will hopefully bring some spark to this team.

...and the D-Backs have been playing average, the Padres have been bad and the Pirates are you know….bad. I’ll predict an 8-2 homestand. (2-1 against AZ, 3-1 against SD and 2-0 against PIT)

It’s not good enough.

Sobering thought….take away our 6 for 6 record against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates and examine the results, to include pitching performance. It’s the stuff of a 4th or 5th place ballclub.

I was unable to watch or listen to this game. I was hoping for a decent start by Lieber so we could stay away from our bullpen a bit to give most of them a 3-day break including yesterday and tomorrow. So much for that plan. Lieber will turn it around, I have faith.

The Cubs need to take a deep breath, enjoy the day off and get after it starting Friday.

Lieber had nothing. Marshall probably wasn’t ready to pitch that early in the game and, who knows, maybe he was so unnerved at what happened to Lieber that he was bound to fail anyway. Gallagher is still relatively inexperienced enough to expect him to give up some big hits. Meanwhile, Reds batters were obviously locked in and Volquez was completely, utterly filthy.

The only thing I have a hard time agreeing with, Al, is not being worried about Jon Lieber. I mean, a bad outing is a bad outing. But giving up four home runs in one inning? That’s profoundly disturbing.

You throw fastballs over the heart of the plate, they get hammered a long way. Lieber had an off day. It happens. Tip your cap to the Reds.

And Al, enough of this jinx stuff. There is no jinx, no curse, only occassional, even frequent, incompetence and ineptitude. We human beings love to find patterns in life, don’t we?

and raise you Soriano came back into the line-up. We have scored in order, 3,3,9,3,3,3,0 in those games. Spread the wealth if you believe in jinxes.

we just need to get some wins here.

//stating the obvious

is the possibility of falling 3 1/2 games behind the stinkin Cardinals and their butthead fans.

Looks like the For Sale process is getting ready to actually begin. According to this article, financial books are set to go to MLB very soon, and from there, out to six potential ownership groups.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed-cubs-sale-may07,0,4151881.story

Interestingly enough, Don Levin doesn’t seem to be in the mix, unless he’s a silent backer behind one of the groups. Besides the group headed by John Canning (Bud’s crony), the other five are:

Five other groups are expected to receive the packets as well, sources say. The groups are believed to be those headed by Omaha’s Ricketts family, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the partnership of attorney Thomas Mandler and businessman Jim Anixter, MVC Capital Chairman Michael Tokarz and private-equity investor Thomas Begel.

Another interesting concept raised in the article is that of “equity seat rights” as a financing tool as opposed to “personal seat licenses”. Intriguing concept – haven’t heard of anything like this before in the sports world.

IMO, there was not much good news in this article, but interesting stuff nonetheless.

Yeah if anybody knows anything about the ricketts family they might think that me being a husker fan and living in Omaha would want them to own the cubs. The fact is I don’t like the Ricketts family and Pat Rickets who played for my huskers in our secondary sucked.

....These guys couldnt wait to get back to Chicago for the off day. That was evident from the get go….Today was a clear case of get away day itis….and it certainly took full effect after the 2nd inning.

Time to focus on the best team in baseball coming into Wrigley this weekend.

Lou will adjust, and tinker. Hill, Marquis, Marshall, Lieber, and Gallagher, “Hey fellas join the class, come on right up front please” Please two of you step up and join the rotation, just give us some consistent innings.
I like the Cubs approach at the plate, ie taking more pitches, just seem to get that big hit.
A day off should help this team, Ramy rested wrist, Johnson and Dome need a day big time.
7-3 homestand would be ideal.

to face us next week and if so, when?

We had a 7-1 homestand then 2 in Denver, 3 in DC, 3 Home, 3 each in St Louis and Cincy….that is just weird scheduling….

Well after my 3 hour drive back from my first trip to Great American Ballpark. It just seemed like the batters knew what was coming before Lebier knew it. In the second inning it seemed like it was the second pitch that got hit out to all the batters.

O well it happens, nice park but wow is that place small.

Where you’re glad that you can’t watch at work.

...and I love BCB. ‘Gets you through the rough times…despite serious troll issues (they will be invested by unalterable passage to the depths of Beaumont).

while watching him hit in the cage….YES, i would do anything to be a proballplayer. Instead…Ill get up at 7 and go, and wait til Friday to ROOT, thanks DFantastic once again

I hope I don’t jinx it, but I just wanted to share some good news with you. I’m here in Denver watching the Cards play the Rockies. Down 3-0 in the bottom of the eight, the Rockies have scored four runs with two outs, and are still batting.

It’s always good when the Cardinals are losing.

Despite giving up a leadoff single, Brian Fuentes got the save and the Rox beat the Cards 4-3. Pujols smoked a liner that Clint Barmes jumped up and got. Yeah!

And the Brewers lost to Florida too – the top three remain where they were yesterday.

What’s up with the Stros? Won 5 straight now and just a game behind us. I still think the Brewers pose the biggest threat to us.