What Hurts The Most, Was Being So Close

Every year I tell myself that I am going to rise above the mindless chatter that surrounds the windy city series, but once again I got sucked in. I started off the day with two messages on my phone, both slamming the Sox ("sox are going down like the french army"), but I was able to calmly put them aside without responding. But then at lunch I got chatting again with a Cubs fan and at first I was able to laugh off his foolish arguments. He carried on about how terrible Ozzie is at coaching and how Sox fans don't understand baseball, the usual Sox slander. I could sense his anger was starting to rise as he was desperate to set me off on something and I was quite enjoying his frustration. He knows me quite well and he knew that if he said something just completely off the wall, I wouldn't be able to resist getting involved in the bashing and sure enough it worked. He said that Jim Thome didn't have Hall of Fame worthy character and I quickly responded by asking if Wrigley Field has running water yet. The battle was on. His quick wit was getting the best of me and I was scrambling for things to say. I was so desperate that I resorted to using Google for reasons why the Cubs suck. (pathetic, I know) We spent about an hour going back and forth in what must have been the dumbest conversation of my life. I still can't believe I gave in to his banter, but what made it worse is that he totally dominated me. (I'll get you next time Eric)

Now to today's game. It was a tough one to swallow, especially after Soriano gave us a gift on a missed pop fly to setup the bases loaded with only one out. However, AJ rolled into the double play and that was the end of it. I thought we were going to have a 2005 moment, where we would really make a team pay for giving us an extra out. And we did for one at bat when Thome got completely jammed and somehow got the ball past Lee, down the right field line for a two run double. But then our luck ran out, when AJ hit one pretty hard, but just right at Lee for the double play.

I have long had the belief the whatever happens in Charlotte stays in Charlotte, but that was clearly not the case for Contreras. I don't know what kind of voodoo they used on him during his resurrection but whatever it is I am very much appreciative. I thought he pitched much better today than the score indicated. His splitter was filthy but he left one too many fastballs out over the heart of the plate and Soto made him pay with the three run jack. I was surprised he came back out in the seventh, after he had showed signs of back pains the inning before so hopefully everything is fine there. Thornton then came on in relief in the eighth and did a nice job keeping us in the game.

Observations:
1) Thome's strength is not even fair. He hit a home run on an 0-2 pitch that was off the outside corner and he made it look like it was nothing.
2) Hawk must be developing some sort of dementia. He says the same exact things every game, and this goes way beyond his classic "hawkisms."Every time the Taco Bell ad comes up he mentions how much Stone Pony's wife loves Taco Bell and then brings up the fact that she is a divorce lawyer. We get it Hawk and were tired of hearing it. I give a lot of credit to Stone Pony for listening to it every time and making it feel as comfortable as possible.
3) An awful lot of balls are getting down the line, past Beckham. I don't know if it is just bad luck that they are all going there or if his reactions are slow, but the obvious thing he should do is guard the line more.