Hurricane Ike: Cubs vs. Houston in Milwaukee for 2 games

[JGalt73]

Looks like only Friday is officially postponed...

 

Astros postpone Friday's game against Cubs

By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Sept. 11, 2008, 3:32PM

 

The Astros have postponed Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs at Minute Maid Park.

 

Astros owner Drayton McLane said the team is working with MLB commissioner Bud Selig to determine when the game can be made up.

 

"We're trying to be careful and mindful of our fans safety," McLane said. "People in the greater Houston area and Harris County have been encouraged to stay home. School has been canceled and we just want to do the right thing. We don't have a date now. We just wanted to let the fans know as soon as possible."

 

McLane said the Astros are hopeful of rescheduling the game at home sometime later in the season.

[shnsajax]

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080911&content_id=3457639&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou

ST. LOUIS -- The Cubs' weekend games in Houston against the Astros are expected to be postponed, and the Cubs will head back to Chicago after Thursday's game against St. Louis to avoid Hurricane Ike, which is churning in the Gulf of Mexico and heading in the direction of Texas.

 

The Cubs and Astros are scheduled to open a three-game series Friday at Minute Maid Park. There was talk about having the Cubs and Astros play a day game Friday instead of a night game, but all plans are on hold.

 

The Cubs expected to make an official announcement prior to Thursday's game against the Cardinals. The Astros will make an announcement soon, an MLB official said.

 

lol @ MLB

 

Yes let's fly into a city currently being evacuated, play a day game then leave. That won't disrupt any city plans.

[Hall7810]

McLane said the Astros are hopeful of rescheduling the game at home sometime later in the season.

 

Uhh...when? How can this idiot hold our season hostage?

[kujay]

McLane said the Astros are hopeful of rescheduling the game at home sometime later in the season.

 

Uhh...when? How can this idiot hold our season hostage?

 

I have to think some Cubs folks will tell the Chicago writers what was really going on here, so we'll find out.

[UMFan83]

McLane said the Astros are hopeful of rescheduling the game at home sometime later in the season.

 

Uhh...when? How can this idiot hold our season hostage?

 

He's welcome to fly to Iowa and we'll have "the Cubs" play them at any time.

[shnsajax]

McLane said the Astros are hopeful of rescheduling the game at home sometime later in the season.

 

Uhh...when? How can this idiot hold our season hostage?

 

Let's just make the games meaningless and not play them at all

[UMFan83]

McLane said the Astros are hopeful of rescheduling the game at home sometime later in the season.

 

Uhh...when? How can this idiot hold our season hostage?

 

Let's just make the games meaningless and not play them at all

 

The Astros might still need to play them.

 

Also, very very superficial, but it would suck to end the season like 94-65 and not get a chance to reason our generation's high in win total.

[Lefty]

McLane said the Astros are hopeful of rescheduling the game at home sometime later in the season.

 

Uhh...when? How can this idiot hold our season hostage?

 

Let's just make the games meaningless and not play them at all

 

The Astros might still need to play them.

 

Also, very very superficial, but it would suck to end the season like 94-65 and not get a chance to reason our generation's high in win total.

 

Would love to save 27 or so innings from our pitching staff. But if this has an effect on HFA would they still be played after the season?

[otis89]

McLane said the Astros are hopeful of rescheduling the game at home sometime later in the season.

 

Uhh...when? How can this idiot hold our season hostage?

 

Let's just make the games meaningless and not play them at all

 

The Astros might still need to play them.

 

Also, very very superficial, but it would suck to end the season like 94-65 and not get a chance to reason our generation's high in win total.

 

Would love to save 27 or so innings from our pitching staff. But if this has an effect on HFA would they still be played after the season?

 

Didn't something in this thread say they would be played if necessary for "playoff positioning?" I would think HFA would fall under that.

[JeffH]

I think playing the games this weekend at a neutral site is essentially impossible. How would the Astros get there?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Well, I'm not going to Houston tonight. My plans are waiting to see what they announce with the remaining games. I'll stay here tonight, go to work tomorrow, and then decide what to do.

 

If they do play a DH there on Sunday and another game on Monday, I'm going to try to make it. I called the hotel so that they wouldn't cancel the final days of my pre-paid room just because I'm not coming tonight. In all liklihood, this is going to end up being a lot of money thrown away by me. Of course, it's still minor compared to the damage to property many people on the Gulf Coast will experience, so I'll take it that way. Of course, I still need my roof repaired because of Gustav. Hurricanes are starting to piss me off.

[rrudd2]

I'm really torn on what to make of this.

 

Part of me says that since the Astros are on such a roll, and they have an outside chance an the wildcard, the last thing they want to do is shut down for three days. Seems to me that you want a hot team playing, no matter where the games have to be scheduled. If they sit for a weekend, they loose a good chunk of the momentum they have going. Plus, they'll be sitting in a hurricane. Not exactly a relaxing environment. Playing at a neutral site would seem to make the most sense for the team and their chances at making it into the playoffs.

 

On the other hand, loosing 3 home dates would cost them a ton of cash.

 

Another part says that postponing the games now, and rescheduling them at the end if the season if necessary, benefits the Brewers the most. It just about guarantees that those three games in Milwaukee will be huge, with the real possibility that the division will still be up for grabs.

 

And finally, even if the Cubs have clinched the division before the Milwaukee series, the three games with the Astros will most likely have an impact on the wild card race, which would force them to be played. At that point, the Cubs have to decide how serious they take those games and how they use their pitching staff to set up for the playoffs.

 

So the Brewers benefit, the Astros most likely still get their home games, and the Cubs get the short end of the stick.

 

Hmmmm, who's making the decisions? Oh, yeah, Bud Selig with input from Drayton McClane.

 

How convenient.

[Sammys Boombox]

I think playing the games this weekend at a neutral site is essentially impossible. How would the Astros get there?

 

They would fly there tonight...

[JeffH]

I think playing the games this weekend at a neutral site is essentially impossible. How would the Astros get there?

 

They would fly there tonight...

 

During their game?

[rrudd2]

I think playing the games this weekend at a neutral site is essentially impossible. How would the Astros get there?

 

They would fly there tonight...

 

During their game?

 

After...

 

Just like the Cubs were supposed to fly into Houston AFTER their game with the Cardinals.

[Sammys Boombox]

McLane said the Astros are hopeful of rescheduling the game at home sometime later in the season.

 

Uhh...when? How can this idiot hold our season hostage?

 

Bud Selig DROPPED the ball BIG TIME.

 

This is a big what-if scenario:

 

What if the Cubs have 1 or 2 other games rained out this year?

What if these 3 games are pushed to after the season AND they mean something for:

a. HFA.

b. Cubs/Brewers Central race.

c. Astros/Brewers/Cardinals/Phillies/Mets WC race.

 

Possible issues

a. You push back the NL Playoffs.

b. The Cubs (with most likely the best record in baseball) can't setup their rotation for the playoffs.

c. The Cubs have to play 3 games that are meaningless to them for the Astros WC chances. (Hopefully it would be all AAA guys, but that isn't right to the contenders not named the Astros).

 

PLAY THE GAMES WHENEVER AND WHEREVER YOU HAVE A CHANCE!

[UMFan83]

Its too bad the Cardinals play on the road on Friday. If the game got rained out tonight, it would be cool to see a 3 team DH with the Cubs and Cardinals playing during the day Friday, and the Cardinals and their next opponent at night.

[Sammys Boombox]

I think playing the games this weekend at a neutral site is essentially impossible. How would the Astros get there?

 

They would fly there tonight...

 

During their game?

 

After...

 

Just like the Cubs were supposed to fly into Houston AFTER their game with the Cardinals.

 

Just like every team does on a road trip after a night game on a Thursday...

[bcl412]

What are the odds of having just a week long of makeup games if tonight gets rained out and then the 3 vs Houston get rained out. This isn't being handled very well.

[JeffH]

I think playing the games this weekend at a neutral site is essentially impossible. How would the Astros get there?

 

They would fly there tonight...

 

During their game?

 

After...

 

Just like the Cubs were supposed to fly into Houston AFTER their game with the Cardinals.

 

Just like every team does on a road trip after a night game on a Thursday...

 

Slightly different situation here with the roads jammed and the airports in the process of shutting down.

 

Can't imagine any way that would happen.

[Sammys Boombox]

I think playing the games this weekend at a neutral site is essentially impossible. How would the Astros get there?

 

They would fly there tonight...

 

During their game?

 

After...

 

Just like the Cubs were supposed to fly into Houston AFTER their game with the Cardinals.

 

Just like every team does on a road trip after a night game on a Thursday...

 

Slightly different situation here with the roads jammed and the airports in the process of shutting down.

 

Can't imagine any way that would happen.

 

With about 24 hours to landfall they could make it.

Edited September 11, 2008 by Sammy's Boombox

[UMFan83]

Lets say the games need to be replayed but the Cubs have clinched HFA....

 

Mon - Game 1 - Lilly

Mon -Game 2 - Marquis

Tues - Marshall

 

Cubs start the playoffs

Game 1 - Zambrano

Game 2 - Dempster

Day off

Game 3 - Harden

Game 4 - Lilly

 

So it wouldn't KILL our rotation to have to play those games. Lilly is the only starter effected, and he would be pitching on 5 days rest in Game 4.

 

I'd imagine it would be ok to have our lineup be:

 

Fukudome, RF

Fontenot, 2B

Hoffpauir, 1B

DeRosa, 3B

Johnson, LF

Blanco, C

Pie, CF

Cedeno, SS

[UMFan83]

BTW, according to the Trib, now Friday AND Saturday's games have officially been postponed.

[Guest]

BTW, according to the Trib, now Friday AND Saturday's games have officially been postponed.

 

Yup, ESPN has it too:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3581523

 

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0911/mlb_a_hurricaneike_600.jpg

[rrudd2]

BTW, according to the Trib, now Friday AND Saturday's games have officially been postponed.

 

mlb.com says the same thing.