So part of Sunday night’s loss could be directly attributed to nobody covering third base on an infield chopper and last night nobody covered first base on one. We’ve got a 50-50 shot at guessing whether the Cubs leave second or home unattended tonight.
Glendon Rusch did a fine job in a long relief stint. His only mistakes were taking a quick nap on the mound with nobody out and the bases loaded when he first came in. Had he covered first the Padres would have had a 5-2 lead and one out with runners at second and third. He then got a double play that would have ended the inning. After that he gave up a three run homer. Not good.
To be fair, even if Glendon had rubbed the sleep out of his eyes (those bullpen benches are pretty cozy) and gotten the first out on the grounder to second (Derrek Lee had gone to try and field it leaving first unoccupado) the grounder back to the mound wouldn’t have been a double play since there’d have been no force at home. It would have been a double play if a Cub were at third because he’d have run right into the tag at home in time for the catcher to still get the guy at first, but I digress.
So you could surmise that all that would have happened was what happened anyway and that’s that the Padres would have had eight runs after three innings anyway.
Mark Prior was not good last night. In fact, he wasn’t even bad. He was horrendous. Did he get screwed on a 3-2 curveball to Ryan Klesko in the second when it was still 2-0 Cubs? Sure he did. He got screwed later in that inning on a 2-2 curveball to Adam Eaton that would have left it 2-2, instead of the 4-2 Eaton gave the Padres two pitches later.
But Prior was so bad with so many other pitches that you can’t blame this one on the myopic obesity of Bruce Froemming. As good as his location was last week in Denver it was that bad last night in Chicago.
Prior threw 89 pitches in three plus innings. Almost half of them were actual strikes. He walked five, he gave up eight hits and he hit Phil Nevin (which, he had to enjoy, come on it’s Phil Nevin, the first client in the Jeff Pornstache Personality Club for Men). He gave up six runs, four of them all by himself, and then left the bases loaded and nobody out for Glendon in the fourth.
This wasn’t Mark Prior on a bad day, this was Kerry Wood on a bad day. We’re used to it with Wood. Every once in a while he’ll trot out to the mound and won’t be able to throw a strike if his life depended on it. Not Prior. That’s not supposed to happen. Mark Prior on a bad day is supposed to go six innings, give up seven hits, five runs and walk a couple of guys. He’s not supposed to implode before our very eyes.
It was ’70s night last night, and unfortunately for the Cubs, Mark Prior came dressed as Ray Burris.
A couple of our more thoughtful readers yesterday declared that Prior’s the most overrated pitcher ever. Nice to see that they’ve got both hands firmly attached to the reality safety rail. I think they’re right. I think it’s time to completely write off a 23 year old pitcher who’s had a few bad starts in an injury plagued season. Seems sensible to me.
I also don’t think that the bad calls from Froemming frustrated Prior into a Matt Clement-like stupor. He just didn’t have his control. I’m sure it frustrated him, but if he throws the 3-2 pitch to Eaton where it was supposed to be, instead of knee high over the outside part of the plate where Eaton could just drop the bat on it for a single, he gets out of the inning with only two runs. He had a bad night and the Cubs lost. It happens. Try and keep it from ruining your lunch today.
Dusty’s batting order however was interesting, again.
I’m not even going to get into the whole “where should Sammy bat” thing. Go over to CubsTalk.com, I’m sure the deep thinkers over there have about nine threads devoted to it. My problem with last night’s batting order wasn’t in playing Jose Macias at third. The way Jose torched the Padres in San Diego earlier in the year, it was completely defensible to give him a start and let E-ramis have a second day off in a row. The problem was hitting Macias second. Shouldn’t Todd Walker have hit there? Don’t you want somebody on base when Nomar comes up third?
Anyway, let’s get to something we can all agree on. Like what a complete tool Chip Caray is.
First, the night got off to a humiliating start when Chippy donned a blonde little orphan Annie wig for the open with Steve. Steve was showing a little nipple, which is troubling, was it was hard to take your eyes off of Chip’s Lady Marmalade hair. Chip was most likely dressed to impress former Padres pitching coach Dave Stewart. But that’s another thing for another time.
For Chip it was a normal game. He observed all of the “wacky Cubs fans in their ’70s attire” and made his normal insipid jokes. Here’s what I wondered. How many Cubs fans did WGN show because they were dressed in ’70s clothes didn’t even know it was ’70s night? Half the bleachers look like they just fell out of an Alan Ball wet dream anyway. But, I digress.
Then, in the ninth, Chip renewed our disdain. With one out E-ramis pinch hit and was the tying run. He worked the count against a struggling Trevor Hoffman and sent one deep to center. Chip went nutty. He was sure the game was tied. He thought the ball was going to bounce off the center field scoreboard. But it fell harmlessly in Terrence Long’s glove, barely reaching the warning track. I have no problem with an announcer trying to milk the drama out of a moment. But we’ve known for years now that Chip still cannot judge a fly ball. This was just a reminder of that. Again.
Chip got one of the FSN cameras to show where Nomar sets up in the batter’s box, because to Chip, this is fascinating. He said, “Look how close Nomar is to the front of the box.” The camera then switched to show Nomar and showed that his back foot is about six inches behind home plate. In essence, Nomar stands where about 65 percent of the right handed hitters in the league stand. This, to Chip is fascinating.
By the way, Sammy continues to creep closer to home plate, which would have been something more interesting for FSN to have shown us. He’s now a little closer than he was during the Jeff Pentland years, so his critics can scratch that verse from their chorus.
Eric Estrada was on hand to lead the crowd in the singing of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” and he did things to that song that are illegal in several southern states. He also said that reality TV is a lot harder than scripted TV. Of course it is, for people like Eric who have no personality, it’s tough when somebody doesn’t write one down for you. You could lock Tom Cruise, Eric Estrada and Barry Sanders in a house and turn some TV cameras on and it would be so boring your pets would commit suicide.
And Barry’s dad would do the eulogy and say, “I’m proud to say that my son was the third best actor on that show!” I still can’t get over the fact that a guy can pick his own father to introduce him for induction into the Hall of Fame and his dad calls him “the third best running back of all time.” That’s child abuse, isn’t it?
Why is the game today, tonight? Does that make any sense? It was supposed to be a 1:20 start and they moved it, I suppose as part of the four extra night games they got this spring. I thought the night games were supposed to be used when the Cubs came back from long road trips like the one they got back from on Sunday night? I’m glad it’s going to 50 and windy. Serves them right.
Rick Sutcliffe is going to do the seventh inning stretch honors tonight. Let’s hope he’s not as hammered as he was last time. His Foster Brooks routine was funny (kinda) once.
Did I just make a Foster Brooks reference? How old am I? Screw it. Let’s do the links.
—-
Everybody has a bad day once in a while. Mark Prior decided to make his epic.
This headline has little to do with the story. Didn’t you expect a Kerry quote about LaTroy, or something?
Nomar’s good. We get it.
Sammy has more homers than Reggie Jackson. For those of you who think Sammy’s the most selfish prick ever, I submit Reginald Martinez Jackson as Exhibit 1 in Sam’s defense.
Tank Johnson got a haircut and I should care, why, exactly?
Bears’ coach Karl Dunbar has the skin disease that Michael Jackson pretends he has.
You will soon have the chance to be awakened by the soothing voice of Mike North. This would be worth it if they’d kick Mike Murphy’s talentless ass out in the street. Be-Be North is negotiating Uncle Fuzzy’s new deal. I’ve heard she’s nearly as shrewd as Garry Meier’s wife. So in other words, Uncle Fuzzy will be back greeting you at the Joliet river boat by early October.
Mariotti puts down the doughnut and his column today is not his normal steaming pile of excrement. No, today’s is so stale that it’s not even steaming. It’s just kind of crusting over.
Todd Hollandsworth should be flogged for being too dumb, or too lazy to put on a freaking shin guard when he already missed half of a season with the same thing he’s got now. I can hardly wait for the big John Vander Wal pickup. Oooh, I’m all tingly.
Who is Dwone Hicks and why do I care that he doesn’t want to play football? Maybe Brad Biggs can write a feature on me and how I don’t want to try synchronized swimming?
Tim Brown is a Buc. He’s like Keyshawn, only slower and quieter. That’s not a bad tradeoff.
The Wizard of Roz says Kenny Williams’ got a tough job ahead of him. It is tough, he’s already traded for Carl Everett and Robbie Alomar again. He’s out of ideas.
I’m so proud of whatever part of the cab hit Tommy Glavine in the mouth.
TO says he never said that Jeff Garcia was gay. He just never said he wasn’t. Garcia, who’s unofficial nickname around the NFL is “The Gay Burn Victim” says that his girlfriend is none other than Carmella Decesare, the 2004 Playmate of the Year.
And she just happened to be at Browns’ practice yesterday. I’m sure that was a coincidence. Whatever.
Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz are going to get married. I’m not saying, I’m just saying that Hal Sparks has already RSVP’d and it says he’s bringing Carmella Decesare.
If it’s in the Hindustan Times it has to be true!
Jennifer Garner blames the media on breaking up her marriage. She says “if we were living in West Virginia where I grew up” that they wouldn’t be wearing shoes and none of this would have happened. She says she’s still “just friends” with Ben Affleck because she’s afraid dating him would cause her to catch whatever is killing his career.
America’s finest news source says that the government has finally cleared the A-Team of all charges.
Did anybody catch the passive-aggressive way Stoney and Chip worked in as many nicknames as they could when Todd Walker was up? It was their funny way of answering his asinine observation of how Hawk and DJ are good announcers because they call players by their nicknames.
The whole Chip/Steve vs. The Players thing is a little ridiculous. As irritating as they can be (particularly Chip), they are far from being overly critical. Since most players aren’t watching the game on TV (and I doubt many take the time to tape it and watch it laer), I’ve got to believe that some of the players’ friends, wives, and other family members have been whining about what they see as criticism.
It’s time for the boys to suck it up, shut up, and play baseball.
If Rusch had covered first there would have been runners on second and third with one out. It would be hard to turn that next double play with no force out at home.
Guess I shoulda read the next paragraph. I’m a moran.
Does Mariotti have a point in any of his articles anymore…I mean seriously. But, he was able to slip in a Bartman reference. I knew it wouldnt take him long to get back on the proverbial cliche horse.
What was I trying to prove by letting Prior start the 4th? He already threw over 80 pitches in the first 3, and I think everyone else in the ballpark would have brought Rusch in to start the 4th… but me.
I find it interesting that Stone will criticize the players for not being thick skinned enough to take a little criticism, when he and Chip can’t take any themselves.
Mariotti has to be the biggest f-ing idiot on the planet to claim that I’m the worst Rocky movie. V is not only the worst of the series, but it is right up there in the running for Worst Sports Movie Ever. Between the Cold War comparisons and Dolph Lundgren’s outstanding acting, Rocky IV was pretty good, especially compared to Tommy Gunn and Rocky V.
Man, the thought of Mike North, Jay Hood, Rick Telander, and Anne Maxfield discussing the day’s events makes me want to invest in satellite radio or even listen to Spike O’Dell.
Boy, that fly out by Ramirez was really belted last night wasn’t it?
No. 7…is that you Sports Guy?
I didn’t write #7 because Rocky IV, Caddyshack 2 and Karate Kid 3 didn’t happen!
Of course, if Prior had pitched well last night, I would have said his comments yesterday were bold, cocky, and showed the leadership this club needs. Ah, the joys of being a windsock! You can write it either way.
Andy, I don’t think that was Stone’s point. He said, "If you’re not coming to me and telling me I’m doing a good job when I’m doing a good job, don’t come to me when you think I’m doing a bad job." Stone is pretty fair when he doles out his praise/criticism. If you fail to move a runner over he’ll call you on it. But how many times has he said a pitch location that resulted in a DP was fantastic.
Chip on the other hand has done nothing good other than to convert oxygen to carbon dioxide to help keep the ivy green.
Oh….And Dusty needs to let Rothschild manage the pitchers (always). Lar needs to decide who to warm up, when to make the mound visit and when to pull the pitcher. He then needs to hire someone to set the lineup and make game substitutions. Jose Macis at #2? Jose Macias is #2.
TW,
Part of being professional is knowing that doing a good job is expected and doing a horseshit job elicits complaints.
And in Stone’s case, he might not being doing a horseshit job, but being controversial will attract complaints, and he should deal with it and not try to ratchet up the heat because of the complaints.
Let’s remember how this whole announcer controversy started: Moises Alou was mad that Chip and Steve were giving too much pub to the pitching staff, and not lauding the offense enough. There was no mention of criticism. The criticism came from the outside because Alou made his comments around the time of the horrific Milwaukee series in which the Cubs scored something like 4 runs in three games.
While I don’t think that Stone and Chip should now be going out of their way to antagonize the players (which I felt they were doing last night, even though it was kind of funny), on the flip side, I don’t think that Stone commenting on poor baserunning or fielding can be construed as controversial. In conclusion, I blame Moises Alou for the whole damn thing. The guy is 38 years old, and most of his extended family grew up playing in the majors. I think by now, he probably knows that a little criticism goes along with the job.
CT,
You’re right. Moises’ point was idiotic. Still, Stone should just blow it off.
Gratuitous reference to another Cubs starting pitcher phenom that flamed out due to injury. With regards sent to Lance Dickson.
Harkey, you and Dickson sucked. Prior doesn’t. He also hasn’t fallen down the dugout steps like you did. Now go see if those fries are done and help out with the orders in the drive thru window you pathetic, fat, hack.
Prime example of Chip’s lack of depth persception: On Derrek Lee’s home run in the ninth he bellowed, "GET OUT THE TAPEMEASURE!!" as the ball landed about half way up the bleachers.
At least save it for balls that actually leave the park, Chipster.
Get out the tapemeasure is my line anyway.
Chip, we got out the tape measure, remember? Two and a quarter. Erect. Very sad.
Wow, so there was actually a reason Chip kept calling Todd Walker "the Louisiana bat boy" or whatever? I thought he was just being a dork, as usual.
The Cards just announced that Pujols has plantar fasciatis, and that he won’t go on the DL or even miss any games, but he will have to deal with it all season.
Translation: We need an excuse to blame our playoff collapse on when we get swept by the braves or dodgers.
I was interviewed yesterday and asked if I would ever move down in the order for the good of the team to which I said, yes, I’m not a selfish player.
I bet that at this point, even Gabor thinks Sammy is a useless piece of crap.
And Cris Carpenter hurt his soul patch (and maybe his back, too) and had to leave last night’s game after 2 1/3 shaky innings.
From http://heelspurs.com/_intro.html:
"If a patient is under age 25, go see a doctor for a diagnosis before reading this web site because very few people under the age of 25 get plantar fasciitis."
Albie must be one of the exceptions.
Interesting point #24. Add that with the "back injury" Carpenter suffered last night (He didn’t even point or motion or anything to the dugout after the pitch, Mike Matheny did) while he was down 1-0 to the Marlins with only one out in the third.
Somehow the Cardinals won the game, especially with the help of a 2-0 pitch called a strike on Juan Pierre on a pitch that was as high as his shoulders.
Wouldn’t be a big deal except for the fact there were two outs and the bases were loaded and Ray King was pitching, and King hadn’t been able to find the strike zone at all the whole inning.
Getting back to the Cubs, I didn’t see the game (I was at a party and unfortunately the people there wanted to watch the Cardinals), but maybe Prior should miss a turn in the rotation to work with Rothschild a little bit. Yes, this may be not showing confidence in the guy, but we will not do anything in the playoffs (if we get there) if Mark Prior is not throwing well.
Call me crazy, but if the Cubs made the playoffs, wouldn’t it behoove them to toss Prior in the bullpen?
At this point, in an injury-filled season, he’s your 5th starter. The guy just doesn’t have the consistency this year.
:::The problem was hitting Macias second. Shouldn’t Todd Walker have hit there? Don’t you want somebody on base when Nomar comes up third?:::
I think the leadoff hitter can get on ahead of Nomar.
At least, I’m told that I should think that.
From yesterday’s edition of my Onion Ad Nauseam Calendar:
What’s our Excuse For Not Visiting Historic St. Louis?
1. Arch fear
2. Their Mardi Gras stinks
3. Historic East St. Louis took all our money
4. Not Catholic
5. Last time there, forced to fill sandbags
6. Visit not mandatory, if we understand our constitutional rights
7. Thought there would always be time … we’re so wrong
Not funny, but hey, neither is Alex Kaseberg, and he gets posted on here all the time.
Couple of points for anyone who cares:
1) Prior is fine. He had a bad game. Greg Maddux didn’t go 300-0 in his career. These will happen.
2)Sammy is fine. He is slumping and hopefully gets into one of his ’20 HR’s in one month’ grooves soon. He should be moved down until he gets right again, but he is still Sammy, and one of the biggest HR threats in the game. Let’s not ship him out just yet.
3) The Cubs are fine. They won’t catch the Cards, who are starting to catch the injury bug, but they will win the wild card going away. San Diego has an offense featuring Sean Burroughs who looks like the fat catcher in "The Sandlot" and the biggest bag of crap ever to come out of Cal State Fullerton, Phil Nevin. The Giants have Bonds, Schmidt and 23 utiltiy men and rookies.
Get your playoff tickets now.
If San Diego and San Francisco are no real threats to us, shouldn’t we be able to beat them during these last series we have with them? You’d think.
No reason to worry guys, I’m going to continue to give every decent starter on this team a break, cyclically, over the rest of the season because having all your stars in during one game is overrated.
Sammy gets tonight off. Moises the next. Then Lee. Then Patterson. Then I’ll skip Prior’s turn in the rotation and pitch Macias and bat him second. Then we’ll just repeat the cycle all over again, starting with Nomar.
I know what I’m doing, okay? I have a plan for everything. I don’t just do things all willy-nilly. LAY OFF ME!!!
I think it might help Prior if he missed a start, or did some extra work with Larry. It seems like he’s pressing a little bit and his fastball seems to have more motion on it than last year. He’s missing his spots and most of the time it is that his fastball is breaking out of the zone, and then he gets hammered when he throws a strike over the plate on a get-it-over pitch. His ball wasn’t jumping like this in Colorado, which is notorious for causing pitchers to lose movement on their pitches and he was able to hit the corners and dominate the game.
Let’s see, I gave a guy with a bad Achilles a night off before an off day and a guy with a bad groin a night off after it. Ever think I’m kind of hoping they’re around for the vast majority of the games we have left? Besides, geni like Steve Stone say we’ll win the Wild Card going away so a game here or there won’t make a difference.
And I remember George Ofman standing in the clubhouse in Cincinnati last September asking Sammy why he wouldn’t move down in the order because of his huge slump, Sammy told him to cram it and hit two homers the next day.
You’d think you guys had never seen a player go into a slump before. Your Cubs fans! You’ve been watching it for 100 years. You ought to be fucking experts at it.
Now shut up. I’m going to sit in my office, suck on a toothpick and listen to Sophie B. Hawkins.
The Cardinals are LYING! Pujols is getting a prosthetic foot.
Prior had one bad start people. Plus in Colorado he was unhittable.
Would you rather take a chance on Mark Prior getting it together his next start (most likely) or take a chance on The Tray of Meat making an August cameo?
Give me Prior.
Did you ever think maybe I need more innings to get back on track…not less?
This pitching stuff is kind of hard, that’s why there aren’t very many guys who are really good at it. I’m one of them, and I think you’ll need me to get it together if you’re going to win anything. Just give me the ball and I’ll figure it out.
Yes, Dustpan, and we support your decision to play Aramis and Nomar in for the entire series with us. You never know when we’re gonna just break out of it and threaten for the Wild Card. Best take as many wins from us as possible, but go ahead and rest your best players against SF and SD.
I cure a lot of ills.
I had dee plan tar fash ee eye tus. Hurt very bad. It is dee lining under you foot and it tear away and you go "Owww!" Poo holes will be in much pain. Mine hurt so bad I no take shower for six week.
I like Chris Carpenter very much. Especially when he and sister sing pretty song.
Why the birds do appear?
Everytime you are near?
Jus like me!
They long to be!
Cwose to youse!
Cwose to youse!
Your logic is why you are in last place, Colorado Rockies. Do you think you need your best offense in for every game when you’re playing in low gravity in Coors, or in Pac Bell (or whatever it is now) and Wriggles?
It’s not like Dusty is just pulling lineups out of thin air, E-ramis and Nomar have actual injuries. They’re going to have to sit out once and a while. You’re going to have to deal with it.
I heet home run yesterday, buddy! I never bat low! My next homer will be against Houston on the 25th, buddy!
I’m sure there’s a reason to defend my using Jose Macias as my number 2 hitter, as well. Let’s hear it.
Panic on the streets of Chicago
Panic on the streets of Northbrook
I wonder to myself
Could life ever be sane again ?
The Wrigley side-streets that you slip down
I wonder to myself
Hopes may rise on the North Side
But Honey Pie, you’re not safe here
So you run down
To the safety of the town
But there’s Panic on the streets of Addison
Sheffield, Waveland, Belmont
I wonder to myself
Burn down the ballpark
Hang the blessed Dusty
Because the baseball that they constantly play
IT SAYS NOTHING TO ME ABOUT MY LIFE
Hang the blessed Dusty
Because the baseball they constantly play
On the Northside side-streets that you slip down
Provincial towns you jog ’round
Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty
Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty
HANG THE Dusty, HANG THE Dusty, HANG THE Dusty
HANG THE Dusty, HANG THE Dusty
HANG THE Dusty, HANG THE Dusty
Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty
HANG THE Dusty, HANG THE Dusty
HANG THE Dusty, HANG THE Dusty
Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty
HANG THE Dusty, HANG THE Dusty
HANG THE Dusty, HANG THE Dusty
Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty, Hang the Dusty
HANG THE Dusty
"It’s not like Dusty is just pulling lineups out of thin air…"
You did see that Macias was hitting 2nd last night didn’t you?
Wasn’t Corey Patterson 2-5?
Maybe I read the box score wrong?
I can’t believe we’re 10 games behind the Padres.
What, we’re not?
Then why is everybody crappin’ their pants?
No, BC you’re wrong. Corey didn’t get on base. He sucks. He’s awful. He didn’t cover first base last night in the fourth inning. He gave up that homer to Ramon Martinez. He sucks and I feel better about my self when he struggles. It helps me forget that I’ve become impotent from sniffing rubber cement and drinking paint thinner.
You just watch, that Nazi George Bush has captured Osama bin Korey and is holding him in secret until just days before the election!
Well, it’s off to day care for me. It’s peanut butter and cracker day!
Hey Cubs fans! Imagine if you got me instead of Nomar! We really would have had a stellar lineup last night, right?
Airplane glue is bad for you, too. I need to stop sniffing it before I post. Korey gave up the homer to Carlos HERNANDEZ, not Ramon Martinez. I’m a dumbass.
Ohlando Cabhehah, is that you?
Interestingly, we called Nomar "Nomah" but we call Orlando, "Orlander." Man we can’t fucking talk, can we?
Just for fun, here’s my projected Dusty lineup for tonight (Since everyone is criticizing him and I’m not, which seems really odd):
Goodwin, CF
Grudzielanek, 2B
Lee, 1B
Hollandsworth’s healthy shin, RF
Macias, LF
Martinez, SS
Walker, 3B
Bako, C
Zambrano, P
Dusty sucks. Here’s the lineup I’d go with.
Eric Young, 2b
Michael Tucker, cf
Sammy Sosa, rf
Fred McGriff, 1b
Ron Coomer, 3b
Ricky Gutierrez, ss
Matt Stairs, lf
Todd Hundley, c
Joe Borowski, p
Wait, that was the lineup I used on August 11, 2001.
Things could be much worse Cubs fans. Try and remember that.
I remember 8/11/01 very well. It was my only start for the Cubs and I tried to drink rat poison after the game.
I used the resting days to move Sosa and Alou down a notch. Now I simply return Nomar to #2 and insert Aramis into the 3-spot. Still not perfect, but better.
Patterson, CF
Nomar, SS
Aramis, 3B
Sammy, RF
Alou, LF
Lee, 1B
Grudz, 2B
Barrett, C
Z, P
Stop stealing our thunder!
B.C., you’re insane. Dusty would never use me at 3b.
0-1, 1 2/3 IP, 6 hits, 1HR, 3BB, 1K, 32.40 E.R.A——makes Joe look like a stud this year.
Shut up, Todd, I just might have my fourth decent game of the season tonight!
I remember Browkowski. I hit him pretty hard that day. Whatever happened to him?
I did all that work in 2001 with a mere 55 pitches. I still sweated like a champ.
I think Barkowski’s main problem today was that he was too sweaty to grip the ball. I haven’t seen that much ball sweat since…I’d better not finish that sentence.
What this team needs is an Oddibe McDowell type player. Somebody who could run around really fast, swing at bad pitches and play center. I did have a brilliant strategy though of losing McGriff to a double switch in the middle innings, and I ended up with Matt Stairs at first base. He’s the kind of gritty winner we need.
Look folks, these are the Cubs. We don’t have a roster full of stars. It’s not like we’re ever going to have guys like Moises Alou or Nomar Garciaparra or the big skinny guy from Florida. Greg Maddux isn’t ever coming back. This is what we have to win with.
I second what Don Baylor said. I also hope that when I leave they find somebody worse than me to coach third. As if that’s possible. There’s only one guy in the world, and there’s now way he’s going to get another job.
Watch out, Cubbies, I’m a crafty lefty!
Muahahahaha.
A crafty (crappy?) lefty whose fastball couldn’t break a pane of glass.
At least we’re not facing real lefthanded talent like Eric Milton or Noah Lowry. Yikes.
Just wanted to give a shout out to the stellar parody of our song.
Now, if only you could do "Bako in A Coma"
Bako in a coma, I know
I know – it’s serious
Bako in a coma, I know
I know – it’s really serious
There were times when I could
Have "murdered" him
(But you know, I would hate
Anything to happen to him)
NO, I DON’T WANT TO SEE HIM
Do you really think
He’ll get a hit ?
Do you really think
He’ll get a hit ?
Do …
Bako in a coma, I know
I know – it’s serious
My, my, my, my, my, my baby, goodbye
There were times when I could
Have "released" him
(But you know, I would hate
to see Barrett hitting right now)
WOULD YOU PLEASE
LET ME DEMOTE HIM !
Do you really think
he’ll let another passed ball by ?
Do you really think
he’ll let another passed ball by ?
Do …
Let me whisper my last goodbyes
I know – IT’S SERIOUS
Yep, you Bako-haters, I do have a solution:
I bet you can get me from DePodesta real cheap!
Big Head Todd coming back? Why on earth would they trade for a guy sweatier than me? Yosh Kiwano’s towel budget is at its limit.
But with Hundley back at least I’ll have another boozehound to cruise beautiful babies with.
# 27, that page is bullshyte. I was diagnosed with it last fall and I’m 24.
Not saying the MVP is under 25, but that particular bit of information is well off.
Kelly, he said Plantar Fasciatis, not genital herpes.
The love sore knows no age. At least that’s what I told Lindsay Lohan’s parents.
I know that young people can get it, my grandson has it.
The MVP isn’t under 25. I’m 40.
Hell, I’M 25!
Shut up! I so do not have herpes! Check the A-List, it doesn’t say anything about that!
We’re not on that cover. How old’s the photo? Hmm?
They’re not ‘genital herpes’ if they’re not on the genitals.
Damn Thai hookers, with their toe-fetishes. Never again!
I had to change my shoe size.
Hey, Farns. I’ll go crusin’ with ya’. But I’m not on for the booze. Skiing is more my style if ya’ catch my "drift."
81, I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Nobody blamed him sucking on me for once! It’s a happy day for me.
Dusty has yet to start Nomar, Grud and Prior at the same time yet. It’s obvious he is conscious of the power of the Bad Achilles Triangle, and he will not allow it to form on the field.
Like always, if one of the three has to drop on the field like a sniper just got them from the grandstand, let it be Gruddy. Please, let it be Gruddy.
Actually Andy, if Grud drops, it could be because of a dugout sniper.
Don’t do it Todd, my alliterative nonsense is no match for the words sniper and Todd, Walker or Louisiana!
Man, am I glad I listened to my agent and turned down that insulting 3 year contract that the Phillies offered me.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1856671
We all wear this instead of stirrup socks.
For all those folks who are jumping all over Prior — according to Sports Weekly, 26 visiting starting pitchers have thrown more than 100 pitches in a game at Coors Field this season, and the combined record of those pitchers in their next start is something like 7-13 with an ERA around 5. Give the fella a break, huh?
or the Bayou Butcher if I take out Grudz with my handy throwing knives.
Braces are for wussies!
Now where did I put my leg immobilizer?
Mark Prior has never had any reason to doubt his ability at any level of pro ball until now. He has succeeded from the moment he made his 1st pro start at AA in 2002. It may be that he needs to make an adjustment to his pitching approach to gain the edge again. It may be that he is not the franchise pitcher that many have touted him to be. It may be that this is a temporary bump in a hall of fame career.
I am not in the prediction business, especially when it comes to young pitchers, however, I will say this: he is easily the worst of our 5 starters AT THIS POINT IN TIME and he cannot be counted on to anchor the rotation the rest of this wild card push.
That task will fall to either Zambrano, Wood or Greg Maddux.
Damn, Hollandsworth. Why is it that you’re always injuring your shin? You have the worst luck, dude.
You know with Dusty giving all these dayoffs to people we need in the lineup, why doesn’t he take one off. I’d like to see how Dick Pole would manage this team. Maybe he would have some smarts about him and play guys when we need them and sit them when we don’t need them.
Manage your way out of a paper sack first, #94!
Shannon Stewart missed a good amount of time with me earlier this season, circa May-June was it?
This could play its way into a bigger injury for Pujols, meaning significant games missed — sort of like how Griffey’s hamstring popped a few days ago, and ended up being completely ripped from the bone. He went from doing just pinch-hitting, to getting ready for spring training next year.
I’m right up there with "meningicocal" in the just-as-hard-to-say-as-hard-to-spell dictionary.
welcome back KD, btw.
What can I say? Pictures of Ms. Diaz that exist before she started her "diet" always bring me back.
Actually, I’m not "back," I just use AOL.
If posters here are serious about want Dusty to take a permanent vacation, they have serious short term(and long term) memory issues.
I hope they are in humor, because the intelligence reading of this web site is at stake.
I can take over the club in 24 hours, if you’re interested.
#46 – Where are my props? I wrote the music for god’s sake. That flamer hack Morrissey only wrote the lyrics.
I keel Padres, as promised!
I heet better than Macheas, Gabor and Badwin!
I am El Grande Loco, and I keel ju guys!
Well, I do have a perfect record of 1 win, #94.
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