Category: Cubs

Greg Maddux did it again. 

But this time, it really mattered.  The Cubs really needed this.  In the worst way possible.

I submit to you four reasons why the Cubs needed Greg Maddux to come through yesterday and to do it the way he did.

Reason #1:  The Cubs needed a win, any kind of win.  They haven’t won since Derrek Lee went down Friday night (and I guarantee you, any thinking Cub fan would trade that win for Derrek Lee back in the lineup right now).

Reason #2:  The Cubs needed to win the last game against St Louis to avoid a sweep.  The players (and more importantly, the fans) don’t need that hanging over their heads.  In addition, winning that game gives the Cubs a one-game series advantage over the Cards.

Reason #3:  Had they lost that game, they would be 9-8, precious close to a .500 record.  Maybe it’s perception but 10-7 gives them a little more breathing room as they head in to their series with Florida.

Reason #4:  Maddux winning this game the way he did (0 ER in 7 IP) gives the Cub players (and fans) something positive to think about.  Let’s not forget there are quality players (and pitchers) who are still playing.  The mantra I kept hearing from Cub fans and bloggers was “we need to stay .500 until Prior and Wood get back”.  Well, not only are they are doing that, they are managing to win a few more. 

Go Cubs!

 

Who didn’t see this coming?  Jerome Williams has been demoted to the Cubs’ Triple-A Iowa team.

He hammered the last nail in his coffin when he allowed 7 runs in 1 1/3 innings against St Louis on Friday.  For the season, he was 0-2 with a 7.30 ERA.  Quoth Baker:

“[Williams] was real good one time, then the next time equally as bad,” Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. “You just want to get some consistency.”

That about sums it up.  JW was good about one time.  I know more than a few Cub fans that won’t shed a tear about this. 

Taking his place is Angel Guzman who hasn’t exactly wowed them in three minor league games with a 6.61 ERA though he did strike out 23 in 16 plus innings.

 

AP Photo

I’m sure DLee was thinking a lot of things at this point but the prominent thought was probably “Ouch!”  He didn’t look too comfortable after his collision with Rafael Furcal last night.  Getting two players injured on one play is pretty rare (unless you play APBA).  But when the two players who are injured are nowhere near each other takes some extremely bad luck. 

Ok, hindsight is 20/20 and it’s easy to criticize.  But did it occur to Scott Eyre that it might have been the wisest thing to just hold on to the ball rather than to shovel it lacrosse-style with his glove hand to Lee?  No, I’m sure it didn’t.  He reacted on instincts.  If he made the play (instead of whipping it 5 feet over Lee’s glove), it would have been lauded as a great play. 

However, the cost of this play may be far-reaching.  Last I heard, Eyre won’t suffer too much and that’s good.  But Lee, that’s another story.  The tests of his wrist are due back tomorrow. 

Oh, the Cubs beat the Dodgers anyway.   Eighth-place hitter Ronny Cedeno came through with a game-winning single in the 8th inning.  The Cubs get a day off to rest today.

Woo boy, they really need it.

Update:  Lee will be out about 8-10 weeks.  He has two fractured bones in his hand. 

 

A Collectibles store in Naperville, IL is accusing Mark Prior of making two little boys cry.

… and Prior had to go to court to testify.  More accurately, he’s being accused of breach of contract surrounding an autograph signing gig at the store in 2004 (talk about speedy justice).

Prior’s side of the story:

Prior testified Monday that he was troubled before the event by an advertisement on Just Ducky Too’s Web site that said each buyer of a miniature Wrigley Field replica signed by Prior would get two “VIP tickets” to meet the pitcher at the event, which would last from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Prior testified he never agreed to meet with so many people, especially because the signing was the night before his first pitching start of the year following an injury, and his contract required him to stay only as long as it took to sign 300 items, the Chicago Tribune reported on its Web site.

The pitcher said he had his agent call about the advertisement, but it wasn’t changed.

I know nothing other than what I read in the article but my gut instinct tells me that the store is enjoying their day in court a little too much.  They got a little of Prior and wanted to exploit him as much as possible.  It seems that Prior did everything he could to ease the situation.

The store claims Prior caused the problems.  Now, really.  It’s no wonder baseball players and athletes in general are leery of dealing with the public sometimes.

No, the sign isn’t real.  But it should be.

Against the Cardinals, Barrett was 4 for 10 with 7 rbis.

More good news for Cub fans:  DLee has been signed to a five-year contract worth $65m.

 

1. CF Juan Pierre
2. 2B Jerry Hairston Jr.
3. 1B Derrek Lee
4. 3B Aramis Ramirez
5. RF Jacque Jones
6. C Michael Barrett
7. LF Matt Murton
8. SS Ronny Cedeno
9. P Carlos Zambrano

It seems a man wearing “Harry Caray” glasses was successful in his attempt to rob a Palos Heights, IL bank.  He is being dubbed the “Harry Caray Bandit”. 

Wearing the familiar glasses and a wig, the robber got away with $2000.

You know bandit backwards is “tidnab”.