Len & Bob's baseball blog

Bob,
After tonights game (Thurs) will Lou have the players travel home right after the game & rest all day Friday at home, or will he let them rest in AZ & then come home Friday afternoon or evening?

Hey Bob. Listening to the Arizona radio announcers I got the impression that the expectation is that the Cubs will be aggressive at the plate. I noticed that Webb got stuck when our guys took some pitches, because he seemed to expect free swinging. focus and concentration will get us through as the Cubs adjust.
I am not that worried about last night, I just wish it was a win. Under the circumstances, things look good.
Consider where we were a year ago. Remember how awful it was? That we can compete in a championship is a feat in itself. Winning some games now is just one more step to take. It's a very reasonable goal to move to.

Hi Bob,

I hope you are enjoying the post season so far. I wish that you were with the Cubs through this. It looks like they have alot of hard work ahead of them but I have faith that everything will work out in our favor after all I am a Cubs fan =) Take Care and hope you get to join the team in the next round.

Well, good season for the Cubs, but it's over now. All of the little things that MIGHT, SOMETIMES cost you a game in the regular season, ALMOST ALWAYS COST YOU a game in the playoffs. Walks, not turning double-plays, not getting sac-bunts down, not catching balls in the outfield, giving away AB's with poor pitch selection etc. etc. Come Sunday it will be back to "next year".

I guess it is true, you can never have too much good starting pitching. 12 midnight, D-backs 6 Cubs 2 and Harry ain't happy.

Get some Prozac! Quick! Feed it to the Cubs! Were they really there last night? The only one showing any emotion of any kind was Lilly when he threw down his glove after giving up the homer. I think Lou should start Wood and give him the first 2-3 innings. Then bring in big Z and let him go the rest of the way to 9. I'm sorry, but our bullpen is erratic. Post season is not the time to second guess whether or not the pen is having a good day.

I think the cubs can bounce back beacuse they can have their bats alive by saturday so we need a win or else but they can still beileve in themselves beacuse the cubs fans will be loud as ever at wrigley field. go go cubs!!

Jim Hendry has spent a lot of money putting together a mediocre ballclub that was just good enough to win the WORST DIVISION IN BASEBALL. It's obvious Hendry is not a good GM. Look at what the Indians, Rockies, Dbacks, and Rockies have all done while spending a lot less. Time for Hendry to be shown the door. Thanks for getting Trachsel back for the stretch run though, LOL.

Bob - it's painful to watch you do the Yanks/Indians series while we have to suffer thru the TBS folks.

the only soace is that you are getting to do what you love - watching and analyzing babseball - but you belong on this series.

in fact you really belong in the dugout managing games like this. throw your hat back in the ring and get back to managing.

BB, you are a ray of shining light in an otherwise black hole of broadcasting....WOW, do the TBS broadcasts SUCK! It's kinda fun watching you and Chip together -- poor Stoney got stuck with a loser. Screw MTV -- I WANT MY WGN!!!!

Rally squirrel....HA!

Well said Kent. But we can always just wait till next year...and the year after...and the year after...and the year after. I think you get the message.

Hey James M: don't you think YOU'RE being a little unreasonable this time? To compare this year with last is like comparing the years 1930 with 1931. They were both during the Depression...an emotion I feel when I think about these clowns.

Sincerely,

Paul from Reality

Someone get this message to Lou Piniella. I know he plans on starting Rich Hill in game three. After we win game three, Lou needs to surprise everyone and start Kerry Wood in game four. We all know that Kerry is a big game performer. I know he hasn’t started all year, but I know he has one in him. Lou also needs to distract some attention away from some of the regular players. Starting Kerry would achieve that. This will also allow Carlos Zambrano to be on full rest in game five in Arizona. The only chance the Cubs have being down 0-2 is to swing the momentum dramatically. I really have a feeling about this. Get this message to Lou.

Bob,
Do you think that the Cubs can still win the series? Do think there's a curse?

All I can say is welcome home. I just watched the Cubs Insider with all the players comments after the 2nd loss. You guys have got to know that even though we are not ON-SITE, WE ARE ON-LINE & ON TV watching & hoping for you. Your Cubbies fan have been behind you for many many many years (even if we dont go to the play offs) What ever happens Sat & Sun I will always be a Cubs fan!!! Even though I live in Florida now for over 20 years. I still bleed Cubbie Blue!!!!!

GO CUBS GO!!! HEY CHICAGO WHAT YOU SAY????

DRINK GOAT MILK!!!

Bob, I agree...I was surprised that Piniella did not pinch hit for Z in the fifth with the bases loaded (game 1) Not so much that he was lifted because of Z's problems with dehydration... This is playoff baseball and a very short series...Dayle Ward is an excellent pinch hitter... As much as I hate to see hitters bunt..Z should have tried to lay one down with Theriot on second...instead he swung away. You're right the Cubs just aren't the type of team to manufacture runs. Thanks for the excellent analysis and insight...always informative and appreciated by Cub fans.

As critical of this team as I am I must tip my cap to the Cubs and the organization. Hendry is not perfect but he inked some deals that took us from worst to first in one year. Sweet Lou did what Dusty could not, he managed this team hands on and we finished in first place.I liked his approach most of the time. Our down fall was the hitting not the pitching. Lee, Ramierez and Soriano simply did not produce the needed power. Do you remember how many one run games we lost in the first half? We do need a lights out closer along with more starting pitching. We need a right fielder who can hit left handed pitching. I like Soto behind the plate and for the moment Jones over Pie in Center. Ok, so that's it World Champs next year for sure. But wait, this season's not over yet... ... or is it?

Things are looking baa-a-a-d as usual for the Cubs... I bet they are out after three straight. What a waste of a playoff spot. I love how folks say "Well, at least they won their division". Yeah, that's like a child practicing spelling with their parents, and then wetting their pants on stage when the big spelling bee comes around. What a fluke. It's time to wake up from the dream-- the dream of a World Series-- a dream that Cubs fans keep waking up from year, after year, after year, and so it goes... on into eternity...