Soul

We need a Manny. A guy who doesn't care about you, doesn't care about me, doesn't care about some stupid reporter or fan who keeps screaming about pressure and curses. Doesn't care about anything but building up glory and fame for himself. It's ugly and I don't like it, but it works and I'm sick of crap that doesn't work.

I wonder if K-Rod has even experienced something like that the entire year. Now he suddenly looks like a normal, shaky bullpen arm.

*hangs head* F.

Screw you Ortiz. Fat piece of goo can't even run for himself, can't field. He's not even a baseball player.

Well hit grounders right to infielders. I'd hardly call those "well hit balls."

Gee. Down by a bunch of runs, and they come back. Why the hell can't we even understand this concept?

Come on, tie this damn thing up. That should do it. ....yep. Tie game. FU snobby BoSox slugs.

Yeap.......damn, those are really tough to take but some of them are downright hilarious. I do find that site to be pretty funny.

Zambrano looked great to me until we decided catching the ball was no longer a priority. To me he did well, it was the rest of the infield that let him down. Pretty hard to pitch like an all-star after an all-time crapfest like that.

He's figured out that he personally doesn't need to play for a future payday anymore, so he's personally having a little difficulty figuring out his motivation. It's personal.

Wow, the aftermath is starting before the final nail is even put in the coffin. Well, here we go. You'll start hearing all sorts of these after-the-fact "we didn't tell you back then, but now we should probably let it out" kinds of stories that usually follow major collapses.

I'm sure there are varying opinions, but I don't really care who they back, it's how they respond that matters. Just about the last thing I need after watching the Cubs very possibly lose on Saturday is to see the Bears tank against the Lions the next day. Ooooohh, you can see this one coming a mile away.

I didn't watch Game 3 last year. Just monitor it on the internet and flip it on if something good might be happening. Haha, you do this too?

We got no time for crazy. Just win this thing damn you all.

Drastic measure indeed. Wouldn't help anything, but it would be drastic.

It's just kinda weird that we always go into these Lions games with significant injuries. I still think it's our game to lose, but the odds are obviously not as stacked in our favor. A couple key mistakes will probably give the game to Detroit. Plus, the Lions are always better on that godawful surface they call a football field.

We'd lose to any playoff caliber team playing like this. I don't think our draw made much difference.

What you going to do? Can't trade Sori or Fukudome. Dlee and Ram aren't going anywhere. You could get rid of Demp, Theriot gone, Fuku opts to return to Japan because, well, it's clear he can't play on this level. There's a dozen things you could. You eat a couple contracts, start building your minors up, go a different direction. I hope you aren't pretending there's nothing the Cubs could possibly do to change. They can, it would just be painful at first. Fans aren't going to buy change for the worst and build for the future. If they make changes it better be to make the team better. All this hinges on the new owner anyway...My guess is not much will change for next year. Then get ready for more choking in '09!!!! w00t! 3 times a charm? 3 times a charm to win? Or 3 choke jobs is a charm to put me into an early grave? LOL.

I can't believe how horrible the guy is at the plate. I didn't think Fuku would be amazing, but no way did I think he would suck this bad. I don't think anyone else did either. Look at the credentials in Japan. Sure, it's not MLB, but they know how to throw a curveball and a low-and-away slider over there. Yet Fuku was fine. Now all of a sudden he can't hit anything. I doubt anyone really expected this level of suckitude. A very expensive mistake for the Cubs. Very expensive mistake.

What you going to do? Can't trade Sori or Fukudome. Dlee and Ram aren't going anywhere. You could get rid of Demp, Theriot gone, Fuku opts to return to Japan because, well, it's clear he can't play on this level. There's a dozen things you could. You eat a couple contracts, start building your minors up, go a different direction. I hope you aren't pretending there's nothing the Cubs could possibly do to change. They can, it would just be painful at first. Fans aren't going to buy change for the worst and build for the future. If they make changes it better be to make the team better. All this hinges on the new owner anyway...My guess is not much will change for next year. Then get ready for more choking in '09!!!! w00t!

They should, but then again they shouldn't have gotten down 0-2 in their home building to the Dodgers either.

What you going to do? Can't trade Sori or Fukudome. Dlee and Ram aren't going anywhere. You could get rid of Demp, Theriot gone, Fuku opts to return to Japan because, well, it's clear he can't play on this level. There's a dozen things you could. You eat a couple contracts, start building your minors up, go a different direction. I hope you aren't pretending there's nothing the Cubs could possibly do to change. They can, it would just be painful at first.

It's clear after two straight years that this group of Cubbies are playoff chokers. Now -- do you want to start over and risk sucking for another 20 years? Or would you like to continue on, be competitive in the division, but all the while knowing chances are good they will choke again when they get to the playoffs? I can't decide. The regular seasons are fun with this group, but God the playoffs are just a joke.

Derrek Lee, a few weeks ago: "I just don't see a reason to panic, that's all." Derrek, now you know why fans panic. They panic because they know this is coming, sooner or later.

This is why I don't put too much weight on statistics and analysis. It's all great stuff, and I enjoy reading the analysis that goes on here. It is one of the reasons I love this message board. But I just keep in mind -- it'll likely not matter in the end with this team. There's no curse, but there's psychology. There's undue pressure -- the kind of pressure that comes from a city of millions of people, neurotically hoping for the best but deep down feeling that the worst will happen. The Cubs have to bathe in that crap for 162 games, every year. No other city knows that type of weirdness, at least not since Boston broke through. It has an effect. It neutralizes hard facts, neutralizes advantages, makes it much more difficult to "cut through" and win these big games. 4 infielders. 4 errors. A starting pitcher who walked 7 guys in the month of September walks 7 in a couple innings. Just something to think about. You can't put it on the stat sheet. But it's there. I'm telling you -- it has an effect, even though it can't be quantified. It's going to take a team that is beyond just "better" to win in this town. It's going to take a team of guys who truly just don't care -- a team of players who are probably hateworthy and callous above all else. Perhaps a team of Mannys. Something. Some kind of shield against the weight of all this "OH NO NOT AGAIN!" or "WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO US?!?" or "THEY'LL FIND A WAY TO BLOW IT." Something. Alright, that's my post-traumatic stress syndrome rant. Enjoy.