Cubby-Blue

Trying to be positive about the Cubs?

Back when I was doing Vine Line illustrations and the Cubs were legit-horrible... as the illustrator you're not allowed to focus on the horrible, right? Your client, Vine Line, wouldn't be happy with something funny about how bad everything is. So I'd have to do a "look over there" illustration. Like something from good Cubs history, or maybe tie the Cubs in with Mother's Day or something.
I don't mind doing that kinda stuff - been doing it on my own forEVER.
But right now the Cubs are so astonishingly awful I'm literally at this stage:

Historically bad.
Worse, it's boring.
The Cubs' tagline should be "3 Up 3 Down!"
Fingernails on a chalkboard while the watched pot never boils.
Everyone's been comparing the Cubs bats to like... there are pitching staffs with better numbers than Cub position player's.
But just look at the Cubs compared to the cream of the crop:

That's from yesterday's box scores of Cubs/Braves and Dodgers/Padres.
And btw, in a little more than 2 weeks the Dodgers will come to Wrigley.
Remember the old "beat the teams you're supposed to"?
Right now, the Cubs might only be the team you're supposed to beat.
And then there's stuff like... Joc Pederson.
Bases loaded, bottom of the 9th, a salami will win the game for the Cubs.
Strikes out.
Vs Kyle Schwarber, fresh off his Covid time out.
He hits a walkoff homer on the same night, only for the Nats.
It was just a minute ago that Pederson was the best hitter in spring ball...

You know all this I'm sure.

The Cubs won't be this bad forever.
I wasn't counting, but watching the Brewer series, did it not seem like their balls found holes while the Cubs found nothing but gloves?
In the bottom of the 7th last night, Ian Happ scorches a leadoff liner.
Only right into Ozuna's glove.
Then both Contreras and Rizzo single. 
If Happ's ball falls in, at least one run woulda been produced.
It just seems like that is happening ALL game long in every game.

Whatever.
It's about time for today's game.
Maybe they'll begin to claw out.

Andrew Chafin's Stache, Wrigley Field

If you're on any kind of social at all, you've seen SOMEthing about Andrew Chafin's mustache. 
And if you're not, you've still seen his fastball and slider command when he comes out of the pen to shut it down.
He's also got a sense of humor - I tweeted the above gif yesterday, and he re-tweeted it.
That was one of the few good things that happened Cubs-wise yesterday.
Have you looked at the schedule?
The Pirates are supposed to be the pushovers.
The team you're supposed to beat.
After this series, it's (probably not in this order because I'm writing from fearful memory): alot of Brewers and Braves, along with some Reds, Dodgers and Mets. 
That stretch will end on May 6th with a day off, and then the Pirates again.
I figure we'll know alot more about this team right about then.
Starting with today and seeing if Trevor Williams might keep the Pirates away from a 7-run inning. 

Okay just a few pics from my first trip to Wrigley in '21:

Social distance in the gift shop.


They put straps on the "closed" seats to keep people in their pods. I was a solo ticket so these were to each side of me.


The rules. Note that gaiter's aren't allowed. 


I didn't go to the concession stands - only used the vendors. No cash. And they don't accept the app - credit cards only. 


Oh that's right! NEVER get a dog from a vendor.


Happ and Heyward.


Pederson's home run trot. He hit that thing a mile.


Happ on base.


Got to see the real Kimbrel, and let me tell you he looks SOOOOO good.


Sogard's socks.


T shirt stands still working.


So weird with automatic guns around, but I guess that's the time we live in.

Anyway, as they say it was a beautiful day for a ballgame, only the outcome coulda been better.
I didn't get any shots of Kyle Hendricks, but he was back to his regular self.
I gotta say the 25% crowd is still very... subdued. There were a few moments where you felt electricity, like Pederson's homer, but overall a really different experience. You keep your mask on til you take a bite of a dog. You stay as far away from people as you can, which is difficult coming in and leaving. 
But still, I'll totally take it. 
And... Go Cubs! 

Hitting. Pitching. Defense. And the Cubs.

If you created a new comedy called The Three Stooges, and in the first couple episodes you noticed that Larry and Curly were REALLY funny, but Moe was sort of missing his cues and dragging the show down, you'd be pretty concerned. 
You might pull Moe aside and say, "Moe, be funny or heads will roll."

It's WAAAAY too early for that, but honestly that's in the back of your head, isn't it?
18 hits in 136 at bats is not what any Cub Fan wants to talk about right now.
So... let's not.
Because Larry and Curly have been so dang funny!
You've got to be pleasantly surprised at the pitching, and we all knew Cubs D was already awesome with the team Gold Glove from last year.
If you watched last night, Kris Bryant had a spectacular diving stop and throw to Anthony Rizzo.
But it was David Bote who astonished. He had 2 plays where you thought, "Man, everyone was talking about Nico Hoerner being the Gold Glove 2nd baseman..."
They were in a shift for the first one, Bote playing short right and fielded a grounder going full speed to the outfield and was able to turn and throw for the out.
Another without the shift - a grounder going over 2nd base that Bote, just to show off the repertoire, this time slid to smother and throw seemingly in one motion to nail Daniel Robertson.
And somewhere in there our awesome new broadcaster Boog Schiambi noted how good Anthony Rizzo is, because he is. So. Good.
The pitching.
Man.
That opener against Pittsburgh was about the ugliest Cubs pitching in forever with ELEVEN walks.
Plus, the Pirates are really not very good and they got 9 hits.
But since then, well... Jake looks like a new man. A little less powerful but the breaking stuff!
And then the New Guys.
I didn't really know what to expect but Zach Davies and Trevor Williams were effective and entertaining. 
Davies with the Hendricks' stuff only maybe a tad more oomph, and Williams with his Cub Fan dad in the stands could already be the feel good story of the year.
Looks like the Cubs got him right when he's finally completely healthy. 
Adbert Alzolay is gonna be somebody, and even though he got dinged up some last night I so look forward to watching him.

And now?
I gotta look at my checklist because in about 90 minutes I'm going to head down to Wrigley.
I'll be traveling tomorrow but look for many pictures coming soon.
The sun's out, it's already 656 and supposed to get up to 76 today with Kyle Hendricks on the mound vs Brandon Woodruff.
Woodruff is really good, and Josh Hader (who's been throwing triple digits suddenly) has not thrown in this series yet, so... back to hitting.
Maybe today that team .132 will go up - BE FUNNY, MOE!
There's also a subtext to this Milwaukee series with Brewer pitchers trying to throw inside and instead hitting our guys.
I've been happy that the Cubs haven't retaliated, but Willson Contreras got hit in the head with a fastball the other night, and then last night got hit and "boiled over". 
This isn't cool, the benches emptied and that'll be sort of simmering throughout the game today.

Sorry no art, but I do have this video that's kinda funny.
You know how you've been washing your hands so much and your skin is so dry and you go to the grocery and can't open a baggie for your onions and because Covid you can't lick your fingers?
This is a hack for that:

Okay Cubs.
Make me 1-0, please!

Welcome to 2021, Cubs Fans.

Yeah that's Ernie Banks and his famous quote, only modified for the weird times we're in.
102 games were missed last year, although the 60 they played were... not life-saving but certainly soul-saving. 
This year promises, at least for now, to go the full 162 and maybe more.
Some of the experimental stuff from last year survived - 7 inning games for double headers and each team getting a runner on 2nd to start extra innings, but still no universal DH.
Safety procedures in place for players include wearing the same Kinexon contact tracing watch-like thingy used in the NBA and NFL. 
They warn people when they've been too close for a certain period of time, and... say Person A gets Covid, the device remembers when Person B and Person A had contact. And then, Person A goes to 10 days of isolation, while Person B gets 7 days of isolation and must test negative on day 5 (or later) before rejoining the team.
Read about it from much smarter people here.
The Cubs were both very diligent AND supremely lucky to avoid all that last year.

Sorry to wander down that road, because today should be more about...
There will be people today sitting in Wrigley Field.
They'll be eating hot dogs and drinking beer with gloves on not because of a virus but because it's cold.
Which is.. normal.
Normal hasn't been around in a looong time.
At about 1:20, Pat Hughes will say that Chicago Cubs Baseball is on the air.
You and I will experience a biological reaction - like a boost of cubdorphins or injection of baby bearoin.
Something so rare, potent and highly addictive that it can only happen at that precise moment one time a year.
Anthony Rizzo will run out of the dugout followed by all the familiar guys except Joc Pederson, who'll be doing it for the first time in Chicago.
Professor Kyle Hendricks will throw the first pitch.
Around Chicago, you'll be able to hear the pffft of a million beers or soft drinks opening.
Hendricks will dispatch the Pirates in quick order, followed by a commercial break.
Then, Boog Sciambi will let the Marquee viewers know that Ian Happ is up to bat, and he may mention something about Happ's new Home Run Club thing with Connect Roasters where we'll get $5 worth of "Dinger Dollars" whenever he hits one out.
And maybe Happ will.  

I don't know if you heard, but the experts do not think much of the Central or this team.
Maaaaybe 2nd.
Probably 3rd.
Experts can all jump up my @ss.
It's The Home Opener.
It's Cubs baseball.
Favorite sport, favorite team, favorite time of year.
We've been on repeat every day in our houses for over a year, dreaming of this day for the last 6 months. 
1:20. 
Be there, wherever you are.