It’s our fault. We ignored the signs, and when you ignore the signs bad things happen. The Cubs put together a four game winning streak from last Sunday through Wednesday and we looked at the positive. The pitching had come together and the Cubs allowed only three runs in those four games. What we probably should have noticed is that the offense had taken a dirt nap and hasn’t shown any signs of a revival.
Things got so bad that Dusty Baker finally moved Corey Patterson to the bench and Neifi Perez to the bottom (well, almost bottom) of the order. Even that hasn’t worked, though for once you can hardly blame Jerry Hairston for any of it.
In two games as the leadoff guy, Jerry’s been on base six times. He’s only scored once and that came when he hit a homer. You shudder to think that Dusty will think that two games of Hairston getting on base and not scoring is the same as 40 more games of Corey Patterson not getting on base and not scoring.
Talk about desperate. We’re turning to Jerry Hairston for hope. The end is nigh.
The Cubs lost three games to the Nationals and should have won all three. They lost last night to the Braves in a game they phoned in. Throw in the half-assed effort on Thursday against Milwaukee and not only have the Cubs lost five in a row, not only are they back under .500 (again), and not only are they about to be passed by the Astros, but they haven’t had a lead in any of the five games.
Oh, they’ve had their moments. Jeromy Burnitz looked like he’d hit a game-tying homer late in Friday’s loss, but it was foul. Then he doubled, got to third as the tying run…and got picked off third with one out. On Sunday they win if Hank White can beat out a 14 hopper to deep short, he couldn’t. Last night Jeromy got lost running between second and third, and Neifi popped up a bunt with two on and nobody out. This is great baseball. I hope somebody is putting this in a time capsule.
In the five games, the starting pitching has been good enough to win four of them. Ryan Dempster threw two scoreless innings on Sunday, just for the hell of it. Even when the bullpen was set to puree about a month ago (not that it’s not still shaky) the problem was not the pitching, it was the hitting. Nothing has been done to fix that, so why would the team’s results have changed? With its current lineup, this is a .500 team, actually, it’s one game below right now. That’s inexcusable. How can you spend $100 million (and I don’t care what you say, if you’re writing a $16 million check to Samuel Peralta Sosa, it should go on your payroll) and have a sub .500 baseball team?
Now we hear rumors that Houston is about to trade for Adam Dunn. Oh, great. The only thing we had on them was that no matter how bad our offense was, there’s was worse. I’m pretty sure there’s no route to the playoffs for a team that finishes third in it’s division. In fact, I think the Cubs proved that last year.
I also love the debate about “snubbed” All-Stars, like we’re really supposed to care which million dollar crybabies have to take three days off and which ones go to Detroit to play an exhibition game where the proceeds go to…them.
I’m happy Derrek Lee is starting the game because he deserves it and because it means Albert Pujols didn’t get voted in. That’s about the extent of my All-Star excitement. E-ramis is on the team, too, which is nice for him. No Cubs’ pitchers made the team because they’ve all spent more time lying on the trainer’s table than doing anything else.
The NL team has to be a heavy underdog. Not only are the vast majority of the great players in the game in the American League, but the NL starting lineup includes a gimp at third base, a dwarf at shortstop, a washed up catcher and one of the outfielders is hitting .262. Yeah, that’s quite the squad there. Look out, AL!
I’m also not sure if anybody noticed but you can tuck those Mark Kotsay rumors under your pillow. The A’s have won nine of ten and are closer to first place in their division than the Cubs are in theirs.
You looked at the last 10 games the Cubs had before the All-Star break and it was three with Washington, four with Atlanta and three with Florida. It was a chance to shove their way to the front of the Wild Card race. Instead, they’re staring at the business end of a shovel. They could very well bury themselves before the second week of July.
Say all you want about how far back Atlanta was at the end of June last year, or how far behind the Astros were near the end of July, but those are the exceptions to the rule. You can’t play your way out of it at midseason and play your way back into it very often. So you either start winning now, or you buy a bigger HDTV for your mansion to watch the playoffs on.
Anybody who hugged this clueless, talentless assbag should be waived, and then beaten to death with a bag of hammers.
“I hope they win every game they play but the seven (against Atlanta), and as I said a couple of times last year, sometimes a team has to learn how not to lose before they learn how to win.”
That didn’t make any sense last year and it doesn’t make any sense this year. It’s good to see you’re just as pointless as ever, Chippy.
Don’t you just love it when the Cubs play as well as they did last night. Really makes watching baseball enjoyable. About as enjoyable as breaking glass with your scrotum.
Dusty says Corey’s done leading off (I’d like to see him bat tenth), and he says he’ll use Todd Walker as the leadoff hitter, but only if he has to. So who’s going to lead off when Corey gets back in the lineup? It’s going to be Neifi isn’t it? Oh, that’s going to help.
Moron Chippy. He’ll never get it, will he?
Mariotti puts down the doughnut to wrongly assume that anybody cares about Indy racing.
Scroll down through the Beege love to read about the rumored trade for Adam Dunn. That would be bad.
Are the Sox after Jason Schmidt? Hey, you can always use another starter, but they might want to find a bat or two.
Matt Lawton’s on the market.
The Mariners’ gave Bret Boone the Borowski, and it’s unlikely anyone will trade for him.
Bernie Miklasz is no Mark Mulder fan. Hard to be–the way he’s pitched.
Wouldn’t it have been fun to have had Sammy and Corey together in the lineup this year? Both got two days off to “clear their heads.”
Peter Gammons latest.
America’s finest news source with a Scottsdale man who thinks his eight month old baby might be gay.
April: .368/.403/.559
May: .259/.283/.370
June: .229/.248/.312
July: .188/.235/.188
Does Dusty not have access to these statistics?
At this rate, if Nomar doesn’t come back, I’d hate to see what September’s numbers will look like.
Of course, they might just end up being equivalent to what I was hitting when my groin fell off.
I still point to Nomar’s stumble out of the Big Urinal Cake’s batters box as the day the 2005 season ended. Yes, he was off to a slow start, but it left a big hole in the line-up and in the infield, something a hot month by Neifi couldn’t even fill.
Dusty freely admits that he’s aware of these stats:
Mike Remlinger vs. righties: .182/.211; vs. lefties: .357/.419
Yet he still uses Rem as a LOOGY.
Did we have a game yesterday? I was out with my boy lighting M-80’s and I heard something…..I thought it was a dream
“Say all you want about how far back Atlanta was at the end of June last year, or how far behind the Astros were near the end of July, but those are the exceptions to the rule.”
Exception to the rule, and there’s two of them in the same season? Wait, doesn’t this shit happen every year?
I disagree, and say the Cubs are the exception to the rule. Then again, I’m not on the fucking window ledge fifty percent of the way through the god damn season either, like the rest of these dopes.
i think I deserve a day off sometime soon
Uh oh!
That’s right, SD. It’s not like you left out the rest of the paragraph or anything.
“You can’t play your way out of it at midseason and play your way back into it very often. So you either start winning now, or you buy a bigger HDTV for your mansion to watch the playoffs on.”
Gee, what a novel idea. How about winning now before trying to bury yourself so deep you can’t dig your way back out of it. Nah, I think we’ll sit around while this franchise, with it’s history of strong second halves (they’ve had one or two in the last 97 years) gets ready to roar back into contention.
Wheeeeeee!
This quote defines the Dusty regime:
“We had a couple opportunities erased by double plays, and we didn’t play well,” Baker said. “We missed a [sacrifice] bunt, missed a couple signs, some bad baserunning. It was a breakdown of our game.”
Asked if he would talk to the team about its ragged play, Baker said: “Not right now. Not at the moment.”
Um, what the hell are you waiting for?
Joey Amalfitano told me that the most frustrating seasons are not the ones where you’re 20 games under .500 but the ones where you’re constantly hovering around .500. You’re not a bad team so you don’t go on extended losing streaks but your just not quite good enough to sustain any kind of winning streak either. The most frustrating part about this type of year, he said, is that you always feel like your just about to turn the corner start putting some distance between yourself and the .500 mark. But for whatever reason, you just don’t do it.
I said this just before the All-Star break while watching a barely sub-.500 Cubs team lose badly to the Braves back in 2003. Then the Cubs went out and got Aramis Ramirez, Kenny Lofton and Randall Simon on their way to a Central Division title and a playoff win over the Braves.
Don’t give up hope, but don’t hold your breath waiting for the turnaround either. You have 40 wins and 41 losses and you must accept each and every one of them.
Maybe is was Joe Altabelli that told me that. I don’t know. It was a while ago. How’s the visibility?
The frustration lies not only in how the Cubs have played…because I don’t think their record is out of line with their talent…but in how close a playoff spot is. It’s just sitting there waiting to be taken.
But when your manager bats his two worst hitters 1-2 for two straight weeks it’s hard to get any traction.
Besides, if you want to cling to the hope that a trade will turn the Cubs around like it did in 2003, you have to hope that 88 wins gets you into the playoffs like it did then.
Do as little as possible
It’s frustrating watching this damn offense.
our new leadoff hitter
Matt Lawton: Hitting
Pitchers try to work Lawton away with fastballs, but he has an interesting theory to combat that. Rather than take those fastballs, Lawton tries to drive them to left-center field. He calls it turning a weakness into a strength. Lawton did an excellent job in the leadoff spot, hitting .299 with 16 homers and a .380 on base percentage. He finds an extra gear of patience at the top of the order and is not afraid to hit deep in the count or walk. Lawton said balance problems with his stance hurt him in the second half
Steve:
The event that triggered the A-Ram, Lofton deal was 2 years ago tomorrow. If the 8th inning on 7/6/03 ends without incident, the Cubs don’t win their division.
Hey, I’m not so bad. According to Baseball Prospectus, I’m the 42nd ranked centerfielder (out of 55) in MLB. This is out of everyone that has played centerfield this year.
I’m ahead of such luminaries as Sarge Jr, Bubba Crosby and Marquis Grissom.
I mean, it’s not like I bat leadoff or anything. It’s minimized because I’m always batting 8th, right?
The real fun starts when you start setting some minimums in the rankings and comparing me to all players that play outfield.
Let’s say: minimum of 300 plate appearances: My ranking against everyone that plays outfield? Dead F-ing last (out of 45 eligible)
Outfielders with minimum of 200 plate appearances: 79th out of 84. Ahead of only The Gladiator (how bad would this offense be with the both of us?), Casey Blake (who lost his job), Brian Jordan (who lost his job), Richard Hidalgo (who does have a job-barely) and the great Tommy John disease victim-Tony Womack. Looking at just centerfielders with 200 PA? Dead F-ing last.
Of course, the ranking doesn’t take into account defense, so that’s something, right?
I’m seeing these opinions all over that it’s time to blowup this team. That sounds fine because I don’t care to see most of this team back next year, but why does practically everyone seem to think Walker needs to be sent off into the sunset with Burnitz, Hollandsworth, Neifi, Hairston, Corey, etc… Walker is one of the few things right about this team. Also Hairston gets a lot of shit, but he IS a leadoff hitter. He takes pitches and gets on base consistently better than most of the lineup and if a “legit” leadoff hitter isn’t aquired by next year, why not bring Jerry back. Unfortunately if Dusty is around next year, which he likely will be, Neifi & Macias will be here too. The best trade Hendry could make would be something like Dusty & Rothschild for Ned Yost & Mike Maddux.
Yeah, how’s that Todd Walker working out ?
Better than your complaining ass
Thus far the Cubs have stunk of ass for several fairly long periods of time, but we’re goin’ to the playoffs anyway baby! If there’s one thing this team has shown us so far, it’s that once Hendry figures out who he prefers to fleece this time for that one impact player, (I’m thinking Wood and Mitre for AROD, done deal, no problem) 60-21 second half here we come! What, you don’t think one player will do it? No problem, surely Hendry will get the two or three more. Dunn, Wilkerson, Damon, done, done and done. This is Jim Hendry we’re talking about here folks! 60-21, it’s gonna be a freaking cake walk. We just need to keep on believin’.
Screw that.
I think I speak for several others when I say this is how we enjoy our Dolan. Pissed the fuck off just like most of the rest of us. A pissed of Dolan makes for an entertaining dose. And a credible one too, being as the Cubs are, in fact, stinking of ass.
Dawg, I would have liked to see Hendry trade for Lawton in the offseason. You know, when Pittsburgh got him for Arthur Rhodes (who’s having a good season now, but at the point was not as highly regarded as say, Mike Remlinger).
“We’ve got to put the pedal to the metal right now and try to win all the games up to the break here. We’ve got a seven-game season now.” — Dusty Baker, forgetting that there are games to be played after the all-star break.
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050704&content_id=1115988&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc
I’d sit here and tell you to trade Walker right now but I’m still chasing that “throw” he made Sunday between goin 0-for-his-6 at bats. I’m the second baseman of the future bitches.
A-Ram, Walker, DLee, Barrett, Holly as my PH, Dumpster, Z, Prior, Wuertz.
Not exactly a “nuclus”, as our esteemed president would say, but this is what we have to build from.
I’ve seen worse.
Am I Neifi’s cousin?
“Dusty Baker, forgetting that there are games to be played after the all-star break. ” – Indolent Reader forgetting that if the Cubs blow these final 6 games, they’ll be at least 7 back with 75 to play. Bonus points for making Baker look smart.
As bad as it is right now, the Cubs wouldn’t be any better if they had kept Alou and Grudz. Good riddance to both. Funny how those front-runners suddenly aren’t hurt as much when they’re with a division leader (Grudz) and get to play for Daddy and a team that plays a lot of night games so he can sleep all day and doesn’t have to take substances to wake him up (Alou).
Hi Dave B, I’ve already missed almost as many games this year as the last 2 with the Cubs combined. So much for not being hurt as often.
But you have a great point that the Cubs wouldn’t be any better with a left fielder hitting .326 for the season. June wouldn’t have been any better for the Cubs with an outfielder going .385 with 4 HR, 14 RBI.
At least we don’t have to look at Sammy this year… we’d all be about 1 rally-killing-swinging-for-the-fences strikeout away from comitting suicide.
Moises, I didn’t say you weren’t hurt this year. I’m just glad you’re not here.
Alou had a good June. Dubois had a good month’s worth of ABs earlier, too. At least we’re not saddled with that sullen non-baserunning SOB’s contract for this year and 2006.
I before E except after C, except when sounding like A as in “neighbor” and “weigh”.
OK, Dave, I’m glad you’re happy with Dubois. His 7 HR and 22 RBI aren’t bad. Coincidentally, they’re the same as my numbers for May. Keep enjoying your non-sullen and baserunning savvy OFs.
Dudes, I was laughing so hard the other day, remember? I think it was saturday, after 3,567,877 people protested against the KPatt-Neifi 1-2 punch, I still decided to put them 1-2 again. What a riot, dudes!
later in the day, men on 2nd and 3rd with one out and here come KPatt-Neifi to end the inning. I loved it! dudes, what a thrill!
The icing on the cake was D lee’s HR to open the next inning, instead of 4,3 or 2 runs..it was only one. What a riot, dudes!!
I am the best! dudes and bros.
Every day I arrive to the ballpark and I start making little pieces of paper with the names of the players. When I finish I throw all of them up in the air, the eight that fall closer to the fan the farns kicked last year, those are the ones that play. The closer to the fan, the higher in the lineup.
If there’s a tie, you put both players in a dark room and pick one.
I love it, dudes. Hope you learned something today from your skiper, dudes.
buyer or seller? heck, pass me the donuts!
I’ll wait and wait, and maybe I won’t do a thing…did you know wrigley stadium is already sold out for the season.
thanks.
“we are likable”
Uh, Moises? You do understand that Dubois has done that without the benefit of a) a starting job, b) any signs of ever getting a starting job or even reasonably regular playing time from Dusty, who had to be dragged kicking and screaming toward the idea of ever using anyone but his beloved Hollandsworth in LF, and c) any urine on his hands.
Oh, and with 15 less years in the bigs.
I’m slow, cranky and I ground into double plays a lot
Hi morpheus, the point is that “the Cubs wouldn’t be any better if they had kept Alou” is a ridiculous statement that was made. Keep belaboring the urine and check-swing jokes if you like, but to suggest the Cub offense doesn’t miss 39 HRs and 106 RBI in the least is plainly stupid, especially in light of the current state.
I thought Corey and I were twins, born 15 years apart?
We put up basically the same numbers, and play the outfield about the same.
So…trade him to Montreal? They have a AAA team now, right?
Moises, you obviously haven’t hung around here long. Belaboring jokes is a core tenet of this site…
but anyway, do the Cubs miss 39 HR and 106 RBI? Of course they do. Was there a good reason to think that they would get that same production from Moises this year? Maybe. Maybe not. And at the price he would’ve commanded? We can say now that it might have been worth it, at best.
Considering that the Cubs didn’t add another outfielder (Drew, Mags, or Beltran), it’s a safe bet that we miss Moises a lot. DuBois OBP is Coreyesque.
Yes, Dubois has not lit it up, but he also has been yanked in and out of the lineup nonstop, with Dusty showing a clear preference to play Hollandsworth no matter what the situation. Did you ever get the idea that Dusty was actually giving Dubois a shot? I never got that at all. Produce right now and then MAYBE we’ll keep playing you. That’s not exactly conducive to the development of a rookie…
Hey, how about that starting lineup for tonight?
Neifi
Walker
Lee
Burnitz
Ramirez
Hollandsworth
Korey
Hank
Maddux
Striking fear into Braves pitchers…
Gee..maybe Neifi will turn it all around…
Maybe Korey will be more relaxed at the bottom of the lineup…
Maybe Blanco will start to hit as much as he weighs…
Maybe the Cubs will trade for Michael Young and Kevin Mench..and Grady Sizemore….
Maybe I’ll will the lottery…
Note:none of these things will actually happen.
You can only hope for me. This Cubs team has more talent than the team who’s taking them to the woodshed right now. This team cannot win with Dusty baker. His strategy (sit there and wait until it’s too late) doesn’t work like it did in San Fran. If it boils over, maybe Dusty will get a pink slip.
You’re dreaming bro, I’m a fucking savior…best manager in the game, dude.
Maybe I won’t make a move because I want to lose 100 games. Then I could cut my loses on the Baker deal and not piss off the thirty thousand mindless “In Dusty We Trusty” fans that enter Wrigley each game
Remember when Dusty was sprinkling dust on the field, and the Cubs were winning? That was fun.
Hey people, how do you like the fact that I CONTINUE TO SIT ON MY ASS
and do nothing. I could have Adam Dunn, but noooo I’m going to let Houston
get him. I am so in love with my farm system, I won’t trade any prospects.
I don’t care about you pathetic fans who have sold out Wrigley. That’s your
desparation and lack of field generalship to give me a sold out season
before I deliver a winner….