I was so looking forward to a naked lipped BB

Just kidding. Would’ve liked to see a better performance from the offense but got to hand it to Maddux, he was brilliant.

...the BP needed that. I don’t like this losing thing though ;)

On a side note, one of the many great things about BCB. I have been on the east coast on business all week and have missed every pitch of the SD series, but BCB has kept me up to speed! You only really get to see box scores in the USA Today and of course the requisite 18 second recap of the best in baseball on ESPN every night when traveling..

Thank goodness for BCB!

There’s a lot of positives to be taken from this game: great start from Lilly, most of the pen rested, beat by Maddux rather than the AAA lefty we’d lose close game to in years past, still won the series…

I don’t recall feeling this optomistic after a loss in a long time. Usually I have that, “here we go again” feeling after a close loss, but now it’s a real (not just a make my self feel better) we’ll get ‘em tomorrow feeling.

They got great pitching and managed to eek out just enough offense to win. At the very least, I got some chuckles out of watching Michael Barrett play.

Was he always that bad behind the plate or did we just conveniently overlook it because he made up for it with his bat? (I think I know the answer to that.) I feel a little bad saying that, because I used to like Micheal, but, man…those throws down to second base were awful. And I loved his “What can I say?” shrug when the ump got pissed at Maddux. Great baseball moment.

In any case, big ups to Ted “The Prez” Lilly for stepping up with a quality start. Hey, MDBNIU, I hope this puts an end to your Marquis comparision. Call me the next time Jason goes seven and a third, gives up only one run and strikes out eight.

Let’s start another 9 game winning streak tonight. On second thought, let’s make it an even dozen.

As much as I hated to see us lose at least I got to watch most of a great craftsman dice us up with funny looking pitches that dance before our eyes. 7 pitches in the 1st inning? Has to be one of Maddux’s best games this year. I’ll miss watching him pitch…...someday. Onward to LA, let’s get back on track!

...first, if the Yankees, Red Sox, or Mets had a nine game winning streak (or a nine game winning streak snapped), this would be the cover story, sans the Stanley Cup. Instead, espn.com has NOTHING about this game on its front page. This is why I hate Espn, hate east coast bias, and hate those three teams.

Second, has there ever been a team that had a player – let him go – got him back – let him go – and may get him again?

Dan

Do you think there is going to be some dumbass voter for the HOF that doesn’t vote for Maddux?

7 games in a row where the cubs pitchers do not throw a “quality” start
cubs record 7-0
1 game in a row where the cubs pitcher throws a “quality” start
cubs record 0-1

was pretty brutal. Not just Lee (although he is in a little funk). Seemed like the enigma of Maddog got to them last night. The whole “jump on him early, or you let Maddux settle into his game" took the Cubs out or their game of being patient and letting the pitcher make the mistake. Dome’s first 2 ab’s he swung at the first pitch and flew out. Just an uncharacteristic game for that offense in general. It happens sometimes.

The loss itself doesn’t feel weird…it feels like a loss. But griping about it does. So I’ll just touch a couple quickly. No walks was a bummer. D Lee is a bit of a concern. He needs to get going again in LA (avg down to .287). It’s a shame we couldnt muster a couple more runs.

Stat question: When was the last time a team had five20 HR guys? Obvious potential this year with Lee, Ramirez, Soto, Soriano and DeRosa. How about six 20 HR guys?

Posted this in response to you in the Maddux thread:

It was a vintage Maddux start, but the splits are still what they are. Last week, we saw something akin to vintage Jim Edmonds. Not a whole lot of people on this board believed that it was a true resurgence.

This was one start. A very good start, but one start. He will have more, but I don’t know that he’ll have more like this than not.

Pitcher A:
5.01 Road ERA, .315 AVG, 1.46 WHIP

Pitcher B:
5.02 overall ERA, .307 AVG, 1.66 WHIP

Pitcher B is someone none of us like.

Maddux is the best pitcher of his generation, he’s a class act and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. However, at this point, he’s a 5-6 inning pitcher who struggles away from Petco. Bringing him back now would not undo the fact that his best years were in Atlanta. If he returns, I’ll welcome him and I’ll cheer for him. I just think that it would be a move based on sentimentality and not the best baseball decision.