Wednesday, the Cubs became the third team in MLB history to allow six home runs to the opposing team in back-to-back games. Luckily for Dale Sveum, he came up with a new strategy so that he doesn’t have to endure the torment that is the winding down of the Cubs’ season. He got thrown out of his very first game in the fifth inning.
With the Cubs’ staff chirping at home-plate umpire Larry Vanover following some questionable calls in the fifth inning, Sveum moved to protect his troops.
“I just don’t think that’s right when you’re looking at our dugout for no apparent reason at all,” Sveum said, referring to Vanover.
Sveum did admit that the bench had expressed displeasure with Vanover’s calls. In particular question seemed to be when Welington Castillo struck out looking.
“But nothing at all to warrant that,” Sveum said of Vanover’s looks toward the Cubs dugout. “I took it that he was looking at me.”
Apparently, Dale doesn’t like to be looked at. File that away for future reference. When asked about Volstad’s return to the form of having a bad inning in each start, Dale got defensive.
“I don’t know why you always want to beat down Volstad all the time, about the old Volstad or whatever,” Sveum said. “That’s a tough lineup, and he couldn’t keep the ball down today, bottom line.”
And on Gio Gonzalez being dominant against the Cubs’ offense:
“That’s (Gonzalez’s) stuff all the time,” Sveum said. “He’s just facing a lineup that isn’t one of the better lineups in baseball and that’s going to help him too. This series so far, obviously what we can make out of it, that it’s just men playing against boys right now.”
Dale sounds a little down. Maybe he could use a candy gram.
We’ve talked about 100 losses all season, and the Cubs now need to go 12-14 to avoid reaching that milestone. Hell, even Mark DeRosa and Tom Gorzelanny are having a hard time watching this team.
“I don’t even know who those players are,’’ said the Nationals’ Mark DeRosa, a Cub fan favorite from the 2007-08 playoff run. “I know [Alfonso] Soriano, and [Jeff] Samardzija and [Carlos] Marmol.’’
(snip)
“It’s definitely something you don’t want to see with the Cubs, how iconic the team is. The [fans] always want to see a winner there,’’ said Gorzelanny, a Marist High grad. “But you have to think to be successful you have to have a good farm system, and obviously you’ve got to make sacrifices to try to figure that out.’’
And DeRosa is still pining for the good old days of 2008.
“I still think they shouldn’t have broken up that team,’’ said DeRosa, who was traded after that season to help create payroll room for Milton Bradley. “That was a special team. It was a great group of guys.’’
Those were the days. I love division champions, too, but I do recall things not working out in the playoffs, Mark.
My favorite part of the story about Dale being kicked out, is that the media asked Larry Vanover about it, while he was EATING. I always wondered when the umps would eat, before or after. As for Dale being “eyeballed”:
1. Dude, you are not that hot looking,especially with that scrunge on your face.
2. “He’s looking at me”,only plays when you are like 6 years old….
30 some games under .500 and this was Sveum’s first ejection…IMPRESSIVE!!
If I was manager, I would have been ejected from at least a dozen games by now…not from arguing with umpires, but from yelling at my own players on the field.
EXACTLY!!!
So I was going to go to today’s game, but it is supposed to rain all evening. Makes sense, since EVERY GAME IVE BEEN TO THIS YEAR HAS BEEN DELAYED OR POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN
That’s because you always have that gray cloud following you everywhere.
Gravedigger was the guy in the Del Amitri video?
Roll with me?
“Nothing Ever Happens” had a guy walking with a cloud over him. Come to think of it Travis also had a song where a guy walked around with a grey cloud too.
I know it is still early in the season, but I don’t think the Cubs are going to make the playoffs this year.
That picture up there is one that I took of Julie when I told her that she was in love with AJ Pierzynski.
I thought that picture was taken when Julie found out Old Volstad was pitching the game..
That’s her picture when she found out Samardzija took HER picture out of his shower.
What we don’t see is him in the lower left corner.That was edited out.
Fortunately he was able to escape by pointing behind her and saying “Look! It’s Ryan!”
I think I’ll start drinking at 1pm today.
I wish I could drink today. I have to work my first Cross Country meet of the year this afternoon. I will be nice to get out of the office and be outdoors, but I’d rather be drinking.
1. Take a flask.
2. Vodka is colorless right? Just stick some in a water bottle..
You say that like a true experienced alcoholic. I’m impressed.
Funny thing that-I don’t drink,but know plenty who do. First drink I was ever given was a strawberry daquiri-I broke out in hives…
That sucked!!
I wish I could do that…but I need all my senses working for this.
Motor skills are overrated.
Could that be the slogan for the 2012 Cubs??? Some of the games I’ve watched make me entertain that thought.
What time zone?
That would be Pacific, I’m in California just like you young lady.
Hmm, weather is looking better. I guess I’ll go to the game. Here’s to 6 more home runs!
And maybe 1 will bonk you on your noggin or at least knock the beer outa your hand.
I want to beat down Volstad because he’s bad at throwing baseballs.
I would love to see the youtube footage of you beating Volstad down.
Maybe some bar in Chicago could invent a cocktail called “the Volstad”. It could be watered-down,be consumed quickly,and leave a sour after-taste….
hahahaa I just peed myself.
BRUTAL
Me too. I would enjoy that.
I’ve got a lot of rage.
Rizzo. He is good.
“Descent into Madness…”
Yeah I’m getting pissed off.
BUT…BUT…BUT…
GO CUBS!
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