You know that junk mail your grandma used to get? It would often offer great deals for little effort, but when she got snookered and fell into the deal, it was a mess to get out of. That?s what this 2004 season has turned into for the Chicago Cubs. It wasn?t supposed to be hard. Wood, Prior, Zambrano, Maddux, Clement, Sosa, Ramirez, Lee, Hawkins, Borowski and Alou were supposed to lead this team to at least 105 wins and a division title.
But tonight?s loss to Montreal pushed the Cubs out of the Wild Card lead. Resurgent Houston, winners of 12 in a row, has pushed into first place, and is just one game back of the Cubs in the loss column. The Marlins are now tied in the loss column. And there are the lingering Giants and Padres, still threatening to make a run for the Wild Card.
So, it comes to this: Four games, in three days, against the afore-mentioned Marlins, starting Friday. It will look familiar to the Marlins, as they will see Mark Prior and Kerry Wood pitch the doubleheader games Friday. Those just happened to be the last guys the Marlins saw at Wrigley last year. Needless to say, let?s not bring that up again. Winning 3 of 4 would look really nice now…
However, assessing the team as it stands now is frustrating. Sammy Sosa still looks lost both at the plate and the field. Moises Alou needs a map, flashlight, and an annoying wife in the other seat just to figure out not to turn right at second base. Paul Bako is still on the team, and Mike Wuertz is back on it. However there are also positives. Derrek Lee has done a great job filling in at first base, considered to be a weakness for the Cubs in 2003. Michael Barrett has performed more than admirably offensively behind the plate. Corey Patterson seems to be comfortable at the plate. Aramis still hits the ball hard at least twice a game it seems like. And there?s Nomar.
But, here are two reasons the Cubs might not get it done:
1. The bullpen sucks.
2. Repeat Reason 1.
Let?s face it: We have no clue who is going to be good on one night and bad the next. Remlinger saved a game for us in the Los Angeles series, but the last two nights he has looked approximately 93 years old out there. Hawkins seems to be required by law to either give up a leadoff walk or a leadoff hit. Kyle Farnsworth?s act finally caught up with him and he is out after sucking it up most of August because he decided a hallway fan looked too much like Paul Wilson. It?s sad when the most consistent bullpen pitcher as of late has been Kent Mercker. The fact this team has lost what seems to be a ton of games in the bullpen has to be one of the main reasons for all the anger about this team.
To leave you, I will give you some positive pictures and a final thought.
I wish this could make up for the Cubs’ loss, but hey, I did the best I could.
It is natural for us to hope. Hope is probably one of the best gifts we have. I don?t know what lies in wait for this team. I don?t know what lies in wait for me, I don?t know what lies in wait for you, I don?t know what lies in wait for this country, and I certainly don?t know what lies in wait for this world. But, what I do know is that I still have hope for this team this season. Will we get in the playoffs? I don?t know. I hope so, but I don?t know. People are critical because they wish to see other people do better. They hope that the complaint will be heard and they hope the other people can listen and change. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don?t. In the end, let?s pray that hope can win out. Because hope is all we?ve got.
When did this site become IlliniBoard2?
Excuse me?
I don’t see anything about the Illini on here.
A BC article that doesn’t resemble a pulled fire alarm? Have to give you credit for that, and as a result, I think your actual content was better.
The pictures were nice too of course, but besides them, this BC effort was actually satisfactory!
Good Christ in Newark …
Your team is a half game out of the Wild Card slot. Grow some hair on your respective taints and take the noose down.
Oh man, that was painful. Not the 6-0 Cubs’ loss last night–that was dreadful. This column by B.C. was painful.
This simplistic woe-is-me, write-by-numbers effort was especially grating, but then tacking on the faux philosophical yarn of yearning at the end with a rivet gun pushed this into pain territory.
This article was all over the board. I was distressed to learn from B.C. that Derrek Lee is "filling in at first base." Gee, I thought the job was his, as evidenced by his playing in 135 of 136 games. Who exactly is he filling in for?
And B.C. makes turns some great phrases in letting us know it’s all the bullpen’s fault. And Sammy’s. And Alou’s. And Mercker sucks, despite having a great year. And the Marlins (winners of 9 in a row) need to lose 3 of 4. And the Cubs might win. Or they might lose.
But there is hope! And racy pictures. Maybe those were meant to further dull the already blunt effort B.C. put forth in his 6+ painful paragraphs.
We can only hope…
KD,
After sitting out there for the snappy two-hour, three-batter-over the-minimum effort against a former Cub hack who’s ERA was over 7.00 in the rubber game of a home series against Montreal, I can tell you that while they may be .5 game out (and behind 3 teams), they look done to me.
Last night was the proof I needed.
They appear to be done.
And BC,
You REALLY shouldn’t try to pen a column when you’re despondent.
Only a bitter person could concede that Aramis "still hits the ball hard at least twice a game it seems like" (It seems like?) He happens to be the cornerstone that this team needs to build around after this abortion of a season ends, when they hopefully can get rid of the Dominican Knucklehead Twins, Sam and Mo.
Hello Sadaam fans,
With the war practically over I would like to return to my old job, now that Sadaam has finished torturing the rest of my family….This Dusty character does not seem to be getting the job done…Armed with an ample supply of torture devices I believe I can motivate Sammy’s bursitis, Clement’s pussy attitude, and Moises’ base running to the point that they don’t make excuses anymore….
Mike D., I think you could have stopped typing after the 10th word of your post above.
The Cubs lose 6-0, get shut out for the 12th or 13th time this year, Sosa is leaving games early, Prior and Wood aren’t 100%, yet the reason the Cubs won’t make the playoffs is the BULLPEN?
I knew Cham-Bana was an overrated school, but do we need to see the proof like this?
I know, JH, but I’ve got to vent, too. THAT was bad last night.
win the next twenty-six games they will be in the playoffs. Another thing Houston has been living on the home run ball lately too. They have won 12 twelve straight, but they have played those games at homer friendly Minute Maid & a winding blowing out Wrigley. Let’s see them go yard at PNC. I predict they will go 2-3 there and then get sweept by the Cards.
In BP yesterday, it seemed like the Cubs learned a lesson from the previous night. They were hitting line drives and not trying to bomb the bleachers. I only saw about 5 or 6 balls that were actually homeruns. Most were liners that made the team look aware of a 15 mph wind blowing in. Then Cy Downs took the mound. I’m usually 100% behind Andy in the "get off the ledge" mindset, but last night was too much. I think it was the death knell for the 2004 season. I sure as hell hope the Cubs make the playoffs, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. I guess we’ll have to wait til next year.
Oh, and contrary to everyone else who has written the Cubs off, I think if we chase Dusty out of town after this one bad year, it would be like trading away Lou Brock all over again. Worst. Move. Ever.
”Nothing’s over until we decide it is. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no! . . . ‘Cause when the goin’ gets tough — the tough get goin’! Who’s with me? Let’s go! Come on!”
This season (injuries considered) is making last year’s division title less special. No real team stood up and took that division last year as evidenced by the fact that the winner was still TBD going into the final series of the season. This year, Cubs are going to finish with basically the same record, which is a step in the right direction despite being plenty disappointing at the same time. However, they’re going to finish 18 or so games out of first. The Cubs–at best–have played about .550 ball each month of the season and are still in it. The team with any testicular fortitude at all–that can play .600+ ball the last month–will win the Wild Card. Lets hope our particular baseball-playing squad can do that.
…and by no means are the Demon Foul a "real team." Everyone else has just underacheived.
are a good team that kicked everyone’s ass. Dream on if you want to bad mouth them. They stepped up; the Cubs pussed out.
…and by no means are the Demon Foul a "real team." Everyone else has just underacheived.
Come on. I HATE the Cardinals. I think the Daryl Kile jokes are funny. I think Steve Kline got what was coming to him, and I think the Cards are vulnerable in a short series, but to say that a team that is 47 games over .500 is not a "real team" and is winning the division by default, well that’s just stupid.
The Demon Foul are contenders. I’m not denying that. They’ll probably win the whole thing just cause I said they weren’t. I was just appeasing the tidal wave Chip-loving accusations that would’ve drown me had I kissed Cardinal ass. I’m a Cub fan even more than I’m a baseball fan. So I’m just not allowed to say nice things about my team’s biggest enemy.
How is there any way to spin tonight’s game as anything but a huge pile of crap still steaming off the grass and dirt of Wrigley? BC has taken a lot of crap for allegedly overreacting to Cubs losses, but God, what a wretched, wretched effort that was. The Cubs are not the team we thought they’d be. A good team does not go scoreless against Downs. And don’t give me that crap about how the Cards sucked today. That’s one game. The Cubs have played 8 shitty games out of their last 9 (though they won two of those). I hope they make the playoffs. Hell, I’ve already bought the damn tickets. But they’re playing with their heads up their asses.
on my boat i keep a twenty gallon drum of mazola so that my mishaps are slippy and slimy and fun. care to join me on my next cub scout troop outing?
After watching Dusty’s suck-job this year, you guys sure you don’t want me back again? I led a much MUCH less talented team to the 98 playoffs, we only lost to the Braves because Sammy Sosa sucks and I over-used Rod Beck to the point of his arm falling off.
Then those lame-assed red-asses quit on me in ’99, costing me my job. On 2nd thought, screw it, these 04 Cubs would quit on me too. Moises Alou. He he he he……
BC – I shall call you, "Mini-Me"!
Does Brian still have me?
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