The Cubs Made Good on Their (F) Word and Other Bullets

Picture by Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune

Mike Quade was ejected for the second time last night after arguing a pitch to Prince Fielder in the 9th. I choose to believe it kept the Cubs just amped enough to win it in the 10th. Good for you, Mike.

  • The win, coming back late from a three-run deficit against the hottest team in baseball, and then walking off in extras, was about as good as it gets. You can probably attribute it to the shirts the players wore before the game. On the front, they said “Goatbusters.” On the back, they said “F**k the Goat.” F**k the Goat, indeed.
  • Mike Quade emphasized that the players weren’t buying into the curse or focusing on a goat – they were just trying to ease the tension and have some fun. Sounds fine to me. Once again, Carlos Pena offers the articulate response: “You can call it embracing. You can call it defusing. Whatever you give power to grows. We’re just jokingly discarding it and at the same time bringing the team together and having a little fun. And that’s what it’s all about.”
  • Prince Fielder would consider any team in free agency, Gordon Wittenmyer writes in an article where he, ever so slightly, starts to back away from his lonely assertion that the Cubs definitely won’t go after any big name free agents this year.
  • And Prince Fielder is the superior choice for the Cubs over Albert Pujols says Bruce Levine. This is a topic that will deserve a thorough discussion later in the season, but, for now, I think it remains to be seen what the cost will be for each. Pujols is going to get more, but, with each day, the spread shrinks (unlike Fielder’s ample bosom). The closer the numbers get, the less attractive Fielder becomes.
  • Among other things, Paul Sullivan is pretty critical of Tom Ricketts’ ownership so far.
  • The Cubs’ A-ball squad, the Peoria Chiefs, plan to poke fun at LeBron James by handing out his equivalent of a championship right – air – tomorrow night. And, before you point out the irony of a Cubs team making fun of someone for not winning, I should note: the Chiefs won the Midwest League back in 2002.
  • Marlon Byrd’s rehab is going well according to… Marlon Byrd. In a blog post, the erstwhile Cubs center fielder discusses his recovery, his plan (be ready for a rehab assignment in two weeks), and the Cubs’ chances.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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