Here's All You Need To Know...

who was to blame for today's loss. No way Eyre should have been in there in the 8th of a 1 run game. And let's not excuse his preformance by claiming he must be ailing. But, and this is a big but....no way Eyre should have been there tonight. LH batters have a .500 OBP against him. That's not bad, that's inexcusable and for Piniella to put the team in the position to lose is all on Lou.

And again, after throwing a no hit no walk inning, why was Wuertz taken out. Barrett was horrible again. Let's not blame the bullpen. This game should never have gone into extra innings. And that can be laid mainly at the feet of Piniella.

Hendry needs to make some move. Any move. Even a symbolic move. But this team is regressing. It's playing terribly.

you lose some. Our team lost today. Life goes on.

It would have been a wild pitch if it didn't hit him but I believe the count was 2-2 on that last pitch.

every shortcoming is amplified. Managerial moves, lack of clutch hitting. (bases left loaded twice) etc etc...my problem is that this team appears to have NO heart and NO soul and very little if any leadership. It is statisically improbable to lose 12, count them 12 one run games in less than a 1/3 of a season.

as big of a problem as the bullpen, but for some reason I'm a little more confident in the offense than the bullpen.  The Cubs have lost 15 games this season when they had a lead or at least a tie at some point beyond the 6th inning.  Those aren't just losses, they're demoralizing losses.  If they could manage to win just half of those then they are above .500 and knocking on the Brewers' door.

Linebrink would be an excellent addition, but he was available all offseason and there weren't any offers good enough to pry him away from the Padres, so obviously he's not coming cheap.  I can't think of any ML ready talent that the Cubs can offer.  Maybe Jones since they are thin in LF. Maybe a lefty reliever, but ours look like crap.  It's going to take a combination of players to get the job done and the Cubs would have to part with at least one of their more prominent prospects to get him.  I think you make that sacrifice if you think this team can win now.  If not, then you ride it out and try to find a solution in house.

Wow...what a give away! And here I thought Friday night was bad; little did I realize that there are even more insidious, mind-exploding ways to lose a game.

After serving up that fat pitch to Ethier and then summarily dismissed by Piniella, Eyre sat down in the dugout and sat there in a zombie-like trance - kinda like Howry on Friday.  I am beginning to think that this pattern of failure has settled deep into their pysche and there now exists a systemic problem that will be difficult to solve. I don't know what the answer is, but I pray Hendry/Piniella/Rothschild are working it.

Better luck tomorrow back home in Wrigley - I will be barbequeing with friends and saluting our Armed Forces with many cold beverages, and in the process hopefully forget this most forgetable series.

1. Why isn't Soriano scoring from 1st on Theriot's gapper in the 8th? Instead, that punk ass lucks out and he scores anyway on Lee's hit.
   
2. Why is Barrett, an RBI guy, laying down a sacrifice bunt with runners on 1st (Lee) and 2nd (Theriot)later in the 8th?
   
3. Why can't we score more than 1 god damn run in that inning?
   
4. Lou goes by the book and puts in a lefty to face a lefty leading off the bottom of the 8th. However, the book doesn't apply to this team, and Ethier homers to tie the game. We need 3 hits to score 1 run... and they come back and do it in 1 at-bat.
   
5. Top of the 9th, Izuseless actually leads off with a walk, and instead of sending in Marquis to lay down a sacrifice bunt, Lou sends in Floyd to swing away. A total wasted lead-off walk... and a compete head scratcher after Lou sends Barrett to sacrifice with runners on 1st and 2nd in the 8th.
   
6. Guzman sits down his 1st 6 batters, then falls apart in the 11th. With the bases loaded, Lou brings in Marmol? Lou used Marmol late in a game earlier this week, and he was so god damn wild, he made Rick Vaugn look tame. Yeah, great decision there Lou.Marmol hits Pierre to bring in the winning run.

and are 3-7 in their last 10... and we've only picked up 1 fucking game. Unbeleivable.

I thought it was a good omen when Hill threw
his warmup ball to #1 son when he left the bullpen. Should have known better.

Anyway, nice to see so many Cubbie fans in LA. But it would be better to see them win once in a while.

...is why this team is so bad. From not bunting to bad baserunning to ugly defense to pitchers throwing too many balls, etc. I could go on for days but I am trying to control the rage.

The biggest problem I have with this team is they cannot do the little things in baseball that ALL of us were taught when we were 8,9,10 years old. I can accept getting beat on days where you play smart baseball - I will not accept losing on days when you keep beating yourself. And this team continues to do that.

I want to believe that this is a good team, but, in my heart, I know they are not. I think Lou is starting to see that as well.

This L's for you, and so is Friday's loss imo.

When he goes to take out Wuertz to open the seventh, it looked as if his move was even being questioned from the dugout. He looked back at the dugout throwing his arms in the air as if to say "what the heck". I've never seen a manager backpedaling on the way to the mound before. Anyone else catch that? He's told us he wants power arms in the bullpen, so he can groom a new closer.

He has had a chance to use Guzman in the setup role twice now and hasn't done it. Seeing if he can handle the eighth first sounds like a good idea to me, isn't that how one would go about "grooming" a closer?

So I guess all that was talk to scare our pair of 5 million dollar relievers who can't get people out. How's that working out for you Lou?

Would Lou take the ONE guy in the bullpen who has shown ANY consistency (Lou's favorite buzzword)? Weurtz, maybe he would have given up the run, maybe not. But Eyre? I'm shaking my head at the ways this team can lose. This sickens me. Lou's an asshole.

Well, it was a beautiful day in the Ravine. My Dodger Dog was grilled, so I don't understand yesterday's complaint about a non-grilled wiener.

And, the new Dodgers parking rules are a smash hit, in my world. With 51K -- I was out of that lot in 15 mins. No more clusterF.

And, Dodger Stadium looks pretty darn good. The old gal doesn't look her age. But you know a new stadium lurks....Los Angeles likes new, shiny things....and a sparkling downtown ballpark will  eventually appear. (I know many of you in LA don't agree, and I'd hate to see it, but that will happen -- with a "Football Village" in the Ravine, and the Saints will come marching in........oops, off topic.)

OK, that's the good. Now the not-so-good.

All right, I'll give Rich Hill the benefit of the doubt. he rebounded from last Tuesday night in SD.
My take is similar to Al (although I was only partially kidding about Eyre DFA) but this trip could really have been 4-2. This should have been a sweep in LA. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

This, even though the Cubs left 9 on base, and 5 RISP. (If I hear ONE more time from some swarmy out-of-town announcer (Not YOU, Vinnie -- you say whatever you want) "The Cubs are one of the best teams w/ RISP" (As Matt V must have said 20 times on Saturday) I'm GONNA sceam, for that stat is meaningless, if the pen can't do the job.

Erye shouldn't be anywhere near a rubber. I cringed when he waddled in. And, Guzman SHOULD NOT have been out there in the 9th, no way. It HAD to be Depmster in that slot, assume he holds -- and pray that somehow, the bottom of the order gets it done in the top of the 12th.

So, Lou has to take some of the heat -- but this could, and should have been a 1-0 victory.
This should have been a successful weekend in Hollywood.

But doesn't this HAVE to even out? I was told by a friend watching in LA that Vin was discussing the unusual position the Cubs find themselves in, for the statistics seem to tell another story -- with the pen (obviously) as the reason for this sub .500 record. Vasgergian made the same point on Fox yesterday.

So -- can we stretch a bit? What if the pen can be turned around? Again, in the Comedy Central -- it seems as if only the Cubs could challenge the Brewers. If you think WE have problems, look at everybody else in this crappy division.

I'd love to squeeze Scotty Linebrink out of the Padres -- but J. Jones as bait just isn't gonna do it.  They need a power, right handed bat. But why should they make ANY trades, really -- The Pads have lost only 9 games at home this year. Pitching wins at Petco -- what if somebody goes down? Their pitching might be the best in the NL right now -- I believe they now lead in ERA. (I haven't checked) I bet the Padres will stand pat. Kevin Towers has struck gold with players nobody else wants, why change a winning hand? Jones won't help them, and we're stuck with him, and Eyre.

Hope isn't lost yet, but it's stuck in traffic on the Golden State Freeway.

Need some mojo - hell, we're still 5 out, and it's May.  New day.

"...Guzman should NOT have been out there to start the 11th..." (not the "9th" as is posted)

fan, angry from losing to the mighty Devil Rays.

BUT......if the offense didn't continually make similar mistakes...like failing to get a good sac bunt down, getting picked off 2nd base, failing to score runners from 3rd base w/ less than 2 outs, swinging at the first pitch and GIDP or flying out in key situations.....AND a few home runs would help...(yes....I know I said they were overrated...and they are....the offense needs to start smacking the ball around the park...doubles and triples are great too...)....perhaps less would be expected of the 5 WORST pitchers on the team.  IF the offense was scoring runs like it should...the bullpen wouldn't be such a glaring weakness...IMHO...the pen is being made scapegoat...when there are also plenty of other dysfunctional areas to be examining as well.....

Here's the insight from Eyre's point of view.

Scott, I realize that you learned all about taking responsibility from Dusty, but the fans don't give a damn about your flotation when you're making us all sink.

Then there is Barrett who must be feeling some kind of pressure due to his hat trick of blunders today.

Mr. Barrett, in case you were wondering, the reason it's so easy to second guess that play is because we're taught what to do at age 9 in little league. And, lest you still don't quite get it, it wasn't head-up baserunning, it was ass-up catching.

So what have we learned today, children. It's that the Cubs are still losing because shit happens.

...but I put the blame for this loss squarely on whoever in the Cubs organization decided that Eyre deserves to be on this roster v. Cotts.  If it was a joint decision between Hendry and Pinella then they both deserve the blame.

Eyre has been especially horrific v. lefties in 2007.  Cotts has been okay against lefties but compared to Eyre Cotts looks like a HOF.

I am also here to inform Lou that Wuertz does okay against lefties except for the BBs.

The Cubs are still in it and our luck will turn.  But I hope that our GM and Manager will make a statement about winning and DFA Eyre and bring back Cotts.  I don't blame Eyre, he's old, fat and over used, he has nothing left.  When you send batting practice pitchers out to get MLB hitters out you are doing a dis-service to the pitcher.  Eyre is over matched now.  He has had a great career, he should try elsewhere or retire.  The Cubs need to wake up to this reality and make a statement that winning is important.  You can still give a guy dignity when releasing him, just tell Eyre he's had a great run, you appreciate his effort but the team needs production.  Unless I am missing something, Eyre still gets $4 million in 2007 even if his feelings and pride take a hit?

Let's get a win and improve the roster.

is a model of inconsistency. They will have one, MAYBE two good offensive innings where they have some clutch hits, good baserunning, taking pitches. then, with the game on the line, they start hacking, not trying to get anyone on base. Or the bullpen throws lights out for an inning or two just to implode again. It's like they forget everything that worked, or how to play the game. Executing a bunt, not throwing the same pitch 4-5 times in a row, yadda yadda. i agree Lou has cost us the 2 losses in LA. You know you have a bullpen that's imploding at every opportunity and you pull Wuertz? The only guy other than Dempster getting anyone out? That's ludacris as well. Eyre is DONE! I can see throwing a guy out there after a bad outing to get his confidence back, but my God, you can see it in his eyes, he's toast. Howry is on the doorstep of being done.

I know some feel the team has no heart, I think it's more of a lack of a killer instinct. We ARE coming back in games regularly now, it's just that we don't get that one more hit to put the screws to the opposition. One more hit Friday night in the 7th scores 2 more and we are up 10-5 instead of 8-5. Yesterday's game as well, another run probably gets us a win. We settle for getting the lead and sit back. We get a late lead and then go quietly 1-2-3 with the heart of the order. Lou needs to have an implosion himself, kick some ass and take names lol Maybe that will wake some of these guys up. We need to change the Karma of this middling/maddening team somehow.

Of course, we'll hurt their feelings!! I've been critizized for my past transgression in Sept '06
(My now infamous cry "Freddie, (Bynum) you stink!" while sitting in the dugout box, followed by his obscene reply) Better be careful, or you'll get take the same heat I did!

Why would the Pirates trade him?? The Pirates are still in contention for this division.