Blueheart05

According to Cubs.com, Rusch will start Friday followed by Maddux. Link

LOL

Good point. The Cubs have handled him pretty well over the years.

If Pujols' run didn't mean anything, then why even finish the game? The Cards were down 7 runs in the 4th inning when he hit the home run, but to say that it meant NOTHING is going a little too far. It didn't mean anything when you consider they lost 12-4 (IIRC the score was well out of hand at that point and Suppan, Rincon, et al were not really stopping the bleeding)

I'm not sure that his image is fake. And I don't really see any "spin". He's a high-profile athlete....... whatever he does will be srutinized by somebody (if not by the local media, then by the national media). If there's a story to tell (negative or otherwise), it's going to be told. You should know enough about our head-hunting national sportswriters to realize that. Personally, I don't think anybody has ever claimed that he puts his head down and sprints around the bases after a home run (maybe you're thinking of Rolen?). If he were overly concerned about his image, he probably wouldn't have done what he did. He clearly had time to consider what the media's reaction would be, and he did it anyway. Personally, I'm not that upset to see the "humanistic" side of him. If you have never met and talked with him in person, you have no clue. On that same notion it is not fair for Blueheart to call his image fake then. Just about everybody in the media who covers baseball and does talk to him says he is a very nice guy. Allthough I agree the bat flip was out of line i dont think it should change his public perception any. He felt like Perez showed him up and decided he would do it to him it might be wrong but it certinley dosent take away from all the charity work he has done. Plus there never has really been any reports come out about him being a jerk off the field either so, I dont think his image is fake as Blueheart has said. What I said was true and if you read the whole comment, instead of just focusing on the word "fake," you'd understand my position. His image is one of only goodness when he clearly has flaws. BTW, I'm talking about baseball related matters. Is it lost on you that Pujols' homerun didn't mean anything in that game? Therefore, his actions were purely selfish. It would have made more sense to save the flip for last night's game. One could argue that the move would have psyched out the pitcher and help lead to a win.

I'm not sure that his image is fake. And I don't really see any "spin". He's a high-profile athlete....... whatever he does will be srutinized by somebody (if not by the local media, then by the national media). If there's a story to tell (negative or otherwise), it's going to be told. You should know enough about our head-hunting national sportswriters to realize that. Personally, I don't think anybody has ever claimed that he puts his head down and sprints around the bases after a home run (maybe you're thinking of Rolen?). If he were overly concerned about his image, he probably wouldn't have done what he did. He clearly had time to consider what the media's reaction would be, and he did it anyway. Personally, I'm not that upset to see the "humanistic" side of him. I disagree on two points; First, I think that both local and national media do try to only show his positive side. The media gives some guys a pass. For instance, many MJ fans weren't privy to his womanizing and other off the court antics until he was nolonger a superstar. One a smaller scale, much of the media, here in Chicago, gave Carl Everett (who isn't even a star) a pass because they liked the team he was playing for (and many of them have admitted it now that he's continued his antics in Seattle). Secondly, I disagree that he considered the media's reaction because he has gotten very little negative press with which to measure it against. Like I said before, I don't think it was the pay back, that he's admitted to, as much as the context within the game. It was a selfish move in a blow out which is why I think it has gotten so much exposure. I think it's just the opposite. I think that Pujols gives the media so little material to work with, so they take something like this and run run run with it. Heck, we're even doing it on this board. With anybody else, I think it wouldn't have even made the news. The context of the game is irrelevant. That's the point I was trying to make by including Zamrano in the original post. Nah, I disagree that the context of the game didn't matter. I also disagree that, my, reaction would be different for another player. I was watching that game live and thinking he was a tool for showboating during a blowout. I know I wasn't alone because of the flack he's gotten. I also recall several threads popping up at Cards Talk, questioning his sportsmanship, directly following the incident. Quite frankly, it reminded me of some of Sammy's hops during games where the Cubs were being overmatched. Do you also have a problem with Zambrano? I agree that I wouldn't want Pujols showing up pitchers every time he hit a home run, but I actually don't mind a LITTLE bit of his arrogance, in this case, considering that he had gotten similar treatment from the pitcher on a previous occasion. Yes, I have the same issue with Zambrano and I bring it up in game threads all the time. I also don't like the way Aramis poses (They are Cubs so I love them but I'm well aware that they are two of the most despised guys, among other fandoms, both because they are good and because of their penchant for celebration). Again, it's not so much the retaliation or display of arrogance that I mind because I think it's synonymous with sports and competition in general. I really think that if he'd done the flip on a walkoff homer there wouldn't have been any flack.

I'm not sure that his image is fake. And I don't really see any "spin". He's a high-profile athlete....... whatever he does will be srutinized by somebody (if not by the local media, then by the national media). If there's a story to tell (negative or otherwise), it's going to be told. You should know enough about our head-hunting national sportswriters to realize that. Personally, I don't think anybody has ever claimed that he puts his head down and sprints around the bases after a home run (maybe you're thinking of Rolen?). If he were overly concerned about his image, he probably wouldn't have done what he did. He clearly had time to consider what the media's reaction would be, and he did it anyway. Personally, I'm not that upset to see the "humanistic" side of him. I disagree on two points; First, I think that both local and national media do try to only show his positive side. The media gives some guys a pass. For instance, many MJ fans weren't privy to his womanizing and other off the court antics until he was nolonger a superstar. One a smaller scale, much of the media, here in Chicago, gave Carl Everett (who isn't even a star) a pass because they liked the team he was playing for (and many of them have admitted it now that he's continued his antics in Seattle). Secondly, I disagree that he considered the media's reaction because he has gotten very little negative press with which to measure it against. Like I said before, I don't think it was the pay back, that he's admitted to, as much as the context within the game. It was a selfish move in a blow out which is why I think it has gotten so much exposure. I think it's just the opposite. I think that Pujols gives the media so little material to work with, so they take something like this and run run run with it. Heck, we're even doing it on this board. With anybody else, I think it wouldn't have even made the news. The context of the game is irrelevant. That's the point I was trying to make by including Zamrano in the original post. Nah, I disagree that the context of the game didn't matter. I also disagree that, my, reaction would be different for another player. I was watching that game live and thinking he was a tool for showboating during a blowout. I know I wasn't alone because of the flack he's gotten. I also recall several threads popping up at Cards Talk, questioning his sportsmanship, directly following the incident. Quite frankly, it reminded me of some of Sammy's hops during games where the Cubs were being overmatched.

I'm not sure that his image is fake. And I don't really see any "spin". He's a high-profile athlete....... whatever he does will be srutinized by somebody (if not by the local media, then by the national media). If there's a story to tell (negative or otherwise), it's going to be told. You should know enough about our head-hunting national sportswriters to realize that. Personally, I don't think anybody has ever claimed that he puts his head down and sprints around the bases after a home run (maybe you're thinking of Rolen?). If he were overly concerned about his image, he probably wouldn't have done what he did. He clearly had time to consider what the media's reaction would be, and he did it anyway. Personally, I'm not that upset to see the "humanistic" side of him. I disagree on two points; First, I think that both local and national media do try to only show his positive side. The media gives some guys a pass. For instance, many MJ fans weren't privy to his womanizing and other off the court antics until he was nolonger a superstar. One a smaller scale, much of the media, here in Chicago, gave Carl Everett (who isn't even a star) a pass because they liked the team he was playing for (and many of them have admitted it now that he's continued his antics in Seattle). Secondly, I disagree that he considered the media's reaction because he has gotten very little negative press with which to measure it against. Like I said before, I don't think it was the pay back, that he's admitted to, as much as the context within the game. It was a selfish move in a blow out which is why I think it has gotten so much exposure.

Lee's hop is fairly muted but I think Aramis' flips and posing get under people's skin. However, Pujols' bat flip on the Oliver Perez home run was over the top; that bat went several feet. It was over the top. Even he says so. He probably shouldn't have done it, but at least he's man enough to admit that it was probably a mistake. How often do you see ballplayers do that (admit they're wrong)? I'm not sure that he admitted he was wrong because of some feeling of guilt as much as it was to undo the damage he caused to his image. He certainly wasn't consolatory right away... He's received a lot of negative press in the wake of this incident so I think that's why he admitted it was wrong. Of course you believe that. Why wouldn't you? Other players showboat. Do they try to make amends, to protect their image? Not really. That's the problem........ most players don't care about their image. The problem is that his image is fake because it doesn't portray all facets of his personality. The spin on him is that he puts his head down and runs hard around the bases folllowing all of his homeruns (which isn't true). This incident showed a number of things; he can hold a grudge, he will retaliate, and he can be selfish. Don't forget that all of this happened during a game in which the Cardinals were losing badly. It would have been more appropriate as a game winning shot. That being said, I have no problem with retaliation but you shouldn't be surprised that people questioned his posing during a blow out.

I'm not defending him. Heck, he admits that he probably shouldn't have done it. Personally, I'm not sure why people encourage pitchers to retaliate, but get this worked up when hitters do it. If Pujols showboated, you'd all be clamoring for a pitcher to retaliate. But when a pitcher shows HIM up, he's supposed to ignore it. I don't understand the double-standard. How is his image "spoon fed"? The bat-throwing incident was reported, just like everything else he does. There's no double standard for me. Players do these things all the time (although, I do think he went beyond whatever little dance he claimed Perez pulled on him). I don't think it would have been a story if the retaliation hadn't been so pronounced. How many people even remember the so-called disrespect Perez showed to him last year? Like it or not, many people WILL remember Pujols' stunt By "spoon fed" I mean that there seems to be a conscious effort to portray him only as a good guy (like the anti-Bonds) when in reality, he's just like any other player with good and bad traits. What "conscious effort" are you talking about? People might remember him throwing the bat. I don't care if they do or not. He threw it. If people want to crucify him for it, then they can knock themselves out. If it weren't that, they'd find other dirt. It's the nature. I'm not sure why you think that the bat-throwing was anymore extreme than anything else that goes on. He threw the bat and ran the bases. Personally, I think it's being blown out of proportion. He's human.....he made a mistake, and he wishes he hadn't. I do think there is a conscious effort to portray him as a good guy both within his own camp and within the media. I also think that because of it more people are "outraged" when he does something that's preceived to be selfish when it's really no different than what other players do. So he becomes a victim, if you will, of his own success and is held to a higher standard. As far as it being blown out of proportion, I think there were plenty of Cardinals fans that also question his actions... I think your posting today was to show us that his status as good guy had been restored because he admitted he was wrong. Personally, I don't see how this makes him any different than any other player...

Lee's hop is fairly muted but I think Aramis' flips and posing get under people's skin. However, Pujols' bat flip on the Oliver Perez home run was over the top; that bat went several feet. It was over the top. Even he says so. He probably shouldn't have done it, but at least he's man enough to admit that it was probably a mistake. How often do you see ballplayers do that (admit they're wrong)? I'm not sure that he admitted he was wrong because of some feeling of guilt as much as it was to undo the damage he caused to his image. He certainly wasn't consolatory right away... He's received a lot of negative press in the wake of this incident so I think that's why he admitted it was wrong.

I'm not defending him. Heck, he admits that he probably shouldn't have done it. Personally, I'm not sure why people encourage pitchers to retaliate, but get this worked up when hitters do it. If Pujols showboated, you'd all be clamoring for a pitcher to retaliate. But when a pitcher shows HIM up, he's supposed to ignore it. I don't understand the double-standard. How is his image "spoon fed"? The bat-throwing incident was reported, just like everything else he does. There's no double standard for me. Players do these things all the time (although, I do think he went beyond whatever little dance he claimed Perez pulled on him). I don't think it would have been a story if the retaliation hadn't been so pronounced. How many people even remember the so-called disrespect Perez showed to him last year? Like it or not, many people WILL remember Pujols' stunt By "spoon fed" I mean that there seems to be a conscious effort to portray him only as a good guy (like the anti-Bonds) when in reality, he's just like any other player with good and bad traits.

Lee's hop is fairly muted but I think Aramis' flips and posing get under people's skin. However, Pujols' bat flip on the Oliver Perez home run was over the top; that bat went several feet.

I'm not sure why you're defending Pujols here. It's obvious that what he did was premeditated showboating. No matter how much he tries to "justify" it's merits, it is no better than what he accuses Perez of doing. His explanations are hallow and, unfortunately for him, more people will remember the bat flip than will read the "explanation." So he's helped to tarnish his own image in the eyes of many. Then again, I never bought into the squeaky image that was being spoon feed to the public (Pujols is no different than any other player in his reactions. I've seen him admire homeruns and flip his bat--although not as arrogantly--in the past).

Oh, I see. I've had that problem recently with audio and video through MLB. I thought it might have something to do with my firewall so I made some adjustments and it worked (I also rebooted in between so I'm not really sure which one step cured the problem). Yeah, I'm behind my university's proxy server, but there's not much I can do about that. The thing is, some archived games work and others don't. Not only that, but the LIVE games work all the time. You'd think that if there was a problem, it would also occur in the live games.... :? Hmmm, that sucks. Sorry. I guess the best news is that you have all of the 2006 and 2007 seasons to view the games. :?

Oh, I see. I've had that problem recently with audio and video through MLB. I thought it might have something to do with my firewall so I made some adjustments and it worked (I also rebooted in between so I'm not really sure which one step cured the problem).

It was mentioned on Comcast Sports Net that the Cubs lead the NL with 4 come from behind wins (after the 7th inning). I agree that last year's team probably doesn't comeback to win.

No, I've never had that problem. As long as the video is archived it should be available

Nice =D> The best thing about Betancourt's single was that Ozzie intentionally walked the previous batter to get to him.

:lol: well played! I believe that the downfall of Lidge started when Walker got that big hit off him on one leg at the end of last year. That's the game I'm talking about! He hasn't been the same since that point.

It was SWEET. When he walked drew and Kent (?) I was praying that there wouldn't be a DP. Nomar battled (I thought he was going to strike out because Lidge blew a 96 MPH pitch by him). IMO, Lidge has not been the same since late last year when the Cubs helped him to a blown save.

what about his Wrigley numbers? you've pointed that out several times, but I think sample size is a big issue. so he's had a couple of good games at Wrigley. no biggie. not enough to say it is a trend. he's been hit pretty well by the Cubs in Florida, a pitcher's paradise. the field will have little to do with the outcome. I'm just trying to add some balance to the idea that the Cubs hit him hard. He's actually had more successful starts against the Cubs than not. Even with that, I never claimed that he couldn't be beaten...

what about his Wrigley numbers?

I'm tired of the Sox. Just lose already.

Yeah, he uses both. In fact, he loves "Murton for certain."