8/6 Astros (Backe) @ Cubs (Marquis) - 1:20 WGN

[imb]

I think sometimes LLF does that on purpose.

 

I honestly couldn't have come up with a worse offseason plan if I tried.

 

Well, maybe giving Sheets an 8 year 116 million dollar deal... ?

 

K Rod would be great. CCs going to th Dodgers. He wants to play there, they have the need, and they have the money. I dont see us going after Sheets. Too many teams will be after him, and we already have one pitcher that makes me bite my nails every time the take him out of the game. Imagining Marmol to Wood to K Rod brings chills. Again, its all moot, as he will not be leavin Annaheim.

 

walk rate up, k rate down, no thanks

[chuckywang]

i'm pretty sure that backe has quit this game mentally. can't believe cooper left him in to hit when they had a good chance to get back in it.

 

Given what I've seen of him, and some of the things I've heard him say, I think Cecil Cooper just might be a worse manager than Dusty.

 

i didn't think that was possible.

 

IIRC, he had Berkman lay down a sac bunt this year. It was on FJM some time ago.

 

I think that was Dusty Baker with Encarnacion and Dunn.

 

Cecil Cooper said he would rather have Berkman hit a single rather than a home run with the Astros down 4 in the 9th. This was after the game when Berkman hit a HR to bring the Astros back within 2.

[chuckywang]

Anyone who stuck with the team until the bitter end in 2006 knows the name of one of the bright spots that year, Ryan O'Malley

 

how many people really stuck with that team? i remember game threads that were 2 or 3 pages long, mostly fred doing play by play for himself. they were a complete waste of time to follow (except on rich hill days).

 

I'll say one thing, it was a lot less stressful to watch the team at the end of 2006. Losing was expected. If they won, it was gravy. But if they blew a 5 run lead, it wasn't really a big deal because you hated pretty much everyone on the roster.

 

classic game thread - 22 posts TOTAL. these game threads have twice as many before the game even starts.

 

and of course a classic cob lineup:

 

 

Pierre, CF

Fast Freddie, 2B

Ramirez, 3B

Murton, LF

Moore, 1B

Blanco, C

Coats, RF

Cedeno, SS

Mateo, P

 

You picked a fitting game thread from the 2006 season:

 

Bottom of the 9th, Reds Batting, Behind 1-2, Ryan Dempster facing 8-9-1

Ryan Dempster replaces Freddie Bynum pitching and batting 2nd; Ryan Theriot moves to 2B; Todd Hollandsworth pinch hits for Jason LaRue batting 8th

T Hollandsworth Double to LF (Fly Ball to Deep CF)

Juan Castro pinch hits for Aaron Harang batting 9th; Ray Olmedo pinch runs for Todd Hollandsworth batting 8th

J Castro Wild Pitch; Olmedo to 3B

" " Strikeout Swinging

C Denorfia Wild Pitch; Olmedo Scores

" " Single to LF (Ground Ball)

S Hatteberg Single to CF (Line Drive); Denorfia to 3B

84% R Aurilia Intentional Walk; Hatteberg to 2B

Scott Eyre replaces Ryan Dempster pitching and batting 2nd; Royce Clayton pinch hits for Dewayne Wise batting 4th

R Clayton Single to LF (Ground Ball); Denorfia Scores; Hatteberg to 3B; Aurilia to 2B

2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. Cubs 2, Reds 3.

[Soul]

I'm really bummed because there's no Cub baseball today.

 

But that's a really cool feeling to have, because in order for me to feel bummed the Cubs must be playing great.

 

 

So I'm happy to be bummed.

 

It's a conundrum, I tell you. A quandry.

[TruffleShuffle]

walk rate up, k rate down, no thanks

 

uh, saves up. way up. come on, IMB.

[gflore34]

While watching the highlights via MLB' site I found it great that the Cubs where finally pounding Backe like the mediocre pitcher he is furthermore, at some point, Carlos Lee has to hit the dirt. If I recall his days with the White Sox correctly, he's a p**** who's easily intimidated, I'm thinking a well placed FB will take care of his confidence vs. the Cubs.

[98navigator]

oh, cecil cooper finally woke up.

 

Astros radio said that Backe was still in the game because the team does not have an off day until late in the month (similar to the long span the Cubs just finished). Cooper didn't want to get into the bullpen earlier than was necessary.

[jersey cubs fan]

oh, cecil cooper finally woke up.

 

Astros radio said that Backe was still in the game because the team does not have an off day until late in the month (similar to the long span the Cubs just finished). Cooper didn't want to get into the bullpen earlier than was necessary.

 

It looked like Backe almost had a Patrick Roy moment, complaining to the manager for keeping him in so long.

[David]

oh, cecil cooper finally woke up.

 

Astros radio said that Backe was still in the game because the team does not have an off day until late in the month (similar to the long span the Cubs just finished). Cooper didn't want to get into the bullpen earlier than was necessary.

 

It looked like Backe almost had a Patrick Roy moment, complaining to the manager for keeping him in so long.

 

 

For those of you, like myself, that never would've gotten that hockey reference, here's what Wikipedia has to say...

 

 

On December 2, 1995, Roy was in net against the Detroit Red Wings during Montreal's worst home game in franchise history, a 12-1 loss. Roy allowed nine goals on 26 shots, and the crowd jeered him whenever he made an easy save. In response, Roy raised his arms in mock celebration. When coach Mario Tremblay finally pulled Roy in the middle of the second period, Roy stormed past him and told team president Ronald Corey "It's my last game in Montreal." Roy later told the media that despite allowing five goals on 17 shots in the first, Tremblay kept him in net in order to humiliate him. He also said that he would not have demanded a trade if Tremblay had kept him on the bench in the second period. Roy and Tremblay reportedly had a lengthy, strained relationship; during his sports radio career, Tremblay often criticized Roy, and when they played together, they would argue during practice.

[jersey cubs fan]

When I saw the video shot at the same time as this photo:

 

http://images.chron.com/photos/2008/08/06/12367871/342xSectionMain.jpg

 

I never would have thought this would have been the explanation.

 

CHICAGO — Once Cecil Cooper mercifully called on his bullpen Wednesday afternoon, Brandon Backe stuck around the Wrigley Field mound an extra few seconds to hand his manager more than the ball.

 

Backe also gave Cooper an apology after the Chicago Cubs routed the Astros 11-4.

 

“It was time for me to come out,” Backe said after giving up a career-high 11 runs on nine hits and six walks over 31⁄3 innings. “I literally just apologized to (Cooper) for not being able to get into the fifth or sixth inning. That was all that was said.

 

“Really, that’s all there was to it. It’s just an unfortunate day for me and an unfortunate day for the Astros. Tim Byrdak really gets a big thumbs up for what he did.”

[Soul]

When I saw the video shot at the same time as this photo:

 

http://images.chron.com/photos/2008/08/06/12367871/342xSectionMain.jpg

 

I never would have thought this would have been the explanation.

 

CHICAGO — Once Cecil Cooper mercifully called on his bullpen Wednesday afternoon, Brandon Backe stuck around the Wrigley Field mound an extra few seconds to hand his manager more than the ball.

 

Backe also gave Cooper an apology after the Chicago Cubs routed the Astros 11-4.

 

“It was time for me to come out,” Backe said after giving up a career-high 11 runs on nine hits and six walks over 31⁄3 innings. “I literally just apologized to (Cooper) for not being able to get into the fifth or sixth inning. That was all that was said.

 

“Really, that’s all there was to it. It’s just an unfortunate day for me and an unfortunate day for the Astros. Tim Byrdak really gets a big thumbs up for what he did.”

 

Brandon Backe, not good at pitching.

 

Also, not good at lying.