Daily Affirmations with Sweet Lou Piniella

Enjoy

10,000 Chicago Cubs' Wins

Wow, the Cubs have won 10,000 games.
Who says they are the Lovable Losers?
The Cubs are 10,000-9,465 all-time, so that means they have a winning record!
They are off to their best start since 1975.
100 years since their last World Series victory though.
They trail only the New York/San Francisco Giants in overall wins.
Enjoy it Cub Fans.

---added---
I just went past wrigley, and they have a white 10,000 flag hanging opposite of the W flag in center field. Very cool. Only problem is that they lost to Colorado today, and the W flag shouldn't be up! Oh well, let's win tomorrow.

Chin Music

I dug the sign hanging outside of Wrigley this weekend, I'm sure it wasn't just the $6.25 Old Style's that makes this cool.

Kerry Wood: "I like Country Rock and Chin Music."


Check out Wrigley field famous sign live!

FIRST PLACE

It doesn't happen often, but both the Cubs and the White Sox are in first place on the same day. The Cubs have been beating up on the hapless Pirates, having beaten them 6 times this year already, part of the reason the cubs are 12-6.
I had the pleasure of attending Friday's 3-2 nailbiter, then the Cubs walloped the Pirates for 13 runs each game Sat and Sunday. Wow. Glad our bats have come alive.

Extra innings

This is how to wear down your bullpen:
Cubs:
Monday: 12 innings. Win
Wednesday 15 innings. Win
Sunday: 10 innings. Win

Now, Jon Lieber has been invaluable to the bullpen, although I thought he should have been the #5 starter ahead of Jason (if I don't start, I don't want to be here) Marquis. He has the best attitude, and hell, he was the last 20 game winner for the Cubs!

Game notes: in Sunday's 10 inning win against Philly, I was surprised that Pinnella used Carlos Zambrano to pinch hit for Kerry Wood in the 10th inning. Although, his routine grounder was thrown by Chase Utley into the dugout letting the winning run score, it would have otherwise been a double play. The Cubs had no one left on their bench, having used everyone else but the relief pitchers and other starters. I would have left Kerry Wood in, even if you were going to bring in Howry in the 11th....Wood has some pop in his bat, and has a decent eye at the plate for a pitcher. This way, you could still use Zambrano in later innings as needed. Alas, I don't get paid millions to make that decision, at least they won!

5 game win streak

Nice to see the Cubs put together a 5 game win streak here. Although 1/2 was against Pittsburgh, it was on the road. They did a good job battling back after giving up the lead.....Heck , tuesday, they were up 7-0 and almost lost it, until they won in 15 innings. The team has shown some resolve, in battling back in the late innings. Years past they would just roll over and look to tomorrow's game. Sweet Lou's influence is working. Go get em boys.

As Johnny Drama would say..."Victory!"

hawks win
cubs got first win
sox got first win
hawks need a prayer to make the playoffs but are fighting
cubs have a deep lineup and pitching staff
sox...well, a team will never go 0-162 so they had to win at least one

Here we go again....

Kerry Wood was not a very effective closer yesterday on opening day for the Cubs (He gave up 3 runs.) Neither was Bob Howry ( gave up game winning run), nor formerly lights out - Eric Gagne for the Brewers, (Gave up the game tying 3run homer in the bottom of the 9th to Rookie Kosuke Fukudome.) Carlos Marmol, on the otherhand, pitched a gem of an inning in the 8th when Carlos Zambrano tired...yes, cramps again.

Now, I am not really a Sox fan, but they did get screwed double time in the 8th on opening day. Congrats to Thome who knocked out 2 dingers to start the season off...nice (and he's on my fantasy team!) But Crede was totally safe at home...the relay was high, catcher made a vague swing tag, but missed him from the angle I saw. Then right after that, the umps called runner interference when the Sox went to try to break up the double play, he slid, caught the 2nd base bag with his foot, albeit slid over the bag, but he was out anyways. Just because the runner tossed his hands in the air (many do when sliding) the ump called interference. He did drift towards the 2nd baseman, but was nowhere really near him, and did not touch him. Rough calls.

Let's Play Two

"It's a great day for baseball........let's play two!"
Finer words won't describe baseball, and one of it's all time fans, Chicago great, Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks.

Banks has been enshrined in a statue located on the famous intersection of Clark and Addison in front of Wrigley field. A fine gesture by the Cubs, for a fine ambassador of the game, Ernie Banks. Cubs greats, along with Hammerin' Hank Aaron were on hand to witness the unveiling of the statue which immortalizes the Cub great.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

We got Wood

Well Woody made the closer role. Let's just hope he doesn't throw out is arm like the power pitcher he can be. Wonder how much finesse he'll have? He can hit the mid 90's so, I think he's hoping to have people leave the bat on their shoulder.

Wood - sore back? That can't be true

Kerry wood injury report.....suggestions are that it was true, just sore! Kerry pitched fine the next day, hasn't walked anyone yet this preseason, and looks to be the forerunner for the cubs closer role on opening day.

This should be taken with a grain of salt, as Wood has a lifetime membership to the DL. The Cubs have been notorious in misleading the press and fans about injuries.....notably Woody and Mark Prior. Time will tell, but fantasy owners take note...

Nice move for the fans.....

Chicago Blackhawks lured away John McDonough and made him team president.
This was a nice move, as he made some great advances with the Chicago Cubs.

McDonough has developed the Chicago Blackhawks convention, an off-season meet and great, rally, new player introduction event over several days. The Cubs Convention has been very popular with the Cubs fans in the past, and we hope the tradition will continue. The Chicago Blackhawks have been very fan friendly, even while the team has been down and out. They have had numerous signings at stores around town, last year they tried fan business cards, where the players could hand a fan a business card, which would get him an autograph at a later time, and the always popular "Jersey off our backs" nite for the fan appreciation final game.

A new change implemented should help draw back some of the old time Blackhawks fans who may have been disenchanted over the last decade. Recently Hawks’ legendary goaltender Tony Esposito, whose jersey has been retired, was honored at last nite's pre-game ceremony. He becomes the third team ambassador, joining Blackhawk's greats Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. Nice move McDonough, now keep the ticket prices down, get with Rocky Wirtz to get all of the home games on TV next year, and the fan base will come back, and grow with these skilled rookies the team has developed this year. Good Job Dale Tallon.

Unbalanced Schedule

Ok now, who made up the Chicago Cubs schedule this year?
Running down the Schedule:
49 home games before the All-Star break.
32 home games after the All-Star break.
Now, this seems to favor a good pitching staff, and small ball clubs.
The Cubs are not built for small-ball, although the addition of Fukudome does help.
The Cubs have big bats. Chicago is cold in the spring, there as been snow at some early games in the last few years. The big bats warm up in the summer, and the Cubs have big bats...Ramirez, Lee, Soriano, and now Fukudome looks like he has some pop....
Are the scheduling gods unfair to the cubs?
The Cubs do have a decent staff....but the last few years (contract talks aside) big Z, Carlos Zambrano doesn't start heating up until it warms up.
So, we'll see how Lou Pinella manages the club with this in mind. He's got the small ball players to work with...Theriot, Fontenot, DeRosa & Cedeno.....how nice would Brian Roberts fit in here.....