Pastcubs's Blog

Pirates help the Cubs finish above .500

pastcubs — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:17:11 +0000

There was a time when the Pittsburgh Pirates gave the Chicago Cubs a hard time. In the seventies and the sixties the Chicago Cubs didn’t have a chance against the black and the gold. The would take a beating from the likes of Dave parker,Willie Stargel, and Roberto Clemente. These Pirate teams were strong and baseball did not get bad about free agency. Many of the top players for teams in small markets wilol jump ship nowdays. In the past great players were usually stuck with a team unless the team traded them. The Pittsburgh Pirates were able to afford their best players and not have to get rid of them. The sorry excuse of a team in Pittsburgh and Cincinatti can’t compete with the Chicago Cubs big bankroll today. The Cubs beating up on these teams is the primary reason they have been good inn recent years. The Pirates and the Reds lose so many games to the Chicago Cubs these days it is sickening. It seems like they don’t even try. The Cubs can win 85 to 90 games a year annually now as they have about thirty five games with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinatti Reds. These are not your fathers Pittsburgh Pirates anymore.

Ernie banks should of bashed little Chet Coppock’s head in

pastcubs — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:48:06 +0000

Chet Coppock is that annoying man who is always around Chicago sports channals for some reason. We have his father for blaming to getting little Chet so into sports and annoying the Chicago sports fan with his presence. Little Chet was able to get to meet some of these Chicago Cubs. I suppose Chet’s father had some money and influence. Here is a picture of the great Ernie Banks with Chet Coppock. You know this was the era of civil rights and that Ernie must of wanted to bash little Coppocks head in with his little smirk attitude. The Chicago Cubs had more important things on their mind in the sixties than entertaining some little snot nosed kids like little Chester Coppock. I could think of a hundred ways Ernie could put that bat to better use in this picture.

Did leaon Durham and Lee Smith throw the 1984 playoffs

pastcubs — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:17:38 +0000

Lee Smith and leon Durham were very good friends on the Chicago Cubs. They were usually roommates and hung around together ignoring their White teammates. They discussed current events and were horrified to see how things were like in Chicago in the early eighties. Harold Washington had got elected in Chicago and the city was very racially polarized. They had good years in 1984, but when the playoffs came it was another story. Lee Smith got hammered in his appearances and gave up the winning home run in game four to Steve Garvey. leon Durham would let a ground ball go through his legs as the San Diego Padres defeated the much stronger Chicago Cubs to go into the World Series. I often wondered if these two let these things happen as a punishment for the racism they experienced in Chicago. Was it their way of getting back at the fans? The way they played in the National league Championship series that year makes me wonder.

Why did the Chicago cubs waste money on Dave Smith

pastcubs — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:42:41 +0000

Dave Smith career with the Cubs fortunely was short. The Chicago Cubs signed him big bucks. they were expecting him to be their closer for several years as he was sucessful in Houston. Cub fans like me were still pissed off at the loss of another man named Smith in the bullpen a few years previously. Lee Smith had gone on to division rival St Louis and had some huge seasons. So instead the Cubs went out and got this bum Smith who was finished.

dave Smith gave up runs,games, and walks. This guy couldn’t get anybody out and his performance was one of the worse I have ever seen. I can’t believe how much just changing teams can mess with a players physice. I am sure he would of done good in 1992 had he stayed with the Astros. For some reason he got hammered all the time especially in Wrigley Field. The Cubs ended his misery and cut him soon and Mr Dave Smith was out of baseball.

Mark Grace was a slick hitter and fielder for the Cubs

pastcubs — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:35:54 +0000

mark grace did not strike out alot. He had one of the best swings in the game and I was sure he was destined for the hall of fame and three thousand hits. He had almost two thousand in just the nineties. The ball flew off his bat when he swung though it rarely left the park. Mark often hit .300 for the Chicago Cubs and won gold gloves on the field. He is surely one of the most memorable and popular Cubs from that time period. A contract dispute caused him to leave the ball club and he retired shortly after leaving the Cubs. The good thing was he was able to win a World Series ring, something he could never have doen had he played his entire career in Chicago

The day I remember when the Goose was cooked

pastcubs — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:55:53 +0000

Goose Gossage is a hall of famer. He was over the hill when the Cubs aquired him in the ninties. I will always remember the day I knew the Goose was cooked. The Chicago Cubs were playing the Houston Astros and had a comfortable lead. They had come from behind and taken the lead late in the game and Goose was called in for the save. It was early in his Chicago Cubs career, but the Goose had some rough outings. Well, Gossage blew another save and gave a huge home run. I will always remember the Gooses face looking at the bleachers and hearing Harry Carry’s disturbed voice calling the blown lead. He was through and I couild tell from the look of Goose Gossage’s face he was wondering what had happened to his stuff. The Chicago Cubs would go on a long strech of getting bad relief pitchers which I will discuss later.

Bill Hands used his hands to pitch for the Chicago Cubs

pastcubs — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:18:16 +0000

I never saw Bill Hands pitch for the Chicago Cubs. For a ew years he was the ace of the staff for the Chicago Cubs. I don’t have much to say about him except he has a memorable name. It is a perfect name for a pitcher and perhaps the best name for a Cub pitcher since three fingers brown going way back. I want to keep this blog about Cub players from the sixties to the present, but maybe I will go and include all past Cubs

Manny Trillo had two unimpressive stints with the Cubs

pastcubs — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:28:26 +0000

I decided to include even players who were not really sucessful in their tenure with the Cubs. These type of players were predominate on the Chicago Cub rosters. One that was really memorable was the Puerto Rican manny Trillo. I remember him from the late seventies and he was part of some average Cub teams. He was an average player at that time so he fit good on those Cubs teams. I am not sure what made him most memorable except maybe the fact he looked like a shark straight out of the musical movie West Side Story. He had a slick glove and had some speed. manny went on to have a long career in baseball. He must have played with seven different clubs as he was always being shipped around. I wonder if he played for cheap and thats why he seemed to be everywhere. He had another short stint with the Chicago Cubs in the eighties.

shawon Dunston and his jet arm

pastcubs — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:38:16 +0000

Shawon Dunston was the Chicago Cub shortstop of the eighties. just like fans will always associate Ivan Dejesus as the Cub shortstop of the seventies, I will always come to think of Shawon Dunston for that position. He was the first pick out of high school in the baseball draft one year. Whiloe he is far short oif a hall of famer, Shawon had some productive years on the North side of Chicago. I remember him having good speed and has some pop for a shortstop at that time period. The guy had a cannon for an arm and he nearly decapitateds several firstbasemen with his throws from grounders. This guy was a tremendous athlete and a great past cub. I came across this awsome picture on the web of a St louis cardianl trying to take him out.

Billy Williams was an awsome Cub

pastcubs — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:43:41 +0000

I often wished I could of enjoyed watching BillY Williams play ball. I think he was probably a multidimensional player and more like the athletic players of today than players from the sixties. He played on the north side in his prime and was one of the best players to play for the Cubs. I bet he was often overlooked having to play with Ernie Banks. If he was on another Chicago Cub team from another era I am sure he would of been more well known nationally. This guy could do it all. he could hit,run, and play top notch defense and he did it many years for the Cubs. Billy was a unique player that put fear in his oppents and respect in his teammates whenever he put the uniform on of the Cubs. A player with his talent would command serious money in todays game. The Cubs would of had more winning seasons had they had more players like Billy Williams in the past and played for the past Cubs teams.

Gary Mathews will always be the only Sarge

pastcubs — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:37:46 +0000

Gary Mathews was a veteran when the Cubs aquired him in 1984. he wasa a key ingrediant in helping the Chicago Cubs almost go all the way. He was very popular with the fans and always gave a hundred and ten percent. He had one of the more unusual batting stances I have ever seen and many kids loved to impersonate his batting stance. Its too bad the Cubs could not have got him earlier in his career for his knees could not hold out anymore and he was gone by 1987. That year though the Cubs would get another African-American outfilelder who would replace him in team leadership and fan popularity

Ryne Sandberg is the best Chicago Cub second baseman and best player in past thirty years

pastcubs — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:24:02 +0000

Ryne Sandberg could hit, field, run, and lead as he could just about do anything for a number of years in a Cub uniform. He was perhaps the ultimate Chicago Cub player during the eighties and was an significant part of the Cubs rise to popularity as the main baseballteam in Chicago. His popularity transcended all cites as he was a popular player all across the country. He was like named to the all star team something like nine years in a row. This is why they called him Mr Cub II

Glenn Beckert was a steady force at second base for a good decade

pastcubs — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:28:29 +0000

Glenn beckert was an excellent fielder and hitter for those good cub teams of the late sixties. He provided the Cubs with a solid career that almost spanned ten years at second base. The Chicago Cubs had a strong infield in the sixties and he was one of the key ingredients that was always reliable. He was Ron santo’s roommate for much of this time and was a great teammate to most of the Cubs around this time period. It took a while for the Chiocago Cubs to put in another second baseman who was able to provide numbers like his for an extended time. We all know who thatb player was as the Cubs really didn’t have a good second basemen between these two.

Scott Sanderson gave the Cubs years of service as a .500 pitcher

pastcubs — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:43:39 +0000

Scott Sanderson played in both the Chicago Cubs post season berths in the eighties. He started games in both national League championships s localeries against the california teams that easily beat them. He is a local boy from Northbrook,Illinois. I remember him as a rookie and there were real high expectatiions for him. By the time he got to the Cubs though those expectations were long gone. He was about an average pitcher and did as much good as bad pitching the Cubs. You were never really sure what you would get from Scott Sanderson.

Willie hernandez was a great Tiger after being a mediocre Cub

pastcubs — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:36:28 +0000

Another great reliever who did more awsome after leaving the Cubs. He is another player who would of heped in 1984 as he went to win the cy young award that year after discovering a new pitch. Anyone think not having a good pitching coach is not important should study the Wille Hernandez

career as a new coach helped him drastically improve his game and he lead the Tigers to the world championship

Larry Bowa was a good clubhouse veteran

pastcubs — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:02:38 +0000

Larry Bowa hit very few home runs. By the time the Cubs aquired him his best fielding days were over. He was a good older player to have for youngsters like Ryne Sandberg and others. It is no accident that they came together to the Chicago Cubs. A future manager which larry Bowa became is very important to have on a team. Sometimes one manager and a few coaches are not enough to go around for every player. Larry Bowa has gone on to mange for several teams and that shows the respect he has garnered around the league all these years.

Ferguson Jenkins an all time great and best Cub pitcher in history

pastcubs — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:27:37 +0000

Fergie did something I don’t think we will ever see another Cub pitcher do. He won twenty games six times in a Chicago Cub uniform and that feat will be hard to match. Pitchers pitched more games and innings back then and it will be impossible for any pitcher now days to make as many appearences. That is besides the point because if pitchers could pitch as much I don’t see any ever matching the production jenkins provided for the Cubs. I got to see him at the tailend of his career and he was still throwing hard. He must of been such a tremondous force for the Cubs for all thse years. I am glad the Chicago Cubs did not do their usual blunder and let him get away likr they have allowed so many great players to escape. When he did leave his best years were well behind him.

Dennis Eckersly could of done so much more in Cubbie blue

pastcubs — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:36:13 +0000

Its sad to see all these missed opportunities the Chicago Cubs saw over the years in the bullpen. They missed a good chance to do what the Oakland A’s got from Dennis Eckersly. They reinvented him into a hall of fame relief pitcher when it appeared his starting days were over. The ECK did a good job for a couple of years as a starter and helped us win that division. It was a pretty even trade for Bill Buckner, but what we got in return for Dennis was a shame especially considering what a difference maker he was for all those championship years he had with the Oakland Athletics

Bill Buckner was a great Cub hitter

pastcubs — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:52:58 +0000

Like I said before Ron Cey and Bil Buckner played spareingly together. They could of been the best third to first infield combinations baseball has ever seen. However, the Cubs had just traded Bruce Sutter tothe St louis cardinals for Leon Durham and he was having trouble adjust to the outfield. he would soon take over first base and the Cubs would send Buckner to Boston for Dennis Eckersly. Buckner would be famous for letting a grounbdball go through his mit in the world series a couple of years later losing the Series, whereass for Eckersly is a whole big another story in my next column of past cubs…

Ron Cey was mostly a dodger but a former past Cub hero as well

pastcubs — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:41:11 +0000

Harry Karry called him the penguin and Ron Cey sure walk and ran like one. He supplied some pop and was winding down his career with the Cubs in 1984. He was a key piece of veteran leadership that helped the Cubs get into the playoffs that year. I loved seeing him take grounders and throwing it to fellow mustached playong Bill Buckner at first base. That infield combination did not last long as Buckner was dealt quickly after Ron Ceys arrival. See my next post about Bill Buck. Anyway Ron Cey had World Series experience and almost brought his same luck to the north side of Chicago