Shaking My Head Still – But I am Here to Chat

“We’re playing like we’re waiting to get beat,” manager Lou Piniella said. “You don’t have a big enough lead in September to play ball like that.”

                                       – Lou Piniella

So, we meet here again. Lamenting the slide…the swoon…the choke. What ever you want to call it. We were going to invite some trolls in here to remind us how the Cubs have historically have been Completely Useless By September.

I gotta say…I usually am the last one to crack.  You know you are going to lose a series here or there…you are gonna drop a game. I spend days and nights telling people to calm down. But who is going to tell people to calm down if I can’t do it? Because frankly…I can’t.

I am drinking the troll Kool Aid right now.

Listen…I am not being unrealistic. I am 99% sure we will make the postseason. I am a bit afraid of what will happen once we get there. I say that as I sit here today….being completly honest with everyone. I want my mind to be changed…FAST.

I dont want to be that faithless fuck who gets bullied into believing his team will choke…

Help me the fuck out fellas…just play ball and stop pressing already…the pitching is there – just relax and get some hits!

Lilly faces Looper tonight. This is the extent of the preview….the preview is a fucking plea.

I am asahmed of myself. Tell me how bad of a fan I am by chatting with me below…

They’re Melting

I am officially going on record as saying that I am finally worried. I have been denying it since we lost the series to the Astros….largely because, I really wasnt. But now it is different. Eight out of nine is a little too hard to ignore.

I never have rooted for another team to lose before this week…but I am literally doing that as we speak. As I type this I am watching the Milwaukee game on ESPN Gamecast…and I am hoping the Brewers shit the bed. Notice that I didn’t say that i am rooting for the Reds? I am actually hoping for the Brewers to fuck up…What’s wrong with me?

These are the days that I hate being a Cubs fan.

The Cubs lost a 3-0 lead to Albert Pujols. This guy has got to end up being the 2008 MVP…take him away from the Cards and they would be in the cellar.

Irresponsible journalism ahead……Fuck…..Fucking Fuck Fuck Fuck…

Ill be around to chat the fucking game tomorrow.

Fuck.

Cubs @ Cardinals Live Game One Chat

Dempster v. Lohse

According to Accuscore the Cubs are the Underdog….this may be a good thing. Our best friends througout this little roug patch have been the Milwaukee Brewers. If it wasn’t for their “swoon” we may be looking up at them. So – With that said…can we please….for the love of God….can we get a freaking W tonight….

According to the upcoming schedule, we have our rotation for the series as Dempster, Lilly, and Harden. WE get the Astros next with Marquis, Zambrano, and Dempster again. Hopefully this means we got our staff back in tact for the stretch run.

Lets jut hope the bats come back with the arms as well.

Chatting ya up in a few minutes

Cubs Get Asses Handed to Them…We aren’t Amused

Today was a bad day. Not so much from the standpoint of the Cubs losing, but from the standpoint that I didn’t get to watch the game. I bought MLB.tv to see out of market games…specifically the Cubs. But today was a nationally televised game on FOX….Nationally televised for who? People in Illinois and Missouri?

I was forced to watch the Yankees get their asses handed to them by the Angels….That’s right, FOX got the two games where there was some serious ass handing going on. Needless to say, I watched the ESPN game cast and listened to Ron Santo until I just decided that I couldn’t bring myself to watch anymore.

1. I was pissed that I couldn’t watch
2. The Cubs were Losing
3. I was the victim of Intensive Nagging all day

So…Unless we get first hand accounts from BozeCubbies or the Man in the Box, I am mailing it in because I have nothing to go off of except for what’s already been said over at ESPN. Anyone can do scoring replays, I have always been about the observations…without anything to observe, I get a little lost…and very disinterested.

Click Here for the Pro Recap (ESPN)

Cubs v. Birds….Review / Preview

Let’s play Jeopardy….Here are the Answers…

1. Cautious
2. Optimistic
3. Both

Question – What are Cubs Fans?

I hate to always be that Cubs fan who gets ignored on some comment boards. Why do I get ignored? Usually because I am trying my best to inject statistics and I actually make relevant arguements against the Cubs nay sayers….it’s usually not alot of fun….becuase when someone say the Cub’s are chokers, cursed, etc. I throw stats at them….I get ignored….It is easier not to believe…Bullshit trumps reality in everyday life – Who knew that  Internet blog forums were a reflection of society? Spineless bastards. 

So in writing this preview / review, I sit in front of my computer as a cautiously optimistic Cubs fan. If I were to type 24 games over over .500, it doesn’t seem too big of a deal because the sentence itself doesn’t make too much of an impact. So let me sum it up this way…the last time a team in Chicago had the best record in baseball on August 8th, it was the Chicago White Sox in 2005. We know that the Sox went on to break a curse of thier own that year…..

_________________________________________________________________________________________

So Jim Edmonds kicked ass yesterday against his former team. We all know the Cubs won so I don’t have to go over the play by play so much, as I would like to point out the ancillary aspects of the game…

• Since the All Star Break the Cubs Pitching Staff has allowed an average of 3.47 runs per game…and thats not adjusted for errors…those are just raw numbers….an unadjusted 3.47 era????
• The Cubs are 13-8 Since the Break
• Alfonso Soriano has been the best second half acquisition for any team in 2008…yeah I know…It was actually Reed Johnson
• Since the All Star Break the Cubs have scored 131 runs….or 6.23 RPG……that is basically DOUBLING up the other team on average!
• Jeff Samardzija…I have some numbers here that wanted to say something…

 Year Ag Tm  Lg  W   L   G   GS  CG SHO  GF SV   IP     H    R   ER   HR  BB   SO  HBP  WP  BFP  IBB  BK  ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
 2008 23 CHC NL   0   0   6   0   0   0   3  1    9.3    4    2    2   0    3   10   0   0    35   0   0  1.93  4.50  233 0.750
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
  1 Yr WL undef   0   0   6   0   0   0   3  1    9.3    4    2    2   0    3   10   0   0    35   0   0  1.93  4.50  233 0.750
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
 162 Game Avg     0   0  68   0   0   0  34 11  105.3   45   22   22   0   34  113   0   0   396   0   0  1.93  4.50  233 0.750

• Well…as much as blogs have their limitations, that Samardzija line missed the point

1.93 ERA
4 Hits
2 Runs

• I don’t know where they found this Harden guy, but he has been quite the gem too. 47 Strikeouts in 5 games?? Is that right?
• 8-2 in their last 10…
• 10 of their last 12
• I am going to shut up before I jinx the whole season

Yeah, I know I say all of this in jest, but when it comes to arguing, it is best to have some ammo….I like the Cubs chances this year….even though I know this boasting will probably cost us a game today, I had to say it.

So on to game two….what’s the deal?

Well  – 100 Year Itch Contibutors are gonna be at the game….BozeCubbies, WisdomCube, and Man In The Box will be attending, which to me is a bigger story than the game itself, but we are a Cubs Blog so…

Here is the scoop

Todd Wellemeyer v. Carlos Zambrano

Here are Wellemeyer’s stats v. the Cubs this year…

Todd Wellemeyer vs. Batters, for 2008, Min. 0 PA’s, Sorted by PA DESC, Then by Name, vs. players for CHC

PI Click on the player name for a list of plate appearances between these players.

                    **PA**  AB  H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS   SH  SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_miss
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
 Derrek Lee            6     6   1  0  0  0   0   0   1  .167  .167  .167  .334   0   0   0   0   0
 Ryan Theriot          6     4   2  0  0  0   0   2   0  .500  .667  .500 1.167   0   0   0   0   0
 Reed Johnson          5     5   3  1  0  0   1   0   1  .600  .600  .800 1.400   0   0   0   0   0
 Geovany Soto          5     5   1  1  0  0   0   0   1  .200  .200  .400  .600   0   0   0   0   1
 Mark DeRosa           4     4   2  0  0  0   1   0   1  .500  .500  .500 1.000   0   0   0   0   0
 Mike Fontenot         4     3   1  1  0  0   0   1   0  .333  .500  .667 1.167   0   0   0   0   0
 Kosuke Fukudome       3     2   0  0  0  0   0   1   0  .000  .333  .000  .333   0   0   0   0   0
 Aramis Ramirez        3     2   2  1  0  0   2   0   0 1.000  .667 1.500 2.167   0   1   0   0   0
 Alfonso Soriano       3     2   0  0  0  0   1   0   2  .000  .000  .000  .000   0   1   0   0   0
 Jason Marquis         2     2   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  .000  .000  .000  .000   0   0   0   0   0
 Sean Marshall         2     2   0  0  0  0   0   0   1  .000  .000  .000  .000   0   0   0   0   0
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+

Has not faced: Henry Blanco, Ronny Cedeno, Jim Edmonds, and Daryle Ward & Has not faced pitchers: Neal Cotts, Ryan Dempster, Chad Gaudin, Rich Harden, Bobby Howry, Ted Lilly, Carlos Marmol, Jeff Samardzija, Kerry Wood, and Carlos Zambrano

But Zambrano’s Slightly better…Slightly is a nice way to say NO RBIs…but there I go cursing the Cubs again!

Carlos Zambrano vs. Batters, for 2008, Min. 0 PA’s, Sorted by PA DESC, Then by Name, vs. players for STL

PI Click on the player name for a list of plate appearances between these players.

                    **PA**  AB  H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS   SH  SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_miss
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
 Felipe Lopez          4     3   2  0  0  0   0   1   0  .667  .750  .667 1.417   0   0   0   0   0
 Rick Ankiel           3     2   0  0  0  0   0   1   0  .000  .333  .000  .333   0   0   0   0   0
 Troy Glaus            3     3   0  0  0  0   0   0   1  .000  .000  .000  .000   0   0   0   0   0
 Aaron Miles           3     3   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  .000  .000  .000  .000   0   0   0   0   0
 Albert Pujols         3     3   1  0  0  0   0   0   1  .333  .333  .333  .666   0   0   0   0   0
 Skip Schumaker        3     3   1  0  0  0   0   0   0  .333  .333  .333  .666   0   0   0   0   0
 Adam Kennedy          2     2   1  0  0  0   0   0   0  .500  .500  .500 1.000   0   0   0   0   0
 Braden Looper         2     2   0  0  0  0   0   0   2  .000  .000  .000  .000   0   0   0   0   0
 Yadier Molina         2     2   1  0  0  0   0   0   0  .500  .500  .500 1.000   0   0   0   0   0
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+

Has not faced: Cesar Izturis, Jason LaRue, Ryan Ludwick, and Joe Mather & Has not faced pitchers: Chris Carpenter, Ryan Franklin, Jaime Garcia, Jason Isringhausen, Kyle Lohse, Kyle McClellan, Chris Perez, Joel Pineiro, Russ Springer, Brad Thompson, Ron Villone, and Todd Wellemeyer

I keep fucking the Cubs with my predictions…so I will leave it to Accuscore to handle it for me. Click here for the complete forecast, but the Cubs are a 66% favorite tomorrow. West winds tomorrow…I think that means its blowing out -  right??? If not…Remember, I am not a weather guy – which gives me just as good of a chance to be right … 50 -50

To me the real story is my online buds getting to meet face to face tomorrow…take some pictures together to post ‘em up on 100 Year Itch….some scratching picture preferably! I will be watching you from my outerspace web cam…..

I expect a full report, including pics from Cubbie Bear and / or Harry Caray’s…