Umm...Lou?

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080929&content_id=3572884&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

"For people to say that this team is built for the World Series and if it doesn't win the World Series, it's not a successful year, I just don't buy that."

So, Lou's a great manager - one of the best - but yeah Lou, uou better freakin' buy it!! Yes the team's played well during the regular season. Good for them. But to say that anything less than a World Series title is a success? Um, actually NO! Are you serious??

Finish the job Lou. Don't tell the home owner that you built four whole walls, and no roof, buy hey you got walls, so what's the problem? That's pure unadulterated BullS#$. That's just damn wrong. Anything less than the World Series is failure. This is why they talk about 100 years of failure.

Interesting fact - the Cubs, as a franchise, have never been below .500 in total wins. Not once. Ever. And yet they're talking about a century of failure. Why, Lou, do you think that is? It's because we have nothing to freaking show for it!! Just an interesting little footnote in the baseball almanac, about 700 pages past the list of World Series winners.

You know what second place is? First Losers! - I wish I could remember what movie that was from. But it's all too true. We don't want to be first losers. So suck it up, realize this means something. Realize that you have failed otherwise.

Phone call...

Dang..I had this all written up, but Howry had to get out of it...how inconsiderate...eh well, here it is anyway...

"Hello, this is Lou. Oh hi Bud. Yeah. Well, I did put a representative team on the field. Now Bud, that's not nice...Well, I know I could've put in Marmol with the bases loaded and two outs in the 8th. How was _I_ supposed to know Jeff would walk Ramon Martinez. The guy has one hit during the Bush administration. I know. And Howry? Well, it wasn't a save situation and you know how those closers are...yeah....they get all goofy..that's right...Howry's had such a good season and with Wright coming to the plate, I really liked that righty-righty matchup. Yes I know Marmol and Wood are both righties too." C'mon Bud, now you're just being unreasonable...ok...next time I won't hand them the game...yeah...ok...love to the family...you too."

Would've been funny...for a minute anyway...

Dr. Piniella. Paging Dr. Piniella!

Here's the downside for not watching/listening to postgame or BBTN after a loss. I had NO idea what's been going on in the past few days...

Ok seriously folks. Zambrano is getting all creepy and supposed to get an MRI, but doesn't. Harden's hurt? WTF is going on here?? Oh, and a minor little 5 games losing streak...Hey good times...

It's a good thing Milwaukee Sucks donkey butt or we'd be really screwed.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still on board. but this train's gettin' bumpy...

Still a minute...

Wakey Wakey Fukudome

Is he back ladies and gentlemen? Maybe...a 3 hit performance tonight. Finally got out of the slump (It's not a srump - that's not racist - It's a quote from MR. Baseball, Tom Selek). Turns out Piniella knows how to hit. Also turns out I've been spelling Piniella's name wrong for a couple months now..:)

So Fuku is no longer slumping. At least for the last two games. Still a BIT premature to think he'll be back to early season form, but gawd what a lineup if he is...I'm really interested to see where this goes the next couple of days...

And by the way - Take THAT Karstens!

Side note: A.J. - smart baseball move. the ump bought it. Good for you. Bush league? Yes. Winning baseball? YES. What ever it takes boys. whatever it takes. Still think you're scum, but man you got some baseball brains in there...

That was supposed to be a minute, but I flopped on my butt and turned it into a triple.

"Bomb" Howry rides again

Jeez Bobby? Seriously? Oh man...

Why oh why Piniella sent him back out with a one-run lead is beyond me...

Oh well, the Cubs won, so that's the good news. Spanked that 'stros bullpen well enough. Gotta love that. It's all about the late come backs. Fukudome is looking better these days, but definitely not back to April-May form.

Lee got 4 hits today, sweet.

Magic number went down a bit in the last couple of days. I'll update that tomorrow. Cubs win again at home. All-abord Plesac's Big Blue Train!

Another minute bites the dust..

Marmol is done...

A five run inning by the weak assed Giants and Harden's dominant performance means so much doggie mulch.

I'm not sure who I'm more upset with right now. Marmol for being a flake all of a sudden - have a fun trip to the DL or the minors or both, or Piniella for not pulling him, oh 3 runs ago. You have Marshall and Lieber in the pen and maybe you want Marmol to learn a "life lesson" and get himself out of trouble, but you pissed away a good start, and made the offense go back to work. As I write, it's still the 9th, so I don't even know if you two pissed away a full game.

It's ridiculous that the game got that out of hand. It wasn't fast, it was bloopers and errors. It was loaded bases. It was bull#$%^.

Going into the 10th. That's my minute.