1998 Cubs

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Oh man, that Javy Lopez HR was awful.

[stitchface]

I was at two of those three at the Dome and saw Sammy's 66th - which temporarily put him in the lead. They had fireworks for him in Houston.

 

I also saw the Mulholland start on Sunday (the only game he pitched in in the series). The cubs had the lead but couldn't hold it. they announced neifi's grand slam as we were walking out of the dome.

 

the comparison to prior is ludicrous.

[Slugger_16]

That whole September series verus the Brewers when Sammy hit 60-62 was awesome. Very entertaining games. It always felt like they could come back in '98.

 

Does anyone remember the game versus Houston in Houston where Mulholland had an easy comebacker and then lost the game when he threw the ball over Grace's head? Wasn't that in '98?

[UMFan83]

That whole September series verus the Brewers when Sammy hit 60-62 was awesome. Very entertaining games. It always felt like they could come back in '98.

 

Does anyone remember the game versus Houston in Houston where Mulholland had an easy comebacker and then lost the game when he threw the ball over Grace's head? Wasn't that in '98?

 

I believe so, I think it was sometime in late July/early August.

[J.R.]

-Crazy Rob Beck (all season long)

-The one game playoff against SFO. Beating Dusty Baker, Gary Gaietti's huge HR, almost blowing it in the 9th, and ending Joe Carter's career on a popup.

 

If I remember correctly, Beck came into that game with absolutely nothing left in the tank. He had no velocity whatsoever. I believe he got Carter to pop out on an inside pitch that barely broke 70 mph.

 

I remember watching that game with my dad partly because, being a Dodgers fan and avid Bonds-hater, he was actually pulling for the Cubs that day. But I remember Dead-Arm Beck coming in and his fastball was barely topping 80 but he got the job done anyway.

 

I need to pull out that tape. I recall Joe Morgan calling for Riggleman's head for using Mulholland and Beck.

 

I'd love to get ahold of one of those paintings of that night's scene - bunting all around, Harrygoblin floating into the mists ...

[stitchface]

ASTROS 11TH: Berry walked; Ausmus out on a sacrifice bunt (third

to first) [berry to second]; EUSEBIO BATTED FOR WAGNER; Eusebio

struck out; Biggio was walked intentionally; BOGAR RAN FOR

BERRY; Gutierrez walked [bogar to third, Biggio to second]; Bell

reached on an error by Mulholland [bogar scored (unearned),

Biggio to third, Gutierrez to second]; 1 R, 0 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.

Cubs 4, Astros 5.

 

 

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B08150HOU1998.htm

[stitchface]

this I do believe was the funnest cubs game I ever went to - Saturday night, two sosa homers, wood homer . . . the sixth inning was awesome. Sosa's second homerun cleared the camera in left center - second longest homerun I ever saw live (the first was sexson in arizona).

 

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B06200CHN1998.htm

[stitchface]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/1998.shtml

 

look at those numbers. lots of career years in there. great platoon in left. look down at Mulholland and Beck's lines though - they and wood carried that pitching staff.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

I always liked Riggs, but he ruined Shooter, he was never the same.

[TB_11]

That whole September series verus the Brewers when Sammy hit 60-62 was awesome. Very entertaining games. It always felt like they could come back in '98.

 

That series was hands-down the most exciting regular season series I've ever watched.

 

- Game 1, Cubs lose 13-11 even though they make an 8th and 9th inning push. Sammy hits 59.

- Game 2, Cubs win 15-12 thanks to an RBI single from Tyler Houston and a walk-off HR from Orlando freaking Merced. Sammy hits 60.

- Game 3, Cubs win 11-10 in extra innings thanks to a walkoff HR from Mark Grace. Sammy hits 61 and 62.

 

The late-season additions of Gary Gaetti and GlenAllen deserve special mention. The Karchner for Garland trade on the other hand we probably want back.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

That whole September series verus the Brewers when Sammy hit 60-62 was awesome. Very entertaining games. It always felt like they could come back in '98.

 

That series was hands-down the most exciting regular season series I've ever watched.

 

- Game 1, Cubs lose 13-11 even though they make an 8th and 9th inning push. Sammy hits 59.

- Game 2, Cubs win 15-12 thanks to an RBI single from Tyler Houston and a walk-off HR from Orlando freaking Merced. Sammy hits 60.

- Game 3, Cubs win 11-10 in extra innings thanks to a walkoff HR from Mark Grace. Sammy hits 61 and 62.

 

The late-season additions of Gary Gaetti and GlenAllen deserve special mention. The Karchner for Garland trade on the other hand we probably want back.

 

Probably?

[sherwood921]

I remember the 1-game playoff. I had hockey practice and I listened to my walkman the whole time in the locker room. I made my mom stay and hand signal the score from the stands.

 

I also recall the 2003 Atlanta series. My brother was an assistant coach and at one point flipped out during out practice(he was wearing headphones) because of a bad call on a Lofton diving catch. I also remember my brother's friend leaving him a voice mail going into the third period of a big game of ours. The voice mail said "you are going to be sick when you get home and watch this game (game 6)."

[UMFan83]

That whole September series verus the Brewers when Sammy hit 60-62 was awesome. Very entertaining games. It always felt like they could come back in '98.

 

That series was hands-down the most exciting regular season series I've ever watched.

 

- Game 1, Cubs lose 13-11 even though they make an 8th and 9th inning push. Sammy hits 59.

- Game 2, Cubs win 15-12 thanks to an RBI single from Tyler Houston and a walk-off HR from Orlando freaking Merced. Sammy hits 60.

- Game 3, Cubs win 11-10 in extra innings thanks to a walkoff HR from Mark Grace. Sammy hits 61 and 62.

 

The late-season additions of Gary Gaetti and GlenAllen deserve special mention. The Karchner for Garland trade on the other hand we probably want back.

 

I was sitting in the bleachers for the second game of that series. I got beer poored on me throughout. After the game, fans littered the field with garbage...whens the last time you saw that happen by HAPPY fans!? Easily the best baseball game I've ever been to (even better than Z's almost no-no in Arizona in 2003)

 

I remember after that series, someone reported that it was the first series where all 3 games both teams scored double digit runs. Not sure if its still an exclusive record or not...

[NCCubFan]

I remember thinking the Cubs blew the Wild Card by losing the last scheduled game of the season, then suddenly getting excited after Neifi hit the home run to beat the Giants and force the tie-breaker. That's when Neifi really did save the Cubs. :D

[UMFan83]

I remember thinking the Cubs blew the Wild Card by losing the last scheduled game of the season, then suddenly getting excited after Neifi hit the home run to beat the Giants and force the tie-breaker. That's when Neifi really did save the Cubs. :D

 

I'm pretty sure the Giants were up like 6-0 in that game too. I remember thinking 'uh oh, we'd better win this to force a playoff.'

 

When the game ended and they showed Neifi's HR, I remember jumping up and down ecstatically, and then watching the WGN News where they showed people sprinting to Wrigley Field to get in line to buy tickets. The line was around the ballpark.

 

And don't forget the Giants were all but out of it heading into the final games. The Mets were easily the Cubs chief competition until they faded and were swept by the Braves, who were just setting up their playoff rotation.

[SouthSideRyan]

The Neifi Game

 

Giants lead 7-0 I had rememberred it as the Rockies being down when Neifi hit the HR, but apparently it was tied.

 

And completely right on the Mets. I rememberred them being in it til the end, but didn't realize all they needed was 1 win in their last 5 games for the 3 way tie, and they couldn't manage that.

[NCCubFan]

And completely right on the Mets. I rememberred them being in it til the end, but didn't realize all they needed was 1 win in their last 5 games for the 3 way tie, and they couldn't manage that.

Yep, the Mets' collapse that year was very Cub-like. :D

[J.R.]

In many ways, 1998 set the standard for modern Cub fandom.

 

1998 was the first grand Cubs tale to be told in the Internet era. Much of what we take for granted now really had its coming of age then — gamecasts, web radio broadcasts and message boards like this one were put to the test by the Cubs community for the first time. That stuff had been around for a little while, but there wasn't much urgency attached to keeping up with the sleepy 1996 and 1997 teams.

 

Writing that post made me feel about 50 years older.

[Roast]

SAMMY LOVE

[Banedon]

SAMMY LOVE

 

Oh hey Roast, were you a fan of Sammy? You're so vague about that and all, it's hard to tell. 8-)

[Sammy Sofa]

'98 was definitely the year (I was 19 at the time) that pushed me over from being your average lifelong Cubs fan mainly just because of where I was born and was raised by Cubs fans to the sadly rabid and over-emotional fanboy wreck I am today.

[soccer10k]

I always liked Riggs, but he ruined Shooter, he was never the same.

 

Yeah, Beck was horrible in 2000, 2001, and 2003.

[chuckywang]

-Going along with that, in his 5th start ever in the majors, he throws one of the best games likely in the decade of the 1990's, pitching a 1 hit, 0 walk, CG shutout and striking out 20 in the process. The only hit is questionable at best. If that play is converted, he pitches a 20 K perfect game.

 

To be totally fair, it would have been a 19 K perfect game.

 

He struck out the 27th out of the game, which wouldn't have happened.

 

 

EDIT: NM< forgot about the DP.

 

It wouldn't have been a perfect game either with that play converted since Wood also hit Biggio in the 6th inning. Also, no DP was converted by the Cubs in the game.

 

link

[sweetpeteman]

whats also amazing is that the first 8 batters struck out, and that Wood struck out 8 of the last 9 Astros to get 20.

[sweetpeteman]

he throws one of the best games likely in the decade of the 1990's,

 

best games ever. not in the 90s. ever.

 

His game score was 105 for the game. Not sure what the highest is, but I know its up there. The top score you could theoretically get is 114, which Kerry was 7 K's and 1 hit away from getting

 

I wanna say it's the highest 9 inning game score.

 

I also believe it is, which makes it the most dominant game ever pitched.

 

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Score and http://www.baseball-almanac.com/stats2.shtml it was the best game ever pitched.