Tag Archives: Chicago Cubs

Five Years Ago Today: Nothing Better Than A Cubbie Sweep

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NOTE: Five years ago was a much better time baseball-wise, wasn’t it? We weren’t subjected to daily gushings by the national sports media over THE CUBS!!!!! and so many of those friends and coworkers who now claim to be die-hard lifelong CUBS!!!!! fans were … well, just not paying attention to baseball, I guess. And Joe Maddon was the guy who managed the Rays. Oh, and the Cardinals were doing things like sweeping the CUBS!!!! — including two straight games, on June 4, 2011, and June 5, 2011, in Albert Pujols walk-off fashion. And Carlos Zambrano was getting mad about it. Plus Ryan Theriot — ahem, now Two-Time World Series Champion Ryan Theriot — was doing productive things as a Cardinal. Ah, those were the days … Enjoy this post from Miranda and relive the memories. To see the original post and its comments, click here. 

There is nothing better than a Cardinals win. But if there is anything better, it’s a Cardinals win over the Cubbies. The cherry on top is that Sunday’s Cardinals win over the Cubs meant that it was a SWEEP!

And how sweep it was!

The win Sunday came just as it did Saturday with a walk-off blast from Albert Pujols. Here is Sunday’s shot, if you haven’t seen it (or want to see it again).

It was Albert’s 13th homer of the season and his fourth in the past three days. The Mang enjoys playing the Cubbies, obviously! The blast Sunday was one of those in which you and he just knew it was gone once the ball left the bat and his grin and run in to the home plate area only to be mobbed by his teammates left you with the hopes that maybe, just maybe, the REAL Albert Pujols is back!

Another good thing about Sunday? Ryan Theriot hit an RBI-double in the bottom of the ninth, to tie the game up.

You know what this means right?

RYAN THERIOT HAS A 19-GAME HITTING STREAK!!!!! How awesome is that!? I say, so awesome!

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And So The Cardinals Meet The Cubs Again

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So much for my hope that Sept. 20 was the final game between the Cardinals and Cubs this year.

And so much for the temporary Pirates fandom for me and many other Cardinals and non-Cubs fans, eagerly rooting for the Bucs to win Wednesday night to give us a more palatable National League Division Series.

NLDS logoNope. Not to be — just like Jake Arrieta told everyone on Twitter last Sunday.

Which means here we are, on the brink of THE MOST HISTORIC PLAYOFF MATCH-UP IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD!!! BASEBALL!!! Never mind, as many obviously haven’t realized, that such a meeting has only been possible since the addition of a wild card team into the playoffs in 1995. So “historic” might be a bit of a stretch, despite how often that word has been tossed around since Wednesday night.

Details! What do they matter?

Before Wednesday’s game, I purposely wouldn’t think about the Cardinals facing the Cubs in the division series. Neither would any of the Cardinals/non-Cubs fans I know. Because that outcome seemed too dreadful to contemplate.

Now I can admit that, deep down, I figured the baseball gods would find this all too tempting to avoid. Even for the hype alone.

The baseball gods obviously found it all too tempting (poor Gerrit Cole), so now we are dealing with such pre-game storylines as “Feel-good Cubs threatened by playoff staple Cardinals” a noted Cardinals fan writing that the Cubs are “the hottest, most beloved, most exciting team in baseball” and a Chicago writer beginning his NLDS preview by rehashing all the wonderful, media-hyped tough talk of Joe Maddon from the series a couple weekends ago — which, to me, seems like it means nothing now that October is here, the little dust-up between the Cubs and Pirates Wednesday night notwithstanding.

As much as I hate to admit it, this is the Cubs’ world right now.

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Hopefully That Was The Last Cardinals-Cubs Game Of 2015

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Interesting weekend, wasn’t it?

And by “interesting,” I mean nauseating.

Interesting/nauseating to see the sports media giddiness revved up even higher over the Cubs.

Looking-AheadInteresting/nauseating to see the “speeches” Joe Maddon makes that get breathlessly covered by that same sports media infatuated with his “wisdom.” Like his brilliant “we don’t start stuff, we finish stuff” on Friday — the same day Dan Haren hit Matt Holliday in the batting helmet yet poor, poor Anthony Rizzo had his pant leg beaned (prompting, of course, the above tough-guy words from Maddon); the day after Chris Coghlan finished something, for sure — Pirate Jung Ho Kang’s season with a slide far to the right of second base and with his leg up to hit Kang in the leg and fracture his tibia (and a slide by Coghlan that looked all the more egregious when shown again yesterday afternoon on CSN Chicago after the Cubs broadcasters were comparing Yadier Molina’s slide into Addison Russell to that play — which was an inning after Yadi’s slide happened, and to which there was really no comparison at all other than both slides were toward second base); and the day before Kolten Wong was hit by both Fernando Rodney and Trevor Cahill and Greg Garcia was hit by Hector Rondon (and no Cubs were hit).

What’s that saying about actions speaking louder than media-friendly speeches?

Anyway, may yesterday’s game please be the last time the Cardinals have to face those Media Darling Cubs, their Style Over Substance Manager and their Breathlessly Amazing Roster of Players (Jake Arrieta! Addison Russell!! Anthony Rizzo!!! KRIS BRYANT!!!!!!!!!) in 2015.

Before the weekend even began, I knew that if any kind of postseason match-up involving these two teams were to take place, it would be torturous. Living closer to Chicago than to St. Louis, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the fan bandwagon grow and grow and grow ever since Maddon became their manager, the media attention increase more and more and more as the months go along — and I’m ready for it to stop. Especially after this weekend.

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There Is A Bright Side To The Cardinals Losing To The White Sox

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Obviously, it’s never fun when the Cardinals lose a game — even when they have the best record in baseball (though, even after two losses, the next team closest to their 51 wins is the Astros at 47) . It’s even less fun when they lose two in a row to a team that is as bad as the White Sox.

Positive-AttitudeYet that’s where we are right now, after the late-and-very-rain-delayed 7-1 loss in which Seth Maness and Randy Choate created quite a mess for Marcus Hatley to wade into during the ninth inning (yes, the water-logged description was intentional) and make his major league debut. A 2-1 Sox lead grew out of hand into that final score.

Ah, well. That’s baseball.

Want to know the bright side?

Seeing the Sox sweep the two-game series from the Cards annoys Cubs fans.

Just Tuesday night’s win did the trick.

I got a message from my long-time friend and long-time Cubs fan Debbie yesterday. “So how can the Cubs get swept by the Cardinals and then the White Sox find a way to win last night?? Just doesn’t seem right!”

Sure, it’s a mild annoyance — and the fact the Cubs have won two straight over the Mets to now trail the Cards by only 9 1/2 games in the NL Central helps improve their moods, I’m sure.

Still, there is one thing that can unite Cardinals fans and White Sox fans everywhere: success that ticks off Cubbies fans. A two-game sweep by the Sox over the Cards is obviously nothing like the South Siders winning the World Series in 2005 followed by the Cardinals winning in 2006 as far as really annoying those North Siders fans.

But it’s enough to take the sting out of these two losses a bit.

Remember This Cubs Tweet From Saturday Night?

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If you frequent Twitter and were checking it Saturday night, perhaps you saw the Cubs’ reply to the Royals’ tweet about the outcome of that evening’s (unfortunately) rain-shortened game.

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Clever, right? Ha ha, the Cardinals lost, thanks for the huge favor of putting the Cubs one game closer when May isn’t even over yet, Royals! Fist bumps all around!

Sure, it’s great that the person now handling the Cubs Twitter account has a sense of humor and is engaging and interacting with fans. And, sure, it’s certainly Twitter friendly to play up the long-time Cards-Cubs rivalry — look at the number of retweets and favorites of that for proof. Yes, the Cardinals Twitter account certainly could step up the creativity and the interaction … and maybe even take over the “#WeAreGood” hashtag the Cubs account (and Cubs’ fans) love so much.

But have you paid attention to what the Cubs have done since beating the Diamondbacks on Saturday night, after the Royals beat the Cardinals?

On Sunday they lost to the Diamondbacks 4-3, which resulted in them losing the series as well — Arizona won in 13 innings Friday night.

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Countdown To Opening Night: 20

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On this day, 20 until the Cardinals begin the 2015 season, it’s appropriate that their first opponent is the Cubs.

Chicago’s National League team, of course, was where Lou Brock played the first three-plus years of his Hall of Fame career, until being traded to the Cards on June 15, 1964.

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Maybe you’ve heard about that trade? Ernie Broglio, Bobby Shantz and Doug Clemens were traded from the Cardinals in exchange for Brock, Jack Spring and Paul Toth. Yet it’s Brock and Broglio that were the centerpieces of the trade, and the names that are remembered most.

My Cubs fan family members certainly have heard about the trade — my uncle Jim, a Cardinals fan, makes a point of reminding them about it regularly on June 15.

And “Brock for Broglio” even has its own Wikipedia entry.

The phrase “Brock for Broglio” is sometimes used in the sport of baseball to signify a trade that in hindsight, turns out to be an extremely lopsided transaction.

It was thought initially the Cubs had done better in the deal, as Broglio was coming off some impressive seasons while pitching for the Cardinals, while Brock had been considered a disappointment for the Cubs.

Almost immediately the effects of the trade were felt, as Brock would bat .348 for the Cardinals and lead them to winning the 1964 World Series. Brock also helped the Cardinals to another World Series title in 1967, a pennant in 1968, and played successfully for St. Louis through 1979, amassing 3,023 hits and 938 stolen bases (at the time becoming baseball’s all-time leader in stolen bases) en route to his Hall of Fame election in 1985. Meanwhile, Broglio went only 4-7 with a 4.04 ERA for the Cubs, and by 1966 was out of Major League Baseball. Broglio did not tell anyone at the time, but he was suffering from an injured elbow since the second-half of the 1963 season, and in November 1964, had his ulnar nerve reset.

Ah, history …

Speaking of, there is always much to be learned at RetroSimba, Mark Tomasik’s fantastic Cardinals historical site. And Mark has written plenty about Lou, which you can find here.

Plus Lou looks much better in red than in blue, doesn’t he?

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And especially his red Hall of Fame blazer …

Just 20 more days!

 

Thank You, Anthony Rizzo, For Guaranteeing The Cubs Won’t Win The NL Central

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Like many of you, I saw the oh-so-social-media friendly “promise” that Chicago Cub Anthony Rizzo made on Thursday that the team would win the National League Central division in 2015 — it was an easily tweetable sound bite, for sure. I rolled my eyes after reading it and moved on.

How often have we already heard grand proclamations about their “guaranteed” success in 2015? Joe Maddon! Jon Lester! Kris Bryant! The Sporting News! Even Back to the Future 2!! Wooooooo!!!!!

Yesterday I was catching up on baseball news during lunch and read about Rizzo’s comments — he made them during a Cubs Caravan stop at an elementary school. I saw the actual quote of what he said. And laughed.

“It’s going to happen this year.”

Now, the grammar is perfect there in its written form, but I loved seeing those words coming from a Cub. And in case you’re wondering why …

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It’s 2015, So The Cardinals Will Make The World Series

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During this interminable baseball off-season, looking ahead is common. We have to pass the time some way, right?

new-years-questionsWorld Series predictions based on every free agent signing also are common, and happen every year. Remember when the Angels were going to win in 2012 after signing That Guy Who Used to Play First Base and C.J. Wilson? Or when the Nationals would win in 2013? The Dodgers in 2014?

Now it’s 2015, and we’ve already heard plenty about the Cubs (yes, the Chicago Cubs) going to the World Series this year — that’s what “Back to The Future II” said! And now Joe Maddon’s their manager! They signed Jon Lester! And the Vegas odds say so! Woo hoo!!!!

Yeah. We’ll see how that goes once they actually start playing …

Instead, I not surprisingly have a different perspective. The Cardinals will win the 2015 National League pennant this year and return to the World Series. Continue reading →

Say It Ain’t So, Joe! Not The Cubs

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When the news first broke last Friday afternoon that Joe Maddon opted out of his contract and was no longer manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, I was hopeful.

Joe-maddonHopeful it could mean a change for the Cardinals, as I tweeted at the time. Not that I really believed John Mozeliak would make a change and remove Mike Matheny as manager, but I could dream.

Maddon was indeed who I wanted as Cards manager back when Tony La Russa retired following the 2011 World Series — he was, as Tara wrote at the time, “the overwhelming AMF favorite.” As she wrote in November 2011:

He has personality galore, but he also has an understanding of Cardinal Nation. He did, after all, grow up as a Cardinals fan. He’s done wonders with a bare-bones budget in Tampa Bay. He works well in bringing up young players. But he also has enough “old-school” in his blood to satisfy the traditionalist.

During my lunch on Friday, I was listening to sports radio station the Score in Chicago. It wasn’t a surprise they were predicting Maddon would be coming to the Cubs — not a surprise because what team wouldn’t want Maddon?

Now it appears that Friday prediction of Maddon to the Cubs will be a reality. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports had the news yesterday, as did Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune.

Ugh.

Really, Joe?

I knew the Cubs would be getting their “real” manager sometime in the next year or two, meaning the manager who would be the final piece of their rebuilding process Theo Epstein began when he became Cubs president in 2011. And I figured that real manager would be a big name — but I was thinking, given his history with Theo, it would be Terry Francona. And that would have been fine. After 2004, I don’t really like either one. They’d be perfect together in Chicago. Continue reading →

Have The Real 2014 Cardinals Finally Arrived?

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Five-game winning streak, including a sweep of the Pirates with a tense 1-0 walk-off win yesterday. (Gorgeous job, Peter Bourjos, with that single!) A season-high 13 games over .500 at 76-63. First place after spending five months in second, with a three-game lead over the struggling Brewers. (Thanks for sweeping them, Cubs!)

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                            Photo: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Is this the 2014 St. Louis Cardinals team we expected all season, finally arriving in September — just when it matters the most?

It certainly seems like it. And that’s definitely good to see.

They’re coming from behind to win — in four of the five games in this streak, the Cubs and the Pirates scored first. They’re scoring plenty of runs, with 34 in the past five games. They’re getting good pitching, especially with the nine shutout innings yesterday from Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal.

And the national media — remember, those who were just like all of us in picking them to win the NL Central and go far into October — are certainly back on board these days too.

Here’s Bob Nightengale in USA Today:

Just when it looked like the National League Central race would be a doozy, a three-headed showdown between the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates, leave it to the Cardinals to ruin the drama.

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