The Curse of Wrigley Field

July 16, 1908 at West Side Park
Giants 4, Cubs 3  (45-33)

The Cubs woes continued as they dropped their fifth straight game.  In this one, the offense was tepid for most of the game but they stormed back with two runs in the ninth inning.  Unfortunately, they needed three to tie so while the cut the lead to a single run, it was a loss none the less.

Ed Reulbach took the loss in a mediocre outing.  He gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks with one strikeout in the complete game loss.

Pat Moran was the hitting star.  He went two for four with a triple and he scored on the Cubs runs.

July 15, 1908 at West Side Park
Giants 11, cubs 0  (45-32) The Forsyte Saga divx

The game was bad in so many ways.  One, the Cubs were completely decimated.  Two, it was their fourth straight loss.  Finally, the third thing was the Cubs fell all the way to third place as both the Giants and Pirates vaulted over them in the standings.  Three Finger Brown was gone by the fourth inning and neither Jack Pfiester nor Orval Overall could stop the bleeding.  When it was all said and done, the triumvirate gave up eleven runs on fourteen hits and six walks.

Johnny Evers was the outlier at the plate.  He singled four times and that accounted for four of the Cubs seven hits in the defeat.

July 14, 1908 at West Side Park
Phillies 11, Cubs 2  (45-31)

The Cubs were blown out in their finale with the Phillies and the big loss was their third in a row.  Orval Overall was pummelled for eight runs in 5 2/3 innings before Bill Mack came in but even he gave up three more.

Johnny Evers doubled and scored a run.  Sol Hofman was the only Cub to reach base twice with a pair of walks.

Nam Y. Huh/AP

After Ryan Dempster so boldly predicted a World Series title during Spring Training, Cubs fans the world over collectively stuck their heads into a pillow and screamed. Surely the team’s fate was sealed because, well, it’s the Cubs and they just don’t win World Series.

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Well, four months later and Dempster doesn’t seem so crazy. Granted, St. Louis and Milwaukee aren’t going away and two and a half months will feel like an eternity after the break. But if there is any Cubs team that could … you know … it’s this one.

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July 13, 1908 at West Side Park

Phillies 6, Cubs 5  (45-30)

The Cubs picked up fourteen hits but could only push five of those across the plate as they lost their second straight to the Phillies.  Sol Hofman singled twice and he scored two runs while Pat Moran had three singles and two runs.

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Carl Lundgren didn’t walk anyone but he gave up fifteen hits in the loss.  He went the distance and struck out four in the loss.

July 12, 1908 At West Side Park
Cubs 3, Phillies 0  (45-28)

Lake Dead trailer

Ed Reulbach threw a four hit shutout as the Cubs took their first game in a doubleheader with the Philles.  He walked one and struck out three in the impressive outing.

Heinie Zimmerman was the hitting star and he went three for four with a run.  Reulbach helped out his own cause with a pair of singles.

July 12, 1908 at West Side Park
Phillies 2, Cubs 0  (45-29)

The Phillies returned the favor in the second game of their doubleheader with the Cubs in a five hit shutout.  All five hits were singles and no Cub hitter had more then one hit.

Jack Pfiester had a solid start go to waste.  He gave up two runs on eight hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in eight innings.

Urgh, I just woke up and it’s about an hour before game time, so I will keep this short and sweet.

Aramis Ramirez is nothing short of an animal. He’s hitting over .400 with 16 RBI in close and late game situations this season and three of those RBI came last night when he broke a scoreless tie with a three-run jack. San Francisco elected to pitch to Ramirez rather than face Derreck Lee. Hey why not. Ramirez was only hitting over .400 in situations like this. But this is a Cubs blog, so I should just be thankful that someone’s coaching decision backfired in a big way.

The Cubs went on to win the game 3-1 and kept their four and a half-game lead over the Cardinals in the Central. Milwaukee lost last night, so they are now five games out.

The big news today is they Rich Harden makes his Chicago debut at the Friendly Confines. He lucked out making his first start against a struggling squad who has lost five in a row instead of division rivals St. Louis or Milwaukee. So he may not get any sympathy if he gets hit hard.

So Rich, no pressure or anything.

I will also leave you with this video clip from Deadspin. Hey, if your child wants a beer, give him what he wants.

July 11, 1908 at West Side Park
Phillies 6, Cubs 2  (44-28)

Ed Reulbach had a tough time and he took the loss as the Cubs three game winning streak came to an end.  He gave up five runs on eight hits and two walks in just three innings of work.

Del Howard had a big day at the plate.  He went four for five with with a run.  Heinie Zimmerman went three for five while Jimmy Sheckard tripled and scored a run.

Are you afraid of being one of those lame people who are put into a coffin and buried after you die? Fear not old Cubs fans, Dennis Mascari has come up with a way to guarantee that Alfonso Soriano’s awful fielding will continue to haunt you into the after life.

He’s going to have you interred in Wrigley Field’s center field wall … kind of. Via the Chicago Tribune:

A Chicago man and Bohemian National Cemetery on the city’s North Side are joining forces to build for Cubs fans a final resting place that looks a lot like the spot where they saw their dreams of a pennant die year after year.

Called “Beyond the Vines,” the 24-foot long ivy-covered wall is designed to look like the one in dead center at Wrigley Field.

Ha! Dead center field. Who knew death would be so funny.

Now if you find this a tad ridiculous, Mr. Don Rood says, “Phooey to you!”

“What else are you going to do, lay in a box next to loved ones?” he asked. “It would symbolize what your passion is, what you enjoyed about your life.”

Exactly. Family and friends are really a waste of time and they do keep you from your true passions: Cubs baseball, alcohol, porn, you name it. In fact, if you’re a single Cubs fan over the age of 21, then now is the best time to kick the can before obstacles like loved ones ruin your life.

Anyway, having the, uh, priviledge of being interred at Beyond the Vines will set you back some. Buying a seat in one of the “eternal skyboxes” as they’ve been dubbed, will cost as much as $5,000 according to the article. But, if you’re lucky enough to already be dead and cremated, it will only cost as little as $1,200. So, you know, die and be cremated before this thing gets built.

When the Cubs are playing ugly, I have to think of something nice. Marrisa Miller in a Cubs jersey doesn’t get much better. In fact, every time I look into her eyes I lose my train of thought. Wait, what just happened? Where am I? Woah. 

Oh, that’s right, there was a game yesterday afternoon and the Cubs didn’t win it despite scoring seven runs.  Really Chicago? Seven runs and you still can’t sweep the series? Was it because you didn’t get a few more insurance runs? Or maybe it was the seven home runs you gave up for the second time this season … to the Reds. 

But you’re going to have those kind of nights every once in a while over the course of a 162-game season. I mean, I’m not perfect every day of the week. Take this morning for instance. I woke up expecting to enjoy my bowl of Fruity Cheerios this morning, only to be disappointed by the sight of an empty gallon of milk in the fridge. Why? Because I was the one who finished the gallon last night and was too lazy to buy more. Frankly, I’d much rather give up seven home runs. Not having cereal in the morning sucks.

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July 10, 1908 at West Side Park
Cubs 3, Phillies 2  (44-27)

Three Finger Brown needed to pitch eleven solid innings before the Cubs pulled off this win for their third straight.  He gave up two runs on ten hits and one walk with two strikeouts in an impressive outing.

The Cubs put two on the board early in the first inning but the Phillies crept back into the game with single runs in fourth and sixth before the game went into extra frames.  The game winner came in the eleventh inning. After a lead off triple by Joe Tinker, Sol Hofman hit one deep enough to bring home the game winner.

Sense and Sensibility download July 9, 1908 at West Side Park

Cubs 4, Superbas 3  (43-27)

The Cubs stormed back in this one and scored two runs in the ninth and one run in the tenth to win it.  Jack Pfiester threw the first nine innings before he gave way to Three Finger Brown who pitched the tenth inning.  Brown picked up the win because of the Cubs exploits in extra frames.

Heinie Zimmerman led off the tenth with a single and he moved to second base on Harry Steinfeldt’s sacrafice.  Zimmerman then moved to third on a wild pitch Pat Moran then belted a fly ball deep enough to bring home Zimmerman for the game winner. 

I planned to write a piece about how the CC Sabathia deal would effect the Cubs the rest of the season. I even had nice charts and graphs made up to prove my points. OK, so maybe I didn’t have that, but I was prepared to make the argument that Chicago needed to do something, anything, to counter the Brewers’ heist.

Then I turn on my TV yesterday and see at the bottom of the screen that the Cubs had acquired Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin for next to nothing.

Touche.

So it would’ve taken a lot to make me sad Tuesday night and, fortunately, I had nothing to worry about as the Cubs rolled over the Reds, 7-3.

Ryan Dempster continues to impress, even if he hasn’t won a game on the road. Winning ten straight at home makes one forget about that. Seven innings and one run off two hits is what we in the business call a quality start.

As for the offense, two two-run home runs from Geovany Soto and Mike Fontenot provided enough runs for the win while Aramis Ramirez also drove in an RBI.

July 8, 1908 at West Side Park

Cubs 6, Superbas 3  (42-27)

The Cubs bounced back from a two game losing streak as they finally put together a win in front of their home town fans.  Sol Hofman led the way with a big day at the plate.  He went two for four with a double, a homerun and two runs. 

Ed Reulbach threw a great game until he loaded the bases with walks in the eighth inning.  He gave up two runs in 7 1/3 innings while Three Finger Brown was called in to get the Cubs out of the jam in the eighth inning.

 via Chicago Tribune

• Rushmore hd

The Cubs have made themselves mighty comfortable at home this season, walking all over opponents to the tune of a 33-10 record at the Friendly Confines.

So it makes sense that another Chicago sports franchise would want to cash in on all this good karma, particularly one that has, well for lack of a better word, sucked.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, I’m talking about the Chicago Blackhawks playing a Jan. 1 outdoor hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings. This game is freakin’ awesome for one reason: Wrigley Field. I mean, let’s be honest, the Blackhawks certainly aren’t reason enough to get excited for the game. And I’m not just saying that as a completely biased Wings fan.

Homo Erectus aka National Lampoon’s Stoned Age trailer Anyway, if you’re head still isn’t buzzing from your New Year’s hangover and you don’t like college football, this may be the greatest day of your life. But, if you’re like me, then this will just be a sporting novelty worth watching during bowl-game commercial breaks.

A Mighty Wind film It’s difficult to put into words what it’s been like following the Cubs this season (yes, I may have died here on this here site, but I have been watching everyday). It’s not that you get used to the losing seasons or that you’re expecting the other shoe to drop.

But, seriously, it’s been 31 years since the Cubs were this good. How the hell is a Cubs fan supposed to react? I’m not exactly sure but until then I’m just going to revel in Sunday’s 7-1 drubbing over the Cardinals.

Homo Erectus aka National Lampoon’s Stoned Age dvd

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July 6, 1908 at West Side Park
Superbas 5, Cubs 4  (41-27)

Chick Fraser was knocked around for five runs in seven innings as the Cubs dropped their second straight game at home.  Three Finger Brown held Brooklyn scoreless in the final two frames but the offense couldn’t muster enough to pull of the comeback.

Harry Steinfeldt singled, tripled and scored a run.  Orval Marshall had a pinch hit triple and he scored a run as well.

July 5, 1908 at West Side Park
Pirates 10, Cubs 5  (41-26)

The Cubs stay at first place was a short one as they returned home to play one game against the Pirates.  Jack Pfiester was pummelled for ten runs including five in the ninth and he gave up fourteen hits and three walks.

Joe Tinker homered and scored two runs in the loss.  Doc Marshall singled twice and scored two runs.

July 4, 1908 at Exposition Park
Cubs 2, Pirates 0  (40-25)

The Cubs snapped their two game skid against the Pirates and won their 40th game behind yet another shutout by Three Finger Brown.  He gave up just two hits and one walk with four strikeouts in the first game of their Independence Day doubleheader.

The Cubs scored both of their runs in the first inning.  Jimmy Sheckard and Del Howard both singled and scored while Frank Chance racked up a pair of singles.

July 4, 1908 at Exposition Park
Cubs 9, Pirates 3  (41-25)

The Cubs turned on the offense and they moved back into first place after they completed a doubleheader sweep over the former first place Pirates.  Frank Chance singled, doubled and scored three runs.  Solly Hofman singled, doubled twice and scored a run.

Ed Reulbach picked up the easy win with all of the offense.  He gave up three runs on eight hits and six walks with four strikeouts.

July 3, 1908 at Exposition Park
Pirates 7, Cubs 0  (39-25)

The Cubs fell further behind the first place Pirates as they were held to just five hits in a shutout loss to the Pirates.  Harry Steinfeldt singled and doubled while Jimmy Slagle picked up two hits with a pair of singles.

Orval Overall lasted just three innings and when he left, the score was already 3-0.  Carl Lundgren finished the game up and he gave up four runs the rest of the way.

July 2, 1908 at Exposition Park
Cubs 3, Pirates 0  (39-23)

Three Finger Brown pitched the Cubs to a win as the first place Pirates and second place Cubs squared off in what would be six straight games between the two teams.  Brown pitched the first game of the doubleheader and he gave up six hits without a free pass and he struck out three in another shutout.

Frank Chance singled three times and scored a run in the win.  Brown helped out his own cause with a pair of singles.

July 2, 1908 at Exposition Park
Pirates 9, Cubs 4  (39-24)

The Cubs failed to pull of the sweep and they remained in second place as the the Pirates pummelled Jack Pfiester. He was knocked around for nine runs on thirteen hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

Jimmy Slagle singled, doubled and scored two runs.  Joe Tinker doubled and he scored a run as well.

July 1, 1908 at the Palace of the Fans
Cubs 5, Reds 1  (38-23)

Casino film

The Cubs took care of the Reds and avoided a sweep behind a solid outing by Ed Reulbach. He gave up just one run on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Joe Tinker singled three times and he scored one of the Cubs runs.  Johnny Kling went two for four with a double and he scored a run.