Did anyone see this??? This was from Tuesday's Chicago Sun Times. http://www.suntimes.com/output/mariotti/cst-spt-jay14.html <i>Cubs sitting ducks in Enron gallery August 14, 2001 BY JAY MARIOTTI SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST HOUSTON--A big, old, annoying train chugs along a track above left field, making shrill choo-choo noises just about every time the hometown boys score. Come this winter, if not this week, the Cubs might be hearing the thing in their sleep. Here, inside baseball's notorious Wiffle-ball den, with short-as-advertised porches you and I could conquer, heaven help the ballclub that tries to win with traditionally noble traits such as pitching. Of all rivals with whom to contend in a divisional-title race, the sense Monday was that the Cubs picked the wrong team and the wrong pinball machine. In the shooting gallery known as Enron Field, you can't gun down the other guys with one howitzer and too many water pistols. Feel free to worry, Cubdom. It is that time, I'm afraid. Whoever said good pitching always beats good hitting hasn't been to downtown Houston lately. <b>Not only has this town altered the White House, its ballpark has changed baseball--if not wrecked it.</b> ''Wait until I become a free agent again,'' said Sammy Sosa, who was just joking in a quiet clubhouse after the 9-5 loss to the Astros. ''Seriously, it is a great place to play and they have great hitters to play in it.'' Question is, do the Cubs have enough good hitters to stay in Enron shootouts? And, for that matter, enough pitching gumption to survive the onslaught? Jason Bere has been a recent revelation, using a rebuilt arm to dominate hitters and flaunt a 1.94 earned-run average in his last eight starts. On a disastrous evening, he surrendered more runs in eight minutes than he had in three weeks. That would be four, feeding a numbing barrage that ended the Cubs' 2-1/2-month stay in first place and sounded a familiar dirge in panic-stricken Cubdom. ''We lost because of the way I pitched. It's not a good feeling to have,'' Bere said. ''I didn't get the ball down all night, and if you make too many mistakes against that lineup, they capitalize. I have to do a better job of pitching.'' All along, even when they were seven games behind in early June, the Astros felt they could catch the Cubs. Lance Berkman, their emerging star, went so far to say, ''We're not really worried. We know the kind of ballclub we have.'' The Cubs arrived in town to read this uncomplimentary passage in the Houston Chronicle: ''The mood in the clubhouse gives the impression the Astros realize it's only a matter of time before they overtake the Cubs.'' Well, they've done it. Now, are they there for keeps? The concern is that the Cubs, who still have five games left at Ten-Run Field, could lose the race in this funky new yard. Against another contender in another National League division, their formula of arms and gloves matches up. The same can't be said about the Astros, who riddled Bere for three home runs, a triple, two doubles and three singles before he was mercifully yanked in the fifth inning. This is the sort of tense situation that calls for a stopper named Kerry Wood. But his right shoulder is ailing, forcing a weary Don Baylor to use the out-of-favor Julian Tavarez, whose most recent outing makes you wonder if another double-digit pounding is ahead. Sorry, small ball doesn't work in these parts, as Baylor knows. ''When they put nine runs on the board, I think sometime we have to be able to stop them,'' he said. ''We either have to stop them with our pitching or have to outslug them one day.'' Outslug them? How? ''We haven't been able to put it together offensively,'' Baylor reiterated. ''We added Freddie [McGriff] to the mix and Michael Tucker, but we haven't been able to bust open a lot of games.'' Pity poor Sosa. He temporarily soothed nerves with a rocking two-run homer in the opening inning, first digging in and showboating, then crushing Shane Reynolds' first pitch into the Houston bullpen. But he continues to be a solo act, receiving little help from the impotent Eric Young in the leadoff spot. The most amazing statistic in baseball is that Sosa leads the NL in runs batted in with such mediocre production in front of him. Never has he been more electric, more primed to reach October. But until Rondell White returns, the likes of Tucker, Ron Coomer, Matt Stairs and Robert Machado will scare no one, especially a Houston team with a middle-of-the-order arsenal of Jeff Bagwell, Berkman and Moises Alou. All you need to know is that the Astros' No. 7 hitter, Vinny Castilla, would have been the Cubs' cleanup hitter had he signed Andy MacPhail's offer in the spring. Smart man, Castilla. Who wouldn't want to make a living hitting baseballs at Enron? ''When we're clicking, we're as powerful as anybody out there,'' gushed Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker, whose farm system is better than MacPhail's. He also likes the unbalanced schedule. Of all quirky devices, that may be the Cubs' undoing, forcing them to go head-to-head with the Astros more often. Baylor isn't as thrilled. ''We keep seeing the same teams in our division,'' he said. ''We haven't played Florida yet, haven't played Atlanta yet, and it's going on September.'' <b>Frigging Houston. What has this humidity-smothered, strip-mall-tacky town ever done to deserve a quality baseball franchise?</b> Cubs fans might be able to tolerate this slide into second place, for the first time since May 29, if their rivals were a team in a traditional baseball town. But while Cubdom pants over the slightest success, the Astros have been frequent winners, successfully undergoing transition periods by keeping star players and grooming new ones. Anyone who thinks the Cubs are in for a long period of divisional prosperity better look at the young Houston nucleus, which includes Berkman and prized arms Roy Oswalt, Wade Miller and Tim Redding. In what qualified as the season's biggest game to date, the Cubs laid an egg while the Astros were dropping bombs. How strange to watch Sosa hit another long fly to left, with no one on base, and see the ball appear to clear the on-field scoreboard and a Dr. Pepper-ad-covered barrier. But at oddballish Enron, left fielder Daryle Ward positioned himself against the fence, which actually is five feet behind the scoreboard, and caught the ball. Ward literally disappeared, but it was just another lengthy out for a team that makes too many. ''Don't forget,'' Young cautioned. ''We still play the Astros seven of 10 at the end of the year.'' Assuming it isn't too late. Jay Mariotti's radio program airs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sporting News Radio (820 AM).</i> Who the **** does this idiot think he is??? I mean, give me a break! I find his bull**** particularly ironic considering the teams scored only 4 runs tonight. Dumbass!
The guy takes one game and blows it totally out of proportion. Fact #1 Houston has a great lineup and can score runs on anybody, anywhere, not just Enron field. They have a better road record than home record. Fact #2 Despite the Astros' offensive firepower, a good pitcher can still beat a good hitting team, such as what happened tonight. Fact #3 Houston's young pitching staff has not had a problem adjusting to Enron. This guy is worse than Blineberry!
I HAD to send a letter to their editor on this one. It's letters@suntimes.com if you're interested... <i>As a native Houstonian, I was absolutely disgusted to read Jay Mariotti's column asking, "What has this humidity-smothered, strip-mall-tacky town ever done to deserve a quality baseball franchise?" That statement has re-defined the very meaning of the word, "tacky." I've been to Chicago and find it to be a wonderful city and though I am no fan of the blustery winds and over-priced hotels, you'd never catch me (or most other Houstonians) referring to Chicago in a way similar to Mariotti's description of Houston. It should come as no surprise given his nonsensical rantings on his syndicated sports talk show, but if he really needs to know what Houston has done to deserve a quality baseball franchise, let's try... - Be the 4th largest city in America and one of its most racially diverse. - Spend a billion dollars to build three new state of the art sporting facilities within a 5-year period without raising property or sales tax. - Rank number 1 in business start-up's and number 2 in job growth in America last year. - Contribute 11 percent of the volunteer hours in the United States despite representing only about 1 percent of the population. Houston is a place with nice people and I won't tarnish that image by calling Mariotti's rant pure idiocy. Instead, I'll simply say, "Jay, the next time you decide to come to Houston. Think twice. We'll both be better for it." Jeff Balke</i>
This guy is a moron, the field is not bad. Look if he wants to gripe, than take away sammys home run tonight, without it its a completely different ball game. Dont give me any crap about the cubs pitching being neutralized by "ten run field", it is not like coors, when you make mistakes you get punished. As for him calling us a crappy sportstown why doesnt he bark up his own tree and complain about how his team, those beloved cubbies havent been in contention since 98 and besides that its been ugly. Now ill admit the cubs have some of the most diehard fans in the world, or else they just love the atmosphere . However, who has been the class of the national league central this decade and especially the last few years, ooh thats right THE HOUSTON ASTROS. Overall, this guy is just a frustrated chicagoan at the apparent shock of realizing who the better overall team is this year and must've felt the need to vent. Well, im sorry Mr. Mariotti but Jason Bere has been pitching over his head this yr and Tavarez will wear down and Tapani is nothing special, so unless your bats decide to pick it up, ohh wait you have practically nothing besides sosa and mcgriff, you will be either watching the playoffs from home or 1st round fodder, take your pick.
That's just sour grapes. Since 93, the Astros are something on the order of 70-34 against the Teddy Bears. We own their asses - Scoreboard baby. What's the point supposed to be here - Cubs fans could take losing to us if our management was as incompetent as there's?
Jay Marinotti didn't get the nickname "Moronotti" up here for nothing. He jocks the Cubs hardcore, and is generally loathed here. The only way he knows how to write is to be inflammatory. This is really nothing to get too worked up about, really. The guy is so bad that he's basically ignored up here.
As someone said before...if one of the Astros' young arms - say, tonight, Oswalt again - can shut down any team in Enron, why can't the Cubs vaulted pitching staff? Living in Orlando, I hear all of the comments about my town all the time - pretty much the same ones Marinotti used to describe Houston, except worse. Pretty much just have to ignore them as they come along because residents of each city know what's to like about each town.
Don't ever listen to Idiotti. He's the worst columnist I've EVER read and the only reason he has a job is because his sensationalism and the headlines they produce off of it sells papers. His writing isn't good enough for my dog to poop on.
This explains why the Cubs never win anything. They lose one game and fall apart. It's called home field advantage dope, just like that brick wall they have in their outfield.
As a former Chicago resident, I was going to tell you about Mariotti's reputation in his home town. But, it seems other Chicagoans have done the job for me.
JUST A NOTE: The Sun Times called and they are going to publish my letter on either Friday or Sunday. I'll post it when it is up.
Wrigley is not as homer friendly as Enron but it's been one of the best offensive parks in baseball over the years. What's this guy whining about? LOL
Jeff -- you always sell out for H-Town..that's why we all love you!!! well...not that kind of love...you know...not that there's anything wrong with that!
It seems to me that this bozo's article was a bit premature . . . if I'm not mistaken, the cubs won the last two games with great pitching. But hey, what do I know, I'm from a tacky, strip-mall town that doesn't deserve the time of day, much less a baseball team. Well done Jeff. I loved your letter.
[B/][QUOTE/] BY JAY MARIOTTI SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST .....Against another contender in another National League division, their formula of arms and gloves matches up. The same can't be said about the Astros, who riddled Bere for three home runs, a triple, two doubles and three singles before he was mercifully yanked in the fifth inning. [/B][/QUOTE] Granted the Cubs have managed to find some good pitchers. But talking about their "gloves" shows the guys is an idiot. The Cubs outfield is about the worst in baseball defensively, Stairs is slower than David Wells and Sammy is at best average in covering ground. Further the Astros offensive production the last 2 games pretty much killed his theory. Getting shut down by Lieber that way was very, very, sorry. Great job Jeff is getting your letter together and accepted!
