SB Nation User Blog: dylanj

Idiot Cub Fans Infuriate Me

dylanj — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:55:07 -0000

A look at a disease taking its toll on cubdom.

Ok gang, its time to take a look in the mirror at ourselves and figure out what kind of fans we want to be. I see two ways, the kind of fans who know what they are talking about because the took the time to educate themselves, and the knee-jerk reactionaries who spout off with nonsense. Cubdom has always been split nearly along these lines, you have the fratastic antics of the beer boys of summer who could care less about the actual game but just want to appear shirtless on WGN with some part of "Cubbies" or "Believe" painted on their chest, and then you have the fans who keep a pay attention or keep a scorecard or run/participate in a blog and DISCUSS the team on a level above watching 6 games on TV or using bubble gum cards for their statistical intake. And let me say, I for one am getting very tired of the first group of fans.

Thanks to computers and the internet becoming affordable to all we have seen a rise in those "fans" posting both at BCB and other places . The arguments are all the same, scrappy players like Theriot and Fontenot and Murton are the elixir needed for a WS trophy while more talented yet somehow less pleasing players like Soriano, Ramirez and Pie get toasted for being lazy, un clutch-y, toosly, not white eeerr intangible enough to win. Fans who take the time to know what they talk about see their best efforts at honest dialogue go to waste as the ignorant fan will either ignore the truth presented to them and never respond directly, or say that the rest of us dont know "jack scratch" about how real baseball goes down and keep on writing dribble.

For the majority of fans this type of debate is something to pass over, its not a big deal in the big scheme of things but permit me to throw this idea (borrowed in part, dear reader) out there. The type of fanship I have discussed above is not only infuriating to deal with but is also bad for all Cub fans. Having a large section of your fanbase clamoring for players who they feel "play the game the right way" or whatever it is that Theriot and Murton do exactly, while savaging the actual talent which provides pennants is detrimental because it creates a fanbase which can be pacified with a mediocre team. Whoever owns the Cubs could field a team of scrappers and grinders that would lead us to 80 wins every year, but I suppose if they got their bunt singles and played small ball well enough the aforementioned fans would be happy.

Watching the fans at Wrigley boo both hero Kerry Wood and the team as whole today in the 6th gives me hope that the spark which was awakened in all of us in 2003 still burns. That we as a whole will not be content with being labeled "the happiest/best fans in baseball" while our team screws up on the field. We should all be vocal in demanding that we are provided with the talent to win year in and year out. Not because we haven’t won for 100 years or any of that hyperbole, but because every year all of us contribute our hard earned $ to the team. We make the Cubs profitable and therefore we should be provided with an entire roster of players as good as Soriano, Ramirez, Lee ect ect and almost devoid of replacement level table filler like Theriot. Settling or asking for anything less than this is being a poor fan, if you will watch a shitty club lose, then ownership will almost certainly provide you with one. The boo's and trash on the field of 2006 must have played some part in the Tribune's decision to finally open the wallet and provide us with actual players and that’s a lesson none of us should forget in the future.

So what is the cure for this disease of overbearing, vacant minded know-nothings? I would suggest ignoring the repeat offenders all together (Al is much much more tolerant of certain posters than I am which is probably why he and his blog are so popular) attempt to educate those who make some dubious judgments out of inexperience. My first posts here at BCB way back in 2006 are a prime example of this, I had always been a casual fan and my first attempts at dialogue are pretty painful to read. The more knowledgeable posters here at the time savaged me and although it was hard to accept that maybe I didnt know a damn thing I was talking about, I got over the hurt feelings and started to look up things myself. Hopefully, anyone who took the time to read this realizes Im not advocating forced readings of Sabermetrics or anything like that, CCD who helped run a former cubs blog isnt a stat man by any means but provided good non statistical insight into the game as do many others. For those who want to learn more with stats there are so many good ones out there as well as posters here like Josh and Cwyers.

So lets not let the mob take over here or in our fan base overall unless you want to see the 2010 Cubs feature Darin Erstad in the OF and David Eckstein at SS : )

Tips for a 1st time StL Visitor

dylanj — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:22:04 -0000

hello

this will be my first game at Busch and my first time in StL ever and i was hoping some of you natives could give me some tips on things to see/cool bars near the stadium

Im going to be at Fridays game for sure, then our plan is to see if we can get a scalped ticket for Saturdays game and if not just watch at one of hte bars near the staduim. Is there a bar with good drink deals or just any random suggestion you guys have would be appreciated.

Thanks

Here´s To a Good Series

dylanj — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 17:15:33 -0000

Just stopping in to say hello

First off, congrats on your season so far pre season most of my fellow sabr inclined cubs fans figured the only question is when your teams young talent would mature and be ready to take the divison most of us only hoping it would be in 08.

Second, this is by far the best SB nation blog in terms of SABR usage and a more scientific examination of your team i myself am not a BCB reader but am aware of Beyond the Boxscore which is how i found this site.

We were discussing over in cubland the other day wheter a true Cubs Brewers rivarly exists. I do not live near Chicago or Milwaukee so I dont know wheter the entier Wrigley North hoo haa actually bothers Brewers fans or if its just bullshit. To me, the rivarly exists only in the sense that your the class of the central and therefore our hopes of winning rest on your team suffering some terrific collapse. Unlike the Cards if both our teams were awful (which has been the precedent) i feel this series wouldnt get as much attention. For me its hard to really dislike a team that is building a foundation the right way, with young talented contract controlled prospects and a sprinkling of FA added on. Frankly many of us would have prefered to dynamite our core last year and rebuild in a similar fashion but we all know what happened instead. For cubs fans we are painfully aware that in the next 2-3 years your team will improve and stay cost efficent while ours will age and the contracts become near untradable.

So as we head into a series that for my team is season defining and for yours is important yet lets face it you could get swept and still have a near 5 game lead I just wanted to stop in a say hello and hopefully both our teams have a nice reminder of the season.

Fridays matchup of Gallardo and Hill should be really awesome as both dominated the PCL and both are some of the most exicting young pitchers in the NL or really all of baseball.

anyways, cheers and nice blog.