Five reasons Cubs fans shouldn't panic

2008-10-05T06:40:13-04:00

2008-10-03T14:49:38-04:00

2008-10-03T14:51:49-04:00

2008-10-05T06:40:13-04:00

d12

No City 575009

67 they need mentality. you don't just happen to be the second team in baseball for the regular season. there is value there. the lack of mental capacity and probably coaching in big moments is what the cubs are missing. the angels seem to be in a similar position. 2977570

2008-10-04T20:48:09-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/574/885/thumb/GS_headshot__Small_.jpg 2 TX

diamondgirl121506

Spring 575445

66 Oh, come on! The Cubs are just another team that needs a little help, Okay, a LOT of help. They need outfield, infield, and pitching. Sweet Lou? Maybe his sweetness has gone past its expiration date? 2976462

2008-10-04T19:15:58-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/562/553/thumb/workin.jpg 8 TX

comptonkid6

Houston 563033

65 here are 5 reasons the cubs should panic 1. hiroki kuroda has dominated the cubs offense all year...he can hang with harden for five innings and then hardens night is done and its in the hands of the bullpen. kuroda has proven to be the better of the two japanese stars signed in the off-season. 2. if by any chance the cubs do win game 3, they face derek lowe again....he's a proven playoff pitcher. last time ted lilly pitched in the post season chris young and and the dbacks rocked him. 3. joe torre has been out managed lou pinella. torre knows that no matter how much a player makes, you need to put the best team out on the field. how can u start fukudome?? you dont see joe torre starting jeff kent, nomar garciaparra, or greg maddux....joe know hows to win. 4.the dodgers offense has been getting clutch hits throughout the line up 5. MANNY RAMIREZ...the games havent been close enough for him to make much of an impact, eveytime he drives in a run or hits one out of the park the games are practically over. Theres a reason hes hit the most homeruns in the post season...he just doesnt feel the pressure like the cubs have. 2976255

2008-10-04T18:06:52-04:00

I Love Axl Rose

Oak Park 479619

64 I'm sorry, but I believe in the curse! 2976069

2008-10-04T15:29:13-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/807/3/thumb/Chicago_WhiteSox-1.png 32 IL

Big Mike

Joliet 8093

63 The Cubs are the Most Over Rated, Over Hyped Novelty Team in American Sports History. The Lovable Losers! There is Nothing "Fun or Cute" about them. They are the Ultimate Losers (Chokers). Most of their fans are arrogant over-served crybabies. They feel they have a sense of entitlement. Like a World Series title is Owed them, because they are the "Cubbies". Cub fans have a warped sense of reality. Wrigley Field is Old decrepit mausoleum that wreaks of Urine. 90% of the "Fans" go because Wrigley is A Big Beer Garden. I know so Few "Real" Cub Fans that remember the days of 5,000 people in the stands & Lee Elia cussing everyone out. The Older Wiser Cub Fans are the people I respect. The Young Cub Fan only knows Beers Girls & Bars. They Get loaded act & like Fools. They Feel its HIP to be a Cubs Fan (For Some Reason?) Being a Cub Fan is like being a Tortured P.O.W. I do not feel one bit sorry for any of em. They truly are THE WORST FANS in baseball, just like Marty Brennaman & Jeff Brantley said. Brennaman called Cubs fans ''far and away the most obnoxious fans in baseball'' and added: ''This is what makes you want to see this Cubs team lose. Throwing 15 balls on the field, there's absolutely no excuse for that, and that is so typical of Cub fans.'' & "Cardinals fans were the best in baseball" The upcoming 2008 Choke will Trump the 2003 Choke. I can't wait to see how they F.K. it up this year. The Lambs will be Led to Slaughter Once Again! 2975675

2008-10-04T14:31:15-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/429/787/thumb/woman_with_3_boobs.jpg-78536.jpg 2005 WA

3-D

Ass Hat 430227

62 On big reason the Cubs should press the panic button - Lou Pinnella In the Mariners' 30-season history, they had nine winning seasons and reached the playoffs four times. Seven of the winning seasons and all of the playoff appearances occurred during Piniella's ten years with them. Cincinnati Reds 1990 - 1st in NL West - won World Series ....................since Seattle Mariners 1995 - 1st in AL West - lost ALCS 1997 - 1st in AL West - lost ALDS 2000 - 2nd in AL West -lost ALCS 2001 - 1st in AL West - lost ALCS Chicago Cubs 2007 - 1st in NL Cent. - lost NLDS 2008 - 1st in NL Cent. - ???????? He hasn't won the big one in 18 years 2975480

2008-10-04T13:51:07-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/192/728/thumb/avscary6.gif 5222

HELL_RAISER

BURNING IN HELL 193028

61 #53 you won't know you will looking at a small screen tv you and the CUBBIES while the DODGERS move on ...BIG BABY...I thought i said the CUBBIES had great year in 2008 2975435

2008-10-04T11:16:55-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/435/77/thumb/Aaron-Rodgers.png 14517 WI

PackersLP21

TITLETOWN 43797

60 ^^ HAHA ^^ 2975094

2008-10-04T11:16:34-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/435/77/thumb/Aaron-Rodgers.png 14517 WI

PackersLP21

TITLETOWN 43797

59 Five reasons Cubs fans SHOULD panic: 1. Choke 2. Choke 3. Choke 4. Choke 5. and.. Choke 2975039

2008-10-04T06:37:49-04:00

d12

No City 575009

58 This will be over in 3 mainly because of Torre. I don't care much about the Dodgers, but that guy can coach and it shows (more so at times when it really matters). 2974616

<div class="photo_container image_center"> <div class="photo"><img title="Fans at Wrigley" src="http://i.cnn.net/si/fannation/wrigley-dejected.jpg" alt="Fans at Wrigley" width="615" height="390" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align: right;">Morale is sinking among Cubs fans with their team down 2-0 in the series, but pockets of optimism are still out there.<br /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align: right;">Jamie Squire/Getty Images<br /></div> </div> <p><em><strong><br />Michael Bradt</strong> is the creator of the entertaining and subversive Cubs blog <a href="http://hirejimessian.com/" target="_blank">Hire Jim Essian!</a> and its accompanying podcast <a href="http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19117" target="_blank">The Other Fifteen Percent</a>. We asked him to help rally the spirits of dejected North Siders by giving his five reasons why Cubs fans have no reason to panic.</em><br /><br />Come on out, Cubs fans. Quit hiding under your beds. Don't flinch every time a White Sox fan walks past you with a smug grin. Don't burn your <strong>Derrek Lee</strong> jersey just yet. Don't listen to the people saying "this is the worst possible scenario for the Cubs." It's not. The <em>worst </em>possible scenario for the Cubs is being down three games to the Dodgers. And they're not.<br /><br />Yet.<br /><br />I know a lot of Cubs fans are packing it in and calling it a season after watching their team drop the first two games of the NLDS at home, where the Cubs had looked nearly invincible all season. I don't blame those fans, and I don't begrudge them for jumping ship. Watching the Cubs get outscored 17-5 in embarrassing batter-walking and ground-ball-booting fashion was awful. Watching <strong>Manny Ramirez</strong> flick his wrist and drive a ball 450 feet off his shoe tops with one hand was demoralizing. It's embarrassing to be a Cubs fan this morning. But why stop now? Who cares if you get mocked for showing a little optimism when it feels like there is no reason for it? You're already the kid in grade school who got depantsed in front of his entire gym class. At that point, does it really matter whether you're wearing G.I. Joe or Muppet Babies Underoos?</p> <p>We may as well either go down in a blaze of ineptitude or be one of the fans who can say, "I knew they'd come back," should the unthinkable happen. (And it still can. Seriously.) But if we're going to stick our fingers in our ears and declare that "all is well" with our beloved Cubs, let's not do it without a reasonable argument. Here are five reasons we can pretend we're not panicked.<strong></strong></p> <div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img title="Kosuke Fukudome" src="http://i.cnn.net/si/fannation/fukudome-fan.jpg" alt="Kosuke Fukudome" width="298" height="312" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes">Kosuke Fukudome's struggles have continued in the NLDS.<br /> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align: right;">Jamie Squire/Getty Images</div> </div> </div> <p><strong>1. Lou Piniella has promised not to play Kosuke Fukudome for the duration of the NLDS (and probably the entire postseason).</strong><br /><br />Remember when Fukudome was productive and patient and getting on base all the time for the Cubs? Me neither, because that was way back in June. Fukudome has been horrible throughout the second half of the season, putting up a .217 batting average, a .314 on-base percentage, and a .326 slugging percentage. How do you say, "<strong>Corey Patterson</strong>" in Japanese? Piniella was hesitant to put <strong>Mark DeRosa </strong>in right field for the first two games of the NLDS because of DeRosa's strained calf. Bad move. Fukudome has made only one play that DeRosa might not have, a great catch while running up the bullpen mound in Game 1. Meanwhile, he's been atrocious at the plate, going 0-for-8 with four strikeouts. On the other hand, <strong>Mike Fontenot</strong> has a .909 OPS this year and has only one fewer home run than Fukudome in half the at-bats. Expect Lou to move DeRosa to right field and Fontenot to second base for the last three (yes, <em>three</em>) games of the NLDS. Speaking of the Cubs' left-handed hitters, if the walls at Wrigley Field were five feet shorter, <strong>Jim Edmonds</strong> would be having a heck of a postseason. Yay?</p> <p><strong>2. Rich Harden is the best third starter in the postseason.</strong><br /><br />In Harden's worst start of the season as a Cub, he only gave up four earned runs in 5.2 innings, while still managing to strike out eight and walk only one. The Cubs are 9-3 in Harden's starts, with him amassing a 5-1 record. He has struck out 10 or more hitters in five of his 12 starts as a Cub. He's also deadly with extra rest. In his career, when he has six or more days of rest, he has a 2.83 ERA, with opposing batters putting up a meager .591 OPS against him. He'll be pitching Saturday on eight days' rest.<br /><br /><strong>3. Ted Lilly is 8-3 with a 3.32 ERA in the second half of the season, while going 4-1 with a 3.30 ERA in September.</strong><br /><br />Lilly's outstanding second half has been largely overlooked because of his putrid start to the season and his mediocre first half. But he has been arguably the Cubs' most consistent pitcher since the All-Star Break. He has been on the mound in big games, including the Cubs' clincher over the Cardinals on September 20, and the combined one-hitter he helped spin against the Astros the night after <strong>Carlos Zambrano</strong>'s no-hitter. And in case you haven't noticed, he's better away from Wrigley Field than at home. He is 10-4 on the road with a 3.77 ERA.<br /><br /><strong>4. Ryan Dempster hasn't thrown back-to-back bad outings all year.</strong><br /><br />If the Cubs get the series back to Wrigley Field, the odds are good that Dempster will not throw up another clunker. His worst start of the season came on June 27 against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He gave up eight earned runs in only 2.1 innings. In his next start at San Francisco, he gave up only five hits and two earned runs in six innings. The only other "bad" starts Dempster has had all year were the four times he gave up four runs in six or more innings. In his starts after those games: 3 ER in 5 IP, 1 ER in 7 IP, 0 ER in 8 IP and 3 ER, 7 IP.<br /><br /><strong>5. Repeat after me: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CURSE.</strong><br /><br />The Cubs aren't "cursed." They aren't "jinxed." They aren't "doomed." They played baseball like garbage for two days in a row, after playing it better than any other team in the National League for 161 games. This team has no one to blame but itself if they don't make it to the World Series.  Quit looking for someone to blame and just WIN. It's a single-elimination tournament now. Win Saturday. Then win Sunday. Then win Tuesday. Then go ahead and win eight more and send Chicago into a state of delirium.<br /><br />Oh, hell. I'm all in for the glory or the heartache. Who's with me?</p> 10942

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