Uncork the Champagne!

Dave Carlson, Cubs Superfan

The famous sign in front of a rightfield rooftop deck reads AC996300. We all know what that means (or at least we know what the numbers mean: many fans mistakenly think “AC” stands for “After Championship” when it in fact stands for a latin phrase loosely translating to “The Year of the Cub”). It’s great to see those final two numbers as zeros. But they were zeros all season long: it’s the 63 and the 99 that we really want to see changed.

And that seems to be the difference between the 2008 Cubs, who have spent most of the season atop ESPN’s weekly Power Rankings, and the 2007 Cubs who backed into the postseason with only 85 wins. The 2007 edition didn’t have this year’s “Cubby Swagger,” and didn’t seem to have it’s sights set on bigger goals. That was evident with the locker room celebrations: last season was a melee of champagne and excitement, but this year seemed tame in comparison. The 2008 players sure enjoyed themselves, but you got the impression that they expected to be here all along and that the real celebrating will come later.

No matter what happens in October, you can uncork a champagne bottle and drink to history now, as the Cubs have won back-to-back division titles for the first time in 100 years. And there were times throughout the season when Milwaukee and St. Louis made us consider that the Cubs may not even make it to October.

So celebrate now that the first step has been taken. But don’t kid yourself: no Cubs fans will be satisfied with stopping here. Not when we imagine what AC000000 would look like.

weird weekend

Dave Wegrzyn, Cubs Superfan

After the game last night I texted my brother to tell him that my son, who is 9 months old, saw his first cubs no hitter, and then I realized that it was the first one I ever witnessed.  To bad Bryce will not remember his dad forcing him to sit in one spot on the floor in my lap because I did not want to be the reason Big Z gave up a hit.  That little guy kept trying to crawl away and I kept trying to tell him that we had to stay in one spot or else.  Luckily, there were many toys and a big screen TV with the HD signal going to keep him occupied for the last three innings.  Trust me; he made me pay for it between the hours of 3AM and 5AM.  Kids, you gotta love them. 

 

All I can say is wow, that was pretty cool.  I have seen other teams do it, but until last night, myself and millions of cubs fans had never witnessed a no hitter.  Congrats to big Z. 

 

And I have to end with my thoughts on the games being played in Milwaukee.  People from Houston should not be blaming the cub’s organization for the games being played there.  The blame should rest squarely on the shoulders of the Astro’s owner and the commissioner of the league.  Drayton Mclane forced his players to stay in Houston, and if you read the comments of Lance Berkman, he pretty much sums it up by saying, “I am an employee of this team and live with the decisions that management makes.”  MLB wanted a domed stadium to make sure they got these games in, and believe it or not, it sounds like Milwaukee was the only stadium that could pull this off.  Minnesota was hosting a home Vikings game, Toronto would be international travel, and from what I heard through the grapevine, it takes a few days to get all preparations together to get guys through customs.  Remember, not all these guys were born in America.  Granted, I think the games could have been played in Florida.  The Astros are scheduled to play there on Tuesday, so it would not have been out of the question for them to go there.  But we all know how many people show up to Marlins games, so that gate revenue was not going to be enough for Mclane or Selig.  Face it, all the mistakes that were made were because the owner and commish were thinking about the all-mighty dollar, so do not blame the cubs organization or players for something totally out of their control.

Big Z’s Big Night

Dave Carlson, Cubs Superfan

So I’m up in Rockford on at my fiance’s parents’ house watching the Bears choke away their lead when she realizes we can probably get tickets to the Cubs-Astros game that night at Miller Park. What the heck, as long as we’re already up in Rockford, we might as well check out the game, especially given the unique circumstance that has brought these two teams to Milwaukee. It’ll be memorable.

Unless you’ve managed to avoid all TV and radio outlets until this morning, you know that game will be memorable for another reason: Carlos Zambrano threw the first Cubs no-hitter in 36 years (so much for Milt Pappas trivia questions).

The fact that history was happening on the Brewer’s turf while they were losing a double-header in Philadelphia may have helped amplify the energy in the dome last night, but it was by far the loudest crowd I’d ever been a part of. The crowd of 23,441 sounds sparse compared to Wrigley Field sellouts, but bandwagoners don’t leave the state on Sunday nights to watch the Cubs. That crowd was all die-hards, and we were all rewarded for spending the extra gas money.

So how did Houston possibly agree to play a “home” game in the closest stadium to Wrigley not accessible by the red line? In the words of Nelly, it must be the money. MLB announced the game Saturday night, and to play it in a truly neutral park such as Washington or Atlanta may garner 4,000 or 5,000 fans at best. This is a home game for the Astros, and they get the lion’s share of the gate, even though it’s at a visiting park and MLB figures in profit-sharing. Playing the game near Chicago was the only way to draw a substantial crowd on 24 hours notice, and Drayon “The Grinch” McLane likes money. A lot.

Anyway, the net result of last night’s historic performance is a 7.5 game lead on the stumbling Brewers and a magic number of 7. Clear your calendar for the postseason.

Greedy baseball owner

Dave Wegrzyn, Cubs Superfan

First of all cubs fans, I want to say this right off the bat.  The cubs will make the playoffs.  Whether they go as the divisional champ or the wildcard, they will be in the post season.  If they can take two out of three from the Brewers and cardinals, you can pretty much seal up the division and make that last series against the Brewers meaningless, although if it comes down to the cubs resting one or two starters or trying to keep the Brewers out of the playoffs, I vote for the latter.  Having to face Sheets and CC twice in a seven game series is scary.

 

But I do have to vent, and it happens to be about the Houston Astros owner, Mr. Drayton Mclane.  First of all, I do want to throw it out there that I understand that the astros are now squarely in the wildcard race and want to be able to play those three games at home, but did this guy learn anything from Hurricane Katrina.  If my memory is correct, the superdome, which is a domed stadium, had major structural issues that forced the saints to play several games in San Antonio.  When I googled Houston in relation to where most people think this storm will hit, it put them within about 50 miles of the hurricane’s eye.  There is a good chance that no more games will be played in Houston this year.  And yet this guy wanted the cubs to fly in today to play a game 8 hours before the storm hit.  Are you kidding me?  The fact that he shows no care in the world for the cubs players or his own is disgusting, but how many fans would be showing up when many people have been told to get out and move to higher ground.  If this is because of money, and let’s face it, a three game series against the first place cubs is probably three sold out games, then this guy is showing his true colors to the fans and staff of the Houston Astros.  And let’s not throw some blame towards Bud Selig here.  He should have already had a plan in place to have these three games played at a neutral site if the storm causes as much damage as experts are saying it will.  He also should have forced Mclane to have his players moved out of the city before this storm hits, because chances are solid that the airport will not be fully operational in the next few days before and after the storm.  Shame on both these men if this was purely done because of money.

Still a long ways away…

Will Culbertson, Cubs Superfan

Alright Cub fans, obviously we’re in the middle of a slump (5 game losing streak). This isn’t the time to start losing on a consistent basis. Part of the problem is that we (the fans) have been spoiled by the Cubs’ ability to string winning series together all year, which in turn has made losing feel foreign to us.

Despite the losing as off late, we haven’t loss much ground in the standings due to Milwaukee’s recent struggles. However, the most discouraging note out of the team is the pitching. Both Big Z and Rich Harden are experiencing pain in their arms and aren’t expected to pitch until at least next week. This could derail the big blue train. This could be a blessing in disguise though. The time off could help Zambrano clear his head and get him motivated to finish the regular season on a high note and to prepare him for October.

These injuries aren’t helping the team, but they could be a whole lot worse. Luckily it’s September which allowed the club to recall some much needed help. The call-ups can and will help patch the rotation until Zambrano and Harden return. Angel Guzman, Jon Lieber, Kevin Hart, Sean Marshall, and Jeff Samardzija are all capable of a spot start here and there.

The rotation isn’t the only thing that scares me. Sweet Lou is out of his mind, running Bobby Howry out there in crucial situations. I think Jim Hendry released the wrong relief pitcher. Sometimes I wonder what team Homerun Howry plays for. Another concern is the offense. Lee and Fukudome are just killing us right now. Lee’s ability to hit into double plays and Fukudome’s “swing and run in the same motion” isn’t getting it done. The entire team is struggling however, not just those two. That’s enough negativity for now…

Hopefully the off day was just what the team needs to get back on track. We’re still in great shape in terms of playoff picture. If we can get healthy and just grind out of this speed bump, I have confidence that the Cubs can go far and end the 100 years of frustration. As always, Go Cubs Go!

Restore Some Order to the Booth, Please

Dave Carlson, Cubs Superfan

This season’s Cubs team hasn’t left us much to complain about on the field – in addition to sporting the best record in the NL, they lead the league in runs scored, run differential and team ERA, along with a slew of other meaningful stats. In fact, after last night’s win at PNC Park, we can’t even complain about the Cubs road record, which just improved to 1 game over .500. (Okay, complain about Jason Marquis: it’s every fan’s God-given right to knock their 5th starter).

So since we can’t complain about the product on the field, allow me to complain about the product in the booth. Not Len and Bob; they’ve both broken out of their rookie shells and become an extremely likeable duo.

What needs fixing is the 7th inning stretch. I’m all for having a celebrity with some local ties leading the crowd off-key, but the in-booth interview that follows is just a distraction. Once in a while a guest such as John Cusak knows a thing or two about baseball and can carry a conversation. But too often, some B-list actor or musician who knows nothing about the Cubs uses the bottom of the 7th to hock their new movie or album or whatever, and they wonder why Sammy Sosa looks kind of Japanese out there in right field. Earlier this year, Styx honored the broadcast booth with their presence, and Dennis DeYoung spent so much time talking about himself that Len couldn’t get a word in about the game everyone else was watching. DeYoung even had to get cut off so Len and Bob could go to commercial.

Some actors and musicians may agree to the stretch only on the condition that they get to peddle their creative wares on the air. If that’s the case, who needs them? If it becomes difficult to fill stretch slots, which I doubt, then start sending fans in the booth that win contests.

Finally, congratulations Mr. Pierson, on your new souvenir! Pictured is my friend’s Dad after catching Aramis Ramirez’s second homerun ball Saturday afternoon. Eamus Catuli!

It might be... it cound be... it is!

The Ace in the Hole

Dave Carlson, Cubs Superfan

The NL Central division race has been shaping up nicely for the Cubs in August, as the Brewers have fallen 5 games behind pace while the Cardinals, at 7.5 games back, are all but off the radar. The Cards seem to finally be playing at the not-good-enough level that most expected of them at some point this season. With 12 games coming up against Milwaukee and St. Louis next month, it will be nice for the Cubs to have this cushion at the end of August.

CC Sabathia has been getting a whole lot of attention since coming over to the Brewers, and he deserves it. Maybe he even deserves the NL Cy Young award if he keeps up this pace. But history tells us that won’t be easy with the workload he’s been getting.

Years of stat analysis has told us that a pitcher’s magic number for a single game pitch count is about 120: going beyond that tends to compromise the pitcher’s effectiveness over his next outing, or even several outings. Sabathia has thrown 5 complete games already, with several starts topping the 120 mark, and we still have a month and a half before the playoffs start. The Brewers don’t seem too concerned about wearing down their new ace, and with good reason: they know Sabathia won’t be around next year, so let some other team deal with the lingering effects in 2009. But at this rate, CC figures to start his decline before the postseason.

When did Ned Yost turn into Dusty Baker? Depite a 109 pitch count with a 9-3 lead last night, Yost trotted Sabathia back out to throw the meaningless 9th inning. Cub fans, keep on rooting for Sabathia to rack up complete games and big pitch counts, because if October rolls around and the Brew Crew grab the Wild Card, expect a much more hittable version of Carsten Charles Sabathia.

Play Like a Chunichi Dragon, Kosuke

Dave Carlson, Cubs Superfan

It’s no secret anymore that Kosuke Fukudome, the shiny new object in the toy chest who garnered enough All Star votes to earn the starting CF role, has been struggling offensively. With the Brewers only 3.5 games behind the Cubs, Piniella needs to make sure he’s putting a lineup on the field each day that gives the Cubs the best chance to win, and that lineup may not include Kosuke until he works through this slump.

There are a number of reasons why Kosuke may be slumping at the plate. Japanese pitchers don’t throw offspeed as much as MLB pitchers, so maybe he’s trying to adjust to that. Or maybe team scouts know how to pitch to his weaknesses now that there’s enough tape out there on him. Or maybe he’s just going through a slump, as simple as the ones that great hitters like Soriano and Ramirez sometimes face.

Whatever the reason, Kosuke’s Gold Glove-calibre defense is no longer justifying his lack of production at the plate, and a mental and physical break from the game may be in order. Lou’s best move would be to keep Edmonds in CF at all times, even against lefties, and insert Reed Johnson in RF. Johnson is hitting an astounding .474 since the break, to go along with a .512 OBP. And defensively, he provides less of a drop off than if DeRosa was moved to RF to give Cendeno or Fontenot time at 2B. Piniella usually recognizes when to ride the hot hand, and you can bet he’ll be thinking about giving more playing time to Johnson this week in Atlanta.

One more thing regarding Kosuke: Why are people still buying those stupid “Horry Kow” shirts, even after Kosuke himself has called them racist? And why do some fans wear those big circular hats that are associated with the Chinese? That’s like sending an American to play in Japan, and his fans come out wearing Canadian Mountie hats.

Gaudin is the New Howry

Dave Carlson, Cubs Superfan

The Cubs stumbled out of the second-half gate, going 4-6 in their first 10 games since the break, but this week looked like a turning point that could give them the boost they’ll need to distance themselves from the Cards and Brewers. Going into Milwaukee with a 1-game division lead, I just hoped the Cubs could earn a series split to retain that lead. I certainly didn’t expect a road sweep that included wins over CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, who most media outlets were ready to crown as the next Shilling/Johnson.

The offense suffered a brief hiccup yesterday, as they were shut down by the legendary Jeff Karstens, but the bats came back this afternoon at Lillypalooza, as he earned a home W against Bucs ace Paul Maholm (Lilly has still never lost to the Pirates).

So I’m well aware that I’m too quick to criticize sometimes – I complained heavily about the Jim Edmonds signing, and now that he’s shown us he can still hit (see game 4 in Milwaukee) I’m ready to build him a statue on Sheffield. But it sure looks like Bob Howry has lost the mojo that made him a key acquisition in 2006, sporting a 5.19 ERA, which is good for team-worst among active Cubs. Howry was a guy that many, including me, considered as the front-runner for the closer role this spring, but lately he seems as reliable as a cable weatherman.

Having said that, Chad Gaudin has looked superb with an impressive 1.54 ERA since coming to the Cubs with Rich Harden. I know Gaudin is supposed to be a long reliever that can make spot starts as needed, but I think the Cubs have found their new setup man, at least until Howry remembers how to dominate again.

Big series in Milwaukee

Dave Wegrzyn, Cubs Superfan

I have not blogged in quite some time and part of the reason is that my life has been super crazy trying to keep up with a 7.5 month old child who still does not sleep through the night while trying to keep our condo clean because it is on the market.  The other part is because I really did not feel like much needed to be said about this cubs team.  They have been in first place since May so who am I to complain about that.  And I do not plan on being critical at all in this blog.  Far from it.  I actually am glad the cubs are being tested in July because they needed a reality check.  This is a good time for the cubs to go through some adversity.  This is a huge series for the cubs, but not because they are one game up on the Brewers.  This series is going to tell a lot about the cub’s chances the rest of the season to stay in first place in the division. 

 

Here are five things I am very interested in during this series.

 

1. Starting pitching.  Since the all-star break, the Cubs starting pitching has looked really good.  If the team had hit consistently after the all-star break, the Cubs probably would have a 3-4 game lead on the brew crew.  The starters have all managed quality starts and have not gotten very little run support.  If they continue to pitch this way for the remaining two months, I think the Cubs have a very good chance to win the division.
2. Regaining their offense.  Was yesterday an aberration, or have the cubs regained the offensive prowess that they had earlier in the season.  Do not expect to see 7 and 8 run games this week up in Milwaukee, but I would like to see the cubs break out a little against two of the best pitchers in the NL.
3. Winning on the road.  Right now, I am just not that confident in this team in October if they cannot win on the road.  I am also not sold on them even making the playoffs if they cannot figure out a way to improve their play on the road. In the month of September, they play 16 of their last 25 games on the road, and they finish the season playing four games on the road against the Mets and three against the Brewers.  I think even a split of this series gives the cubs road momentum the rest of the season.
4. Bullpen.  Will Kerry Wood be healthy anytime soon, will Marmol regain that nasty control that he had early in the season, do we have the right guys to get the game to the closer, whoever that might be.  The bullpen has made me nervous lately, and that is not a good thing.
5. Attitude.  So far this team has said all the right things and look like they are having fun.  But will that continue the closer they get to October with all the expectations the media and fans are putting on this team.  Up to this point, the entire team has handled the pressure well, but what happens if they leave Milwaukee trailing the Brewers by a couple games.  Will they fold or rise to the occasion.  Will be interesting to see.

 

Let’s end this by saying that the next four games are not going to make or break this season.  The cubs have a veteran team that should be able to block out all the external stuff and just play ball.  And I think we have the perfect manager to manage this team and get them in the best possible position to win the division down the stretch.