I just finished watching Monday’s 7-2 Cubs win over the Astros on DVR, something I am trying to do more often so I don’t effectively miss 3 hours of work listening to Pat & Ron on mlb audio and posting in the game thread.  I know you all missed my witty contrarianism and troll-baiting (*gag*), so I figured I'd post a writeup. 

What a game tonight’s was.  I definitely missed hearing Ron’s exhortations during the several great moments of tonight’s game.  Still, regardless of whatever moaning went on around here about the ESPN telecast, I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially fellow-Vegas-resident Hershiser, whom I’ve seen on two occasions with his beautiful wife at the Red Rock casino.  I’m sure a lot of metaphorical hairs were pulled out over the live look-in on the red sox game (east coast bias!!!!111!!1one), but I appreciated it, as the 9th inning of a potential no-hitter by a red sock at fenway is pretty cool.  How great would a hit have been with 2 outs & 2 strikes in the 9th!?!  Oh well. 

Welcome to Chicago Jimmy Ballgame!  Edmonds’ circus, over the shoulder, running-up-hill catch of a slicing 400-foot drive saved the Cubs a run in the 4th.  In honor of the catch -- NOT "the Catch" (Reed Johnson) or "THE Catch " (Edmonds in 97 - I couldn't find video online, thanks MLB) -- I have added a new stat to the Edmonds-O-Meter in my signature line: DRS for defensive runs saved.  So my signature is now "Before Edmonds: 24-16, (.600); With Edmonds: 4-1 (.800), DRS: 1."  (I’ve also changed it to "Before Edmonds" and "With Edmonds" because (a) it currently backs up my viewpoint better; and (b) I don’t wanna have to keep track of whether he appeared in each game or not.)

No matter how you felt about him before (and I post as a hardcore Cubs fan who went to college at Mizzou during Edmonds’ heyday with the cards, so I probably hated him more than most), whether or not you think he’s still "got it" and how much you want Pie out there instead, he’s a Cub NOW and production from him will help us win NOW.  I question the patriotism of any real Cubs fan who does not root for him as much as any other Cub.  As is often the case, Seinfeld says it best:

There's a wonderful "Seinfeld" bit in which Jerry says that because players change teams so often, fans find themselves rooting for the uniform and not the athlete. "When you root for a team these days," he says, "you're mostly rooting for laundry."

He’s wearing our laundry now, so I’m behind him 100% and I don’t mind telling you that you should too.  I'm looking forward to seeing this in Wrigley sometime soon.

Here’s the extent of my actual "analysis":

• I LOVED the 2 on-the-deck shots on Carlos Lee! 
• How great does the end of games look about now with Marmol/Wood?!?!? 
• We can win on the road. 
• The HRs by Geo and ARam were SICK. 
• Welcome back Howry Cow! with a 13 pitch – 9 strike 9th. 

With that, sorry for the likely-unworthy fanpost, feel free to ignore it, and I’ll leave the more substantive analysis to those of you who played ball in college (yes that's 8 separate links sports fans!).