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| Articles about Game Thread |
| Tuesday Night Game Thread: Cubs at D'Backs 9:40 CT/9:40 ET | | 2008-07-22 19:23:03 | |
Anyone else get the feeling the wheels are coming off this operation?
I know, I know. It's not time to panic. It's not time to start wailing and moaning. It's not time to be afraid. But you can see the time to panic, wail and moan, and be afraid from here.
Okay, so that's overstating it a bit. But I can't help but feel that this isn't the best way to start the second half. We've had some stellar pitching outings from our starting rotation lately, but we just can't seem to hit the ball.
At all. I'm grateful for foul balls these days, because at least I get to see some contact. Lou's solution to our team's inability to put a bat to a ball? Cancel batting practice, of course. On the one hand, I can see the logic in this move. On the other hand, I think Lou is one "Ryan Theriot stupid decision on the basepath" away from a complete implosion. And why not? It worked last season. Just make sure you get Z to punch our shortstop and not our catcher this season.
Unfortunately for us, our savi | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Monday Game Thread: Cubs @ DBags 8:40 CT/9:40 ET | | 2008-07-21 18:31:09 | |
Heh. The NL is for sucks
After a disappointing series in Houston (when Kaz Matsui is constantly getting on base against you, you know things aren't going right), the Cubs head to Arizona to take on the underperforming Diamondbacks in the underperforming NL West.
We can all clap our hands together and skip around in circles, as everyone's new favorite Cub, Rich Harden, takes the mound tonight for the second time in a Cubs uniform. And he's going up against an old, tired, humpbacked Randy Johnson. Then again, we can't hit lefties, so it's probably a wash. While we all wait anxiously to see if Rich is, as the young kids say, "the real deal," a far more pressing problem than his pitching prowess faces us here at LOHO. We've been debating this issue for weeks, but the time for pussyfooting around the hard questions is over. Tonight we ask, without fear of reprisal or retribution: Rich Harden, Hot or Not?
There is a consensus here at LOHO that we like Rich's hair, but there has also been s | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Sunday Do-It-Yourself Headlines/Game Thread Cubs at Astros 1:05 CT | | 2008-07-20 11:42:27 | |
Little less of this today
The wheels have completely fallen off this operation this weekend due to too many late nights on the part of the "editorial staff," so this morning you guys are getting really bad headlines. The only thing that really jumped out at me is that Kerry is unavailable for the rest of the Houston series because his owie still hurts. I don't even remember where I that, probably the Trib.
If you find anything newsworthy, feel free to toss it up here. And then there's game today. Against the Astros. Who will probably beat us. Again. If you didn't notice, we're now only two game up on the surging Cards and Brewers.
Blah.
I'd like to think Dempster can turn things around today, but we're on the road, so that's probably a pipedream. And since Kosuke, Lee, Soto and Ramirez have all decided to stop hitting at the same time, our chances of scoring any runs is next to nothing.
I'm just going to go watch Padraig for a while.
Oh, go Cubs.
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
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| Last-Minute Game Thread - Cubs at Astros - 6:05pm | | 2008-07-19 18:16:05 | |
We were at at the Honda dealership for three freakin' hours. In fact, Julie is still there. Thus, I have thrown this up. Deal with it.
This game is on CSN -- Sox are on WGN. That is a stupid decision, in my book.
Lineups:
Cubs
R Theriot SS
R Johnson CF
D Lee 1B
A Ramirez
G Soto C
M DeRosa LF
K Fukudome RF
R Cedeno 2B
C Zambrano P
Ass-tros
K Matsui 2B
D Erstad CF
L Berkman 1B
C Lee LF
M Tejada SS
H Pence RF
T Wigginton 3B
B Ausmus C
W Rodriguez P
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread: Cubs @ Astros: 7:05 P.M. CT/ 8:05 P.M. ET: Let's Mess With Texas | | 2008-07-18 18:27:16 | | Well, seeing as how my computer shut down completely juuuuuuust as I was going for the 'save' button, you get a truncated game diary!
PUT ME DOWN!!! Pitchers
Cubs: Ted Lilly. He's been doing awesome...except for his last start. So don't bring it up. Please.
Ted is a Capricorn, and his horoscope is:
You're a one-of-a-kind being, unique in the Universe and the most beloved in all Creation. Now then, can Capricorn borrow 10 bucks?
You may remember when this happened.
Astros: half-man, half-fish, all-mediocre Brian Moehler. He understands that he has a mole on his face. He also understands the irony that his last name is, in fact, MOLE-ler.
He throws six pitches, and is also a Capricorn. So Ted will have to rely on only his vastly superior skill instead of luck tonight.
Brian Moehler lost to the Cubs April 19. Do you remember where you were when you heard this news?
Keys to the Game
The defense needs to step up. I don't want to see | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Tuesday Night Game Thread: Cubs vs. American League | | 2008-07-15 17:15:49 | |
There really isn't much to say about this game tonight. Some of us like it, some of us loathe it. Either way, it just might wind up meaning something to us this season. Let's hope for a big National League victory with no injuries to our guys.
Lineups:
H. Ramirez ss (is pretty cool)
C. Utley 2b (in trouble with NYC fans)
L. Berkman 1b (can suck it)
A. Pujols dh (can suck it)
C. Jones 3b (whatever)
M. Holliday rf (nice and on my fantasy team)
R. Braun lf (can TOTALLY suck it)
K. Fukudome cf (yay)
G. Soto c (YAY!)
I. Suzuki rf (poor man's Fukudome)
D. Jeter ss (I <3 derek)
J. Hamilton cf (did you know he had a drug problem? I heard it on ESPN)
A. Rodriguez 3b(can suck it and madonna can watch)
M. Ramirez lf (don't ever change, manny)
M. Bradley dh (can suck it, wife beater)
K. Youkilis 1b (greek god of facial hair)
J. Mauer c (cuter with the hat on)
D. Pedroia 2b (can suck it)
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
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| Sunday Game Thread: Giants at Cubs 1:20 CT/2:20 ET | | 2008-07-13 12:42:41 | | Meet the 8th Cub All-Star:
No, I'm not kidding.
The Cubs announced this morning that Kerry Wood will not be available to play in the All-Star Game because of a friction blister. NL Manager Clint Hurdle, who apparently stopped watching the Cubs about a month ago, then announced that Carlos Marmol will replace Kerry on the NL All-Star squad.
I'm serious. Okay, so based on what he did from April to mid-May, he probably does deserve to go. But as most of us are acutely aware, Carlos has had. . . issues. . .as of late. Whether you think he's been struggling because of a possible injury or mechanical problems, because of a lack of confidence, or because he's been the victim of bad luck and a couple of bad pitches here and there, there's little doubt that the July Carlos Marmol is not the same pitcher we saw earlier in the season.
So Clint Hurdle, if you're out there, I say the following:
Hey Clint,
I know that your team doesn't have a snowball's chance of making the playoffs th | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread: Giants @ Cubs: 1:20 P.M. CT/ 2:20 P.M. ET: Harden Eve! | | 2008-07-11 11:00:00 | | Today, the Rich-Harden-Possessing Chicago Cubs take on the Rich-Harden-less San Francisco Giants. But even though thoughts are on tomorrow's big start for the New Guy, you have to eat your meat if you want to have your pudding tomorrow.
I know you're upset about Jason Marquis pitching today, but you don't need to make that face. The Pitchers
Yes, Jason Marquis gets the start for the Chicago Cubs. Marquis is 1-2 in his last three games, and has an ERA of, umm, 7.00, in those starts. The law of averages says he's gotta do better than that today!
Jason Marquis is a Law-Breaker
Marquis is a Leo, and his horoscope is:
You'll fail to find happiness at the bottom of a bottle this week, but by that point you'll be too drunk to really care.
For the Giants, it'll be righty Matt Cain. The 23-year-old Cain has 112 strikeouts in 119.1 innings pitched this year- that's very good. The Giants might be a great team in a few years if they keep Lincecum and Cain and then | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Reds at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. EDT/1:20 CT: A battle | | 2008-07-10 10:59:39 | |
Ted Lilly nods that it's time to get it on!
Today's matchup is one of good and evil, awesomeness and non-awesomeness (in the words of Barney Stinson).
With the Cubs, you have Theodore R. Lilly, who is a pretty decent pitcher and overall bad-ass. For further documentation of this, check out the always-entertaining Ted Lilly Fan Club. Good stuff over there on a consistent basis.
But pitching for the Reds is Bronson Arroyo, otherwise known as "King Douche." I'm sick of his act and it's time to end it.
King Douche
??Bronson thinks he's cool because he plays guitar. Dude, you're not John Mayer. I'd listen to Miley Cyrus before I listen to your garbage. The only reason your music is of any interest is because you can also throw a baseball fast. But here's the kicker: NO ONE LIKES YOUR MUSIC. Ooh, you can play guitar? Hey, so can my friend Jeff! He's at the local bar in the arts district every Thursday.
??Bronson has the "flip hair." What the hell are you trying to do here? All it's gett | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Reds at Cubs, 8:05 p.m. EDT/7:05 CT: Good Times! | | 2008-07-09 17:00:00 | |
The Cubs' brass is listening! And making good decisions!
So, yeah, yesterday kicked major ass. Some may have an ill opinion of Hendry, but he's probably one of the more underrated G.M.'s and doesn't get enough credit. He's just an easy target. So make fun if you want, but I'd rather have someone who's willing to take a risk rather than just sit on his ass.
And some have mentioned the whole "Billy Beane as a golden god G.M.," but I just don't see it here, aside from Gallagher. As a matter of fact, since he's leaving, let's pay tribute to Matt Murton by showing his highlight reel:
If all we get is a half-healthy Harden and Chad Gaudin for King WAGGLE, another inconsistent Patterson, a minor-league catcher and a future decent starter, yeah, I'm OK with that.
Oh, and there's a game tonight. Someone named Zambrano making his second start since returning from the D.L. For the Reds, it's youngster Johnny Cueto, who everyone went ga-ga over after he struck out 10 in his season opener. But t | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Tuesday Game Thread: Reds at Cubs 7:05 CT/8:05 ET | | 2008-07-08 16:33:25 | |
Guess who's back?
Toothpick:
The toothpick has been around longer than our species. The skulls of Neanderthals, as well as Homo sapiens, have shown clear signs of having teeth that were picked with a tool.[2]
It is the oldest instrument for dental cleaning. Toothpicks are well-known in all cultures. Before the toothbrush was invented, one cleaned one's teeth with hard and soft dental woods. Toothpicks made of bronze have been found as burial objects in prehistoric graves in Northern Italy and in the East Alps. It was also well-known in Mesopotamia.
There are delicate, artistic examples made of silver in antiquity, as well as from mastic wood with the Romans.
In the 17th century toothpicks were luxury objects similar to jewellery items. They were formed from precious metal and set with expensive stones. Frequently they were artistically stylized and enameled.
The first toothpick-manufacturing machine was patented in 1872, by Silas Noble and J. P. Cooley.[3]
Nowadays other means of dent | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Sunday Game Thread: Good @ Evil 2:15 CT/3:15 ET | | 2008-07-06 14:16:19 | |
Look, these things happen, and I still love you. . . but please, please, PLEASE try not to do that again. Also, I really think you should consider trimming the goatee. You've gone from 'Texas gunslinger' to 'guy who lives behind the trashcans in the alley outside my office.' Seriously.
Since it's Sunday and not many of us are around, I'm not going to write a long, involved game thread. Instead, I'll just say that I take complete responsibility for the loss yesterday, as I was the one talking prematurely about getting out of Beer Town with a sweep. While I can't undo what I've done, just know that I did a lot of soul-searching and self-examination last night, and I hope in the future to be a better person. Today we've got Sean "I'm still not sure you should really be in the rotation" Marshall going up against Todd "Why the hell didn't you pitch like this two years ago?!?!?!" Wellemeyer. Wellemeyer has had arm troubles as of late, so maybe we can do something to him that will toss him | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Saturday Game Thread: Good @ Evil 2:55 CDT/3:55 EDT FOX | | 2008-07-05 12:37:40 | |
The Good
For those of you who missed the game last night, you missed 6 strong innings from Z and a pretty good dugout argument between Lou and Z about when, exactly, Z would be . . . taking a break. . . from pitching for that game. Carlos won the argument and strode out to the plate in the top of the 7th with a bat in his hand and a smug look on his face. Guy who can break bats over his knee 1, Old Chubby Coaches 0. And I kind of have to agree with Z. I think I'd rather have him bat than any of our pinch hitters.
The Evil
The good news is that Z looked strong and we picked up a game on the stinkin' Cards. The bad news is that today a thus-far erractic Ted Lilly heads to the mound against Kyle Lohse, who's been pretty darn good so far this season. I mean, good for for Kyle Lohse. It's not like he's going to win the Cy Young, but still, he can probably make us look bad. Let's hope that the 2007 Ted Lilly shows up for this game, because the prospect of getting out of St. Louis picking | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread: Cubs @ Cardinals: 7:15 P.M. CT/ 8:15 P.M. ET: America, F&*% Yeah! | | 2008-07-04 14:45:00 | |
I wish I had somebody to help me sing this The Pitchers
For the Cubs, it's the return of the- (oh, wait. No, wait. He didn't just do what I think he did, did he?) Beast, Carlos Zambrano!
Welcome Back, Big Guy
Before he was put on the DL for shoulder discomfort, Carlos was the anchor of the rotation and had an ERA of 3.13. He'll be on a pretty strict pitch-count for this start and his next. The way he pitches, I'll be happy with a great five innings.
Carlos is a Gemini, and though I can't find a horoscope from the Onion in any of the past few weeks, here's his from a long time ago.
A team of surgeons will be forced to amputate your leg this Thursday in order to keep themselves from getting bored.
For the St. Louis Cardinals, it'll be righty Braden Looper. In his last two starts, Looper let up 13 hits, 5 walks, and 9 runs in 9.1 innings pitched. He's at a low while the Cubs' bats are just coming alive.
Braden Looper is currently in post-production. | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Cubs at Giants, 7:05 p.m. EDT/6:05 CT: Happy Early 4th | | 2008-07-03 16:00:00 | |
Hi. I'm good at this closing thing.
This is going to be short, because I'm currently on a great start of a four-day weekend. If the Cubs win this game, it's going to be a steal. Why? Because Tim Lincecum is pitching. Lincecum is a top up-and-coming pitcher on a crappy team. He's lost only once this season and leads the leagues in strikeouts. So, yeah, he's OK. The Cubs will counter with Sean Gallagher. Maybe he'll throw a complete game two-hitter, so as to prevent Lou from coming back out to the pitcher's mound and tearing him a new one.
Winning today won't be impossible, but it'll be tough. However, new papa A-Ram is expected to be back, along with secret weapon Reed Johnson. A win here would be a huge boost for this weekend's showdown with St. Louis.
The game once again is on Comcast (dammit), and lineups will be along in a while from someone who can actually watch the game. Everyone have a safe and great holiday.
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Cubs at Giants, 10:15 p.m. EDT/9:15 CT: Who's Got the Vivarin? | | 2008-07-02 19:00:00 | |
Yep, it's gonna be another long evening.
Well, it is for you lucky ducks that get Comcast. I'll be somewhere looking at the ticker (the one bar near me that gets MLB Extra Innings is pretty dead during the week). But kudos to all that have been staying up, pretty good to see the comments hit the 200+ mark in the last couple nights, hasn't been that way in a while. Keep it up, night owls!! After splitting the first two games, the Cubs look to regain the advantage. They'll be facing Kevin Correia, who has just one win this season, and that came back in April. He was hurt, though, and has actually done OK in his last few starts, so this isn't another Barry Zito, necessarily.
The Cubs will send out Ryan Dempster, who was brought back to Earth from all that All-Star/Cy Young talk after giving up eight runs Friday against the White Sox in just 2.1 innings. It was not pretty.
SuperDemp hopefully isn't too hungover from heavy partying celebrating yesterday's Canada Day.
Those crazy Canadian | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Monday Night Game Thread: Cubs at Giants 9:15 CT/10:15 ET | | 2008-06-30 20:10:43 | |
". . . so I went for it, and she totally slapped me across the face!"
So let me get this straight: Soriano is out, Z is out, Edmonds has an old person's foot, Theriot's hand hurts, Johnson is on the DL, and Ramirez has to go to the Dominican Republic for three days to deal with family issues.
This should make for an interesting lineup. Still, we have a better chance at winning tonight than we have in the last few games. Why, you ask? Because tonight we're facing Barry Zito.
Zito only got his third win of the season on June 25. He's got a 7.34 ERA at home and has barely made it out of the 5th most starts this season. He leads the NL in losses and is 5th in the league in base on balls. Translation: even the hapless Ronny Cedeno should be able to hit this guy. Which reminds me: Jim Hendry, I've disagreed with a lot of your moves over the years, but one move I do not disagree with is your failure to sign Barry Zito. Well done.
As a team, the Giants are 10 games under .500, 13th in the l | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Saturday Game Thread: Cubs at Socks 2:55 CDT/3:55 EDT | | 2008-06-28 12:13:37 | |
See that? That is a rally animal. Or, if you prefer, a "rallymal." If you're new to LOHO (in which case you probably don't fully appreciate my love for the giant squid, either), we have an entire stable of them, and you're going to start seeing them. A lot. Because if we ever needed a rally, it's now.
I have nothing more to add. Just win.
Linesups to come.
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread: Cubs @ White Sox 3:05 P.M. CT/ 4:05 P.M. ET: Fired Up and Ready to Go | | 2008-06-27 13:00:00 | | After a pleasant (if ultimately unsatisfying) three game series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Cubs resume their tireless battle against the Cthulhu-loving Chicago White Sox.
The giant Cubs-colored head of Barack Obama has just one question for all of us.
Yes We Can! Because Barack Obama is a White Sox fan, I think I speak for all of us when I say he is not my first choice for President. That honor has to go to the Constitutionally-ineligible-but-nevertheless-undaunted Ryan Scott Dempster
If elected, Ryan Dempster will be our first Canadian President, ending the years of oppression Canadians have suffered under American-American rule.
When he's not executing child rapists single-handed, Dempster is pitching pretty well for the Cubs. In his last start, he went 8 innings and only let up one run.
Ryan is a Taurus, and his horoscope is:
The mere mention of your name strikes fear and terror in the hearts of men, though that's mainly because it's so difficult to pronounce | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread, Orioles at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. ET/1:20 CT: Edmonds is a ... ballplayer?!? | | 2008-06-26 11:18:29 | |
I'm beginning to be a closet you fan. Shhhhhh.
Well, flyball already touched on this in her headlines, but it can be stretched out here as well, as unbelievable as it is. The question/statement/bewilderness:
Maybe we were wrong about Jim Edmonds?
I mean, check this tidbit out in today's Trib:
Jim Edmonds has gone from being released in May to a potential National League Player of the Month in June. The Cubs center fielder is hitting .352 (19-for-54) in June with five doubles, five homers, 18 RBIs a .438 on-base percentage and a .759 slugging percentage.
Pretty amazing, considering that this is a guy who was probably one or two 0-4's away from getting his outright release a month ago. The reason for the turnaround is beyond me. Sure, Petco Park is a pitcher's haven, but my 8-year-old cousin could have done better than Jimbo while with the Padres. Here's Edmonds' take (you may need a language decoder for this) on his newfound success:
"Winning breeds success, or winning breeds all the g | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Orioles at Cubs, 8:05 p.m. ET/7:05 CT: Charm City going down! | | 2008-06-25 16:36:27 | | Note: The following diary contains references to "The Wire." If you don't get it, sorry...for you. Why have you not watched this show yet? It's only the best to ever grace a TV screen! Go. Rent. Now.
If you come at the king, you best not miss.
--Omar Little
The most bad-ass fictional character to come out of Baltimore said it best. The Orioles came pretty close to screwing things up last night, but a sudden inability to figure out how to swing the bat let those bastards off lucky. Tonight, the Cubs look to reclaim their territory, Marlo Stanfield-style.
Pitching for Chicago is Ted Lilly. After starting out 0-3, he's gone 7-2 over the last 12 starts. He also has 32 strikeouts over hi | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread: White Sox @ Cubs: 1:20 P.M. CT/2:20 P.M. ET: Save Our City! | | 2008-06-20 11:15:00 | | I hope everyone's been practicing their pirouettes and snapping in time to Bernstein, because it's time for the intra-city war that will make Jets vs. Sharks look like Hailie vs. United States. (Hailie: 7, United States: nothing.)
You see? It can be done! Let's beat those Sox! But enough with the cultural bon mots and fancy-pants allusions. You didn't come here to be reminded that Diablo Cody is smarter than you, the way Johnny Sokko And His Flying Robot is cooler than any Power Ranger Zord. You came here for baseball. Here is my much-too-extended analysis:
Pitchers
Ted Lilly takes the mound for our Baby Bears. Ted is really starting to pitch well of late- he has 6 wins in his last 9 starts, and has lowered his ERA from 6.46 at the end of April to its present 4.76. Ted Lilly also leads the Cubs in strikeouts, with 83. (Ryan Dempster has 81.)
So what's been the key for Ted's Turnaround? Cubs f/x says he's actually throwing hi | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Thursday Game Thread; Cubs at Rays, 7:10 p.m. EDT/6:10 CT: Shoulder Watch | | 2008-06-19 16:30:00 | |
Kind of looks like Zambrano, right?
While all of us wait for MRI results on the Cubs' ace pitcher, the team will try to avoid the broom against Tampa Bay. I got to watch the game last night, and I am very glad I'm not a Rays fan. I couldn't look at that field (even in HD) for 81 games. And I'm still not convinced the Rays can keep up their good play over the course of the season (that lineup doesn't impress me much, and their pitching is young, can it hold up?), I'll give credit where credit's due, though-for now. Tampa Bay is no longer the butt of the A.L. East, or even the A.L. for that matter. Trying to salvage a game tonight is Sean Gallagher, or, as Julie calls him, "Superfudge." He hasn't been bad as a No. 5 guy, but you pretty much know what you're going to get with Gallagher right now, 5-6 innings, 6-7 hits and probably 3 runs allowed. Like I said, not bad for back of the rotation.
Going up against him for Tampa is James Shields, one of the Rays' young arms. Shields has a los | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Wednesday Game Thread; Cubs at Rays, 7:10 p.m. EDT/6:10 CT: No more bunts | | 2008-06-18 16:00:00 | |
Get us back on track, Big Z
So, everyone will have to forgive me these next two days because I'm still a little scatterbrained from vacation. I really still don't know what's going on with the team besides Soriano's broken hand (dammit) and the fact that the Cubs still rule MLB. It's also very hard to wrap my head around the fact Jim Edmonds hit a game-tying HR in the 9th last week, but I saw video, so it must be true.
Anyway, the Cubs look to even up against the Rays tonight after kind of a weird game last night that ended with a Reed Johnson bunt. If nothing else, it gave the Cubs blogosphere something to talk about until tonight's game. And Johnson's interesting choice of at-bat also helped out the crappy return of The WAGGLE, who decided to try something new by striking out twice.
Big Z (8-2, 2.98) will take the mound for the Cubs. He looked somewhat recovered from that Gatorade battle (which was another thing humorous to follow in Spanish), giving up two runs in seven innings las | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Tuesday Night Game Thread: Cubs at Rays 6:10 CT/7:10 ET | | 2008-06-17 17:28:32 | |
How can anyone not like the Cubs?
Tonight the Cubs pack up their vericose veins and white shoes and head to Del Boca Vista to take on the perennial laughing stock Devil Rays.
Only this year they aren't so funny. In fact, they're pretty damn good. The Cubs have the best record in baseball. Tampa has the SECOND best record in baseball. To combat this threat to our supremacy in the baseball universe, the Cubs have called up Matt Murton.
Heh. Suck on that, Tampa. Tonight Ryan Dempster takes the mound against Scott Kazmir. I don't know about you guys, but anyone who spells the last name "Cashmere" as "Kazmir" looks like a commie pinko to me. My point is that if the Cubs win, America wins.
Tonight's game is on Comcast (again).
Lineups to come.
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread For A Game We Don't Care About: Cubs v. Pads 1:00 CT/2:00 ET | | 2008-06-16 11:39:12 | |
At least it's on WGN.
For some reason, as of yet still unexplained to me, the Cubs have to stop off in Cooperstown on the way to Tampa to play the Padres in an exhibition game.
I hate exhibition games, including Spring Training, which I would limit to about a week if it were up to me. The only exhibition games I've ever supported was the Windy City Classic back before inter-league play, and that was only because it was the only change we had all season to go into second on a hard slide and stick it to the South Side. At any rate, I've been advised by MLB, via restraining order, that they don't care about my opinion, so the fake game will go on today as scheduled. We still have no idea who is pitching (my money is still on the expendable Jon Lieber), but here's what Cubs.com has to say about the lineup:
You may not recognize some of the names who will be playing for the Cubs unless you know the Minor League system. Among the players expected to be called up for the game are Junior La | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Father's Day Headlines/Game Thread: Cubs at Jays 1:05 ET/12:05 CT | | 2008-06-15 09:42:52 | |
Happy Fathers' Day to all the dads out there, especially mine. Without dads, there could be no "daddy's little girl," and I'm not sure where that would have left me. So plant yourself in the butt-groove on your couch, grab your bowl of pork rinds, and settle in to watch some baseball, soccer, and US Open today. In a related story, I flipped a hash brown onto my bare foot while making Max's breakfast this morning, so if anyone knows how to treat third-degree burns, I would appreciate the advice.
As we briefly discussed yesterday, with a win today, the Cubs can hit 20 games over .500. This is definitely uncharted territory in my lifetime, which makes me faintly dizzy and a little sick to my stomach. In headlines today, Lou says he likes Reedz in the leadoff spot:
"I would think you'll see him in there more often than not," Piniella said.
Lou is a man of few words. And Reedz is puzzled by his popularity in Toronto:
Why is Johnson so popular in Toronto?
"I don't know," he said. "I play | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Saturday Game Thread: Cubs at Jays 1:07 ET/12:07 CT | | 2008-06-14 11:03:33 | |
Take off, ya hoser
While I would be the last to ever criticize my esteemed colleague, Umbra, I took issue with his list of "Things Canada Has Contributed to the World," yesterday. Specifically, while making veiled references to Bob and Doug MacKenzie and the Great White North, he left them off the list by name. Anyone who has ever seen "Strange Brew" or heard the MacKenzie Brothers' version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," knows that this injustice should not be allowed to stand.
Umbra, I take issue with your list, Sir.
and
I think I've made my point.
In related news, the Cubs are still in the Great White North today, taking on the Jays today. Again. Let's hope it's no longer throw-back time in Toronto, beacause I practically went blind looking at those horrible sky blue jerseys against the flourescent green astroturf.
Thought the sidebar has yet to be updated due to techinical problems with Max's computer, I can report that today OGDJM (4-3) will be facing off (see? that was a | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread- Cubs @ Blue Jays- 6:07 P.M. CT/ 7:07 P.M. ET- O, Canada! | | 2008-06-13 16:30:00 | | Good day.
Tonight, our beloved Cubs cross two thresholds: the rigid line separating the American League from the National League, and the USA-Canada Border. So put on your plaid shirt, get some maple syrup, and take off to the Great White North.
It's a beauty-way to go! For those of you who are not familiar with Canadian history, customs, and culture, here is a short primer on things that Canadians have contributed to the world:
1. The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show is one of the greatest comedic achievements of mankind. Cabin-dweller Red Green and his Pointdexter-y nephew Harold hang out at Possum Lodge while sharing Northwoods wisdom and advice that I have tried to live my life by.
If the women don't find you handsome, they can at least find you handy
Of all of the Red Green segments, two stick out in my mind. First, Handyman Corner, where Red takes the men aside and helps them complete manly projects, most of which involve the Handyman's Secret Weapon: | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Thursday Game Thread: Braves at Cubs 1:20 Central, 2:20 Eastern | | 2008-06-12 11:45:17 | |
It looks like we have a swell game on our hands today. Chicago's National League Baseball Club will be hosting that great team from the East, the Boston Braves.
Today's baseball flashback comes to you courtesy of 60 years of Cubs baseball on WGN tv. No offense to the nice people at WGN, but you could have picked a better year. In 1948 the Braves went 91-62 and finished 1st in the NL. The Cubs? Yeah, it was one of those years, 64-90 and dead last.
On the mound for Chicago is Big Z, who at 8-2 has the same record as last night's winner Dempster (crazy isn't it?) Now you know that's just got to aggravate Zambrano, so he better step up today. Of course not having a meltdown in the dugout would also be good.
On the other side is Time Hudson. At 7-4 with a 2.86 ERA it looks like Hudson might actually give the Braves a chance. But he walks a lot of batters, and after 2 nights in a row of being used in the 4th getting int | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Wednesday Night Game Thread: Braves at Cubs, 7:05CT/8:05ET | | 2008-06-11 17:34:23 | |
The curse on Braves pitching continues, as their scheduled starter for today's game, Jair Jurrjens, twisted his right ankle while walking down the dugout steps after the game yesterday. His replacement is Jeff Bennett, whose current claim to fame is getting a bloody nose after throwing a pitch. He was sent to the bullpen after 3 starts in April.
Next week I believe zombie Warren Spahn is penciled in. Ryan Dempster, meanwhile, is trying to improve his home record to 8-0.
All-Star balloting update:
Lee, D.2nd
DeRosa, M.2nd
Ramirez, A.2nd
Theriot, R.3rd
Soto, G.1st
Soriano, A.1st
Fukudome, K.2nd
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Tuesday Night Game Thread: Braves at Cubs 7:05 CT/8:05 ET | | 2008-06-10 18:44:00 | |
(Disclaimer: Mark and doc blume, don't read this diary)
So I know it's not good to say so, but I'm feeling pretty good about our little group these days. Soriano? Infuriating, but I can live with the HRs. Fukudome? Taught our entire team patience at the plate. Suck on that, Gerald Perry. Lee? The view from the rear makes up for a lot. Kerry? Badass. Soto? Badass. Marmol? Badass. I don't even want to kill Theriot at this point in time. See where I'm going with this? Tonight Chipper and his .420 average leads the Braves into Wrigley to take on our boys in blue. While on the one hand, I'm kind of cheering for someone to hit .400 again, I'm not really sure I want that person to be "Chipper" Jones. What kind of grown man allows people to call him "Chipper?" Wrong, wrong, wrong. I can't respect that.
Despite the fact that the Braves have the reincarnation of Ted Williams, or at least his head, in their lineup, the team is only at .500 for the year. Unfortunately for us, Tom Glavine heads t | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | | Game Thread- Cubs @ Dodgers- 9:40 P.M. CT/10:40 P.M. ET- Cubs Fun Explosion! | | 2008-06-06 19:33:15 | | Tonight's game features two imported Japanese stars- Kosuke Fukudome of the Cubs, and Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers. When Alfonso Soriano played in Japan, he was on Kuroda's team.
In honor of this, here is a picture of another thing imported from Japan: crunky candy!
Fukudome gets crunk every night- so can you! On candy! The Pitchers
For the Chicago Cubs, it's the baby of the rotation- Sean Gallagher. But this is no normal seven lb., 9 oz. baby. This is a 6-2, 235 lb. baby that throws krazybombs at your face.
Sean's last start was June 1 against Colorado, where he only pitched 2 and 2/3rds innings, letting up 3 runs and 6 hits. Of course, he also struck out 8 batters and walked no one. I'd like that to continue.
Sean is a Capricorn, and his horoscope is:
Look to the Bible for the answer to your problems this week, or any other heavy book you can use to kill spiders.
Sean Gallagher Hears the Roar of a Big Machine
The Dodgers send out righty Hiroki K | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Cubs at Dodgers, 10:10 EDT/9:10 CT: I Love L.A.! | | 2008-06-05 17:00:14 | |
Let's hope the Dodgers don't have home umps like this tonight.
Well, not really. I lived there (Hermosa Beach) for three years as a child, and all I remember was smog and lots of traffic.
(And yes, I know the above clip features the Angels, not the Dodgers, but it's still funny as hell. Especially the third strike call. Frank Drebin will forever be the man.)
Anyway, after the Padres decided to finally win a game (bastards!), the Cubs make the in-state trek to the City of Angels, hoping to start a whole new winning streak. The awesomeness that is Ryan Dempster hits the mound tonight against Chad Billingsley in a rematch of a game May 26, which the Cubs won 3-1. Both pitchers did pretty well in that game, Billingsley struck out seven in the loss. A replay of the final would be OK by me, especially since the Cards already won the first game of their doubleheader today.
Chat room link will be up later, and if you haven't yet, make sure to check flyball's sidebar diary on today's draft a | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Cubs at Padres open game thread | | 2008-06-05 02:06:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Greg Maddux vs. Cubs hitters: .245/.271/.358 in 204 at-bats
Ted Lilly vs. Padres hitters: .264/.313/.473 in 91 at-bats
Time: 9:05, WGN
| | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Game Thread; Cubs at Padres, 10:05 p.m. EST/9:05 CT: I give it a Ten! | | 2008-06-04 16:30:51 | |
Shout-out to Varsity Blues, a great hangover movie.
The Cubs, on their quest to never lose the rest of the season, take on the Fathers in the final of the three-game series. A win tonight will give the best team in baseball 10 straight (Wowza!). And as the above pic states, we at IALOHO are open late again tonight! Come join your fellow commenters in the chat room. Why? Well, three good reasons:
1. It's hump day for one, only two more days to the weekend!
2. The game is on WGN, so all of us non-Chicagoites/ans can watch!
3. I may even show up!
Well, two out of three ain't bad.
Please keep your arms and legs inside the car as you strap into the Ted Lilly Experience. Twists, turns, exhilaration, screaming, cursing, smiling ... the T.R. Express provides it all.
You may remember Lilly's last outing, he gave up an assload of runs and overall stunk up the joint against Colorado, then was bailed out thanks to the greatness that is the 2008 Cubs (and Jim Edmonds!?!?!?!?)
On the season, Lil | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Late Night Game Thread: Cubs at Pads 9:05 CT/10:05 ET | | 2008-06-02 20:12:19 | |
Whoever stays awake the longest tonight gets to vote one LOHO reader off the site
Tonight's game is on the West Coast, and, therefore, will start at a widly inappropriate time and will conclude sometime around 5 minutes before my alarm goes off tomorrow morning. Be at as it may, your trusty LOHO friends (or, at least, ME) will try to hold out in the chat as long as humanly possible, which probably means we'll last until sometime around 10:30. But it's really the thought that counts.
Tonight Z looks to get back on track against some pitcher I've never heard of. Let's just hope Baek doesn't sit next to Maddux on the bench. Or, if he does, that he doesn't listen very well. The Cubs, of course, are going for 8 in a row.
Lineups:
1. J Gerut, CF
2. T Iguchi, 2B
3. B Giles, RF
4. A Gonzalez, 1B
5. K Kouzmanoff, 3B
6. M Barrett, C
7. K Greene, SS
8. P McAnulty, LF
9. C Baek, P
1. A Soriano, LF .287
2. R Theriot, SS .319
3. D Lee, 1B .295
4. A Ramirez, 3B .313
5. K Fukudome | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Sunday Game Thread: Invalids at Cubs 1:20 CT/2:20 ET (WGN) | | 2008-06-01 12:01:34 | | Winning is boring. Let's play a game.
Where were you one year ago today? I can tell you where, watching this, possibly the best thing ever to happen in Chicago baseball history, and laughing hysterically:
Get your filthy paws off me, you brute!
(Of course, I can't post the video because MLB has gone and removed all the videos off youtube, as apparently some people didn't obtain the express written consent of major league baseball before posting.)
That's right kids, this weekend is the anniversary of the would-be cage match in the dugout; which might have been more interesting if it wasn't such a rout. I'll bet most of you think the fight started when Z got fed up with Barrett's many brain-dead plays behind the plate, don't you? Not so. In fact, the seeds of the throwdown were planted well before the game started, during batting practice.
Don't tell me you haven't seen him, I left 'Good Luck Gary' right on that bench!
Now that time has passed and clarity has set in, it's evident that t | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Rockies at Cubs open game thread | | 2008-05-31 17:04:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Glendon Rusch vs. Cubs hitters: .283/.311/.408 in 152 at-bats
Ryan Demster vs. Rockies hitters: .194/.260/.328 in 67 at-bats
Time: 12:05, CSN Chicago (probably only local), MLB.TV
74 and sunny, wind blowing from left field to right field at 17 mph.
Derrek Lee and Mark DeRosa have hit Rusch well and surprisingly, Dempster has the 4th most at-bats against Rusch of any Cubs hitter (just 1-12). Dempster has had trouble with Helton, but other than that, he’s been very good against the Rockies hitters, though in only 67 at-bats.
| | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Saturday Game Thread: Rockies at Cubs 12:00 CT/1:00 ET | | 2008-05-31 11:29:45 | |
He's Baaaaaaack.
First, let's dispense with the niceties.
We all know that Glendon Rusch had a blood clot in his lung. We all know that this was a very serious condition that very easily could have killed him, and we're all very glad that he's healthy and happy to able to return to his chosen profession; thereby making him, once again, fair game.
That said, he really really stunk last time he pitched for us, he was even Novoa-esque, and if you guys think I've forgotten about "Gascan Glendon" or the "Chubby Exacerbator," you can think again. So today Gascan returns to Chicago, fresh off being released by the Sunshine Home for Aging and Retired Cubs Pitchers, otherwise known as the San Diego Padres. Sadly, for Gascan, he and his 6.41 ERA are about to face a one-man wrecking crew by the name of Ryan Dempster. And no, I can't believe I said that, either. But it's true. Welcome home, Gascan.
Unlike yesterday, it's a beeeeeyooooutiful day in greater Chicagoland today. The Cubs are going fo | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread- Rockies @ Cubs- 1:20 P.M. Central/2:20 P.M. Eastern- Top of the Mountain | | 2008-05-30 11:00:00 | | Go get yourself a brown paper bag.
Sure, use that one, just take the Scotch out of it first.
No I don't, it's 10 in the morning.
Please sit down, too.
Are you sitting?
The Chicago Cubs have the best record in baseball.
P-A-R-T...Y? Because I gotta! Pitchers
The Cubs trot out veteran left-hander and all-around Paragon of Virtue Ted Lilly. Ted Lilly has had wins in 4 of his last 5 starts. He was given the no-decision on Sunday after Alfonso Soriano lost the ball in the sun, but he also didn't pitch all that well- 4 ER in 6 innings.
It's interesting to note that the Cubs have had pretty good pitching so far out of Z, and surprisingly out of Ryan Dempster. But another reason for their success has been Ryan Theriot and, earlier, Reed Johnson. Now that Reed Johnson has cooled off, Ted Lilly is doing much better. These things go in cycles, of course, but I'm fairly confident that if you're looking for either Ted Lilly to continue pitching well, or Reed Jo | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Rockies at Cubs, 8:05 p.m. EDT/7:05 CT: Yuck | | 2008-05-29 17:00:00 | |
We could be headed this way tonight
One look at the sidebar, and it tells you that tonight is most assuredly not going to be a repeat of last night's well-pitched game. Neither one of those guys are worthy to go into stat-wise, so I'm going to give you a little grab-bag of Cubs stuff. Ingest the info now, thank me later.
? Over at the Hardball blog, Lou discusses how he really, really wants another lefthanded power bat. And again, I say: There is the greatest one ever, and right now he is chilling at home, waiting for the Cubs to call. You think this offense is badass now? With Bonds it would be historic.
??At SportsbyBrooks, there is a great post about an incident that a lot of people overlooked from last night. Are that guy and kid the biggest fucking morons ever? This frightens me. A lot. If you see either one at another game, please knee the man in the head, and kindly sit the child down and say if he ever does that again, he will be eaten by Pennywise the Clown. Use visuals if y | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Dodgers at Cubs open game thread | | 2008-05-28 23:44:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Derek Lowe vs. Cubs hitters: .260/.294/.404 in 146 at-bats
Carlos Zambrano vs. Dodgers hitters: .181/.288/.246 in 138 at-bats
Time: 7:05 pm, WGN, ESPN2
High 50s, sunny, wind blowing in at about 8 mph.
Derrek Lee has hit Lowe really well in his 22 at-bats, but other than that, no Cubs player with more than 10 plate appearances has done very well against Lowe. It’s too bad Andruw Jones and Rafael Furcal are on the DL. They’re a combined 6-43 with 3 doubles, one home run (the only home run hit by any Dodger against Zambrano). No Dodger with 10 plate appearances or more has done anything with Zambrano.
| | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Game Thread; Dodgers at Cubs, 8:05 p.m. EDT/7:05 CT: Go, Jim, Go!!!!!!!! | | 2008-05-28 17:00:00 | |
Ride off into the sunset, Jim. Doesn't it look pretty?
"The worst thing they can do is send me back to my family."
--Jim Edmonds, shortly after once again being sucktastic and hitting 15 more cans of corn.
I'm not giving this up. No one is. Why the hell is Edmonds still on this team? Learning curve? Give me a break. He's not going to get better. Probably only worse. Seriously, the guy has an OBP of .244! That's pretty tough to do.
I'll reiterate this once more: this is the first, and perhaps only time the Cubs blogosphere has ever agreed on something. Which means a lot, if you peruse over the different blogs. Each one has different opinions/agendas, but everyone is banding together to try and oust Edmonds. It's kind of like in Independence Day, when the U.S. shar | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread- Cubs @ Pirates- 6:05 P.M. CT/ 7:05 P.M. ET- Z Marks the Spot | | 2008-05-23 15:00:00 | | Avast, ye scurvy dogs!
After the off-day on which we were apparently legally required to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Unmeetable Expectations, the Cubs do be back to raiding their favorite team to play: the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Cubs are powered by Orichalcum The Pitchers
We have a rematch from Saturday, today.
For the Cubs, Carlos Zambrano is getting the start. Carlos has been great all season, except for his last outing where he broke a bat over his knee and lost the game. But that was all because I called it beforehand and I control the Universe.
Laugh it Up, Carlos
Carlos Zambrano is a Gemini, and his horoscope is:
Remember: Nobody is perfect. Whatever you lack in talent and ability, you more than make up for in well-timed excuses.
I never believed in these things anyway.
The Pirates send out the ruggedly-named Zachary Thomas Duke. You know you're cool when your first and middle name are the full name of a kickass linebacker. Mr. Duke's last s | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Cubs at Astros open game thread | | 2008-05-21 21:26:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Shawn Chacon vs. Cubs hitters: .329/.387/.634 in 82 at-bats
Sean Gallagher vs. Astros hitters: 1-3, K
Time: 7:05, CSN Chicago
Chacon hasn’t started against the Cubs since September 7, 2006. Chacon allowed 5 earned runs in 6 innings of work. Prior to that start against the Cubs, you have to go back to 2003 to find his 2nd most recent start against the Cubs. Chacon has been mostly used in the bullpen in recent years, if I recall correctly, and I will always remember him for recording 35 saves while posting an ERA above 7 while with the Rockies.
Aramis Ramirez has just crushed the ball against Chacon. He’s 10-17 with a walk, 4 doubles and 5 home runs. Half of his plate appearances have resulted in extra-base hits. Edmonds is 3-7, all singles, and other than that, Chacon has fared pretty well against the rest of the Cubs (Theriot is 2-3). Sean Gallagher | | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Game Thread; Cubs at Astros, 8:05 p.m. ET/7:05 CT: Gallagher, Take Three | | 2008-05-21 16:30:00 | |
I CAN HAS ANTHR MAJR LGE STRT?
It looks like it, young Sean. You've certainly "earned" another outing, even though you should have been out there much earlier (to save Cubs fans from the failed "Lieber as a starter" experiment).
An outing like Gallagher had last week against Pittsburgh (6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H) would be just fine and go a long way in winning over those who still may not think he's deserving of the No. 5 spot (I really don't know who else would be better right now with Hill on the minor-league D.L., but anyways).
So, in doing some background on Gallagher, I found an interesting item. Seems that if this whole pitching thing doesn't work out, he has something to, uh, fall back on: Via scout.com
Well, you know when I got drafted, I asked both of my parents if I should go to college or if I should sign. One of my mom's sticking points that she made with me was that if I signed, I had to go back to school. I'm not really a big school person. I took a couple months of classes for a | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Monday Night Game Thread: Cubs at Astros 6:05 CT/7:05 ET | | 2008-05-19 16:27:51 | |
Yeehaw and Play Ball, Y'all
Welcome to Big Sky Country, Greenhorns, where the chicks have big hair, we don't begrudge a man exercising his constitutional right to drive a Hummer, and all our ballplayers were born in the good 'ol U.S of A. Well, except for the ones born in Mexico, but that's really just part of Texas, anyway. So you yanks think you can bring your fancy schmancy "international" ball club into our backyard bbq, do ya? You've got guys from all over the world, they say. We hear you've even got a Chinese guy on your team. Ha! Well I hope he brought his chopsticks, because everyone knows they can't play baseball in China! USA! USA! USA! At least you have a fine, upstanding AMERICAN pitcher, named after a great President, Teddy Roosevelt. Now THERE was a realy American. Liked women, liked war, like to curse, liked to hunt! (wipes tear) They just don't make 'em like that anymore. Woo! These colors don't run!
You may not have noticed, but we have a good ol' cornfed country boy | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Sunday Morning Headlines/Game Thread: Bucs at Cubs 1:20 CT/2:20 ET | | 2008-05-18 05:25:47 | | Since this thread is still brand-spanking new, let's just use it for a game thread
Big Z snaps
From the Daily Herald:
Big Z, as he had said he would in spring training, had kept his emotions in check for the most part this season. So much so that manager Lou Piniella had praised him before the game, saying, "He's found a good medium, and I think it's really helped his pitching. He's all business out there."
Then Zambrano came to the plate in the fourth inning.
After striking out swinging he eventually was thrown out at first base on the dropped third strike. As he jogged to first with lumber still in hand, Zambrano stopped halfway up the line, took his bat, and snapped it in half over his left leg.
That marked the beginning of the end for Zambrano, who faced five batters in the fifth, failed to register an out, and promptly was given the hook by a riled-up Piniella.
"I don't see the need to break the bat over your knee when you've got a 4-2 lead in a ballgame," the Cubs skipper gro | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Pirates at Cubs open game thread | | 2008-05-17 17:00:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Zach Duke vs. Cubs hitters: .324/.380/.469 in 145 at-bats
Carlos Zambrano vs. Pirates hitters: .220/.325/.354 in 209 at-bats
Mostly sunny, mid to high 60s, 15 mph wind blowing in towards the 1st base line (according to weather.com, Al Yellon says the wind is blowing out so who knows?).
Every Cub with more than 8 at-bats against Duke has hit him very well except for Mark DeRosa who is 2-12. Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Ronny Cedeno, Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot have all beat up on him. Zambrano needs to stay away from Jason Bay who “owns” him and Xavier Nady has hit him hard as well. Odd that 2 right handers in one lineup have performed so well against Zambrano.
12:05 start time on CSN Chicago locally and blacked out elsewhere. MLB Audio has it though if you’re interested in listening to it or you an follow along on Gameday.
| | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Saturday Game Thread: Bucs at Cubs 12:05 CT/1:05 ET | | 2008-05-17 11:15:02 | |
SORI-ANO! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!!
I really don't have much to add to the photo caption. The Cubs are hot, Soriano is hotter, and, once again, we get to play our very-own Stuart Smalley, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Life is good, these days.
If this feeling of over-whelming positiveness and not really having all that much to complain about is disquieting (I mean, even Theriot has a .329 average and a .410 OBP), let me scrape the bottom of the barrel and see if I can come up with a few things for you to whine about: 1. We play perennial Cubs-killer Zach Duke today.
2. Jim Edmonds (aka "Butters") is on your team. That's right. YOUR team. Probably sent by the Cardinals to infiltrate and destroy.
3. Sure, Soriano is hitting a lot of homeruns, but just think how many he'd be hitting if he was in the right spot in the lineup!
4. Cubs playing Guns N Roses for Kerry, while his beard screams for ZZ Top.
5. Lou still refusing to considering glamming up his image through either "Just for Men" | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread: Pirates at Cubs 2:20 Easter, 1:20 Central | | 2008-05-16 11:10:02 | | After an excellent 3 games against Arizona and a good four game series against the Padres the Cubs finish this homestand with three against our favorite opponents, the Pittsburgh Pirates (or as the fans call them the best farm team in baseball)
Cubs Like the Homestead Pitching today for the Pirates, Tom Gorzelanny, who the sidebar says is 3-3 with a 5.97 ERA, but more importantly 2 of those losses, and his high ERA are due to our very own Chicago Cubs that handed him his worst 2 outings this year.
The Cubs are sending Sean Patrick Gallagher. In his first start last weekend and in 4 1/3 innings he gave up 5 hits, 4 runs and ended up with a no decision. We should continue to give him our support because as long as he's in the rotation it means that someone else is not.
Lee had a good game yesterday but has been fairly cool this month, Aramis is going in the opposite direction, as is thankfully Soriano. Ward is still hanging around for the game e | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Padres at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. ET/1:20 CT: The return of Maddog | | 2008-05-15 10:35:38 | |
Memories...
Ok, so I'm not getting much more into the Edmonds thing. He's here, apparently he's starting, barf. Everyone knows how everyone feels and any further commentary would be "Eight Bellesing."
(As an aside, isn't it interesting that the overdone coverage of a dead horse can be summed up with the phrase "beating a dead horse?" To me, that's amusing. But I digress...)
Today's starter for the Padres is old pal Greg Maddux. It can't be put any better than it is on the sidebar: "The One That Got Away." Lots of truth in that. Maddux came up with the Cubs, and was excellent, winning the Cy Young Award with them in 1992. The Cubs must have thought that was his peak, as they let him walk in free agency to the Atlanta Braves.
And the Cubs were right, as ... whoops. Maddux went on to win three straight Cy Youngs from 1993-95. Smooth move, guys. In 2004, the Cubs brought Maddux back, and while he wasn't the Maddog of old, he still was pretty damn solid and was a great teacher to both pit | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Padres at Cubs, 8:05 p.m. ET/7:05 CT: The calm before the storm | | 2008-05-14 16:30:00 | |
I'm coming to ruin your team and steal your women (and possibly the men too)! HaHA!
So apparently Jim Edmonds is officially a Cub. This is quite terrible. No one really has a good explanation. The only fun thing is that Jim Edmonds has banded the Cubs blogosphere together for the first time in Interweb history, which is really a feat unto itself.
I'm so mad you're getting an abbreviated game thread tonight. It's Lilly, who has been awesome of late, against Peavy, who is awesome all the time.
I was working on rewriting 'Twas the Night Before Christmas," calling it "Night Before Edmonds," but good gosh, that poem is long. Perhaps if I had more time and/or Jack Daniels. But here were some of the better excerpts:
Things were going great, winning four in a row
Laughing at the Brewers and Cards down below
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
"That piece of crap Edmonds is coming ... here?!?!?!
With a confusing G.M., so idiotic and dim
I knew in a moment that it must be Big Jim
More | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Tuesday Night Game Thread: Pads at Cubs 7:05 CT/8:05 ET | | 2008-05-13 17:40:47 | |
Oh, THERE you are
I'm afraid to say anything for fear of j-i-n-x-i-n-g the s-t-r-e-a-k.
Let's just say we're playing awfully well. Though we do have Marquis going tonight, so that could all come to a screeching hault. Also, there was this little bit of good news on FoxSports:
News: If the Cubs sign Jim Edmonds Wednesday, Pie is likely to be demoted, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. (RotoWire - Tue. May 13, 2008)
So that's fun to contemplate. I'd like to know what Felix Pie ever did to deserve the humiliation of being demoted for an over-the-hill Jim Edmonds. We might want to take his shoe laces if this comes to pass. . .
Lineups and chat to come. I'll be out until probably the fifth inning or so. Keep it safe, keep it legal, and keep it (semi)clean.
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Padres at Cubs open game thread | | 2008-05-12 22:38:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Randy Wolf vs. Cubs hitters: .190/.239/.270 in 100 at-bats
Carlos Zambrano vs. Padres hitters: .085/.204/.128 in 47 at-bats
Mid 50s, wind blowing in at 8 mph from right center field. Game begins at 7:05 and is on CSN Chicago.
The Cubs haven’t done much with Wolf in their careers, but the Padres have done even less with Zambrano though it’s only 47 at-bats.
| | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Monday Night Game Thread: Pads at Cubs 7:05 CT/8:05 ET | | 2008-05-12 16:52:55 | |
Oh bench-clearing brawl, what I wouldn't give to see you again
In case you missed it, both Daryle Ward AND his butt are on fire, Soriano has decided to play baseball again, Ryan Dempster is denying us a reason to make fun of him, Kerry is a total badass, and we're back in first place.
Tonight the Cubs try to take over sole possession of first, as we play a team that is not only last in batting average, on-base percentage, and runs scored, but has at least ONE Mark Prior (who is now experiencing shoulder "discomfort", and one Glendon Rusch.
Good luck with all THAT. Heading to the hill for the Pads is Randy Wolf, who has been kinda "meh" so far this season. Stepping up for our beloved Cubbies is our own Carlos Zambrano, who who has been, as usual, a whole bunch of crazy but also pretty good this season.
Game time is 7:05 and the game is on Comcast. Booooo! Lineups and chat to come. Let the 'Anchorman' quotes begin.
You stay classy, San Diego.
(okay, so it's a lame game thread. I have | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Diamondbacks at Cubs open game thread | | 2008-05-11 04:23:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Randy Johnson vs. Cubs hitters: .194/.276/.262 in 103 at-bats
Carlos Zambrano vs. Dbacks hitters: .257/.308/.343 in 35 at-bats
I’m writing this at 10:30 pm on Saturday night (won’t be around much, if at all, on Sunday) so the weather may change somewhat, but it’s going to rain. There’s no question about that. 100% chance of rain. Wind blowing in from RF at 25 mph with 40 mph gusts. I don’t think they’ll get in the game in today, and if they do, it would be a good idea to rest Soriano since no good can come out of him playing on a soaked field. I just hope the game doesn’t begin unless they’re relatively certain they have a large window. I’d hate to lose Zambrano for a start because you pretty much know it’s not going to get played. Might even be a good idea to have Gallagher make the start unless the Cubs are certain th | | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Game Thread: Diamondbacks at Cubs: 1:20 P.M. CT/2:20 P.M. ET:Sweep the Leg | | 2008-05-09 11:00:00 | | The Cubs have lost seven of their last ten games and today play the Arizona Diamondbacks, the best team in the league.
Last year, the Chicago Cubs were swept from the playoffs by these guys. Today I say we start a little sweeping of our own.
Sweep the Leg, Lilly The Pitchers
The Cubs send Ted Lilly to the mound. Since his last start, Ted Lilly (2-4, 5.97 ERA) has been using an advanced montage technique washing cars and trimming bonzai trees. He is ready.
I don't wish to alarm anyone, but Ted Lilly has really improved in his last three starts. He has an ERA of 2.84 through those games, and 15 strikeouts and 7 walks in 19 innings. That's more like the Ted Lilly we met and fell in love with last year, and I trust that is the Ted Lilly we will see today. If anyone can turn this team around, it's Lilly.
Ted Lilly is a Capricorn, and his horoscope is:
A mob of torch-wielding villagers will soon gather outside your home, which is odd, as you don't rememb | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Cubs at Reds, 12:35 p.m. EDT/11:35 a.m. CT: Jonathan Ray Lieber is back! | | 2008-05-07 10:00:10 | |
That's right, boys and girls. It's me again, right where I belong, in the starting rotation. No more of this long relief crap. I'm sick of having to come in when Rich Hill has another tear-filled walk session or when Jason Marquis is giving out hits like his name is Timbaland. I always have to go mop up the mess, while those bastards get to go into the clubhouse and have a cold one. Yeah, thanks a lot guys, leaving me runners on second and third with no outs. Great teammates.
After watching this record on repeat, here's an idea: How about you start me and then maybe we won't have this nonsense? Yes, I may have just turned 38, but surely I can go five innings and only give up one or two runs. Hell, Rich Hill couldn't even go one or two batters!
So here should be the plan. Let me get five, maybe six in, then bring in that kid Gallagher. He was looking good the other day, seems to have some potential. Then you've got options, leading up to "Two Strikes" Wood, who should be fine this seri | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Cubs at Reds open game thread | | 2008-05-06 23:03:00 | | [UPDATE @ 5:45 PM] Aramis Ramirez is back in the lineup and batting 4th. Ronny Cedeno is playing 2nd base and batting 7th. Felix Pie is also in the lineup hitting 8th.
B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Aaron Harang vs. Cubs hitters: .269/.312/.492 in 193 at-bats
Carlos Zambrano vs. Reds hitters: .268/.372/.471 in 291 at-bats
Call this the pitching match-up between 2 aces that pitch like number 4 and 5 starters against the opposing team. Carlos Zambrano needs to stay away from too many Reds hitters to list in this space. Derrek Lee has been a one-man wrecking crew against Aaron Harang. He’s hit 5 home runs off of him. In 3 of Harang’s last 5 starts against the Cubs he’s surrendered 5 earned runs (4 in another and 2 in the other). That’s a 5.59 ERA. In Zambrano’s last 5 starts against the Reds, he once surrendered 6 earned runs and another game with 5 earned runs allowed.&nbs | | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Tuesday Night Game Thread: Cubs at Reds 6:05 CT/7:05 ET | | 2008-05-06 17:40:39 | |
No, dude. You were out. Like, by a mile
No snark.
No "analysis."
No pleas.
Just win.
Lineups:
A. Soriano lf .177
R. Theriot ss .322
D. Lee 1b .333
A. Ramirez 3b .276
K. Fukudome rf .331
G. Soto c .352
R. Cedeno 2b .383
F. Pie cf .231
C. Zambrano p .250
And then Dusty will throw some crap up there for the Reds.
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Monday Night Game Thread, Dudes: Cubs at Reds 6:05 CT/7:05 ET | | 2008-05-05 16:05:07 | |
Duuuuuuudes
(Game thread by guest blogger, Dusty Baker)
Well, well, well, dudes. Look who's come crawling back.
"Dusty doesn't know about baseball," you all said. "Dusty doesn't understand OBP," you said. "Dusty should read 'Moneyball,'" you said.
So now you've got you high-falootin' OBP, and lightsabermetrics and all that bunk, and where does it leave you, dudes? A game and a half-back of the Cardinals, that's where. You all got to learn that a manager can't do anything about where players play or where they hit in the lineup. Just look at me. I changed towns and I'm still stuck with Jerry Hairston Jr and Corey Patterson at the top of the lineup.
But one thing you CAN change? Runs. You have to score runs, dudes. I told you that walks just clog up the bases, and I'll keep saying it. Sure, sometimes you want a guy to take a walk. But then other times you want a guy to hit a 3-run homer. Why would you tell a guy to take a walk when he can hit a 3-run homer? Dude. I tell ALL my guys to h | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Cubs at Cardinals open game thread | | 2008-05-05 00:55:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Todd Wellemeyer vs. Cubs hitters: only 9 at bats
Marquis vs. Cardinals hitters: .304/.365/.470 in 115 at-bats
Reed Johnson has faced Wellemeyer 4 times and is 1-4 and that’s the most plate appearances for any Cub against Wellemeyer. Marquis has been beat up on by the Cardinals hitters in his career, which makes perfect sense since it’s Jason Marquis. In 4 starts against the Cardinals last season he threw 25 innings and allowed 22 hits and 9 earned runs (3.24 ERA).
Ramirez is not in the lineup.
| | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Game Thread-- Cubs @ Cardinals-- 7:15 P.M. CST-- Meet me in St. Louis | | 2008-05-02 15:49:41 | | Fresh off losing a series at home to "New Rival" Milwaukee in frustrating fashion, the Cubs look to get back in first place tonight as they play the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs set a franchise record with 17 wins in April. The Cardinals had a franchise record with 18 wins in April. Both teams are like Hansel- they're so hot right now.
I would probably burn my finger if I touched either the Cubs or Cardinals right now. So hot.
Good v. Evil! Ali v. Frasier! Beatles v. Stones! Real honest-to-God Mayonnaise v. Miracle Whip! Cubs v. Cardinals! Pitchers
Taking the mound for the Chicago Cubs is the Once and Future King Rich Hill. Rich hasn't pitched since last Wednesday when the Cubs won their 10,000th game. Hill allowed two runs through five innings, striking out three batters while walking four. He was skipped over in the rotation to get his head on straight, and so that the Cubs could send up three righties against the Brewers | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Brewers at Cubs; 2:20 p.m. EDT/1:20 CT: The Return of The Fonz! | | 2008-05-01 11:24:12 | |
Did you miss me?
As the Cubs look to take the rubber match in this series, the game's headline will be dominated by Alfonso Soriano coming off the disabled list. Some thought maybe a rehab assignment would help him, but he's Alfonso Soriano for crying out loud! He doesn't do rehab assignments, he goes fresh off the D.L. right to home plate.
Soriano's return also brings about two arguments, one that is ridiculous and one that may hold some water. The first is the whole, "Oh, the Cubs were better without Soriano!" While the record may have shown that, over the course of the season, if you believe that, well, I don't know what to say. I mean, this guy did lead the Cubs in home runs last year. Not to mention his rocket arm in left field. I'm ending this discussion here b/c there really isn't much else to say.
The other argument revolves around "Soriano shouldn't bat leadoff." And I can see that, but you know what? It's not going to change, at least for now. That's where Soriano is most co | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread; Brewers at Cubs; 8:05 p.m. EDT/7:05 CT: Thanks a lot, Sports Illustrated! | | 2008-04-30 16:00:00 | |
I loathe the unoriginal headline
So, most of you have heard about my man Dome being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which also carries some sort of curse factor. And if there's any team synonymous with curses, it's you-know-who. That is, if you believe in those types of things.
I'm in the middle of the road here on the curse/superstition thing (sometimes I sit in the same position if the Cubs are winning, won't listen to certain songs if they're losing, etc.), but I think there is one thing we here at this beautiful blog can agree on and it's this:
Stop it with the "It's Gonna Happen" crap!
It's a dumb phrase coined by a guy who is probably a so-so fan when it all comes down to it, and it's ridiculous that people (even moreso now) are picking up on it. First off, what's gonna happen exactly? Be more specific. World Series, or the title itself? I mean, we might as well be the White Sox and start cranking up "Don't Stop Believing."
It was touched on earlier, but the Cubs need better | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Do-It_Yourself-Game Thread: Cubs vs. Brewers 7:05 CT/8:05 ET | | 2008-04-29 17:10:17 | |
Sorry guys. Rough day today. Just pretend I wrote a really stimulating diary with all kinds of in-depth game analysis and witty remarks.
Marquis vs. Sheets. Which will happen first: Marquis being run from the game or Sheets' shoulder exploding on the mound?
Game's on Comcast and WGN Radio.
Lineups to come.
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Sunday Game Thread: Cubs at Nats 12:35 CT/1:35 ET | | 2008-04-27 11:18:07 | |
Our hero
(bangs gavel)
This session of the Reed Johnson for Supreme Ruler of the Universe Club (RJFSRUC) will come to order.
Okay, so it took some time for us to appreciate that RJ should be Supreme Ruler of the Universe, as we were distracted by the likes of such poseurs as KFuk, DLee, and ARam. And yes, he has, for an as yet undetermined reason, a small wolverine glued to his face. But I'm sure he has a good reason for it. Has it ever ocurred to you that perhaps the wolverine is from whence he gets his POWER?
Think about it. Anyway, all superheroes have their shortcomings. Superman needed glasses for his secret identity. Wonderwoman had to pretend to be a wuss. Bruce Banner WAS a wuss. Spiderman uncomfortably patriotic. And yes, RJ has misappropriated Scott Ian's facial hair. Wanna make something of it?
I, for one, shall choose to worship the man who has forever banished Felix Pie from my heart. He can rot on the bench for all I care. After all, for all the talk about his defensive | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Saturday Game Thread: Cubs at Gnats 6:10 CT/7:10 ET | | 2008-04-26 16:21:20 | |
Julie hard at work on the game tonight
Hey guys. . . so remember how is was a big joke that the Cubs were only good while I was on vacation and that, as soon as I got back, they were going to start sucking again?
Uh . . . heh heh. Sorry about that.
So it appears that, while attempting to make light of the fact that the Cubs were playing like the Yankees and I wasn't getting to see it, I actually managed to foist some sort of curse on the team. Indeed, ever since I've been back, the Cubs have, in fact, sucked. I know it's hard to believe, but, bear in mind that I did kill a bird with my mind. So. . . yeah. Anyway, I just wanted YOU all to know that I'm hard at work over here at reversing whatever string of bad luck I've unintentionally stuck our beloved Cubs with.
Not ONLY am I busy at work whipping up all kinds of potions in bubbling cauldrons (btw, if anyone is going to the store, I'm out of raven's beak), but, in an homage to the last win streak, I shall speak only Italian u | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Cubs at Nationals open game thread | | 2008-04-25 21:33:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Odalis Perez vs. Cubs hitters: .400/.442/.700 in 40 at-bats
Ryan Dempster vs. Nationals hitters: .234/.331/.346 in 107 at-bats
Ramirez is the only Cub who has 10 or more plate appearances in his career against Perez. He’s 4-9 with 2 home runs and a walk. No Nationals hitter with that many at-bats against Dempster has fared exceptionally well. This seems like it should be a good game for Dempster to continue his stellar pitching, but that probably means it’s just the opposite knowing how funny this game can be.
Odalis Perez is an interesting pitcher. He had an excellent 2002 and a very good 2004 with Los Angeles, but other than that he’s either been injured, which happens a lot to him, or he’s just been terrible, which also happens a lot. Perez has a 3.38 ERA in the early going, but has had a lot of baserunners (1.54 WHIP). Perez came up with the Braves in the | | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Game Thread-- Cubs @ Nationals-- 6:35 P.M. CST--Mr. Cub Goes to Washington | | 2008-04-25 15:43:45 | | The Cubs open the first of a three-day set tonight in our nation's capital. This will be the first time the Cubs have ever played in the new Nationals Park, so first order of business: find home plate. Lawd knows the Nationals haven't found it yet. Ah-thank you! Ah-thank you!
Seriously, the Nationals are 26th in the league in scoring runs.
The Cubs have come to clean up Washington. Go crazy, folks! Pitchers
Taking the mound to stop the Cubs' worst losing streak since April 12 is team funny-man and resident Canadian RYAN SCOTT DEMPSTER!
With glowing hearts we see thee rise, the True Northsider- Strong and Free
Dempster has proven his doubters wrong so far this season, going 3-0 with an ERA of 3.00. But with all the irrational exuberance flitting around these here Internets, I'd like to bring everyone back down to Earth with a few things Ryan can work on. First, he needs to get a bit more control: he's walked 11 batters in 24 innings. On | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Cubs at Rockies open game thread | | 2008-04-24 19:09:00 | | B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM
Aaron Cook vs. Cubs hitters: .214/.279/.268 in 56 at-bats
Jason Marquis vs. Rockies hitters: .265/.333/.419 in 155 at-bats
67, partly cloudy, wind blowing out to RF at 8 mph.
| | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Game Thread: Cubs at Rockies; 3:05 p.m. EDT/2:05 CT: Three Sweeps? | | 2008-04-24 11:22:04 | |
Does not suck
Before we get to the game today, isn't this whole "10,000 wins" thing kind of being overplayed? Yes, it's a great accomplishment, but all it's really shown is that the Cubs have been playing a really long time. Someone call me when the Cubs get a special "10,000 wins" award. And it's more reason for dumbass announcers to talk about the 100 years thing. Of course, ESPN touched on that this morning.
ESPN has also been driving me mad lately. This is the hottest team in baseball, yet the highlights aren't until 20 minutes into SportsCenter, and not the top baseball story? Also, thanks to their recent telecast Monday, I've figured out the network's "Rules of Announcing Cubs Games at Wrigley Field.":
1. Talk as little about the game currently going on as possible
2. Mention the 100 years thing as much as possible
3. At least one shot of the Bartman seat. Spend at least 10 minutes discussing this
4. Footage of the black cat and Santo, and a discussion, must be worked in at som | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread: Cubs at Rockies; 8:35 p.m. ET/7:35 CT: Into Thin Air | | 2008-04-23 17:11:46 | |
Here's the Rockies trying to break the Cubs' stride. Here's the Rockies trying to hoooooold the Cubs down!
But oh no! They got to keep on moving!
The Cubs begin the cross-country odd road trip tonight, where they flew from Chicago to Denver, play a whopping two games, then go all the way back to the East Coast and Washington, D.C. for three games this weekend. Why not play in Colorado, then stay out for a West Coast swing? Who knows, I guess that would make too much sense.
Anyway, the Cubs' bats are smokin', kind of like the new My Morning Jacket song (rock!). And a great place to go with hot bats is Colorado, where the scoring is plentiful (even with the dumb humidor).
The flip side of this is that the Cubs' pitchers will also be susceptible, starting with tonight's starter, the gangly Rich Hill. Hill (1-0, 3.86) finally got his first win of the season last time out, pitching five innings and giving up three hits and one run. This will be a good test for him, hopefully his curves | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Tuesday Game Thread: Mets @ Cubs, 2:20 EDT/1:20 CDT | | 2008-04-22 11:56:19 | |
Psst. Hey Ted, over here!
Ted, we need to have a talk. Rather than berate you on your performance in 2008, let's work on some encouragement. You know what you were doing in April last year? Pitching really well. You started 5 games, threw 33 innings (that's almost 7 innings a start!) and allowed 21 hits, 5 walks and 8 earned runs. This all added up to a 2.18 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. That's mind-boggling. Now, I don't think there's a single one of us that is going to expect that from you right now, but I think we all would like to see a bit of improvement from your current 9.16 ERA/1.71 WHIP-allowing ways. Is there something missing from last year that made you feel really super (Cliff Floyd)? Is the newness of Chicago wearing off (it shouldn't there's so much to see and do)? Are you mad because you're not on my fantasy team this year (I'm sorry I forgot about the draft)? Whatever it is, Ted, will you please let us know? We want to help you succeed, as we don't think Dempster a | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | | Monday Game Thread: Mets @ Cubs, 7:05 EDT/6:05 CDT | | 2008-04-21 16:39:10 | |
Mr. Met prays to the baseball gods that his precious ones don't get the drubbing they deserve.
So, the Chicago Cubs (12-6) have recently been tearing it up. They've presently won 6 of 7 games to overtake the Cards (when does their regression start?) for first place in the NL Central. However, the games they've been winning have been against the crappiest of the crappy - the Reds and Pirates (combined 15-26). Tonight, we get to see them in action against an opponent with a winning record for the first time since the first series of the year (lost two of three to the Brewers). The New York Mets enter toinght's game as the NL's anointed chosen ones. Bolstered by the addition of Johan Santana (looks like we'll miss him in the quick two-game set), many have predicted the Mets will be the NL representative in the World Series. They've played to a 10-7 record so far this year (7-3 in their last 10, matching the Cubs' record in the last 10), and won two of three out of the weeken | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game Thread-- Pirates @ Cubs-- 1:10 P.M. CST-- Help! | | 2008-04-18 11:45:00 | | The Cubs are in the middle of this homestand and look to be in good shape, having taken two out of three from the Dusty-Baker-managed, Corey-Patterson-having Cincinnati Reds. But the Cubs also stand at the middle of a crisis, having lost one of their best players in Alfonso Soriano. Who will step into the breach? So far, it's been Mike Fontenot, whose .633 OPS has actually been marginally better than Soriano's slumping .528.
The other trouble facing the Cubs has been its left-handed pitching. Ted Lilly and Rich Hill have yet to win a game between them, and have posted ERAs of 9.16 and 5.00 respectively. After Lilly's outing yesterday, it's looking like the Cubs' left-handers are scuffling. Rich Hill needs to take a big step up today. Luckily, he pitches against the Pirates!
Rich Hill needs somebody.
Not just anybody.
You know he needs someone.
Help! Rich Hill is a Pisces, and his Horoscope is:
The stars indicate this is a good week to try new | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
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