I woke up this morning and after grabbing a cup of coffee was excited to spend a Sunday morning enjoying some RnR and leisure time reading the Sunday NY times...one of the great weekly moments in life!  Even better than that was the headline article in today's Sports section!!!  It was 30 years ago today that the Cubs played an epic game vs. the Philadelphia Phillies.  I remember the day well;  after coming home from school I did as I usually did which was to turn on the television and catch the afternoon game being played out at Wrigley (do those memories make you miss "day" baseball"? I remember the game playing out over many hours!  Massive homerun after massive homerun.  If memory is correct, the game lasted until somewhere between 5 & 6pm?  Truly a baseball gem of a game.  The only problem was in the end it was a Cubs loss...but a truly courageous attempted comeback.  Enjoy the article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/sports/baseball/17game.html?_r=1&ref=sports

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/phil_sheridan/20081224_Phil_Sheridan__Yankees_do_harm_to_sports.html

Fellow BCB'ers, here is a link to a  well written article by a writer in Philly.  I cannot help but agree with Mr. Sheridan that parts of MLB are out of control.  Believe it or not, I actually appreciate that Hendry and our Cubs are showing some fiscal restraint.  I also appreciate that two teams in smaller markets with limited payrolls were able to make it to the "promised land" last year.  Living in philly, I have watched the Phils act fiscally responsible for the last several years all the while building a baseball champion.  It is quite bothersome, in today's economy with the unemployement rate catapulting toward 10%, to watch these players get these salaries.  I commend Ryan Dempster as well for not selling his soul by squeezing every last dollar from the fan's.  On this Merry Christmas eve, I wish you all health, happiness and hopefully a little prosperity.  More importantly, may Santa bring us a World Championship...without having to buy it.  Lastly, I wish Bud Selig a cup of coffee...Bud, wake up and smell the coffee!  Your fans are financially hurting while your employees  have not a hint of what is happening to our economy. 

How often can MLB botch things up?  Last night was a complete debacle!  It has been noted on ESPN that Bud was not going to end this game until at least 9 innings were played.  In other words, he was taking the rule book into his own hands.  Personally, I dont have a problem with that.  The World Series needs to be played out!  Here is where I have a problem:  #1)  The players and public need to know before hand the rules by which the game is being played.  I find it completely irresponsible of MLB to allow me the fan to watch the game thinking it is being played under one set of rules when Bud changed that and didnt notify us.  Apparently he did notify both GM's.    #2)  I also have a problem that the game was played as long as it was last night.  Bud wanted the game stopped with a tie.  He got it.  He needed it!  Why, because we the fans did not know the rules and he knew there would be anarchy in Philadelphia!!!  The game should have been stopped at least an inning if not two prior.  The Phillies would have a 2-1 lead with 4 or 5 innings to play.  Because the fans didn't know Bud changed the rules, they would believe that the series is over and the Championship theirs.  The fans didnt know he intended to finish the game.  This is MLB manipulating the game, plain and simple.  It shouldn't happen and it could have been avoided if everyone knew the rules going into it.  This is not a group of kids playing Monopoly Bud, this is our Nations past time!!!  You dont make the rules up as you go along. 

Go get em Scottie!  I would love nothing more than to watch you and the Phillies take down the Dodgers.  The team that scouted the Cubs for 3 weeks. 

I was sad when Lou let Scott go.  Never understood it.  I live near Philly so I just watched him celebrate in the clubhouse as he was interviewed by Philly sports caster.  Scott was a class act and it was cool to see how he was accepted by his teamates.  I will now throw my support behind the Phils for the rest of the run.  They are a hard working team and they have fans that want it as bad as we all do.  Go Scott & Phillies!!

Not worth the trade! He was electric at times this year.  In the end, Kuroda even looked better.  He was just o.k.   Today I thought we had a chance because he was on the mound.  Turns out he was just another fraud in the long line of lameness we have hung our hope upon.  Can we ever pick up the great "difference maker"?  This was just another move that really made no difference.  We would have ended up at the same place with out him:  In the playoffs, out in the first round.

What is more criminal;  the salaries of these players or that of the CEO's that failed in corporate America this past year? 

I am sorry...I could not be more disappointed in these guys.  When I can step up to the plate and provide the same output that Soriano and Ramirez do, there is a huge problem.  The way our team has rolled over is pathetic.  I have loved them for 41 years...can I take it anymore?  This is ridiculous.

Lou lost this series over the past 10 days.  I hate to say it because I think Lou is brilliant but he made a critical mistake.  Instead of getting this team to build momentum he took his foot off the pedal.  Once we clinched Lou began resting everyone and playing the B guys against Mets and Brewers.  He should have been looking to bury those guys and win both series.   We split with the Mets and lost series to the Brewers, that made us 4 wins, 3 losses, 2 splits in series down the stretch.  If you go out and win the brewers and Mets series we would have had 6 wins, 2 losses, 1 split.  That is momentum, 4-3 and 2 is not...that is mediocre.  The Dodgers on the other hand were 7 and 2 down the stretch.  That equals confidence.

A side note:  If we had buried the Brewers, there is a chance we would have played the Mets rather than the Dodgers.  I know we have played as poorly as possible, however there is no doubt that the Cubs match up far better vs. the Mets than the Dodgers.  That my friends would have been strategic thinking.  Everyone says that Lou manages two moves ahead.  Not this time.  Critical, year ending decision.

MLB never ceases to amaze me!  Here we are, less than 12 hours away from when the Cubs are to get on a plane to fly to Houston and MLB is sitting on its hands.  How do they even consider sending the Cubs there?  I know, its about money for the Stros ownership but this is ridiculous.  You dont tempt fate.  The right thing is to bail on Houston immediately and move to a neutural site.  In todays world of crazy weather and massive weather related tragedy, you must be flexible.

Note to MLB:  Make a decision now...and do the right thing!!!!

I live in philly and I have planned a trip  to Pittsburgh with the family to see our boys.  Out of curiousity, does anyone know where the team stays when they are there?  Also, any suggestions on what we should do as a family?  We are getting very excited about the stretch run!!!I think this team has a legitimate shot at 100 wins and Lou has been keeping the this team on a very specific track.

Hey Cubs fans!  I need your opinion.  Before I pose the question, let me give you some background;  I grew up in Chicago and moved to Philly in High School.  Philly is a tough city.  Thanks to MLB package, I now get Cubs games on cable and watch them 70% of the time.  Now for the question;  Why in the WORLD do we let opposing teams people come in to our house to do the 7th inning stretch???  This is ridiculous!!!  In my opinion it is part of the reason we haven't won in 100 years.  We lack the KILLER instinct!  No one, and I mean no one, other than a CUBS fan should have that privilege.  Bob Uecker, Tommy Losorda, whatever!  This is Wrigley, and we are CUBS fans!  This needs to stop NOW!   Anyone else agree with me or have I become "philly-ized"?