Wednesday, July 27, 2005

3000 Strikes- One Weird Night

When Maddux was 2 K's short of 3000, my father and I mutually agreed that we should try and see the game on Tuesday night. I logged on to Stubhub on Sunday and found 2 in the Upper Deck. I left work a little after 4 and drove home. We left the house at 4:45. As we approached the Skyway, it started to rain. It didn't stop raining until about 9:00. It took us about an hour and fifteen minutes to go from the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park all the way to the stadium, a ridiculous amount of time. Lucky for us, the rain kept falling and the game got delayed. We decided to wait it out and see what would happen. We found a Burger King on the corner of Clark and Irving Park and just sat there in the Parking Lot for a good hour and a half. All of a sudden it stopped raining about 9-9:15. We drove back to our old Parking Lot on the corner of Addison and Broadway. By that point, there was nobody charging, so we pulled right in, free of charge. We decided to walk to the stadium. We walked with a father and his two sons and another youngish male who had also decided to wait it out outside the park to see what would happen. We even joked that we were staying for 2 strikeouts and then leaving. Lucky for us, as we got to our seats, the players were being introduced and the National Anthem was about to be played.

Onto the game. Maddux got the first K the very first batter of the game. Anytime, someone came up with 2 strikes, everybody (probably 65% full) stood up. Finally, in the 3rd, he struck out Omar Vizquel for #3000. Maddux took little time on to be applauded on the field. He did come out for a curtain call though. My favorite Maddux quote: "It was different," Maddux said of the crowd reaction. "I don't try to strike guys out, I never have. I've always tried to just make a pitch, but I found myself trying to strike somebody out and it took me out of my game a little bit. It was pretty cool on the mound pitching with that. You hear it -- believe me, you hear it. This is a great place to pitch and tonight was a big reason why. The fans here are super." Another reason why the Cubs have some of the best fans anywhere.

The strangest part of the night came in the bottom of the 8th inning. My dad and I had moved down from the Upper Deck onto the lower level and found 2 seats very easily. LaTroy Hawkins came into the game with lots of boos and chanting of his name. I didn't participate in either of them. He really got a raw deal by the fans near the end of his career with the Cubs. But I would say at least half of the 8,000 or so were heckling the guy. I looked at my watch: 12:15 AM. There were still 8000 people at this game, most of them still in to it, like it was a playoff game. Except for the fact it was July 26th. I kind of liked being at the game at that moment. Only the die-hards were left. Vocal or not, it made a much more fun experience at the point in the night.

Then I opened up the paper and read this. Sometimes people just don't get it.

Monday, July 25, 2005

Cubs 3- Giants 2

Wow, another good win tonight. The Cubs fought back hard in the 8th inning to tie the game and then won in the ninth very methodically. The best part of the game was the solid 5 innings that Rich Hill was able to provide. If you haven't heard the Kerry Wood news, someone has to be the 5th the rest of the season, whether that's Hill, Rusch or Mitre. I'll be there tommorrow night with everyone else rooting on Maddux for 3,ooo K's.

Injury Update: Wood's shoulder is feeling better, but he'll be put on the DL anyway. He will go back down to Iowa, in their bullpen and then come back up to the Cubs bullpen if he's healthy. This decision really puts things into perspective from the Cubs standpoint. I really beleive bullpen/ starting are equally as hard on someone's arm and body. The Cubs may just be throwing something out there to see if it works. If not, the offseason and the shoulder scope will be coming to see what is exactly wrong. I think that the acromion is mishaped a little and that causes all of the impingement, but we'll just have to see.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Wowwwwwww, Cubs 8- Cardinals 4

What can I say about that game? Unbelievable. This game might have described the Cubs season in full so far. Poor start, work their way back in, climb over the .500 mark with a bang, lose the lead (thanks to a bogus call) and then pull a WTF moment that makes you actually think this team has a chance for the playoffs.

Highlight: If you don't know what it is, I guess you're not a Cub fan.

Lowlight: Phil Cuzzi strikes back with his bad behind the plate umpiring Friday by prolonging the game tonight. Luna was OUT at second, even if Joe Morgan says that "the tie goes to the runner." There was not tie, Luna was OUT. And there is no rule, "the tie goes to the runner." Look it up. Umpires get paid to make decisions on these types of plate. If you break time down to infinity, there is no possible way that two things happen at the exact same time.

Injury Update: Wood looks to be headed to the DL for sure, although his arm is looking better according to the trainer. Don't believe Dusty though. The surgery that Wood would have is way different from Morris's. Wood's surgery would be rotator cuff, not labral tear, although you can do both at the same time. Nomar will be in Peoria this week. Neifi did terrfic in one AB tonight, but I can't wait for Nomar to get back.

Go Cubs.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Cubs 6- Cardinals 5

Well this game might have been the opposite of last night. Instead of DPs going against the Cubs, Neifi is able to make two terrific plays to get two double plays, including one to end the game with Pujols up. While the Cubs offense was better today, the pitching left something to be desired. Jerome Williams walked the lead-off batter twice, only to see him come around and score, twice. Michael Wuertz actually struck out the first batter in the 7th, only to see him get to first anyway, when the ball bounced past Barrett to the backstop. The best moment of the game had to be when Pujols came up in the bottom of the ninth. The Cardinal fans immediately started their own, "MVP, MVP" chant. I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery or something like that. But the MVP ended the game with the DP as told above. The Cubs try and win the series tommorrow.

Injury Update: Kerry Wood through on the side today, with still a little bit of pain. I still don't like the cortisone shot, but we'll see what happens. Either way, it's Rusch or Rich Hill, hopefully Rusch. Garciaparra might play with Peoria this week on a rehab. assignment. His infield single was definatly a positive sign for his adductor longus tear. Hopefully he can play some defense as well.

Friday, July 22, 2005

Cardinals 2- Cubs 1

As I told my mom in about the 8th inning tonight, this a game the Cubs never seem to win. It held true as David Eckstein was able to squeeze home the winning run. This was after John Mabry hit a ball that richoted so badly for the Cubs, it turned a maybe single, probably double, into a stand up triple. The Cubs, other than Carlos Zambrano, had no business winning the game anyway. They wasted oppurtunity after oppurtunity. This includes the "was-hot" Todd Walker, with his 2 GIDP and another ground out with Hairston on 3rd and an out in the 10th. I thought that play in general was poor baserunning. Hairston is a fast guy. It's not like Aramis and his 50 MVP Baseball speed is standing on 3rd. I really thought Hairston should have gone home on the grounder. Here are the situation's that you have: 1. Hairston scores, Walker is out at first. 2. Hairston is thrown out at home, Walker's at 1st with 2 outs. Remember then first base is not open for Lee and the Cardinals might be more inclined to pitch to him. 3. The situation that happened. 4. Hairston scores, Walker is safe at 1st. The Cubs obviously took the least aggresive approach to this situation. Lee was going to be intenionally walked either way, if first base was open.

I have to give good comments to Baker for pitching to Pujols in the ninth. I would have walked him. He also used Murton against Reyes in the 11th, instead of the switch-hitting Macias. Hopefully both of these situations are continued in the future.

Injury Update: Kerry Wood is going to get a cortisone injection. A fellow student therapist and I were talking about this subject today at work. He had been instructed that no eccentric muscle activation should follow a cortisone shot for six weeks. Cortisone basically destroys collage, the stuff that makes up tendons. I remember hearing our Orthopaedics teacher describe this very thing vaguely. I looked up and the results online are mixed. I should do a better literature search, but it's too late. I do, however, feel that there are some major risks for tendon rupture, especially with all of the arm problems that Wood has had and the fact he is a major league pitcher. I'm assuming the Cubs doctors know this and are taking every precaution to get him back to the field soon.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Here We Go Again

The Cubs pretty lousy loss tonight was overshadowed by another early exit from Kerry Wood. It set the Cubs blogging world in a frenzy. Let's see what happens. People really don't know what's going on, so let's just settle down. Here was my opinion on Cub Reporter.


Listen, before everybody jumps to conclusions about being out for months and all of that.
Here's why I don't think it's serious:1. It's stiffness, not irritation. In my opinion stiffness indicates tightness, irritation indicates pain.
2. He faced at least two batters, AFTER the trainer came out to look at him.
Here's what I think happened: Somewhere in the game Kerry told Rothchild that his arm felt tight tonight. If you watched the game, he was all over the strike zone. After the home run to Griffey, they came out and talked to him to see how he was doing. At this point, it's already 3-0, he's thrown 66 pitches after being taken out with 75 the week before. I know you're trying not to lose games, but this game might already be out of hand (I know, it's 3-0), but all of the factors added together might point to bringing Wood out of the game.
Just my opinion.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Cubs 8- Pirates 1

All Righhttttttttttttt. This year has been some roller coaster. Oh well. Another good victory today. The bats came alive with 5 straight hits in the 3rd. A great win overall. Hopefully they can continue this into Cincy and then St. Louis. I have 6 family members going to Monday and Tuesdays games, so hopefully they can pull them out. As for me, I have been busy with work and other stuff which kept me from watching every inning.

The key team for the Cubs right now is the Washington Nationals. According to Baseball Prospectus, the Cubs have the 5th most chance of making the playoffs at this moment. In fourth place, the Washington Nationals. As it stands right now, the Cubs would be about 7 games behind the Nationals in the standings. A pretty big margin. Fortunately, the Nationals should be about 44 -48 right now, so hopefully they fall back to the mean and the Cubs can catch them. This week the Nationals host Colorado, so maybe the fall will start right there.

Monday, July 11, 2005

The Home Run Derby

I could write a post about Joe Morgan and his Pujols for MVP because the Cardinals will be in the playoffs or LaRussa's starting Carpenter over: Clemens, Willis, and Oswalt, three more deserving pitchers. I could, but I'll write on the Home Run Derby which I avoided tonight. Frankly, the HR Derby has become boring to me. I did like the International format, if only it avoided having Lee stand out there and take about 50 hard cuts on his bum shoulder. But man, how can you watch home run after home run for 3 and a half hours, like it took tonight? So here are some ideas that I think could spice things up:

1. This is the most obvious, but have an umpire back there calling strikes. Any strike could be an out, or three strikes could be an out. I swear Pudge stood up there and took about 7 pitches. 7 pitches??? These things should have some skill to them. Every pitch does not need to be grooved right down the middle for these guys.

2. Mark off a line across the outfield. Any ball hit that doesn't land beyond this line is an automatic out. After this line, we put 3 OFs out there who try and catch the balls not hit out. Who wouldn't want to see Ichiro and Torii Hunter trying to climb walls and bring balls back? This would be especially good if they brought the NL vs. AL contest back. Any balls that they don't catch aren't outs. This wouldn't be a lot of balls, because the little kids catch most of them anyway.

3. My most radical idea: Either make the first round, or the last round, or the losers (the guys who didn't make the finals), play a special "whiffle ball" round. They put out a shorter fence and make these guys hit against some kid/ adult with "whiffleball" experience and they try hitting those out. I think that would spice things up a bit.

So there you have it. As Sports Guy tries to implement HORSE at the NBA All-Star game, which is a fantastic idea in my opinion, I try and spice the HR Derby. Something has to change, for me ever to watch again.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

I make it easier

Seriously, act like you don't really care about the 8 game losing streak and you feel a lot better. There's always tommorrow. In some ways, I'm drawing conclusions to my other favorite team: Rotations/ lineups that don't make a lot of sense sometimes; a coach that is drawing some heat from fans, although many will defend them; even an injury to a key player.

I don't know what's going on right now, but the Cubs have never played well in Florida and I think that trend will hold true this weekend, if its actually played (see hurricane).

Monday, July 04, 2005

Braves 4- Cubs 0

Since last Tuesday, I have not seen an inning of a Cubs game. Reasons: Work, Work, Work, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, so that covers those five. Lucky for me, they lost 4 of them.

Highlight Tonight: None, except for the pitching staff let up 1 HR after the 1st inning, so that was pretty good.

Lowlight: The offense sucked tonight, but I'll give it to two individual plays. 1. Burnitz getting picked off of 2nd base in the 8th on the single. Jones really sucked him to making that mistake, a great play by the CF. 2. Patterson grounding into a double play to end of the game. Seriously, can the dude get a break sometime? He didn't help things thought by swinging at the first pitch.