Calling out Carlos

That's right Big Z, I'm talking to you. I know you're an avid reader.

Tonight is a must win for you. Go out, earn your money, and let's get a W. I know you got it in you.

It's the (expletive) Pirates.

Uh Oh...

Recently reacquired Cubs Steve Trachsel faces off against the stellar Brad Penny and the Dodgers tonight. I don't see this going very well.

Also, the Cubs players have all decided to start crying about the fans actually expecting decent baseball. More on this later when I've settled down and I have time to fully vent my well deserved frustrations.

We May Have a Real Shot at This

Sorry that the updates here have been few and far between as of late, it's been busy for me the past couple of weeks but I hope to get back into the swing of things as this division race really heats up. In case you want to know what's been going on during the last two weeks, the Cubs have been up by a game and a half practically the entire time.

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to go to a free Cubs game. If you haven't done this before, I highly recommend it. A friend of a friend had a ticket that he couldn't use, so he gave it to my friend who couldn't use it, and my friend gave it to me. It was the best seats and I didn't have anyone else I knew going, but none of that matters when you can be at a Cubs game for less than 20 bucks and watch them inch their way towards a division title. The rundown of what I spent for the game:

• Ticket for Aisle 224, Row 19, Seat 10: Free
• Upgrading to Row 13, Seat 1: Free
• Gas for the 75 mile round trip to where I parked: $9
• Parking: Free
  
• Riding the L to the stadium and back: $4
• Refilling my bottle of water at the drinking fountain by the bathrooms: Free
• Slice of pizza from Bacci's Pizzeria after the game: $4.39
• Total: $17.39

I'd say paying that much is well worth seeing a thrilling Cubs win.

By the way, I highly recommend Bacci's Pizza. You get a slice of thin crust pizza the size of Montana and a pop for $4.39 after tax, and it's about 20 feet from the L stop. As you're leaving the stadium, you will see a cute college girl in a tank top trying to get you to go to a bar that has $3 jello shots. Right next to that bar is Bacci's. It's on the left, you can't miss it. Tell them I sent you.

All that being said though, I wish I had gone to today's game instead. I thought we didn't have a chance of winning, I was actually dozing off when Lee came through with the big homer. Not a great time to fall asleep. I just hope the team can get some kind of momentum going, because I'm not really comfortable with a 1.5 game lead on the Brewers. Let's get it to a 4 or a 5 game lead and maybe I'll be able to breathe again.

Question for the Masses

Looking back at our recent games played, apparently the Cubs have taken 2 out of 3 against their last two opponents. That is actually pretty good, considering if they could keep it up all year they would be the proud owners of a .666 win percentage. But for some reason my gut seems to tell me that the team has been rather lackluster as of late, even knowing that they still lead the Central. Does anyone else feel this way, that we've been playing badly and still winning? I'm sure Soriano's return will straighten things out but this still worries me.

And from a blog that I had not read before yesterday and that puts a lot more thought into these matters than I do, Jacque Jones may have saved the Cubs season. And the collective cynics of the world say: huh?

Welcome Craig

Cubs picked up Craig Monroe from the Tigers today. Read more here.

The man is back.

With a perfect suicide squeeze on a 3-1 count in the 10th inning, Mr. Blanco let Cubs Nation know that he is back and better than ever.

To quote the Giants color announcer, "He got the job done."

That's how Henry rolls, ladies and gentleman. That's how this team rolls.

CUBS WIN.

Where in the World is Henry Blanco?

Despite an injury to world-class backup catcher Henry B., the Cubs have somehow managed to get themselves into first place. It looks like Blanco is rehabbing in AAA and could be back very soon though, giving this team a much needed boost coming into the final months of the season. Koyie Hill, your days are numbered.

Go Cubs.

Big Z: "Not Everything is About Money"

Looking for the banned Fukudome shirt? Click Here.

Carlos Zambrano is a good pitcher. A great pitcher even. When he is on his game, he is probably one of, if not the best pitcher in baseball. Apparently Jim Hendry is in some dreamlike state where Zambrano is always on his game, as he just handed Big Z the most lucrative contract for a pitcher in all of baseball. $91.5 million over 5 years is a lot of money. Did you ever stop to wonder how much that comes out to per game, or even per inning? Well we made a shirt so you don't have to:

These numbers were meticulously calculated assuming 32 games and 215 innings per season. If he gets injured the numbers go up a lot. You thought Kerry Wood earning $13 million for rehabbing all year was bad? Then pray to whatever god you wish that Zambrano doesn't spend too much time chatting online over the next 5 years.

Daryle Ward is a Golden God

Ward just blasted a grand slam in the 3rd inning to give the division leading Cubs a 5-0 lead over the redbirds. Assuming Sean Marshall can keep it together this will be a magnificent day.

Crap. Juan Encarnacion just made it 5-1 as I'm writing this. Is it too early to get a pitcher warming up in the bullpen?

All things considered though, I'm still amazed that we're 1st in the division after the horrible baseball we've been playing since Soriano was out. He can't come back soon enough.

Michael Vick Does Drugs in School Zones

I know I haven't written anything recently, and I apologize for that.

But please, for the love of all that is good and holy, read this (PDF file).

That link leads to a three page handwritten lawsuit filed by a Mr. Jonathan Lee Riches, an inmate in South Carolina. Riches is attempting to sue Michael Vick for 63,000,000,000.00 Billion Dollars. Yes, that's 63 BILLION Billion Dollars, or for the mathematically disinclined, 63 Quintillion Dollars. I don't think that amount of money even exists.

I know this isn't a football blog, but when someone accuses Michael Vick of joining Al-Quaeda, buying missiles from Iran with the money made from selling dogs on eBay, and hurting their feelings and dashing their hopes, that's newsworthy for all sports fans.

In other news: the Cubs are drowning without Soriano. Funeral arrangements are being decided on and will be announced sometime in September.

[FOXNews]

EDIT: Apparently this came out three weeks ago when everyone but me was paying attention. My bad.

Congrats Barry

NOT.

You may have the Derosa-Bonds HR Challenge all but wrapped up and be MLB's All-Time Home Run leader, but at the end of the day, you're still Barry Bonds and you still play for the Giants.

Stew on that.

Go Cubs.

It Was Too Good to be True...

Soriano left tonight's game with a strained right quad. Not sure how serious it is, but him limping off the field doesn't sound very good. More details later when we know more.

UPDATE: Yahoo Sports says 2-4 weeks. That sound you hear is the sound of millions of Cubs fans' hopes and dreams dying. With 52 games left in the season and the team being a single game out of the division lead, this couldn't really have come at a worse time.