CubmanPi

I'm a Bears fan, but I don't care about them nearly as much as I do about the Cubs, so I'm with you here. I would much rather discuss football here with other Cubs fans who have different football allegiances than sign up for a Bears-only board, so it'll still be a while before I show up on WCFB.

You're kidding right? There are no elite names in that list.Are YOU kidding? The fact that there are no elite teams on that list are exactly why they don't sound like people the Cubs can beat.

Crap. I thought this was going to be a day game. This afternoon just got a whole lot worse.

I personally feel like the role (title?) of closer is way over-rated, and that it shouldn't be reserved for the best reliever. Sometimes, yes the best reliever should be used to get a save, but I think it's a waste of resources to bless someone as the 9th-inning collector of a relatively meaningless stat. HYPOTHETICAL: Say Hill's 7th inning started with a walk, followed by an RBI triple to put the tying run at third with none out, and it's apparent Hill's night needs to end. Now say that Marmol has been the one arbitrarily blessed with the title of closer, and he's fresh and available to pitch. It's absolutely foolish to not give yourself the best chance to maintain the lead, simply because the guy who gives you that chance is supposed to pitch when he can earn a save for the appearance, while Dempster, who isn't always much of a strikeout pitcher, has been the 7th inning guy all year long. Closers don't do you much good if you can't carry the lead into the 9th. I don't suggest a 'closer by committee' situation or anything like that, I suggest using guys who are right for the situation. You know... MANAGING. The philosophy of a closer is the same flawed mindset which gives us such gems as the "prototypical leadoff hitter/shortstop," which is solely responsible for us having ever heard the names Juan Pierre and Neifi Perez. Rather than sit around and hope that baseball managers' status quo will miraculously abandon such stupidity, I'll enjoy the fact that it keeps Dempster locked into his idiotic "role," while it affords Marmol the flexibility to be used when it counts. Dempster should absolutely be the closer on this team, for the exact reason that he's NOT an elite "closer."

I definitely did NOT see that coming... :shock:

Crap like this and the Carlos Lee miracle are exactly why the Cubs are screwed. OMC was right - Allah hates the Cubs.

as Joe Morgan would say, "he was consistent" Consistency is important. Those of us stat geeks trying to play a video game from home with no big league experience wouldn't know that, but consistency was definitely one of the positives Soriano brought to the table tonight.

I call a Cubs win with the tying run stranded in scoring position.

Soriano having a good arm is nothing new. I really really really hate eerything about Houston. Cubs need to leave now.

Holy crap. If those fan graphs with the winning likelihood were live streams, it would have spiked to both sides on that play.

i've never had any problem opening it Do you run firefox? I haven't had the issue on mlb, but sometimes I have to open an ie window for the media player to work.

I'm sure I don't like it. If Howry needed to be used this inning, I would much rather it be because Wuertz was unable to get two outs before allowing the go-ahead run to the plate. (I never claimed to be a good manager)

howry up

what that team needs is 4 games in 3 day against the division leader. that'll get them right back into it That's an excellent point. Too bad they're playing the Cubs this weekend.

with a 3-wood, maybe. I could get there with a sand wedge, but my baseball swing is shot now so I'd never get there with a bat and baseball.

He's only got the easy half of the cycle left. That said, I wouldn't argue if he would prefer to pad his OPS over going for the cycle.

There ya go. I definitely didn't see that one coming.

If the opportunity exists, the Cubs can squander it. Keep the faith.

Haha I thought the same thing. It's been 99 years and I've been alive for 20 of those. I'm perfectly fine with it being easy. I was complaining about last night's game during the 9th or 10th inning (CLIFF!!), and she tried selling me the exact same crap about it this were easy. I told her that other teams who have a fan or two who still remember the last time they won it all could benefit from a little end-of-season tension, but that the fun for me would be 173 consecutive 20-run wins.

Rich needs 4 more innings just like that one. This is not the night to rely on the bullpen for 4 strong innings.

plus do you really want to be awake to see the cubs blow this one? probably best to go to bed now before things go in the crapper. Yea, I really should have learned my lesson after sitting through every damned pitch last night.

Between getting little sleep last night, the blood donation, and the subsequent alcohol consumption, I don't think I'm gonna make it to the end of this one.

That's the only way to see a CS with this team.

If Lou doesn't have Hill doing ridiculous amounts of bunting drills between now and his next start, then he might as well swing away.