Seeing as our CSTB Cubs correspondent may not be availed of wi-fi in the police lockup at Belmont and Western, I thought I might contribute helpfully on the matter of the Cubs playoff opener 7-2 loss at the hands of the Dodgers last night.
I have written that I endorse wholeheartedly the prospect of a 2008 Cubs pennant. My reason for this is a simple wish to settle the Crosstown series on the world stage, and in obtaining that second ring in three seasons, give birth finally to a White Sox Nation.
However, last night has demonstrated the Cubs have a capacity for defeat on the baseball diamond heretofore unnoticed. Huddled against the cold, the normally astute Lou Piniella did not reach for the bullpen phone and passively allowed Ryan Dempster to walk seven batters before giving up a slam, the lead, and the enthusiasms of the attending crowd of currency traders.
To these silenced fans, I exhort: Bankers! Speculators! Griffins and swells! This is no time for mopery! Your tickets bought you admission to a game of baseball, and those players on the field need you more than ever. Upon it, they are struggling in an athletic contest, where the outcome is undetermined. Many of you, not having personally experienced such conditions are understandably confused, even frightened. There, there.
Buck up, Cub Nation, you have little to worry about. Outside of last year’s playoffs, the Cubs are simply not in the habit of dropping three straight games to be eliminated from postseason play. And last year was just that: last year. This year is last year’s next year. There can be no comparison: except for Piniella, Zambrano, Wood, Wuertz, Marmol, Theriot, Soto, Lee, DeRosa, Soriano, Ramirez, Cotts, Dempster, Blanco, Cedeno, Fontenot, Hill, Ward, Pie, Guzman, Howry, Hart, Lily, Marquis and Marshall, the 2008 Cubs are an entirely different team than the one that dropped three straight games to a NL West team in the playoffs last year.
Don’t disinterestedly wander away from your project, Cub fans. That’s not very Chicago. And Chicago is the name on that team, if not your vehicle stickers.
Eh, they’ll be fine now that the dugout has been de-cursed:
http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports_hardball/2008/10/curse-removal-b.html
who’s on warmowski suicide watch?
Look, six months ago, when my wife ran some Cabo vacation dates by me for an extended family reunion, I never thought I’d have anything to do in the first week of October. I realize Cub fans have lots to be optimistic over 2008, despite what we saw last night. What I did see on tv were Cub fans indeed guilty of mopery. Nice job of lowering expectations, Lou — mission accomplished! Sitting by the pool today, I was outraged and immediately wanted to fire someone, via Blackberry, but it will have to wait. My advice to Lou, get to the bullpen sooner and take Manny for walks EVERY DAY. I would criticize Demptster and co more, but as Fox News would point out, I’m on foreign soil.
I will, however, venture to call out the anchor on TBS who said it’s a World Series or bust for the Cub fans. Fuck off you Southeastern Media biased von Douchenbach, you’re too fuckin’ lame to even call a NASCAR rally … what Piniella built in two years is a dominant franchise in the NL Central. All that matters is putting the Cubs in the mix as a regular contender and the Series will happen. We’d love a Series NOW, and names of the lame will be taken and recalled with vigor, but Viva Piniella.
While, I’m sure Rob is pleased to know this devout Cub fan is too busy sailing Cabo to blog or watch the Cubs until Game 3, I will refrain from “ribbing” him about working overtime at his union job or whatever he does to live blog today’s Ozfest. I join him in rooting for the Sox (jeez, pass the tequila, I actually said it) and hope they win the Pennant. Like Lex Luthor foiling Brainiac because he sees it as his and only his honor to do in Superman, I want to see the Sox blow it in front of the whole world to America’s team, Das Cubs.
Ben
Dude, Ben, bring me back some Cabo Wabo!
Favorite stat of tonight’s game – the 4 choketastic errors the cubs allowed are the most in a cubs post season game since 1932. Yeah, you gotta admit, when you don’t win a world series in 100 years, you tend to keep your postseason errors low. God bless Big Z, you struck manny out 2x. Otherwise, oh my god did that suck.