Let's Dance

Time to get your hair "set", ladies. Tomorrow's the "big day" that we've been waiting for since June 16th. The rain-postponed finale to the 2009 edition of the Crosstown Classic is set to pop at 1:20pm locally within the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. I, for one, can't... wait?

On June 16th, when this game was supposed to be played, the Cubs were out of first place in the NL Central by 4.5 games. The Sox were 3 back of the Tigers. I wish that were still the case, because it would place some semblance of meaning upon this game, other than the typical chest-beating and "pride" issues that seem to fester deep within the populace (thank you, ESPN). As it stands, however, the living dead that make up Chicago baseball stand a collective 17.5 games out of first. That's right, I just made up a "united, we suck" stat. Bill James, eat your little heart out.

This year was a new experience for me with regards to the whole Cubs/Sox thing. For the first time, I can actually say that I was over it. Sure, watching the Sox beat the Cubs makes me happy, happier than most victories- but I'm not finding much enjoyment in spewing Cubs hatred anymore. That's because, when you get to the bottom of it, you're dealing with two mediocre clubs who aren't going to do a damn thing in October*... other than fish or golf. Interleague games tend to have zero bearing on much of anything, so what incentive am I given to actually care about the outcome? If the Sox swept the Cubs this year in Interleague play, would they suck any less? All that matters is World Series rings.

One aspect of the Crosstown rivalry which I will always enjoy watching is the dynamic of AJ Pierzynski versus Cubs fans. Lots of booing, jeering, and *actual* hatred flies out of the seats towards AJ... and he just thrives on it. One reason that I like AJ Pierzynski is because sometimes, it's really fun to get behind the bad guy. And, for the record, Michael Barrett is still a chump for that sucker punch, and I'm glad that Zambrano dotted both his eyes, tossed his bitch ass face-first into a locker, and knocked him unconscious... after which Barrett was admitted to Northwestern Hospital to undergo CAT scans to ensure that he hadn't sustained any permanent brain damage from the beatdown. he's a nice young man who should do very well for himself in a new playing environment. Nothing to see here. Keep it moving, people!

The Sox come into the makeup game after a miserable road trip in which they went 2-8. In the last month, the Sox have been dead last in batting average (.239 as a team). The Pittsburgh Pirates are the only other team in the Majors with a problem of that magnitude; they're actually tied point-for-point with the Sox in their pathetic output. To be honest, however, both the Sox and Cubs have spent the last month playing like shit... the Cubs just seem to be playing slightly less like shit than their friends down 90/94 have been.

And hey- pitching fun! It's Ryan Dempster (4.15 ERA 149.2 IP) vs. (gulp) Carlos Torres (6.75 ERA 9.1 IP)!

Predictions: Since negative scoring does not exist in baseball, I'm unable to predict an outcome for tomorrow. I predict that fans of both teams will, at multiple points in the game, want to hang themselves. In short, the game should ideally serve as a microcosm of one of the more frustrating Chicago baseball seasons in recent memory. Probably something like 3-1, flip a coin for the winner. I don't even care anymore.

* - If there were an all-Chicago World Series, I would find myself flipping squad cars and smashing out store windows up and down the Magnificent Mile with the rest of you pagans.

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Oh yeah, I forgot my game summary of the dramatic 9th inning win over the Twins today:

Sox - 4 Twins - 2

We actually got to Joe Nathan, and we actually won in the Metrodome in Twins-like fashion.

Too little, too late.

Goodnight room, goodnight moon, goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight light and the red balloon. Goodnight bears, goodnight chairs, goodnight kittens, and goodnight mittens. Goodnight clocks and goodnight socks, goodnight strange multipurpose stadium.