The Cubbies Remain Cursed
The Billy Goat curse struck again.
This time it nipped Cubs pitching ace Ryan Dempster on the foot. He broke the big toe on his right foot while trying to jump onto the field to celebrate Sunday night’s victory over Milwaukee.
He failed to negotiate the railing in front of the dugout. The resulting injury could sideline him for a month.
“I was coming out of the dugout and stepping over the top of the railing there. I was sitting up on the ledge, and I caught my left foot on the rail as I was coming over. It just spun me around and slammed me into the ground,” Dempster told the Chicago Tribune. “When I did it, I thought I just ripped my nail back on my foot.
“Unfortunately, the result wasn’t very funny. If you ask Derrek Lee, he thought it was pretty funny because the first person I saw when I looked up was D-Lee, and he was laughing. I’m sure it looked hysterical from his angle.”
Ah, nobody in the clubhouse is laughing now.
“We were healthy for a day,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said: “Actually, Dempster is sick about this, and so am I. It’s something you never expect to happen. Just a freak thing.”
On the bright side, Dempster will have time to polish up his Harry Caray impersonation.
This is just one more weird injury for a franchise known for habitual misfortune. Earlier this year, even the dugout Gatorade dispenser went down. Various angry Cubs beat it into submission.
The dispenser was forced into permanent retirement.
On another front, the sale of the franchise remains muddled. This is turning into a most frustrating summer on the North Side of Chicago.
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while the Cards eagerly await Mark DeRosa’s return from the disabled list:
- Has Rick Ankiel broken down at the plate the same way he broke down on the mound?
- With Joe Sakic calling it quits and Ryan Smyth traded to Los Angeles, should we pencil the once-mighty Avalanche in for dead last in the Western Conference again?
- Is the Michael Phelps comeback proving that society no longer shuns marijuana users?
- Who knew former Cardinal Brett Tomko would become a real artist with the Yankees?
- Is social anxiety disorder a relatively new affliction? Or is it just another way of saying that somebody stinks?
NOT EVERY ALL-STAR IS AN ACTUAL STAR
Tipsheet likes the ‘09 group coming to St. Louis, but the Midsummer Classic has showcased its fair share of slugs. This list explores the topic.
QUIPS ‘R US
Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “Manny Ramirez has returned from his 50-game suspension. Geez, I know it’s a big deal for the Dodgers and all. But a nationwide fireworks celebration?”
Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “A party of six Celtics - including the president, coach and the three star players - flew to Detroit to spend three hours begging Rasheed Wallace to sign. I hear ‘Sheed was so moved that he took off his stereo headphones for a few minutes.”
David Whitley, FanHouse: “A woman driver’s place is in the kitchen of the RV. Except for Danica Patrick, who is allowed to appear silhouetted on the mudflaps of my pickup truck. If you agree, you should hope Patrick joins NASCAR next season. If you disagree, you should hope Patrick joins NASCAR next season. If you saw 59,000 empty seats at Daytona International Speedway last week, you know why. NASCAR needs a turbo boost, and nobody has turbos like Patrick. Her mere presence arouses a passion no other sports figure can touch.
Jemele Hill, ESPN.com: “During the past 48 hours, we’ve discovered there was a lot more to Steve McNair than we thought. Most of us had one perception of McNair. He was the football warrior who led with brilliant dignity and possessed a threshold for pain that 99 percent of human beings just don’t have. But in the wake of his tragic murder in a downtown Nashville, Tenn., condo, police there are unraveling a different McNair, one who has left his fans to ponder how well they really knew him.”
Jason Whitlock, FoxSports.com: “Steve McNair was flawed in the same way as most American men. Too many men think financial success is their primary and most important contribution to a relationship with their kids, wives and/or girlfriends. A grown woman has the right to settle for that. Children shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than their father’s very best effort.”
MEGAPHONE
“Everybody in here is calling B.S. on it. And it could be. Those two years could fly by and I could say I’m not ready to retire. But today? I don’t see myself playing past this contract.”
White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle, telling Yahoo! Sports he may retire in two years at the age of 32.
Huge win for the Birdnals last night!! We pujolsed the brew crew! (’Pujolsed’ should be a commonly used word, I think) Wain-o looks in top for these past few outings. Was that a Ryan Ludwick sighting?
2 game lead over the Brewers and 3 over the Chubbies… lets get another one tonight!
Pujols.
Who knew Brett Tomko was still in the league? God he was awful for us!
Social anxiety disorder sounds bogus, but when Greene hit those homers on his very brief return to the lineup, I concluded that it is real. The man obviously has talent, but for his mental condition. So humor is not really appropriate here (tempting though it might be).
I, for one, am so sick of the Dunkiel circus act… two for the price of one. Glad the team is winning and the Cardinals are in first place but these two are still hurting us. Sure they are great guys, but we are trying to win ballgames, right? Brainkiel needs to find his stroke in the minors, not at this level, and Crankless Chris just needs to stay in the minors where he belongs. Nice to see Ludwick coming around now that someone knocked some sense into him… that being said, $5 says we will see the future star of the Ninja Turtles comeback tour in left field tonight. Hell, maybe it’s time to give Ludwig and Rasmus a night off so they don’t get too hot, especially if their splits don’t match up right against Suppan. Arrrghhh!
Nobody has rooted harder for Ank to succeed than me. I love a comeback. But it looks to me like he has quit at the plate. I know he is better than that, although his track record is not that long. He has been a sucker for high pitches in the past, but now he swings at anything. Bringing him back with no monor league re-hab was a mistake. I said it then, and it is obvious now. Same with Luddy, although he seems to be fighting out of it–but he has a hitter longer, too. As I recall, Ank is out of options, so he would actually have to get hurt to send him down. Is that correct?
Didn’t Buehrle want to play for the Cardinals? That could be another pitcher comeback story for the Birds.
social anxiety disorder is definitely real, it’s especially tough for guys since we are trained not to admit to something like that or let it effect you. I can only imagine how tough it is on a pro athlete. I wonder if that’s something he’ll ever beat. Even Grienke is coming back to Earth a bit…”but if somebody on the Cards had to have it, why couldn’t it be Duncan, he sniffed”
…nice! just when I’ve been saying we haven’t had a worse 3rd starter than Wellemeyer this decade, here comes a Brett Tomko reference to squash that thought. Seriously, I hope he’s turning the corner…
…Dempster out a month as the Cubs are making a push - thank you Mr. Billy Goat!
…so Danica Patrick’s “mere presence arouses a passion no other sports figure can touch?” I realize she’s a polarizing NASCAR figure, but that guy needs to be drug tested for that statement. I haven’t heard anything that stupid since the last time Josh “I’m Sloshed” posted
That Jason Whitlock quote couldn’t be more true. It makes me think of Marshall Faulk. People say, “Who cares if he has so many children by different women, he can afford it.” Money is only a small part of the equation of raising kids properly, time is the greatest part of the equation.
I feel bad for Ankiel, I wonder if he can still pitch. I’m serious! This may be his last year in the majors - I hope I’m wrong but if he doesn’t get better, that’s his destiny.
Gordo,
How crass and insensitive of you to belittle social anxiety disorder. Did you read any of the comments made on the story to which you link? You do not even have 20-20 hindsight. Perhaps you are just plain anti-social? To think I wrote something nice about you being a responsible reporter earlier this morning on mlb.com. My bad. Who edits (or forgets to edit) for this newspaper? Their bad. Write an apology now.
Agree with all those who thought the Social Anxiety Disorder link was in extremely bad taste.
It’s easy for all of us who sit on this side of the playing field to criticize players for the shortcomings. Especially when it comes to something as tricky as a “mental issue.”
Remember 40 years ago they were still experimenting with electric shock treatment, trying to “reboot” the brain and “shock it” out of depression etc.
To play any sport at the pro level requires an tremendous amount of mental fortitude and concentration. For some, Khalil Greene et all, something chemical happens in the brain and it creates a perceived threat. This threat turns into anxiety….just the thought of the threat (the crowd, the pressure to perform, etc.) causes relapses.
I feel bad for him. He seems like a good guy. And as others have postes –20/20–he has the talent.
And Jeff Gordon, you are turing into the Jerry Springer of sports bloggers. Just like the punk who posted that article. I guess he’s one of the million monkeys banging away on the typewriter hoping to produce Shakespeare. So far, I’d say he’s still playing with his own crap.