I Know You've Felt This Way

I'm starting to get too wrapped up in this team. I know this is bad. I know I need help. But you've all felt this way too, right? Totally down and depressed after a loss like yesterday's, then getting too emotionally high after a big win like today's exciting 5-1 win over the Marlins.

This game was key because Kerry Wood clearly didn't have his best stuff, and we've said for a very long time that he needs to win when he has only his "B" game on. And he did today, striking out 12, including Ivan Rodriguez with a ball that bounced about thirty feet away, allowing I-Rod to reach base.

It rained hard for about an hour just before game time, but after it cleared up, the game started just over an hour late and it didn't rain again. This makes seven consecutive days it has not only rained, but stormed hard here in Chicago, and according to Tom Skilling, this is the first time in over 70 years that it's rained this much in early July. There may be one more day of rain, tomorrow, then it's supposed to clear out. I actually did buy the poncho this morning, but it didn't help keep the rain away. It did help keep me totally dry, which was very helpful. Game time temperature was only 67 degrees, quite cool for this time of year, and it seemed to drop as the day went on. I decided to eschew the shorts today; I'm not trying to make a statement with them, just be comfortable, and I was more comfortable in jeans today.

Jeff started singing "We want a hit" (or something like that) just before Sammy hit his monster 450+ foot home run. Now he has to sing every time Sosa comes up. We're silly that way. Jessica told us we now have to have a three-day moratorium on saying "meaningless late-inning HR's" when he comes up when the Cubs are behind. I happily agreed. Also today, one of Sue's nurses brought her son. She was the smart one. She missed her train and so arrived long after the rain ended. Jessica stayed in Starbucks until the rain was over, but did remember to bring her chicken salad sandwich (on sourdough), because the Cubs have won every day she's had that for lunch in this homestand. Now she has to eat one every day... well, we decided for the rest of her life, at least during the baseball season.

We almost got to see a total rarity these days: a game with no lineup changes. The Marlins pulled Carl Pavano after the first three batters in the bottom of the 8th reached; that was the only change, as Kerry Wood threw a 129-pitch complete game. However, if Alou hadn't singled and Pavano had finished out the inning, I'd bet Wood might have been pulled in favor of Joe Borowski in the 9th. Wood threw 14 of the 129 pitches in the 9th, so he wasn't really overextending himself, and with a four-run lead, I guess Dusty figured he'd save his bullpen.

But he still hasn't explained why he let Lenny F. Harris pinch hit yesterday.