Tag: Cubs

RYNO GIVEN THE HEAVE-HO

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is serving the third day of his three-day suspension today. It seems Sandberg, manager of the Peoria Chiefs, took exception with an opposing player bunting for a basehit, while his team was leading 6-0. The feisty manager engaged the other manager in a discussion, which led to a bench-clearing brawl.

Some might say, it’s the minor leagues and this player was just brushing up on his bunting skills, a learning process. To which I’d say, you don’t bunt for a basehit when leading 6-0, a learning process. From a Hall of Famer, way to go Ryno!

Hill’s all right in AAA

The Cubs’ starter Rich Hill made the most of his second start for the Iowa Cubs yesterday.  He pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball for the win. 

Box Score

For 10+ innings he’s pitched for Iowa, he’s only given up two runs.  Hopefully, it won’t be too long before he’s back up in the bigs where he belongs.  From an article in the Des Moines Register:

“It’s a process,” he said. “That’s what’s so great about this game. It’ll build you up, bring you down and teach you how to get back up again.”

Hurry back, Rich.

Cubs Win Flag makes my day

001

Yay! The Cubs won!

On my way to work, there’s a house that routinely flies the Cubs victory flag when the good guys win one.  That be usual fare on the Northside but seeing it down here in Urbana is enough to put an extra spring in my step in the morning.  I find myself walking down that street more often on my way to work just so I can see that flag. 

 

004

Dang, the Cubs lost the day I took this picture.

On the days the Cubs don’t win, the people at this house fly the American flag.  That’s a decent sentiment, I would think.  Despite what my friends might think, I have a healthy respect for the red, white, and blue.  But this causes a dilemma.  Now when I turn the corner, look up and see the Grand Old Flag, I’m reminded of the Cubs loss the night before.  The pain, the anguish. Like Paul Revere’s lights in the tower, the American flag is a signal, only a signal of my team’s defeat. 

Maybe I should go buy them a second flag holder. 

Go Cubs!

Kosuke cleans up

With injured Aramis Ramirez sitting, Cubs’ rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome found himself batting cleanup yesterday which probably surprised him more than anyone.  After starting out the season with a bang with a dinger in the first game of the season, he’s been homerless since.  He’s batted primarily in the fifth spot and done well there batting .350. 

The results from yesterday’s experiment in the fourth spot were positive for Kosuke.  He rapped 2 doubles and overall went 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run.  They helped from a team perspective, too.  The Cubs spanked the first place Cardinals 9-3, only their second win in six games.

We’ll see if Skipper Lou will continue this plan of batting KFuk cleanup.  If it gets us runs (and more importantly wins), I’m all for it. 

Confidential to Rich Hill: Hurry back!  My APBA team will need the pitching starts next year. K, thx!

Wrigley Field – A Perfect Place for Minor League Baseball

Watching baseball today on WGN-TV the Cubs announced the Peoria Chiefs will play a regular season game on July 29th versus the Kane County Cougars. Ryne Sandberg is the manager of the Cubs A-Ball team in Peoria. Ryno was saying how exciting it will be for the players to play in a big league ballpark. But my question is, will their fans (the guys) enjoy peeing in trofts? Then the Cub announcers said, “This will be the first time a minorleague team has played in Wrigley”. As a White Sox fan, I have to ask, does it get any easier? Hasn’t anybody been paying attention the last 100 years? This is too easy.

Cubs Haiku

Cubs win. (Cardinals lose).

The NL Central is theirs.

The world is right now

Apologies to any poets out there. Aram and Theriot both got 4 hits today in the 13-6 thrashing. Let’s not forget that Dempster got the win and is now 3-0 on the season. That to me is the amazing thing. And he’s doing it with grace with a slender 3.00 ERA.

By the way, the redhead is back. He was called back yesterday and E-Pat was sent down. And Murton didn’t waste time making his presence known. Ok, he went 1 for 6 but he got 2 rbis (his first of the season). Are the Cubs serious about Murton or is this a stopgap while Soriano is healing? I say, this is an opportunity to show him off then see what we can get for him. It doesn’t seem like the Cubs are serious about his future with the team. Has he reached his potential with the Cubs?

NL Central on the rise?

For years now, I’ve heard from White Sox fans about the supposed “weak” NL Central division pointing to their low win totals of the division winner.  I’ve always denied it preferring to call it “competitive” and “parity”.

But forget all that.  Look at the respective Central divisions now in the admittedly young 2008 season. 

 

NL

Central Division
Team           W   L   WL%  GB
St.Louis STL  12   6  .667  --  
Chicago  CHC  11   6  .647  0.5
Milwkee  MIL  11   6  .647  0.5
Pittsbgh PIT   7  10  .412  4.5
Cincnnti CIN   7  11  .389  5.0
Houston  HOU   6  12  .333  6.0

AL

Central Division
Team           W   L   WL%  GB
ChicagoW CHW  10   7  .588  --  
KansasCy KCR   9   9  .500  1.5
Minnesta MIN   8  10  .444  2.5
Clvlnd   CLE   7  11  .389  3.5
Detroit  DET   6  12  .333  4.5

 

Again, the season is early but through 17-18 games, the NL Central games, the NL Central has maintained a slim winning margin at 54-51 total record. 

The AL Central on the other hand, are suffering at 40-49.  Of course, much of that is at the hands of the Detroit Tigers.  You could make the argument though, that the Cincinnati Reds (who are at 7-11) are playing below their potential.  Some nit-wits have picked them to win the division.  Kidding, Reds fans.

Only one team in the AL Central (yes it IS the Sox) have a winning record.

Throwing the numbers out, I see three solid teams (Cubs, Reds, Brewers) plus one very team that I either misjudged or is very lucky (Cardinals).  I honestly don’t know what to make of the Astros.  Add to that a perennial doormat that is improving (Pirates) and I see a division that is on the rise.

 

 

Big win for Hill and other Cubs notes

rhill It was a big win today for the Cubs against the Pirates.  

It was an even bigger win for lefty Rich Hill.  The ‘W’ was his first of the year and the first for a Cub lefty (are you listening Ted Lilly?).  Hill’s start not only garnered a victory but apparently there was a vast improvement in his approach. 

Hill allowed only one run in five innings with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. 

 

In the game, call-up Eric Patterson notched his first career rbi on a fielder’s choice.  Is anyone else happy that E-Pat was called up and not the red head?  I’ve already talked to two Cub fans who wished it was Murton on the roster?

 

Meanwhile, Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman calls Cubs fans “obnoxious”. 

Fans at Wrigley Field traditionally throw the opposing team’s home runs back onto the field, but after Adam Dunn connected Wednesday in the eighth inning, they got carried away and tossed 15 balls onto the field. Brennaman said the behavior was “obnoxious” and the type of action that “makes you want to see this Chicago Cubs team lose.”

*Sigh*  Welcome to Wrigleyville, Marty. 

 

Speaking of obnoxious, a stupid T-shirt with a stereotypical Japanese reference to Harry Caray was being sold today at Wrigley.  I’ve seen some comments like “who would wear such a thing?”.  I know our society and I hate to say it but more people would buy it than I would want to admit.