Cubs-Pirates: Take a Vacation from your Problems
WGN is both a blessing and a curse. On vacation in the rural outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, we've thankfully got WGN on the local cable system. Because of this blessing, I was able to watch the last two Cubs games. Check that. Because of this curse, I was able to watch the last two Cubs games. Had I not been able to watch the games, I would have simply read a recap and thought, "oh well, just another pair of losses in a 162 game season." Because I saw the carnage, though, I'm far more angry. We're talking, "someone-switched-Chris-Farley's-coffee-with-Columbian-Decaf-Crystals" angry.
First, Saturday. I like Kerry Wood. A lot. But he has GOT to stop hitting batters. He doesn't give up many hits. He doesn't walk many people. He appears to have ice in his veins. He doesn't look rattled. But he still hits batters like he did when he was a starter. Back then, it was kind of cute. Someone gets a cheap hit that knocks in a run? Plunk the next guy square in the back. A bit of a stress relief. Comical and predictable for Cubs fans. But in the ninth inning of a one-run game, it's not so cute. When a team is playing for one run in a do-or-die situation, you can't put the leadoff man on base. He WILL score. This is the third time already this year that he's hit the leadoff man and thus blown the save. It's getting to be, in the immortal words of John Wayne, ri-goddamn-diculous.
Then on Sunday, Soriano and his adventures in the outfield. Never mind that Luis Oh-for-three-vas' first home run should have been ruled a ground-rule double; Soriano should have caught it! Sure, the fonz later hit a two-run homer, which was nice. But there's no question that the first "home run" by Rivas should have been caught. Then in the ninth, Soriano had his Brant Brown moment. Marmol got a guy to pop up with two outs in the ninth, sealing the win. Game over, 3-3 road trip, no harm, no foul. Instead, here's-sun-in-your-eye, ball squirts out of glove. Tie ballgame, go to extras, lose. I heard Ron Santo screaming NO!!!!!! in my head. Now its a 2-4 road trip. Horrible, just horrible.
Brenly was deservedly ripping him. "Soriano is not a good fielder. Plus arm, but everything else is weak." You can live with it when he has those blistering hot streaks, but on the whole, he's incredibly frustrating to watch. No sense complaining about it too much, though, as there's really nothing the Cubs can do about it with his massive contract and all. Just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best over he next 6.5 years.
Oh well. Big series with the Dodgers starts today. Luckily, today's game is on WGN again so, joy-of-joys, I get to watch again. It's almost like I never left home.
Till next time....