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

[Derwood]

Update from Wittenmeyer

 

"The Houston Astros appear willing and able to get out of Houston Sunday to play the Cubs at a neutral site Sunday and Monday, but Astros players are fighting a recommendation to play at Milwaukee’s Miller Park because of the virtual home-field advantage that affords the Cubs, according to sources.

 

Insiders expect an agreement to be struck tonight, and the Cubs moved back travel plans from tonight to early Sunday."

 

here's the deal, Astros: no matter where you play, it will be a Cubs home game. Cubs fans will show up in droves to any stadium you decide to have this series. so suck it up and play

[kujay]

Update from Wittenmeyer

 

"The Houston Astros appear willing and able to get out of Houston Sunday to play the Cubs at a neutral site Sunday and Monday, but Astros players are fighting a recommendation to play at Milwaukee’s Miller Park because of the virtual home-field advantage that affords the Cubs, according to sources.

 

Insiders expect an agreement to be struck tonight, and the Cubs moved back travel plans from tonight to early Sunday."

 

here's the deal, Astros: no matter where you play, it will be a Cubs home game. Cubs fans will show up in droves to any stadium you decide to have this series. so suck it up and play

 

They must realize this. I am absolutely stunned at this incompetence.

[BCVM22]

The Astros players sound like a bunch of petulant summer camp kids who don't wanna have to go sit in the art room during a rainstorm.

[Vinestal]

Player's union is involved. Houston players have called in the union and don't want to go to Milwaukee. Anytime a union is involved, options are eliminated and it gets complicated.

What a bunch of winey baby's, get on the plane and lets get to it. I dont get it. They should just tell them to get on the plane or forfiet the dam games.

Edited September 14, 2008 by Vinestal

[Cubs08]

Anywhere the Astros go it will be homefield advantage for us. Suck it up and play. They swept us at Wrigley.

[Outshined_One]

Player's union is involved. Houston players have called in the union and don't want to go to Milwaukee. Anytime a union is involved, options are eliminated and it gets complicated.

 

Where the heck do they want to go, Fiji? Let's face it, with a good chunk of the US getting slammed with rain and other teams having to play their games, the options are really limited.

[UMFan83]

ok now we are getting somewhere. While I would love to get up tomorrow, drive to Miller Park and get amazing seats to a Cubs game tomorrow, I just want some games to be played. Where are we going to play? Atlanta? Washington? St. Louis?

[anabiono]

Player's union is involved. Houston players have called in the union and don't want to go to Milwaukee. Anytime a union is involved, options are eliminated and it gets complicated.

 

Where the heck do they want to go, Fiji? Let's face it, with a good chunk of the US getting slammed with rain and other teams having to play their games, the options are really limited.

 

no doubt, plus they have to know they have a great track record against us this season...it doesn't matter where we play...they we still probably take two...i don't care if it is in chicago...

 

suck it up houston

[Outshined_One]

ok now we are getting somewhere. While I would love to get up tomorrow, drive to Miller Park and get amazing seats to a Cubs game tomorrow, I just want some games to be played. Where are we going to play? Atlanta? Washington? St. Louis?

 

If they want domes, the options are going to be Milwaukee, Minnesota, Seattle, and Toronto for Sunday and Monday (from what I can tell). I'd probably rule Toronto out since international travel has become such an enormous hassle. Seattle would be the closest thing to a neutral site since Cubs fans can make the drive to Milwaukee and the Twin Cities from Chicago. However, I don't know how much both teams would want to travel all the way out to the West Coast to play these games.

[CUBZ99]

ok now we are getting somewhere. While I would love to get up tomorrow, drive to Miller Park and get amazing seats to a Cubs game tomorrow, I just want some games to be played. Where are we going to play? Atlanta? Washington? St. Louis?

 

If they want domes, the options are going to be Milwaukee, Minnesota, Seattle, and Toronto for Sunday and Monday (from what I can tell). I'd probably rule Toronto out since international travel has become such an enormous hassle. Seattle would be the closest thing to a neutral site since Cubs fans can make the drive to Milwaukee and the Twin Cities from Chicago. However, I don't know how much both teams would want to travel all the way out to the West Coast to play these games.

 

I would love for them to come to the metrodome.

[UMFan83]

ok now we are getting somewhere. While I would love to get up tomorrow, drive to Miller Park and get amazing seats to a Cubs game tomorrow, I just want some games to be played. Where are we going to play? Atlanta? Washington? St. Louis?

 

If they want domes, the options are going to be Milwaukee, Minnesota, Seattle, and Toronto for Sunday and Monday (from what I can tell). I'd probably rule Toronto out since international travel has become such an enormous hassle. Seattle would be the closest thing to a neutral site since Cubs fans can make the drive to Milwaukee and the Twin Cities from Chicago. However, I don't know how much both teams would want to travel all the way out to the West Coast to play these games.

 

I think I read somewhere in this thread that Toronto was being discussed.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I'm not sure if it could be configured for baseball, but would the Alamodome in San Antonio be an option. The Astros would likely have a hometown crowd there.

[cubsclapp]

I'm not sure if it could be configured for baseball, but would the Alamodome in San Antonio be an option. The Astros would likely have a hometown crowd there.

Are you being serious?

[Schwarber Fan]

Has there seriously not even been an official decision yet?

 

What a joke

[Irrelevant Dude]

The Astros players are complaining about the Cubs having home field advantage in Milwaukee, but wouldn't there also be Brewers fans there rooting against the Cubs? Anywhere else they go, the Cubs will have a virtually unanimous crowd.

[Illini Iceman]

Has there seriously not even been an official decision yet?

 

What a joke

 

I guess if MLB has decided on Milwaukee and the players are getting the union to stonewall it there is nothing Selig can do to push it through.

 

Again, compare this to the NFL with the NFLPA could have put up a stink about the Ravens essentially not getting a bye week this season (other than week 2 which is pretty worthless) but they obviously let it go through for the good of the league.

[David]

The Astros players are complaining about the Cubs having home field advantage in Milwaukee, but wouldn't there also be Brewers fans there rooting against the Cubs? Anywhere else they go, the Cubs will have a virtually unanimous crowd.

 

Most reasonably intelligent Brewer fans are rooting for the Cubs in this series.

[Mizzou]

In terms of the number of Cubs fans, do you guys really not see a difference in playing the game in Milwaukee versus anywhere else? Come on. Of course there are going to be more Cubs fans anywhere but Houston, but clearly there will be a significantly higher number of them in Milwaukee due to it's proximity to Chicago.

[Illini Iceman]

In terms of the number of Cubs fans, do you guys really not see a difference in playing the game in Milwaukee versus anywhere else? Come on. Of course there are going to be more Cubs fans anywhere but Houston, but clearly there will be a significantly higher number of them in Milwaukee due to it's proximity to Chicago.

 

Plus, in all fairness, the Astros have to travel a lot further for their "home" game than the Cubs. If I were an Astros fan I would think it stinks. However, it is kind of the fault of McLane because he could have agreed on Atlanta or Toronto or something like that which would be more neutral 3 days ago and not be in this situation.

[David]

It amazes me that the disposition of the crowd matters that much to players...wtf?

 

 

They're still getting the last at bat. That's the real advantage to playing at home.

[Schwarber Fan]

Any word on whether tomorrow's game(s) will be on WGN?

 

The regularly scheduled one was supposed to be...

[shnsajax]

If Cubs announce they will forfiet games to be played after the season assuming they have already won the division every other owner in baseball will push Selig.

[David]

Any word on whether tomorrow's game(s) will be on WGN?

 

The regularly scheduled one was supposed to be...

 

Considering we don't even know that there is any game tomorrow, I doubt it.

 

If there is a night game tomorrow (whether it's just a night game or the second part of a day-night DH), I think it might have to be blacked out because of ESPN having exclusive rights to the Sunday night timeslot (hence why there are never any other Sunday night games scheduled). I don't know for sure if that's the case, though, nor do I know if they can/would be willing to make any exceptions.

[Laura]

It amazes me that the disposition of the crowd matters that much to players...wtf?

 

 

They're still getting the last at bat. That's the real advantage to playing at home.

 

That seems bogus. I guess it helps them claim they're doing it for their fans.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I finally talked to my friend in Houston. They are under a curfew for the entire city, no one is allowed into downtown, and most of the city has no electricity or running water. One thing is for certain, no games are going to be played there.

 

I guess now we're just waiting to see when and where we play next. Of course, the Astros website still lists the next game as 1:05 tomorrow at MMP. ](*,)