I had my eye on some Cubs tickets for Tuesday night; I thought this would be my first visit to one of the best places on earth. But, my son has some testing going on this week at school, so… a late night is probably not the best idea. The way the game turned out on Tuesday night, the decision was validated; sometimes it’s better to wait.
I have to be honest. I haven’t been watching as much of the Cubs as I would typically. When watching TV with the family, lately, the NBA playoffs have been on; I’m not going to complain with any sports selection. As we all started going about our nightly business, I remained on the couch; let me see if the Cubs are still on. It was the bottom of the 9th and the Cubs were trailing by 2 runs; cool, I’ll watch the end. It was an exciting bottom of the 9th, as the Cubs ended up tying the score. PCA lead off with a walk; Kelly walked too, after a Dansby strikeout. Lieutenant Dansby has been hitting a lot better lately. Justin Turner then singled to right, closing the gap to one. Happ was up next. I really do want to like this guy. He is a Cub, so of course I like him… I’m rooting for him. I just have never been that impressed with him. I know he’s got a couple Gold Gloves too… I don’t see it, although the play he made out there earlier this year certainly was award worthy. Ian struck out. That brought up our prized offseason acquisition, King Tuck, which brought the Giants manager out for a pitching change; he was bringing in a lefty. First pitch, bam! Single smoked up the middle, and we got a tie game. Seiya struck out and we were heading to extras.
I guess we’re sticking with this baserunner on 2nd thing in extras, huh? I’m not THAT opposed to it, but… I’d rather do without it. Who cares if the game goes 18 innings; it’s free baseball! That’s how I look at it at least. I know, I know… people are just looking to get in and out at a baseball game; keep putting in things to make the games go by quicker… I’m not with that. I like getting there early and I enjoy when it goes extras; what the hell else do I have to do? Anyways, this one would not end in the 10th. Actually, neither team would score a run, even with the runner at 2nd base. The 11th was a different story unfortunately. The Giants plated 7 runs before the Cubs even got an out. After the smoke cleared, it was 14-5 Giants, which is how it ended. I’m not going to jump on the pen for this one… although it would be easy to do.
Yeah, an extra inning loss would certainly have been the worst outcome if we were in attendance on this school night. It wasn’t meant for us to be there; there will be another. I’ll take the extras, but not the L. Hopefully the boys got some sleep as well; back at it this afternoon at Wrigley. It is a beautiful day out. Maybe I should pull my son out of school… Go Cubs!
Kikma
That was quite the game! I can totally relate to the dilemma of choosing between family commitments and catching a live game. It’s always tough when you’re torn between responsibilities and something you’re passionate about. The way the Cubs managed to tie it up in the 9th was thrilling—those moments are what make baseball so unpredictable and fun. I’m with you on Happ; he’s got potential, but it’s hard to fully get behind him when he doesn’t consistently deliver. The extra innings rule is definitely a hot topic—I get why they do it, but it does take away some of the old-school charm of the game. Do you think the Cubs have a shot at making a deep playoff run this year, or are they still a few pieces away?
Politics
Cool read! I can totally relate to the dilemma of choosing between family commitments and catching a game live. It’s funny how sometimes missing out feels like the right call, especially when the game doesn’t go as expected. I’m curious, though, do you think the Cubs’ late-game rally would’ve been as exciting if you were there in person? I’ve always wondered if the energy of the crowd amplifies those moments or if it’s just as thrilling from the couch. Also, I’m with you on Happ—he’s got the potential, but it’s hard to fully get behind him when he doesn’t consistently deliver. What’s your take on the extra innings rule? I get the argument for speeding things up, but doesn’t it take away some of the unpredictability that makes baseball so great? Would love to hear your thoughts!