Brewers Post-Fight

by digitalbenjamin on Aug 13, 2008 1:13 PM CDT

Has anyone noticed that the Brewers are 7-0 since the Fielder/Parra fight?

I really thought that would be the moment for them that derails their season, but so far they have responded well (kind of like how the Cubs responded after the Barrett/Zambrano fight and Lou getting thrown out last year).

I thought we'd be able to put some more distance between us, but so far no luck. Makes me a bit nervous, especially considering the schedules the Cubs have the rest of the way.

Thoughts?

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Have you noticed

that those wins have come against the Reds, the Nationals and the Padres? The Reds are bad and the Nats and Pads are just dreadful.

They ran into a sweet spot in their schedule.

Borowy . . .Sutcliffe . . .Harden?

by Josh Timmers on Aug 13, 2008 1:17 PM CDT reply actions

good point...

makes me feel a little better :) Too bad we didn’t play better against the Nationals…

I haz blurg: hotbeans.wordpress.com

by digitalbenjamin on Aug 13, 2008 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions

That was in April, on the road...

... and one of the games was won by a walkoff HR by a backup C vs. Bob Howry.

Feel better now?

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Aug 13, 2008 2:14 PM CDT up reply actions

yes...

I haz blurg: hotbeans.wordpress.com

by digitalbenjamin on Aug 13, 2008 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions

About

some no-name hitting a walk-off against us or Howry being a able to preserve a lead late in a game?

Go All In and Enjoy The Ride.

by Jayo525 on Aug 13, 2008 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions

I was at those games

and I swear we left six dozen runners stranded or at least that is what it seemed like.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry

by Doggie Stalker on Aug 13, 2008 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Also don't forget that the also caught a braves team

without Chipper, Hudson, Tex, etc. I also think that McCann was out for a couple of those games as well or was just coming back from a minor concussion

"Aw, how could he (Jorge Orta) lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico." -- Harry Carey

by TheRiot Police on Aug 13, 2008 3:52 PM CDT up reply actions

THANK you.

I hate watching ESPN and Baseball Tonight talk about the Brewers, because they think that the reason the Brewers are 7-0 is because they got into a fight. When you play the Reds, the Nationals (AT HOME!), and the Padres, you’re bound to win a lot of games.

CUBS WIN! CUE THE ORCHESTRA!

by Keith on Aug 13, 2008 4:05 PM CDT up reply actions

That sells....

ESPN puts crap on because it sells. How well would “they are playing teams that are a combined 76 games under .500. The fight has nothing to do with it, just nice timing.

"I love this world. I hope hell is as much fun!"

by HIGGY on Aug 14, 2008 8:14 AM CDT up reply actions

But it is too bad

that the fight didn’t happen right before a tough spot in their schedule. It really might have been the catalyst to the wheels coming off then. As it is, this easy spot has allowed them to right the ship. Too bad.

by Archie on Aug 14, 2008 8:36 AM CDT up reply actions

+1

n/t

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Aug 13, 2008 11:13 PM CDT up reply actions

I was a bit nervous about that too but winning cures everything.

Once they won that next game and got rolling by playing a bunch of mediocre teams, they can still use it as a rally cry pointing to it as a turning point much like the Cubs last yr w/ Z & Barrett

"I don’t believe that things go your way," said Lou Piniella, the Cubs manager.
"I believe you make things go your way."

by Basman on Aug 13, 2008 2:19 PM CDT reply actions

Let's just hope

No one in the Cardinals dugout gets into any fights :)

by ak123 on Aug 13, 2008 2:24 PM CDT reply actions

Clearly the solution...

is for someone to slap Cedeno around. The line forms to the right.

Pluto will always be a planet to me!

by DaBard on Aug 13, 2008 2:31 PM CDT reply actions

Did you see his fight?

From winter baseball last year? It’s quite funny. Search for it on youtube.

by ak123 on Aug 13, 2008 2:53 PM CDT up reply actions

Here it is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSYXoHhk4Ig

In the middle of a good time, Truth gave me her icy kiss. Look around, you must be joking. All that way, all that way for this? -Oysterband

by Ross on Aug 13, 2008 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Love That Wild Card

I still think the Cubs will win the NL Central. I feel almost certain that the Cubs will win the wild card, if they don’t win the division. I think the Cubs will win 96 games and the Brewers will win 94 games.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Aug 13, 2008 2:43 PM CDT reply actions

The Way I See It

is that it doesn’t matter who wins the division. Brewers and Cubs are on track to play in the postseason and as long as the Cubs continue their current winning percentage, I could care less if the Brewers play out of their minds the rest of the year and fly a central division champs flag.

Just make the postseason and lets see what happens. The cubs got a division title last year and what did it get them? Nothing. The Cubs have proven themselves a good ballclub up to this point, just prove it in the postseason.

WOXY.com - The Future of Rock and Roll

by Gibbon Jockey on Aug 13, 2008 6:01 PM CDT up reply actions

It absolutely does matter.

... because the Brewers and Cubs cannot meet in the postseason till the NLCS, presuming one is the winner and the other the wild card.

The winner gets home field. That seems very important this year given how well the Cubs have played at home.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Aug 13, 2008 6:40 PM CDT up reply actions

I couldn't agree more

I don’t want to see the Cubs have to play the first two of five game series on the Road. Even if we have 7 in a row on the road now.

"Destiny is a matter of choice, not chance"

by MerlinDog on Aug 13, 2008 9:19 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm just saying I trust the numbers

Of course teams want every advantage they can get in the playoffs, but considering homefield advantage is worth 3/8 of regular season advantage, and considering there are no bad teams (presumably) in the post season to inflate numbers, home field advantage isn’t the end all be all. Heck, in the World Series it’s nearly negligible, which is precisely why MLB awards it on the outcome of an exhibition. Further complicating the equation is the notion that the road team is a worse team than the home – the wild card era has all but ruined that assumption.

The Brewers can have the Central, I prefer a pennant. The numbers thus far suggest the Cubs are capable of achieving this goal at home or on the road. Like I said, just make the playoffs and go from there.

WOXY.com - The Future of Rock and Roll

by Gibbon Jockey on Aug 14, 2008 1:05 AM CDT up reply actions

Usually...

… I’d agree with you. For some reason, home teams are winning more games than usual this year. Home field seems really important in 2008. The NL representative won’t have it in the World Series… but if the Cubs can get it on the road there, I’d like them to have it.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Aug 14, 2008 8:40 AM CDT up reply actions

Yup.

Would you rather go into a game with a season record there of 45-17 or 28-30. I’ll like our chances a lot more if we play at the place where we are 45-17.

by Archie on Aug 14, 2008 8:42 AM CDT up reply actions

20 of the last 25 winners of the W.S. have had home field advantage

by Shanghai Badger on Aug 14, 2008 9:53 AM CDT up reply actions

Is it me?

Or are these things way overblown? Last year the Cubs really didn’t start playing well until towards the middle of June (after the Rangers series) not directly after either Lou’s meltdown or the fracas between Z and Barrett. I think it was more a case of an underachieving club (especially the pen) finally coming around.

As for the Brew Crew fight: Meh, they were playing poorly but are a streaky team (a little like the 2004 Cubs) and were bound to come around with Sheets and Sabathia in their rotation.

The critical thing to understand is that major-league pitchers don't appear to have the ability to prevent hits on balls in play. There are many possible reasons why this is the case, and I don't really have a concrete idea as to why it is.

But the one thing I do know is that it is the case.

--Voros McCracken

by nbt on Aug 13, 2008 2:45 PM CDT reply actions

It's a huge coincidence...

...Remember that the Brewers were hot before they got swept by us, and some tantrum in the dugout isn’t going to spark things. They’re a good team and good teams beat bad teams. End of story.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Aug 13, 2008 4:18 PM CDT reply actions

more impressive than winning after the fight

winning without ryan braun

by tim815 on Aug 13, 2008 4:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Lets face it, Milwaukee is a real good ballclub that likely makes the playoffs

All the Cubs can do is worry about the Cubs. We’re in 1st place and control our destiny. If we don’t win the NL Central then we make sure we secure the NL Wildcard. Chances are likely that we will be bashing heads with the Brewers in the playoffs. While its hard to predict what will happen in the playoffs it seems to me the Cubs and Brewers are the two best teams in the NL, hence there stands good chance we battle it out to see who wins the NL pennant and goes to the World Series.

by MDBNIU on Aug 13, 2008 4:40 PM CDT reply actions

I agree there

All signs are pointin to a cubs brewers nlcs

"This is why Major League Baseball does not need instant replay, because then every single play will then be reviewed." -- Joe Morgan, 5/18/08, referring to an umpire ruling a Carlos Delgado homerun foul when replays showed it hit the foul pole.

by CubsBall2202 on Aug 13, 2008 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions

well

by all means, then, let’s bench our best hitter to make an example of his showboating.

Our 2008 Chicago Cubs -- FINDING WAYS TO WIN!

by drewishdrewid on Aug 14, 2008 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Regardless

of what the brewers do right now,they have to play us alot next month.

from the mouth of Uecker:

"Am I the only one who’s glad it’s only a 4-game series? If was a 9-game series, I think the Cubs would win them all."

by cubsluver22 on Aug 13, 2008 5:07 PM CDT reply actions

Thankfully, the Cubs play

The Reds and Nats @ home next week. Then, it’s off to Pitt. But (sigh) the Marlins are next. I never get a good feeling out of that football stadium. Two out of three would be beyond my expectations…..

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Aug 13, 2008 11:17 PM CDT reply actions

7 wins is 7 wins

To those who down play the teams the Brewers have beat the last 7 games, I simply don’t agree with that statement. I would take 7 wins in a row at any time from our boys, all of us would. So down-playing the quality of teams seems foolish, because if we were the ones winning 7 in a row (which we could do with a few more wins) not many people would be saying who we won them against, we’d simply be excited the Cubs have won 7 in a row. I could care less who the W’s were against.

by D-Bone on Aug 14, 2008 12:58 AM CDT reply actions

I agree...

you play who is on your schedule. However I don’t think anyone is criticizing the brewers for winning against weaker opponents. I think the criticism is of ESPN for saying it because of the fight last week. The point on here is the brewers are winning because they are better then the teams they are playing.

"Destiny is a matter of choice, not chance"

by MerlinDog on Aug 14, 2008 6:44 AM CDT up reply actions

Agree

I agree with this. Now it’s 8 wins is 8 wins. Yes, the opponents were not the best, especially this time of the season where the bad teams offload their better players and a lot of the spark seems to go out of the worse teams. But this is still baseball, not college basketball where a Kansas or a UNC will always beat a NC A&T or a Citadel. The Brewers are clearly playing well right now. Whether it has anything to do with the fight, who in the world knows? Probably not even the players themselves.

by bms on Aug 14, 2008 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions