I know it might seem really negative, but we have NO chance, as of tonight, of winning the division. We have an outside……very outside chance of winning the Wild Card, provided the Astros lose some, and the Mets and Phillies keep going back and forth on each other….and, provided the Dodgers and D’Backs beat up on each other much the same.
As of now, we are technically 10 games up on the Wild Card. With giving up 9 runs already tonight, an offense that has all decided to sleep at the same time, injuries to our two biggest pitchers—Harden and Z….We are absolutely screwed, and I actually cancelled my trip to Chicago for the playoffs. I don’t even believe that’s within reach.
I am actually starting to believe curses. Who could’ve seen this? I mean, our absolute longest losing streak was like 3 at one point, wasn’t it? Now, at five, and no end in site, I think it’s safe to say we’re done. The Brewers are winning their game, and have way better young talent than we have….In case you haven’t noticed, in the post-greenie era, veterans have largely struggled later on, just as we are. We have a fairly old team with Lee, DeRosa, ARAM, Soriano, Edmonds, Fukudome, Lilly, Dempster, Howry, etc. all in their thirties. The Rays, Red Sox, Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies, all have young talent. We have Soto and Theriot in our everyday lineup. The ONLY regular starter under 30. hmmmmmmmmm
is it so ridiculous? I could say you’re ridiculous. The excuse, “it’s only one game”, “a lot more games to play”, etc., aren’t going to fly anymore.
This team seems old, and is playing like it, and they flat out SUCK. This is crunch time. Here’s two facts:
1) It’s either feast or famine with this team on offense
2) If they have injuries, or tough times, they all crawl in a holeI really do not think this team has a single vocal leader at all. I think Wood is leader of the pitchers, and Z is fairly vocal, but in a self-motivating way. If any of you have ever played ball, it doesn’t matter how vocal pitchers are—the everyday players keep apart from them most of the time anyway. If you have a clubhouse leader, he says, “get your head out of your asses, and start playing like we’re the best”
Other teams are rising to the occasion at the right time. The Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, and Astros are all playing like they have everything to gain and nothing to lose, while we are just flat out losers. We are just lucky as hell that the Brewers aren’t pulling away with this right now. SIX gentleman!!!!!!! SIX!!!!!!!!!!! This is September, NOT May. When you lose this many in a row when it truly matters, you don’t even deserve to make the playoffs. What that tells you is you don’t even belong there in the first place.
Now, I’m not saying I don’t want them there, but I believe that anything less than a World Series championship this year is an utter FAILURE. The Cubs limped into the playoffs last year. They got swept in Florida, then won the next two in Cincy, then got blown out in the last game. We sat back and watched a team with little plate discipline get swept by the D’Backs. On any other team, you see 2-3 runs put on the board by the other team, and you feel you have a chance. But not with that team, and now, unfortunately, the same broken record is playing at the end of this year.
It’s pathetic when the only team we can really seem to handle this year is the Pirates
~ Comment from Aarbear on 9/5/2008
Come on people. Get off the friggin’ ledge and sober up a little.
Fact - The Cubs lead all the NL in runs scored as a team by almost 60 runs.
Fact
– The Cubs have a good number of young talent on this team: Carlos Zambrano (27), Rich Harden (26), Carlos Marmol (25), Chad Gaudin (25), Jeff Samardzija (23), Geo Soto (25), Ryan Theriot (28). All of those players are regular difference makers for the team.
Fact – The Brewers have # 3-5 starters with ERA’s over 4.10, while the Cubs 4 & 5 are that way.
Fact – The Cubs have winning records against 12 of the 15 teams in the NL with losing records against only Houston and Philly and a split with Washington.
Fact The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on dvd – According to Baseball Prospectus post season odds, the Cubs currently sit with a 81.7% probability to win the NL Central and a 99.3% probability of making the playoffs.
Fact – Tampa Bay has a 7 game losing streak this season, Milwaukee has had a 6 game streak, and Boston has had two separate 5 game streaks. Everyone goes through them.
Just so I do not get accused of being a Cubs hater. Let me know when it is okay to start panicking. Because I see this as an up hill climb. Let’s not fall in love with our wonderful stats. We are playing like crap at the worst time of the season and the rest of our schedule is very hard. Add to this that our two best pitchers are having health problems.
Wow… who wrote that?
It was from the last post in the comment section
Yes, I remember 1969 like it was yesterday. Damn Mets! And I’m beginning (after 6 losses in a row) to get a feeling of deja vu all over again.
The peak of the Cubs season this year, for me, was the Brewers series in Milwaukee after the All-Star break. Pitching was precise, hitting was awesome, defense was sharp. I haven’t seen that combination in at least a week or two now.
I sure hope this turns around, and soon.
Every team his it’s ups and downs. You cancelled your trip to Chicago for the post-season because of a losing streak? I think I know who the real loser is…you. Have fun watching them win on TV. The Cubs don’t need fans like you anyway.
Amen to Joe! Amen to Rachel! Go Cubs!
So yes, I’ve spent this week incredibly annoyed with this team. I’ve turned off a number of games to find a more productive way to spend time. But geesh–that post yesterday reminded me that yes, I am still a Cubs fan and still have hope.
To say that this season is an utter failure without a World Series is more dramatic than even I can muster. Best record in years. Some really impressive winning streaks. Guys like Edmonds, Dempster and Harden who have done worlds better than expected. Being in first place for a huge chunk of the season.
I may be elated at the end of the season, or I may be disappointed. But I will be enjoying the ride in the meantime. And regardless, I will look back and know this is/was a successful team.
losers expect to have good seasons, stats, etc. That’s what I see with some of you.
You get excited by the little things. It’s okay to be that way, but get real people.
I come up with a well-thought out comment, and get slammed.
Guess now is a time to slam you Joe, even though you are the founder of the site. I really don’t care, considering this is my last post….Guess you really are full of crap given your bogus “ten commandments”. You’ll probably chicken out and delete the post, but hopefully you keep this in mind if you want to have a successful site.
I. Thou Shall Not Use Profanity
II. Thou Shall Not personally attack other commenters ****probably should remember that one Joe
III. Thou Shall Not bait other commenters
IV. Thou Shall Not argue for the sake of arguing
V. Thou Shall Not discuss politics
VI. Thou Shall Not use hyperbole when something less will suffice
VII. Thou Shall Not use sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
VIII. Thou Shall Not make the same point over and over again
IX. Thou Shall Not type “no-hitter” to describe any no-hitter in progress
X. Thou Shall Not be annoyed by the existence of this list
Where exactly did I personally attack you? I simply said to get off the ledge. I feel like you’re being over dramatic over the losing streak, which ended tonight.
Where was that? I must have missed it.
And as I mentioned in the previous thread, put your money where your mouth is.
You say that that there is a “very outside chance” of the Cubs making the playoffs. I will bet you money that the Cubs make the playoffs.
Name the amount.
Huh? Where you you personally attacked? He replied to your comment with facts, and never personally attacked you. He singled you out, but he didn’t attack you personally. He attacked your comment.
aarbear… you say that you had a thoughtful comment. Lets actually take a look at it then.
Huh? You start off with an emotional and illogical statement, and you think it is thoughtful? Lets move on. And by the way, who is “we?” Are you on the Cubs? If so, I hope the rest of your teammates do not feel the same way.
Outside chance, eh? As Joe pointed out in the thread, the Cubs actually have better than a 99% chance of winning the Wild Card.
What does giving up nine runs in one game have to do with anything?
They are sleeping? Then all we need to do is wake them? Maybe they forgot to set their alarm clock.
Being that Dempster has been the Cubs’ best pitcher all year, I am confused about how Harden and Z are the two most important pitchers. Oh wait… you said “biggest?” Well, Z is pretty big, but Harden is not. He is actually kinda’ small.
Absolutely screwed? Not “within reach?” But above you did say that the Cubs had a “very outside chance.” Which one is it? Absolutely screwed? or “very outside chance?”
Thoughtful, eh?
First of all, you do realize that the very fact that Cubs have not had a losing streak like this makes them a really good team, right? Second, it is impossible for the Cubs to be “done.” They still have 20 games left. And are still 4 games up on Milwaukee and 8.5 games up on Philly for the Wild Card.
And the Cubs have “way better” overall talent than the Brewers have. I am not sure about you, but I would prefer better overall talent than better young talent.
Huh? Says who? Do you have any support for this?
This may be the first accurate (thoughtful?) thing you have written in this comment.
Sure… and your point? I don’t want a young team. I want a good team. And, of course, you chose to forget Harden, Marmol, Samardzija, and others who play significant roles. And FWIW, Boston and Philadelphia only have 3 starters under 30. But regardless, I do not get your point. Good players are good players, regardless of their age.
Wow… that was thoughtful. And that was actually a personal attack, rather than the first “ridiculous” that talked about your comment rather than your person-hood. Heh. I just used the term “presented” on a baseball blog.
Well, how long are they allowed to fly? Can you clarify that for us?
Let me repeat some things for you that we have already talked about. Best offense in the NL. Best pitching in the NL. One of the better bullpens. One of the better defenses. Best record in the NL. Best run differential in the NL. Yea, I am pretty sure that saying that “they flat out SUCK” is flat out wrong.
Feast or famine, eh? That would mean that the offense would have a lot of high scoring games, and a lot of low scoring games. Is this true? You should look it up. Because you will find out that you are wrong.
Seriously? You are completely resorting to something that you know nothing about. Many people have talked about Soto being a leader. Same with DeRosa. And Dempster. And Z. And Wood.
Huh? Have you ever watched a Cubs game? The entire team interacts with each other in the dugout, regardless of whether or not they are hitters or pitchers.
Yea, you are right. The Cubs need a motivational speaker. Too bad Chris Farley died. They could have just headed down to the van, down by the river.
Last 30 days:
Dodgers: 16-13
Mets: 19-8
Phillis: 15-13
Astros: 21-8
Cubs: 17-10
Astros have been better. Mets have been slightly better. Dodgers and Phillis have been worse.
Are we “lucky as hell?” Or do the Brewers suck too?
Hmm… that sucks. I wish it was still May. That would mean we still have the summer to look forward to. And six what? Six gentleman? Who are the six?
Joe already pointed this out, but Tampa Bay and Milwaukee have losing streaks just as long, or longer. Boston has 2 five game losing streaks. Does Boston still deserve to make the playoffs because they didn’t hit the magic number of six?
Finally!!! Something I agree with you on.
Umm… the Cubs finished the season 14-11 in their last 25 games (from 9/6/07 to the end of the season). That is a .560 winning %, compared to the .511 winning % they had on 9/6/07. In other words, I have no idea how a team can “limp” into the playoffs when they the play better over the last month than they did over the rest of the season.
What does that have to do with this year?? This team has a TON of plate discipline, yet somehow you want to compare it to last year?
Again… what does last year have to do with anything? And I know no person who felt that the Cubs had no chance anytime 2-3 runs got put on the board by the other team.
Actually, no, last year and this year are nothing alike. At all.
Huh? We have already covered this more than once. The Cubs have winning records against all but three teams in the NL. The three teams are the Phillies, the Astros, and the Nationals. And they have a .500 record against the Nationals. That would mean that they can “handle” 13 of the teams really really well.
I hope this clarifies things a bit for you!
Hahahaha, for once, Dave is awesome!!!
For once? Ouch…
I write for the site sometimes and I have no idea how to put those grey boxes of other people’s comments in my comment threads. Which after looking at this…I am actually proud about.
Nice job of clarifing things, Dave! Even though Aarbear says he is done with this site, I hope he stops back to read your post. Maybe he will see the light, and actually keep his plans for the post season trip to Chicago.
And Joe, I too feel like you DID NOT break the ten commandments. There was no personal attack! What is comes down to is when someone posts something based on “feelings” and not “facts”, then they should be ready for that post to get critiqued.
BTW, being from Ohio, I go see the Cubs play every year in Cincy. I have never been to Wrigley, but I have tickets for me, my wife, and 4 kids for Sept. 18 @ Wrigley vs. the Brewers. Since many of you are from Chicago and/or very familiar with Wrigley, any suggestions for places that are a must see in or around Wrigley for after the game (the game is a 1:20 start).
I’ll say this again. It AMAZES me how these posters disappear for months at a time when things are going along swimmingly, and then BAM they’re back when the waters get a little rough.
No offence aarbear, but you are a text book fair weather fan. Dave and Joe hit the nail on the head. Over, and over, and over. I think you’ll find the same readout out at pretty much every Cubs blog out there. At least the ones that know what they’re talking about.
Matt “I’m looking at the ledge, but not about to take the jump” Jacobs
Guys (and ladies)
I think that this is what we blog for. We give opinion we hear other opinion. It is a place to make a point and have people argue against them. I think that making people feel like they are not invited because they are fair weather or something else seems to miss the point.