9/29 It’s 99 and counting
Sunday will be the biggest game of the year for the Cubs. If they want to avoid a 100-loss season, the Cubs must rebound from Saturday’s 8-2 loss to the Diamondbacks, the 99th of the season, and win in the series finale.
“Now, they’ve pushed us to the wall,” Alfonso Soriano said. “We don’t want to lose 100 games so now we have to win all four games left [in the season]. I’ve never been a part of a team that had 100 losses. I’ve never been a part of this and I don’t want to be a part of this. I want to try to come back tomorrow and win the last three games at home.”
The Cubs have lost 100 games only twice in team history, 1962 and ’66, when they finished 59-103 both times.
“Tomorrow is as important as any game we play,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said.
The Cubs also need a win on Sunday to avoid becoming the first Major League team to go winless against one division on the road in a single season. Chicago is 0-18 on the road against the National League West: San Francisco (0-4), Arizona (0-5), Los Angeles (0-3), San Diego (0-3) and Colorado (0-3). It isn’t just the Pacific or Mountain Time Zones that are a problem, either. The Cubs have lost a franchise-record 58 games on the road.
– Carrie Muskat
mlblogsmuskat1
Thank goodness for football this weekend! Poor attendance and a souvenir guy told me sales are down 80 percent. Friends that used to never miss an inning here or on t.v. confirm that they just can’t watch a full game. Various Cub sites like Cub Reporter and Bleacher Nation are limping. After a game it was not un-usual to see 80 to 100 comments on B.N. and last night there was ONE comment. Yesterday on this site there was only 3 of us who commented at all. So while we are told by Theo and players and many fans to ignore this year and next year, the fan base erodes and recession revolves around the Cubs–who had been almost recession proof for years. It is painful for media to cover these Cubs as negativity can destroy working relationships with players and front office.
There will not be an excuse to see some improvement next year. 90 losses may be too many but in no way a .500 club. It’s like getting your heart ripped out. Make it work Theo or get Sandberg back here no matter the cost. He and Ricketts will have to do some major groveling for that to happen. Pulling for the Bears tomorrow night here in Dallas.
Sorry, Tomntex, but if you think the Cubs’ record this season is the manager’s fault, then you haven’t been paying attention. If anything, Sveum has done a tremendous job of building a good foundation/getting respect from the players. There are lots of positives, just not in the won/loss columns.
Carrie–when I was in the Navy the medical lab said I had lots of positives–
they don’t get it Carrie… they got to blame someone… don’t understand REBUILDING
Carrie — Will you write a blog on why the Cubs are so ineffective against the West and what they will need to do to become competitive against every National League team?
Wow, we now FINALLY know what it takes for Soriano to rise to an occassion…certainly NOT winning one lousy playoff game…instead it’s NOT LOSING 100 GAMES. What a guy! Thank God for him this year, one can only imagine if it were not for Soriano we would have finished next to last in the NL Central. He’s single handedly carried the team on his back and kept us ahead of the Astros. Time for another flag to be run up the pole with his retired number on it….Hmmm…maybe the Cubs should make him that offer?
idk how you could be down on Soriano… whats the problem? Because he didn’t accept a trade? Would that trade have made us better? We are stuck with his contract. Get over it… He is hitting the ball and fielding the ball. What else do you want from him. Gosh its the same *stuff* over and over on here…