Cubby-Blue

Schwarber's ALCS Grand Slam!

Sorry no time to write, but we GOTTA acknowledge Kyle Schwarber's massive bomb into the right field bleachers last night.
A grand freaking slam!
It was Boston's 3rd (THIRD) salami in this ALCS, a record for a post season series. 
The Red Sox creamed the Astros 12-3, went up 2 games to 1 in the ALCS, and it was a most pleasurable thing to watch.
There are 2 more in Boston, tonight at 7:08 (Chi Time), and tomorrow at 4:08.
Be nice to wrap that up Thursday afternoon.

Also, the Cubs hired a GM!
Guy named Carter Hawkins, from Cleveland.
Pretty sure Jed said, "Thank GOD! You take the questions until we're competitive again, okay?"

Lastly, Charlie thanks so much for sending that pic this morning.
Inspired this inky splatter drawing! 

Aaron Rodgers beats the Bears, and Chicago, again.

Aaron Rodgers.
For like the millionth time, he came to Chicago and knocked the windy out of the city.
I've said here before that actually, I do not hate this guy like I do the Packers. 
His talent is undeniable.
He represents everything the Bears are not, which mostly is that talent.
At quarterback.
And for most of my lifetime, Rodgers is just a repeat of another Green Bay quarterback.
Who beats the Bears over and over again.
This time, however, in the course of beating the Bears again, Rodgers dropped back to about the 15, pump faked, decided to run and carried the ball into the corner of the end zone where Eddie Jackson uselessly pushed him down, which, in keeping with the rest of the game, I thought for SURE would be a penalty. 
It wasn't.
Instead, Rodgers got up, did his buckle thing, and then this happened:

What came out next was, "“All my f#cking life, I own you. I own you. I still own you."
Full throated.
I'm sure you've seen it by now.
Which prompted me to play around with photoshop.

No, I don't want to see him seriously injured.
Just having what little fun a Bears fan with photoshop can possibly have when Rodgers beats the Bears again.

What else?
Did you stay up to watch the Atlanta Braves take their second straight from the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Corey Seager homers with Betts on in the first.
2-zip Dodgers.
Joc Pederson hits a 454-footer off Max Scherzer to tie the game at 2 in the 4th.
Chris Taylor doubles in the top of the 7th, knocking in Mookie and Will Smith, Dodgers up by 2.
Bottom of the 8th was just nuts, and by that I mean balls.
Eddie Rosario's on 2nd after singling and a Freddie Freeman fly ball.
Ozzie Albies hits a shallow bouncer to right, Freeman gets waved around (this is the balls part) by 3rd base coach and ex-Texas manager Ron Washington and touches home with his hand clearly on camera by about an inch.
In all that excitement, Albies forgets to take 2nd.
But then Austin Riley hits one over Mookie's head in center, and Albies has to hoof it all the way around third (where he's waved around again by Washington) and arrive at home the same time as the ball, but the throw's a hair off and bounces out of Smith's glove.
Both these runs (off Julio Urias) could easily have been outs and Mr. Washington the wrong kind of goat.
Instead, he's just fearless.
And in the bottom of the 9th with Dansby Swanson on 2nd, Rosario hits a miracle single up the middle that Kenley Jansen just missed, then bounced off Seager's glove and into center.
Swanson comes around, touches home and keeps running into the huge celebration.
Braves 5 Dodgers 4.
Kinda awesome.

AND, the Chicago Sky and Candace Parker beat the Phoenix Mercury for the Sky's first WNBA championship.
They're the best team in Chicago.

 


 

Kyle Schwarber is the Last Ex-Cub of 2021.

Kris Bryant's Giants lost game 5 to the Dodgers.
Anthony Rizzo's Yankees lost the wildcard to Schwarber's Red Sox.
I kinda think Craig Kimbrel may be a dirty word on the South Side, and he and Ryan Tepera's White Sox looked.. not real good against the Astros.
So of all the Post Season Playing Ex-Cubs, Kyle Schwarber is the last one standing.
At first base for the Red Sox, by the way.
(If you missed the game vs the Rays where he made an error early, and later in the game made a successful toss to a pitcher covering the bag resulting in a mini-celebration from Kyle on the field, watch it here because it's soooo awesome and funny.)
You know, he had that absolutely incredible June and won Player of the Month.
Then a hammie interrupts the streak.
He's an All-Star, but only gets to limp around and not play.
THEN he gets traded to the Red Sox at the deadline and now he's playing first, currently playoff-hitting .292 with a couple dingers.
That's a CRAZY head spinning season for him.
And now the Sox are down a game to the freaking Astros, who I would desperately like to see disappear.
Hear that, Boston?
DO YOUR JOB.
If they can take one in Houston tonight, that would be a good start.

The Dodgers won game 5 over the Giants by not starting a starter, but rather a lineup of astonishing pitching talent beginning with Corey Knebel, ending with Max Scherzer, and then Julio Urias going 4 in the middle there along with a couple other guys going 1. 
6 pitchers striking out 13, giving up 6 hits and one run over 9.
The Giants on the other hand started with a starter, 24 year old Logan Webb, who goes 7 innings and gives up just 4 hits and 1 run.
Against the stacked Dodgers, that's incredible.
Such a great performance and I was heartbroken when Bellinger knocked in Turner for the winning run in the top of the 9th.
KB went 2 for 4 and got HOSED by an erratic home plate ump Doug Eddings.
Whatever.
Dodgers 2 Giants 1.

And now it'll be Dodgers vs Braves starting tonight.
Joc Pederson is still playing for the Braves, but I kinda think of him as just having a cup of coffee with the Cubs.
And while it would be nice if the Braves could somehow beat Los Angeles, I just kinda doubt it.

But overall you watch these games and imagine how far the Cubs need to come to be competitive in that world again.
Miles.

Oh well.
In the meantime, I'll watch these games and paint.
Here's a couple...
The Green Mill is where the Cool Cats hang out.


And if you hadn't noticed, this is the most irritating month because EVERYTHING IS PUMPKIN.


Have a great weekend and Go Kyle Schwarber!

Schwarber's dinger off Cole. History repeats...

No time to write, but surely you remember that massive shot Kyle Schwarber hit off Gerrit Cole in the '15 NL Wild Card in Pittsburgh. 
So happy for Kyle.