Thoughts on the Chicago Cubs and other topics in baseball. E-mail Tom at: tomsmithcubs@ hotmail.com

 
WEDNESDAY'S GAME VS. HOUSTON: Carlos Zambrano pitched ok for seven innings but was really hurt by poor defense. The Cubs were trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the eighth when they started a rally. Sammy Sosa drove in two runs on a bases loaded single only to be followed by a Fred McGriff strike out. Alex Gonzalez scored on Angel Echevarria's hit in the ninth to cut the deficit to 4-3 Houston but the Cubs could do no more as the Cubs lost 4-3.
posted by Thomas at 9:48 AM

 
ONE CUBBY BEAR ALREADY HIBERNATING: On Tuesday a Cubs player fell asleep in the Cubs clubhouse which caused Bruce Kimm to call a team meeting on Wednesday. The player should say to Kimm that he was in the clubhouse watching the game on television and well, you try staying awake listening to Chip Caray and Dave Otto.
posted by Thomas at 6:34 AM

 
CORRECTION -- NEW AWARD GIVEN TO KIMM: After last Tuesday's game at San Francisco I gave Bruce Kimm the Preston Gomez Award for bad managing for his decision to have Girardi bunt with Gonzalez on second and nobody out. I have decided to start a new award for bad managing involving bunting which will be known as the Don Baylor Award. So I have changed that bad managing decision by Kimm to the new Don Baylor Award. For now all other bad managing decisions will continue to receive the Preston Gomez Award.
posted by Thomas at 4:46 PM

 
TUESDAY'S GAME VS. HOUSTON: Matt Clement had some bad luck with some bloop basehits allowing Houston to score five runs in his five innings of work. Two rain delays delayed the game in the 5th and 6th innings. The Cubs battled back from being down 5-1 to come back 5-4 as Joe Girardi drove in two runs and Alex Gonzalez hit a solo home run but the Cubs could not pull it out in the end.

CHIPMUNK: What was up with Chip trying to act like he is William F. Buckley Jr. today? Chip continually used big, fancy words to describe the action and events in the game. Chip even spoke French at one point during the game.

MONDAY'S GAME VS. HOUSTON: Kerry Wood did not have a great game. Nor did the Cubs bullpen. Sammy Sosa hit his 40th home run of the season as the Cubs lost 9-6 to the Houston Astros. After Kerry Wood hit Julio Lugo in the second inning both teams were warned. I am all in favor of baseball cracking down on beanball wars but this was ridiculous. The Cubs and Astros have no reason to have any bad blood between them so to assume a beanball war was about to break out was simply wrong.

CUP OF JOE: In the bottom of the seventh inning Joe Carter asked seventh inning stretch singer and former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon, "One more question, do you still keep in touch with Pete Rozelle?" Dead silence for a few seconds before McMahon informed Joe that Pete Rozelle has been dead for several years. Memo to WGN: PLEASE BRING BACK STEVE STONE!
posted by Thomas at 6:34 PM

 
SUNDAY'S GAME AT COLORADO: Another big game for the offense. Sammy Sosa with a grand slam home run. Steve Smyth looked ok. Poor relief pitching by Jeff Fassero and Antonio Alfonseca again!

MEL ROJAS AWARD: The Mel Rojas Award for worst performance by a Cubs relief pitcher in Sunday's game at Colorado is a tie! Jeff Fassero and Antonio Alfonseca both get the Mel Rojas Award for poor relief pitching.

SATURDAY'S GAME AT COLORADO: Huge night for Sammy Sosa. Three three-run home runs as the Cubs win 15-1 behind a great performance by Mark Prior.

FRIDAY'S GAME AT COLORADO: Cubs lose 2-0 as Denny Neagle shuts down the Cubs.

PRESTON GOMEZ AWARD: In the eighth inning Alex Gonzalez tripled to lead off the inning. After Roosevelt Brown struck out Bruce Kimm sent up Todd Hundley to pinch hit instead of Bill Mueller. Hundley not surprisingly struck out as well.

OTTO von BISMARCK: On Alex Gonzalez's eighth inning triple Gonzalez slowed down between first and second apparently thinking he was only going to get a double before realizing he could make it to third base and turning it up a notch. A play that should not have been close wound up being closer than it needed to be. So what did Otto say on the replay? "Great hustle by Gonzo." Unbelievable.
posted by Thomas at 5:08 PM