DELUSIONAL CUBS FAN

Short answer:  Yes.  Long Answer follows:

As this great image created by fellow Cub fan Guano illustrates so well, Derrek Lee and the Chicago Cubs are on FIRE! Derrek is bashing the ball and off to one of his typical hot starts. What’s very encouraging is that unlike last season he has his power swing cooking this April. Last year he hit seven home runs the ENTIRE first half of the season. It’s gotta be the beard!

What’s got me feeling extra delusional right now is the way the Cubs are playing lately. Every game I say to whomever I’m watching the game with “Someone has replaced the Cubs with a real baseball team”. Seriously, they are NOT playing Cubs baseball. They’re playing GOOD baseball.

In tonight’s game for instance they loaded the bases with no outs at a point where it was critical they needed insurance runs. So what did they do? Mark DeRosa struck out. Geovany Soto popped out. Typical Cubs baseball, right? So that leaves it up to backup shortstop Ronny Cedeno. What does Cedeno do? He swings at the first pitch, low and outside and pops it up for the third out. BUT WAIT! No he didn’t. He saw several pitches, ran up the count, fouled off the “pitchers” pitches and waited for one that he could drive for solid base hit that drove in two runs.

This is yet another instance of the Cubs playing like a real team. They’re getting timely hits. They’re showing patience at the plate. They’re stealing. They’re bunting. They’re getting sacrifice flies. They’re advancing runners. They’re playing good defense. Everyone is contributing in the lineup and on the bench. WTF?! No really, what’s going on? Is this what happens when you listen to Lou Pinella’s Daily Affirmation?

Seriously though, they are playing good. I believe you can give the credit to Lou Pinella for getting rid of some excess baggage, installing the Cubbie Swagger and teaching this team how to win.

The more they win the more winning seems natural.

What’s going on here? I’m feeling Delusional and I’ve only had one Old Style Fan Can today.

Look for me on TV at tomorrows game. I’ll look just like I always do. My presence in the stands will get Ted Lilly finally pitching like our number two. Go CUBS!!!

Oh, I didn’t just pull this post title outta thin air, it was inspired by a story on mlb.com about how both teams in Chicago are off to quick first place starts. (Solid starts conjure all-Chicago dreams) I’m not actually delusional enough to think just because the Cubs are in first place in April means they’ll be in the world series in October. In fact I’m more inclined to believe the opposite. And I’m especially am not crazy enough to think they’d be playing the Sox.   Sorry Sox, you’re one and done.  But I will admit it would be my the fulfillment of my forefathers dreams to see the Cubs destroy you in the World Series.

Me, I’m a Lou Pinella fan all the way. He’s old school, he’s genuine, he gets angry and he hates to lose.

How a guy who hates to lose so much ended up with the Cubs I gotta wonder sometimes. Like many before him, he was tempted by the challenge of turning around the Chicago Cubs franchise, bringing home a world series and being crowned the King of Chicago. He knows the manager who wins the world series with the Cubs will be a legend, will even rise to achieve Ditka-like status. They’ll build a statue for him and they haven’t even done that for Ditka (yet).

Anyway, Lou Pinella is a character. He’s perfect for this team right now. He got last years underachieving formerly last place finishers into the playoffs somehow. Very few people could have done that. If he leads the Cubs to the playoffs for the second season in a row, he’ll be the first manager to do that since….since…. I don’t know, did they keep records back then? Their weren’t even computers yet.

I guy like Lou Pinella is special. He’s got a lot to offer. Lou is wise in his own unique way.

So how can an ordinary delusional Cubs fan like you or I benefit from the wisdom of Lou? We can get our Daily Affirmation from Lou Pinella. That’s right, our daily affirmation.

The Daily Affirmation by Lou Pinella is a new web promotion sponsored by Aquafina. It’s just a single page site featuring an animated Lou Pinella Bobblehead and a Lou Pinella voiced daily affirmation each day. It’s one of the stranger yet cooler promotions I’ve seen in awhile. Who’s the genius who thought of this?

Example affirmations:

“Winners win. Losers wish they could.” 4/15/08

“Every day is a whole new ballgame.” 4/14/08

and “Repeat after me: I’m the smartest person I know. I’m the smartest person I know. ” 4/16/08

It’s good for a few laughs.

Visit Lou Pinella’s Daily Affirmation

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I originally wrote about Lou Pinella’s Daily Affirmation on another blog I write for called Duh Only, where I just write about whatever topic kind of interests me at the moment. This can mean stories about music industry, bands, advertising, photography, art, friends, design, marketing and whatnot. I’ve often written about the Cubs on there but now that I have this new blog, I’m going to try and keep my Chicago Cubs posts here. This blog is still finding it’s voice but I don’t want to focus too much on the day to day Cubs news. There’s so many other great websites and blogs already where you can get that sort of thing, and some of them do it very well. The Delusional Cubs Fan is going to try and focus on Chicago Cubs topics other than the latest Cub win or Derrick Lee home run. But if Big Z decides to take out another catcher, we’ll report it. If they ever build that Lou Pinella statue, we’ll be there. If the Cubs are in the playoffs we’ll be partying at Murphys. Whatever interesting Cubs story we can talk about over an old style and make a joke about, we’ll be there.

Here is a sign for the Japanese word “Santate” which translates to “three game sweep” in Japanese. This is now be added to the list signs in Japanese for Fukudome. I will keep my eyes open for more signs for all you right field bleacher fans.

Our beloved Cubs just got their first sweep of the year, which I’m sure is just the first of many this season. The Cubs have won five in a row and are off to a much better start then in 2007. This team is looking better than last years team that won the division and they’re still getting warmed up. Sure it’s just the Pirates but Pittsburgh knocked the Cubs around last season and a win is a win. The Cubs are winning more of the games they should win this year.

Coming off of five wins in a row, you couldn’t ask for anything better than Carlos Zambano starting against the Phillies. Big Z has been a stud on the mound so far this season and I’m looking forward to seeing him pitch. He’s locked in. Let’s make this six in a row!

It was foretold long ago that a man would arrive to the Chicago Cubs franchise and save the city of Chicago from suffering through another 100 years of purgatory.

This man would hit. He would play defense. He would play hard and lead by example. He would even take walks and lay down bunts. He would do anything so that his team would win.

He would appear upon the horizon like the rising sun.

That man has arrived. That man is Kosuke Fukudome.

The people of Chicago have embraced him.

The Chicago Cubs fans chant his name

He performs great miracles, such as taking a walk, getting clutch hits and laying down bunts.

He showed great wisdom by turning down more money from the White Sox so he could play for the Cubs.

He brings great honor to the Chicago Cubs.

Some have said that Fukudome is a better hitter than Jesus.

FU-KU-DO-ME!!!!! FU-KU-DO-ME!!!!! FU-KU-DO-ME!!!!! FU-KU-DO-ME!!!!!

The prophecy has come to pass. He will deliver Cubs fans to the Promised Land.

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Photo by DaftFunk

The Cubs have finally won therir first game of the season! Being Cubs fans used to disappointment, many people were already starting to worry only two games into the season that it was all over. Fear not my friends! (This ride is bound to crazier than this)

Today’s pitchers threw in the exact reverse order as they have in previous years. Dempster threw a great game in his first start in three seasons. Kerry Wood got his first career save and is looking ready to start being dominant.

Soriano is back hitting lead off again. He responded by getting a hit and two RBIs, one of which came on a bases loaded walk! It’s nice to see you take a walk buddy perhaps Kosuke is starting to rub off on you?

FU-KU-DO-ME got a hit, walked twice and scored to runs for another productive game.

The team needed this one. Everybody take a breath and relax.

So almost five years later, former Cub Moise Alou says that he never would have caught that foul ball after all.

In an interview with the AP Alou says that people still yell “Bartman!” when he goes to catch a fly ball. He goes on to say “You know what the funny thing is? I wouldn’t have caught it anyway.”

Does this mean that Bartman can come out of hiding? Nope. Sorry Steve but you are a part of the Cubs mythology. Like anything that reaches the myth status, it doesn’t really matter what the truth is anymore because the story is way beyond truth or logic.

You’ve been acquitted but it will do about as much good for you as it did when the city of Chicago exonerated ol Mrs. O’Leary of causing the Great Chicago Fire 100 years after she died.

In other words, no good whatsoever. If it makes you feel any better Kosuke Fukudome doesn’t believe in curses.

Photo by Praxis88

I know what I will remember about Cubs Opening Day 2008. No, it won’t be the stellar seven innings Carlos Zambrano pitched. It won’t be the regular season debut of the new Cubs Closer Kerry Wood. It won’t be the rain, which is not atypical for opening day at Wrigley. It will be the debut Kosuke Fukudome!

After a so-so spring and a few people wondering if the Cubs spent their money wisely over the winter, Kosuke Fukudome made a good first impression to the home crowd. The “rookie” Chicago Cubs right fielder debuted with a double in his first major league at bat, got his first RBI, took a walk (and showed his teammates the meaning of patience at the plate) and then topped it off with a game tying three run homer in the bottom of the ninth. It could not have been scripted any better. As Bob Brenly said “People are jumping up and down all over the world right now”. I know I was.

Then Bob Howry came in to pitch the tenth and showed us that his slow start last season was no fluke. Doh.

But I’ll always remember jumping up and down, spilling my frosty mug of Old Style and chanting FU-KU-DO-ME along with the thousands in attendance. This is the kind of reception Jacque Jones could only dream of. It’s the kind of play that had him pegged as a rookie of the year favorite before the season even started.

Welcome to Wrigley Fukudome!

Photo by southchi

Hello my friends, and welcome to the Delusional Cubs Fan Blog. This is a place for the true believers, a place where the lifelong Chicago Cubs fans can feel at home in thinking that “This is the Year the Cubs Will FINALLY Win the World Series!”

The Delusional Cubs Fan is right there with ya. It’s spring, the sun is shining, let’s play two. It’s been one hundred years since the last time the Cubs won the World Series, but THIS IS THE YEAR. This years team is looking good. Lots of potential, they just need to hit their stride and avoid injuries. The division is open for the taking. The team is stacked with some of the best superstars money can buy. We’ve got a good manager. We’ve got some kids who are going to contribute.

Sure there may be a few question marks in the roster but nothing to be worried about. Let’s get our tickets, an ice cold Old Style from the beer man and enjoy the ride.

THIS IS THE YEAR.

(Wrigley Field photo by Licurl64)