Monday, October 6, 2008

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Virtually Unhittable

I knew a little about Rich Harden, but I haven't had a chance to watch him pitch. I missed his first start as a Cub when he went 5 1/3 with 10 strikeouts. However, I just read this article on his mechanics and pitches. Check out how filthy his fastball / change-up combo is:

http://www.baseball-intellect.com/Articles/rich-harden-trade.html
Scroll halfway down the page to the "Stuff" section.

I can't believe how similar those pitches look until a few feet away from the batter. No wonder this guy strikes everyone out. His stuff is bordering on unfair.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

How Cub DNA got in my blood

Here are some thought and memories that Grand Dad Cub Fan wrote down for us. This was written by the man who is responsible for the Cub fandom in our family. This was written prior to the start of the 2008 season. - CubTattoo

I think I started being a Cub fan about 1938-40. As far as I know my dad never listened to any Cub games. My neighbor (Johnny Kenon) would go to a Cub game and when he came home he would tell me all about the game. He had an aunt who lived in Blue Island, Illinois, a suburb south of Chicago. He would drive up to her place, then get on the commuter train and go north thru Chicago to the ballpark. He would come back the same way after the game. I went with him this way to my first Cub game. It was also my first time in Chicago. His aunt got us the tickets. I think they cost $4.00 and we rode the train thru downtown Chicago to Wrigley Field. The train would stop along the way and by the time we got to the game, the train was always full.

At the game I remember sitting in the upper deck behind home plate. There 8 teams in each league. All teams were east of the Mississippi except St Louis. There were 2 teams in New York and Chicago. The National League teams were the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinal and the Cubs. When the regular season was over, the team with the best record played in the World Series until one team won 4 games.

Teams played 154 games a year. Each team played every other team in the league 22 times, 11 at home and 11 on the road. There were lots of double headers back then. They played double headers on most every Sunday and most holidays. The following day, teams were off for traveling. Teams traveled by train and bus.

P.K. Wrigley owned the Cubs. He also owned Catalina Island off the coast of California which is where the Cubs held spring training. I don’t know when they moved to Arizona. [It was 1952.]

The pitchers in those days worked hard and long. A lot of pitchers worked 450+ innings a season. Some had as high as 42 complete games as season. In fact, in 1926 a pitcher from Cleveland pitched a double header one day, went all the way in both games and won both games. I got my facts & figures out of a baseball book I have to compare pitchers back then with present day pitchers. Now it is not unusual for a manager to use 3 or 4 pitchers in one inning.

When the Cub team was on the road the Sox played in Chicago and the other way around. When the Cubs played at Wrigley Field the game was broadcast on the radio like it is now. When the Cubs were on the road the radio announcer stayed in Chicago and got a feed of the game thru Western Union. The announcer then put on the air. Later the announcer started traveling with the team.

I remember the Cubs playing in the 1945 World Series, but they lost to Detroit in 7 games. The goat was alive and well at that time.

Players did not have agents at that time. Each player represented himself in contract talks with the club. I think they always had 1 year deals. The average salary in 1942 was $6,400. I wonder how long A-Rod would have to play to earn that much [A-Rod makes $172,839.50 / game].

The Cubs improved a lot in 2007 over 2006 and hopefully 2008 will improve a little more, stay out of key injuries and have a little luck, maybe, just maybe they can get rid of the curse of the goat and this time next year the World Series flag will be flying high above the Wrigley Field scoreboard. 100 years is a nice round number for Cub fans and future Cub fans to remember.

-GrandDadCubFan

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

The Chicago Way

Check out the Hardball Times report on our game yesterday:

I hate Kevin Costner, but I will say that the Untouchables is probably his best movie.

Monday, July 7, 2008

The Sky is Falling, the Sky is Falling!

Despite taking 2/3 from the Cardinals this weekend and creating a 3.5 game lead over the Cards and Brewers, this weekend was a bad one for my Cubbies. The weekend ended last evening with news that the Brewers had just agreed to a trade for one of baseball's best pitchers and reigning AL Cy Young award winner, C.C. Sabathia. With the boost that this will give to the Brewers, the Cubbies postseason chances aren't looking promising. I expected both the Cards and Brews to drop off eventually, but adding one of the true aces in baseball will certainly revitalize the Brewers.

The question is, what can the Cubs possibly do to counter? There are some other pitchers out there like Rich Harden (the AL Mark Prior), AJ Burnett and Randy Wolf (who hasn't had an ERA under 4 since 2002). I like the prospect of Harden, but he's only once pitched over 128 innings in a season since his debut in 2003. I don't know anything about what kind of injuries he has had, just that he's always had one. I like Burnett as well, maybe that's the way to go. Hopefully taking him out of the AL East would have an even more positive impact on his statistics. If we do somehow have the prospects to get one of these guys, you have to ask yourself if it would be enough. No trade(s) we can make will have the impact of a guy like Sabathia (and his 2.16 ERA since April 22nd).

The other option would be to load up on more offense, but our offense has been pretty good thus far this season.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

I Hate Joe Morgan

Joe Morgan on his very best day, is a totally incompetent baseball announcer for ESPN. On a normal day, he is a self-important hack who fabricates facts on the fly, refuses to even attempt to understand the most basic ideas about baseball theory and uses his stage and baseball stature to be a vindictive prick. I could write books on why I hate Joe Morgan. The main reasons are that he hates my favorite baseball player of all time, Ryne Sandberg (snubbed him at the HOF), hates the Cubs (a rival from his days with the Reds) and he is totally ignorant when it comes to statistics, sabermetrics and apparently history.

I watched my 1st place Cubbies beat the hell out of the 1st place White Sox this past weekend. On Sunday I got together with some of my Cubbies friends (and 1 Sox fan) to grill out and watch the game. We started up the grill around the 5th inning and it took some prodding to get the fire going. While that was happening, Baby Patterson hit his first Major League homer. I saw it happen, but missed the ensuing conversation on ESPN because I was watching from the porch. Sadly, despite my respect and admiration for Jon Miller, I typically tune-out on the audio for ESPN Sunday Night games anyway because I hate Joe Morgan.

The thing that I missed was a comment by Little Joe that fully enrages me. Read this blog excerpt:
In the fifth inning, when Eric Patterson hit a two-run homer into the wire basket that overhangs the right field wall, Morgan referred to the basket as "Banks Boulevard," and then went on to talk about how many Ernie Banks homers ended up in the Wrigley bleacher baskets back in the day - the implication being, of course, that many of Ernie's 512 career homers were cheapies, and that he would have hit considerably fewer without the help of those right- and left-field baskets.
The problem, of course, is that the baskets were installed in 1970 to keep bleacher bums from falling on the field and hurting themselves while reaching for homers. Ernie Banks only hit 7 more home runs in Wrigley Field after the baskets were erected in 1970 and we have visual confirmation that 2 of those homers did not land in the baskets. This means that at the absolute most physically possible, 5 of Ernie Banks' 512 home runs were hit in the Wrigley Field's basket. That, is probably also quite a stretch since you would be hard pressed to convince me that all 5 of the homers that we don't know where they landed, landed in the basket. It is totally conceivable that 0 of Ernie's 512 home runs ever fell in to a basket in Wrigley Field.

It brings up so many questions, but the most prominent is, why is Joe Morgan going out of his way to slander Mr. Cub? It speaks to my suspicions that he just hates the Cubs for some reason. Actually I have several theories on that, but it could also be homer envy. Joe Morgan only hit 268 career homers, just under half the amount that Mr. Cub hit. Honestly, that doesn't really make sense either. You could probably drive yourself nuts trying to figure this moron out. Just add it to the list of utterly ridiculous things this idiot has ever uttered while being a "professional" windbag.

thanks to: http://lavieenrobe.typepad.com/la_vie_en_robe/2008/06/basket-case.html

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Who are These Guys?!?

Has the whole world turned upside down? Last night, Ronny Cedeno is taking pitches and hitting RBI singles, and today, he hit a clutch grand slam and got a curtain a curtain call! You got Felix Pie shortening his swing and hitting 3 run jacks. You got a 6.5 million dollar outfielder leading the bigs in pitches / plate appearance with an awesome OBP. You got Derrek Lee among the league leaders in OPS, and you got Aramis Ramirez on pace for 105 walks. A-Ram has a career high of 50 walks! Not to mention the favorable starts by Reed Johnson, Geovany Soto, and Ryan Dempster. How long can it last?!? Let the good times roll!!!

Mets game 1
Mets game 2
Ramirez Stats
Player Stats
Team Stats

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The Sky is Falling

I know it's silly to get worried this early, but I heard a stat on the radio from this guy. If your team loses 7 of the first 10 games, they only have a 20% chance of finishing above .500. If your team wins 7 of the first 10, there's an 80% chance they'll be above .500. We've already lost 2! I do take solace in the fact we might not have to be .500 to win the division, but I'd sure like to see a few runs.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Scrawny Players




Roger is correct. By removing steroids from the game, we are turning these players into a bunch of scrawny weaklings. Take for example these 3 minor league prospects. I have studiously followed their careers since the late 1970's and have noticed striking changes in their physical appearance. Take note of the larger girth, bigger forearms and dare I say, larger heads! Stop the madness!

Friday, March 14, 2008

2nd Fiddle

Lou is experimenting with new lineups. He is batting Fonzy second to save his legs (less base stealing). I'm really unsure of the logic there, but that's for another post. I don't imagine it'll last long (unless the Brian Roberts trade goes through), but Soriano has already made it known that he's not happy. Alfonso Soriano doesn't like hitting with guys on base in front of him. What?!?!? No wonder he only knocked in 70 ribbis last year with a .560 slugging percentage. Guys on base throw him off his game:
"I never batted second in the big leagues, but the first at-bat was with somebody on base," said Soriano, who was 1-for-3. "I didn't feel very comfortable. But it's the first at-bat. I will have to make a couple little adjustments batting second because I never batted second."
You've got to be freakin' kidding me! I support this guy all the time when BudMan rips him. I know the contract is horrible, but now we've got him and he's our guy. He's not the best player in the league, but he's a really useful guy who does hit really well. But when he says something like this, I don't even know where to start. It bears mentioning that as a whole, hitters do better with men on base because of the pitcher throwing from the stretch and the guy holding the runner on, which opens up holes in the infield.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Scrawny & Weak

Not My Cubbies related, but amusing none-the-less. Roger Clemens (or at least his SNL likeness) says that without steroids all ball players will become scrawny and weak (like those stat geeks nobody likes). Hey, I represent that remark!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Bill Simmons: Keep The Faith Cubs Fans

Bill Simmons is a writer for ESPN and a lifelong Red Sox fan. He has some suggestions for Cubs fans. When I was growing up, it was suggested to me by Cubs Tat that the Red Sox were the AL Cubs. Ever since then I've had a special place for them. When they collapsed along side my Cubbies in '03, I shared their pain. When they won in 2004, I was ecstatic for them. Sox fans are typically intelligent and passionate. As with a Cubs hat, you can usually chat the wearer up about baseball when you share an idle moment. They have overcome in dramatic and convincing fashion. The Cubs have a lot to learn from the Red Sox. We can do this. Just like George Michael said, you've gotta have faith.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Dempster's Called Shot

I would prefer if he would predict a the final scores of the entire world series a la Plaxico Burress, but this called shot aint bad.

4 of my Favorite Words

Pitchers and Catchers Report. Just like that article describes, I've been waiting for this day since October 28th, when I watched my last baseball game of the year. Because it has been gone the past 108 days, means it is all that much sweeter today. Now that baseball has begun, I only have to wait a couple more weeks for the season opener. We are so close.
"That's the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball." - Bill Veeck

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

I Don't Need An Interpreter


Holy Cow! I'm sooooo excited for the season. Check out these new advertisements for my Cubbies.
I got them from here: http://www.suntimes.com/business/lazare/753085,lew012208.article

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Signing pitchers like it's 1999

The Cubs have made a couple moves lately. The most recent was bringing back Jon Lieber to my Cubbies for a 1 year deal. Last year they had Steve Traschel (and smartly let him walk this offseason) and this year they sign Lieber? Our pitching staff wasn't all that good back then. Back when we had both of those guys, Kyle Farnsworth was a starter! Do you remember that? Me neither. Bringing those guys back on the wrong side of 37 might not have been a good call. That being said, a lot of people think we can use some extra help at the end of the rotation. I disagree. I think Marshall can be as effective as Lieber, but I guess we'll see.

The way I see it, we have 7 starting pitchers now: Zambrano, Rich Hill, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis, Sean Marshall, Ryan Dempster and now Jon Lieber. I'm hoping we make a move to ship one of these guys out for something decent. My choice would be to let Dempster and /or Marquis walk. I would hope you could couple them with Matt Murton and get something decent back. Maybe a shortstop? I like Murton, but we have both corner outfielders locked up until 2011 (and Soriano beyond that). I think Murton can start in leftfield for someone. We just don't have the room. If you can't play him, get something for him.

Another recent move was letting Mark Prior go to the Padres in free agency. I have to say I'm upset about this. I think they should have dumped the cash in good faith and tried to keep him around. You know he's going to bounce back eventually. Maybe not to the same form, but the guy's a good pitcher. I think that's one they will regret.