Random Cubs Recap: July 28, 1991

by Al Yellon on Dec 10, 2011 11:15 AM CST in History

You're going to like this one, I think. Your hint is in the photo. And no, it's not a photo from the game in question, or even the same year. I could make you guess, but it's from an Opening Day (pretty obvious, from the bunting on the wall).

1991 could have been a good year for the Cubs. They got off to a bad start and fired manager Don Zimmer when he pressed management for a contract extension. Jim Essian, who had been a top managerial prospect, took over.

And has never been heard from since.

Andre Dawson is on another one of his hot streaks. He's hitting .364/.391/.818 with three HR and 10 RBI in his last six games, and his pair of home runs with four RBI led the Cubs to a 6-2 win over the Atlanta Braves this afternoon at Wrigley Field.

The victory gave the Cubs the series win over the Braves, completed a 4-2 homestand, and made them 10-5 since the All-Star break.

Maybe it's too late to get back in the divisional race -- the Pirates are still running away with the NL East, seven games ahead of the Mets -- but at least, perhaps there's a chance to get the team back over .500 (now just two games under at 48-50). Jim Essian's record as manager also reached the .500 mark at 30-30; though the Cubs had a shaky start under his leadership, they're starting to look like they could save his job for several years to come. Essian is only 40 and part of the new breed of managers that's getting established in modern day baseball. Good to know that the Cubs aren't just looking at old-school guys like Don Zimmer.

Mike Bielecki gave up a pair of runs to the Braves in the first inning, but that was it; after that, he allowed three singles and a pair of walks. He improved his record to 11-7 and is starting to look like the guy who finished ninth in NL Cy Young voting just two years ago. Dawson's first homer, a three-run blast that followed singles by Mark Grace and Ryne Sandberg, gave the Cubs a fourth-inning lead that they never relinquished, and his second homer in the eighth off Mike Stanton put the Cubs ahead 5-2. They added one more run in the inning and Paul Assenmacher finished things off for his 11th save.

33,782 were in attendance, just a handful fewer than yesterday, on a coolish, cloudy day (74 degrees at game time) for late July. But we don't care about the temperatures as long as the team is winning, right?

Hopefully, the Cubs can keep it going on the upcoming trip, a tough one to Cincinnati, New York and Philadelphia, starting after tomorrow's off day. Greg Maddux will take the mound against the Reds to open the trip.

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Bielecki was great today.

He and Maddux will make our rotation tough for many years to come.

We'll miss you Big Boy. #10 is going into the Hall of Fame!!

by mrcubsfan on Dec 10, 2011 11:22 AM CST via mobile reply actions

Re. pic. Bunting on the wall. Either opening day or a holiday game. Looks warm for an opener.

Sure isn’t a postseason game because the only ones Hawk played at Wrigley were at night and he definitely didn’t hit a homer.

by the nth on Dec 10, 2011 12:04 PM CST reply actions

It was Opening Day 1989, according to the original date of the caption

… which I stripped out. Dawson did homer that day and game time temp was 57, not bad for April 4.

Boxscore

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by Al Yellon on Dec 10, 2011 12:34 PM CST up reply actions

Thanks, Al. I was there and i do remember Mitch Williams loading the bases in the ninth and

then striking everyone out. Didn’t realize he threw 52 pitches in less than two innings that day. Wow.

by the nth on Dec 10, 2011 2:29 PM CST up reply actions

Maybe it’s too late to get back in the divisional race — the Pirates are still running away with the NL East, seven games ahead of the Mets

Well, one thing’s clear – this isn’t Pittsburgh.

Sigh…

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 10, 2011 12:35 PM CST reply actions

Ryno with two more hits

He’s really killing the ball lately, check out his numbers for the year so far: .299/.390/.499. Those are MVP-caliber numbers, if only anyone else knew to pay attention to his OBP and SLG numbers. But we’re probably years away from that being commonly practice in mainstream baseball commentary!

Author of The Cubs Transaction Report

by Brian C on Dec 10, 2011 12:37 PM CST reply actions

FWIW, if you are keeping track

… this is the fifth Random Recap, covering six games (since one was a doubleheader).

Cubs are 4-2 in those games. All but one have been home games.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 10, 2011 12:38 PM CST reply actions

If only these counted for something!

Al, I think I enjoy these recaps more than the current ones. They’re a breath of fresh air. Great idea.

"Whenever one finds himself in the majority, it is time to step back and reflect," Mark Twain.

by WindisBlowingOut! on Dec 11, 2011 8:02 AM CST up reply actions

Thanks!

I’m enjoying doing them. Hoping the random number generator picks more victories.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 11, 2011 8:58 AM CST up reply actions

I like Maddux and all but,

maybe he’s hit his ceiling? We should trade him now while his value is high.

I find it doubtful that he’s the Ace we can anchor the staff with.

by Tat14 on Dec 10, 2011 1:26 PM CST reply actions

Ouch!!!!! :)

by Stan Cox on Dec 10, 2011 1:56 PM CST up reply actions

This was my first-ever game at Wrigley

Absolutely perfect. Nice weather and Cubs Win! Gracie and Ryno setting the table, Hawk going deep twice, Thunderbird flyovers (it was Air and Water Show weekend). A magical day that I’ll never forget.

Thanks, Al. You made my day.

by Mile High Cub on Dec 10, 2011 2:19 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

I was 6 years old for this game.

I’m not sure if I was at this particular game or not, but I know my dad purposefully bought tickets to that weekend’s game all the time. If we didn’t get bored with baseball, we had baseball. If we did get bored, we had jet planes flying all over the place. My mom loved it because I would beg for a malt cup and then a Thunderbird would fly by and forget about the malt cup for an inning or two.

"You just don't know understand how frustrating this is"- Kevin Borseth

by TkGoUWGB on Dec 11, 2011 8:49 AM CST up reply actions

Wait a minute

Are you sure this picture isn’t from Brewster’s Millions?

by HalfWhitey on Dec 10, 2011 3:37 PM CST reply actions

Essian will manage this team for years!!!!!

by TJ11 on Dec 10, 2011 4:02 PM CST reply actions

A good picture of the player I have the most respect for in all my years as a Cub fan

by TJ11 on Dec 10, 2011 4:04 PM CST reply actions

In June's draft, we took Doug Glanville.

I much prefer his upside to that of the next guy off the board. Manny Ramirez. Nobodies Cliff Floyd and Shawn Green followed Ramirez.

10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.

by timh815 on Dec 10, 2011 4:27 PM CST reply actions

I agree.

I can’t believe this Manny Ramirez character was taken so high. Only thing I hear about him is he’s on some sort of juice diet to help him at the Major League level. How’s that supposed to help hit the ball better?!

Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser. --Vince Lombardi

by KS_Cub4Life on Dec 10, 2011 4:34 PM CST up reply actions

That Cliff Floyd guy actually sounds intriguing.

He’s from Chicago. Think the Cubs could ever get him?

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by Al Yellon on Dec 10, 2011 4:51 PM CST up reply actions

A chiseled figure like his shouldn't

ever get injured.

10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.

by timh815 on Dec 10, 2011 5:19 PM CST up reply actions

He's got a good mix of speed and power.

We should grab him while he’s still young! GITERDONE…who’s the GM again??

Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser. --Vince Lombardi

by KS_Cub4Life on Dec 10, 2011 5:23 PM CST up reply actions

Glanville is an example of GM Jim Frey's philosophy of always getting the best writer available.

by the nth on Dec 10, 2011 5:05 PM CST reply actions

I was born 48 days after this game

"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." Carl Sagan

by Cubbiegoon on Dec 10, 2011 5:18 PM CST reply actions

Damn!

I remember my first beer.

by Tat14 on Dec 10, 2011 6:11 PM CST up reply actions

That's awesome...

Get 'em on, Get 'em over, Get 'em in!

by DKT on Dec 11, 2011 6:11 AM CST up reply actions

"When I hit one over the fence at Wrigley Field..."

“…I hit it over a Tru-Link Fence!” – Andre Dawson

Get 'em on, Get 'em over, Get 'em in!

by DKT on Dec 11, 2011 6:11 AM CST reply actions

Dude, thanks for a blast from the past

I remember those commercials…

by The_Rock on Dec 11, 2011 7:21 AM CST up reply actions

Dawson...

I wonder if we are ever going to think about Soriano the way we think about Andre Dawson?

by The_Rock on Dec 11, 2011 7:22 AM CST reply actions

Probably not.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 11, 2011 8:59 AM CST up reply actions

The Cubs 1991 season ended early, around the time Dave Smith and Danny Jackson realized...

…they didn’t have the right stuff to pitch at Wrigley Field. The Zim-Frey team had money to spend in the ‘90-’91 offseason, and most of it went to acquire Jackson, a quality left-handed starter, and Smith, a reliable closer.

Unfortunately, even after 20 years, the names of both these men belong at the top of any list of free-agent busts. The signature moment for Smith, and perhaps the true end of the season for the Cubs came on April 21st in Pittsburgh, as Dave experienced his second excruciating blown save in three days against Jim Leyland’s division-leading Pirates. In each of these games, the Cubs appeared certain winners following a grand slam home run by Andre Dawson.

In this record-shattering second failure, Smith’s performance wasn’t quite enough to let Pittsburgh win the game in the ninth. That would have been a far better result than the extra-inning fiasco that followed, in which the Cubs built a five-run lead in the 11th inning, before Heath Slocum and Mike Bielecki gave it all away in what for the Pirates became a game for the ages.

The Cubs record-setting performance on that day remains an untouchable standard: No other team in baseball history has blown a five-run lead in extra innings, and perhaps none have lost even a four-run lead. The Pirates swept that three-game series, and easily won the division that year, before receiving their comeuppance in the playoffs against the Braves. Then, as Barry Bonds headed west in the ‘91-’92 offseason, Pittsburgh began its own record-setting run of failure.

"Elder White! Look at the talent on those Cubs!" Harry Caray, KMOX Radio, 4/22/62

"And you have to wonder – What's the matter with Broglio?" Harry, KMOX, 5/24/64

by ernaga on Dec 11, 2011 8:38 AM CST reply actions

I'm still wondering why Andre Dawson's #8 hasn't been retired by the Cubs yet.

Maybe they are waiting for Mike Quade to finish his managerial/coaching career so that they can retire it for both of them at the same time, a la Maddux and Jenkins?

by TheGrinch13 on Dec 11, 2011 8:52 AM CST reply actions