Cubby-Blue

Cubs' Clown Bullpen Greets Garza (cartoon)

Lets start with the good.
How fabulous did Matt Garza look last night?
Impressive.
I forgot what that looks like, when a fastball does that crazy stuff right at the end.
Now, imagine that the Cubs were really in the hunt for some major post season action, would you not be SUPER excited to have him?
Well, don't worry.
Because even though it won't be us, some Yankee fans or Texas fans or... somebody will get to experience this Garza Excitement.
Give it a month or so...
In the meantime, we'll get to watch some really good pitching if he keeps that up.

Next, the bullpen.
When they pulled Garza out between innings, I was still kind of like man, the Cubs look good!
And then in comes Hector Rondon and the clown music started right up.
James Russell and the full count - I don't think Pedro Alvarez went around so I'm not gonna grump about it, but that one strike coulda changed everything.
Because then maybe Shawn Camp doesn't come in.
I was looking a bit at stats last night and not that they have similar stuff, but the numbers are kind of close and... Shawn Camp might be the new Bob Howry:


Remember how Lou used Howry (and Will Ohman) like, EVERY game in '07?
And then he kinda went to hell in '08?
How many games did we see Camp in last year?
Right up there - almost half.

Anyway, not so good and just because he was so good last year I'm sick for Camp.

Oh well... Cubs lose on a Grand Salami given up by Camp, final score 4-5.
Welcome back, Matt Garza.

Waiting on my tomatoes to grow while waiting for the Cubs to get good again.

Hi.
So I was at the Jewel last weekend, saw the tomato plants out front and thought I better get some in the ground pretty quick.
Got 'em home and dug the little holes.
Picked up a plant and looked at the little plastic thingy tells you what kind of tomato and stuff, saw the "matures in 80 days" line and thought man, all I ever do is wait.
Which turned out to be the idea I was waiting on.
In my head sometimes I say, "Waiter, I'd like an order of fresh blog ideas while we wait for the Cubs to be good!" 
And the waiter tells me the kitchen's backed up so I'll have to wait.
Dumb waiter.
Yesterday I went to lunch and made a phone call and it gave me pause because I was on hold while waiting in line.
I wish Javier Baez could mature in 80 days, but that's probably about 105 tomato years so I'm used to the wait.

I could spend the next 20 minutes writing up a whole growing-tomatoes-as-metaphor-for-the-Cubs thing.
How I'm the Garden General Manager and it's all about growing prospects and teaching them the "Tomato Way" and the deep satisfaction of having home-grown tomatoes, and...well I guess I just did.

The Cubs play the Pirates tonight, and Matt Garza is gonna pitch.
How long you been waiting for that guy?
Hope he's...wait for it...worth the wait.

Go Cubs.

ps: If you watched the Blackhawks game last night you saw some amazing playoff hockey. It's totally the opposite of baseball, this game, because it never stops. The Hawks lost to the Red Wings in Detroit and are now down 1 game to 2 in this second round playoff series.
Turn it on, I swear you'll be amazed.


 

Corey Crawford's eyes during the 2nd period. (gif)

 

Seriously.
I know 2 scored.
But still, he's been amazing. 

 

(Context): I did this quickly during the game last night mainly to get it on Twitter.)

Cubs lose another one-run game.

What a shame.
The headlines could have been "TRAVIS WOOD SUPPLIES THE PITCHING, HITTING" or something more clever.
When he hit that 2-run homer man, that guy is an athlete.
He calls off infielders on pop ups, they have him pinch running, he's the God Of Quality Starts, and he can hit homers.
But he also walked the pitcher (out on fielder's choice but still), gave up a run scoring single to David Wright, and then the 2-run homer to first-time homerer Juan Lagares.
Cub bats can't respond.
Cubs 3 Mets 4.

Woulda been pretty sweet if the Cubs could have won their third series in a row but...

Anyway, the painting is my 25th Dog Day of Summer of 2013 painting - a dog foe each loss of this year.
Here's what it looks like all together:

Okay, SLAMMED.
Gotta run.