Friday, August 31, 2012

At the Wrong Place in Chicago

The game's over and folks who work haven't even got a chance to get home and tune in yet.  No matter, we lost.  I guess it had to happen.  Madison Bumgarner was sent to Chicago ahead of the team (who reportedly arrived about 3 am) so he could get some sleep.  Rather than sleep though, maybe he immediately went out and got some Chicago cuisine.  Or maybe not.  In any case, Maddy's game was not crisp.  He gave up 5 runs (4 earned) in four innings on 85 pitches.  That was enough for Chicago, as the Giants only could manage 4 on the day.  The cubbies tacked on another one for 6-4 final.  I guess we had to lose one somewhere along the way after winning 8 of our previous 10.  We chalked up a 18-10 record for August and that is pretty good.  The Los Angeles team, meanwhile, added six billion dollars of salary since July 31 and achieved a 14-13 record with one to play.  If only such hubris could be equally punished in places like Tampa.

Meanwhile, Buster Posey continues to show America what a real leader is like.  He was on base 5 times as a result of 4 hits and a walk.  He collected 75% of the Giants' rbis.  Pablo Sandoval collected one on a sacrifice fly.  A few years after I graduated from college, I went to Chicago for a friend's wedding.  Some buddies picked me up at the airport and we went immediately to the lakefront and got stoned.  Then we went to the Shedd Aquarium, which was totally awesome.  Unfortunately, on the way to the airport, I had thrown a bag of pot and my sunglasses in a side pocket to my suitcase, and when it came off of the conveyor belt at baggage handling, they were gone. I'm still mad at United Airlines for not having my ticket for my flight home.  They didn't care. I've been now waiting for 29 years for them to go out of business like they keep promising, but now they have merged with Continental, ruining a perfectly good bunch of frequent flyer miles of mine because I do not want to have anything to do with United.  I guess that's not really about today's game, but I thought I would pass it on.  Chicago has some great stuff but the cubbies are not one of them.  Traditional, yes.  Cherished, yes.  But not great in the sense of "really good baseball team great." Wrigley has ivy, but is otherwise a dump.  And the cubsfans, don't get me started.  Had I been in Chicago today, I would have much preferred to have been viewing thisThis guy's nickname just has to be "The Beav."

7 comments:

nomisnala said...

Volstad's cousin was my Resident last year, and I told her many times that I wished her cousin well, except when he pitches against the giants. It seems the opposite of my sentiments became reality. Soriano said he would refuse to be traded to the Giants, so he is the last guy I want to beat us. He is a bit like Bengi Molina with greater athletic skills. If you pitch him with garbage off the plate he will usually swing and find a way to make an out. If you put the ball over the plate to this guy, he will tear the cover off the ball. The western division used to be on to Bengie, but several of his trips to the east and the central divisions ended up in great stats for Bengie. I would think, why are these teams stupid enough to throw strikes to Bengie, he will get himself out if you just throw him garbage. Why did it take the league so long to figure out that Aaron Rowand could not hit a slider, no way no how. Since Bumgarner tossed that 123 pitch game, he has not been the same. Posey is our superstar, but can he ever tag a guy out trying to score? I know we do not want him to get hurt, but he cannot even hold the ball during his feeble attempts at swipe tags. Two of those runs should have been unearned for Bumgarner. The lads had a long flight and a early day game after a night game. Yet the tired Buster Posey had 3 hits. If only Belts long fly ball would have gone 10 feet further. Timmy needs to do what he has been unable to do for most of the season, and that is step up, and throw a real Lincecum game. How many pitches will it take Timmy to get through the first 3 innings tomorrow? And, do not let Soriano beat you. He is now added to my list, (Soriano that is) to my most disliked players.

M.C. O'Connor said...

Word!

M.C. O'Connor said...

Love the angst, Zo-man. No worries. LA lost. I like saying "four-and-a-half."

Shankbone said...

Xavier Nady in the lineup. Might need some of that stuff you fired up by the lake to cope with this one...

Brother Bob said...

It worries me that Bumgarner has had 2 weak starts in a row. Maybe we need to "shut him down" like Washington is going to do with Strasburg. Just kidding.
I've been to 2 games at Wrigley. I liked it. It sure seems old, especially under the stands, where the hot dogs are sold.

M.C. O'Connor said...

Timmy Jim!! Quality innings, quality starts (and fighting through the tough spots), that's what we need to see from The Freak. Way to go today, Timmeh. And a nice contribution from the X-Man. (Go Bears!)

M.C. O'Connor said...

I'm heading out this weekend for two nights and will miss Matty's start tomorrow. Enjoy watching him kick some ass, my friends.

GO GIANTS!!!