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If You Have Nothing Nice to Say….
GAME 138 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT]
CHICAGO CUBS (66-71) @ ST LOUIS CARDINALS (88-50)
BUSCH STADIUM, 7:10 pm CDT, TV: WGN, FSMW
| Matt Morris, RHP 14-6, 3.91 ERA 101/27 K/BB, 15 HR in 161.0 IP |
Glendon Rusch, LHP 5-8, 4.83 ERA Cubs Organizational Report Week 22The second line in the minor league records are the teams overall records. The seasons are over for Iowa, Daytona, Peoria and the Arizona Summer League.
Team Records updated through 9/05/05; Individual Stats updated through 9/05/05
Hairy PredicamentsFor someone that crossed him earlier in the season with some unappreciated comments about playing time, Dusty Baker of late has been showing an awful lot of loyalty to Jerry Hairston Jr, and it's somewhat hard to work out just why. Hairston has become a regular in the outfield, and while that was slightly desirable earlier in the year for a lack of better options, things have since changed with the emergence of Matt Murton.
Laughing at the SchedulersGAME 137 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT]
CHICAGO CUBS (66-70) @ ST LOUIS CARDINALS (87-50)
BUSCH STADIUM, 1:15 pm CDT, TV: WGN, FSMW
Fifteen of the Cubs' last twenty-seven games are against either the St Louis Cardinals or the Houston Astros, for there was supposed to be a big three horse race down the stretch. But none of the teams have kept their end of the bargain. The Cubs fell out of things far too soon, and the Astros have had serious problems scoring runs. The Cardinals, meanwhile, just picked up where they left off last year, and ran away with the division before the others had even noticed it was gone. What the Cardinals have done so far this year is remarkable. This is a team that's been without Scott Rolen, Reggie Sanders, Larry Walker and Yadier Molina for large chunks of the season, that's had to weather the decline of Jim Edmonds, and that was thoroughly ripped off in the Mark Mulder trade. And yet, regardless, they've put the excuses aside, and have simply got on with the business of winning, day in and day out. As much as I hate to say, I wish our Cubs were more like these Cards. Sweeping Those Pesky Kids Under the CarpetGAME 136 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT]
CHICAGO CUBS (65-70) @ PITTSBURGH PIRATES (55-80)
PNC PARK, 12:35 pm CDT, TV: WGN
Once again, Dusty has decided that in pursuit of the division title the wild card a winning record the right to pick first in next year's amateur draft, Ronny Cedeno and Matt Murton get in the way. Or rather, to quote the official line, they'll learn more from sitting on the bench watching Neifi Perez slap at the ball and Jerry Hairston turn every single flyball, routine or otherwise, into an adventure in body contortion... Hurricane Katrina: How You Can HelpI feel completely cut-off from what's happening in the U.S., but thanks to the Internet I can sort of follow the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and it's absolutely heartwrenching.
Private relief organizations are struggling to provide the most basic necessities (food, water and shelter) to the residents of Louisiana and Mississippi whose lives have been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.
If you would like to help by donating your money or your time, here is a list of relief organizations to contact:
American Red Cross", 800-435-7669
Red With EnvyToday's piece was written by Don Nelson (twinscubsfandon) and he has been a practicing Cubs fan since 1969. He lives in suburban Chicago and frequently talks about starting his own blog, which, he notes, requires a lot less energy and commitment than actually doing it. He works in advertising and carries a 1970 Don Kessinger baseball card in his briefcase.
The beauty of having your favorite baseball teamís season reach a virtual end before its actual end is that you can get a head start on your season retrospective. (ì2005: A Kansas City Royals Year In Reviewî could have been penned in mid-May.)
When I look back on the Cubs season, one of the more noteworthy events, I think, was the Red Soxí visit to Wrigley back in June. Youíll recall that series offered a satisfying result (two Cub wins out of three), the proverbial ìplayoff atmosphere,î and a lot of media blather about how the two franchises simply belonged on the same field.
Closers Of The FutureWell, let me introduce myself before you read my dull words, that
somehow made it into this very-appreciated site. I'm Carlos Rubi, an
eighteen year old high school senior from Merida, Mexico; I've been a
Cubs fanatic since 1994, and will be one until... well, until I stop
caring. Or until I get married. Some of you may know me from the
Parachat; I'm usually there to spend every other game,
classes-permitting I also run a weblog Dusty Says, along with two
other people. Well, then, I shall leave you with the article. Thanks
to TCR for giving me this opportunity...
He has the stuff to be the Cubs' closer of the future!
How many times have we heard that in the past ten years? Try to remember the number. Three, four? Wrong. The closer role is as vital as a bag of carrots; though, in the modern way of playing baseball, it must be a role well defined and set to an individual.
Through the minor leagues, and even in the major leagues, several lethal pitchers with arrow fastballs and knee-buckling breaking stuff have joined the spinning wheel that is the Cubs bullpen. Guys like Myers, Gordon, Alfonseca, Veres, Remlinger all have closed games for the Cubs, but all of those were acquired by trades or free agency.
This story, though, will focus on the guys scouts have labeled as the perennial closers of the future (COTF); none of them, at the time of this article, have been able to succeed at that role.
How Lowe Can We Go?GAME 133 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT]
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (60-72) @ CHICAGO CUBS (63-69)
WRIGLEY FIELD, 1:20 pm CDT, TV: WGN, Fox Sports West 2
Prior DominanceGAME 132 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT]
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (60-71) @ CHICAGO CUBS (62-69)
WRIGLEY FIELD, 7:05 pm CDT, TV: WGN, Fox Sports West 2
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Recent comments
crunch (view)
no days off til may 9th. moves may happen if the pen gets too worked tomorrow.
Cubster (view)
On top of all that…Wicks scratched for Sunday due to “forearm soreness.” Bullpen day again starting with Mervis or Wisdom (or Wesn).
crunch (view)
"Morel told reporters after the game that he felt alright, just a little banged up — specifically noting his right hip and both elbows. He did say that he was optimistic about his ability to play on Sunday, though manager Craig Counsell may have other plans."
crunch (view)
rsox putting pablo reyes up to pitch...an infielder...cranking 70+mph stuff.
...and of course he gets out of it with no runs scored...that kind of day for the cubs.
crunch (view)
...and wisdom replaces mervis on the mound to try to get the last out.
busch is at 3rd, but i wouldn't read too much into that.
wisdom's thrown a couple in the 80s (one of them 88mph), but both missed the strike zone badly.
crunch (view)
matt mervis is no david ross on the mound.
cubs run differential getting destroyed.
crunch (view)
matt mervis pitching...wisdom replaces morel at 3rd.
he's featuring some high-50s thunder on the fastball.
through 15 pitches, he's straight up throwing BP...all mid-high 50s lobs. no way he's going to jose canseco himself out of a job.
on pitch 21 he railed a 75mph fastball missing high on a 0-1 count. ha.
crunch (view)
he's hugging canario in the dugout cuz morel will shrivel up and die if he doesn't hug at least a dozen people a day.
crunch (view)
and morel is injured...nice.
morel trying to play LF from 3rd...runs into canario while leaping and comes down ribs/arm-first.
hopefully he sticks around to finish this terrible game, or at least is going to avoid the IL.
TarzanJoeWallis (view)
Amen to that last point!