Sometimes, in life, things happen that make you question everything you’ve ever believed. Things like Travis Wood having an ERA of just over 2.00 on May 14. Things like wondering if Nate Schierholtz or Luis Valbuena is the happiest suprise this season.  Things like the Chicago Cubs taking 2-3 from the Nationals (against Stephen Strasburg, no less), and then going on to beat the Rockies 9-0. Oh, didn’t you hear? The Cubs beat the Rockies 9-0:

The Cubs may be lacking in overall talent, but they aren’t lacking in confidence.

The stabilization of the closer’s role since Kevin Gregg took over, the continued dominance of the starters and the recent improvement of the offense has the players believing they’re not as far away as most observers believe.

These rooftop owners are a lot easier to get along with, as is LEGO Tom Tunney

“The only thing I think about is that — winning it here,” Starlin Castro said. “It’s going to be unbelievable. That’s why those people (President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer) are signing people here for multiyear (deals), to be here when the team is competing every season.

“I think it’s going to happen pretty soon.”

Travis Wood turned in his eighth straight quality start in a 9-1 victory over the Rockies, improving to 4-2 with seven shutout innings.

Kyuji Fujikawa and Carlos Marmol finished it against a Rockies team that has fallen back to earth after a 13-5 start.

Personally, I think Carlos Marmol’s biggest contribution to the game was making fans wonder if a 9-0 lead in the top of the 9th was enough, but maybe that’s just me. You can check out the box score here. Just look at all those runs!

» Continue reading “Chicago Cubs Morning Headlines: When Bad Cubs Go Good”

We’re all thrilled and excited and overjoyed about Anthony Rizzo’s new long-term contract with the Chicago Cubs. That is, as along as he turns out not to be a total bust (what? It could happen. These are the Cubs). With that in mind, here’s some friendly advice for young Master Rizzo. Pay attention, Kid:

10.  Don’t go all Duncan Keith and try to prove to everyone how much you deserved the big payday. Trying to prove yourself results in pressing, and pressing results in getting a whole fuckload of teeth knocked out. Or something. Okay not really. But still. Relax and play the game the way you always have. Only with 10 times more awesomeness.

9.   Definitely don’t add a “hop” to your catching mechanics.

8.   No matter how much crap you get from the guys, don’t cut off the curls. The women are mad for them. But stop slicking them back like that. This isn’t the South Side.

7.    If you get injured, come back. Being cleared by doctors and choosing to sit on  the bench while your teammates battle for a World Series appearance won’t sit well with Chicago fans.

6.  Never say anything nice about the White Sox, Brewers, or Cardinals. EVER. We’ll never forgive you for it.

5.  Don’t pretend Wrigley Field is a glorious place to watch and play baseball. It’s not. In fact, if you could complain about Wrigley a little, it would probably help the cause.

4.  If there are any old “Corey Patterson hitting” videos laying around, don’t watch them.

3.  Always eat out before a game. You don’t want to get stuck and have to resort to the food at Wrigley.

2.   Don’t ever take advice from Jeff Samardzija when it comes to fashion or facial hair.

and finally

1. Try to stay good at baseball for the entire length of your contract. I sure would appreciate it.

» Continue reading “10 Things Anthony Rizzo Should NOT Do With His New Contract”

Goodbye, NL West

The Cubs headed into yesterday’s game with Arizona with the chance to create history. They flubbed even that and managed to win in Arizona, thereby avoiding losing every game in an NL West city this year. They also managed not to lose their 100th game, and Dale Sveum is bound and determined not to let that happen.

“I think for the guys out there [Monday], it could be our little playoff atmosphere to stay away from that number,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said, not even wanting to whisper 100. “I think there will be a little enthusiasm in the dugout [Monday] to try to take care of business and, obviously, win the last [three]. It’ll be fun, as much fun as we can have in this season, to try to avoid it.”

I have a feeling the attendance figures won’t reflect a playoff atmosphere. Anthony Rizzo is ready to do whatever it takes to win these next three games.

“It’s been on our minds for the entire month,” Rizzo said of the possibility of losing 100 games. “We’ve got to play these next three games as hard as we can and come up with ‘W’s’ any way we can.”

Young Rizzo and Bryan LaHair added to the Cubs’ catalog of hilarious TOOTBLANs yesterday.

“Rizzo thought there were two strikes and two outs and thought Soriano struck out, and started walking off,” Sveum said. “LaHair got caught — [first base coach Dave] McKay was telling him to go and draw the throw and we could score the run on the backside. It’s one of those plays, you’ve got the outfielder where you want him. You can go, and if he throws to first, you walk into second. If he throws to second, you score the back-end run.”

I hope someone has the ability to make a 2012 baserunning highlights video.

» Continue reading “Cubs Monday Headlines:1-18 Never Felt So Good”

Up to 97 losses.

The Cubs lost again in Colorado yesterday, earning them their fifth sweep at the hands of a National League West opponent this year. Chris Volstad looked like the same Chris Volstad we’ve seen all year and gave up seven runs in 3.1 innings. I don’t expect to see Volstad back with the Cubs after Dale Sveum’s post-game comments.

‘‘There was really no life or anything,’’ Sveum said. ‘‘No breaking balls or sticking to the game plan. He pitched a pretty good game [62/3 scoreless innings] against these guys last time, pitching glove side down and away. I don’t really know what was going on today.’’

Volstad, who said he and catcher Steve Clevenger were on the same page and game plan, said the game ‘‘kind of sums up the year.’’

When your manager calls you out publicly after the game for not following the game plan, I think he’s had enough. The Cubs did battle back to make it 7-5, including a home run from Anthony Rizzo. He now has 15 home runs and 47 RBI in 82 games. Dale Sveum broke out his calculator and liked what he saw.

‘‘Double that, and it basically averages out to 30 and 100 [RBI] for a season. Pretty impressive for 22 years old,’’ Sveum said of Rizzo. ‘‘You have some stuff to hang your hat on next year for a full season. So that’s nice to know. You’ve got some guys that gained a lot of experience and hopefully keep gaining and get better and better.’’

But Rizzo hasn’t bothered to look back at his first season with the Cubs, yet.

“Ask me that in a couple days when the season is done and I’ll sit back and reflect,” Rizzo said. “I just have to keep working hard and keep going.”

» Continue reading “Cubs Friday Headlines: Sveum Is Done With Volstad”

The excitement of newness tends to wear off quickly, especially when related to this Cubs team. Not that we aren’t eager for the future, we just know the future is too far off to be palpable. Maybe that’s why Anthony Rizzo hasn’t been mentioned quite as much lately as when he first was called up. But Sunday, Rizzo nearly single-handedly brought the Cubs back from 6-1 and 9-5 deficits with two home runs and six RBI, including a grand slam.

“I didn’t know what they were saying and then I realized that’s what you do,” Rizzo said of the fans beckoning him for a curtain call after his decisive grand slam. “It was pretty cool.”

In 72 games with the Cubs, Rizzo has put up a .300/.352/.491 line with 14 home runs. That includes a stretch of 28 games from July 31 to Aug. 29 in which he struggled with a .231/.289/.279 mark and only three extra-base hits.

But with one big game on Sunday, Rizzo matched his home run total from a tough month of August.

“You work every day hard,” Rizzo said of bouncing back from his August struggles. “(There are) days you’re gonna feel good and days you’re not going to feel good, you just go with it. You go with the flow and understand that’s the nature of the game.”

Nice to see the big guy bounce back.

» Continue reading “Cubs Monday Headlines: RizzOMG Returns”

Now that the Cubs are just playing out the string, you’d think one of their top objectives would be to keep their players healthy. It hasn’t worked out so well, as Bret Jackson is nursing a bruised knee incurred after colliding with the wall in Pittsburgh. Last night, Anthony Rizzo had his turn at colliding with another object, this time Astros’ first baseman Brett Wallace.

‘‘I was really stunned and dazed at first,’’ said Rizzo, who hit the ground shoulder-first. ‘‘Now I’m just more sore than anything.’’

Rizzo checked out OK with the Astros’ doctor, but he isn’t expected to play until at least this weekend because of the sore neck and upper back.

Mark Prior was going to be okay too. Now it’s going to be up to the likes of Bryan LaHair and Dave Sappelt to help the Cubs avoid 100 losses. At least until Friday.

‘‘Unfortunately, that’s not something you go into the season wanting to do, but that’s our goal right now,’’ Sveum said after the Cubs followed their modest four-game winning streak with a shutout loss, despite four errors by the Astros. ‘‘The guys have pride.’’

Alfonso Soriano said he already has started doing the math with the team and knows eight is the magic number for avoiding 100.

‘‘I think it’s important for the organization,’’ Soriano said. ‘‘And I’ve never been on a team that lost 100 games. When I retire, I don’t want to look back and think that I’ve been on a team that lost 100 games. It’s tough to win 100, so it has to be tough to lose 100 games.’’

Don’t worry, Fonz. We’re not blaming you.

» Continue reading “Cubs Wednesday Headlines: Cubs Lose, Rizzo Hurt”

These noon starts always sneak up on me.

Today: Justin Germano (gag. Why can’t HE be shut down the season, as well) takes on Not-Really Tim Lincecum (7-14, 5.30)

Lineup:

DeJesus
Valbuena
Rizzo
Soriano
Castro
Castillo
Jackson
Barney
Germano

It occurs to me that this is the first time in a LONG time that Soriano is hitting 4th and actually DESERVES to be hitting 4th. Huh.

First pitch happened at 12:05 pm CT on WGN.

So am I the only one that feels like the Chicago Cubs  are a mirror image of our AAA Iowa farm system?

I’m sure it comes to no surprise to any of you that our big league team is a developmental team that our Front office has decided to use as a project team at the big level.

With no major acquisitions taking place except for stocking our farm team and I use that term lightly (Iowa). I actually for once am a bit shocked that our Brain Trust has not made a single move to land us any type of free agent player that could make an impact this year and for years to come.

It’s fully understood that we are rebuilding from the ground up but to me it’s seems like Theo/Jed have spent ALL of their time worrying about the future while not worrying about the here and now. We do play in the Major Leagues and put out a big league team everyday to play in front of 30-35 thousand fans.

What happened to the ballsy, surprise making trades that you made in Boston Theo?

When will we see a move that will knock our (Sox) off and leave us utterly confused at the same time? You did it in Boston, did you get scared?

» Continue reading “Cubs Live Game Thread: Feels Like a AAA Kind of Day…”

The Cubs beat the Cards Sunday, and Anthony Rizzo added another chapter to his mythology. He managed to hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning.

“I don’t remember much. I don’t remember anything. It was awesome,” Rizzo said. “Teammates have been awesome. Paul (Maholm) pitched a great game today and kept us in it. We put ourselves in a position to win a couple times, and fortunately enough we did.”

He plans on watching the replay tonight as many times as possible just to recall how it all happened.

“Oh yeah, I’ll be watching that a lot,” he said. “I can’t wait to call my parents and talk to them. I’m sure they’re excited and everyone who was following.”

When was the last time he hit a walk off home run?

“This is the best,” he said. “This is something I’ve always dreamed of doing since I was a little kid. I’ve never done it before. Not in the minors, not in Little League, not ever. … This is awesome.”

Thanks for being so good, Anthony.

» Continue reading “Cubs Monday Headlines: RizzOMG”

The Cubs dugout after Dempster’s tantrum

Anthony Rizzo homered and drove in the Cubs’ only two runs yesterday. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to lead the Cubs to victory. It also wasn’t enough to upstage Ryan Dempster, who threw a hissy fit in the dugout.

After learning he wasn’t headed back out for the seventh inning, Dempster channeled his inner Carlos Zambranoby throwing a drink cooler to the ground and throwing his own drink against the wall before heading to the clubhouse.

Oh Ryan.

“I’m allowed to be upset,” Dempster said. “I respect him a lot. That’s (manager Dale Sveum’s) decision. It doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it. At the end of the day he’s just trying to do what’s best for the ballclub and I have nothing but respect for that. It’s just the competitor in me that wants to get out there and keep trying to pitch.”

The competitor in you could have been out there pitching for a contender yesterday. They might have scored more than two runs for you. Even though Dempster pitched pretty well, is the trade talk getting to him? Is that what caused the outburst?

“I had a job to do today and that’s really important to me,” Dempster said. “I had to try and separate the two things, make sure I’m getting my rest and we had a day game today. I wanted to make sure my focus was on going out there pitching and doing my job. Now I will have tonight, obviously, and the off day tomorrow to try and look at a couple of different things and see what the possibilities are and go from there to make the best possible decision for me.”

There aren’t many possibilities left now, if any.

» Continue reading “Cubs Thursday Headlines: Dempster Saga Continues”