Up... Down... Up... Down
Jason Marquis stood on the mound at Wrigley Field, alone on the field, tossing a baseball up and down in his hand. Up, down, up, down, several times. He did this while waiting for the umpires to shift positions and gear after plate umpire Jerry Crawford took ill during last night's 10-7 Cub loss to the Brewers.
Cubs players wait in the dugout for play to resume after the umpire delay
Eventually, Geovany Soto came out of the dugout and so did the rest of the Cubs and that's when Marquis, who had been shaky enough in the first couple of innings, completely fell apart. He wound up throwing 98 pitches in five innings, allowing ten hits and five runs, and none of the Cubs' relievers could provide any relief last night -- the only one who didn't have a run charged to him was Michael Wuertz, but he added to the carnage by walking in a run that got charged to Kevin Hart. Even the usually-reliable Jon Lieber got touched for Milwaukee's tenth run, after Mike Fontenot's bases-clearing double had turned a 9-4 apparent rout into a 9-7 "hey, maybe they can come back" score.
It wasn't to be, and although Lou Piniella had sharp words for his bullpen in his postgame press conference:
"Our pitching wasn't good tonight," Piniella said. "We've got to do a better job in the middle before we get to our short people. That's been a problem for awhile."
... that wasn't the main problem. The main issue last night was the fact that Ben Sheets also wasn't sharp after the delay; he wound up walking seven, but the Cubs left most of those runners on base, leaving seven in the first five innings. Had they taken advantage of those opportunities, they could have had Sheets bounced before the sixth, when he was eventually lifted for a pinch-hitter (having thrown 108 pitches), and gotten into the Brewers' 1,325-man bullpen -- which managed to shut the Cubs down in the 8th and 9th after Fontenot's double.
The other important thing last night was... well, let me tell you first about one of the funnier vendors I've seen. He walked by our section, a youngish man I hadn't seen before, carrying the metal hot-dog vending box, yelling, "Who wants a friggin' hot dog??" That generated both laughs and sales (not from me, since I had already had one earlier).
And that's the other thing. Speaking of friggin', it was friggin' cold last night. The official game-time temperature was 38, and though there was some waning sun in the western sky until it dipped below the buildings on Clark about 7:30, that sun never warmed anyone at Wrigley Field yesterday. The wind wasn't too strong -- Derrek Lee managed to loft his 8th HR of April, tying the team record for such things, into the LF bleachers in the third inning, making the score at the time 4-3 -- but it was just enough to make it so feeling my fingers and toes wasn't really possible after about that time. Despite the cold, BCB reader steinmer and a friend of his stopped by in the late innings to say hi. They were some of the few who stayed -- once the score got to 9-4, the place emptied out pretty quickly. Well, except for the Human Air Raid Siren, who decided, since our section was empty, to stand there (mostly in our way) to yell for a few minutes, until we were rescued by a guy wearing a Fukudome sweatshirt who wanted him to come to his section. He left and we didn't see -- nor hear -- him again last night.
Positive note: there's nothing wrong with Geovany Soto. He had two hits last night, including a double, and continues to pound the ball really hard.
There's not much more that can be said about this loss -- the Cubs' first of the season when they have scored four or more runs. Lou, in his press conference, gave credit to the Brewers, who do, after all, have some pretty good hitters, and not just Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, who are both off to slow starts. Corey Hart (who I advocated the Cubs acquiring a year ago) had three hits including a double and a triple; Bill Hall singled three times and had two RBI, and Mike Cameron, in his first game of the year following a 25-game suspension, also had three hits. Sometimes you just have to give credit to the other guys.
With Ryan Dempster, who has been solid all year, and Carlos Zambrano, who at last is pitching like the ace we need him to be (and with his sinker working as it did when he first burst onto the scene in 2003), going tonight and tomorrow, I still like the Cubs' chances of winning this series.
Did you know Wrigley Field had a Jumbotron? Well, it doesn't, of course, but it now does have this large monitor on the side of the camera house in CF:
Finally, Felix Pie was involved in a scary-looking collision with Rickie Weeks in the second inning, and didn't get up for a couple of hold-your-breath moments. He probably just got the wind knocked out of him, as he stayed in the game. David caught the aftermath:
Click on photos to open a larger version in a new browser window. All photos by David Sameshima
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Need to Even Up Season Series
If the Cubs win the next two games, they’ll even the season series at 3. That wIll have been with all 6 games at Wrigley. The Brewers look like they are better than they were last year. While I don’t think the Cardinals will keep up their winning ways, you never know. I think it’s becoming pretty apparent that 85 wins won’t cut it this year in winning the NL Central
The Cubs have...
... often played the Brewers better in Milwaukee than in Chicago.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Let's Beat the Brew Crew Anywhere We Can
That’s a nice thing to know, Al. Wins are wins, no matter, where you get them. With 12 Brewers games to go, I know we can make up this 3-1 deficit in the season series. Let’s get cracking on that today. I’ll be at Wrigley in September when the Brewers return.
Last minute tix to the game last night
So I agree, it was friggin cold!! I was surprised to see that much offense considering the weather. Anyway, MIL just had good timely hitting, didn’t waste many opportunities. I do wonder why Kevin Hart hasn’t been sent down yet. 17 hits/10 walks in 16 innings, 9 ER…that’s not very good. Well hopefully we get the next two and win the series. The weather should be better for these.
FU-KU-DOH-MEH! clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!!!!
I'm guessing...
... Hart could swap positions with Jose Ascanio soon. Ascanio has a 2.08 ERA in 13.1 IP so far this year at Iowa, with 4 walks, 14 strikeouts and six saves.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
theriot play
did theriot get the tag in time for the out?? i kinda figured lou would come out with a little fire and get tossed at least thats what i was hoping for. about as excited i got during the whole game apart from the d. lee homer. on to tonight. go cubbies
Go Cubbies Go!!!!!!
From our vantage point...
... it looked like the tag was a hair late, and I think the replays confirmed it.
Lou was probably too cold to be out there for too long. ;)
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
To me it looked like he was out
And they played the replay several times from different angles, and I thought he was out by a fraction of a second
"We Are Not Fair Weather But Foul Weather Fans, Brothers In Arms In Streets and The Stands." -Eddie Vedder, Someday We'll Go All The Way
by ryanbrixenivy on Apr 30, 2008 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions
VERY CLOSE
I thought the ump had it right, although, it could have gone either way.
I loved how Lou bursted out of the dugout last to tell off the ump who ripped his mask off, which to me was idiotic. Lou is right about the pitching, and IMO, if I were a ballplayer Id want to play for him. He could bitch you out one minute and kill to save you the next.
Im going tonight and tomorrow LIGHT EM UP
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip
Didn't see the game
only listened to a couple of late innings because I was studying for finals. It seems that we have a lot of trouble shutting down the Brewers big hitters. And it seemed they scored at will, at least compared to us. We fought back but the pen let us down last night. Gotta right the ship tonight.
I know the season is a marathon, but I still burn when we lose games like this. The Wuertz walks really killed us. When a team is hitting as well as the Brewers were last night, you can’t give them more baserunners or walk in guys.
Go Cubs!
"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse
I thought it was interesting
Cameron, Mota, Gagne——what do they all have in common besides being key in the game last night? Hmmmmm
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip
A hypodermic needle!
"We Are Not Fair Weather But Foul Weather Fans, Brothers In Arms In Streets and The Stands." -Eddie Vedder, Someday We'll Go All The Way
by ryanbrixenivy on Apr 30, 2008 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Comment about the Umps...
This has been bugging me for a few years now and case in point happened last night when Lou went out to talk to his pitcher. There was a questionable call right before Lou went out there (ball called when it was close to being a strike) and the Lou was looking at the umpire and all of a sudden the ump starts jawing at Lou, and Lou went back at the umpire with something along the lines of – i am going out to talk to my pitcher not you blah blah is that ok?
My thing is over the past few years i think the umpires are trying to make the game about them. Whether it is the creatively annoying strike call or the high flying, mike tyson punch out call on the bases. Or everytime a player/coach looks confused by a call the umpire gives them a stare down or takes the mask of basically saying – i want to cause some trouble. MLB needs to address this. The game is not about the umps, and lets face it they blow a lot of calls – and so be it, it is human error, i am not saying that they will never make a bad call, i am just saying they do not manage the game well, and they do what is in their power to make it about them.
I feel better now.
"I love this world. I hope hell is as much fun!"
Lou
bitched at the ump because he ripped his mask off to yell at Lieber, Lou didnt appreciat the ump doing that, neither did Bob.
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip
Yeah, I agree with this too.
Umpires have gotten far too confrontational in recent years. It’s almost as if they want to see themselves on Baseball Tonight.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Unfortunately, with Buddy Boy
in charge, I doubt much will get done.
by dr stabbingworth on Apr 30, 2008 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, we saw a little flash of "angry Lou" last night...
...and, I must confess, I got a bit of a thrill from it. I don’t know what Lieber could have possibly done to provoke that reaction. It didn’t appear he said anything directly to the ump. Maybe he made a face or mouthed a word?
Even if he did, the ump’s reaction was WAY overboard to the point of showboating, and I was cheering Lou on when he screamed something along the lines of, “That’s my f**king pitcher!” In fact, I was surprised the situation blew over, and Lou didn’ get tossed. Nonetheless, if the Cubs don’t start shutting down this Brewer offense, I could see Lou blowing up at an ump in the next couple of games to make a statement.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
I think if I was a Cubs player last night
I would have gone to the clubhouse with Kevlar…..The shots of Lou in the dugout ALL game, showed just how pissed he was….And, I think we need to superglue Milwaukee’s Hart to the bench…..he kills us every game!
by crazymountain on Apr 30, 2008 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions
As long as we're gluing players named Hart to benches,
don’t forget Kevin.
"Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem." Woody Allen
Can't beat the Brewers
This needs to be corrected. They are our strongest competition in the NL Central. I’m sick and tired of seeing Corey Hart treat Cub pitching with such abuse.
One more thing. It’s only a matter of time before Jason Marquis is once again in Sweet Lou’s doghouse and banished from the rotation for good. Jon Lieber, get ready because we need you.
Kevin Hart? Probably earned himself a demotion to the minors once Scott Eyre is ready to come off the DL.
Even when the Brewers...
We not such a good team we had trouble with them.
"I love this world. I hope hell is as much fun!"
You know who you are MDBNIU?
You are Randy Quaids character from Major League 2
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip
I can see it now
“I told you Soriano would do it, I told you”
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip
Corey Hart
Man, that guy kills us. He scares me the most on that Brewer team. We need to do a better job of hitting with runners on. That hot dog vendor story is pretty funny.
So nobody has to see the scroll bar on my posts!!!!
In my section
There were 2 vendors fighting for customers… One of them started yelling “last call” in the top of the 5th last night. Funniest I’ve heard in the past was this guy that sounded very unhappy and would just say, “I’m selling beer”.
FU-KU-DOH-MEH! clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!!!!
its funny when they are calling last call with 2 innings to go.
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip
i used to work at wrigley...
and the beer guys were very specific about how early you could start yellling ‘last call’. The new guys that came in and started saying ‘last call’ in the fifth generally got a stern talking-to from one of the old timers…
all in good fun, though.
Marquis...
We sat 8 rows behind home for this game – yep, friggin’ cold.
I started “Bear Down Chicago Bears” after DLEE’s HR.
Anyway, last night was the “crap=ass” Jason MArquis. The one left off Playoff rosters.
He had problems the entire start finishing off batters with two strikes, or, two outs. Often, he was behind in the count. Indeed, Cameron is a huge addition to the Brewers – these guys will be in it until the end, imo, barring injury.
There is NO WAY this guy will beat a formidable offensive powerhouse like the Brewers throwing fat pitches right down the middle, belt high.
With Lieber in the wings, as another has alluded, another start or two in a row like this one will cause a move from the starting rotation. Honest, with their Ace against our #5 (?) I didn’t expect much – but with Sheets yesterday – he coulda been had.
Finally – Pie STILL looked overmatched against Ben Sheets.
Confused........
Bear Down Chicago Bears?
Question why?
How is Sheets bad day equate to Marquis’ fault? (And when the opposing pitcher walks 7 and we get 3 hits, and 3 runs off him – i would still say Sheets has our number.)
Our bats were not very clutch yesterday. When Marquis left the game i think it we were down 1 correct? And when the opposing pitcher walks 7 and we get 3 hits, and 3 runs off him - i would still say Sheets has our number.
"I love this world. I hope hell is as much fun!"
i am not sure why it boxed my stuff like that...
I dont know what i did – but it cutoff what i said, and now i dont remember what i said…
"I love this world. I hope hell is as much fun!"
I believe..
Our bats were not very clutch yesterday. When Marquis left the game i think it we were down 1 correct? And when the opposing pitcher walks 7 and we get 3 hits, and 3 runs off him – i would still say Sheets has our number.
by Damen Jackson on Apr 30, 2008 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm worried about Mike Cameron, too.
My gut told me he was going to hurt the Cubs last night and, sure enough, he did. I think he qualifies as a bona fide Cubs killer. He’s got a .871 OPS against the Cubs in his career and a highly disturbing 1.097 OPS at Wrigley Field. I hope Demp and Big Z plan on spending a little extra time in the video room today and tomorrow.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
Cameron, as of the start/last night
.298 BA, .441 OBP at Wrigley, Career. ‘nuff said.
He RAISED it
HIGGY: The Bears used to play at Wrigley, I saw a couple games there back in the day – the temperature was much more suitable for a Bears game. If you were in the stands, you know what I mean.
It cracked up the whole section who were huddled in blankets and down coats.
Pie drew a walk off Sheets.
That’s progress, right?
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Ralph Kiner's Wrigley Whopper
Al ….. Check this out ….from Sundays Palm Beach Post front page sports feature story.
From Palm Beach Condo resident…. Ralph Kiner.
Headline Historic Blast – “If you ask Kiner to name the longest home run he ever hit, he believes it’s a ball he deposited over the Wrigley Field Scoreboard in straightaway center field”
In my 75 years over 1000 games watched mostly TV I never saw anyone hit it…..
by nimblenikelfoos on Apr 30, 2008 9:28 AM CDT reply actions
Kiner's exaggerating.
No one ever did hit the scoreboard, much less hit one over it.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Is that true for BP?
or just in game action? (I know the article says home run, meaning in-game, but I’m curious)
Never.
Roberto Clemente once hit a ball just to the right of the board.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
No way a ball has been sent over the scoreboard. The longest I ever saw was Glennallen Hill put one on top of a rooftop. My dad claims Kingman has that beat.
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 9:55 AM CDT up reply actions
From cubs.com
No batted ball has ever hit the centerfield scoreboard … two baseballs barely missed – a homer hit onto Sheffield Avenue (right-center) by Bill Nicholson in 1948, and one hit by Roberto Clemente onto Waveland Avenue (left-center) in 1959.
Kingman's...
...shot from the 70’s was way farther than Hills. I believe it hit the porch of the third house down on the street the goes north and south off waveland.
It was a mamouth shot!
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
So MPH...
...what’s your opinion of Kingman’s performance?
by Shawon O Meter on Apr 30, 2008 2:14 PM CDT up reply actions
My opinion of Kingman's performance...
...you want to know my opinion of Kingman’s performance….
I believe they have this on youtube, and it is a gem. I also like the one where they have Lasorda wired during the 77 World Series and he goes out to the mound to take out a pitcher, that is also a must listen.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Kingman hit one two houses up (not from Chicago!!) Kenmore (?), the street behind LF
by crazymountain on Apr 30, 2008 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions
I thought it was the third house...
...but I do recall it well. In fact, I believe there was some write ups about it a year or two ago when the media was debating a list of longest homeruns.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
You may be right...I remember reading that the woman watching the game went out to see what the noise was...
by crazymountain on Apr 30, 2008 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions
Check the Dave Kingman...
...bio on this site, there is a brief mention of the homerun. It states it was the 4th house down on Kenmore.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
I think the best thing Kingman did
was to dump a bucket of ice on a sportswriter…..
by crazymountain on Apr 30, 2008 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions
It was the fourth house.
There used to be a red “X” on the sidewalk in front of the house, but that’s long gone now.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Sosa has Kingman beat.
Sosa’s blast (against the Brewers) in June 24, 2003 beat Kingman’s blasts by about 10 feet. I should know – I got the Sosa ball and I have eyewitness accounts from two veteran ballhawks who were there for Kingman’s blasts.
Here’s the blog entry I made back in 2003 in the Waveland Chronicles.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Posted 11:39 PM by Ken
You know how baseball announcers all have their own way of calling home runs? Harry Caray would say “It could be, it might be… It is, A home run!” Jack Brickhouse would say “Hey hey!”, and of course Chris Berman with his “Back, back, back, back… Gone!”. So on the slim chance I ever make it into the broadcast booth someday, I came up with my own. Nothing fancy, just a simple understated “Oh my!” and then let the crowd noise take over.Well, in the bottom of the 5th in tonight’s game, I’m standing in my usual spot—Kenmore Ave crosswalk, about 5 feet from the purple fire hydrant. Sammy Sosa has a 1-0 count on him as Luis Vizcaino delivers the next pitch. I hear the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd, and I see the ball rising up into the night sky, heading right towards me. Perfect time for me to say “Oh my!”, right? Wrong! It was more like “Oh sh*t”!
Sammy just absolutely crushes that ball! It’s no longer heading towards me—it’s heading over me! I start drifting back on Kenmore, under some mindless delusion I can still catch this thing on the fly. What was I smoking? I mean, this ball is easily clearing the trees on either side of Kenmore! Forget drifting, I’m in full running mode now. The ball finally comes out of orbit, hits the street about ten feet in front of me and takes a huge bounce off to the right, over the cars and ends up rattling around a small fenced in grassy area on the boulevard. I slip between the cars, hop the little fence and dive on that ball.
Now I’ve heard the Kingman story many times, and I’ve seen McGwire take batting practice at Wrigley. Heck, I was standing in the doorway of the yellow brick apartment building the day Glenallen Hill put one on the roof. And I’ve never ever seen anything like this. Without a doubt, the longest home run hit out of Wrigley Field. I suspect over the next few days, we’ll figure out a way to measure it and I’ll be sure to post the findings. Somehow somebody (can’t imagine who) already did a little ‘tagging’ and marked the spot with some spray paint.
and here’s my entry two days later when the distance was actually measured.
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Posted 9:37 PM by Ken
Well, it’s offical – 536 feet, 2 inches, or at least as official as GPS gets. FoxChicago-32 enlisted the aid (and equipment) of a local surveying company, and with the permission of the Cubs, took readings at home plate and out on Kenmore where X marks the spot. Then using GPS technology, they came up with a reading of 536.170 feet. Add to that, eyewitness accounts from Rich and Moe on the two Kingman blasts (‘76 with the Mets and ‘79 with the Cubs), everyone seems to be in agreement that the Sosa home run is the longest one ever hit out of Wrigley.The home run barrage continued on Wednesday with Moises Alou jacking one out onto Waveland. But it was for naught as the Brewers scored 6 runs in the top of the 10th to win 12-6. Ouch. Then today, Sammy hit his 509th career homer and Mark Prior struck out 16 in 8 innings. Unfortunately, a baseball game is 9 innings, and in the top of the 9th, Geoff Jenkins parked his second one in three days out on to Sheffield, this one a 3 run blast to win it for the BrewCrew. This should put the Cubs in the perfect frame of mind as they head down to the Sot side of Chic-cah-go for their weekend series against the Sox.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
And taking a page from Al's shameless promotion book... ;-)
this ballhawking adventure and several others are written up in an article I wrote for Wrigley Season Ticket 2008. Al was a contributor (and the editor), as was cwyers, Bruce Miles, and maybe a few other BCB regulars – not sure about matching up real names with BCB IDs
Order your copy today!
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Small correction - Sosa's blast was only a few feet further than Kingman
I got a little excited when I was typing my first comment. Kingman’s blast landed in a front yard, and Sosa’s landed in the street, so when you step back and extrapolate the angle of the landing arc derived from the cosine of the tangent differential… well, it comes out to about 2-3 feet further. There is a faded “X” on the street in front of a handicap parking spot sign.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I've seen that "X".
IIRC it was measured at 530 feet, which I think is a little bit short.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Sorry Al, I was there the day they measured.
Unless the gps equipment was calibrated incorrectly, or they read it wrong, the Sosa home run measured at 536 feet and change. As for the Kingman home run, obviously its landing spot – 3rd house, 4th house, front porch, front yard, etc. – has varied over the years, depending on whose telling the story. But I tend to lend more credence to eyewitnesses, and I know two guys who were there, one of which was also there for Sosa’s shot. They know where Kingman’s landed and Sosa’s was further. Not by much, but it was further.
Now the one wild card in all this is Mike Schmidt’s blast. Don’t know the year, but his was more towards center and I’m told either landed in the alley between the Budweiser house and the big yellow brick building on the corner of Sheffield and Waveland or it actually hit the side of that corner building. If I had better info on where it landed, I suppose a good aerial photograph could help to settle this argument….
...or prolong it… ;-)
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
How did they measure it?
GPS? I think you wrote about this in WST. But is that 100% accurate?
I saw Kingman’s HR on TV and vividly remember the shot of it bouncing in front of the 4th house.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
HitTracker...
...has an estimated trajectory for the Glenallen Hill blast. They say 500 ft if it doesn’t hit the building. They don’t have data on the Kingman and Sosa homers.
I can't speak to its accuracy - all I know is...
...they (WFLD) borrowed some surveying equipment, the Cubs let them into Wrigley, they took a reading on home plate, then came out and took another reading where the ball landed. I was told they used GPS, but they coulda told me it was OPS and I wouldn’t have known the difference… ;-)
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Technically, the scoreboard was hit...
...by a golf ball teed up by Sam Snead from home plate.
Can't quiet THE RIOT! (www.riotshirts.com)
by RIOTSHIRTS.com on Apr 30, 2008 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions
Correct.
No BASEBALL has ever hit the scoreboard.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
I wonder..
Who hit the longest homer to right field? Any hit the buildings on Sheffield on the fly?
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball"
No.
A couple have landed across the street, including the one by Rick Sutcliffe in the 1984 NLCS.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Interesting...
I would have thought Stargell, Bonds or someone would have really clouted one out there….I’ll never forget Sutcliffe’s shot either. That was amazing! I think you sat out in ritght field in those days too, so you probably had a good view of that one.
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball"
I am surprised
Dunn hasn’t hit the homes across the street yet. That man is a beast
"Very adroit in the outfield." - Lou, on Dome
He came close
I heard this secondhand, but the one he hit earlier this year – you know, the “15 ball salute to MartyB” one, supposedly hit the construction fencing across the street on the fly. Seeing as how that’s more to right-center, that one would certainly qualify as a blast.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I've heard batting practice stories about Stargell, Strawberry, even Richie Hebner.
All before my time at Wrigley. I’ll ask some of the old-timer ballhawks and see what they recall about game homers.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Bonds put one through an upper window
on Sheffield in ‘03 or ‘04 – only it was during batting practice.
"Is there anything he can't do?" ~Len Kasper, 4/5/08, on Kosuke Fukudome
In batting practice, yes - quite a few.
As for game homers, I’ll defer to Al, seeing as how he sat up there (top row, right field bleachers) for many years. Most of the game homers to right land on Sheffield and bounce into the yards or off of cars/fences. Quite a few have cleared Sheffield on the fly though – and if not for the trees, might have hit a building on the fly. Instead they either drop straight down or get deflected enough they end up in the yards.
Beltran hit one off of Beltran a few years ago that was high up in the trees but that one pretty much came straight down. McGriff hit one that went through the trees, cleared the sidewalk and actually landed in a front yard. I reached through the fence and was able to grab that one.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I once saw...
... a HR during a game bounce into the open window of a moving car. Can’t remember who hit it, other than it was a visiting player. This goes back to at least the early 1990’s.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Human Air Raid Siren???
Would this be a referance to WOO-WOO??
by bleed that blue on Apr 30, 2008 9:42 AM CDT reply actions
NIce fellow,
that Al Yellon. He sends The Nameless One on his way…so that he can come haunt me.

by Damen Jackson on Apr 30, 2008 9:55 AM CDT up reply actions
I see diciplinary action in Damen’s near future haha
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions
A PHOTO OF THAT PERSON???
How many think I need to delete that?
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
soo..
i am new to this site, but is there something about woo woo that people dont like that i dont know about?
by bleed that blue on Apr 30, 2008 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions
enlighten me then...
on what is wrong with woo-woo, besides he is a fan who can yell??
by bleed that blue on Apr 30, 2008 10:15 AM CDT up reply actions
Tell you what.
Sit near him and have him yell in your ear for an hour, not stop when politely asked to, and touch you without your permission.
Then tell me there’s nothing wrong with him.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
That's PRECISELY what is wrong with him.
The yelling. The insistent, nonstop, annoying, ridiculous YELLING. It never stops. It goes on and on and on and on. And it means NOTHING, adds NOTHING to the game and, given the amount of press coverage he’s received, makes Cubs fans look like idiots.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
The biggest problem is...
... he thinks it’s all about him. If he’s being annoying - and that’s 99% of the time - he won’t stop, no matter what. It’s ridiculous.
(Incidentally, the screaming in my ear for an hour? I’m not making that up. He did that one day on the lawn at Mesa. Finally, the Mesa cops came and threw him out.)
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
I was never more annoyed by him than Opening Day
I almost puked when I saw him standing in front of the new banks statue while everyone was trying to take pics. he was ruining everyones shot.
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions
OK, some questions
Why is he allowed to walk all over the stadium?
How does he get all those tickets?
I never hear him actually, I just hear the drunk fratboys who see him and decide to duplicate his annoying jive. The irony is he appears to be annoyed when others do it, as if it’s not cool at that point.
by dr stabbingworth on Apr 30, 2008 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions
I would imagine
its business guys trying to impress other business guys, at least thats how Ive seen him get beer. Someone bought him those teeth, I know that.
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip
Didn't
the organization give him season tickets or something?
"Very adroit in the outfield." - Lou, on Dome
Absolutely NOT.
They’d just as soon he vanished, actually.
The dental work was given to him free by some dentist who wanted the PR. Fortunately, I can’t remember his name. IIRC it was worth $4000.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
I thought I remembered
hearing years back that the Cubs gave him the jersey he wears and tickets to the games. Glad to hear that I was mistaken!
"Very adroit in the outfield." - Lou, on Dome
If they did...
... they’re probably sorry.
Mark Grace and Mickey Morandini used to give them tickets. While I liked those players when they were here, they should be sentenced to be tied to a chair and have him yell in their ears for an hour for doing that (IIRC Grace used to pay for his spring training trips, too).
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
I never really understood the whole thing
Until I went to the April 15 night game this year.
I was sitting in section 223 enjoying my new cubs knit winter cap. Then I heard a sound. A sound unlike any I had heard before, but it was distant. I thought maybe it was a car alarm. But it got louder and when I turned around I saw HIM. As soon as I did the sound seemed to get even louder and ingrained in my head. Wheeze after wheeze after wheeze. Half of the section turned around, some people went up to the walkway to get their picture taken, he came down the aisle and caused more disruption, wheezing again and again. Thankfully he went on his way shortly after that and didn’t return. I’d be happy if he never showed up near where I’m sitting again.
"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella
i can agree with that...
when i met him he sat next to us and did not yell and was nice, that was my only time with him tho…i can see the other side now.
by bleed that blue on Apr 30, 2008 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm certainly not thrilled to see his grim visage...
...but, as long as I can’t hear him, I guess I’d let it go this time.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
Should be replaced...
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 10:15 AM CDT up reply actions
siren
That siren is nothing like Ronnie!!!!!!!!
1. I think I see an on/off switch.
2. The siren does not hug teen-early 20s women for inappropriately long times.
3. I cannot help but notice that the siren has a nice shine indicating a recent washing.
Good points, all.
n/t
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Scoreboard Never Hit
Thanks Al…..... I didn’t think the board had been hit…............
Re: KIiner ….... Everything is bigger and better as we get older…... well almost everything
by nimblenikelfoos on Apr 30, 2008 9:54 AM CDT reply actions
I was for sure
Pie flopped but the replay showed he got sacked. Ouch.
And as far as the umpires…..there is a time and place for them to protect themselves. But reacting or ‘shoving back’ is worthless. John Lieber who is soooo under the radar got served last night by the plate ump. Unreal! If it was Zambrano i wouldnt mind. If Big Z is going to be flagrant and show imotion on calls then I have no problem with the Ump being a bit theatrical. My problem major problem is that one of these ump actions will somehow end up effecting the outcome of a game.
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
This morning was the first time...
...I’ve been embarrassed to look at BCB. Hard to read the recap when there’s a girl in a bikini at the top.
Dan
Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.
Cant please all the people all the time.
You have to understand that if you want BCB to stay free they have to post adds. The company that posts the ads know the target audience for BCB is 16-28 year old men.
I personally have never seen the bikini clad woman on BCB. I think it might have something to do with related searches in Google. Have you ever googled bikini chicks? I say this becuase I went to casualmalexl dot com …Big and Tall site and thats all I see in the BCB ad space now…...
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 10:04 AM CDT up reply actions
I understand...
...I wasn’t bitching, I was just surprised to see a hot blonde above the newest post. And it made me a tad uncomfortable here at work!
Dan
Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.
Ohhhhh
I appologize then.
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions
Hmmm. All I see is an ad for the SBN site Fake Teams.
What am I doing wrong?
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Same here...
All I’ve seen is Fake Teams since I joined..
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball"
also the same here
never seen anything else at the top, the ads on the side banner change often though.
by cubsonWGN4ever on Apr 30, 2008 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions
OT batting practice question
What time does the park open, is that early enough to see batting practice, and can you go anywhere in the park regardless of your ticket?
by dr stabbingworth on Apr 30, 2008 10:28 AM CDT reply actions
Normally 2 hours before gametime. You have to have a bleacher ticket to be in the bleachers. The ushers usually wont let you venture down to the front rows without a ticket but I always see plenty of people by the bullpens getting autographs.
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
We are coming to Chicago in July
and have bleacher tickets purchased from Scalpers….er…..I mean Stub Hub. They say ‘General Admission” and both have the number 56 on them. Can you sit anywhere in the bleachers? Or is 56 an area of the bleachers….Thanks in advance for an answer…
by crazymountain on Apr 30, 2008 11:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Anyways
56 is probbaly the home game number
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip
Cool!! Thanks a lot...we owe you a beer!!!!
by crazymountain on Apr 30, 2008 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions
Which is funny you should say....
My friend and I always wondered why the bleachers had seat numbers on them and why the sections were numbered since it’s GA. The Cubs hadnt been in the playoffs since I moved to Chicago area and had attended games. We quickly found out that there is assigned seating for playoff games in the bleachers.
And now I’m curious where the season ticket holders assigned seats are…
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions
season ticket playoff location
The cubs allow us to pick where we want to sit for the playoffs. One season ticket holder is gracious enough to organize all of our seat locations and hand them in to the Cubs personally. For what it is worth, it is odd to walk into the park and have a bleacher seat that you can kick someone out of.
Correct.
For the rest of the games, as I have mentioned, there is a season ticket gate (some of you have met me there to exchange tickets). We are allowed to enter there 5 minutes before the main gates open to get our seats, the theory being, that since season ticket holders in the rest of the park get the same seat for every game, we bleacher season ticket holders should be allowed the same privilege.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
sigh...
someday… someday, I shall have season tickets…
Hey, I can comment from work again…
2008: The year we put it all together.
by drewishdrewid on Apr 30, 2008 3:49 PM CDT up reply actions
I think...
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
You are correct.
n/t
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Patience...
Can be overdone. The other teams aren’t blind. Seems like a lot of nice strikes are going past lately. And where’s all these gappers the new guy was supposed to hit?
"This field, this game...it reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again." ~ Terence Mann
Friggin Cold....
Al,
I’ll have to say, it was MUCH colder where you were sitting last night compared to our original seats in left center. I think that there was a nasty wind moving through your section. I felt much warmer when we returned to our original seats. In fact, it felt much warmer when I left the stadium in general. I even rode my bike home, and it wasn’t that bad. Weird how the weather works sometimes….
Closer to CF...
... when it’s cold in the early spring, the bleacher structure blocks a lot of the wind. That’s what really made it so cold.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Len said
....it was pretty nice at the park. Sounded like Bob was pretty cold.
Looked to me like Pie just took a shot to the groin.
I don’t quite get all the bashing on pitching. They haven’t been great but not bad either. Last night was the most runs given up all year. Even though we’ve lost 4 out of 5, 3 of those losses were mostly problems with hitting, not pitching. So tonight the Cubs score 7 runs and the pitching just wasn’t there. The Cubs pitching staff as a whole is still above average in almost every stat category with a good chance to get better. I really like this team. Milwaukee has been fortunate to have their better starters against the Cubs but their hitters won’t look that good against the other starters. And the bullpen is going to be better. We just need a warm front.
"I'm petrified of nipple chafing. Once it starts, it's a vicious circle." Andy Bernard
The last thing Pie needs
is a shot to the groin.
Okay, "Wendy: hot and juicy redhead." Give this a try.
by neverAcquiesce on Apr 30, 2008 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions
LMAO
n/t
Brian McRae's 5 O'Clock Shadow
by PurpleLineToWrigley on Apr 30, 2008 1:21 PM CDT up reply actions
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHA
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His donor card also lists his beard. He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas. He is....The Most Interesting Man in the World.
by Keystone80435 on Apr 30, 2008 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions
AL I got a question?
Is there a way to change your name on here, Im disappointed with my intitial choice, considering I use other sbnation sites as well?
"God will squeeze really hard, but he will never choke you" - Carlos Zambrano
by SouthsideCUBSfan on Apr 30, 2008 2:15 PM CDT reply actions
and..
still keep my profile info?
"God will squeeze really hard, but he will never choke you" - Carlos Zambrano
by SouthsideCUBSfan on Apr 30, 2008 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions
haha
absolutely not
"God will squeeze really hard, but he will never choke you" - Carlos Zambrano
by SouthsideCUBSfan on Apr 30, 2008 2:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Not at this time...
... but that’s a feature we hope to add. If we do, you’ll have to ask me to do it, but I’ll change anyone’s user name if I can, as long as it doesn’t violate the posting rules or is profane.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Here's the only thing I can find on it...
... a Canadian Press article which says he’s had a history of health problems, particularly his back. I can see why that might have forced him out of the game.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Umpires are people too
Injuries and medical crisis happen. I would assume Crawford is granted a leave of absence and a substitute ump has been called up for tonight’s game.
Roster moves a comin'....
Soriano is about to come off the DL. Murton probably gets whacked. Hart is also likely on the chopping block in deference to Eyre coming off the DL. Lou has had it with ineffective middle relief.
Could happen tomorrow.
Soriano’s eligible to come off the DL tomorrow.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
My first game of the season
is tomorrow. Looks like it’ll be an interesting one and I hope a winning one too. I also hope we get those promised 70 degree temps and none of that potential rain.
Hey, great!
Not supposed to rain till tomorrow night—should be a nice day.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Eyre...
Sorry if it has been mentioned before on this site, but what is the status of Eyre right now? I haven’t heard anything. Is he set to come off of the DL soon? Is he throwing right now? Will he have any rehab to do? I guess that all depends on how bad his injury really was.
Re: Eyre
It was mentioned last night that both him and Chad Fox were working on their rehab assignments and working their way up the minor league ladder and were about to goto the Tennessee Smokies (AA).
"Chicago Cubs fans are ninety percent scar tissue." - George F. Will
by Santo4HOFASAP on Apr 30, 2008 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions

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