Clark & Addison Blog - CubHub.net

On the national broadcast of Sunday night’s Cubs-Sox game on ESPN, Joe Morgan did it again. It’s well discussed that he frequently makes inaccurate statements, passed off as historical truth or informed analysis, but I doubt most of them are intentional, they are simply mistakes. I know, I know, Harry Caray often called the wrong player’s name or thought he saw a routine warning track out land in the bleachers for a home run. That is different than Morgan’s tendency to fabricate elaborate stories (as he did Sunday night) that are pure fantasy.

Seems like Morgan’s Cub hating was likely born of his days with the Big Red Machine when they routinely whomped the lowly Cubs in the mid 1970’s.  But in looking it up, I was surprised (impressed?) the Cubs actually fought the Reds pretty hard in the 70’s, and with some very bad Cubs teams.  Their overall record against Cincinnati in the 1970s was 59-61, just 2 games under .500.  My memory was that it was much more lopsided and I would be correct in looking at the 1975 Cubs who were 1-11 vs the Reds.  Take that season away and the Cubs have a solid winning record against what some view as one of the better teams in baseball history, Sparky Anderson’s Cincinnati Reds.

So maybe Morgan holds a grudge because some pretty bad Cubs teams held their own against his mighty Big Red Machine.  Whatever the cause, it is indisputable the Joe Morgan despises the Chicago Cubs organization and seldom passes an opportunity to disrespect any aspect of this storied franchise. 

On Sunday night, he entertained the national TV audience with a fanciful, imaginary tale of how the basket on the top of the Wrigley outfield wall was called “Banks’ Boulevard” because Ernie hit so many of his home runs there.  Wha???  I have never in all my years heard the term “Banks’ Boulevard” and seemingly from the callers and hosts on Chicago sports radio today, no one else has either.

In fact, the record will show that PK Wrigley installed the famous basket as a deterrent to Bleacher Bums who used to hang their legs over the wall to be tempted to jump down on the field. Furthermore, the basket was installed in 1970 - after our beloved Mr. Cub had already hit 497 of his 512 career home runs!  What planet is Joe Morgan from anyway??

What are the odds Joe Morgan will “man-up” and correct his absolute fabrication of history on this week’s Sunday night national game on ESPN at US Cellular?  I would guess similar to the odds of Joe Morgan showing up to Ryne Sandberg’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2005.  As Vice Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Mr. Joe Morgan cited a “previous commitment” preventing him from attending the annual induction ceremony of the best Second Baseman in NL history, Ryne Sandberg.  Tell me how the 2nd highest ranking HOF official, the Vice Chairman, makes a “previous commitment” on the one day a year when the nation’s attention is focused on the Hall of Fame?  I contend he boycotted because he couldn’t handle - even for just one day - his own accomplishments being over-shadowed by a Cubbie.

Joe Morgan is a putz. And he is a mean-spirited, small-minded coward if he doesn’t set the record straight for the National TV audience this coming Sunday. I challenge you Mr. Joe Morgan to tell the country you lied to disparage Ernie Banks, the Cubs fans, and the Cubs organization.

As a youth 32 years ago, I sat in Wrigley and watched Mike Schmidt blast four home runs in a game. It was Cubs vs Phillies April 17, 1976 and the Cubs lost 18-16 in a crazy wild game. Perhaps as rare as Schmidt’s 4 home runs was a mid-70’s Cubs team knocking lefty Cub-killer Steve Carlton out in the second inning with a 7-spot on the board. That guy owned the Cubs, as did Schmidt and Luzinski. On this day though it wasn’t a blow-out score although the wind was obviously blowing out of Wrigley. Check out the box score at Baseball Almanac.

Today, Reds first baseman Joey (who?) Votto blasted 3 home runs in his first three at-bats. So I wonder, with oldschool Lou Piniella calling the shots, why he wasn’t drilled his fourth time up? I mean, Schmidt wasn’t during that game in ‘76, but that might have spoken more to the personality of the PK Wrigley owned, Jim Marshall managed happless Cubbies than out of respect for the opponent. I mean, shouldn’t a guy who hits 3 homers in a game expect to get plunked his next time up?  The Drysdales or Gibsons wouldn’t let it get that far, they’d drill you after one homer. So in 2008, isn’t it acceptable to at least throw close enough to knock a guy down after 3 homers?  I sure hope so - thats a part of major league baseball if you ask me.

I’ve been a Cub fan for many years and remember the mid-70’s teams pretty well.  I recall the ‘77 Cubs held first place from May 28 through August 9th, then faded into oblivion.  I remember the Whitey Lockmans, Herman Franks’, Jim Marshalls, Davey Rosellos, Ray Burris’, George “the Baron” Mitterwalds…but what I don’t remember is the ‘75 club getting off to a start comparable to the 2008 Cubs.  I want to say Bill Madlock was co-MVP of the All-Star game, sharing the honor with Jon Matlak of the (hated-) Mets.  But as I recall, the ‘75 team was as pathethic as the ‘74 team and ‘76 team.  I think they all finished well under .500.  It was the ‘77 Cubs that actually broke even at 81-81 after holding first place all summer.  But lots of talk now about that magical season of 1975???