SB Nation User Blog: jasoniniowa

1939 Cubs spring training footage

jasoniniowa — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:26:41 -0000

1939 Cubs spring training footage

Steve's Pitch this week

jasoniniowa — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:40:46 -0000

I've been visiting Steve Stone's blog pretty regularly since he started posting it on his website every few weeks. It's riddled with spelling errors and the formatting could use some work, but (like our own Hammer) I've always been a big fan of his commentating back when he and Harry would broadcast games. In my household growing up, Steve and Harry were always on the TV and I think that combo had a lot to do with me becoming a Cubs fan in the first place.

Until now, most of his material in his blog has been pretty mundane. He's working some Sox radio so usually the posts are split pretty evenly with his thoughts about the two teams and most of it isn't anything you haven't heard here or in the papers or on sports radio.

Well, I almost spit coffee all over my keyboard when I read Steve's latest thoughts about the Cubs' current opponent and their head coach:

The players today in the Chicago Tribune came to the defense of their old friend Dusty as apparently he is responsible for absolutely nothing that has happened in years ’03, ’04, ‘05 and ‘06. When it was suggested he might have had a hand in at least a couple things, the players who were there all jumped to his rescue and our intrepid reporting staff of hard hitting Chicago journalist failed to mention that dusty was personally responsible for what might have been the worst coaching staff assembled in the game of baseball. Least we forget Dusty’s best coach who by the way is still there is the coach he inherited before he got there and that was Larry Rothchild who was generally acclaimed as one of the better pitching coaches in all of baseball. Of course Dusty handpicked pitching coach who turned out to be his bench coach, Dick Pole who by the way is his pitching coach in Cincinnati. The people in Chicago are still trying to find out what Dick did as a bench coach. I have to confess I don’t really know. I do know that he made up the line up every day and that was a lineup that in 4 years of what at that point was the highest spending spree in Chicago Cubs history found the battling Cubs an underwhelming 3 games under 500 in 4 years. Not exactly the kind of return for 350 million dollars. Of course none of us remember the golden year that a Wendell Kim coaching at 3rd base or Gary Matthews who is a wonderful man but, it was his instruction as a hitting coach that led him to now become broadcaster with the Philadelphia Phillies. Least we forget Sonny Jackson who basically sat in the locker room and reported what Chip and I said about the Cubs to the afore mentioned Dusty and when taxed with the idea of teaching Corey Patterson how to bunt, he taught him how to bunt for a hit which is a drag bunt from a lefty up the first base side. When I talked to him about his inability to hit a sacrifice bunt, he said that Sonny didn’t teach him that. Mystifying! But none the less predictable from a coaching staff run by the Dust Buster.

Ouch!

At least now we know who stooged Steve and Chip off to management. I guess he's still as bitter as I am about '04.

Peoria Chiefs @ Burlington Bees 4/4/08 (w/ pics)

jasoniniowa — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:25:55 -0000

Here's a quick report from Burlington, IA on last nights A game between the Peoria Chiefs and the Bees of Burlington. You can see Josh77's brief description here as part of his great series of posts updating everyone on all of the Cub's minor leagues going-ons.

In the autograph line, all there is to do is drink sugary liquids, talk to the mascot and point.

I arrived early with a picture and sharpie and talked with the other autograph seekers near the main gate and was informed that Ryne did not come out for autographs prior to the game the day before (which was, of course, opening day for most minor league teams). It was thought that the cold and thelight rain kept him in the clubhouse that day and that we might see an appearance today because it was still relatively warm and dry.

Hey, Ryno, can I get your autograph? Please? Mr. Sandberg?

We were mistaken. After waiting an hour and a half, Ryno was a no-show, which was kind of a bummer. The only other player in demand that afternoon was catcher Josh Donaldson who had a few fans in Burlington last night and provided a double that drove in 3 runs for the them later that evening with the Chiefs winning 7-3.

Josh Donaldson. He struck out in this at-bat, but I'm still using it.

However, as Josh77 pointed out the real story of of the game was Dae-Eun Rhee's awesome debut, dominating throughout his 6 innings. Dae-Eun looked sharp, popping the glove with his fastball and struck out five. According to this site, Rhee has a fastball in the low 90's and it showed. He exhibited good control through the first 5 innings but did seem to tire in inning 6, getting into some trouble with a runner on third, but was able to get out of it clean thanks to a great diving stop from second baseman Nathan Samson.

I apologize for the general crappiness of the pictures, but they were taken with a little easy-step type thing by a non-professional.

He picked a great time to put on a good start as it appeared his parents where in the stands just a few feet away from us. The seemed really excited with his performance and happy the Chiefs got the win.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be his, as he was matched by a solid outing by Bees pitcher Matt Mitchell, who allowed only 2 hits and struck out 4 without walking anyone. However, his replacement Eduardo Paulino didn't fare nearly as well, giving up a line drive homer to Drew Rundle on his first pitch and breaking up the stalemate in the sixth inning.

Local character Dancin' Bob at his usual perch above the visitor dug-out. He dances to all the at-bat music. Think OWWNBN except quieter and nicer to be around.

Drew was the biggest surprise of the night, hitting the aforementioned solo home run and doubling home right fielder Cliff Anderson. He would have had 3 RBIs had Dylan Johnston not been thrown out at home. The Bees outfield also threw out Nathan Samson at home, after which point Ryno became very emphatic when giving the hold sign at third. Rundle's success at the plate made it more puzzling when he squared to bunt in the ninth with Johnston at first and no one out. It was all moot, however, as Johnston got caught off first and was tagged out after a rundown. Drew ended up getting hit by a pitch and later scored his third run of the game.

Cliff Anderson. I think.

It got colder and colder as the night wore on and right hander Steve Vento gave up the only Bees home run to right fielder Wilson Tucker right away in the ninth. Then after giving up 2 more hits (one of which could have been an error on short stop Marwin Gonzales) he got Alwin Perez to hit into a nifty double play to end the game. And me and the few other die-hards went out into the chilly night happy.

Royals leading Santana Race?

jasoniniowa — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:10:02 -0000

...is the title of a pretty funny blog post that you can access here.

I think people here might take for granted that our team is regularly mentioned as a possible destination for a lot of big name talent despite it's lack of success in getting to the big show . If not for the Tribune Co.'s deep pockets these last few years...

OK, so here's the rub: I'm flat sick and tired of going on Baseball Think Factory or one of the other baseball Web sites every other day and reading some headline that says: "Red Sox Back in Santana Derby," or "Don't Count Out Yankees In Race For Santana" or "Mets Take Santana Lead." First off, you can't take a "lead" when it comes to a trade. This isn't NASCAR. You don't get points for leading a lap. Some team may trade for Santana, or maybe not, but one thing is certain: There won't be a second place. And no team will get even one scoreless inning because they "led" the Santana race in December.

But that's not my real problem here. No, my real problem is that whenever there's something enormous like this going on in baseball -- some gigantic free agency deal or some monster trade involving the best pitcher in baseball -- the Kansas City Royals might as well be playing Major League Soccer. I'm not just saying that the Royals are not involved. I'm saying they are a MILLION MILES AWAY from being involved. I'm saying they are more likely to pick up Carlos Santana or Johann Sebastian Bach or some other play off the guy's name. I'm saying Royals fans -- and probably from from 10 or 15 other teams out there -- realize that they are playing a different game.

I make to vapor of ritual dances!

jasoniniowa — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:38:57 -0000

I was screwing around on livejournal recently and found this site. According to the user info, this is from a Cub fan in Moscow. Curious, as the only English in the entry is GO CUBS!, I put the rest of the page into Babelfish and this is what came out:

Today start pleyoff of American baseball leagues. One of the remained eight commands is Chicago Cubs (aka Chicago bear cubs), command to which for intelligible reasons 4 very even it is interested:) All there would be so not interestingly if not several very entertaining facts:

the last time Cubs they won championship in 1908.
the last time Cubs they left into the finale (world series) in 1945.
several generations of fans were borne, lived interesting and long lives and they died, so without having seen, as their dear command he will become champion.
Cubs - extraordinarily popular command in Chicago (but there there is and one more, more successful) and, in spite of potryasayushche disgusting results, practically on each game notice. Hence their nickname - lovable losers. 5. Cubs the only remained command in the league with its that not solved "proklyat'em". So-called "proklyat'e of goat". During the ya-oy game of the finale of 1945 Greek immigrant the bills Of sianis arrived to the stadium with his goat, to which honestly they purchased ticket. It even released to its the place, but after a certain time on the personal order of the owner of command it was advanced together with its goat from the stadium, since goat frankly stank. Bills it offended and cursed entire organization, after saying that more they will see not one finale. Cubs they lost that game, then entire finale and since then in the finale they did not appear.

On the whole it is understandable that output itself into pleyoff already sufficiently rare event for this command, so that I press fists, I make to vapor of ritual dances with the tambourine around the totem and I shout: GO CUBS!!!

P.S. Sorri, all this is absurd delirium for whom:) What you will take, America nevertheless...

I, too, look forward to dancing with the tambourine around the totem when the Cubs get that final out!

GO CUBS!!!

TBD Games

jasoniniowa — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:37:30 -0000

I've noticed that a lot of regular season games at Wrigley are still marked "TBD", anyone know when those game times are usually announced? It's making it really hard to plan our trip to Chicago this year. Do they usually end up being night games or day games? What is holding up the announcement of the start times?