Somebody hire Al Davis to figure out a way that K-Fuk can be fired for cause.

If this is the best of what’s to come, I don’t want to know what the worst is.

Good idea, rick.  Al Davis is good at firing people.

It’s the Dave Kaplan comedy hour on WGN radio.

Lou sounds on the verge of a blowup.

That was the stupidest fucking question. Who asked that shit?

This current playoff format is bullshit and all this series proves is that it’s worthless, pointless, and that you may as well let all 30 teams in the playoffs.

Stop blaming the format.  You sound like one of those geezers still blaming MLB for 1984/home-field.

The Cubs had everything going for them and in two days have completely thrown everything away.  If they were such a good team, they’d have easily defeated anyone in their way.

If this were the 1950s, they’d be down 2-0 in the World Series to an AL team right now.  If this were the 1980s, they’d still be down 2-0 to an NL West team right now, except it’d be the NLCS instead of the NLDS.  It’s not the format.

I didn’t hear anyone blaming the format in 1998 when this team squeaked in.

“The kid’s struggling and there’s no sense sending him out there anymore.” - Lou, re: fukudome.

Lou sure is sharp.  It only took him 4 months to figure that shit out right there.  That’s why they pay him the big pesos.

I didn’t hear anyone blaming the format in 1998 when this team squeaked in.

No one’s blaming it now; we’re just saying we don’t like it. The two are wholly separate claims. It’s a rather simple logical distinction, really.

Wow, when asked about Fukudome, Lou just said, “there’s no sense in sending the kid out there anymore, he’s struggling. I don’t want to hear anymore questions about Fukudome.”

How exactly are they going to purge themselves of the $30+ million left on Fukudome’s deal. It’s not like the bank vault is bottomless, as much as we’d like to believe otherwise.

You can’t play a player just because you’re paying him a load of cash.  That’s like drinking spoiled milk just because you paid good money for it.  Stupid economics.

With current personel, playing Fontenot and DeRosa makes more sense without even considering minor league prospects.  Let Kosuke ride the pine.

Fukudome is an excellent defender.  And I hear his translator plays harmonica.

I didn’t hear anyone blaming the format in 1998 when this team squeaked in.

You didn’t hear me.  I wasn’t the least bit pleased with getting into the playoffs in 1998.  I also wasn’t that pleased with 2003 or even 2007.  Not one of those teams deserved to be in the playoffs.  The 2008 team did.

Fukudome’s contract is a sunk cost. Best for the Cubs to be rid of him and let it cost them money instead of baseball games.

What was the question?

Some inane bullshit about the fans and How Lou felt about how they supported the team tonight, or some such idiocy.

I’m not blaming the format.  I’m pointing out a statistical flaw in the system that allows lesser teams an easier road to both the playoffs and as a result, the World Series.

How is being forced to play the best team in your league “an easier road to the playoffs”?  The Dodgers won their fucking division.  They are not the WC team.

I wasn’t the least bit pleased with getting into the playoffs in 1998.  I also wasn’t that pleased with 2003 or even 2007.  Not one of those teams deserved to be in the playoffs.  The 2008 team did.

Both the 2003 team and the 2007 team won the division—how did they not deserve to be there?

That’s nonsense.  Any team in baseball can win any two games. 

Sure, but it takes a special breed of fuckups to totally gag a big game away.  And I think we know the best team at doing that!

According to your leaky logic they might as well not have playoffs at all.  Hey, just give ‘em a trophy for showing up and doing their best, yay!

The Cubs would have blown all their postseasons, no matter what the format of the postseason, for 100 years.  It’s not the format.

xiwhang,
The Dodgers have an easier road because they only have to win three games against the best team in the league in order to advance.  It would be more of a challenge if the lesser team had to beat the better team at least 4 times. 
2003 and 2007 teams were not legit World Series contenders based on their regular season performance.

Not even worth it.

According to your leaky logic they might as well not have playoffs at all.  Hey, just give ‘em a trophy for showing up and doing their best, yay!

You’re obviously unfamiliar with the time before divisional play. The best team in each league played in the World Series straight up. It wasn’t fair game for an 83 win team or any of that shit. Teams could win 100 games and not make the playoffs.

If he’s done now, he was done two days ago.  I generally love the way that the team has fought for Lou, but this and the pre-All Star incident with Marmol really piss me off.

Lou definitely has a weakness or two that can be exploited because he likes to give players chances. 

I’m just shocked it’s taken this long for the fans to turn on Fukudome and that it’s taken this long to put this horrible experiment to rest.

Horseshit.  If the Dodgers were so damned inferior, they’d have lost at least one of these games, right?

Yep.  Inferior teams never win two in a row.  Never.  I’ve never ever seen a bad team have a winning streak of two.  All bad teams can only have winning streaks of one.

“When the format sucks, it sucks and I’ve said it for the longest time”

This is utter nonsense. You want to blame the ‘format’ for our utter ineptitude? The cubs haven’t lost the last two games because of the format but they have lost the last two because of their sheer inability to perform. They couldn’t pitch ,hit or play defense yesterday and they couldn’t hit or field today. Blame the losses on the god darn choke artists wearing the cubs uniform. These suckers are not men who can stand up to the occasion.

The Chicago Cubs have deep organizational problems and you can blame that also. With the payroll we have we do not have 2 consistent big bats in the lineup. You can blame these losses on a lineup in which DP Lee is the number 3 hitter. He has no business hitting in the number 3 spot. Blame these losses on a inept SS aka Ryan Theriot. The only position he should really be playing is 2B but with DeRosa and Fontenot in the team he has no business to be in the every day lineup. Pitching and defense wins playoff games and we had neither the last two nights. Blame that and not the Playoff Format for god sake.

Well, I have not actually “said” anything.  And you can’t even follow a conversation.  You said “we’ve been bitching about the wild card” but the Dodgers are not the WC team.  They won their division.  Even if this was before expanded playoffs, they’d have still been in the playoffs.

Do you not realize that if there were only 2 divisions there would be 2 fewer teams in the playoffs in each league?  Not one.  TWO teams would not be in the playoffs.  TWO!  The number after 1.

So I’m wondering exactly how the wrecking ball is going to be brought to this team next season. Changes need to be made.

So I’m wondering exactly how the wrecking ball is going to be brought to this team next season. Changes need to be made.

Furcal? Tex? Dunn? I’d welcome any of them.

J, I think you have to start at SS and RF, but the needs I see are:

SS
RF
LH power bat
RH reliver
LOOGY

Howry, Cotts, Lee, Cedeno, Fukudome, and Edmonds should all be gone.

Sorry Maddog..I was just a little angry after the game and may not have read your posts in their entirety.

Isn’t milton bradley a free agent this year?

If nothing else, Soriano would no longer be the most hated player by the Chicago media.

J, I think you have to start at SS and RF, but the needs I see are:

SS
RF
LH power bat
RH reliver
LOOGY

Howry, Cotts, Lee, Cedeno, Fukudome, and Edmonds should all be gone.

I’d add Theriot to the list as well, I never want to see that guy at SS again. Totally agree on Lee as well.

Furcal? Tex? Dunn? I’d welcome any of them.

I keep forgetting about Teixeira.  I wouldn’t mind Dunn at 1st either.

Another option, and this probably isn’t very likely at all, but it’s an option anyway:  Welington Castillo takes over behind the plate and Soto moves to 1st.  We talked about that possibility a few times throughout the season and I think we all agreed it’s probably a little too early for that, but if you can make enough improvements, that’s always an option.

Do you not realize that if there were only 2 divisions there would be 2 fewer teams in the playoffs in each league?  Not one.  TWO teams would not be in the playoffs.  TWO!  The number after 1.

Wow you really are dense.

Guess what—the Dodgers would still be in the playoffs if the pre-wild card setup was still in place.

And even if it were some other team, the Cubs would have still choked away the game and the series to them.

I am not a cubs fan. My sons wanted to see wrigley field earlier this year and went to support our team and see wrigley. First off, wrigley is old, un-fan-friendly, uncomfortable and your score board is illegible. cubs fans are harsh, unfriendly and profane drunks. I will never go there again, which some of you think is a good thing because you can’t figure out what a family of four staying at the Orrington and sightseeing plops down in your city, but myopic idiots aside. I am sooooooooooooo glad your cubs are losing an epic battle against themselves. Implosion doesn’t even quite describe it. The local little league could be beating them. You haven’t won in 100 years and yet you continue to buy tickets to games, you continue to support a franchise and a brand that doesn’t give one hoot in hell about any of you. I liken cubs fans to members of a brainwashed cult. It wouldn’t matter if the cubs played baseball, soccer or croquet, (for the uneducated that’s the game with the big mallets and wooden balls being knocked through wickets), you’ll go see them, cheer them, sit in an uncomfortable 94 year old junky stadium for them, watch and try to decipher a score board ran by the freakin Wizard of Oz and endure the worst franchise in baseball history. You actually thought this was your year. It’ll never be your year because if they won something they’d have to keep winning and from my perspective they don’t have to do a thing but show up at the park and so will all you cubbie fans. So cry in your ice cold budweisers and reminisce about the good old days which are getting older and older by the minute.

I’m out. G’Night.

I liken cubs fans to members of a brainwashed cult.

Be careful to generalize, but you’re not saying anything the rest of us haven’t said 35,000 times before.  I cannot stand Cubs fans.

“fallacy,” ... conflating…cheap rhetorical maneuver…complete red herring

Oooh, someone’s on the debate team.

I’ll go slowly so you can understand.
It…wouldn’t…matter…how…many…teams…were…in…the…playoffs…the Cubs would find a way to choke and fucking lose.  It wouldn’t matter if it was the pre-wild card NL West v. NL East era or the AL v. NL World Series only era.  If you can’t field a fucking ground ball [or ten] you will lose.  Why is this so difficult for you to comprehend?

Perhaps if you spent more time reading instead of unburdening your brain of every banal thought that passes through it,

Yeah, maybe I’ll go charging through the archives here just so I can catch up on your irrelevant kvetching about the current playoff setup, as if rectifying any errors therein would magically make the Cubs suck any less when the calendar flips to October.

Fukudome was awful, beyond awful.

He’s got a cool name though.

nepalmcheng, you need to go bark at a different Cubs blog.  The qualities you complained about are the exact same shit that people on this blog ridicule every day, which you would realize if you weren’t a wandering troll.

I’m a Cincinnati fan and wouldn’t allow people to act at Great American the way I saw some at wrigley.

This is my last comment of the night…

I’ve been to GAB many times.  I was there a month ago for the Cubs series.  I love the ballpark.  It’s probably my favorite place to watch a game.  PNC just behind it.  I’ve never had an issue with a Reds fan.  I’ve enjoyed watching some ballgames with several Reds fans over the last few years. 

I would love to see the Cubs build a park like GAB.  It would actually give me a reason to go back to Chicago and watch the Cubs at home.  Until then, I have little interest in trying to get to Wrigley, trying to be comfortable there, trying to ignore the absurd smell of piss and shit in the restrooms, and so on.  Wrigley looks good on TV.  Flat out sucks in person.

Why is this so difficult for you to comprehend?

Why is it so difficult for you to comprehend that the Cubs sucking and the format sucking are two completely independent things?  The format doesn’t suck because it’s unfair, or because of any harm it is or isn’t causing to the Cubs’ chances to win the World Series.  All the teams know the rules (as you say) and play by them.  Fine.  The format sucks because it makes the playoffs more random than ever (and far more random than any other major US sport).  People here are the kind of people who don’t like random.  Uncertainty drives excitement, but randomness sucks away meaning.

Another option, and this probably isn’t very likely at all, but it’s an option anyway:  Welington Castillo takes over behind the plate and Soto moves to 1st.  We talked about that possibility a few times throughout the season and I think we all agreed it’s probably a little too early for that, but if you can make enough improvements, that’s always an option.

I think this has come up in those conversations, but two problems: 1) I’m not sure Soto’s bat plays that great at first (at least not yet - he likely could improve a bit), and 2) I’m not sure Castillo’s bat is ready for the majors. This might be an upgrade over Lee, but could actually be a downgrade.

And if you want to move Soto and give his job to Castillo, I think you look to trade him, because a rookie of the year catcher is more valuable than a first baseman with the same stats. Package him and Samardzija and I think you can probably pick up a star, although I have no idea who.

If Carlos was a gamer…

He would have “picked up” his infielders

I definitely would have “picked up” my infielders…and then dropped them off the fucking Sears Tower. I’m glad I got over the series loss yesterday, because that was pure fucking comedy…well, at least the highlights were.

I’m actually excited about tomorrow’s game. It’s late enough that the kids will be in bed. I have a leftover vicodin that I plan to take, so I can watch the last game of the year comfortably numb.

Let’s start thinking about the 2009 team!

Greene at SS.
Bradley in CF/RF
What else?

Zambrano was the one player who had his emotions in check last night.  People are fucking idiots.  Worthless morons with no reason to live.

I only saw the highlights, but it looked like he pitched about as well as possible.

Theriot is killing me. I think we could find him and kill or cripple him without getting caught. We’d martyr him, but I can’t handle watching him be so retarded all the time and then be defended by Cub “fans.”

Hell, my wife has watched a total of 20 minutes of Cubs baseball this season. I didn’t complain about Theriot until she was watching a game earlier this season and said of Theriot, “That guy’s a fucking retard.” It took her about 5 minutes to see that.

Right on about Theriot.

He seemed to be TOTALLY overmatched in every at-bat last night, which is odd for a guy who is the 6th best hitter in the NL.

But hey, Sori came thru for us with that nice little “bunny hop” of a catch in the 9th inning!

—CubFanSince1970

It’s ridiculously how Cubs fans defend Theriot.  The guy might actually be retarded and those who defend him, well, more retarded than theriot.

The Cubs gave the Dodgers 8 outs in that 2nd inning.

Looked to me like Theriot gave them one, DeRosa gave them two and Lee gave them at least one. If I were Z, I’d demand a trade right now.

I really am going to watch and enjoy tomorrow’s game. I’ll be vicodined up, watching Harden pitch and knowing they’ll lose. No pressure, just a relaxing Saturday night.

If any good has come of this,

I posted the greatest good that has come of this in image form.

Looked to me like Theriot gave them one, DeRosa gave them two and Lee gave them at least one. If I were Z, I’d demand a trade right now.

Yeah.  Plus the 3 that Zambrano had to basically get by himself.  Yet the fucking dumbasses on the radio, in he papers and at BCB are all blaming Zambrano for last night’s loss. 

I said the same thing you just did about Z demanding a trade last night.  He deserves better than these worthless fucking fans.  He looked like he might kill himself in the dugout last night.  I’ve never seen him look so depressed.  I felt really bad for the guy.  He went out and pitched a great game and will get blasted by everyone for at least another year (until he “picks up” his fielders and hitters).

I saw Al didn’t have his post game up yet.  Do you think KOW has gone to sleep yet?

What scares me is that Theriot will probably be the starting SS come Spring Training. Fukudome was a novelty that wore off when he stopped performing, but Theriot gets a free pass from the fans because he’s short and white and they like his name. How someone can hit .307 and still be below average is beyond me. It’s actually quite amazing. I really hope Hendry realizes what a steaming pile of shit Theriot is.

Add this guy too…

Theriot’s was a tough play
Covering second base and couldn’t get back.

DeRosa and Lee were just inexcusable.
by DaBard
Theriot would have had it if he would have used the glove
instead he tried to barehand a fast-moving ball and it bounced off his hand in to the outfield

by CHCOWNTHECENTRAL

But it also wasn’t a killer
by DaBard

Yeah, it was a tough play. That’s why they let you wear gloves out there.

The defense/complete oblivion in regards to Theriot’s glaring inadequacies was just completely exploded by Harold Reynolds just now on The Score. Reynolds pointed out that there are players on the Cubs who have overachieved this season, and “overachievers get exposed in short series, and that definitely happened.”

I’ve never seen him look so depressed.  I felt really bad for the guy.

I’m glad he at least got an ovation. Still, the media’s just as bad. I can’t remember who, but someone was talking about how Zambrano needed to show he could have a good game in the playoffs. I guess last year’s game 1 doesn’t count.

hopefully with Furcal on the market and Orlando Cabrera as well (2 shortstops Hendry has gone after before)

And Greene.

If Hendry can’t manage to upgrade the SS position this offseason, it is an abject failure. Ryan Theriot is a fourth IF, at best. He is not a ML caliber starting SS, and he’s barely an ML caliber starting 2B.

I was worried that you guys would win and become as obnoxious as Red Sawx fans when they won.  Thanks to a typical Cubs choke job, I am not worried about that anymore.

Maybe you guys can get a playoff “participant” ribbon like a kid with a last place science fair project.

The Cubs were losers before, they are losers now, and losers they will always be.  They should seriously consider folding.