Sour grapes thou it be the Cubs still don't do well against good NL teams

Just die

Otherwise we would be screwed

I don’t always agree with you and I’m still not sure where exactly this team stacks up against the rest of the league (although, as you point out, the way we tend to play against the better teams is troubling).

What I like most about your posts though is it always sets off a “high school mentality” in certain BCBers-it always kills me that, as much as they don’t like you, they can’t wait to read what you say and then jump all over it. Good for you-it’s fun to see how easy it is for you to stir them up!

is why you only come around here after tough losses. I didn’t hear you calling us all these things during the last homestand. We lost 2 of 3 in Florida, yes. But we always play poorly in Miami. The fact is, if our closer had gotten 2 more outs today, we would’ve taken 2 out of 3. I really want to respect your opinion, but it’s hard when you’re so one-sided. Show me how “flawed” we are (even after winning 7 of our last 10), the next time we spit off 6 wins in 8 games. Until then, I reserve judgement.

With the talk of Prior’s release these past few days, remember how bad or 2003 bullpen was??? Did anyone really want the ball in the hands in Joe Borowksi or Kyle Farnsworth, with the game on the line in August, September and in the playoffs. I know i didn’t. I even remember the clinching game 5 win vs Braves when Dusty pinch hit for Wood in the top of the 9th and we were screaming that Borowski was in there.

With this anemic up and down offense combined with a mediocre bullpen at best, we are in for a lot more close games. Which means leaning heavily on our starters. I think its awful hard to be a serious contender when at best your bullpen is a little above average, your defense is average to below average at worst, your offense is not fundamentally sound—twice we had runners at 3rd with one out once with D-Lee and once with Fox and both times could not get them in. All that is awfully hard to over come when comparing to the elite teams in NL. Our starting pitching is above average – great but it is by no means elite compared to other great teams, and I fear they will be heavily leaned up these next two months.

You’re so entertaining.

but really don’t respond to this stuff.
That is my one and only response.

Get over it.

In case no one has been paying attention, the cubs have been playing pretty good ball since the break with a broken team. If the team gets healthy then great, if they don’t then plenty will just use it as a crutch. Same way those looking for complaints will yell about the closer. There’s always something to pitch a fit about.

Fast forward a few months to October where the Cubs have just won the World Series. Imagine how happy you will feel. And then, assuming you would want to share some of your happy thoughts with us, visualize what some of those happy thoughts would be.

Now back up a little to the NLCS and repeat the process. The Cubs have just won the NLCS and while you’re not as happy as you’re gonna be in a few weeks, you’re still feeling pretty good. Visualize what those thoughts would be.

Back up a little more to the NLDS. Yada, yada, yada.

Then back up to the Central Division clinching game and yada some more.

Where am I going with all this? Well, you say you WANT TO WIN, period. Well in order to win that last game, you have to win quite a few before then. And guess what – one of those wins is going to be our next one or it will never happen. So when that next win occurs, why don’t you take the time to share with us some of your happy thoughts about that victory. Show us you’re human.

Or are you just going to be a foul curmudgeon the rest of your life until and unless the Cubs win the very last game of a season.

btw – I spelled ‘curmudgeon’ right the very first try. AND used it in a sentence…

Firstly, why should I “kindly” comment on this post when you never offer to “kindly” post on stuff you don’t agree with?

Secondly, you say we can’t beat the marlins, yet, we have a WINNING record against them this year! 4-3 genius

thirdly, our bp has been beat up lately, don’t be so harsh on them. Actually, we have the second lowest bullpen ERA in our division…sure we issue alot of walks, but give up few hits.

Go away, you are nothing but a troll, seriously. You come out only to say I told you so, even when you are talking pyscho-babble…Isn’t that what a troll is? You may be a fan, I’m not contesting that, but I am saying you are a troll, a regular troll

Go away. Now.

…If you didn’t exist, it would be necessary for BCB to create you!

you always seem to pop up when the Cubs lose, but never when they win. Why is that? And why do you never have anything good to say about them? Even the worst teams have some positive aspects, or do something right here and there.

Then again, you’re not alone in any of this. You’re just the most upfront about it. So kudos for that, I guess.

predictable.

Cubs starters are 4th in the NL in ERA
. . . . and 4th in BAA
. . . . and 4th in OBP against
. . . . and 5th in WHIP

Cubs relievers are 2nd in the NL in BAA

Cubs hitters are 6th in the NL in SLG
. . . and 7th in OPS

Cubs are 43% to make the playoffs, which is the 5th highest percentage.

the Cubs are a decent, but not great, team in a season full of decent, but not great, teams.

I’m sure you realize that when you challenge people’s belief systems they’ll tear into you with tooth and nail. You look at the Cubs dispassionately; most of the rest of the posters here look upon them religiously. All true believers, whether they believe in god or the Cubs, essentially say, “I don’t have to argue the point with you – I have faith.” Yet they argue the point more than anybody else. Richard Feynman said, “The first principal is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.” Most fans want to fool themselves into thinking the Cubs can win. And the Cubs just might win one of these days! But the essence of fandom is that delicious self-delusion.

When you come in with your analytical viewpoints, real Cubs fans turn vicious. I, for one, like your analyses. They ground me. They remind me not to get swept up in the religion.

But, come on, admit it: you like being the villain who shows the congregation that the world is not flat! And you like the almost hysterical response. You’re a button-pusher as well as a dispassionate analyst.

I wouldn’t over react to it. The bullpen has a couple of questionable pitchers but overall it’s decent. The problem is the BBs in general but otherwise I think the bullpen has improved as the season has progressed.

Now, in the playoffs with 100+ years of pressure to close out it will be interesting to see whether this bullpen can throw strikes. I hope that they do.

The Cubs complained somewhat about what they considered to be tasteless promotions y the marlins in this series. But for an organization where players and managers comment publicly on the pressure, I think the Marlins’ tasteless acts could be a good mental primer for the playoffs for the Cubs.

I still expect this team to win the NLCD, but we’ll wait and see whether they can win in the playoffs.

I just heard on the Score that the Cubs have only 19 of the remaining 59 games against teams with winning records. That would be good news for any team, but with the Cubs battling for the NL Central that’s great news!

that BLou is actually either:

1) Al posting under a false ID, just to raise post counts.
    Problem with theory: Al couldn’t post half the garabage that BLou does without throwing up everyday; so Al have you lost weight?

2) Worf is BLou
    Problem with theory: I can’t come up with one. Has anyone seen BLou and Work together?

Things that make you go mmmmmm?

Look at the name on the outfit…
Warning: a little gross

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/davidjt/BlouBulsupporter.jpg

Wake me up when you actually have something new to say. In many ways I agree with your points but I am tired of the same whiny posts over and over and over again under NIU, Blue Mike, Blue Lou, Blue Hoo or whatever new name you create for yourself.

If you hate the Cubs that much, I have a suggestion…….Turn off the TV. Why do you watch them when you already know the outcome and dislike the team so much?

have given this post an A+only if it was all in CAPS.

it’s just BLOU being BLOU…

There are facts in the post that I think are important. Here, they were expressed as the records against good teams vs. bad teams. Another way to look at it is our ability to compete to make the playoffs vs. the ability to compete in the playoffs.

As much as it pains me to say this, this is exactly what Kenny Williams saw and decided to act on. The PV move reduces the WS chances of making the post season, while at the same time increases their chances of winning in the post season.

I wish we had some of that vision, and why the records against good/bad teams are predictive. There will be only good teams in the playoffs.

Wasn’t that BLou also?

I don’t see what’s wrong with what BLou’s saying. I’ve already been labelled as a “BLou follower” or whatever in another thread but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I’ll be honest, I felt a terribly bitter taste in my mouth after we failed to win Sunday’s game against a sub-par National League team, especially with it being Kevin Gregg’s second blown save in a row against said team.

I’ve been a diehard Cubs fan since 1996, and yes, I’m of a younger demographic around here. With that established, I’ve gotten to the point with this team where all I want to do is win, at any cost. And if we’re going to suck it up against a team like the Marlins, how confident should I feel? I want this team to win, and I don’t create excuses or give anyone who doesn’t deserve it a pass (I’ll give a guy like Ted Lilly a pass on a bad start, because he’s been so good all year, but I’ll never make excuses for Soriano, Bradley, or Zambrano because they haven’t proven to me they’re out there for the team).

And yes, that means I’m going to be critical. I think Jim Hendry’s a moron for the moves he made this offseason and was criticizing this team as soon as he let Jim Edmonds walk. This team was pimped by the organization as better than last year but I have NOT ONCE this season seen any kind of shade of 2008 brilliance. And because of that, people make excuses. It’s Lou’s fault, “It’s just another one of Soriano’s slumps,” “Bradley’s getting there.” Well, how many more times does Lou have to change the lineup before it ISN’T his fault? Soriano has one good homestand and suddenly he’s a hero again? I surely haven’t seen any sign of Bradley “getting there” no matter what anyone says.

This team has been subpar at best, and yes I will admit, I was very happy seeing the Cubs play so well on their last homestand and last night against Cinci. But our first challenge since the ASB was Florida and we couldn’t handle them. Ultimately, it’s the guys who go out onto the field night after night, getting paid to do a job they haven’t gotten done the majority of the year. And I’ve been saying since May that this team didn’t have what it takes, a statement I still stand behind. The bullpen’s atrocious, we still have nagging injuries that leave massive holes on the roster, and nobody outside of Ramirez and Lee have shown signs of consistency offensively.

I want them to turn it around and prove me wrong. SO badly. Ultimately I just want this team to win. But if I want to see the team win, I won’t make excuses for them. To me, baseball is very black and white and either you get the job done, or you don’t. And there will be rare shades of gray but they’re uncommon. I don’t get the pride in suggesting “the 2006 Cardinals weren’t that good and won the WS,” because that team never struck me as remarkable, WS or not.

In order for me as a fan to feel comfortable, the guys need to turn it around. And I will continue to defend Lou Piniella because since 2007 he’s shown me he’s awake and will do what’s best for this team, despite the occasionally screw-up that every manager makes. I won’t make excuses for Geovany Soto because he’s proven to me that he didn’t care about capitalizing off last season by wasting away his offseason. I will continue to dog Soriano and Bradley until I see consistency from them.

Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks. All I know is I expect the best out of my team, and win or lose I’ll always root for ‘em. But I’ll also be critical of guys who just aren’t getting the job done, and there have been a lot of examples of that to me for the 2009 Cubs campaign.