So I posted a little bit of bragging early in the game thread today.  This is second straight year I have sat in the Cubs Skybox that is literally directly behind homeplate.  I was sitting in a seat that was in line with homeplate and the pitchers mound.

The Skybox is fairly weak in terms of other facilities in the city but who gives a crap....its the Cubs and its was a 3 hit shutout.  Watching Harden, Marmol and Woody dominate from that angle was amazing.  (Last year when I was there it was Hart's MLB debut)

Anyways, the reason I am recaping is because last year when we sat there we realized we were next to the two owners boxes and I was really close to McDonough and Hendry.  Well, IMO, today was a little cooler because I was sitting about 5 feet from Walt Jocketty.  I have no real personal feelings at all towards the man but I thought it was pretty cool to watch his reactions to moments in the game (he never had an emotion) and just admire what a life he must live.  It got a little cooler when Hendry dropped by and they spoke while Walt ate for about an hour.

Anyways, I am about a 15-20 game a year guy but for the last two years I have felt like a king sitting in the suite behind homeplate.  Even better, IMO, is that I could care less about Walt, Jim or the Skybox and all I really cared about is the W.  The game was magnificent tonight and to quote one of my favorite rivals on this site PITCHING IS KING and it was on display tonight.

GO CUBS

Yes I am going to bash on Steve Stone again.  I changed my sig a while back because I was catching flack but need to explode once in a while.

Steve’s Blog

• Steve - Doesn’t have any sense of grammar
• Steve - Doesn’t know how to press the enter key on his keyboard.  Unfortunately my eyes are not steady enough to read 40 lines of information without any breaks.

While listening to The Score at work, (1000am doesn’t come in as well) I have to hear this promo over and over again.  It goes something like this:

-Steve "He has already grounded into 8 double plays this season and a slider away makes it his 9th"

-Farmer  "Groundball left side, 6 to 4 to 3, You were saying?"

I’m sorry for this rant, but just like my rants on Pat Hughes for his over excitement of "A line drive down the left field liiiiiiiiinnnnnnneeeeee........FOUL!" Just every once in a while I need to let it out.

Dear Steve

You are an arrogant butt head.  Stop talking about how you would never want a GM job because frankly I doubt you were ever offered it.  I cannot stand when you talk about how so and so doesn’t pick up the check or how you are proud of your 2004 bashing of the Cubs.  There’s a reason why former local jerks Kent Mercker and Todd Walker went off on you, the same reason I am, it was building up.

I am currently 27 years old and will turn 28 this coming June.  After obsessing over baseball for just about as long as I could remember, watching it, playing it, umpiring it for more half my life--and on top of it I like to consider myself a ridiculously obsessed Cub fan that is as close to the team as possible.  I live near the park I never miss a game, taped or live or radio,....anyways I could go on and on about how much of a "educated fan"  I think I am and how I believe I know more about Cubs baseball than 97% of the fandom.  (3% room for error and pyscho Cub fans)

.....well the point.

I like to think my knowledge of baseball is strong but I also feel I have good instincts.  My GUT instinct last night watching Soriano run hard from around the bases was to clench my butt and hope he doesnt strain anything.  I can attack Soriano as well as the next guy and Im not a ledge jumper either (although I have been on occasion in previous seasons)  Fact remains----all the opinions I can generate regarding Alfonso Soriano meant nothing to me when my first instinct/gut reaction/involuntary thought was that I did not want to get him hurt, therefore IMO, wherever the man is in the lineup he adds a lot of value to this team.

I am sorry to open this can of worms again.............

And yes, I did mean amusement park in Philly.  It is a nice place where they play baseball between all the....well....umm crap that goes on.

From the Philly fanatic, to the hotgun dogs, to the Star Wars characters, to the loud--did I say LOUD music.

Im going to do my best to not put a negative tone on my trip but thats what it was--negative; despite the Cubs successful 4-2 road trip.

First the positives of the ballpark are the concourse and concessions.  They have an incredible BBQ section where the line forms around a man cooking delicious looking ribs good enough to bring Prince Fielder out of meat hiding.  There is more food than you could possible imagine although their sausages are weak compared to my favorite sausages at Wrigley.  The views are "OK" I sat in the left field bleachers and missed nearly anyplay that came within 15 feet of the warning track from centerfield to the left field foul pole (BTW, from where I was sitting Derosa homer wasnt even close.

Second, and sorry there are many, the negatives.  Besides the fact the Philly was the dirtiest city I have ever visited next to New York on garbage day which doesnt have alleys and the garbage is out on the sidewalk.  It was a sad train ride from the airport to the center of city--South Philly is scary looking, dirty and extremely run down.  The problems Chcago has had with balcony's could not compare to the old crappy wood these houses were build with.

The fans....The fans are passionate-to a fault.  It is an unnerving experience.  Saturday night was OK because the Phillies won and I was with my girlfriend who is too sweet to invoke any trouble.  I went to Sundays game myself (yeah I know Im a loser--but DIEHARD) and experienced something I never really had.  A lot A lot of racists/sexist slurs.  In my time sitting next to two drunk guys that kept declaring "I was lucky to sit by such subdoed fans" RIGHT!!!!  The guy sitting next to be disgusted me.  He yelled at Fukudome and I qoute "Strike this F'ing G _ _ K out" "Get him a couple rice paddies" He also used the explitives for african americans and hispanics.  The problem was this came without anybody really noticing.  Kids under the age of 10 yelling "Soriano Sucks" Despite what every Philly fan thinks Soriano does not suck.  I can honestly say I was disgusted to be a...how do I say American/Human whatever I cant stand racism because is completly iggnorant and appaling.  Lastly---you think security is lax in Wrigley-thinkg again.  Not once did a security guard intervene at all.  I wasnt planning on posting all of this until one guy took the proverbial cake-----He yelled (without recourse or even a turned head in shock) "Soriano remember my face because I am going to "blank" your duaghter"  Needless to say I was disturbed and more disturbed by the laughter he recieved from it.

DISCLAIMER---I did enjoy my time at the two games although it was unfortunate I took a negative tone.  BTW-----I was told many times if I was at a Eagles/Flyers games I would have had "My a_ _ kicked"

DISCLAIMER---AFTER VISITING THIS STADIUM AND IM EVEN PROUDER TO BE A CUBS FAN TODAY.

So I have been boasting about the fact that I was moving down Kenmore street for a while, it is like a dream come true.  A dream that has brought me to within a 3 minute and 41 second walk from my front door to the bleacher wall, that I actually timed and got flamed for.  TOO BAD.  I went from a 10 minute bike ride to less than a 4 minute walk.

I was so excited that I would be in before  opening day and was lucky to do so.  I was expecting the first run in with a drunken wierdo until at least this weekend but I was wrong.  I got home for the end of the 9th inning (btw, I love hearing the crowd go crazy from inside my garage on Pies infield single) I get home in time to see that drunkest bastard of all time falling around right in front of my apartment.  Between the constant spitting, back and forth sleeping on the hood of his car etc, I eventually became a babysitter in my own aparment to a guy that was trying to get into his car.  There was no way I was letting him drive off so I felt trapped.  Eventually I offered a cab and got no response and fortunatly 3 ushers leaving the game took over that situation.  The funny part was when two women pulled up and when we explained to them he was trying to get into his car she laughed and said "ha, thats my car...yada yada small talk yada yada Welcome to the neighborhood."

this is just another 'personality' trait that comes with the neighborhood, but I was thinking this would happen this upcoming weekend and not day 1!!!!  Does anyone have any simliiar stories to share that live nearby?  Funny ones, horror stories etc.  I love the apartment and will be in the bleachers Wed.

For reasons outside of baseball ability when do you all say it is SAFE/GOOD/SMART/ESSENTIAL to cut a ballplayer?

I say this is light of recent events regarding Scott Spiezio.  Spiezio left the team last year to deal with a drug and alcohol problem, although now has been issued a warrant.

When do the Cardinals (or any team for that matter) consider cutting ties for what would be best for the team and player?  Do the Cardinals risk not doing something and having this turn into Josh Hancock all over again?  Drinking and Driving is similiar to Russian Roullette although the innocent drivers dont always know they are playing.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3267428

Well I dont know about anyone esle but we poor folks are really curious as to when we will be reimbursed for our NLCS tickets.  1800THECUBS is deflecting the problem and blaming the Cubs for the hold up.

I just find it very irritating that my credit card was charged within seconds of purchasing yet I have to continue to wait to get my money back.  GO FIGURE.

Anyways I was just curious if anyone got reimbursed on their card for the NLCS?