Clark & Addison Blog - CubHub.net

Things are fairly quiet in Cubland this week. Like many unfortunate late-September weeks in Cubs history, the games are of little significance. This year is of course different in the team has clinched everything it can in winning the division early and clinching home field advantage for the divisional and league championship series. So they go out there and get some work in, rest some guys, and others on the bubble of making the postseason roster getting one last chance to prove their mettle. There is no excitement, no headlines, its as if the entire Cub nation is taking a giant, collective deep breath.

Sports talk radio has turned attention to the White Sox and Bears for the week. News and politics are getting some air time. People are hunkering-down at work, paying some extra attention to the important things in life. 

But that all ends come Monday as the eve of October baseball for the Chicago Cubs rapidly approaches. For now, though, rest up as its sure to be a wild ride for the next few weeks.

The clouds parted, the heavens opened, He looked down and smiled…

The Chicago Cubs are the 2008 National League Central Division Champions!

Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder has written and performed a new song about being a fan of the Chicago Cubs.  “All The Way” is available exclusively from the PearlJam.com website for a 99 cent MP3 download. 

EDDIE VEDDER’S SONG FOR THE CHICAGO CUBS AVAILABLE NOW

09.18.08

At the request of Ernie Banks, Eddie threw together a song for the Cubs (”All the Way”). He got a pretty good live version of it at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago this August. It’s now being played on Chicago radio and at the Bleacher Bars around Wrigleyville. We have decided to make the song available for download - you can get it here. There’s a chance we’ll also make available some hard copy CDs and we’re looking into souvenir 45 singles, as well. Check back here for the latest. Go, Cubs, go!

New: Get CDs and downloads of Cubs music on the CubHub.net site from Amazon and iTunes!

The Cubs Magic Number stands at 2 going into today’s action. Any combination of Cubs wins and Brewers losses that equal 2 clinches the National League Central Division Championshipfor the Northsiders!  When that happens - likely over the next couple days (as predicted here on Aug 29) - The Chicago Lakeview neighborhood known as Wrigleyville will erupt with what is sure to be a weekend long party. Rarely have we seen the Cubs clinch at home, and on a weekend, and with the nice weather…well as Barack Obama is known to say, Cubs fans sure like a party.

With 2 outs and down by 4 in the bottom of the ninth yesterday, the Cubs rallied to tie and eventually won the game in the 12th.  Further evidence this is not your father’s Chicago Cubs ‘lovable losers’ team. 

2008 NL Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto cracked a 3 run bomb to send the game to extras and Derrek Lee came through with a clutch single to center to drive home the winning run in an improbable victory. This one really drove a nail into the Brewers playoff aspirations knocking another 2 games off the Cubs Magic Number and giving them another loss to land them a game and a half back in the NL Wild Card race.

A critical development here is Derrek Lee’s clutch hit.  His numbers have been good this year but he has not stepped up as the offensive leader we all expect him to be. D-Lee has really struggled to drive the ball, and clutch hits have been few and far between. Maybe this game will get him going a bit.  Its better to peak going into the playoffs than not so let’s hope this is the catalyst for him. So far this team really hasn’t needed him - or any single player - to win games.  But in the playoffs where the game often hangs in the balance on every pitch, we need our big guys to produce. Let’s hope Lee can finish strong.

Hearing that Bob Howry is coming into a one-run game tonight to relieve Ryan Dempster, I thought to myself: why? How is it that Lou doesn’t see that Howry has been too inconsistent (I’m being kind here) to be relied upon. Lou refuses to look at the numbers:

• His 5.54 ERA is a full two points above his career average
• In the past 30 days, he’s pitched 8 innings, giving up 10 hits and 5 runs - all earned.

Lou seems to really want Howry to come around, but tonight he finally pulled him at the first sign of trouble. Facing just two batters, CC Sabathiaflied out deep and then he walked Mike Carmeron. Lou yanked him for Neal Cotts, then Carlos Marmol finished off the inning.

With Friday & Saturday off for the hurricane, Z’s no-hitter on Sunday and Lilly’s 1-hitter yesterday the bullpen is fully rested.  So why is it Piniella calls on Howry first out of the pen in a one run game???? 

Howry just doesn’t have it. Honestly, I’d rather see Jason Marquis on the playoff roster rather than Bobby “Gas Can”Howry.