Rolling On: Cubs 5, Rockies 4
by Al Yellon on May 31, 2008 4:00 PM CDT
in Chicago Cubs Recaps
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PrintHAMILTON, New York -- The rest of you sweated out a tense top of the 9th inning; never fear, Carlos Marmol is here! Despite giving up a home run to Scott Podsednik, a non-power guy who seems to hit HR at the weirdest times (he is one of only two players in history to not homer during the regular season, but to do so in the postseason; he did so in 2005, twice, including that walkoff in game two of the World Series. The other one is Lance Johnson, who also did it for the White Sox in 2003), Marmol bore down and struck out Willy Taveras and the Cubs won their seventh in a row, 5-4 over the Rockies.
Seven in a row -- that's the longest streak of the year. And, in reality, it should be at least eight, because that game last Sunday was won until Alfonso Soriano dropped the fly ball, and it's possible that had the Cubs gotten a break or two the day before, they could be riding a ten-game winning streak. They also have now had the lead in 22 consecutive games; yesterday they matched their longest such streak since 1935.
This is a special season, my friends, and it is barely one-third over. I buried this in the comments yesterday, but it bears repeating on the main page: remember each day this year, where you were, what you were doing, who you were with, how you felt as the Cubs win their way through it. Because if this does turn out to be the promised land we have all been waiting for, you will want to remember, savor, cherish every moment from March 31 through October.
Kudos today to Ryan Dempster, who had a rougher-than-usual outing but left with the lead in part thanks to his own hitting, a double (his first double in six years), and a two-run homer by Alfonso Soriano. The bullpen did an excellent job and until Marmol allowed the two-out 9th-inning HR, they had thrown 3.2 innings without allowing a hit, and only one baserunner (a Neal Cotts walk).
Meanwhile, today I was at an alumni author booksigning here at Colgate; we sold a few extra copies of Wrigley Season Ticket 2008, which you can still order yourself by clicking on that link. I also met Jennifer Smith, Colgate class of 2003, who wrote her first novel, "The Comeback Season", about a young girl who loves the Cubs and finds romance through her team. It's aimed at a teenage audience and I highly recommend it -- it was also reviewed on this site by BCB reader akbeck98 back in March. Here's a photo of Jennifer & me at the signing:
Jennifer Smith, Colgate class of 2003, and Al Yellon, Colgate class of 1978, at the alumni book signing on Saturday, May 31. Click on photo to open a larger version in a new browser window.
I also met Gabriel Schecter, Colgate class of 1973, who works in Cooperstown at the Hall of Fame and has written a couple of books about baseball, including "Victory Faust", about Charles Faust, who was an old-time New York Giants good luck charm, and "Unhittable", about baseball's greatest pitching seasons.
I'll be flying back to Chicago tomorrow morning and back in the bleachers tomorrow afternoon. This season gets more fun, interesting and amazing every day. Let's finish the homestand sweep.
Finally -- yes, I am aware that this site says the Cubs played the St. Louis Billikens today. (They beat the Billikens, too, according to the linescore.) Similar weird things are showing up on other SBN sites -- the Rockies played the Hamelin Pipers, for example, and the Mets are playing the Princeton Tigers. Trei and the team have been informed -- there appears to be an error in our sports info database.
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1st comment
lets keep it going
It might beeeeee!! It could beeeeeee!! It issssss!! Homerun!! Holyyyyyyy Cow!!!
The comments or the winning streak?
Nanika Ga Okoru!
Oh, and remember, folks: Alfonso Soriano is NOT batting leadoff. He's batting first.
I know there has been lots of posts about Season Ticket and this is like preaching to the choir
But I read mine cover to cover literary, and have borrowed it to a few friends who said next year they are planning on ordering copies.
by Madison Cub Fan on Jun 2, 2008 8:51 AM CDT up reply actions
7 in a row?
Al, it’s only been 6 according to ESPN and MLB…
There is no place like Nebraska - Go Huskers!
It's 6 in a row
One day away from home, and many cocktails later, Al has forgetten how to count.
Al, try the alphabet backwards. What’d ya mean you can’t even do that sober?
LOL
You guys are right. It’s six in a row. Should be nine, considering they should have won the last two in Pittsburgh.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
True
but honestly, we had no business winning Friday, if we want to go there.
It's a girl! Born 1-18-08. 2246 PST. 8 lbs. 1 oz.
by Josh Timmers on Jun 1, 2008 12:26 AM CDT up reply actions
Point taken.
But, the Rockies didn’t have Friday’s game literally in a glove and then bounced out, as the Cubs did on Sunday.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
How About The Last Two In Houston?
Should this have been a 12 gamer?
Jacque Jones is gone, and I doubt Ivan DeJesus would mind this!
Actually, my line score shows the Cubs beating the Hamelin Pipers
I think the real culprit here is some guess-hitting hacker who hacked their way into SBN and probably stole all our identities. So if you start seeing posts from Al saying how much he loves the blue jerseys, fanposts from sue369 dissing Soto because he’s fat, and comments from ballhawk about how those stupid overgrown kids trying to catch balls in the street need to get a life, well that aint the real us – it just the guess hitting computer hacker…
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I bet that hacker plays D&D.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
Oh, and remember, folks: Alfonso Soriano is NOT batting leadoff. He's batting first.
who's jersey
is Al wearing?
It might beeeeee!! It could beeeeeee!! It issssss!! Homerun!! Holyyyyyyy Cow!!!
I'd like to say Marquis
but I bet it’s Fukudome.
"Is there anything he can't do?" ~Len Kasper, 4/5/08, on Kosuke Fukudome
Maybe it's Perez
There is no place like Nebraska - Go Huskers!
by sanantonecub on May 31, 2008 5:13 PM CDT up reply actions
That's the Fukudome jersey.
Nice guess by John M!
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Sorta easy guess
as it looks pretty new, and its easy to figure your neot very behind on getting new players jerseys :P
My 08 Cubs record 4-0
My 08 W.Sox record 0-2 (I havent seen a sox win in 3 years)
Updated April 26th
Wore the BCB shirt too, as you can see.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
It's what I'd wear
to a non-Cubs event (if I had a selection of Cub jerseys to choose from).
"Is there anything he can't do?" ~Len Kasper, 4/5/08, on Kosuke Fukudome
maybe you should wear it
to the ballpark until the streak is over!! without washing it
It might beeeeee!! It could beeeeeee!! It issssss!! Homerun!! Holyyyyyyy Cow!!!
I love wearing my Fukudome jersey to the local minor league games
I get some funny reactions.
by AlabamaCubFan on Jun 1, 2008 9:01 AM CDT up reply actions
Loooving the line score hacker. I've never even heard of some of these teams haha
And I just wanted to say how sick and tired I am of hearing about MLB wanting to speed up games. I’ll take them seriously when they stop bringing games to a halt to swich out baseballs everytime a milestone is near. WTF
"He's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room. His organ donation 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."
what's wrong
with a three hour game anyway? Is there any pro sport that DOESN’T take 3 hours to get through a game? If I go to a Cubs game, and it only takes two and a half hours, I feel jipped.
Dempster...
Even though he got the win, his ERA went up!
"Hey-Hey! Home Run! Attaboy Ronnie!" ~ Jack Brickhouse
Starting Pitching
While we all want to believe that this could be the year to break the century curse, I’m still concerned about starting pitching. Beyond Z, the starting pitching is OK but not great. While Dempster has shown some flashes, he’s also had some struggles. Lilly, Lieber and Marquis can come up with a good start occasionally but are not consistent.
Cubs management probably hoped Hill and Marshall would kick it up a notch and be solid starters, but they’re not quite there yet. Who knows, maybe both will come back mid-season and realize the potential they showed last year.
Pie, Fontenot, Theriot and Soto up the middle ... yippie oh, oh, oh!
I agree
I worry that for the most part our starting pitchers have trouble taking it farther than the 5th inning. We need more consistency to help us through the season.
I'll 3rd that
Its really amazing to realize that if/when they can get the other 3 spots in the rotation sorted out, they will be an even better team than they are now…our rotation isn’t terrible just somewhere around the average level…and about the only thing average about this team.
Desperately need another quality starting pitcher...
...or this season will have a very sad ending at some point.
Rich Harden.
"It is never too early to start beefing up your obituary."
rideggulous.
"We expect to win. We go out to win. So we're just living up to our own expectations." Derek Lee, 5/29/08
by drewishdrewid on May 31, 2008 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions
Scrambled idea.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
Oh, and remember, folks: Alfonso Soriano is NOT batting leadoff. He's batting first.
can someone please inform
me what the whole 5000 egg posts mean? maybe i’m dum but i dont get it
It might beeeeee!! It could beeeeeee!! It issssss!! Homerun!! Holyyyyyyy Cow!!!
I don't get it either, I also don't get the constant attacks on MDBNIU
He seems to bring up some valid points.
"seems" being the operative word there
Nanika Ga Okoru!
Oh, and remember, folks: Alfonso Soriano is NOT batting leadoff. He's batting first.
I'd suggest
viewing them a bit more critically.
"We expect to win. We go out to win. So we're just living up to our own expectations." Derek Lee, 5/29/08
by drewishdrewid on Jun 1, 2008 10:11 AM CDT up reply actions
See Friday's game thread..
"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball." - Jacque Barzun
soriano's steal
i was not able to watch the game but see that soriano had a steal, was this a legitmate steal or was he on the tail end of some double steal, basically im wondering was this legitmate or a bs steal?
The Aramis BB/K Watch: 32 walks to 33 strikeouts. Im not sure who the last Cub to have more bb's than k's was, but Im sure it was a very long time ago.
Looked legit to me
The middle infielders for the Rockies didn’t cover the bag. Everyone was surprised! But, I think he would have been safe anyways.
by salparadise23 on May 31, 2008 6:17 PM CDT up reply actions
Surprise steal
Had just gotten on base by being hit on the foot, and had the trainer come out.
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
by californiachicagoan on May 31, 2008 9:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Yep...let's not get too giddy
I finally learned last year: it is a LONG season.
The optimism in Al’s, “This is a special season, my friends, and it is barely one-third over…”
does not take into account the reality position of the team having, right now, 2 and a half pitchers. To go through an entire season this way, could really wear on the team in August and September.
I was there at the 10-9 game in person. It was one of the best Cubs wins I recall in my 40 years of Cubs watching – but the team still MUST have consistency from two more pitchers – whomever they are – and learn how to win on the road – before anyone “crowns their ass!” But it certainly is a fun ride!
When I total up the wins – right now – the team will need 15+ victories from Lilly, 16-17 from Demp, and 17-20 from Z. Watching Lilly this year – it ain’t the same guy yet…
Just do not know who is gonna step up from the 4 and 5 spots. Rich Hill may not get a chance until after the ASG…
Yabbut...
... despite what the E-Man says above, they are winning games regardless of who gets the wins. Take a look at some of the relief pitching, which was outstanding the last two days.
Could they use another starter? Sure. I again say that Greg Maddux would look real good in this rotation.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
And it's relative
I don’t know how he figures “2.5 pitchers” but what does St. Louis have? 1.5? Adam Wainwright and Todd Wellemeyer? Houston’s top pitcher is Shawn Chacon, for Pete’s sake. Milwaukee (who I still think will finish second) has got Ben Sheets, who no one should ever count on, and then Jeff Suppan is their ace.
And don’t talk to me about the playoffs. Arizona and Boston have just as many problems with their rotation as we do. Arizona is just five games above .500 in a terrible division, too.
It's a girl! Born 1-18-08. 2246 PST. 8 lbs. 1 oz.
by Josh Timmers on Jun 1, 2008 12:33 AM CDT up reply actions
I agree with Josh.
The “get another pitcher” mantra which many post here doesn’t really make a lot of sense. In the postseason teams can and do get by with three starting pitchers.
Z, Lilly and Dempster will work just fine. Lilly had a bad outing on Friday—after having seven good ones in a row.
With the team 14 games over, 2.5 games ahead and on a six-game winning streak, I think this sort of thing (worrying about acquiring a pitcher) can wait for a while.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Lilly should come around
and I am feeling very good about Gallagher. We’ll see tomorrow, but I think he will do well. So any decent pitchers coming up at the trade deadline? I really don’t think we have enough prospects to get a #2…...but there is hope. Look how well Wellemeyer is doing with the Cards….
by crazymountain on May 31, 2008 8:07 PM CDT up reply actions
what the heck is the matter with this team
they know that they should only mount comebacks in the 7th, not 2nd
2008 Cubs: Who needs nine innings, when you only need a 7th?
Does SBN use Comcast?
If it does, then check this out:
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/05/comcast-hijacke.html
That’s where the the line scores are coming from.
should've have ended that last sentence with a "?"
because i’m asking.
I've been wondering why my mail has been down.....
what a couple of asses….
by crazymountain on May 31, 2008 8:13 PM CDT up reply actions
Public Caning
would put an end to hacking the graffiti(sp?). I consider them to be crimes akin.
Good point
revenge on Commcast, indeed. I’m sure all the subscribers see it that way—that only the company was affected.
by Shanghai Badger on May 31, 2008 8:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Maranatha Baptist Singers
Do they have a LH power hitting CF?
"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball." - Jacque Barzun
I traded their baseball card a while ago for "Yankee Sluggers"
with Maris and Mantle. They were a great ball club except for their soprano.
are you saying Tony Soprano is no good?
From what I hear, he was a great “clean-up” hitter. He could “whack” it out of the park with the best of them…
[ba da bing!]
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Pirates score 4 in top of first inning
Cards behind 4-0 after an inning and a half. But bad weather is approaching by the minute….
might be a delay or two
but I think they’ll get the game in.
5-1 in the 3rd
by Shanghai Badger on May 31, 2008 7:02 PM CDT up reply actions
just remember the last time
a team had another team down 9-1—yesterday.
"We expect to win. We go out to win. So we're just living up to our own expectations." Derek Lee, 5/29/08
by drewishdrewid on May 31, 2008 8:49 PM CDT up reply actions
S.P.E.C.I.A.L
That’s what this team is. I know there will be losses but right now I’m enjoying every minute.
what does S.P.E.C.I.A.L
stan d for , suie?
"We expect to win. We go out to win. So we're just living up to our own expectations." Derek Lee, 5/29/08
by drewishdrewid on May 31, 2008 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions
I think it stands for...
Soto Provides Excellent Catching In All-star Lineup
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
35-21
The 1908 Cubs also had that mark after 56 games.
Dave Geiser
Sssshh!
Nobody tell Al it’s only six in a row. He’s on a roll.
It's a girl! Born 1-18-08. 2246 PST. 8 lbs. 1 oz.
Just wait till tomorrow.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
If we are analyzing this team, let's remember
that we have played a ton of home games that we have feasted on.
Let’s see where we stand after the next 33 games where 23 are on the road (including 3 on the South Side—there is still another team in Chicago??). I just hope we can start to take this same intensity on the road, starting on the West Coast next week.
It would be nice to start with beating up on the lowly Padres. But first things first, let’s finish off the Rockies tomorrow. Go CUBS!!!
Come West and make some noise!!!
THIS IS OUR CENTURY!!
We should do well against Jimenez....
he has been their worst pitcher this year….
by crazymountain on May 31, 2008 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Then we can worry about the road....
Padres have won 3 straight…
by crazymountain on May 31, 2008 7:56 PM CDT up reply actions
There is standing water on the infield dirt.
How can they continue this Bucs-Cards game???
The pressure is going to be enormous...
...if the team keeps playing this well. This is one time where I think the team will be carrying the pressure decades of losing and the expectations of millions of fans. I hope that the players can enjoy it and that we don’t buckle.
yeah
because, of course, he was SO TERRIBLE during the game. Three runs, that guess-hack hitter, and more than one catch.
He went out because he got hit in the foot, most like. Don’t read more into it than there is.
"We expect to win. We go out to win. So we're just living up to our own expectations." Derek Lee, 5/29/08
by drewishdrewid on May 31, 2008 10:31 PM CDT up reply actions
In the Trib.
Lou claimed that the foot was fine and apparently so did Soriano. They indicated that Soriano was fine with the double switch. It doesn’t get much clearer than that, LOL.
I was at the game today...
...and just want to make a few comments for posterity.
Reed Johnson’s catch in the second was AMAZING. The thrill that goes through the crowd when something like that happens is electric. An equal, if not greater, charge went through us after Dome’s catch in the ninth. And, yeah, hearing (and participating in) the Fukudome! chant in person is just plain inspiring.
As you can tell from the box score, Dempster was pretty wild, but he seems to be able to bear down and get a strike out when he needs to. Glendon Rusch was, well, Glendon Rusch. I’ll give him some credit for being a battler. He’s kinda like a left-handed Jason Marquis in that way.
While we’re on the subject of pitchers, I just want to put in a quick good word for Neil Cotts. I don’t know…call me crazy, but I think he’s going to be a difference-maker this season. If he can just get his control together and cut the walks, he really throws hard and would seem a very effective late-inning option—particularly against teams with a few key lefties in the lineup.
On the offensive side of things, Soriano was positively heroic, guess-hacking his stat-whoring self to another multi-RBI day. Soto was every bit the MVP, and Aramis was solid, too. I felt a little bad for DLee, though. After that first inning single, he seemed to be swinging uncertainly at everything that came his way. The K with the bases juiced in the eighth hurt, but I had an odd (for a Cubs fan anyway) confidence throughout the game and, sure enough, the team didn’t need any more runs to win.
That odd confidence was there with Marmol in the ninth, too. He started out wild, as he seems apt to do lately, then he turned it on and looked like the pitching demon I’ve been watching/hearing about for the past season or so. Yeah, he gave up that dinger to Podsednik, but all I can say about Scotty Pods is that he has some SERIOUS anti-Cubs mojo, and I’m glad he’s not playing in the NL Central. (That said, he’s really not good enough to deserve the honor of being called a “Cubs Killer.” Pods is like David Eckstein—he generally sucks, but he seems to come through at that most perfectly bothersome times.)
All in all, it was just a beautiful day for baseball. Sunny. Warm, but not hot. The very loud blue-clad crowd was behind our boys with every pitch. I don’t get out to Wrigley as often as I’d like to (do any of us?), so I try to savor every moment I’m there. Watching a great team like this year’s edition makes that a lot easier to do.
Oh, and as I mentioned early in the game thread today, this was my daughter’s first Cubs game. She had a great time. Mom still had to pull her in the eigth inning and head to Starbuck’s while I was graciously allowed to watch the game’s stunning conclusion. But getting to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with 40,000+ of her fellow Cubs fanatics will surely go down as one of the highlights of her fifth year on this planet.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
Oh, and remember, folks: Alfonso Soriano is NOT batting leadoff. He's batting first.
re: Neal Cotts
You’re crazy.
Of course, that makes me certifiable since I’ve been saying that Cotts could help us for a month now.
It's a girl! Born 1-18-08. 2246 PST. 8 lbs. 1 oz.
by Josh Timmers on Jun 1, 2008 12:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Agreed on Pods
He is definitely not a “Cubs Killer” to the tune of a Carlos Lee, Jason Bay, or Adam Dunn to name a few of our intra-division nemeses. Eckstein is a very apt comparison – I’d put Fernando Vina from a few years ago in this category as well.
As to what to call these non-lethal but most definitely annoying players… I’d go with “Cubs Papercuts” or “Cubs Slivers”.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I hope your
daughter enjoyed the game and I hope you stayed and joined the crowd in singing “Go Cubs Go” after the game.
She definitely enjoyed the game!
She’ll probably be bugging her preschool teachers and classmates about it for days (weeks?) to come. And, yeah, I stuck around for “Go Cubs Go!” and soaked in the great vibes. I was a little bummed my daughter wasn’t there for that, because she loves that song, too. But my wife wanted to get her out before the mass exodus from the park after the game. And I must begrudgingly admit that that was probably the right call, as I got stuck in a standstill human traffic jam leaving the game.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
Oh, and remember, folks: Alfonso Soriano is NOT batting leadoff. He's batting first.
I actually agree
with one of our posters that another dependable starter is necessary. If Lilly and/or Gallagher evolve into that slot, that’s great. But - for this to be a great season - to ASSURE this is going to be a great season….the Cubs need as many productive assets as they can get their hands on. I have a feeling that Hill isn’t coming back—and we were assuming 10-12 wins out of him….
One arm that won’t be coming back - that’s ex-Cub, and current Padre - Shawn Estes. He’s—on the disabled list, again.
Friday night @ A T & T Park, he fractured the tip of his left thumb falling down the stairs leading from the dugout to the clubhouse. This would be comical, if it wasn’t so weird.
Estes said “I’m going to stay away from the Golden Gate Bridge the next few days.”
(This is a real quote, FYI) Since Estes was supposed to pitch the opener of the Cubs series Monday in San Diego—but now, it’s unclear who is starting. It may be Cha Seung Baek, just acquired from the Mariners. His delivery is identical to that of Hideo Nomo. He has a darn good curve ball….
Wil Ledezma is to throw Tuesday night, then perhaps Greg Maddux on Wednesday—he last pitched Friday.
I’d be happy with 4-3 on this trip. 4-2…I’d be downright giddy. See you @ Petco Monday and Wednesday, then Saturday in L-A.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on May 31, 2008 11:59 PM CDT reply actions
Excuse some of my last post
I didn’t see the fan post regarding the Estes injury since the slug line was somewhat vague…
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 1, 2008 12:51 AM CDT reply actions
OK Al, what people REALLY want to see...
is an enlargement of the black and white 1978 photo on your lanyard ID badge…
Scan & post please!
Go Green! Go White! GO STATE! (#13031 on the Cubs season ticket waiting list...)
cubs
cubs the best team in the n.l. the rays the best team in the a.l. ? should be a hell of a series.
Don't worry about the glitch, Al
It’s always good to blank Saint Louis.
"I tell you, Steve Blass, you pitch me inside, they never, never find that ball."
-Roberto Clemente
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