Well, I’ll tell you, I’m glad I’m not a Cubs fan particularly, because if this is the kind of thing they’ve been going through for the last 57 years, I don’t think I could take it. I mean, at least the Mets just stunk up the place from the get-go. But *this?*
And that poor Bartman guy. It’s like the entire city of Chicago is going to be one big prison shower and he’s bending over to pick up the soap. Never mind that the Cubs may very well have found a way to blow it entirely without his help. There are going to be fans who will seize on that moment and say, “If it hadn’t been for him…” At best, he’d better never go into any sports bar again, because inevitably some guy is gonna come over and say, “You’re him, aren’t you. The idiot.” And wam. He might as well change his name to Goatman. Or to anything else. Or just leave town, at least until spring training arrives so that hope can swell anew before it’s eventually dashed.
What made the Sox/Cubbies match-up so intriguing was that history was going to be made (and a curse shattered as far as the curse-obsessed media was concerned) one way or the other. If it’s Marlins/Sox, well…you just figure the Soxs will lose and that’ll be that. Which is not to diss Sox fans; I personally would be pulling for them. But it just won’t be the same. And as I said before, Marlins vs. Yankees, the only ones who give a crap will be the respective fans. Big ratings in NY, big ratings in Florida, rest of the country, uh uh.
But hey, at least it’ll be Pedro vs. Roger one more time. If nothing else, that’ll be something to see.
Cowboy Peter’s TV round-up will wait until I have a chance to watch the shows I taped since I was watching baseball.
Oh, and once again…if you’re one of those baseball snobs…feel free to take this opportunity to just shut up for once, okay?
PAD
• 
Well, you can definitely count me among those Cubs fans who will always say, “If it wasn’t for him…” However, I’ll also always add, “and the error by Gonzalez to begin it all.” Bartman alone is not to blame. He is, however, the one who allowed the hitter “another out”.
The Cubs blew it in Game 6, with help from an idiot fan. Florida took the game, and series, in game 7.
It’s just so sad to sit here watching the Chicago TV news stations… It’s like a funeral. Like PAD, I’m glad I’m not a Cubs fan (go lowly Brewers!), but I have to admit I was rooting for them to win and make a trip to the World Series. Ah well…
While I’m not really a Cubs fan, I was looking forward to them being in the Series. It would have brought about an overdue revival and a shot in the arm that Major League Baseball has needed for some time now.
But alas, now Baseball is doomed to another Series-as-usual.
But it just won’t be the same. And as I said before, Marlins vs. Yankees, the only ones who give a crap will be the respective fans. Big ratings in NY, big ratings in Florida, rest of the country, uh uh.
Hey, my favorite team vs my home team, I’ll take it. And like I care if FOX has high ratings. They’re getting two 7-game playoffs aren’t they 🙂
Anyway, like I said in another post, thanks to the Cubs for a well-played series.
David
Hey, I’d rather like to think it WAS Bartman’s fault….he’s now a part of baseball history. It just doesn’t seem right not to have something like that to mess up the Cubbies.
Boo hoo. The two teams your ordained to make the big dance didn’t make it. Alas. No more sweet sweet pap from the media about curses being broken. I *suppose* the game will just have to be interesting for the players on the field.
Boo hoo. The two teams your ordained to make the big dance didn’t make it. Alas. No more sweet sweet pap from the media about curses being broken. I *suppose* the game will just have to be interesting for the players on the field.
I didn’t “ordain” anything, presuming you know what the word means. I was just hoping for it, as were many others.
Let me take a guess: Are you a Yankees fan? Just wondering.
PAD
Mets, actually. If anyone would have bothered to take a look, the Cubs have one of the most uninteresting lineups (and staffs, even though it is amazingly dominant) in baseball, compared to the Marlins. Count the number of Cubs regulars who have been with the team for more than 2 years. Yeah, they’ve really *suffered* with the team. To me, the Marlins are just a more likable team, even if they lack the history of chicago.
Thank god that storyline is dead. Thank you for your time and commentary.
Alas. No more sweet sweet pap from the media about curses being broken.
Hey, now, I work in the media, and there ain’t nothin’ ‘sweet’ about our ‘pap.’ ‘Swill’ might fit better…
In any event, I guess sarcasm trumps romance every time. I mean, c’mon, all you sports fans out there, is the thrill of being a curmudgeon really worth deriding the hopes of every fan who pulled for a Cubs/Sox match-up? If I had a dollar for every time just in this past week some self proclaimed know-it-all pooh-poohed the chance of Cubs/Sox Series, I’d be able to buy that small island in the Carribean I’ve had my eye on…
Honestly, when did pulling for the underdog become synonymous with painting a bullseye on your backside?
The OTHER John Byrne
Hard to blame it all on Bartman. At some point the Cubs just needed to get someone else out in the 8th inning of Game 6. Or win Game 5. Or win Game 7. Bartman may have opened the door, but the Cubs kept ushering Marlins through.
(The Cubs are in trouble next year, too; they’re one Sosa injury away from being the Dodgers.)
Here’s hoping my Red Sox can pull it out tomorrow. If so, it could be a hëll of a Series.
Y’know, unless the World Series blows, this is the best postseason we’ve had in years. Two teams coming back from 2-game deficits? Wow.
Cowboy Peter’s TV round-up will wait until I have a chance to watch the shows I taped since I was watching baseball.
There will be one show missing from the round-up. NBC decided to yank “West Wing” and show a “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” instead. At the top of the nbc.com page is the message, “Tonight’s West Wing episode will air 10/29.”
They didn’t want to run a new West Wing while everyone was watching Game 7, perhaps?
I don’t even like Baseball, but while in the Doctor’s office, with the news on, I was even able to make a baseball refrence to this guy, when really I don’t have any interest in the game.
But this is big enough to even catch my interest. This poor guy, I hate to imagin it, but this guy stands a real chance of being killed. Those fans who are so fanatical, that it verges on insanity, I have a hard time not beleving some guy isn’t gonna beat the stuffing out this guy – if they happen to run into him.
It just sorta hit me thats a real possibility, since one guy on the news tried to pull the guy’s shirt down, while being escorted out, so that everyone could see his face. That is so retarted, I can’t even imagin what drove him to this. That guy must have wanted his face seen, so everyone can blame him. And there was a real good reason the poor guy had to be escorted – mob mentality was bound to strike if he wasn’t removed.
Not saying everyone who is a ballfan is fantatical. Exactly the oppostie, I’m sure. But those few who are just mindblowingly stupid in taking this situation in stride – I fear for the poor scapegoat.
Pedro Vs. Roger
An epic in the making.
I don’t consider who the ALCS champs will be until the end of Inning 9.
At least it can be said that is that we Americans always will win the World Series.
Still…
Go Sox! Cowboy Up!
If Bartman wanted to he could head off to Florida and live like a king. He could stay at expensive hotels for free, get his photo taken with Jeb Bush and be toasted at every bar in town. Hëll, he’d probably get a ticker tape parade.
Upon returning to Chicago, of course, his death would be one that would give Vlad the Impaler a case of the willies.
At the very least I see a good Miller Lite ad in the future, making the hatred of everyone he knows a small price to pay indeed. Poor sap.
At least we’re not the EIF (Eighth Inning Fan). Even if no one ever recognizes him or messes with him, imagine the guilt.
Actually, Goatman is probably a bad choice for his new name. He might get extradited to Prince George’s County, Maryland where the local legend is wanted on a range of charges from local vandalism, drug dealing, murder and sabatoging equipment at Andrew’s Airforce Base.
That is so retarted, I can’t even imagin what drove him to this. That guy must have wanted his face seen, so everyone can blame him.
Ugh. NO! Everyone in the area was doing the same thing. The fans were looking at the ball, not the field. It was obviously an accident that could have happened to anyone. The only mystery is why Cubs fans need to blame this poor guy instead of some of their players, like Gonzalez.
Cubs, schlubs. At least the BoSox managed a nice save to give them one more chance to keep the Spankees out of the series.
As for ratings, yeah, a BoSox-Marlins would get more national ratings because it’s still one perennial underdog taking their shot.
I’m certainly not a baseball fan, yet the TV was tuned to last night’s Cubs/Marlins game. I watched part of the middle, heard the beautiful singing of the seventh inning stretch, and watched the bottom of the ninth with sadness. Even I would have been interested in a Sox/Cubs world series.
Such a shame. This whole run has gotten me to pay more attention to baseball than I’ve done in quite a number of years.
The Sox pulled off their win last night, and I thought “hot dámņ! This can still happen! No way are the Cubs going to lose three straight under these circumstances.”
And then, of course, they proceeded to.
And to the person taunting PAD for “anointing” the Series teams in advance … it’s not like he was remotely alone, y’know. When even the New York Frickin’ Times (yes, that’s the full name — they tell you these things if you buy a subscription) runs an editorial talking about how cool a Cubs/Sox matchup would be (and draws a lot of fire from angry Yankee fans in the process), this isn’t just one guy’s random wish.
Ah, well. To quote Spike: “Bûggër.”
TWL
Den,
Your posts throughout this blog make me happy to see how baseball is an elevating oasis of calm, relaxation, and enjoyment in your life. It is good to know that, in a world of spite, hate, anger, and recrimination, your love for baseball enables you to rise above those base feelings and become a better person.
Last night was the first game I watched all season. As a 20 year Florida resident (formerly from Queens), I’m happy for the Marlins, but really can’t get too excited about the Series.
And PAD – in my area NBC preempted The West Wing for a L&O:CI rerun. So maybe that’s one less program for you to review.
Brian
**Den,
Your posts throughout this blog make me happy to see how baseball is an elevating oasis of calm, relaxation, and enjoyment in your life. It is good to know that, in a world of spite, hate, anger, and recrimination, your love for baseball enables you to rise above those base feelings and become a better person.**
It’s a good thing PAD doesn’t blog about football, because you’d probably hate what I have to say about the New Jersey, I mean New York, Giants. 🙂
Seriously, this is all in fun. I think sports fans are the only fan group more insane than comics fans. They’re just socially more acceptable. If the NY Cokefiends cheat their way to another World Series title, I’ll be disappointed, but Oblah-dee-Olbah-daa life goes on.
It’s just fun to blast them for being what they are.
I feel much sympathy for the Cubs’ fans. However, I think the Marlins are getting short shrift here. They only came back from down 3 to 1, did it with great pitching from a rising star, timely hitting, and a sense of having fun. It’s a shame that few will care about their presence in the Series, because they are an exciting team worthy of a lot more fan interest and media coverage.
Yanks vs. Red Sox. Clemens. Pedro. The End of the World. I mentioned the end of the world, because if the Red Sox win, well find out how all-mighty Steinbrenner is and destroy the world rather than seeing the Red Sox in the WS.
Sorry, Chi-Town, really, really sorry. I think the universe was just making a play for self-preservation, taking a step to avoid the thermodynamic miracle that would have been a Sox/Cubs WS. (Look at the scores last night: both 9-6. A fearful symmetry. Proof that good mojo can neither be created nor destroyed, just moved around from time to time….)
Tonight will tell whether the universe goes for the safety overkill and decides to keep the Sox out, too. I shudder for Boston either way….
And as to whether the media has falsely inflated the national interest in these playoffs, I personally don’t think so. It struck me yesterday that last year at this time the object of national interest was the ramp-up to a questionable war with Iraq. Perhaps we’re all understandably eager to focus on the brutal precision of baseball this year, instead, particularly as the questions about what began to happen last year at this time grow more and more vexing and divisive.
It’s a good thing PAD doesn’t blog about football, because you’d probably hate what I have to say about the New Jersey, I mean New York, Giants.
Not going to happen. To me, the year is divided into two seasons: Baseball season, and winter.
PAD
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As a painfully devoted fan of the Giants, Knicks and Islanders, I have to agree. (Yes, and the Mets, but I have to optimistic about one team.)
As a fan of the perennially not so good Phillies, I feel a certain kinship with the perennially not so good Cubs, so I’m disappointed that they didn’t make it, but the Marlins flat-out outplayed them in the last three games.
They’ve had the best record in baseball since May, and part of me would like to think that it took the best team in baseball to oust the Phils from the playoffs 🙂
They’re good and they play their hearts out every game. The Marlins have converted me, and I thought I would always despite them after sweeping the Phils in the last week.
I could live with the Red Sox winning it all, although I still have a strong National League bias and would prefer Florida.
If the Yankees win though… I don’t know, it makes me want to not watch major league baseball anymore. It’s just not fun when there’s no competition.
The college and little league world series are always fun to watch. I suppose I could TRY to find some entertainment value in another sport. I could always read even more comics with all that free time I’d get from not watching baseball all summer.
Who’m I kidding? I couldn’t give up baseball. Maybe I’ll just do my best to boycott all things Yankee, although it might be easier to give up baseball entirely than to avoid the Yankees in NJ.
Not going to happen. To me, the year is divided into two seasons: Baseball season, and winter.
Oh well. Go BoSox!!
Interestingly, if the Sox win tonight, that means that on Sunday both teams that call Pro Player Stadium home will play a team from New England.
Not going to happen. To me, the year is divided into two seasons: Baseball season, and winter.
Rabbit season!
I feel tremendous pity for Steve Bartman. I’m a Cubs fan… dunno if I’m a “baseball snob” but I follow the game with a fervor.
Game Six and the aftermath was bad… I couldn’t sleep Tuesday night. Game Seven, while I was pulling and hoping for a win, was not as upsetting to me. In fact, I slept fine last night and woke up in a good mood.
But Bartman… that guy needs to leave town. Or get a job with the Cubs.
Well, apparently there’s people in Florida willing to put him up, and Govenor Bush is considering granting him asylum.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2003/news/story?id=1638970
I feel no enmity towards the guy, despite being a Cubs fan (though I was extremely pìššëd when it happened, once I had a chance to calm down I realized he wasn’t intentionally trying to foul up a play.) and can’t help but wonder how lousy he’s going to feel even without all crap he’s going to have to deal with from other people for however long it takes the Cubs to actually reach the Series.
Duck Season!!
Do you want to shoot me now or wait ’til you get home?
“It’s a good thing PAD doesn’t blog about football, because you’d probably hate what I have to say about the New Jersey, I mean New York, Giants.
Not going to happen. To me, the year is divided into two seasons: Baseball season, and winter.
PAD “
No, I am the individual in the family that follows sports. Peter came in the other day and I was watching Miami vs. Fla. He looked at the TV and said “My god, I’m a football widow.”
Kath
Who is not into Pro Basketball. I like College Basketball MUCH better
Ah, well – only four months until White Sox spring training.
Kathleen: Which team? Ga. Tech perhaps?
In which case, insert standard UNC-CH alum comments about now that we’ve got Roy Williams, UNC should be making a comeback to its ACC standards of the Smith era.
RE: Cowboy Peter Round-up
I taped the shows too and am glad you are waiting because I would probably read and regret it.
(Although I did watch Enterprise and it made me miss the pitcher hit the homerun. Love the playoffs, just don’t know too many names)
Will watch the game tonight as it may be the last post season game I watch – If the Sox lose, then it is doubtful that I will watch any of the World Series. I just don’t give a flip about either the Marlins or the Yankees.
Go Sox!
I demand that you shoot me now!