I am an avid blog reader. Sometimes I even write them. I used to send some stuff over to Bleacher Report but I guess they are trying to be "legitimate" and are making people apply to write for them. So I set up this. We'll see how it goes.
So over at Desipio, Andy did a countdown of 103 things he was thinking as the season approached so I felt inclined to do one of my own.
103. Why is it that ex-Cubs never end up starting on other teams? Corey Patterson and Michael Barrett can’t find a job on the bench, why did we have them start?
102. The Baltimore Orioles are a wasteland of these Ex-Cubs. Spring Training featured 7 of them. Kevin Gregg, Jake Fox, Caesar Izturis, Derek Lee, Felix Pie, Mitch Atkins, and Brendan Harris.
101. I’m not sure what Bud Selig is doing. It seems like his goal is to totally FUBAR opening day every year. He loved going to Japan so that US fans had to wake up at 3am to watch opening day. Now for some reason the season is starting on a Thursday. Thursday? Why? Why not good ol’ Sunday Night Baseball? So most of America can watch it? Oh Bud, you are so silly.
100. I am a Cubs fan who has grown up and lived in Los Angeles for most of my entire life. I am allowed to wear a Cubs hat and not be from Chicago. I love the Cubs but I don’t love having to explain myself as to why I am a Cubs fan every time I meet someone from Chicago. I am no lesser of a fan because I watch every game on WGN from 2,000 miles away.
99. I would pay Carlos Silva 10 million dollars to not pitch for the Cubs in 2011.
98. I would also pay 10 millions dollars for Milton Bradley not to wear a Cubs Uniform for the rest of his life.
97. I went to the Cubs Home opener in 2007. The Cubs lost, of course, to the Astros 5-3. Bob Howry gave up a go ahead home run to Adam Everett. Oh how did I love Bob Howry.
96. I have been to Wrigley 5 times, well actually 13 times but spread over 5 different years. 1992, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2009. My record there is 4-9, yikes.
95. My first time ever to Wrigley was in 1992. I was 11 years old. Cubs lost to the Braves 7-4. Jeff Blauser hit 3 home runs for the Braves. Frank Castillo started for the Cubs and ex-Cub Mike Bielecki pitched for the Braves. Oh I got to meet Ryne Sandberg.
94. I didn’t make it back to Wrigley until 2004. Everyone was on the high/let down of 2003 and the place was packed. Went to an entire weekend series against the Florida Marlins. I bought the tickets from LA at the beginning of the season. When the games rolled around the Friday game turned into a double header due to a rain out in Florida. Free baseball, they never stopped selling beer. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior pitched the 2 games. I know we spit the twin-bill and I know I drank a lot of Old Style, which is all I know.
93. Went back in 05, this time for the weekend series against the, guess who, Marlins. I was there for Ryne Sandberg’s jersey retirement ceremony.
92. Home opener 2007, Cubs lose.
91. 2009, four game series against my hometown Dodgers. Went to 3 of the 4 games and the only one they won was a Ted Lilly pitched gem.
90. I hope to make it again this year but I always go late in the year when they are out of it. I need to go early so there is some hope that it wont be all for not.
89. The first season I really became a Cubs fan was 1989. I jumped on the bandwagon as an 8 year old and for some reason I haven’t jumped off yet. So here is MY list of favorite Cubs all those years.
88. 1989: Ryne Sandberg
87. 1990: Ryne Sandberg
86. 1991: Ryne Sandberg
85. 1992: Ryne Sandberg
84. 1993: Ryne Sandberg (pattern?)
83. 1994: Ryne Sandberg (until he retired, then Mark Grace)
82. 1995: Mark Grace
81. 1996: Ryne Sandberg
80. 1997: Ryne Sandberg
79. 1998: Sammy Sosa
78. 1999: Sammy Sosa
77. 2000: Sammy Sosa
76. 2001: Sammy Sosa
75. 2002: Sammy Sosa
74. 2003: Sammy Sosa
73. 2004: Aramis Ramirez
72. 2005: Aramis Ramirez
71. 2006: Aramis Ramirez
70. 2007: Aramis Ramirez
69. 2008: Aramis Ramirez
68. 2009: Aramis Ramirez
67. 2010: Aramis Ramirez, then Starlin Castro
66. 2011: Going with Starlin Castro again.
65. Besides that one year Mark Grace snuck in there I stay pretty loyal to the same guy. So here’s hoping Starlin isn’t a big bust like Ty Griffin.
64. Up until a couple months ago I owned an official Nomar Garciaparra Cubs road jersey. I sold it at a yard sale for 5 bucks.
63. I use a 1991 Fleer Ultra Shawon Dunston as a bookmark to this day.
62. Every time I hear the opening music for WGN, I sing along.
61. I have over 200 Ryne Sandberg cards and over 1,000 cards in a giant 5-inch binder. I will flip through it and cross-reference it to a Beckett on opening day.
60. My 2 favorite cards not in that binder are Johnny Cueto Autograph that looks like a 3 year old wrote, and a Ron Washington Donruss 89 card that look like he had a tough night.
59. I finally feel like a grown up this year with my Dodgers mini plan. Unfortunately no Cubs games.
58. Desipio mentions the Tuffy Rhodes game but I remember something else from that game. The Cubs lost to the Mets 12-8 as only the 90’s Cubs could do.
57. That Mets lineup featured Ex and future Cubs, Jose Vizcaino, Todd Hundley and Jeremy Burntiz.
56. Tuffy Rhodes only had 1 more RBI than Doc Godden that day too. Oof.
55. My most memorable Cubs opening day was in 2003. Again they played the Mets but this time they beat them 15-2. Corey Patterson hit 2 home runs and it was a sign of things to come that year.
54. Thanks to satellite radio I was able to hear a lot of Ron Santo over the years. I have to say that he was a homer but I would take 15 Santos before I would want one Hawk Harelson.
53. My Favorite non-Cubs fluxuates every year. It had been Ian Kinsler but now I and shifting toward Jason Heyward.
52. In 1997 I was on a high school trip somewhere for a week during opening day. I remember coming back and reading the paper and seeing that they were win-less. I then lost interest in the season, making that the earliest I have ever given up on the Cubs.
51. The latest I ever gave up on the Cubs was in 2004. Somewhere around LaTroy Hawkins 8th or 9th Blown Save.
50. Half the reason I love the Cubs is that they are always on. The only thing reliable about them is that they are obligated to play games, and for the most part those games are during the day in a beautiful stadium. I just like that.
49. I went to the Home Run Derby and the Futures game last year in Anaheim. I sort of want to make the trek to Arizona this year to do it again.
48. The Futures game was a lot better than expected. You get to see a lot of the kids of some of your non-favorite players like Tom Gordon.
47. Desipio had a list of his non-favorite cubs over the years so here is mine.
46. 1989: Vance Law – 2 reasons I hate him. 1. I pulled way to many of his cards over the years. 2. Another example of a Cubs starter that didn’t start for anyone after he left the Cubs.
45. 1990: Gary Varsho – Another causality of getting way too many cards of his when wanting better Cubs.
44. 1991: Gary Scott – I am finding out that my hatred for these plays has a lot to do with baseball cards. Also I am realizing that these are all in the revolving door that was called third base.
43. 1992: Steve Buchelle – Even if he was not a third baseman I would hate him cause of his mullet.
42. 1993: Willie Wilson – Even as a kid I knew that was a BS free agent signing.
41. 1994: Cindy Sandberg – You know the deal.
40. 1995: Turk Wendell – I have never liked a gimmicky relief pitcher that isn’t named Rick Vaughn.
39. 1996: Leo Gomez: Another player who just happens to play Third Base. Also another player who didn’t play another major league game after starting 102 games for the Cubs that year.
38. 1997: Pretty much the entire pitching staff. ERA of 4.44 and a WHIP of 1.40. And the fact that only 2 pitchers even had an ERA under 3.50
37. 1998: Brant Brown – Cue Ron Santo quote.
36. 1999: Mickey Morandini – If it wasn’t for Brant Brown then he would be a 2 time winner.
35. 2000: Shane Andrews – The curse of the Third Baseman strikes again.
34. 2001: Juan Cruz – Todd Hundley is the cheap pick here, but Juan Cruz just looked too much like a crack head for anyone not to hate him.
33. 2002: Hee-Seop Choi – Even though he was just a late season call-up I hated his guts. He had a hole in his swing and was the supposed first baseman of the future.
32. 2003: Alex Gonzalez – Turn the Double Play Damnit!
31. 2004: Latroy Hawkins – See number 51.
30. 2005: Michael Barrett – The guy was a mediocre at everything player that got paid for playing too long.
29. 2006: Michael Barrett
28. 2007: Ryan Theriot/Matt Murton – For some reason fans in Wrigley loved these guys even though they were terrible.
27. 2008: Lou Piniella – I know not a player, but his rotation for the NLDS made me almost as furious as the Gonzalez error. Rich Harden really did put a spell on people, didn’t he?
26. 2009: Milton Bradley – If I write anything Milton will call me racist.
25. 2010: Xavier Nady – I know it’s not his fault that the Cubs signed him, or played him or even started him but the guy could not play. I give it to him for trying, but he couldn’t throw, his bat speed was just awful, and when we tried to hide him a first base he made a mockery of the game it’s self. He also had the nickname X-Man that made me crazy too.
24. 2011: Blake DeWitt – I hope he proves me wrong, but he won’t.
23. I can’t wait for them to change the name of the “Bud Light Fan Cam” to the “Bud Light Our Cameramen Are Perv's Cam.”
22. I like Mike Quade, I actually like him more and more everyday. I was pissed that Ryno got what seemed to be the run-around, but I don’t think Ryno would be as good as Quade.
21. Quade handled the Silva thing brilliantly. I hope he does stick around.
20. I do not hope that Cubs GM Jim Hendry sticks around. After 9 years he finally figured out NOT to give Carlos Pena an 8-year deal with a no trade clause.
19. Seriously though, in 2007 when the Cubs got Soriano I was excited. I was in Las Vegas watching football when I got the news. I flipped out, finally the Cubs signed someone. Now that we are stuck with him until 2015, I wonder how on earth we can make him retire this year?
18. This year marks I think my 7th year of having a MLB.TV subscription. I really don’t know how I lived without it. It’s the best thing MLB has done in the Selig era and I’m sure he had nothing to do with it but will take the credit for it.
17. The 2nd best thing MLB has done in the Selig era is the MLB Network. I have watched more spring training baseball than any human should. And with this knowledge I can properly heckle everyone the entire year.
16. I also left At&t U-verse to go to DirecTV strictly because AT&T didn’t have MLB Network and now of course they do. Bastards!
15. I usually have an over abundance of Cubs on my various Fantasy Baseball Teams, this year I vowed not to. I was only going to have Castro, but somehow my relationship with Aramis Ramirez just doesn’t want to end.
14. The Cubs open at home for the first time in a while, this is nice so we can see Soriano crash into a brick wall with no padding while he miss-judges a fly ball.
13. My favorite beat writer for the Cubs, Ms. Carrie Muskat loves to answer dumb questions in her “mailbag” feature. My goal is to slip a good question by her this year.
12. Here are my 5 reasons to be optimistic:
-Lou Piniella will now be taking naps in Florida and not on the Cubs Bench.
11. The Cardinals do not look good at all. Pujols and Holiday are still better than any of the Cubs though, sigh.
10. The Cubs actually have a real true left hand hitting power hitter in Carlos Pena. If he can just bat .230 I think it will work.
9. Carlos Marmol is the best closer in the game. He doesn’t even have to grow a beard or pretend he is Charlie Sheen either!
8. Marlon Byrd is buying everything Victor Conte is selling. As long as Byrd doesn’t get pinched he should have a monster season.
7. 5 reason to be pessimistic.
-Marlon Byrd will probably get pinched
6. They have absolutely no one who can lead off. Soriano may be the best fit just by sheer default. Everyone says Fukudome is good at getting on base, but the only thing he is good at is his pirouette.
5. Tyler Colvin is not a superstar in the making. I am leaning towards fluke. I hope I am wrong, but I’m not.
4. Besides Kerry Wood, the bullpen may be worse than last year.
3. The defense is going to absolutely dreadful this year.
2. The Cubs are going to Fenway this year. That will be fun to see, the box score will not be fun to see.
1. Here’s to what hopes to be an eventful season!
Awesome list. The Johnny Cueto autograph is tremendous.
ReplyDeleteNow, if we can just get you to spell Desipio right...
Andy
Ha. Good catch. Still getting my feet wet. It is fixed now.
ReplyDelete