4/5 - Phillies (Lee) @ Cubs (Samardzija) 1:20 CSN

[Hairyducked Idiot]

http://mlblogsvineline.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cubs_logo_reasonably_small.jpg (1-3) vs. http://www.beerleaguer.com/.a/6a00d834515b5c69e201310f393624970c-800wi (2-2)

 

Starting pitching matchup

http://itsalwayssunnyindetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/cliff+lee1.jpg

Cliff Lee 1-0, 14.40 ERA

 

vs.

 

http://www.bluegraysky.com/images/samardzija_knows.jpg

Jeff Samardzija 0-0, 0.00 ERA

 

Weather forecast

46 degrees, sunny

 

 

Since this is my game thread, I thought I'd get us started with some fun facts and storylines to get the discussion rolling.

 

Fun Facts

 

Yesterday marked the 200th loss for the Cubs under Team President Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer, who have now presided over the team being 128-200 (.390). I haven't bothered to check, but I'm pretty sure that's the fastest 200 losses of any regime in Cubs history.

 

Our trio of redemption hitters (Mike Olt, Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo) have combined to start the year 5-for-42 (.119). Olt is making contact on just 54% of his swings, compared with Brett Jackson's career mark of 64%.

 

Since Tom Ricketts took over the team after the 2009 season, the Cubs payroll has dropped from from $144m to $97m (Cots' figures). The Cubs have spent fewer days above .500 i that time than any other team in baseball.

 

No team employing Jed Hoyer or Theo Epstein has won a playoff game since 2008.

 

The Cubs have not won a playoff game since Game 4 of the 2003 NLCS. They are on a 9-game playoff losing streak. They lost those games by a combined score of 57-21, with all of the losses being by multiple runs.

 

During that playoff losing streak, the Cardinals are 40-35 in playoff games, winning 2 WS and a total of 10 playoff series. The Cubs have won 3 playoff series in franchise history.

 

 

 

This will be my first trip to Wrigley since 2002 (this game: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200204110.shtml), so I will not be able to bring my particular brand of fun to this game thread when the game is ongoing. So have fun and be safe.

 

* - edit to fix mistake, h/t to treebeard

Edited April 4, 2014 by Hairyducked Idiot

[treebird]

The Cubs have not won a playoff game since Game 5 of the 2003 NLCS. They are on an 8-game playoff losing streak.

 

the cubs lost game 5 of that series. the last playoff win was game 4. the playoff losing streak is nine games.

[illiniguy]

The Cubs have not won a playoff game since Game 5 of the 2003 NLCS. They are on an 8-game playoff losing streak.

 

the cubs lost game 5 of that series. the last playoff win was game 4. the playoff losing streak is nine games.

Don't feed his misery boner.

[Guest]

Nice reverse jinx Kyle. Cubs win 9-0.

[PosterToBeNamedLater]

During that playoff losing streak, the Cardinals are 40-35 in playoff games, winning 2 WS and a total of 10 playoff series. The Cubs have won 3 playoff series in franchise history.

http://img.pandawhale.com/post-29824-R-Kelly-WTF-WHAT-gif-DAFUQ-Tra-WRJC.gif

 

Man, that is so unbelievable. I guess it makes sense considering the playoff format for all of those years, but I don't think I have ever actually realized it was that bad. Maybe I realized it in 2003 and just blocked it out of my memory. That is way more embarrassing than not winning a world series in over 100 years.

[Fro]

Yeah 2003 against the Braves is the only playoff series we've won since 1908. There was no NLCS in the other World Series appearances. 1984, 1989, 1998, 2007, and 2008 we all lost in the first round.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

loljk kid is sick, no Wrigley trip today.

[imb]

loljk kid is sick, no Wrigley trip today.

 

good

[Guest]

cliff lee kind of looks like samardzija in that particular picture

[neely crenshaw]

The Cubs have not won a playoff game since Game 5 of the 2003 NLCS. They are on an 8-game playoff losing streak.

 

the cubs lost game 5 of that series. the last playoff win was game 4. the playoff losing streak is nine games.

 

Well look at the bright side, the Cubs have only lost 9 playoffs games in the last 10+ seasons…not bad, Im guessing the Red Sox, Cardinals and Yankees have probably lost dozens!

[neely crenshaw]

The Cubs have not won a playoff game since Game 5 of the 2003 NLCS. They are on an 8-game playoff losing streak.

 

the cubs lost game 5 of that series. the last playoff win was game 4. the playoff losing streak is nine games.

 

Well look at the bright side, the Cubs have only lost 9 playoffs games in the last 10+ seasons…not bad, Im guessing the Red Sox, Cardinals and Yankees have probably lost dozens!

[treebird]

now that we've insulted america let's get the game on

[neely crenshaw]

unbeknownst to most, Utley posted an OPS of .823 last season...

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Samardzija's incredulity about that HR was pretty good.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Gonna need to see a pitchfx before I buy that strike three to Bonifacio was on the corner. It looked pretty wide, but this camera angle is brutal.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Castro looks good against lefties.

 

 

FU Marlon Byrd

[Guest]

Gonna need to see a pitchfx before I buy that strike three to Bonifacio was on the corner. It looked pretty wide, but this camera angle is brutal.

 

Gameday had it straddling the edge of the zone.

[d_money]

Odd single for Rizzo

[neely crenshaw]

Odd single for Rizzo

 

any type will do right now

[sneakypower]

Asche Larry

[neely crenshaw]

Slow day here, so I have to throw this out there. Listening to the Sox while Johnson is throwing terribly.

Ed Farmer said "we fully expect Eric Johnson to be a top 5 pitcher in of all baseball".

[d_money]

Slow day here, so I have to throw this out there. Listening to the Sox while Johnson is throwing terribly.

Ed Farmer said "we fully expect Eric Johnson to be a top 5 pitcher in of all baseball".

Farmers a weird dude.

[neely crenshaw]

Slow day here, so I have to throw this out there. Listening to the Sox while Johnson is throwing terribly.

Ed Farmer said "we fully expect Eric Johnson to be a top 5 pitcher in of all baseball".

Farmers a weird dude.

 

Hey, did you know he played with and against Frank Robinson? Just listen to a broadcast and you'll hear all about it!

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Barney looks really patient this year.

[neely crenshaw]

The other thing that kills me about "Farmio" is that there is nothing that can happen in a game that didn't happen one time when he played.

A cessna could touch down on the infield, the pilot hop out and steal 2nd base,and take off over the bull pen. Ed would tell you about how that happened to him in some 3rd world country "winter" league or now defunct dirt road farm league(or when he was playing with Frank Robinson)