Sad quotes. Sad score. Sad record. Sad Cubs.
Well, the good news is 2012 is almost over for the Chicago Cubs.
Probably I was one of about 47 people who watched last night's 2-8 Cub-drubbing by Arizona.
I mean, I watched but it was unwatchable.
I googled "Cubs tv ratings" and the newest article (the Sherman Report) is from August 31st.
It says White Sox games rule tv in Chicago (yada yada whatever dude), but worse is that the guy compared the 2008 numbers with this year's.
It's a drop of 62%.
In your basic world of tv, that "Cubs" show would get cancelled.
Now, I'm still totally for the Theo Plan, and the minors are seriously, truly, amazingly looking up (see Boise!).
But damn, if I'm Tom Ricketts I'm pretty worried about the family business.
Because it is bee ay dee.
The Jed Hoyer quotes about having money to spend on some free agents (pitching) for next year, that can't be a lie because the product at Wrigley Field has to improve.
A handful of 2-year Paul Maholm-types, a handful of Shawn Camps...
This 2012 season HAS to be the Cubs hitting rock bottom (isn't a hundred losses enough?), and next year the fans HAVE to see some kind of improvement.
Or who's gonna watch?
This is also sad: if everything aligns in my schedule, I'll be at Wrigley on Tues nite against the Astros.
That would be only game number three for me this year.
And I'm kind of a big fan.
m.garza debuts tuesday vs pitt
vanillawafers (with recently shaved mustache) to the pen
Ugh
they have an entire section of the bleachers today...kinda creepy.
Mets fans are louder than Cubs fans. A new low point.
Brett Jackson...
"Some of the best advice I've gotten is, I was sitting with Ian Stewart, talking about hitting and I was feeling for my swing as you do early in the season," Jackson recalled. "He asked if I was comfortable at the plate and I said I'm not very comfortable right now. He's like, 'You need to be yourself at the plate and be comfortable and be the type of hitter [you] want to be.'"
http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130518&...
Geiger-Soler put on a fireworks show in yesterday's Daytona Cubs doubleheader...
http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130518&...
Soler...
Interesting tweet in the tweet box: z'Remember when Rizzo was striking out a lot? No K's in last 31 AB's..tied for 2nd longest active streak in majors"
Don't know if that includes last night, but it sure goes a long way to explaining his improved hitting. It's a curious thing, though, the difference between the way his season started and now. How does that happen?
A short doc on a long ago MLB legend
Semi NSFW
http://www.roopstigo.com/reel/morganna-a-kissing-b...
This awesome
http://mlb.mlb.com/photos/gallery.jsp?content_id=4...
Baseball America Hot Sheet:
Christian Villaneuva, 3b, Cubs
Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .435/.500/.739 (10-for-23), 3 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-2 SB
wow...Arizona Phil's universe intersects with Wrong-way Phil Rogers!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/14/Pete...
per Roto...
Remember Albert Almora? The Cubs’ first-round pick last June is almost all the way back after breaking his hamate bone in mid-March. He’s been playing center field and hitting in extended spring games in Arizona and should soon be assigned to the low-A Kane County Cougars. There’s no sign yet of Junior Lake, who suffered a stress fracture to the top rib on his right side in mid-March. Outfielder Reggie Golden, a second-round pick in 2010 recovering from two torn ligaments in his left knee, appears close to completing his recovery.
USA Today Article on Mark Appel.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2013/...
Scouting report
http://orioles-nation.com/2011/07/28/scouting-the-...
#2 Mark Appel
"Analysis: This is Appel or Gray, assuming one of them goes first, with Appel the preference. The Cubs are in the catbird seat in this draft -- they don't have to pay the premium that comes with picking first overall but are guaranteed to get one of the two huge arms in the class."
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9277478/...
Why would you want the threading on the balls to be different?