A Cubs Fan Eulogy For Carlos Marmol

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss of a dear member of our Cubs family, reliever Carlos Marmol.  We all knew this day would come, and some of you would have liked to have seen Marmol's departure 3 years ago, myself included.  But the inevitable has happened.  Carlos is no more a Cub.  Through the booing, as Al Yellon of BCB puts it, for "just being put in the game", we all knew your days were numbered with this team.  And in many respects, it was us fans that kicked you off this team.  We made it a truly impossible for you to perform under pressure.  We booed ball one for Crissakes!   Even if you were one of the fans, like me, who doesn't boo such things, as soon as they announced your name, I would turn to whoever was next to me and say, "here we go again".  I'm sure 10,000 people at Wrigley were saying something to that effect.  We had no faith in you, and you knew it.  You could feel us wanting you to fail, to feel justified on our feelings that you, well, suck.  You were in a sense the Cubs' "Scapegoat" this year.  Your dramatically poor performances at the end of games,  fueled our collective Cubs fires.  And even though you are in the last year of an expensive contract, we were gonna get all the years frustration, Wrigley renovation wrangling, new ownership changes, and the high cost of Old Style, out on you Carlos.  So we booed you out of town, you aren't the first and you won't be the last.  We just wanted our moneys worth, and now you're gone.

With the scapegoat off the team, it's time to reflect on what we have.  Was it really all Carlos Marmol's fault, who we lay to rest in the hallowed halls of Cubdom today?  We will find out as soon as we see the performance of whoever takes his innings.  It may not be pretty.  I'm sure many an hilarious fan will continue to scream "Bring in Marmol!"  I think we'll miss him more than we think.  Maybe not.

Now being an ex-Cub not only gets Carlos paid for the rest of the year, but it will allow him to follow in the great traditions of Ex-cub pitchers like Dennis Eckersly and Greg Maddux.  I truly hope Marmol finds his greatness again....in the American League.  For he was once a mighty Cub, with trade value, and now, he is no more.  Let me leave you with this memory.

In 2007 and 2008, I was living in NYC, and not only did the Cubs make the playoffs both years, but these were the happiest years of my now defunct marriage.  As I walked my 3 dogs around Inwood hill park, in the evenings listening to Pat and Ron on my Iphone, as soon as I would hear Carlos Marmol was being put on the mound, I would rush home, and turn on the computer to watch Marmol pitch.  I would say to my ex-wife....wow, look at that slider!!! They can't hit it! Of course Marmol was always good for walking the bases loaded, and then striking out the side.  Or forcing some similarly nail biting, stomach churning situation.  And my wife feigned interest while watching Project Runway, similarly trying to get me to appreciate fashion. Those were great years, for my marriage and Marmol.  But who could have forseen the eventual 5 year slide to what we have now.  A pending divorce, and Marmol, designated for assignment.  But I'll always love them both because his slider was amazing, unhittable magic.  And my wife could cook her face off and tear the face off anyone who crossed her.  And for those memories....  I'll always have a soft place in my Cubbie Heart for Carlos Marmol.  God Speed good Carlos....into nothing....