And I'm forced to watch the worst game of the year
Somewhere in Chicago, Jacque Jones is still swinging furiously in a vain attempt to make contact.
I know today's 1-0 loss should have been some sort of tense, nail-biting loss. I know all about the beauty of the pitcher's duel and the excitement of the strikeout. Then why, after 18 innings, one run, and 25 strikeouts, do I feel like I watched the most boring game ever. Why did I feel like the game was never in question?
Yes, Lilly was great. His curve ball was un-hittable and his fastball was well-located all night. In fact, I suppose it would have been a great game if not for the fact that the Cubs are required to bat every other half inning.
I'll give a grudging hat-tip to Kyle Lohse. He was locating his pitches very well and most of them were on the outside corner. But whatever. The Cubs were working very hard to get themselves out. Fast forward to the Cubs' lone scoring chance.
Soriano doubles followed by a Ryan Theriot rocket single that is hit too hard to score Soriano from second. But no worries, we've got our 3-4-5 hitters up. A sure run, right? Whatever.
Jones came through with one of the worst at bats I've seen since...well, I've never seem tape of myself hitting, but I'm guessing it would be comparable. He swung at one pitch over his head, one in the dirt, and one four feet outside (a fastball, no less). There was not one pitch in that sequence that had an option of being put into play.
Lee, on the other hand, decided to never take the bat off his shoulder, looking at strikes two and three on the outside corner. One Barrett ground-out later (despite getting this wrong three different times, I promise I watched the game) and the scoring chance is gone.
But shoudn't we have always felt in the game? Shouldn't we have always felt like we were just a homer away from a tie game? Technically we were, but the thought of a homer seemed like a pipe dream. There wasn't any wind to speak of, but I never felt like the Cubs had a chance to go yard. I guess I've just gotten used to a certain lack of power.
I'm not sure what the next excuse will be. It wasn't cold. Maybe it was the fans booing after the squandered scoring opportunity.
Just a terrible game.
Whatever.
We Need Marbles!
As I watched yesterday--and felt very similar to Jason--I commented to nobody in particular, "Now's when we do it."--as in now's the time we rip somebody's heart out with a simple, yet not unheard of, come from behind victory. I wasn't asking for much. I just wanted 2 runs. I didn't want to come back from the meltdown that was Big Z's debaucle--although we could've. I didn't want us to come back from 5 runs down. I just wanted us to advance a freakin' runner when we have 1st and 3rd with nobody out.
Alas, it didn't happen. But that's the team we need to be. I want to hire Isuro Tanaka from Major League II fame to stampede into the clubhouse, whip out his Japanese to English dictionary and tell the club that the have no MARBLES! Instead of taking it...we need to start giving it. I mean, let's decimate somebody's hopes and dreams. Why can't we do that???
And why doesn't one of the players step up and get a little proturbed? I want a player with the fire Lou has...oh wait--and he has to use said fire to not pitch himself out of any semi-important game. Give me a D-Lee or an A-Ram who will get into somebody's grill (including their own).
That's why that game was so terrible to watch. After watching the pillar of the ball club not lift the bat off his shoulder and watch three (albiet not perfect) strikes float by, I knew it was over. If D-Lee can't do it in that situation, who can? And his response? He has a few words for the ump. I know...D-Lee never argues. But c'mon...he was making those calls all day. Swing the freakin' bat and put the ball in play. Or at least get pissed at yourself afterwords. It's not the umps fault we have no marbles!
Amen!
This has been a message of Pestilence
F-in' Cubs
Jones' and Lee's at-bats had to be the most frustrating I've ever seen. Jones would've swung Lilly's wild pitch if he could (maybe he did). Doug Eddings made the strike zone roughly the size of Montana for Lee.
Whatever.
don't give up
C'mon guys, y'all sound like you're giving up hope. I've been keeping my finger on the pulse of the Cubs by coming here and visiting other places. I keep getting the same vibe. Lou is the guy to turn it around. I think he has the right pieces but hasn't yet put them into the right places. I have faith he will. Word is that Theriot is in his good graces. That's a start. I say give it a little time. Believe.
This is a message from Big Brother.