Pitching matchup:
Brewers: Doug Davis 10-10, 3.68 ERA
Cubs: Greg Maddux 12-8, 3.99 ERA
Lineups:
Brewers
Scott Podsednik, cf
Trent Durrington, 3b
Craig Counsell, ss
Brady Clark, rf
Chris Magruder, lf
Bill Hall, 2b
Russell Branyan, 1b
Chad Moeller, c
Doug Davis, p
Cubs
Corey Patterson, cf
Derrek Lee, 1b
Nomar Garciaparra, ss
Moises Alou, lf
Sammy Sosa, rf
E-ramis Ramirez, 3b
Mark Grudzielanek, 2b
Gabor Bako II, c
Greg Maddux, p
Hello!
Is Tom Waddle starting for the Cubs today? Do we have to look at Todd Walker’s dirty locker again? Couldn’t All Access do a jungle love expose on Gail and Corey?
Remember when rain delays meant watching the Ernie Banks 500th homer game or the Cubs nine run comeback against the Astros? Now those were the days.
Honestly, what the hell is this?
Scott Podsednik, cf
Trent Durrington, 3b
Craig Counsell, ss
Brady Clark, rf
Chris Magruder, lf
Bill Hall, 2b
Russell Branyan, 1b
Chad Moeller, c
Doug Davis, p
I couldn’t even type it with a straight face. MIKE Maddux could shut this lineup out. In fact, he probably already did…in batting practice.
Also notice the new Herpes ad —>
Apparently it’s a tremendous "treatmentt" especially in Lansing, Michigan, the former home of Jim Tocco.
Remember me from your early 80’s rain delays? That wasn’t so great.
Trent Durrington? Did the Brewers fly him in from his estate in the Hamptons to play today?
Is this an old film of Tommy Lasorda coaching third base? I hate Tommy Lasorda.
Oh gawd, this mud is going to foul my imported Italian cleats. Well I never.
I just said, "I wish I had better news to report but it’s still raining ever so slightly. But we’ll be getting started shortly."
Did I say that because I don’t think we’ll be getting started shortly, or because I know it’s bad news to Cubs’ fans that I’ll be announcing a baseball game shortly?
I think that the sad news Chip was going to report was that no Cubs were injured during the full scale team brawl that they had at the bat rack last night.
We beat Herpes two months ago!! We’ve been outbreak free since!
There is a sweetcorn festival going on here in Urbana pretty soon. They just had a commerical for it on the TV.
Here’s how it goes:
We see a guy in a costume looking like a piece of corn.
We see someone open a fridge and get out a stick of butter.
Screen goes to black.
Then, we see the corn running on the sidewalk. Then we see him turn around a corner of a building. Then, we see 10 people running after him, all with sticks of butter.
High civilization in our commercials down here in Central Illinois I tell you.
I’ll knock that muthafuckin’ corn down.
Are you sure that wasn’t a commercial for the St Louis Cardinals?
#13, because if the commercial was for the Cardinals, it would have featured Jim Edmonds chasing the ear of corn while carrying a tube of KY Jelly.
The Sports List! Ugh!
Maybe it was a commercial explaining the 10 game suspension of Julian Tavarez.
I hear that Lassie Edmonds is going to try to get suspended for 10 games, so that he can spend some "quality" time with Julian. By quality time I mean hot butter and corn loving.
I’m guessing none of you have seen the "Dirt Cheap" commercials that air locally on Fox Sports Midwest (Which carries most of the Cardinals games).
Essentially, "Dirt Cheap" sells alcoholic products in the St. Louis area. It has an old guy in a cheap suit (In one commercial, he says after you drink "She looks better") and a guy costumed as a chicken.
And, at the end of most of the commericals, as if it wasn’t hilarious and stereotype-following enough, the old guy says Dirt Cheap is the "last sanctuary of the persecuted smoker".
So, hey, not only can you get cheap beer, but you can smoke cigarettes while buying it too!
Nah, I saw that on the Jackass movie, when he took a dump without benefit of nearby toilet paper. Bill of hat works just peachy, and I’m sure his fanbase can sympathize.
Oh, this is much worse than the Sports List.
I loved that one episode where they disagreed on a topic and then started yelling their point across.
Am I the only one who kinda expects to see Farnsworth show up in one of these herpes ads?
#20, you do have a point.
Summer Sanders vs. Max Kellerman. No contest. Give me Summer.
It’s a downpour right now here in Champaign-Urbana and I’ve got a class to get to at 3. Nice.
I watched the first 3 minutes of I, Max once. Then I saw that the "world" was going to be represented in the debate by Michael Holley. TV truly is a vast wasteland.
Put on a corn costume before you leave and you’ll stay dry.
Don’t know if anyone else is listening to MLB audio gameday for the game, but I swear it’s sounds like they are playing "I think we’re alone now" on the organ. I wonder if The Farns requested it for his daily herpe receiver.
If there’s one think I hate more than corn, it’s Sausage. Especially them crazy racing sausages.
one thing, sorry had them sausages on my mind
Good thing Randall wasn’t a Cub during the Great Sausage Fiasco because I would have been absolutely intolerable expressing my horror at his actions.
How about that stat-padding pud Podsednik stealing second base last night with his team down 10-0? I think that qualifies as a situation where he should get drilled the next time up.
BC,
The Dirt Cheap commercials are a work of art. Somebody has to stand up for the persecuted smokers and people in chicken costumes.
So are we getting under way here, or what?
at 3:05. Til then, enjoy Greggie chatting with some dude about Little League.
About the Brewer’s lineup. Isn’t the complexion of that bunch something that you would have expected to see on a major league roster in 1946? Same for the Astrols. Are these accidents or team policies?
Why’s Branyan hitting so low in the order? He’s not good, but he’s better than most of the other Brewers.
Bill Hall is black.
Junior Spivey is hurt.
Why would Milwaukee, hindered by such a tight budget as it is, hinder themselves by implementing a policy that would hurt them on the field and in the PR department (if anyone learned of such a scheme).
With all due respect.
Well, #34, Houston traded us to make room for Carlos Beltran. But at the time, they probably thought his first name was Carl and that he just happened to tan easily.
Because TJ, we are Cracker Towns.
1-2-3 for Maddux. Too bad Carlos didn’t get his turn against this lineup. The no hitter would have been in the bag.
I own these guys…
Soy no un "Cracker Town."
1-2-4 for the Cubs.
Nomar is about 3 weeks away from being the most popular player in this city.
Oh, come on. I pretty much already am, Chuck.
You’re right. Because Milwaukee’s such a racist town, they hated Hank Aaron, and Hank Aaron hated Milwaukee back. They hated Cecil Cooper too. And Teddy Higuera. And Ben Ogilvie. And Reggie White and Ahman Green might as well be lepers.
And Houston is so racist that Charles Barkley refused to play there, and that the Oilers would not consider taking a flyer on a black CFL quarterback in the late 70s.
Maddux working on perfection through four.
Batters.
With these 3:05 starts, the advantage is clearly with the pitcher because of the shadows.
Nomar:
You aren’t there yet. You’ve missed a few games and haven’t had any really huge hits the last few weeks.
And the press is infatuated with this imposter wearing Corey’s uniform.
But very, very, soon….
Cancel the postgame show.
Chip: So far the groundball-to-flyball ratio is 4 to infinity…
Infinity flyballs? Wow, that must be a lot…
Oh wait, Chip is an assclown, nevermind
We love black people! We even put a black guy in our dumb little diversity statue outside Miller Park.
Wow, what a great diving catch by Patterson! He didn’t even get his uniform dirty.
Anyone seen my Vicadin?
I may not be the most popular Cub, but I am definitely becoming a cult hero.
Stupid groin…
I think someone drew on my MLB.com player photo.
We love you, Mikey B!
Whoops. But who cares, Gabor certainly can’t prolong this inning.
It’s Bako time!
I was a bit of a cult hero.
I’m the most popalar Cub. I am gooing to hit 800 HR’s. But not if my daddy trades me for a veteran.
Calm down, the racial makeup of today’s Brewers’ lineup is directly affected by injuries to us.
Oh, wait…never mind.
I think Milwaukee released me last year because I’m black. Not because I was always hurt and I suck. Of course the Giants released me this year, too. But that’s just because Felipe is senile and thought I was Jeff Torborg.
I know it’s a joke Darren, but you obviously didn’t read Rick Morissey’s column today, which seems to imply that Dusty actually ENJOYS working with young players.
Dee Brewhors waive me lass year, to play some white guy named Porsevich. Rascist bastards.
Damnit, dude, I do love young players.
You’ll see that every player on my roster is young, dude. They’re all younger than me, anyway.
Porsevich almost won the rookie of the year award. And what’s a rascist?
Milwaukee is not warm. I was getting pointers from my buddy Dusty, and he told me not to stock up on blacks and Latinos if it’s not going to be hot.
Norwegian, Polish, Russian, German, Irish and Icelandic players do much better in the cold.
It appears that due to the rain delay, the Cubs and Brewers are going to play this game in an hour and a half.
We’re going to try to win without scoring, today. We’re magicians.
A rascist be what I call "racialist". That racialist Andy Rooney pretend he don’t understand me.
I am astoundingly unfunny.
Oh, so that’s the today’s plan in post 86? Okay, I’ll just ground out on the first pitch then.
Bako really hit that ball hard. I thought it was gone.
Who the hell is Ali G?
Nomar, are you dyslexic?
#73
Isn’t AliG on "Will and Grace?"
I’m sure Chip is going on and on about how I’ve been a Cub killer this year.
My ass kept Gabor’s ridiculous throw in the infield. Literally.
We have HBO. We still don’t know who Ali G is.
And I don’t think we care unless Ali G is some guy from Bruce Springsteen’s band or is that nearly 50 year old chick who goes around naked all the time on that Sex in New York-and-the-rest-of-the-world-does’t-exist show.
Oh, no! It’s 1-0! We’re going to lose! We’re going to lose!
My ass kept Matt Morris from leaving the Cardinals. Literally.
I love Kenny G!
What the hell is CubsTalk.com?
Did steal for the "cycle" include stealing first?
I’m taking over, beetches! Buddy! Whatever. Now I will steal for the cycle and tie the game.
My OBP is skyrocketing, buddy!
We should get our logo on Jerry Krause to go with that grey shirt he’s wearing. Then he could hover over sporting events for us.
Krause! You get over to Wrigley and you scout that Paul Bako! See if he can help us out.
And see if you can get me one of those meatball sandwiches I like so much.
Jerry’s having a heart attack at 5:15 PM.
He’s due at Morton’s at 6.
It’s hero time!
Jeez, Grudz, just get on base so I can blast one deep left center.
Unless Bako’s mom has bigass hands, Krause doesn’t want him.
Gabor, what you call "blasting one to deep left center" is what the rest of the world calls a groundout to short.
Dammit, I’ll be hitting with 2 out next inning.
This Doug Davis, he can’t hit. He’s like me.
In fairness, the Cubs probably are going to lose this one. The offense just isn’t attendant. It’s amazing that they can turn bad so quickly.
That said, the CubsTalk people are the dumbest "fans" I’ve ever seen in my life.
0 runs so far. Was I supposed to start today?
Is George Lopez in that Bob Rohrman commercial? Is Bob supposed to be Fernando Lamas and George supposed to be Herve Villachez?
Hey, what happened to that Capuano guy? We liked him…
Holy shit.
HOLY SHIT
Hey, I’m hitting a robust .071 against lefties this year. Yeesh.
WOWOWWOWOW
Pheeyuck you, Andy.
HOLY ****
It’s Taco BAKO time!!!!!!!!!
My long national nightmare is over.
Paul Bako won’t let the Cubs lose today!
I don’t believe what I just saw.
History at Wrigley.
Gabor’s first Cubs homer in nearly two full seasons.
Will wonders never cease?
What’s more unbelievable is that if the guy in the last row hadn’t caught it, it’d have landed on me.
Bako homers off Davis…and the rest of the Cub hitters hang their heads in shame…
Today, he’s Gabor Balco.
I had no idea.
We’ll all be able to tell our grandkids we saw it.
Lousy?!
Check me now, bitches. I didn’t even know that thing had a "green" on it.
https://desipio.com
Hey! Stop hitting me with the baseball, you twitchy freak!
See, Grud, you idiot, if you’d just gotten on base last inning, that would’ve been a 3 run homer!
We’re going to lay low and wait for Bako to come up again. We just can’t touch the mighty Doug Davis.
I love being married to Nomar!
Um, Jim Hendry please.
"Hi Jimmy, it’s George."
"No, not George Bell, George Steinbrenner."
"How about that Bako kid? I was wondering what it’d take to pry him loose."
"Mariano Rivera? Well, I might need to take Farnsworth for that to happen."
"You need a backup catcher? There’s always Posada. I’ll give you him for a good prospect."
"What’s that? Uh-huh."
"No, I don’t like Kelton. But you said you have a lefty at West Tenn? Pratt? Hmmm.. I like it!"
"Yep, Bako, Farnsworth and Pratt for Rivera and Posada. Sounds like a winner."
"For those of you watching us for the first time…"
Because Cubs baseball is one of those up-and-coming TV shows.
"He thought it was too high and tight."
Said about a ball that was low and inside to Nomar.
I say Mil 2 Cubs 1
"Paul Bako. He’s hitting .188. And he’s also Greg Maddux’s personal catcher. That’s the only reason he’s out there folks. Wouldnt be any other reason to keep him in the lineup.
"Swing and a drive.
"And he just hit his first home run of the year."
Uh, scoreboard? What the hell are you talking about?
The closest I came to gettin’ on base last night, buddy, was on a dropped third strike. I think I goin’ to work on that.
Did the baseball gods decide to lighten up? Paul Bako hit a homerun!
Watch out baseball world. Things got to be good now for the Cubs.
What now, Kyle Farnsworth actually starts to throw stikes and is unhittable?
Anything is possible now, anything!
63 pitches through 6 with 7 ks. That’s pretty good, right?
With Sosa up, is that hope or what?
Time for some patented heroics, buddy.
How could you give my jersey number #48 to a sweaty guy like Joe Borowski? That guy got lit up in the minors the other night. Faced 5 guys and gave up 4 hits and walked the other one.
Looks like you are stuck with the Hawk for a closer.
Just a little bit outside!
Sorry, Sammy.
Rob Deer holds the patent for what you just did.
Why do they keep bringing me back? And why is it I do the exact same interview with Pat and Ron every time?
Hello, mommy?
Damn Jack McKeon took my pudding again.
How did I get a $11 million option?
Hey everyone, you’re invited to Gabor Bako’s house for fried goat to commemorate Paul’s first homer as a Cub.
What did you do now, Moises?
Well, now we know where Corey dumped his brain dead baserunning moves. Alou’s got ’em.
Never mind.
Details on Alou’s baserunning please . . .
Why can’t we get through one damn game without making a dumbass running error. If it’s not that little runt of a 3rd base coach Wavin Wendell screwing us, it’s our stupid ass players.
So last week or so, I mildly trolled the CubsTalk messageboards. Within an hour of my turning it up a bit and being banned, they changed the settings, so that you could still view the boards just by registering, but to post, you’d have to be approved by them personally. Then, today, some guy on here makes fun of their boards, and within an hour, they change their settings so that to even VIEW their boards, you need to be approved by their moderators.
Hey, CubsTalk guys, if I posted the inane shit your membership does on a daily basis, I wouldn’t want anybody to read it, either.
Doubled off 2b on a shallow fly to center.
Think Moises is going to work with Vince Coleman after the game?
Which will last longer:
Today’s game -220
Today’s rain delay +205
It has to be our year if PAUL BAKO starts hitting homers.
I went to class and missed it. Shows what education is worth I guess.
Oh, I guess Paulie will now have to hit his second career Cubs’ homer, not his first, in that clinching Game 6 of the NLCS at the Cake in "Dirt Cheap" country.
A leadoff walk in the 7th and I’m reminded of one of my favorite titles.
The Bullpen Also Rises….
Greggie needs to try and make it through the next 2 innings if he can. That bullpen is hovering around waiting to just blow one. Farns hasn’t been used in the last couple of days either.
No way in hell is Dusty putting me out there for game 6.
See, I’m a genius. Walking the leadoff man late in a tie ballgame, when the opposition has no good hitters?
I’m a genius.
I’m going to steal third and home…
What about Game 7, Greg? You know, since he can’t use me this time.
Ain’t it time for that SNL Colon Blow ad?
Who the hell is Earnest Hemmingway, and what is he talking about?
Chuck, what happened, damn Yahoo locked up on me.
What are the odds of striking out in the 7th? I need to offer to Dusty about letting Barrett pitch hit.
See, I AM a "master craftsman". Chip said!
Nothing happened, it’s still 1-1. Chip freaked out a lot, but that’s about it.
I had no clue. None. Then again, that’s why I’m on my fourth organization in two years.
Colon Blow!
It takes over 30,000 bowls to equal the fiber content of one bowl of oat bran. You’d have to eat ten bowls a day, every day for eight and a half years!
Jingle: "Colon Blow and you-u-u-u in the morning"
Warning: may cause abdominal distention. Consult a physician.
loss anyone? let me warm up and put me in the 8th. odds are good i can blow it. i promise you, i really suck. you’ll hate me after this game.
Could there be a more worthless team in the National League than us? How could we lose all six games with the Astros?
Have no fear. We’ll win this for you Cubs fans…eventually.
It’s Bako time again…
Do I have to do everything?
Now hit a homer, Corey. Let’s win this damn thing and get out of here.
Take that Bako- a ground out.
People are you kidding me? I gave up a home run to Paul Bako.
Load that gun over there and give it to me. My career is over, I might as well end my life.
Haven’t seen you in a while, Corey.
Was that Andy Pafko signing the 7th inning stretch or was it the Cookie Monster.
Well, that low strikeout pace had to end. Getting back to a 120 to 140 per season pace will be a breeze.
Wow, one strikeout raised me from 84 to 120?
Yeah, I struck out, sorry. But go check the numbers, I’m having a better August this year than everybody’s f@#$ing hero Kenny Lofton did last year. And I can actually field my position.
How’s that for a DP!
Now, Gabor is just showing off.
It’s Paul Bako day!
Doubleplay folks. No problem. I saw Farns warming up in the bullpen so I thought I’d take matters into my own hands.
Sit down you worthless piece of farnsless shit.
This is going down as Paul Bako Day.
Last Play: D. Davis unknown into double play catcher to shortstop to first, C. Moeller out at second
That Maddux really is a magician. Even we don’t know how he does it!
Actually, the 10 days have me on a 162 strikeout pace.
Shut up, Chuck.
So, am I going to pitch the 8th?
No.
You know, this is almost as good as the 6 RBI game I had against Cincinnati where Ken Griffey Jr. broke his leg chasing my bases loaded triple.
I hate this freakin’ outfield.
Makes up for getting picked off second.
Alouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuis God!
Hey buddy, you’d better hurry up buddy if you’re going to lead the team in homers for the 11th straight year, buddy.
I’m gettin’ ready bitches! You might want to get four more runs.
Please keep Maddux in so we can win this game without any more drama.
Bako’s homerun was enough drama for one day.
Nope, apparently not, LaTroy.
This might be a bad time for this, but over on Baseball Primer yesterday somebody noted that since he became the closer, LaTroy has come into seven games when the game was either tied, or the Cubs had a one run lead.
The Cubs are an astounding 1-6 in those games.
Let’s hope it’s 2-6.
Hey, I used up my 84 pitches. I’m dead tired.
Steve said LaTroy has to go through the heart of the Brewers order, "Durrington, Counsell and Clark."
That just sounds so wrong.
So does giving up a leadoff single to Durrington.
Here we go…
Why am I in there? Nobody knows. In any case, consider this save BLOWN, suckas.
Here we go again. Why not let Greg in, it was his game? Let him lose or win the game. Not pitch a guy one inning to blow it.
It doesn’t seem that difficult to me to see why LaTroy gets hit. He’s got great control and he always throws strikes early in the count so teams have stopped taking pitches and just hacking at him. If he gets you 0-2 or 1-2 you’re dead. But lately he can’t get to 0-2 or 1-2.
Of course, now Clark’s 0-2. Let’s see how dead he is.
Do the hispanic guys call him The Troy?
Sounds like people are in agreement- Should have kept in Maddux.
That’s right. Dusty should be fired for using the closer.
Thanks for grasping the situation.
But what about 2-2?
This is some great acting again. These guys would get plenty Oscars for their performance.
Dead enough that time.
Amen!
Shut up, DB.
I sat on my ass for one more player.
Blah.
Terrible pitch by LaTroy and Sammy almost fell down trying to track it down.
who is the hot chick in the blue shirt?
Gosh! Am I annoying! Why can’t Dave Otto replace me?
Don’t worry, I’m up second!
Was it a ball that a decent RF would’ve caught? Only get radio at work…
#196 andy, what was that? Baker made the right decision in using his closer today? Baker just won’t learn his lesson about that bullpen. If you can go all 9 innings and win the game, why in the world not do it.
Baker continues not to surprise me with his pure stupidity.
Better throw complete games in the playoffs, or you won’t be there long.
Dude, maybe LaTroy isn’t a closer?
It was over Sosa’s head and took one bounce and hit the wall.
Sammy did kind of "spin his wheels" as Chip mentioned.
Either way, as Andy said it was a terrible pitch. A big fat fastball on the inner half that Magruder pulled.
Looked fair to me.
Gabor Bako Day makes me fair!
I look 12 years old.
Honestly, that’s close enough for me.
I’ll take the triple. Besides, there’s no guarantee we’ll score him anyway.
Will I drive in the winning run too?
Is there a rule you have to use your bullpen at all? I think Dusty thinks there is.
If you don’t have a reliever that hasn’t gotten at least 20 some saves at this point in the season, you don’t have a proven closer.
If you can get your starter to go all 9 innings do so.
Time for a little Bak-off single, action.
Am I on crack? "Do you pitch around Bako?" Because the pinch hitter could possibly be a worse hitter than Gabor? Come ON.
Then again, it IS Bako Day.
I know you think it’s cute that LaTroy proved your point. But you might want to actually watch the end of the game. Maybe enjoy it?
Well, I could have been a REAL hero today. But I suck.
I’m the worst PH ever, though.
Oh, shit.
Just about every manager in the game today will put in his "closer" in the ninth inning if it’s a save situation.
I actually don’t disagree with Baker Basher that the devotion to getting your closer his saves gets out of hand, but Baker is no dumber than any other manager in baseball right now.
send him home on that
Sac Fly- Cubs win!
I think its fairly clear at this point in the season that Maddux decides when he leaves the game, not Dusty.
Why was Yost ejected?
Yup, I can’t PH. Sorry!
We don’t deserve to win. We’re a horrible, horrible team.
Arguing the obviously foul ball that was called fair.
Corey will win the game right here. Print it.
See, Dusty’s a moron. Why would he use Walker there? I knew he’d pop up. He should have used Goodwin. He should be fired!
I’ll call it a truce regarding Dusty’s foul up.
Let’s win this damn game Corey.
Two pop outs with a guy on third and less than two outs.
As you can tell I have been working with the Cub and their situational hitting.
I’m all that Bako and Walker can combine to hit a baseball?
Thank you for moving!
what is our best situational hitter (Barrett) doing on the bench while Bako and Walker go up with a runner on third, < 2 out???
Drive home safely.
Okay, Chuck, what now?
Eat that Chuck!
Gail Fischer has really turned my game around.
Patterson homerun to win it. I almost died calling that one. I might gave Ron a little head after that one.
Corey hit the homer to protect the Cubs record in one run games.
i TOLD you if he threw one more slider the game would end
Who is the assclown interviewing Corey?
Because, #239, I’m usually capable a fly ball whenever you need it. Unless I’m pinch hitting in which case I forget which end of the bat to hit with.
Reporter: "Corey…What were you thinking before that last pitch?"
CP: "Well I was just picturing the ball as Chuck’s head."
Hey, it’s the intern who gives Waddle the mail, isn’t it?
Yikes, Fox Sports Net has nobody working for them anymore, do they?
I think this is the deal, Baker Basher. Every manager deserves to be second guessed, hell, it’s half the fun. But every time you post you act like Dusty’s the only person in the world dumb enough to have done what whatever it is you didn’t agree with that day.
Given that Greggie has taken himself out of games after throwing as few as 65 pitches this year, we don’t even know if Dusty had a decision to make.
And the fact that you seem to get a chubby every time something goes wrong that you can blame on Dusty is annoying.
Hawkins needs to kiss Corey’s ass for that win.
Really though, this bullpen issue is getting old pretty quick.
What is the solution?
I’m telling you one solution is when you have the chance when your starter is going great and hasn’t throw that many pitches, to ride him all the way to the end.
I know, what about burning the starters out. Well, that’s just it. Without them, this whole playoff thing and world series isn’t possible. I don’t think you can try to throw these bullpen pitchers 2 to 3 innings.
Look, we threw Hawkins today for one and he blew the game.
Baker and Rothchild need to have a meeting with the starters here soon and tell them to reach back a bit and pitch with some balls. Maddux did it today and some of these other guys need to follow.
Because down the stretch, this bullpen isn’t going to get it done.
It’s very wishful thinking if you believe they can succeed.
It’s all up to Prior, Wood, Clement, Zambrano, Maddux and even Rusch.
Bullpen Basher, I certainly understand your frustration and agree with some of your points.
Baker has not shown himself to be a good guy when it comes to calling the right guy out of the bullpen. Sure, every manager doesn’t make the right decisions some of the time. But Dusty seems to do it a lot.
But, there’s really nothing the manager could do when almost nobody has produced! Hawkins is what he is. Good enough to set-up, but not good enough to get the last three outs. Farnsworth’s head might be in China. It’s not in Chicago. Who knows if Remlinger will ever return to form. Mercker has improved recently, but he’s been inconsistent at best.
Surprisingly, the two best guys this season have been Leicester and Rusch. I think we should give a shot to Leicester. Nobody else has proven they can handle the job well. Maybe the "Ice Man" can. Can’t do much worse than Hawkins.
Paul Bako and Corey Patterson getting the job done. Who would have thunk it three weeks ago?
Sure I took myself out of the game, but I would have brought in Bako to close it out.
Gosh, I love that guy!
B.C.
Thanks for the props. Finally somebody with some common sense about this Baker bullpen fiasco.
I agree with B.C. about giving the Iceman the chance to close. I know most of you are saying, why on earth would you put a rookie in that situation? Well because a young guy like Leicester doesn’t know any better but to get tough and pitch with some nuts. This guy wants to make a name for himself in this league and make some money.
He’s not like these other jackasses like Farns, who would rather look good for the girls and pitch like he’s throwing darts in a bar.
I’ll admit Dusty doesn’t have many choices. Being so, let’s go with Leicester and see what happens.
Also, I haven’t been much of a Patterson fan the whole season and God knows I’m one of those Bako bashers, put props to both Corey and Paul for those big plays today. What a game!
Sorry I’m late, but I HAVE to proclaim my man-love for Corey Patterson, who is quickly becoming the best leadoff hitter in the NL.
By what measurement can you say that Rusch has been the most consistent member of the bullpen? He’s having a nice year, but more as a spot starter than a bullpen guy. He’s sporting a 3.82 ERA, compared to Mercker’s 2.11, with an equal WHIP, giving up 9 HRs compared to 2 (though he has pitched twice as many innings). Look at his game log for more details http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/gamelog?statsId=5764"
Basher, I wouldn’t call it a fiasco. Dusty hasn’t had a lot of good choices to go to. The issue I have is that there have been some choices he has made where he clearly went to the guy he shouldn’t have gone to. Again, this happens with every manager. It just seems to happen with Dusty more than most. It’s definitely not a good situation. I just don’t think it’s all Dusty’s fault. It’s partially his fault, but the players have to take responsibility to. So, essentially, I agree but I disagree. I hope you understand what I’m saying here.
On Leicester, what can we lose? Yeah, he’s a rookie, but he’s the guy that seems to throw the most strikes AND is willing to throw his breaking ball. Hawkins simply isn’t a closer at this point and time. We can’t have someone this shaky in the closer spot. Move Farnsworth to the 7th, Hawkins to the 8th, and Leicester to the 9th. This would allow Farns and Hawkins to pitch in the spots they seem most comfortbale.
I don’t think the bullpen is the key, I think it’s the offense and the starters. The starters need to pitch perfectly for as long as they’re out there, and the offense needs to put up big leads during that time. The bullpen is going to give up runs more often than they’re not. It’s as simple as that. But the runs have to be made meaningless by the offense and the starters playing as well as they should.
The Cubs are 7-1 in their last 8, and only two of those have been particularly close. Hawkins blew one after a miracle comeback, and Hawkins blew the other one after a huge Alou homerun.
The key is, clearly, to go into the ninth with at least a three run lead. Even LaTroy can handle that.
Whatever happened to the complete game? Basher is right on that point. Why not inform the starters that they will no longer be bound by pitch counts the rest of the season and that getting saves for LaTroy Hawkins, or Farnsworth, or John Leicester, or anyone else just isn’t important.
On a big 3rd-down late in the game, will the Bears pull out Adewale Ogunleye and have Michael Haynes rush the QB? Only in baseball will a manager be so bound by the "book" that they’ll pull out one of their best players for an inferior player in key situations.
It’s not just Baker. It’s everyone.
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