Cubs Beat Rockies; No Wave at Wrigley!

You may find this hard to believe, but the Cubs are actually a .500 ball club in May.  It was law enforcement appreciation night at Wrigley, and Shark Samardzija was enforcing the laws of pitching, giving up 2 runs over 8 innings for his second win of the year.  No meltdowns, no extra pressure put on himself, causing stupid mistakes, just good solid pitching.  Shark even hit a 2 run homer to help his own cause.  Yes, the Cubs were firing on all cylinders last night, and are a much better team than their 17-23 record illustrates.  As far as the hitting went, Rizzo, Castro and DeJesus all had 2 hit games,  and DeJesus hit a homerun to lead off the Cubs 1st. The Cubs scored 6 runs, and won the game 6-3, and it was  especially helpful to have the extra run padding, as Kevin "goggles" Gregg gave up a run in the 9th on 2 hits, and also committed an error.  So the game ended with the tying run at the plate.  Never a good thing when you're a Cubs fan.

The only thing I didn't like to see, besides two bad base running plays by Rizzo and Valbuena, was the throngs of morons doing the damned wave at Wrigley.  I sat down on my bleacher seat every time the damned wave came around.  Don't you out of town, non game watching bro's and ho's, understand that at Wrigley Field, we don't do the wave.  I know this may come as a surprise to some of you strapping Iowa farm boys who grew up in a town where ears of corn outnumber the people 999999999999999999999999 to 1, but we don't do the wave at Wrigley Field.  If you don't believe me, just start typing into Google, "No Wave at...." and automatically, it completes as "Wrigley".  Why is this you ask?  You think the Wave is fun?  Well.  You're an idiot.  Fun is drinking beer and watching baseball.  Not standing up and down in order.  For a little history about why we don't do the wave, I can pretty much pinpoint it to 1984, when the wave was just getting going as a phenomena.  The Cubs won the first two games at Wrigley, and then went to San Diego and lost the next 3, all the while, the Insipid Padres fans did the wave.  True story.  If you don't believe me.  Next time you're at Wrigley ask an old lady.  She'll tell ya.  No Wave.  The Wave is reserved for domed stadiums and astroturf.  Not to mention, how do you think people in wheelchairs feel when the wave comes around?  You insensitive fools....

I'm sure Lou Sears and I will talk about it on the next podcast.  There is also a great interview with a Wrigley first timer  from the improv olympics, and a hilarious exchange from last night's game, when I ask a girl who's 27th birthday was being held in my section of the left field bleachers if she knew what the score was....she didn't...and last night, being law enforcement appreciation night, there was a a dude with a gun sitting in the bleachers, who was asked to see his permit....such excitement....

Now let's talk about those bad base running plays.  Rizzo was standing on second, when a ball was hit to 3rd.  Rizzo holds up, and the third baseman fakes a throw to first, and Rizzo takes off for 3rd and is easily tagged out.  I like that the Cubs are aggressive on the base paths, but seriously, wait until he throws the ball next time Rizz?  Also, Luis Valbuena who started stealing second, but thought the batter at the plate, Navarro had walked was thrown out at second in a strike em out, throw em out double play.  Not cute Luis.  First of all, why are you looking to see what happened.  Just run to second and slide.  That's your freaking job.  Valbuena looked in at home plate as if to say..."but I thought he walked!".  Well, he didn't and you looked foolish.

Alright!  What's on tap?  My second favorite team comes to town...the New York Mets!  And unfortunately on Friday our very own Edwin Jackson 1-6, 6.02 will face their ace pitcher Matt Harvey 4-0, 1.44.  The Mets are a worse team than the Cubs 14-23, but I don't have a lot of hope for Friday's game.  Hey!  Maybe Harvey's due for a clunky start!  Let's hope!  Either way, I'll be there, with some family....and Lou Sears and I will be at the game Saturday.....

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Here are some pics from this series!

Shark Tanked; Cubs Lose in DC

Washington DC is a city filled with wealthy do nothings who disappoint their constituencies on a regular basis by wielding power in ineffectual ways.  Last night, there were 25 extra humans wearing blue in our nations capitol similarly ineffectually wielding power.  They are called the Chicago Cubs, and I wouldn't vote for any of them for dog catcher if they were running for office.  The Cubs wielded some power last night, collecting 7 doubles among their 10 hits, and yet managed only 3 runs in this game that mercifully lasted 2 hours and 23 minutes.  The hapless Cubs went 2-14 with runners in scoring position, and an error by pitcher Jeff Samardzija led to the first 2 of Washington's 7 runs.  Isn't it a kick in the pants that when the pitcher makes an error, he is not charged with earned runs on the play?  Technically, the Shark allowed only 5 runs, but really, it was 7.  All 7.  In 5 innings.  Shark tanked.

So, how else are the Chicago Cubs like the politicians that ubiquitously roam around DC looking for attention and favors from lobbyists and special interest groups?  Well, the Cubs campaign slogan for one.  Most politicians utilize buzz words like "freedom" or "moving forward", which really doesn't mean anything.  Freedom to do what?  Moving forward into what?  Similarly, the Chicago Cubs' campaign slogan of this year, "Committed" is also an empty buzz word.  Committed to what?  Apparently, committed to leaving men on base.  The boys in blue are batting only .181 with runners in scoring position, a full 28 points below the next closest cellar dweller, the Toronto Bluejays.  We all had a good laugh over the "committed" slogan when it first came out because of the empty rhetoric inherent in the term.  Like when someone says, "it is what it is".  Well of course it is what it is.  You didn't have to remind me that "it" is what "it" is.  The only people that should be "committed" are the idiot fans like me that continue to suffer through these poorly played baseball games, both in the stands and on television. Yeah, committed to a mental institution, or some sort of baseball rehab.  Yes, the Cubs are certainly committed to losing baseball games in frustrating ways, like a politician "moving forward", which usually means your rear end is gonna be left in the dust.

I've put a ton of blame on the management, IE Dale "please don't shoot me, I'm not a Quail" Sveum, and it resulted in this song that I wrote yesterday.  So at least adversity breeds art....


Good things?  Besides my awesome new song?  Darwin Barney ended his 0 for 1,245,674 streak by hitting another useless Cub double with one out in the 9th.  So, he's got to feel pretty good about that. Go Dar Bar! Skies the limit!  Rizzo went 2-4.  New Cub lefty,  Ryan Sweeney went 2-3 against a left hander.  Castro hit 2 doubles from the leadoff spot, and our relievers, Rondon, Fujikawa, and Camp actually held the Nats to 0 runs and 1 hit over 3 innings.  They always seem to come through when the game is not on the line.

Bad things?  Alfonso "how much longer on this contract?" Soriano went 0-4, as did Welington "my batting average is like water seeking it's level" Castillo.  And Jeff Smadfebkvbkfbgebgvvzija basically sucked.  Jeff's an emotional player, and I like that, except for that it makes him screw up.  He was pretty terrible at controlling his emotions last night. It made him lose focus, and well, lose the game.

So, yes, the Cubs are Committed.  Committed to being one of the worst teams in baseball.  Committed to leaving runners on base.  Committed to frustrating their fans.  Committed to building a giant scoreboard at Wrigley Field, so we can watch them stink twice.

You can hear me and the Lovable Lou Sears complain all about it on the new podcast....

So, today, it's Edwin Jackson vs. Steven Strasburg at 3:05.  This should be fun....

Go Cubbies!