Actual transcript of this conversation…
Gabor: Wow, Darren Bragg just took you deep. I mean DEEP. If the wind wasn’t blowing in 37 miles an hour, somebody in Indiana would have a souvenir.
Greggie: You know you gave up a bomb when the fans have to hit the cutoff man to throw the ball back onto the field.
Gabor: It’s a good thing the fans aren’t Sammy. He couldn’t find a cutoff man with a flashlight and a map.
Greggie: What is it now, six nothing? How did I do that?
Gabor: Just blame it on Questec, it’s what Glavine always does.
Greggie: Glavine’s a prick. Did I ever tell you about the time he picked up the fourteen year old Thai hooker?
Home plate umpire: Come on guys, the Reds want to score some more…
The amazing thing is that some Cubs fans are actually shocked at what happened last night. They’re shocked that the Cubs lost to the lowly Reds, that the Astros beat the Cardinals on a brutal call at home plate, that the Dodgers rallied for five in the ninth off the Rockes and that the Giants came from behind to beat the Padres. How many times do you have to be reminded that these are the Cubs?
Nothing is guaranteed. Even their wins are full of ulcerative properties. They weren’t going to sweep the Reds. The odds just told you that. I didn’t want to believe it. You didn’t want to believe it, but it’s the truth. Somebody linked to the Daily Dose from the day after Carlos’ implosion in Cincinnati with four games to go last year. Things were far bleaker then.
I’m not saying things look good right now. They don’t. But I don’t fear the mighty Braves. In fact, I’m more worried about the Cubs brewing up another turd or two against the Reds.
Last night’s loss was amazing for one reason. The way it happened. On a great night to pitch Greg Maddux probably turned in his worst performance in 15 years. Think about that. The wind was howling in at more than 20 MPH. One big advantage the Reds have is that unlike the Cubs, they actually employ guys who can hit from the left side of the plate. The Cubs had one in their lineup last night. Well two if you count Bako, but the side of the plate he stands on is of little consequence.
But even at that, it wasn’t an easy night to hit. And Maddux, the best pitcher of the last 20 years got lit up. He gave up three bombs. They were all smoked. Even Bragg’s was a bomb. How do you give up a bomb to Darren Bragg?
The worst thing you can do to the Cubs offense is give it an early deficit. Everybody turns into Paul Bunyan. “I’ll hit one through the wind!” It’s the way they lost the middle game in the Expos series.
The only redeeming factor about last night’s loss is that it was never in doubt. It’s not the kind of loss that lingers on the next day. Unless you start losing the next day…but let’s not think about that.
With the Cubs phoning it in, I watched a lot of the Cardinals-Astros game. Contrary to what most Cubs fans think, I don’t think the Cardinals are trying to lose to keep the Cubs out of the playoffs. I think they don’t want the Cubs in the playoffs, but I think…no, I know, they’re convinced the Cubs will shoot themselves in the foot. I think that the Cardinals fear the Astros, as much, if not more than the Cubs.
They pulled Scott Rolen off of his deathbed to make his first start in two weeks last night. He left early, not a good sign for the Cardinals. There are two curious moves that The Genius made last night that will draw the ire of the Cubs and Giants fans. One, in the fifth inning with nobody out and runners at the corners, LaRussa let Danny Haren swing away. Haren smoked a ball to center that should have been a single, but Carlos Beltran made a great catch on. Then, Reggie Sanders tagged from third and easily beat the throw home, only to be called out.
The second shaky move was batting Cody McKay against Dan Miceli with a runner at first and two outs in the eighth. However, McKay was 3-4 lifetime against Miceli (the only guy Cody can hit, apparently) and singled in the at bat. That brought up Albie to face Brad Lidge. Albie grounded out to end the inning.
The Astros have won 14 in a row at home now. They have Fat Roger going tonight and then three more with the late-inning pyrotechnics display in Colorado. They could very well finish the season with 18 home wins in a row. We thought we were supposed to be the 2003 Marlins. Maybe it’s Houston?
Thing is, the law of averages says the Astros won’t win 18 in a row to finish the season. If the Cubs win out, Houston’s out anyway. If Houston loses once, well that’s all the better. If only Jimy Williams could hae hung on for another week or so.
Thing is, the Giants’ road is getting easier. Not only have the Dodgers all but won the NL West, but Milton Bradley went nuts last night and throw a water bottle at a fan, then got tossed from the game and then tore off his uniform on the way off the field. Milton’s going to be sent to his room without supper for a while and the Dodgers don’t hit that well with him in the lineup, without him, the Giants look a lot stronger in that final three game series.
So what’s going to happen? Nobody knows. Every time you think these Cubs are dead and buried they come back. Every time you think they’re on their way they blow a tire. We’re not going to know anything for sure until Sunday…maybe.
Sigh.
—-
Greggie’s a stand up guy. Too bad his fastball just kind of sat up last night.
Moises might just hang ’em up after the season. Nah, he’s going to go play with his dad in San Francisco and play right field in his easy chair.
It might all come down to Maddux and the Braves on Sunday. I’m getting queasy.
Phil Rogers still loves them Astros. He might just be right this time.
Chad Hutchinson is going to be Todd Walker’s brother-in-law. Great?
Great news! Dee Brown’s broken leg might heal…someday. Woof. And don’t get too excited when you hear that the Illini are being picked number one in a major national magazine. It’s Playboy, and Assclown Dave Kaplan wrote the article. Sorry.
Mariotti puts down the doughnut to…I’m not even reading this crap. Do it at your own risk.
The Cubs divided up imaginary playoff shares.
The Wizard of Roz still thinks the Cubs will clinch on Saturday. You can cut the Prozac in half, Roz.
Baseball’s back in Washington DC. John Kerry can’t become president now. We’ve seen him throw out a first pitch. It looked like he was trying to swat a bee with a roll of Charmin.
Peter Angelos just got a big wheelbarrel full of cash.
Kellen Winslow is now way ahead of Jeremy Shockey’s pace to become a loudmouth bust.
Wanny’s changed quarterbacks three times in three weeks. That’s the dumbass we know.
The WNBA wants to remind us that Sue Bird is not a lesbian. OK, that’s not what they said, but they basically say it every time they mention her. However, she looks just like CSI’s Jorja Fox, and Jorja is a lesbian. Hmmm?
Tampa Bay might trade Keenan McCardell for Larry Johnson. El Jay? He still plays?
Your daily Kelly Dwyer NBA Preview on Spanish-Yes.com is: The Clippers! The best team in LA. And that’s not saying much.
Topless girls on mechanical bulls? Brilliant!
America’s finest news source on Oktoberfest.
Yawn. So early for the Dose. Must. Still. Be. Drunk.
Anyone see where Hermanson might be getting suspended for throwing at Kent the other night?
That might help the Cubs some.
I’ve seen Hermanson pitch. It might help the Giants more.
Actually Andy, Dustin H. appealling the suspension will help the Cubs not the Giants. Our favorite team beside the Cubs now should be the Colorado Rockies. Then the Dodgers on the weekend.
Jorja’s out? I thought she was only gay on ER.
The easy schedule award clearly goes to the Astros. The Cardinals are looking to be a playoff version of the Steve Walsh offense (3 and out). Colorado can’t close a window much less a game.
The Bravos are gonna want to win a few games against the Cubs so that they have home field and don’t play the Cardinals in round 1. That will be a mistake as the Wild Card team (Astros or Cubs) will win round 1, whomever they play.
Cheers all around today for Glendon Rusch, Jeff Suppan and David Wells.
That’s a scary list.
Hiccup. Aw shit, it’s my turn already?
I put a beat-down on Maddux on Desipio last night, some of it out of frustration over his performance over the Reds, some of it over a grand slam he gave up to Will Clark in Wrigley 15 years ago in the NLCS, and a little of it because of some bitterness at leaving the Cubs in the first place.
I will stand by assessment of his post-season stats as being unlike those of a pitcher of his caliber. Mr. ERA can point to his favorite statistic (3.22 in the post-season), but I’ll stick with the most critical numbers being an 11-14 record and a record of 4-8 in NLCS games.
Last night’s performance was abysmal. Now, Glendon Rusch, much like Shawn Estes in 2003, is going out to pitch the most important game of the season. We’ll see what our boys are made of.
And if Jeopardy ever poses the answers "Victor Diaz, Craig Brazell, DeAngelo Jimenez, and Darren Bragg", the answer can’t be Cliff Claven’s "Who are four people who have never been in my kitchen". No, it’ll be "Who were four turds who hit key home runs against the Cubs in their chase for the 2004 Wild Card?".
If my article was so bad, why are there two consecutive links to it?
Do chicks dig the HBP??
What am I for today?
I’m watching the Cubs get crushed last night, and my first thought was "thank god Glendon Rusch is pitching tomorrow". Never thought I’d see that day.
I’m gonna blow.
The Cubs are gonna suck.
National Weather service is reporting that the wind is blowing from the N/NE anywhere from 12-16 MPH.
One other thing to consider is that the Astros were written off in late July/early August. There was rampant speculation that with Andy Pettitte out for the year and the distance and teams they had to climb over just to sniff a Wild Card berth, they should probably deal Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent, and maybe even Roger Clemens. Well, they hung on to them and hung in there. As much as I hate them (not nearly as much as the Satanic Fowl), they look like the biggest challenge to the Cubs for the Wild Card right now. Maybe Fat Boy will fold tonight, or maybe Munro and/or Hernandez can get drubbed by the Rockies. Maybe the Cubs just need to take care of business.
He’s Faaaaaaaaaaat Albert.
We need Alamo survivor Pujols to tag a few off of the stay-puft marshmallow man.
I’m not trying to be the Maddux Apologist(tm), but I think it bears mentioning on his postseason stats that many of those losses were up against the likes of the opposing staff’s ace.
He really threw a turkey of a game yesterday, but an 11-14 postseason record is a bit misleading. I think you’d find many of those 14 wins were against some of the elite of the game.
Regardless, his postseason numbers are not dominant, by any stretch.
Sorry, "…14 losses…"
Weren’t the pitchers who beat Maddux 14 times going up against a future Hall of Famer?
Now, even though I have rescinded my vote for Greg Maddux – Cubs MVP, and even though it was his fault we lost last night…
…Dusty has stated that his boys are going to keep trying to smash homers into the teeth of the wind, because "that’s their stroke, which I don’t wanna fool with".
In that case, they don’t deserve to go to the playoffs.
Hey, I’d love for Maddux to pitch in the playoffs this year.
My postseason numbers: 8-6, 3.42 ERA.
Doesn’t Clemens have a ring or two more than Maddux?
And Chuck, not once did I deny that Maddux was a future Hall of Famer, possibly a unanimous first-ballot guy. I was just saying that he has a history of not winning the big games in the post-season, and now he’s having a bad September when the Cubs are needing him.
I would absolutely love it if he would win Sunday to put the Cubs in the post-season. But the facts are the facts to this point.
Dave:
I was commenting on JH’s point that Maddux was facing other team’s best pitchers. Just who the hell do you think were THOSE guys facing in those games?
FYI – Phil Rogers had the Cubs going 20-10 in September. I see that they are 16-9 right now. Boy, am I a dumbass for thinking that was an agressive projection.
I would take 4-1 in the last five right now.
If San Fran wins out to get the Wild Card, you would have to hand it to them for finishing out the season 5-0 against strong opponents.
That being said, isn’t the most realistic possibility that the Cubs will go 3-2, the Giants 3-2, and the Astros 3-1???
That would mean a three-way playoff. Yikes.
BC, at this point I’d settle for a 3-way playoff. Just get us in the post-season. No collapse please.
Some changes in the line up today
Patterson
Nomar
Alou
Ramirez
Lee
Sosa
Grud
Barrett
Rusch
I’d rather have Ramirez 3rd instead of 4th. Moving up Nomar makes a lot of sense though.
I am still stunned that Fag Roy Oswalt was never suspended for throwing at Barrett.
Chuck, I see your point now. I was probably a little too fatigued to decipher it. I’m still a little groggy today as I woke up at about 3:45 this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep because I was so pissed at the last few games.
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