
Pick any 2.
No Pep Boys, no Musketeers, and worst of all no Stooges.

Come ON, Cubs.
You get the three today. 

Oh, and by the way, it's Matt Garza against Astro rookie Jordan Lyles who's zero and 5.
His debut was against the Cubs in May, and he gave up just 5 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings.
The Cubs were up 3-1 in the 9th and gave up 6 runs.
Soooo...there's that.

What about Jeff Samardjiza?

Jeff Samardjiza.
What do we think?
It seems like... has he kinda come around?
Maybe found himself a position in the middle relief area somewhere?
Maybe there's something to the not switching him back and forth from starter to mop-up guy like they did before. 

Last night he went in for exactly 3 guys and got 3 outs: 1 of them a pesky Hunter Pence pop up to 3rd, 2 of them strikeouts, one of which was Carlos Lee.
I mean, overall considering the large contract right out of college, he's been a huge disappointment, right? 
Well, that $10 mil, 5 year contract is about to expire unless they exercise options:
"His deal includes a $2.5 million signing bonus and the Cubs hold options for a sixth and seventh seasons in 2012 and 2013. If the options are exercised, the deal would be worth $16.5 million over seven years."

Hmm... should they exercise?

Lets look around on ESPN's stats. 

So far this year, he's pitched about the same number of innings he pitched the last two (sad) years.

Lets keep looking at whole pages of stats, so you can see where he ranks in different stuff.

Like innings:

Did you know he was 3rd in the NL in innings?
I had no idea.
He's obviously got a way more important role on the team now. 

What about ERA?


Not the best thing to judge a reliever by - there are a ton of guys in front of him that have only a couple innings. Hey look - he's tied with Sergio Mitre and better than Kerry Wood?

Okay, what about strike-outs?

Number 8. Not bad. Just one behind Marmol.
There's Sean Marshall down there at 13, too.

What about WHIP?

108th?
Remember, he's got way more innings than most of these guys, but uh, not so good.
Wonder why?
Hits? 

Oops.
Numero eighteen with 41 hits given up.
But still, that's just 1 more hit than bearded superstar closer Brian Wilson.
SO glad the Cubs got rid of Aaron Heilman, right?
Too bad there's still "CHC" after J Grabow's name, though.

Uh oh, think I found the bad thing. 

He has walked 34 dudes.
The number one BB ranking in the NL, Jeff Samardzija.
That's horrible, but still...

I really had to look at all this stuff for myself, because before I did I was gonna say hell yes, keep the guy.
That opinion was based on just watching this season.
Of course, if this season was say, geography class in 7th grade, I still wouldn't know the capital of New Hampshire.
But I watch a bit, and my gut would say he's definitely getting better.
The stats show he's still lacking control.

What do you guys think?
If that little quote up there is still true, then it's $6.5 mil for 2 more years of Samardzija.
Is he worth it?

 

ps: Uh, I still don't know the capital of New Hampshire.

HEY! Anyone know where I can get Cubs/Astros tix?

Hahahaha!

Just kidding.
Got 'em.
Anybody want to buy 'em?

This is even worse than the Cubs/Royals series.
It's the gutter, the bottom of the bottom, the lowest of the low.
Major League Baseball's Ass Crust.
But you know what?
It's our ass crust, and I choose to embrace it.

Presenting the Chicago Cubs vs the I Hate The Houston Astros, two teams with a combined 72 wins and 125 losses between them.
Carlos Zambrano vs 2nd year Astro Bud Norris, two pitchers with AHHHH! LOOK OUT MY WINDOW!

Maybe nothing's gonna happen at all today.

 

 

 

 

Photos. Gorgeous night at Wrigley Field. Except for the score.

This was maybe the 5th or 6th, I went down for a bison dog. Came back and this sky was up the stairs.

Then, this.

Kinda gorgeous sometimes, Wrigley Field.

This game started out with major Cubs smackage - Reed's single, Castro's homer (below), Aramis' double and Baker's line drive out were seriously loud and solid. Lee seemed sort of humanly hittable.
Then the rest of the game happened.
A pretty good game to watch but you know... Reed Johnson left standing on third base in the bottom of the 2nd and 5th, and again all alone on second in the bottom of the 7th.
That's 3 runs - woulda made Chase Utley and Michael Martinez' double RBI doubles moot, and maybe Matt Garza goes home with a well-deserved win over Lee rather than a bunch a nothin'.

I scrammed when Sean Marsall gives up the lead.

But this is far more distessing:
Storms freak me out any more, and I wake up at 3 last night with the lightning and thunder and now I can't sleep 'cause I'm listening for the "train" (they used to say you heard a train when a tornado was coming).
I wake up late, don't make coffee, shower and drive.
I park at Grant Park garage, walk about halfway across Randolph street when I realize I forgot to put on a belt.
Why do I realize this?
Because my freaking shorts are falling down.

So, you know, they're not really gonna fall down, but I'm going to be hitching about every 30 steps if I walk anywhere.
So I'm pretty much gonna sit here today.

Anybody from the office reads this, please schedule your meetings in my place, okay? 

The rest of the photos:

 Castro homers.

Garza was Great.

Baker was just ready to go all night long.

When Ryan Howard stands up there and holds his bat out like this, it's worse than Jason popping out of a closet with the hockey mask and that big knife. 
Seriously.
Look at that guy.

Missed opportunities for Reed Johnson, who went 3 for 5 with one scored.
Shoulda been 3.

It's Rodrigo Lopez Night at Wrigley Field! Wait. What?

 

You know, not paying too much attention lately, what can I say?
So outside my office I hear, "Guess what tonight is?"
Other guy goes, "What?"
"It's Rodrigo Lopez against Roy Halladay AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
I even joined in the laugh there.
I mean, come on.
Old hack 35 year old vs the guy who just started the All Star game?

Yeah, that guy.

3 Phillies up 3 Phillies down in the first.
2 Cubs down and Aramis Ramirez hits one dang near 400 feet.
Rodrigo 1 Halladay zeero.
3 Phils up 3 down in the 2nd and 3rd.
Lopez is dazzling with the 74 mph breaking stuff!
Then he hits a single off Halladay, Fukudome walks, Castro singles and the bases are loaded against Roy Halladay with nobody out?
I'm totally cracking another cold one.
Ramirez and Pena manage to knock in 2.
Rodrigo 3 Halladay nothin.
Jimmy Rollins hits one out, but Rodrigo the Honey Badger don't care.
'Cause that was it for Philly.
Pena hits his 250th homer later in the game, Carlos Marmol has another annoying attack of wild after getting 2 outs, but suddenly all the people on tv are singing go Cubs go.

Halladay, by the way, left with heat exhaustion after 4 innings and 69 pitches.
Hey man, if you stand in the kitchen and it's really hot or something, uh... get outta there or whatever.

Tonight it's Matt Garza against Cliff Freaking Lee.
I'll be out there, you know, in the kitchen, as they say.