A Travel Day
by Al Yellon on Sep 10, 2007 10:04 PM CDT
in Chicago Cubs Recaps
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PrintNEW YORK -- Well, that's what today was supposed to be for the Cubs. Instead, they came home to Wrigley Field and made up last month's rainout against the Cardinals, and brought their hitting shoes along, blowing St. Louis out 12-3.
I'm about to head out to my meeting; when I get back later this evening I'll post more thoughts on today's big win, and a few notes on my interesting travel day.
Enjoy the evening, and GO PIRATES! Later.
UPDATE [2007-9-10 21:56:39 by Al]: Happy to return from my meeting to discover that the Cubs are back in a first place tie! The Pirates beat the Brewers 9-0 tonight.
So maybe all those comments about "oh, we shouldn't have lost to a crappy team like the Pirates" weren't so valid, right? The Pirates aren't all that bad, are they. Let's hope they win two more in a row from the Brewers.
When I got to O'Hare at 12:20, my 2 pm flight was delayed -- so I thought I'd get on the 1 pm flight. Nope, also delayed. But there was still a seat on the eleven am flight -- still sitting there almost two hours later.
By the time it got in the air at 1:40 it was almost three hours late, picked up some time in the air and I wound up landing 45 minutes earlier than I was originally scheduled.
At 4:45 pm, I figured I'd get stuck in some horrendous NYC traffic jam. Nope on that one too -- I was at my hotel in midtown in thirty minutes. So this travel day was rather uneventful for me, as much as it was eventful for the Cubs. If Aramis Ramirez can hit like this for the rest of the month, you know he can carry a team -- I've seen him get this hot for a period of time where you think he's simply going to pound the ball every time up (for example, this month-long hot streak in May and June 2005). He hasn't had one of those times this year -- yet. This'd be a real, REAL nice time to start one.
Ted Lilly threw a nice game and in so doing, became the second Cub lefthander (after Greg Hibbard, 1993) to win fifteen games in the last thirty-seven years (since Kenny Holtzman did it in 1970), and Derrek Lee also homered. The Cubs hit five doubles, including one by Lilly, among their seventeen hits.
The internet connection in the hotel here is a bit balky so I'm going to stop this post here. It's a race, everyone, with all the attendant ups and downs. Enjoy it -- and keep the faith that it will have a happy ending.
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Simply amazing
Interesting direction of both teams
Cubs are 15-15 since Aug 8th when Oswalt beat them for the sweep in Houston. Cards are 19-19 since July 31st when they just won their 4th straight before losing 3 in a row and Milwaukee is 11-11 since August 15th when lost their 2nd in a row to St. Louis.
Go Pittsburgh and Cincinatti!
Lilly was a phenomenal signing
and Marquis hasn't been horrible..
They were better than any other
by LT on Sep 10, 2007 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions
remember when people were raving over
Lilly is...
Can we maintain it ?
Good win. Lily is fantastic. Let's get a groove on !!!
As I said Saturday...
April-May: Z sucks = Cubs flounder
June - July: Good Z = Hot Cubs
Aug - Early Sep: Funk Z = Cubs Funk
I will contend that we will be the June/July Cubs if Z can stay under control. I don't understand how a guy that plays every 5 days can be THE diferrence, but those are the facts.
GO CUBS and GO ZAMBRANO. We are in your hands!!
Great win
You said it right!!
Look at how the Red Sox finally won the WS after being down 3-0 to the dreaded Stankees in the ALCS. No team in baseball ever came back from being down 3-0. Don't you think it made it that much sweeter?
That is why I laugh at all the BCB posters who say they are mailing it in for the year or calling it quits. Life never works the way you think it should.
Just shut up and enjoy the ride!
GO CUBS!!
You really
Never know with this team.
Don't get me wrong I want this team to win it all, however what a joy it is looking forward to a Cubs game in September/October.
by Johnny Callison was a Cub on Sep 10, 2007 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Couldn't agree more.
Let me fourth or fifth that sentiment!
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Sep 10, 2007 10:28 PM CDT up reply actions
And having just read this part of the thread...
If the Cubs do win it all this year, not one of the players, and not one of us, would ever think of giving it back, or not enjoying it to the fullest.
As the person who started this thread
WOW!
i couldn't care less if the cubs win the division under .500 and then go 7 games in every series with the lowest run differential in the history of the playoffs...so long as they win the world series!
any team who wins the world series deserves it!
Well, that's one view.
Pastor of Muppets
...my fave Mattallison album.
by DonGerard on Sep 11, 2007 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions
wassup Donnie?
by Matt Allison on Sep 11, 2007 2:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Great win
Hope the hitting continues in Houston.
I agree with Lilly, what a great signing. I was ho-hum about the deal.
Probably only Lilly, his agent and Hendry thought the deal was a good one.
Lets finish strong!
by Johnny Callison was a Cub on Sep 10, 2007 7:05 PM CDT reply actions
and let's hope DeRo is ok
by PrincetonCubs on Sep 10, 2007 7:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Everybody Needs to Take a Rest!
Reading the game threads one would think the suicide rate in the Chicago area spikes when the Cubs are struggling. Crimes of passion probably peak along the same lines.
No one, not even Al, loves the Cubs as much as I do (what I mean to say is that many of us share equally in our emotional attachment to this team) and we know that even if the Cubs go on an extended winning streak they are going to stumble too. We need to be ready for it when it happens and we need to be able to bounce back just like the team.
I really think we're going to be in the playoffs this year and we may even advance. Who knows, we may even make it to the series but you know what? We're going to lose more games and we're going to look pretty godawful doing it too. Gotta keep the faith baby!
Pirates up 2-0!
Nyjer Morgan...
Oh and hey, Matt Allsion, do you record music by any chance?
by UptownFreeRadio on Sep 10, 2007 7:28 PM CDT up reply actions
yes indeedy.
by Matt Allison on Sep 10, 2007 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Cool.
by UptownFreeRadio on Sep 10, 2007 7:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks much.
by Matt Allison on Sep 10, 2007 7:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Holy Cow!
phat
by phatass on Sep 10, 2007 10:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Make that 4-0
by talkingcubs on Sep 10, 2007 7:38 PM CDT reply actions
WOO!
what happened
Sounds kind of funky on gamecast.
by UptownFreeRadio on Sep 10, 2007 7:39 PM CDT reply actions
Non fielder
by thepenguin on Sep 10, 2007 7:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Weeks had all sorts of time
by talkingcubs on Sep 10, 2007 7:46 PM CDT up reply actions
excellent
I had a good feeling about today.
by UptownFreeRadio on Sep 10, 2007 7:50 PM CDT up reply actions
I was impressed
I don't think the Pirates are light years from being competitive again. They just need for their pitching, aside from Gorzelanny, to come around, and to stop spending ridiculous amounts of money on washed-up veterans. Now that Littlefield has been fired, perhaps that part will take care of itself.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Sep 10, 2007 7:41 PM CDT reply actions
Like a Pie that can hit.
by UptownFreeRadio on Sep 10, 2007 7:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Defintely
by Matt Allison on Sep 10, 2007 7:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Nyjer makes another web gem
If not...
I admit it...i like hockey, and liked Nyjer more when I found out he was a hockey player.
by UptownFreeRadio on Sep 10, 2007 7:51 PM CDT up reply actions
I used to like the Blackhawks
Wait - the Blackhawks are still playing?
even sorrier though is the NHL in general and Bill Wirtz in specific. I'd take our Wuertz over that Wirtz any day of the week.
The Blackhawks are sorry
The problem is that the league has been poorly marketed for years, and that -- with so much competition from other sports led the league off ESPN (which had better ratings with poker) and onto horrible networks.
The game is strong in most markets, but there are still too many teams. The NHL is stronger in California than Chicago. That's awful.
But if you subscribe to the NHL package, as I do -- you can see much better hockey than is being played on Chicago's west side.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Sep 10, 2007 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Hockey is still
Most people forget the Blackhawks were the toughest ticket in town for about a 12 year span. When they had Hull, Mikita, Esposito and the gang it was more than a pleasure to watch those guys.
Wirtz has run the franchise into the ground and it's a shame. When you think of the glory years and the fact that they had the greatest play by play man I ever heard in any sport (Lloyd Pettit), it is really depressing.
Agreed - Hockey is great...
I dunno... maybe my view is tainted 'cause I live in Chicago. All I know is our AHL team, the Wolves, is a bigger (and better) game in town than the 'Hawks. I'm not as knowledgeable about hockey talent so I can't say who has a better team, talent-wise, but I'd love to see them play each other sometime.
Of course, if they played it at the United Center, it wouldn't be televised... ;-)
I agree
Hey, is this a baseball blog?
That sorry ass Wirtz just won't kick the bucket. He doesn't get it why 15-year season ticket holders like me have gone over to the Wolves in droves the past dozen+ years.
Agree
Ah, game 7
That's what a hockey championship in Chicago is like.
Then 4 years later, Butsyev's 2OT goal to beat the Sound Tigers.
Foley was very good
There's a shot....and a goal !!!
Foley is becoming the next legendary voice of hockey in ChiTown.
Foley has got great pipes
Foley has a lot more dead time in his play by play, but his inflection is excellent.
Oh totally, it was a different era
Think of this, there wasn't a Ron and Pat on the radio at the same time Len and BB were on TV.
It was a different time
For the record, Wirtz didn't just mess up
Go Bucs!
I'm envisioning their pregame video with the Pirate ships sinking hapless nautical opponents. And I'm seeing big "Brewers" sales on said hapless opponents.
Shaping up to be quite the satisfying day.
It's amazing....
That game felt really, really good after what we've been fed recently. Gotta love it!
well i think it is safe to say
You can put it on the board.........YES!
Isn't quoting Hawk Harrelson
We'll cut 'em some slack this time,
What a chronic waste of Oxygen.
How lucky us Cubs fans are for having Len on the TV side here.
LOL
So glad
And I thought yesterday was bad...
by UptownFreeRadio on Sep 10, 2007 8:25 PM CDT reply actions
Final
Arrgh!!!!
Welcome back to first place. Let's keep it this time.
The BUCS
HA!
by TheEman on Sep 10, 2007 8:28 PM CDT reply actions
Oh...
by TheEman on Sep 10, 2007 8:31 PM CDT up reply actions
BTW, these obnoxious
Just showed McCloth's homer
by Matt Allison on Sep 10, 2007 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Sure is nice
Didn't you have
by TheEman on Sep 10, 2007 9:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Quite frankly
Can someone explain?
I vote that
LOL. I'm afraid that if you prevail...
by Fraggin Judge on Sep 10, 2007 9:04 PM CDT up reply actions
T.R. Lilly
And he has a sense of humor
Seems like everyone in the media was analyzing the pros and cons of LaGenius' strategy of batting his pitcher in the 8th slot. Then Lilly comes into the dugout, walks over to where the lineup card is posted, and says to no one in particular...
"Damn, can't believe I'm hitting ninth again..."
Jessica pointed that one out....
Is it my imagination or does Lily scream into his mitt after a great strike-out ?
See my signature
by mweil on Sep 10, 2007 10:05 PM CDT up reply actions
Hence
by TheRamZamDLEE on Sep 11, 2007 12:04 AM CDT up reply actions
Welcome to BACK TO FIRST PLACE!!!
Those of you AT the game
Did not get a chance to see the game this time.
I was advocating his skewering from our fans as soon as the HGH story broke.
by TheEman on Sep 10, 2007 9:39 PM CDT reply actions
I sincerely hope so
by lancaster99 on Sep 10, 2007 9:39 PM CDT up reply actions
Not sure about the bleachers, but the whole park
Sounds like he made a great diving catch late in the game and got some cheers for that.
btw, I heard they're making a movie...
Working title right now is... "The UnNatural" ;-)
We DO know our body produces HGH, right?
Someday, we might be 'taking' HGH. I would -- if it was affordable, and proven to be effective. I'd like to stick around to see many Cubs World Series appearences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone
This shouldn't be lumped in with steroid use.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Sep 10, 2007 11:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Your body also produces steroids
Growth hormone is driven by your pituitary gland in your brain and as you age, it does slow down.
If you recall a guy named Lyle Alzado, he died of a brain tumor that they think may have originated in his pituitary gland from HGH use.
anyone play drums around here?
by love the ivy on Sep 11, 2007 12:43 AM CDT up reply actions
Just got home
The amount of Cardinal fans at this game was pretty disturbing. Don't worry I took care of them, some of them anyhow.
The Ted Lilly double and 4 Ankiel K's were my personal highlights. Then again I had a lot to choose from. Awesome game today! Let's keep this thing rollin
by TheRamZamDLEE on Sep 10, 2007 11:58 PM CDT up reply actions
GO SMOKIES!!!
and that's that.
Excuse my ignorance
Thanks in advance
Human Growth Hormone
by jck on Sep 10, 2007 11:08 PM CDT up reply actions
See my earlier post
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Sep 10, 2007 11:44 PM CDT up reply actions
well no, it wouldn't be equivalent to steroids...
Don't want to put words in your post, but are you saying HGH does not give a player an advantage and it should not be on MLB's no-no list?
Actually, there's a body of clinical research...
What HGH is useful for is exactly what Ankiel is alleged to have used it for - as a way to come back from injuries more quickly. [Actually, steroids have proven more useful in recuperation than in strength-building as well, which is why you see so many marginal pitchers get busted.]
You can find a body of research
Bottom line; if you talked to any physician knowledable regarding HGH, it is not intended to be prescribed to normally healthy athletes coming back from injury. It is also true that anabolic steriods are not prescribed to athletes who are injured as well.
Both HGH and steriods are only prescribed when it is proven a person's body is not manufacturing the normal amount of this substance on their own. And those cases are few and far between.
That's the statement
Both points are valid, and you should acknowledge it. Your point that HGH has few if any legitimate uses for a healthy adult is true. But study after study has shown that it does not increase strength or athletic performance, and you are just showing your own ignorance by dismissing that by saying studies can show anything. A statement like that says "I don't care what you say. I'm right and nyah, nyah, nyah!"
People would love to have a discussion with you. You should try it rather than simply pontificating, which nobody wants to hear.
HGH does not increase strength or athletic performance. This isn't even controversial. That doesn't mean that athletes don't believe that it does and take it for unethical reasons.
by Josh Timmers on Sep 11, 2007 3:17 AM CDT up reply actions
Point taken
Dick Pound and the IOC worked long and hard (and spent a lot of money) to come up with a test for HGH for the Olympic Games. If there was not strong belief in the scientific community that it enhanced performance, I don't think they would have gone to all the trouble in finding a test to dectect it.
It would be ignorant to think any athlete takes...
by Jerry Mumphrey on Sep 11, 2007 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions
Excellent point
A few notes about the game today
-Ankiel had the big Golden Sombrero today and looked bad doing it. The right field bleachers were pretty hard on him, chanting "H G H" and I heard one not so nice person yell, "Hey Ankiel, your mother is very disappointed in you!"
-Ted Lilly did not have his first inning troubles today, he looked real strong on the mound.
-I haven't seen a replay but it sure seemed like DeRosa was hit intentionally, I hate that about La Russa. I think Lilly gave Taguchi a pay back, to bad he cranked a homer on the next pitch.
-I really think this loss is going to send the Cardinals over the edge and out of contention, they lost three in Arizona, flew to Chicago and got crushed, now they have to get on another plane to play a game tomorrow. It is going to be real tough for them to hold.
How about how long it took
by TheRamZamDLEE on Sep 11, 2007 12:11 AM CDT up reply actions
Karma
Had the Cubs won that one, I think it would have sent them on a 4 game sweep, instead of the 2-1 series win. Cards would have had a hard time coming back from that.
But, maybe this is better. Cards use a bunch of pitchers and have no off days remaining.
by roscoevillage on Sep 11, 2007 12:23 AM CDT up reply actions
I liked how
by love the ivy on Sep 11, 2007 12:39 AM CDT up reply actions
What will undo the Cards
Momentum is good teams playing well. it's not some magical force that can turn garbage into gold.
by TR on Sep 11, 2007 12:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Momentum Is the Name of Today's Starting Pitcher
What an exciting day!
I expect some nastiness this weekend.
We expect it...
Let's hope the umps don't blow it this weekend like they did in Atl in June with Lilly getting tossed early.
LaRussa...
Whatever else stupid Dusty did and said, he didn't let LaRussa's nonsense go unanswered.
Pinella doesn't seem like the type to let him do it either. I hope I'm right.
The Cardinals could very quickly have nothing to lose. Their manager has the ethics of an alley cat. That's a dangerous combination for our guys.
So, to paraphrase Sean Connery from "The Untouchables."
They hit one of our guys. We hit two.
If one of our guys has to leave the game, two of their guys have to leave the game.
Only when the retaliation is disproportionate will LaRussa stop. He couldn't care less if Taguchi gets hit. Taguchi is less than nothing to him.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 9:18 AM CDT up reply actions
No, No, No, NO !!!!
Generally, being an old school traditionalist, I believe some retaliation has a place in the game. Fortunately for us, Lou knows how and when to pick his spots far better than we do.
So let's get the better of our arch rivals by just plain and simple giving them a BEATING on the field, like we did yesterday !!
It's very simple
The player who is arguably our MVP, and certainly one of the best position player signings in all of baseball, has a swelled elbow and will miss Tuesday and maybe more.
That demands payback.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 9:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Bad Plan
Then when a bench clearing brawl ensues, which key Cubs will the Cards be taking swings at and luring into potential injury and suspension?
The price is too high. This gets our guys away from what should be their EXCLUSIVE focus and concentration on the matter at hand -- winning these games down the stretch.
The best payback for LaRussa's infantile head games is WINNING THE DIVISION. The Cards have finished ahead of the Cubs in 45 of the 61 years since we last won the pennant -- so let's not stupidly make it 46.
Lou has been around the block
So...
That's what is happening right now. I want it stopped and baseball won't do anything about it.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions
I want the Cubs
retaliation...
The only
same here...
we all know that baseball is a tough, gutty and gritty game and the cubs should play it accordingly!
Intent to injure?
But the problem is, once you let loose a pitched baseball at someone, you really have no control if the person is injured or not.
So, I do not wish a Cardinal to suffer serious injury, but I'm not going to cry if one is. LaRussa escalated this. Let him deal with the consequences.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions
i posted...
absolutely!
if that dirtbag larussa calls for another hbp, then a cardinal better get drilled, preferably pujols!
Happy Having Lou at the Helm
Lou can call up
Hopefully he can hit Poo-holes right in his hip and then give him a nice Farnsworth tackle (still the best play the guy ever made as a Cub!) Wouldn't it be fun to see Poo-holes and Samardzija have at it?
Just dreaming...
Interesting...except the numbers don't add up
Milwaukee 63
St. Louis 50
Cubs 35
Opposition batters hit by pitches
St. Louis 63
Cubs 54
Milwaukee 46
St. Louis clearly has a history of throwing at batters.
But Cubs' batters have been only hit 35 times this season so far...while dishing out 54 HBPs? Pretty flakey reason to go to war this weekend just because DeRosa got bonked yesterday.
I say forget about bean balls, just sweep them at home and laugh as they cry in their Budweisers.
So are we all done talknig about -
by lostinthevines on Sep 11, 2007 10:28 AM CDT reply actions
Great Point
i understand your...
turn the other cheek?
Guarantee
Perhaps Pinella
I'm tired of the sniveling. "We might get hurt. We might get suspended. We might trip and fall on the way to the on-deck circle!"
News flash. DeRosa isn't playing today. We're already hurt by this.
Time to inflict some back.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions
Over the Top
You're tired of sniveling, buddy?? Most of us are tired of a 100 years of mostly awful baseball. Our Cubs get chances few and far between for winning the division and going to the postseason.
Advocating a formula for potentially throwing away our chances -- LOSING OUR HEADS BY THROWING AT THEIRS just isn't logical. Just what ol' Tony is hoping for us to do .....
Exactly.
Yep
This is just what we need
I steal this quote from one of the classiest guys ever to wear a Cubs' uniform - all of MLB for that matter:
There was Gary Matthews, the Sarge. He wouldn't let me down. He was always in the on-deck circle when I was batting and if there was a pitch that almost hit me or knocked me down, Sarge would be halfway to the mound coming at the pitcher, "Get the ball over the plate or face the consequences." I saw a lot of fast balls down the middle because of Sarge and I had too much respect for how hard he played to give it any less than he did.
Key words? "Get the ball over the plate".
First things first, let's see a Cubs win tonight!
You guys
Four out of five in 2003. It came, in part, because Prior and Wood and Baker refused to take it from Matt Morris and LaRussa.
Baker intimidated LaRussa that series.
You CAN do both. In fact, I'd argue that taking control, and showing that you will not back down from a drunkard bully like LaRussa is key.
I don't want it done recklessly. I don't want it done without regard for safety or suspension.
I want it done coldly and professionally.
You guys are upset because someone might get hurt. Someone IS hurt, and that's DeRosa.
I want the Cubs to try to prevent more people from getting hurt. And you do that by striking first.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions
im with you
Agree to Disagree
Exactly.
They won it because they played better baseball. Do that and the bully will slink away in silence.
actually, al...
Play ball
Yes, it will incur a suspension but what good does that do the Cubs if that hit batter happens to be a D-Lee, A-Ram or Fonzie if it breaks his hand?
If you think they're gonna throw at a rookie, think again; it'll be a bigger name player.
Baseball doesn't need a real-life version of slapshot (the ultimate insult of my 1st sport).
i can't believe...
baseball is not badminton, it's not billiards, it's not backgammon, it's baseball. to suggest that retaliating is a departure from the norm is ludicrous.
the desire, by some of you, for the cubs to be aspiring dalai lamas is the departure from the norm.
Ridiculous
I know what baseball is
It would be so Cub that the guys start throwing at the RedBirds and at the end of Sunday's game at Busch, it's big time Cubs player that is on the DL.
Lost in all of this is the umpires. They just may warn both teams before a single pitch is thrown.
LaRussa has a quick
With all respect, Al
Turning the other cheeck and just playing hard and well only gets you so far. At some point, you have to protect yourself.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions
Great.
Play hard and play RIGHT, and that's how the games will be won.
Ejected, suspended
Which will
agree to disagree.
no, it most definitely is not.
Yes, it is, in my opinion.
oh, i see...
how did it come to be that you have decided that not retaliating is playing the game properly when decades of history, as well as the belief by probably every mlb player, indicates otherwise?
are you advocating that the cubs field a team of nancy's?
Oh, please.
Or start fistfights a la Barrett?
That's the quickest way to put this potentially wonderful season down the tubes. No thanks.
EXACTLY
Remember seeing an article about Ed Farmer and a retaliation happening 3 years later.
Focus on the ball game.
Who knows maybe we'll have an umpire warning Friday when the lineup cards are handed in...
oh, please to you, al!
yeah, i want the cubs to start a fistfight...in fact, i'd love for this weekend's series to be that of a one we'd see in some semi-pro beer league where several players go to the hospital.
give me a break!
What do you think they did yesterday?
And two guys, pretty key guys, got drilled. Umpires did nothing.
When you're playing a guy like LaRussa, you don't get to live in a perfect world where you don't have to lock your door at night and you shouldn't tense up when walking down the street at night.
And where all you have to do is play hard, eat your vitamins and say your prayers and you'll beat the Iron Shiek.
I'd rather get a guy suspended for five games than injured for five weeks.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions
whatever...
Getting a guy off his game is a tactic many managers/coaches do. And what the Cubs don't need is to be thinking about a beanball instead of just going up there and hitting and pitching.
listen...
that being said, here's hoping the cubs hand the cards their ass this weekend absent any ugliness! however, if a drilling is in order, drill away!
Again
You put one in someone's ribs before they can do it to you.
I know we have some headcases in the rotation, but I think we can trust a guy like Lilly or a guy like Marquis to throw at some ribs once and then go back to his regular game plan.
(I'm not sure I'd trust Zambrano with this...)
It seems to be an either/or for you guys. Either the Cubs get revenge/protect themselves against future attacks or they win.
They can do both.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 2:52 PM CDT up reply actions
my sentiments exactly, lancaster!
good article
guys, our boys were purposely hit, by our arch rivals, that deserves retaliation, plain and simple.
So who got hit first yesterday?
I don't know I can answer that. My impulse reaction is to say De-Ro was thrown at 'cause its LaRussa managing; it has to be. That impulse may be wrong.
i first heard the derosa beaning
i can definitely see plenty of scenarios where us retaliating would be a bad idea, but if you get in the right situation in the game, i say let em have it.
I think it was a purpose pitch
LaRussa has ordered guys to throw in retaliation even when everyone involved knows it was an accident.
His reasoning has been that seeing a teammate dusted will cause a pitcher to be more careful about accidents.
The fact that DeRosa was injured, even if it's just for one game, sealed it for me.
The results matter more than the intent for me.
by lancaster99 on Sep 11, 2007 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't want to see a
But I agree with those who say that you have to retaliate to protect your team. Hopefully the weekend goes without incident.
My wish is that we win the first three against the RedBirds and when we have a big lead in game 4, our clean up pitcher in the 9th inning will hit the batter in the hip with two outs and that will be the end of it. :-)
That would be a nice way to end it. Let our play do the talking, but let there be one final exclamation point.
Timing Is Everything
Rather it is a matter of choosing the appropriate place and time, which is NOT in our arch rivals ballpark, in front of all their fans, as we lead them in the standings at the very end of a pennant race !!
The most basic sandlot strategy is attempting to get your opponent's mind out of the game onto something else. We cannot allow LaRussa to do that to us.
JUST WIN -- our best revenge is the Cards sitting at home watching the Cubs in the playoffs. We can throw at them early next year, when the division is not hanging in the balance.
Loud, sustained applause.
You are correct.
No, not @ all -
by lostinthevines on Sep 11, 2007 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions
You're absolutely correct.
Any such incidents will not only distract the club from the pursuit of the division lead but will impact the race if one of our key players cannot play in key games down the stretch. LaRussa is devious enough to plan this.
by Fraggin Judge on Sep 11, 2007 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Absolutely correct
Hopefully we can resist the urge to retaliate, and can merely brush some of their hitters back. Pujols is all bark and no bite; hit him in the leg and let's see what happens.
by SouthsideCub on Sep 11, 2007 1:38 PM CDT up reply actions
the best thing to do
More of the same @ the "other" BCB
by lostinthevines on Sep 11, 2007 10:47 AM CDT reply actions
I didn't go over there
by Josh Timmers on Sep 11, 2007 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions
My point exactly.
by lostinthevines on Sep 11, 2007 11:27 AM CDT up reply actions
I don't know the Brewers very well
As for this year, whoever can get hot for the next 20 games takes the division. The Brewers have just as good a shot as the Cubs do.
by NO100 on Sep 11, 2007 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Unfortunately that's true.
by lostinthevines on Sep 11, 2007 1:05 PM CDT up reply actions
And I say hopefully they trade
by lostinthevines on Sep 11, 2007 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Youngsters do have more upside
Even guys like Dillion, Gross, and Gel show some promise.
Meanwhile Hall and Estrada are good, decent veteran players.
Their offense could be great, but right now the Braves' lineup is insane:
2B Johnson
SS Renteria
3B Jones
1B Texieria
C McCann
RF Francouer
CF Jones
LF Diaz
and they linger out of the playoff hunt because their starting pitching can't get the job done and their ace, John Smoltz pitches every start, and Tim Hudson is a quality No. 2 pitcher this year.
Yovanni Gallardo is a stud and will be a great No. 1/2 pitcher, but Ben Sheets has done nothing to show that he isn't going to pitch more than half of a season in a year. He's always going to have health issues. Manny Parra has some upside, but so did Chris Capuano and Dave Bush... how the mighty have fallen. Plus they are going to have Jeff Suppan around for quite awhile and they can't invest too much money into free agent pitchers because they have to save for when the young hitters hit the free agent market.
For the Brewers to become a great team, Chris Capuano, Dave Bush, Manny Parra, or someone is going to have to step it up to be a quality No. 2/3 pitcher behind Sheets & Gallardo. The Brewers also have to plan around not counting on any production from Ben Sheets. It's just like with us and Prior/Wood. If Sheets contributes, awesome, but if he goes down (like he does 2-3 times a year), they have to be able to stay afloat.
What will be really interesting is if the Brewers will be able to produce youngsters without getting top draft picks anymore. When you finish half of the 21st century last place in the Central, you are going to get some quality picks.
by IllinoisCubs on Sep 11, 2007 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions
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