There's been some unusual disturbances in the Force in the Cubs universe recently. Nothing on the scope of millions of voices suddenly crying out and being suddenly silenced, but more like when Luke went into that weird tree on Dagobah and you didn't know what the hell was going on.
Movin' On Up
The Cubs announced plans for the 2013 version of the annual Cubs Convention! So we'll see the usual gathering of snarky Cubs fans drinking alongside ex-players and media at Kitty O'Sheas and… wait… what? It's not at the Hilton this year?
After 27 years at the Chicago Hilton and Towers, the Cubs are moving the convention to a new venue for the first time, giving the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers on the Chicago River a crack at hosting the event a bit more smoothly than the Hilton seemed capable. That's nothing against the people that worked at the Hilton. The crowds just seemed too big for what their facilities could offer. The Sheraton is a nicer facility and judging by its specs, the facilties are generally larger than what the Hilton can offer.
The timing of it seemed odd since the Cubs had a bitch of a time selling the passes to last years' Cubs Con (I don't think they ever did actually sell out), and now they are moving to a bigger facility when enthusiasm about the Cubs has got to be at pre-Sammy Sosa lows? Maybe they're getting a better deal from the Sheraton people. Maybe the Ricketts are Sheraton rewards members and now they never have to pay for a Sheraton hotel room anywhere in the country for the rest of their lives. I don't know. What I do know is that it's a pretty big tradition to break from. John McDonough is probably spinning in his grave. They should make sure they assign a few interns to hang out in the Hilton lobby to redirect wayward fans who accidentally end up at the wrong hotel out of sheer habit.
Cubs Say They Don't Want a Revolution
NBC has been hyping one of their new shows for awhile now and part of the preview involved the characters hiking past a grown-over Wrigley Field (I guess all of the world loses power in 2012 and it's now 15 years later or something). In the previews, beneath the marquee, a sign has been added declaring the Cubs as the 2012 World Champions. However when the show aired last night, the additional sign was blanked out.
Apparently someone with the Cubs didn't like the reference:
How’d they lose the championship in the final cut? “I can’t comment too much on it, only to say that the administration of the Cubs felt strongly that that shouldn’t be there,” [writer, Eric] Kripke tells TVLine. “I’m from the Midwest, and it was not meant as a dig. It was meant as a ‘Wouldn’t that be tragic irony, that I’m rooting for the Cubs and they finally won the year the world ended?’ It was about rooting for a team I have great affection for, but they didn’t see it that way. It’s their team, and I get it.”
Again, it's strange that the Cubs weren't interested in free publicity, even if it wasn't in the best light. Like Kripke said, it wasn't intended as a bash, but the Cubs do seem to be taking some strides to not be viewed as a national joke anymore. I mean, not on the field yet, what with Joe Mather still batting lead-off and such, but you catch my drift.
Late Night Drinkin'
According to Red Eye reporter, Matt Lindner, it seems the Cubs sold alcohol far later into the night than usual:
In addition to setting a record for latest start in Wrigley Field history, Monday night also likely marked the longest amount of time beer sales were allowed. While the team generally cuts sales off in the seventh inning, on Monday night it was in the fourth inning. To be fair, the fourth inning took place around 11:30, meaning fans had a full six-and-a-half hours to get their drink on, so it's not like the Cubs were being unreasonable by shutting things down when they did.
Wrigley's alcohol policy for as long as I can remember it has been consistent:
Alcoholic beverages will not be sold after the last out of the 8th inning during day games and the last out of the 7th inning or 9:20 p.m. for night games.
What I wasn't sure about is whether this policy is in accordance with some MLB alcohol policies (since every stadium I've ever been to has had similar policies), if it is something that is based on a written or informal agreement with the neighborhood, or if the Cubs are free to enforce or not enforce this policy based on individual circumstances. I've never seen alcohol sales get extended beyond that 9:20 limit, and I've been to a number of games where the game has been delayed far enough into the night where the 9:20 cut-off happens well before the 7th inning.
I sent an e-mail to Kevin Saghy, the Cubs PR and social media guru (I don't think that's his exact title, but it should be). He confirmed they sold beer until the 3rd inning and he referred me to Julian Green, Vice President, Communications and Community Affairs (his actual title) about the alcohol policy itself.
I asked Mr. Green about the seeming discrepancy between their published alcohol policy and the sales getting extended last night and he was kind enough to respond (bolding is mine):
There was no discrepancy last night since the policy refers only to on-time starts for day and night games. Our policy is consistent with the majority of baseball stadiums and ballparks which cut off alcohol sales at the end of the 7th or 8th inning but could also be discontinued earlier at the discretion of the team. Obviously, due to the 3 hour plus rain delay last night, the game started late. As Kevin shared with you, beer was sold for the first three innings then concluded at our discretion.
So no MLB rules or local ordinances were broken. It was just a pretty unique situation and they decided the few hundred folks who stuck it out deserved a few beers.
So, in summation, the Cubs have moved their big fan festival to a venue that might actually be equipped to handle it, someone took some steps to eliminate the Cubs' lack of winning as a punchline on national TV, and they exercised some actual judgement in serving the fans who stuck out the insanely long delay to watch them lose.
I knew I still sensed some good in them.
Comments
Probably a good idea to end alcohol sales when they did, to give the drunks enough time to sober up so they could stumble home safer.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
WTF…?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/rosenblog/chi-cutler-becoming-the-bears-zambrano-20120918,0,5403792.column
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Rosenbloom being Rosenbloom.
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
They have to find a reason.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
I think the Astros’ FB page is more discredited than us.
http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2012/09/17/astros-apologize-for-post-about-lunch-with-the-late-joe-niekro/
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
Maybe Santo will be at the Cubs Convention.
mb21Quote Reply
I just noticed, having spent the afternoon staring at the Bears C, that the Reds apparently used the same graphic designer.
joshQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
(dying laughing). I thought that was an onion article from the title for a sec.
BerseliusQuote Reply
And you know that we got it (losses)
BerseliusQuote Reply
miguel cabrera making a triple crown push (2 hrs/ 6 rbi tonight)
GWQuote Reply
Didn’t the CUbs used to beat up on Homer Bailey? Did he get better or did the Cubs offense get that much worse?
mb21Quote Reply
The LaHair/Barney duo are just deadly at the plate. Can’t pitch to ’em.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
both
GWQuote Reply
The Hair shows life!
joshQuote Reply
Sean Marshall hits Dave Sappelt. This means something.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I like Vitters has a -7 wRC+ (even lower than that now)
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
It’s -8!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Tim Lincecum’s ERA just fell to an even 5…I don’t recall if it was this low before given the disastrous start, but this has to be a good thing.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Oh no, the Cubs lost! The universe must have just imploded, amirite?
Out a here.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
The Cubs had that C for awhile too, back in the ’40s I think. If you remember the game that was the 60th anniversary of WGN telecasts in 2008, the throwbacks they wore that day had the Reds’ and Bears’ C on the hat. Zambrano started that day against the Braves. Edmonds had a clutch homerun and Len did a great Jack Brickhouse impression.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
The guy who designed it: “I got a great idea. What about a C with a little tip on it!”
“Like the Red Stockings’?”
“No, no, no *hic* COMPLETELY different.”
“Are you drunk, sir?”
“Of course!”
“Just checking. Let’s hear more about this magical C.”
joshQuote Reply
Ken Rosenthal told me to watch my mouth on Twitter. This will be a good day.
MishQuote Reply
@ Mish:
He’s watching you.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Mish:
Why
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Aisle424Quote Reply
Mirosi is an idiot.
mb21Quote Reply
Morisi
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
That is is the worst thing to every happen on Twitter. You’re outta here.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
I don’t get it with Cabrera. He has more homeruns. That’s basically the argument, right?
joshQuote Reply
Word on the grapevine is that Peoria went back to the Cardinals. Trying to hunt down a solid source on that.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
http://www.bleachernation.com/2012/09/19/the-peoria-chiefs-are-now-officially-affiliated-with-the-st-louis-cardinals/
Oh yeah, Bleacher Nation. There’s a good source.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I can’t spell worth a shit on my phone.
mb21Quote Reply
@ josh:
Basically.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Both “worth a shit” and “on my phone” seem to be rendered correctly. What’s the problem?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Trout might match Pujols’ best season in his rookie year. He’s a complete player. Okay, okay, preaching to the choir.
joshQuote Reply
The O’s are in a tie for first place again. And they’re calling up this guy:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=bundy-000dyl
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Considering how the Pirates fucked over the Cubs in recent years I was glad to see them repay the Pirates, but I’m actually hoping the O’s get in the playoffs.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Me too. FO aside, I like the O’s as an underdog team. Appeals to the kid in me etc.
joshQuote Reply
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/dog_paradox
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Saw that. That’s the best thing.
joshQuote Reply
Fuck Chicago sports writers. That is all.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Perhaps you should Twitter about it.
joshQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Are they throwing logs on the fire, or is this still about that article 2 days ago?
joshQuote Reply
delete
mb21Quote Reply
@ josh:
Fresh turd today. “Cutler Comes Up Small In Big Games” where author determines which were the “big” games and shockingly these magically overlapped with Jay’s poor performances. QED.
Nothing like a self-confirming hypothesis!
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/should-we-be-using-era-estimators/
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
I was thinking that it would be pretty cool if something random like this would happen for the Cubs, since this happened under Theo’s watch…
http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/alex-speier/2012/09/19/how-red-sox-discovered-their-best-pitcher
Of course you’d hope they get something better than a reliever with past elbow issues, but still cool.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
did you see the rosenbloom article calling him jay zambrano from the other day? I’m not going to link.
GWQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
(dying laughing) that’s an archetypal scouting story.
all the way down to the fact that it’s about a middle reliever in a mediocre bullpen. every scout reading that is now tumescent. bill plaschke has never been more envious.
GWQuote Reply
@ GW:
I want to read about a scout who traveled to Micronesia in a Kon-Tiki raft to watch a kid throw coconuts at seagulls or something. That would be a topper.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyHQLyZUuM
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Write it up for Imaginaire. Make sure you include a lot stats that the Scout makes up to tout the “propect’s” talent. That’ll maybe get it through the Math requirement for Josh’s journal.
SVBQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
SI did a feature on this guy a few months ago. The O’s have been babying the crap outta his arm and took away his best offspeed pitch because of concerns. Except he has no injury history. If he kicks ass, the era of pitch and inning counts will be irreparably cemented as best practice no matter what Nolan Ryan does. My prediction is that he doesn’t actually know how to pitch that well. So his short term career will be extreme swings between awesome and suckage.
SVBQuote Reply
Tango has written something in response to the link MO posted to The Hardball Times: http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/comments/forget_all_that_other_bullsht_just_use_k_and_bb_to_forecast_rest_of_season_/
mb21Quote Reply
@ SVB:
That would be awesome.
joshQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
That’s such horseshit. The ire against him has snowballed and it makes no sense. Bring back Rex Grossman. Dey won gaymes unner him!
joshQuote Reply
So I’m confused about all this talk about the Bears. They aren’t in the same league, success-wise, as the Cubs. Why the interest? Clearly the Bears are like the Minnesota Twins of football, not always great, but frequently competitive.
Shouldn’t the NFL analog to the Cubs be the Lions? Where is all the Lions chat here? Go Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Rah Ndlucmsfoiusdfhlsk Suh, the Carlos Zambrano of football.
SVBQuote Reply
@ SVB:
Suh is like Zambrano, if Zambrano punched people in the face who got hits off of him.
joshQuote Reply
Cubs —> Kane County
Not sure if they’ll have to pay a fine due to possible violations because of that leak a month ago.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I can’t believe you fuckers banned me today.
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ josh:
Fiery, no?
SVBQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
WaLiQuote Reply
@ SVB:
Lions fans call him fiery. Everyone else calls him dirty.
joshQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
That’s what you get for disagreeing with me.
mb21Quote Reply
@ josh:
To be honest, I wouldn’t know. I just know he has a rep as a hothead. I don’t really follow NFL much. MLB–>CFB–>College and some pro Hockey–>MLB.
SVBQuote Reply
@ mb21:
You’re wrong. I’ve never disagreed with you.
Aisle424Quote Reply
http://smokinjaycutler.tumblr.com/
Aisle424Quote Reply
Aisle424Quote Reply
Aisle424Quote Reply
Here, if you guys don’t follow xkcd, this is cool. Click and drag the last panel. http://xkcd.com/1110/
joshQuote Reply
@ SVB:
I don’t either, just what I hear when the Lions come to town.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
I liked the part in the middle where they paid homage to the first Mario game.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
But baseball is dead, b. Nobody watches anymore.
I swear, every time I read one of those articles I want to punch someone. If baseball was so dead, why are they making more money than they ever have? They made a fraction of the NFL a decade ago. now they’re almost even.
Baseball is dead!
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
That would be fun. ut if the Orioles do make it, it would mean that sabermetrics is wrong and we’d have to find a new religion.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ josh:
I’d give this a thumbs-up but I’m still scrolling through it.
uncle daveQuote Reply
mb21 wrote:
Long live baseball!
MishQuote Reply
Nobody wants a garage on their house any more. http://gaw.kr/NUwKuP
MishQuote Reply
@ Mish:
Garage? Ooh lah lah Mr. Frenchman.
It’s a car hole.
Moe SyzlakQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
I went the other way first, and found it coming back up out of the tunnel, which was a pleasant surprise.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
There’s a ginormous building with a spire at some point, and when I kept trying to go up, it never seemed to end. I wonder what the range of this animation was. There were a couple Amish buggies too.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
I feel as though I missed a joke with the Aisley ban. But perhaps that is because I don’t read every post.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
He couldn’t access the site today and it was because he didn’t send berselius the $50 monthly subscription. We don’t fuck around with late fees.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Someone figured it out in the forums. Very large, but I don’t remember what, exactly. You can find the whole thing done up google map style (zoom in/zoom out) somewhere. I’m real helpful, but I gotta jet for now so I don’t have time to look it up.
joshQuote Reply
@ mb21:
I don’t have your $50 subscription fee, but *waves hand* credits will do fine.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ josh:
Found it! I gave it about 5 minutes of my time, saw the big building and then went back and saw the bridge. Then I gave up (dying laughing)
http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/11309/20120919/new-xkcd-click-drag-comic-shattered-record-worlds-largest-comic-with-panel-over-52-gb-large.htm
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
Bull-fucking-shit! Fucking credits will not do fine, motherfucker! Do you think you’re some sort of fucking Jedi, with that mind-control shit? Fuck that!
(If Tarantino had directed Phantom Menace.)
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
I just had an image of a Sith being clobbered by “The Bear Jedi”…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
If any of you jackwads would like a one-day pass for MLB.TV Premium good for tonight only, let me know within the next hour.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Fuck it. This is the link. It will supposedly work for one person
http://link.mlblists.com/r/EAP73J/ONOA3S/3OY5OW/1EEA7E/DXVEJK/HQ/h?a=920388645&b=6449099&c=399311680
Suburban kidQuote Reply
(dying laughing) nobody wanted to watch free games
mb21Quote Reply
Mish wrote:
WTF? I tweeted this; I don’t think I posted this here…
MishQuote Reply
@ Mish:
A lot of people assume this site is twitter, but they’re wrong.
mb21Quote Reply
@ uncle dave:
I like the Giving Tree reference. And the UFO.
SVBQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Section for tomorrow’s facepalm:
Is this Twitter?
No.
MishQuote Reply
@ mb21:
The most interesting game today is the Verlander one, and it’s nationally televised.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Mish wrote:
What is this then? It’s a message board, right?
BerseliusQuote Reply
Rusin doing his part to make sure the Cubs don’t lose the #2 pick
BerseliusQuote Reply
Soriano —> FUCK YOU BASEBALL
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Valbuena —> TOOTBLAN in a most (dying laughing) fashion
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Holy shit. Valbuena got picked off fucking with his batting gloves with his foot off the bag.
THE CUBS WAY
*pop*
*brains splash on the ground*
joshQuote Reply
Tuned in to this game for a half-inning. That was… interesting.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
No more guest conductors. Please. Make it stop.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate “guest conductors”?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Maybe they sbould bring Rusin back into the game.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Looks like we’re on the same page (I made my post before I saw yours).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Mute button. Every time.
joshQuote Reply
Harry Caray was not a good singer by any means, but at least he knew the song (tempo and lyrics), felt comfortable in front of a microphone, and let the audience sing half the song. At least 90% of the guest conductors pale in comparison.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Give him one of Brooks Raley’s jerseys and send him back out there, I don’t think anyone would notice (dying laughing).
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ josh:
Another Valbuerror
BerseliusQuote Reply
Y. Molina has 20 homers. Wow. I’m starting to believe he’s turned himself into a good hitter.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The guest conductor makes a mockery of what Harry made popular in Chicago. I’m surprised the Cardinals haven’t had a 7th inning stretch singer (a horrible one) at Busch vs. the Cubs just to make fun of this shit.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
People saw what Harry did and said, “Hey, anyone can do that!” Thing is, what Harry did was not so easy. That guy knew how to play to an audience.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Did the guest conductor leave the interview after 2 outs? I wasn’t really paying attention to who it was, but he was definitely dismissed early.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Harry got the fans into it. They looked forward to that at Wrigley Field. The guest conductor thing was cool in 1998 and maybe even 1999, but since then it’s just been stupid. It’s long past time to give that up.
I have never seen the fans as into the stretch since his death as he would get them on a daily basis.
mb21Quote Reply
Valbuena’s TOOTBLAN is on the Gameday highlights now.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I always thought “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was an awkward choice to sing. I mean, some kind of fight song I could see, but a song about how much you would like to see a game when you’re already at one? (Not to mention, if you read the lyrics to the rarely-sung verses, it’s written from the perspective of a woman who wants her beau to take her on a date. That’s why it says “Take me out.”)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
This is also a team that plays a song that says “The Cubs are gonna win today” only after they actually win (dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Cubs traditions aren’t very good at using proper tense, as you might tell from the rare Cubs win song.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
I’m reminded of this quote that can be found on Baseball Almanac.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Berselius:
@ mb21:
get gbts on the phone. maybe we can strike them both down on technicalities.
GWQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
(dying laughing)
So true. I couldn’t tell you what either one looked like.
joshQuote Reply
Stupid Reds bullpen. Cubs are gonna lose the #2 pick.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Cubs hitters are patient now?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ GW:
If we strike it down, it will return more powerful than you can ever imagine.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
I’ve noticed that, too. I think a lot about song lyrics. Like how when Harry changed the original lyric from “Crackerjack” to “Crackerjacks,” he violated the rhyme scheme (it’s supposed to rhyme with “back”). Call me a pedant.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
In the song, the woman is like so obsessed with baseball, isn’t she just asking dudes on dates at random so she can go? It’s a silly song, either way.
joshQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
as emo ballads?
makes sense.
GWQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
You’re a pederast.
Fact check disagrees, but I don’t check fact check before I post.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
No. The 1908 lyric specifies she’s asking her “young beau,” and the 1927 lyric changed it to her “boyfriend by the name of Joe.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Me_Out_to_the_Ball_Game#Lyrics
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Dammit Brett Jackson. Swing at the close ones!
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
And slowing it to like 1/10th of the original speed b/c booze. So our suffering is drawn out to a crazy long time period.
joshQuote Reply
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24904243&c_id=mlb
I like the part where Beef Castle looks up and is like “Oh WTF” (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
More preaching to the choir, but a good breakdown of why Trout is better, looking beyond just WAR:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/mike-trout-miguel-cabrera-and-measuring-value/
joshQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat wrote:
Don’t tell me what to do.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Well, that didn’t work out well for the Pads…
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/19/andrew-cashner-shut-down-for-the-season/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Cubs can still walk off.
Here’s the pitch that got BJax looking…
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24910119&c_id=mlb
Looked like a two-seamer with some really sick movement, started out and then tailed back before he had a chance to react.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
A little Yakity Sax going on or what?
joshQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
He really does strike out a lot.
joshQuote Reply
Not that I have a problem with manager/player sticking up for their own guy, but Leyland’s story about some guy “handing him a page of Sabermetrics” is pretty (dying laughing).
http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/newsstand/discussion/tigers_justin_verlander_blasts_mvp_voters_who_arent_ready_to_vote_for_migue#When:09:39:03Z
MishQuote Reply
New shit
http://obstructedview.net/commentary-and-analysis/season-in-review-jeff-samardzija.html
BerseliusQuote Reply