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

 
NLCS GAME 2 VS. FLORIDA: Well what a great way to come back and win big time in Game 2. Mark Prior was great again. Alex Gonzalez hit two home runs. Sammy with a deep home run over the camera shed in deep centerfield. Just a great game for the Cubs as they win 12-3.
posted by Thomas at 5:28 PM

 
NLCS GAME 1 VS. FLORIDA: During the bottom of the first inning on Tuesday night with the Cubs stomping on the Marlins for 4 runs I am thinking, "We are going to win this series with ease! Who are we playing in the World Series? The Red Sox or the Yankees?" Silly me. I should know after all these years not to put too much faith in the Cubs. Before you know it the Carlos Zambrano surrendered five runs to the Marlins in the top of the third, and it was 5-4 Marlins. At this point I am thinking, "We are sunk." Then with it 6-4 Marlins, the Cubs' Alex Gonzalez hit a two-run home run to tie the game 6-6. Then I am thinking, "Ok, we might pull this out." In the ninth the Marlins scored twice and I am thinking, "We are done. We won't pull this one out." Then with two outs, Sammy Sosa hits a two-run home run and I am screaming, "Hey! Hey!" at the top of my lungs and I am back to starting to believe in the Cubs. Then in the top of the eleventh, Mike Lowell hits a solo home run off of Mark Guthrie and the Marlins take the lead 9-8. Then the Cubs go down in the bottom of the eleventh one, two, three and the Cubs lose 9-8.



MEL ROJAS AWARD: The Mel Rojas Award for poor relief pitching by a Cubs relief pitcher to Mark Guthrie. Guthrie pitched 1/3 of an inning and gave up the game losing home run to Mike Lowell.




REST OF THE SERIES: We really needed that game last night. With Zambrano not looking so good of late and with Clement shaky at times we cannot count on winning games 4 and 5. So we have to win every game Prior and Wood pitch in this series to get us four wins. If we do not win tonight or Game 3 we are probably looking at losing this series.
posted by Thomas at 5:20 PM

 
AND JUSTICE FOR US: If justice for Cubs fans exists in the world, we will defeat the Florida Marlins. For years we have loyally supported the Cubs going to games no matter how bad the team. Win or lose (ok, mostly lose) we have continued to love the Cubs. Marlins fans did not even exist until about two weeks ago. That alone is all we need to deserve to win. Other reasons why we should win: Wrigley Field vs. Pro Player Stadium. No contest. White, blue, and red uniforms vs. teal, silver, and black. Again no contest. Charter member of the National League in 1876 vs. a member since 1993. Please. This is reminiscent of the 1984 NLCS against San Diego. We are once again playing an expansion franchise in a warm weather city where if the team wins, everybody is big fan but if the team loses nobody cares. Had the Cubs not blown a 2 games to zero lead in that best of five NLCS and the Padres had lost the series. The people of San Diego would have gone to the beach, ate a fish taco, maybe ride a wave or two, then all would be right with the world. After 19 years, I am finally getting to the point where Steve Garvey does not make me very ill. Just slightly ill. Now here in 2003 we play Florida. A team that could have been contracted a few years ago. A team that barely drew 10,000 fans for a game against Pittsburgh a few weeks ago despite being in the wild card race. A team which is now a hot ticket in South Florida because the Marlins are in the NLCS. A team where many Marlins "fans" did not even know anybody on the team two weeks ago. I do not have to say how Cubs fans will feel if we lose this series. But Marlins "fans"? A trip to Miami Beach, some some salsa music, maybe some Cuban food, and they will be ok. If justice exists in this world for us, we will win!


ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARLINS "FANS": All you need to know about big Marlins "fans". This big Marlins "fan" does not even know any names of any Marlins!
posted by Thomas at 2:53 PM

 
2003 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: Ok so I went 1-3 on my predictions for the LDS round of the playoffs. So here come some more (bad) predictions. ALCS: New York Yankees over Boston Red Sox. NLCS: Chicago Cubs over Florida Marlins. (I know some are screaming, "OH NO! SMITH PICKS THE CUBS TO WIN. WE ARE DOOMED!) World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs.
posted by Thomas at 2:12 PM

 
NLDS GAME 5 AT ATLANTA: Well they did it. The Cubs went down to Atlanta and won on Sunday night 5-1 over the Atlanta Braves to win the series 3 games to 2. Kerry Wood was again masterful in victory. Alex Gonzalez had a solo home run and Aramis Ramirez had two-run home run. Wood pitched eight inning giving up only one run (which should not have scored, more on that in a moment), then Joe Borowski came on in the ninth to nail down the victory.

CHARLIE WILLIAMS AWARD: Introducing the Charlie Williams Award for bad umpiring. The Charlie Williams Award is named after former National League Umpire Charlie Williams who was one of the worst umpires ever. The Charlie Williams Award for bad umpiring to the umpiring crew in Atlanta on Sunday night. In the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on first and second Gary Sheffield hit a fly ball to centerfield which Kenny Lofton clearly caught. It was ruled a trap, allowing the runner on second to score for Atlanta.
posted by Thomas at 2:07 PM

 
NLDS GAME 4 VS. ATLANTA: Well so much for that feeling of inevitability of a Cubs win on Saturday to clinch a trip to the NLCS for the North Siders. The Braves (mostly Chipper Jones) just outplayed the Cubs. Jones's two two-run home runs helped sink the Cubs 6-4. Eric Karros hit a solo home run in the sixth, then got chopped on the arm by Robert Fick in the eighth, then got another home run in the bottom of the eighth. The Cubs tried to scratch back into the game in the ninth with doubles by Randall Simon and Damian Miller but Lofton struck out, Grudlielanek popped out, then Sammy worked the count to 3-2 before hitting a fly ball to deep centerfield which I yelled "Get out!" at five or six times before it landed in the glove of Braves centerfielder Andrew Jones for the third out and a 6-4 Cubs loss.



MEL ROJAS AWARD: The Mel Rojas Award for poor relief pitching by a Cubs reliever to Mark Guthrie. In the eighth inning Guthrie pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up two runs on a two-run home run by Chipper Jones (his second of the game), two hits, and one walk.


FICK FINED TWICE: Atlanta Braves first baseman Robert Fick has been fined by Major League Baseball and the Atlanta Braves for his cheap shot on Eric Karros at first base yesterday.
posted by Thomas at 4:58 PM