Yesterday, a co-worker came up to me and expounded on his hatred for Ryan Braun. He hates his cockiness, to which I agreed. He comes off as smug, especially his penchant for watching his handy work when he goes yard. I recall a certain Mr. Bonds that did that, he’s not well liked to much either. Although he has a few hundred more homers than Mr. Braun, so it’s a little easier to swallow. Let’s just say, it was nice to see old Ryan get a workout in Left Field tonight. Hey Ryan, there’s two sides fo the game, and you looked silly on one side of it, tonight.
Obviously, the big story of this whole series was that first place was on the line. Notice I say was, because with tonight’s win, the Cubs cannot leave Milwaukee without it. The second are the pitching match-ups. The above mentioned co-worker also stated he felt the Cubs would do him proud if they split the series. Not the worst case scenario, but I felt they could do better. After last night’s win, which I missed due to a game of my own, I felt really good about the Cubs’ chances grabbing three, going into tonight.
Zambrano looked sharp from the get go. The Brewer’s Ben Sheets, not so much. He was effectively wild through five innings, but it looked like he was on the cusp losing control at any moment. That happened in the sixth, as the Cubs’ kept finding holes in the defensive and a missplayed ball by Ryan Braun in Left. A big crooked number of five runs, set my mind at ease. With Z cruising, this one was in the bag, and it was never in question from that point on. A three game lead. Phew.
Since I’m into bashing Ryan Braun, he was quoted earlier this week, as saying the pressure was all on the Cubs, and the Brewers just have to play good baseball. Correction, Ryan. The pressure is on the Brewers. They didn’t show they could take the heat last season, and after these two games, I’d say the same. You had your two aces up the bump, and came up empty. Now the back end of your rotation still faces Dempster and Harden. Ouch. Ouch. And more ouch. Momentum seems to be in the Cubs favor. At least in the short term. I’ll take it, and I know my co-worker will too. It’s rough talking baseball at work.
Come on Cubbies, let’s go get two more!
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One Man’s Treasure rip Did anyone see all the handshakes Zambrano has with other Cubbies. It makes my head spin. I’d never remember which one to do.
I can’t talk about Braun watching his home runs. I do it all the time. Neither of us should do it, especially when the ball hits off the wall.
Awesome win today.
Touche!
I couldn’t agree more. Excellent recap. It’s a good thing Milwaukee didn’t have to worry about their aces and could focus on the second two games…
I used to work in Milwaukee and I currently work in Illinois, but it’s right near the border, so there are quite a few Brewer fans at my workplace. They are just horrible about their baseball manners. I don’t go around bashing other teams, but I will talk about the Cubs all day long. I guess people take that as arrogance, since the Cubs are the only team I am really interested in talking about. So I get a lot of crap from people who root for the other teams in the area. They are silent right now and I love it. Keep up the good work Cubbies.
Speaking of Braun watching things, when he was at his worst in left field in the big inning, he kept looking up at something. At first I thought he was looking at the fans but it seemed to be the wrong direction. Is there a monitor up there somewhere? Perhaps he was watching replays to see if he looked as bad as he feared.
Maybe the Brewers installed a mirror in the rafters over LF so that Braun could make sure that he was still lookin’ good.
I couldn’t agree more about Braun, and even though it was mean-spirted I certainly enjoyed his troubles last night. And Carlos’ handshake rituals before the game are extremely entertaining, especially with Geo and Fontenot.
Here goes:
-Aramis Ramirez busts out of his slump in a big way with three doubles in going 4-for-5 with an RBI. Like to see that. The one-two punch of him and Lee only works if both pistons are firing. Lee has warmed his bat up a bit and it looks like Aramis is now as well. Let’s hope it continues.
-A double and a triple for Fukudome. I hope that’ll get his confidence at the plate back. Although, you could probably credit that triple to the Milwaukee outfield.
-Speaking of that outfield for Milwaukee- Cameron got a Web Gem for his play at the wall on a Lee blast. It was a good play, but a Web Gem? Especially when he and Hart combined in the miscommunication game to allow a double to Ramirez.
And then there’s Braun. He’s a second-year player, but a rookie to the outfield position. He looked pretty silly out there. In fact, the one double he allowed making a bad dive for the Fukudome ball that rolled to the wall was particularly interesting. It looked like he was nonchalantly running to the wall to get it. Now maybe he was winded, but he certainly didn’t look like he was on his horse to make up for his bad decision.
I started disliking him earlier in the season and I can see I’m not alone here. At one point, I suggested to my girlfriend that maybe Lou should have Edmonds pinch hit (even though it was a lefty/lefty situation) just to see Jimmy slice one to left field and have Braun chasing it like a dog all over again. I can be devious.
-If I were a Brewer fan, I’d lay some of that loss on Ned Yost. He left Ben Sheets out there for much of the sixth even though he was clearly not hitting his locations and the Cubbies were smacking him around with nobody out. I don’t think a pitching coach came to the mound until after the line had already started rolling* (bases loaded and runs scored). He had 100 pitches before they yanked him in the sixth with one out. That’s just bad coaching in my opinion.
-Z looked pretty much in control for the most part. Samardzija showed the signs of a guy just up from the minors. His control and location were a bit off and his 17-pitch inning is evidence of that. At least he had a big cushion and until they invent the seven-run homer, there wouldn’t be too much to worry about.
*Per Bob Brenly’s season-long catch phrase.
I live in LA and I will tell you that the Dodgers have the worst baseball fans. They come to the game during the second inning and leave after the seventh inning stretch. If you wear the opposing team’s colors, some will throw stuff at you (ice, popcorn, Coke, and the like). It is like all the Raider fans migrated to the Dodgers after the Raiders move back to Oakland. It is a joke!!!
The fact that today’s ball players like to view their homerun is a disrespect to the game. I am surprised more pitchers do not knock down the next batter. That would solve the problem. Also just to be fair, some pitcher like to pump their fists after a key strikeout. That is a joke also.
“In fact, the one double he allowed making a bad dive for the Fukudome ball…”
I meant triple. Sorry.
Considering the way Zambrano acts when he is pitching,I would not
worry to much about how Braun reacts to a home run.There is no
bigger jerk in baseball.
Billy H Said:
July 29th, 2008 at 11:22 am
“6-1 Tonight (”Karnak the great” has spoken). Cubbies play on ESPN on Wednesday night baseball! See ya bbbboys!”
LOL…I guess I should give up my day job huh guys!?
Anywhoot…Dempster tonight (yes I do think he will be in the top ten for consideration for the Cy Young) a reliever gets a hard fought win. 4-3 So says “Karnak the Great”
Where do you play Matt?
Zambrano is a PRICK. Go ahead and keep him. The only thing I can think when I watch the Cubs play is that money can do a lot, but it can’t buy CLASS.
I was at both games in Milwaukee and it was great atmoshphere. It was a lot of fun and I really like the fact that the rivalry seems to be fierce but not hated.
I agree with the earlier comment. Ned Yost could be one of the worst managers in baseball. They did not even start warming a guy up until way too late. Sheets was clearly not effective and they didnt even warm anyone up. It was unbelievable. I also felt he left Sabathia in too long the night before. CC was walking guys and giving up a binch of hits.
It reminds me of last year when the Brewers were fighting for the playoffs and in the last week during must win games the Brewers hit a guy in what seemed like retribution in one of the most important situations of one of the most important games of the year. They said it was not retribution, but all of the facts looked different.
I wanted to turn to the Brewers fan next to me and ask him if they also thought their manager was real bad. Does anybody know? I would be interested to hear.
More hate for braun
http://100yearitch.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/cubs-top-cc-brewers/
Also…for as bad as Braun is in the outfield, didnt it seem like Hart could catch alot of balls if he would be willing to get his uni dirty? I mean great for us…but it seemed like he could have had at least three gems
Everyone touched on pretty much all I had to say except, for the love of moses, Zamdrano STOP braking bats. Find another way to release the crazy.
oops, I meant Zambrano
If Braun is 1A for worst fielding outfielder, then Soriano is 1B. That hop he does before catching a ball is just stupid.
But yeah, I can see where Cub fans would be jealous of guy who is 8 younger than Soriano (probably more) with as much or more pop, and who has shown no signs of being injury-prone, unlike Glass Doll Alfonso.
And as mentioned by others, Cub fans have NO room to talk when it comes to showing up the opponent. Zambrano acts like every K is the first of his major league career. So if a pitcher is supposed to plunk the next guy after a guy watches his homer, what does the next hiiter get to do after Fat Z does the rain dance after a strikeout? Hit him across the face w/ a bat?
…
I know I’ve been the resident Fonzie apologist all year, and still am, but I hate the return of the hop so much…
American League:
Here is what the the hitter should do after Fat Z does his rain dance. Go back to the dugout and get a hit the next inning – steal second – and score a run. Watching a homer go over the fence and doing a rain dance after a strike out are both equally stupid.
Jose: Duley noted. Especially since the steal is usually more on the pitcher than the catcher. Although I don’t know off the top of my head how good Z is at keeping runners on base, how quick his motion to home is, etc.
Anyways, I am not condoning the home run gazing, I think it’s pretty bush league. Braun is obviously a slugger, and is paid to do just that. I don’t sit here and gaze at my computer screen after finishing an awesome report.
OOOH THAT REPORT IS HOT
What a bunch of cry baby losers! Hey Cubbies…let’s have a bit of fun beating up on the “boo-hoo” Crew! I hope Alfonse stares and points at his next HR…I hope he mambos before his next catch…and I hope Big Z takes hand shaking to a whole new level and then does the waltz back to the dug out after striking out the side.
American League:
It all depends on how good the report is!!! If it is real HOT, do the dance and hope it is not an HR violaton.
<>
Now THAT’S funny!!
What position did Braun play before he played LF? I’ve heard it mentioned many times that he’s been transplanted but have never heard where from.
Duh. Meant to quote the “OOOOH THAT REPORT IS HOT” thing from American League.
Jeez, I come from work to this? My work here is done.
And I almost fully agree with Jose. Holy crap, Hell is freezing over!
Cameron got a Web Gem for his play at the wall on a Lee blast. It was a good play, but a Web Gem? Especially when he and Hart combined in the miscommunication game to allow a double to Ramirez.
Huh? What does a different play have to do with the web gem play?
If Braun is 1A for worst fielding outfielder, then Soriano is 1B. That hop he does before catching a ball is just stupid.
Huh? Yea… lets ignore the fact that Soriano ranked among MLB’s best left fielders defensively last year in almost every defensive metric. His arm alone makes his significantly better than Braun defensively.
What position did Braun play before he played LF? I’ve heard it mentioned many times that he’s been transplanted but have never heard where from.
He played third… just last year. And he was BRUTAL. As in… worse than Soriano ever was at 2b.
“‘Cameron got a Web Gem for his play at the wall on a Lee blast. It was a good play, but a Web Gem? Especially when he and Hart combined in the miscommunication game to allow a double to Ramirez.’
Huh? What does a different play have to do with the web gem play?”
The Web Gem was a ho hum play that just happened to go involve the wall. When you consider how weak their outfiled defense was all night, it’s a wonder it even got a second look. That’s how.
“It all depends on how good the report is!!! If it is real HOT, do the dance and hope it is not an HR violaton.”
- Oh I understand. And I also have lots of questions. Like what does a demerit mean?
- Let’s put it this way. You do not want to receive three of those.
- Lay it on me.
- Three demerits, and you’ll receive a citation.
- Now that sounds serious.
- Oh it is serious. Five citations, and you’re looking at a violation. Four of those, and you’ll receive a verbal warning. Keep it up, and you’re looking at a written warning. Two of those, that’ll land you in a world of hurt in the form of a disciplinary review, written up by me and placed on the desk of my immediate superior.
- Which would be me.
- That…is correct.
- Okay, I want a copy on my desk by the end of the day or you will receive a full disadulation.
- What’s a dis…what’s that?
- Oh, you don’t want to know.