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!

Cubs Pitchers Break Wild Pitch Record; Lose

As I sat in the freezing shade of the upper deck, during the 6th inning of Sunday's 10-7 loss to the Giants, I had no idea I was witnessing history.  Edwin Jackson and Michael Bowden combined for a record 5 wild pitches in a regular season game during a single inning.  The only time this pathetic feat was matched was during a playoff game when pitcher Rick Ankiel got the yips and couldn't pitch anymore.  He eventually became an outfielder.  The video's pretty awesome if you've never seen it and hate the Cardinals.      But the video of yesterday's 6th inning is not awesome.  I think they need to change the name of the 'catcher' position to 'misser', because that's what's been happening.  The Cubs have combined for 13 wild pitches and 2 passed balls this season in only 12 games.  That passed balls wild pitch number would be higher if there were men on base at all times, luckily there aren't.  Combine  these wild pitches with the 6th worst walk totals in the league (44), and what you got are opposing players getting triples without touching the ball.  We are beating ourselves with these stupid mistakes.  And there is blame to go around for certain.  Castro makes an error, Feldman can't cover first.  Result 4 runs.  Wild pitches and passed balls yesterday resulted in all of the Giants early runs yesterday, and they barely even have to swing.  It's a problem.  I believe Navarro and Castillo could have blocked many of these wild pitches.  They simply don't look good back there,  Like there was a crossup with the pitcher or the wrong pitch called for.  If you you are going to call for a pitch to bounce in front of home plate, you've got to be ready and able to block that pitch.  These errors result in runs, tougher game situations for the pitchers, and unnecessary, frustrating losses.  You leave each game thinking, "If only that one thing didn't happen, we would have won."  That one mistake that opens the flood gates.

So the Giants take 3 of 4.  We had a chance to win all of these games.  Castro's error sunk us thursday. Fujikawa's pitching tried to sink us Friday, but we won in walk off style.  On Saturday, The Cubs don't hit or score when The Shark is pitching.  0-7 with runners in scoring position.  They fail to move lead off doubles to third.  They strike out with bases loaded and no one out.  It's just horrific.  Then yesterday, they are one strike from victory, and the game is tied with a last minute Hunter Pence blast, only to have the go ahead run balked in in the 10th.  Awful.

I'm not totally certain how to feel about all of this.  Should I be excited that we almost beat the World Champion Giants, and even though we lost, at least we played them tough and made all the games close?  Or should I feel that these guys that we are rebuilding the team with are just not very good,  And will always be a day late and a dollar short.  Only time will tell ultimately. I for one am thankful for this Monday off day before we play the Rangers this week.  Maybe these guys can get their heads together to stop making the stupid mistakes.  Giving teams 5 outs an inning along with free bases.  Let's hope.

It's better to get beat fair and square playing a good clean game, than to beat yourselves with mental and physical errors.  Confidence.  Execution.  Team spirit.  All currently lacking.  Is this poor management?  Or just a young team trying to figure it out?  Too early to tell, but the cracks are showing.

Hey.  At least I didn't have to watch Lillibridge suck yesterday....

Enjoy your off day.

Go Cubbies!!

Raise Your "T" Flag Proudly!!

I can't wait until all the games are on TV!  Then I can watch my beloved Cubbies on any number of bar TV's all over Chicagoland.  There's nothing like ponying up to the bar with my best buddy, the lovable Lou Sears, and watching the game with a cold one or 6.  But alas, it's spring, and only the Royals TV televised what proved to be a wild "Tale of Two Ballgames."

The first half was all Royals.  Scoring 7 runs in the first 4 innings, while socking 4 home runs, including back to backers against Cub newcomer Scott Feldman.  The Royals scored 2 runs before Feldman even recorded an out! Yeah....Feldman was bad, really bad.  Let's just hope he's working on a new grip for his sinker ball.  Not that he out and out sucks.  I mean he was 6-11 with the Rangers last year with a 5.09 ERA.  That kinda sucks right?  I just hope Dale only starts him when the winds blowing in.  So, while I sat at the Carol's bar in Uptown with the lovable Lou Sears last night, checking the score on our iPhones, I figured I was gonna have to write a repeat of yesterdays post.  When the Cubbies got spanked and spanked hard!  But this was a tale of two ballgames.

Things really kicked off for the Cubbies when they put up a 5 run 8th, pulling within 1 run.  I love the extra base hits too!  DeJesus tripled, Valbuena doubled, as did Navarro.  BTW.  I really wish I could have seen Navarro running to second, because he hit that ball way into the right field corner, and any faster player would be standing on third.  (Tony Campana would have scored most likely with an inside the parker), if he could hit the ball that far.  I kid Navarro...I kid!  But He's fat and slow.  

 Zach Putnam (minor league Cub) gave up a run to the Royals in the bottom of the frame.  But the Cubs came back in the 9th to tie it.  Where the game stayed knotted through a scoreless 10th.  So raise your "T" flag!  We tied the Cactus League Champion Royals!

What I liked most about this game is the battling back of the Cubbies.  Losing by 6 in the 8th is usually a pretty good indication of how things are gonna end up.  But not this team.  These Cubs are young.  And it truly feels like they believe in themselves.  And 5 run innings were certainly hard to come by last year.  It would be nice to see a few more of them.  This is why I never leave a ball game early.  Hell, if they can score 9 runs.  We can do it too!  That's the attitude I like to see!

Another thing I liked seeing, was Dionner  Navarro running down the first base line still holding his bat on a clean single.  As if he was going to beat down the first base man when he got there.  I have a feeling Navarro will be a huge source of hilarity over this next year.  I like his style.  

So...we've almost made it!!  A 2 O' clock Start against Seattle today, and then two in Houston.  That's it.  3 more games.  3!!!  Let's get this party started!!

Today it's Villanueva v. Iwakuma.  And it's the last game at Ho Ho Kam.  I have a feeling there will be a lot of teary old white men in Mesa today wearing weird Indian lapel pins.  Personally, I went this Spring for the first, and last time, and the joint is a shit hole.  I'm glad it's going away in favor of something nicer like the Giants have.  (I saw the Cubs there too).  

3 more games!!!!

Go Cubbies!