Good thing I am leaving tomorrow again for one week to the Nevada desert where I won’t hear anything about baseball. :-)

For your undying optism. It is great to know that there is someone else out there who hasn’t thrown it in yet. Sure, things look bleak. But crazier things have happened. The Cubs just need to start playing to their potential. Keep the faith, and Go Cubs.

either but my faith is slowly dwindling. I like watching Sam play. He and Reed have had some great plays in the outfield. Today would be a good time to start a long winning streak.

I did not see this great catch live last night so I am posting the link. FYI just saw it on MLB network where they also
were into little Sam. Jeez he TOWERS over Miles, Theriot and Fontenot.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=6225963&c_id=chc&topic_id=

.. that we have the Giants, for God’s sake, playing the Rockies to give us good news this AM

.. but I am thankful for you and the BCB crew in keeping this blog a-rolling. Thanks for a place to read and link on all things Cubs.

Man, this is looking grim. But it ain’t over yet. Anything can happen still.

Look for me to the first base side of home plate. Where I won’t be waving or talking on the phone, because I hate those guys.

seems that this team has to many offensive liabilities to get a good run going. Goodness 42 games to go and Soto, Soriano, are automatic outs. Bradley really isn’t producing, sure gets his share of walks, but that seems to be it.
 Man I would love to see a run, but this team still is fundamentaly poor, a bullpen that is way to inconstistent and a lineup that gets shutdown way to often.

…………the Lowe one-hitter, Al, because it was closest I’ve come to attending a no-hitter.

Jerry Hairston lead off the Cubs first with a swinging bunt single rolling down the 3B line, but after that, no other Cubs player registered a hit. In fact, I think Hairston was erased on a DP, but can’t be sure about that.

Now, since the first batter reached on a hit, some might say that was the FARTHEST one could be from a no-hitter, but after Lowe starting mowing guys down, it was bizarre that the Hairston dribbler was the only Cubs hit of the day.

Randy Wells followed it with a fat first-pitch fastball (for which he got roundly criticized, and rightly so, by Bob Brenly) to a good-hitting pitcker (sic), Randy Wolf, the Cubs lost 2-1 to the Dodgers and remain seven games out of first place.

Randy Wolf career batting stats: .186/.232/.269, wOBA: .224. I think it’s forgivable to give that guy a pitch to hit.

Maybe it is the long pathetic season wearing on me, but I must disagree with the premise that if Wells would not have given up the Wolf hit the Cubbies would have pulled it out 1-0. Down by one, the Dodgers’ approach changes and given the way this season is going, they grind out a couple later (perhaps even in a save situation).

This team, this year lacks a ton of passion. It seems that when one aspect gets going, the other shuts down (except for starting pitching which has been great). One hopes that they can pull it back from the brink (ok – abyss), but it is really hard to imagine this team streaking into the playoffs and then performing well. Really hard.

If it is going to turn around – it starts today – Go Cubs! Please.

…. like we’re waiting for this team to do something in the last 42 games of the season that they’ve shown they’re unable to do in the first 120, namely get hot, go on a tear, while simultaneously the Cardinals need to do the exact inverse. Deja vu all over again.

Speaking of inverse actions, I’d make Hill the numbr one catcher the rest of the year. Every time up, it seems like we expect Soto suddenly go back to 2008, and it ain’t happening. Sotois this year’s team in an overweight miniature.

Put Fukudome in the lead off spot and leave him there the rest of the year. After over a season and a half of him and the team trying to figure things out, that’s where he belongs. If only Piniella would agree. If you want to play Fuld, put him in left.

Switch Baker to short and put Theriot at second. Why not? Isn’t Baker supposed to be able to play short? Since they’re suddenly in love in Baker, and with some justification, let’s see if it works. He can’t do any worse than Theriot there.

With 42 games to go, since this team possesses no vocal leader we know about, no one to motivate teammates like Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu do for the Angels, maybe a line up shake up will do it.

LIke many of you may do, we have the Cubs season schedule up on our fridge. We mark a big blue “W” when they win – and a red “L” when they lose. Way too many “L’s” this August, but I digress…

The Cubs have won six straight Saturday games, so that’s a good sign. After last Saturday’s victory, my 4-year old daughter wrote the “W” but she dragged it down a little too far into the box reserved for today’s game. So I joked with her that the Cubs will win today because she already put up the “W”. OK, dumb story. But I’m really looking for the silver lining here. GO CUBS!!

It should have been a no hitter, Hairston led off with an infield single that should have been an error. Rudy Rudiger threw out the first pitch.

What it means is that “Ricketts, you’ll have to eat my contract if you want me out.”

I’m for that.

See ya — off to the Ravine.

…and anyone else here, to start following the Blackhawks this season; if you’re not already a fan.

If you want to see a team play to its potential – and players actually benched if they don’t – then the [original] team on West Madison will not disappoint. Yes, hockey is one hell of a lot faster and 10 times more intense + does show as well on TV. But you won’t see players take days off when their in the lineup or they won’t be in the next lineup.

Physical errors I can most if not all of the time deal with, but the mental errors this Cubs team makes seems overwhelm their sporadic offence.

On the coaching side, I can honestly say if Lou held his players as accountable as Quenneville of the Blackhawks does, the Cubs would be notably closer to a playoff spot.

Randy Wells: Good.

Randy Wolf: Better.

Maybe Ted Lilly will feel extra motivated to match the performance of Wolf – who, as Bob Brenly pointed out last night, is a very similiar pitcher. In fact, Wolf appears to be on track to having a career year, which is pretty remarkable for a guy who’s been around as long as he has.

There’s really not much to do with this team right now but cling to the few positives and look forward to what could (should?) be some fun games at Wrigley next week.

it sure is boring to watch. This team looks so flat – like they are expecting to lose.

I was with a Dodger fan last night and agreed to do the “LA fan exit”, and get the hell out of there before the end of the game. I knew they were toast.

Sure Wolf is having a career year, but when do we stop “tipping our caps” to the opposing team, and start calling out the offense?

Al, in your recap, you’re just as guilty, focusing on the error and pitch selection of a ROOKIE who has been one of our most consistant arms. Good gravy, he gave up 2 unearned runs.

Sit Soriano and play Fox in left. And no, there would be no defensive dropoff with Fox, because Soriano is horrible out there!

just checked the score on the ESPN ticker once in a while. I feel so bad for Wells, the guy has been our most consistent pitcher all season and he realistically could have 5 more wins.

I looked on my magic spreadsheet and found that the Cubs have scored 1 run or less in exactly 20% of their games. That is pathetic. In this era of big offensive production, this is a glaring indicator of our season.