Bruiser Chong

Even though it's more flawed than I always remembered it being all the times I saw it as a kid, I'd still be all over the Batman '89 SE. I've simply seen it too many times to have a real beef with it.

George has his sites set on Beltran. Whatever they can may not be enough. Yeah, wouldn't want to go find some pitching since yours is so top notch and the single reason the Yanks will be getting into the playoffs.

I don't think there's any question that Alou is gone after this season. They'll probably do whatever they can to ink Beltran to a deal and I think he'd be nuts not to, since his numbers at Wrigley are just insane. Sosa needs to go, too and I think that'll be the case, but not until after next season. Regardless, I don't see the attitude of the team really changing as long as Dusty is leading the ship. As you know, the team often takes after the attitude of the manager. Not a good sign for the Cubbies. And Mik returning just in time for the home stretch of the season where the Marlins have just gotten back in contention a coincidence? I think not.

Speaking of the whiny Cubs, here's a pretty good article from the Sun Times today: The calling the shots portion is a real eye-opener as to how unfocused this team has really become in the last two months. While the Cards continue to execute all the small things every night despite having the division more or less locked up since July, the Cubs are calling the god damn announcers' booth DURING the game to complain about the announcers complimenting an opposing player. Gimmie a break.

If they wind up playing a pair of double-headers or something to that effect and the Cubs come out on the short end of the stick, I'll bet we can add that to the list of why the Cubs are being screwed. This is the same list that includes umpires, announcers and the media.

Agreed on Schmidt. He's been one of the most exciting guys to watch all season, but his last two starts have been embarrassing. Six earned runs allowed in both starts and he doesn't make it past the fifth inning either time. Giants fans better pray he gets it together, because they simply can't afford to have him pitching the way he has the last two times.

Not really game chatter, but Urbina is taking a leave from the Detroit Tigers to return home to Vanezuela because his mother was just kidnapped there by four men disguised as police officers. People are fucked up.

Well damn. What the hell am I supposed to do all weekend?

My god the Mets suck. I can't believe that let that little two-week stretch where they were playing well fool them into thinking they were buyers and not sellers at the deadline.

But if nothing else, Moises' wacky hijinx on the basepaths allow us to be treated to some great biting sarcasm from Steve Stone. Grudz was up when Alou was just picked off and consoled us with: "Look on the bright side, Grudz will get a chance to bat again."

Man, I'm really beginning to loathe Moises Alou. Aside from leading the league in flyball double plays, this idiot just got picked off first base after three pickoff attempts. First off, this guy never steals, so his lead shouldn't have been this big. Second of all, if he's trying to pick you off, you're going to hold close to the bag. The game's not on here, so I'm not sure of the details, but lord, he sucks on the basepaths. Additionally, the Cubs' offense is back to looking anemic as hell. They haven't scored since the fourth inning on Monday. Changes certainly need to be made during the off season, for I fear this incarnation of the Cubs are more concerned with petty feuds with announcers and players than play solid ball.

Fucking Kobe Bryant is getting in the way of my baseball.

And the Cubs fans have what to do with this, exactly? I'm well aware that we've got some of the most impatient and small-minded fans in baseball; moreso now that the team looks like it'll at least be in postseason contention for a few years to come. I'm just saying that here you have two teams in the Sox and Yanks that have incredibly large fanbases that pride themselves on how loyal they are and yet, the vast majority of them bitch incessently about every little thing. It's justified at times, but some of things the fans complain are insane. Once again, I know that as a Cubs fan and a guilty party of overreacting, I may not have room to talk. But I'm discussing the Yanks and Sox here. The Yanks have more or less assembled a starting lineup that closely resembles that of an All-Star starting lineup. And yet, things just don't seem to be clicking all the time. I guess that's just the game, though. Once in a great while, a team will come along that's so incredible that they're simply incapable of performing poorly on too many consecutive outings (read: the 2004 Cardinals). Like I said, the complaining is justified at times, but some of thing a lot of their fans bitch about are things that aren't necessary. Now, as for the Red Sox fans, they've always been a bit more tolerable, but not this season. I can understand the frustration with underachieving most of the season, but every loss in Boston is like the end of the season. I blame this on them being so close to the World Series (bumping off their arch rivals en route, no less) and not making it. Same goes for the Cubs. They both came so close to getting to unfamiliar territory and came up short. This season, the expectations for both teams have been huge and I've gotta say, it's had a negative effect on both of them. This goes for most of their fans, as well. But to me, the Red Sox don't deserve all the sympathy they often get. We know you're in the division with the Evil Empire and that they've got a mighty payroll. But guess what? So do you! Your payroll isn't all that close, but there's still definitely enough cash around to write off being deserving of any sympathy on that front. You've got two of the premiere pitchers in the game; one of the best all-around hitters; a massive run-producer; a great lead-off man and other potent bats. So I can understand the frustration that came about when they were performing so mediocrely. But that's still no reason to feel bad for the team. I hate to break it to you, but the Sox aren't some piss ant small market team that should be viewed as the David to the Yankees Goliath. There are teams like the Twins, A's and even Rangers that are having terrific seasons; all without the benefit of a big payroll. That's mainly what I'm getting at here.

I still stand my desire to see the Sox get within a game or so of the Yanks before crumbling. I don't particuarly care for either team and find the Sox more appealing, but this season, it's been a toss-up for which team has the more annoying fans.

Indeed you did, Al. Funny thing is I almost benched him today for Sheffield, but realized that Vazquez was pitching. Mind you I've also got Vazquez, but wisely benched him (as well as Prior). Good thing, too, since they wound up surrendering 11 earned runs between the two of them in under seven innings of work. Even so, my ERA still took an ass whooping thanks to Smoltz.

I know most people are aware of Baker's shortcomings as a manager, but today he really put on a show. First, Maddux pitched a gem, going eight innings of one-run ball and only throwing 84 pitches. This included a four-pitching eighth inning. So everything indicates that Maddux will just go the distance, correct? No, no, no. We gotta bring LaTroy Hawkins in. Now, don't get me wrong, I like Hawkins, but don't like seeing him in such a close situation; especially when the starter was quite able to go another inning at least. I understand that Hawkins needed to get some work in, having not pitched since Saturday, but why use the pen if there's really no reason to? So he gives up a lead-off hit and after the runner's moved over to second via a sac bunt, Hawkins winds up striking out the next batter in a toughly contested 10-pitch at-bat. Just one more out to go and then it happens. A double to the wall and we're tied. To add salt to the open wound, he retired the next hitter on one pitch. Now I know nobody is perfect and Hawkins is gonna have to pitch in close games; maybe even more important games down the road if the Cubbies wanna be successful. But in a case where the starter hasn't even broke 90 pitches and has shown no signs of fatigue, why go to the pen? This leads us to the bottom of the 9th and Dusty blunder number two of the day. Grudzielanek leads off with a ball that is pretty obviously foul down the rightfield wall; except it's called fair, having been viewed that way by the first base ump. Grudz wisely goes to third on the play, never slowing down. So they've got the leadoff man on third in the last inning with nobody out. They can't possible not score and win this game, right? Right? Next batter is Paul Bako, who is probably one of the worst hitting position players in all of baseball. He had homered earlier and made an outstanding defensive play in the eighth to help Greg only throw four pitches, but in a situation like this, I think it's clear you go to the bench. Especially when you've got Michael Barrett, one of the Cubs' best contact hitters, sitting on the bench. But Dusty sticks with Bako who pops it up. Todd Walker pinch hits next and at this point, I still think it would've been smart to go with Barrett. Walker winds up popping out to third base. At this point. I'm going crazy and cursing Baker. I tried to put a positive spin on the blown save, but getting the leadoff man on third leaves no real excuse why you can't plate him, since all it takes is just about any form of contact. So Patterson is now up and as much as he's dazzled me this month, I don't particularly care for him to be in such a situation. He gets two strikes on him and I figure, okay they're not gonna score. Patterson proves me wrong, golfing a slider into the rightfield stands to give the Cubs the dramatic win and send everyone home happy (except Milwaukee fans). This all leads back to Baker, though. I'm estatic the Cubs pulled out the win, but had Patterson not gotten the job done, one would have little luck overlooking Dusty's managerial blunders. Putting in Hawkins was stupid, but excusable on some fronts. But not pinch-hitting a position player who's batting .180 and isn't a good contact hitter, when all you need is some contact, is ridiculously stupid. Sorry, just had to vent. Glad to see the Cubs get the win (and a HUGE call in their favor) but you get the feeling these little things that they're still not doing right will come back to haunt them before it's all said and done.

No, but I bet if the Indians go on to win tomorrow or Wednesday, we'll get the AS we all know and love.

It's funny, because unlike other blowouts that eventually just turn into a lot of scoreless innings for both teams, the Indians have added on in six innings. And not just a run or two; most of them have been three at the least, with a pair of sixers up there. Loiaza didn't help things, giving up six himself and it's basically no secret that he was a one-season wonder.

Man, the Cubs are awesome. Aside from not being able to put away a single WC competitor yet, despite having many chances to do so, their starting pitching in the last week has been garbage; their bullpen has been even worse; the defense is borderline embarrassing at times; the baserunning is positively embarrassing; Sosa continues to be a shell of his former self and guys like Nomar and Lee have gone cold as of late. On top of all that, instead of addressing the horrible bullpen issue, we went out and grabbed a back up catcher for the back up catcher. Tremendous. The one positive is we picked up Ben Grieve for the infamous PTBNL. But man, at this point, despite having a soft schedule ahead of them, things are getting real interested the last month of the season. In addition to the Cubs, Giants and Padres, the Marlins and Astros are suddenly back into it. Like they did with the Astros this past weekend, the Cubs will have the opportunity to put the Marlins out for good, as they face each other six times in the coming weeks. Things are getting real depressing for these guys, as if things haven't been that way most of the season.

He'll be like 300 pound Homer minus the humor.

HAHAHAHA. Hell no. Zsasz, seriously, shut the hell up. Jesus Christ. I've been one of your few supporters a lot of the time, but stop being so damn emotional about the god damn INTERNET. Go outside or something. The fact that you started a thread about this and devoted quite a bit of text to the matter reeks of you trying to fool yourself into believing the garbage you spout. So what if he didn't want to talk to you on AIM? If you hadn't noticed, that's a program people use to talk to those whom they WANT to converse with. Not whiny punks who want to start a big rumble about a freaking folder on a message board. The PM function is exactly what shit like this is for. If he did in fact respond to your PMs, then shut the hell up about him not wanting to talk to you on AIM. I thought this issue was more or less dead, anyway? Why continuing to bring it back up?

I don't like him at all, but you can't deny how amazing he's become. Whether he's roiding up or not is really not relevant to my point. If he only his monster home runs, maybe, but he's clearly one of the best all around hitters in the league. Case in point. If a base hit is what's needed, he'll get that. He won't always go for the longball, as he realizes that a single or double can get certain jobs done. He rarely gets anything to hit and yet, he's one of the best hitters in baseball right now. That and the fact that he's 40 make it pretty amazing.

I don't think they're even really allowed anymore. If you didn't notice, we've been chatting about MLB activity in a thread that was supposed to go until three days ago.

Um, what? Maybe I'm not looking in the right threads, but I've never really seen anything he's done to irk anyone (justifiably). And he's been a mod in that folder for a LONG time.

Barry Bonds is just ridiculous. I can't stand how much they talk about him, but damned if he isn't amazing. I haven't been watching the game, but I've flipped over twice just in enough time to see Bonds blast a pair of two-run shots. Games like this are just proof of how horrible the Giants would be without Bonds.