Bob Kruchten

If you watch the pre-game show for the Cubs-Yankees game on ESPN on Sunday, you'll see my friend Bob Kruchten, along with his father and his son. ESPN contacted me a few weeks ago and asked me if I knew anyone that was a three-generation Cubs family.



My family doesn't qualify (dad didn't care about baseball), but I knew Bob would be perfect, so I recommended him. They interviewed him, and he'll be part of that show. I featured Bob on Just One Bad Century a few years ago telling some of his Cubs stories...

37,500

I just happened to look at the "Count Up Clock" at Just One Bad Century this morning (which is continually ticking), and noticed that we've reached a bit of a milestone today.



Today is the 37,500th day since the Cubs won the World Series.



Thought you'd like to know.

Cubs players address the goat

Yesterday before the game Cubs veterans handed out shirts to their teammates that said "F*** the Goat." It's their way of confronting the ridiculous "curse."



In one way I applaud them for this. But I would be remiss if I didn't point out that it's kind of pointless to address it this season. The curse hasn't even come up because the Cubs haven't even won three games in a row all year.

In Defense of the Cubs Fan

Dave Wischnowsky writes a nice defense of the Cubs fan at the CBS-2 website.



Dave and I share a pet peeve--people who blame Cubs fans for the losing. It's a preposterous and easily disprovable theory that should be put out to pasture for good.



Do some research into the years 1946-1966. The Cubs had twenty consecutive losing seasons despite the fans staying away. It didn't help, and do you know why? Because it's not the fault of the fans. That's why.



I hear this ridiculous "it's the fans fault" argument all the time from White Sox fans and sports talk radio. They point to the White Sox fans as some sort of model for creating a championship. They stayed away, and behold! The White Sox won it all in 2005. Yes they did. After 87 years.



By that logic, let's look at the Red Sox fans. They kept going to the ballpark despite never winning it, and behold! The Red Sox won it after 86 years! That proves that the fans have to keep coming, doesn't it?



Of course not. It's a stupid argument.



It's the fault of the people that put the teams together. Period.



Blaming the fans is like blaming the caregiver for the illness of their patient. The patient was ill before the caregiver even met them. The caregivers are doing the best they can with the situation. The caregivers feel their pain, wish it would go away, and wish they could do something about it.



But they can't.



And you simply can't blame them for that.

The JOBC Contest

Time for this week's JOBC Contest.



The first person that e-mails me the correct answer at rick@justonebadcentury.com will win a commemorative Greg Maddux 3000th strikeout scorecard and a t-shirt from the Just One Bad Century catalog.



Here's the question: On this day in 1984 the Cubs acquired Rick Sutcliffe from the Cleveland Indians (along with Ron Hassey & George Frazier). Name two of the three players the Cubs gave up to get him.

UPDATE: We have a winner! Joe Cleaver was the first one to e-mail me the correct answer. He knew that the Cubs traded Joe Carter, Mel Hall & Don Schulze to get Sutcliffe.



Lots of people entered this week. Thanks for trying. We'll have another contest next Monday.

This week in 1908, 1945

Every weekend JOBC goes back in time to the last year the Cubs won the World Series.



This week in 1908, the Republican convention comes to Chicago and nominates William Howard Taft, while the Cubs play a weekend series at the Polo Grounds in front of record crowds.



This week in 1945, a commission led by Manhattan Project scientists warn President Truman not to use a nuclear bomb against Japan, and the Cubs win 5 out of 6 against the Reds and Cardinals.

Another interesting Cubs draftee

One of the players the Cubs chose in the draft this week is Garrett Schlecht.



The kid is from downstate Illinois (cough, Cardinals fan) and has a scholarship offer to play college ball at Middle Tennessee State, but that's not what caught my attention.



I speak German, and I'd like to provide a translation of what his last name "Schlecht" means in German. Are you ready for this...it means "bad."



That is so Cubs.



(No offense, kid. I'm sure you're a good player. I just had to point that out.)

Shawon Dunston's son

The Cubs not only drafted Wayne Gretzky's son, they also drafted Shawon Dunston's son. (Full story is here)



I wonder if this is the boy he was trying to pull out of the baby seat when he hurt his back during his Cubs career. (That's a true story--Dunston was once sent to the DL after straining his back messing with a kid's baby seat)

Uh oh, Gracey

One website you never want to be featured on is TMZ.



Mark Grace is there this morning. He was busted for a DUI.

Ralph Kiner

Today's Tale from a Bad Century is about the Cubs career of the legendary Ralph Kiner.



You can read all about him here.

Gretzky's Son

This is one of the more interesting draft choices the Cubs selected in the draft this week. They chose Wayne Gretzky's son Trevor, a high school catcher-first baseman.



His story is here.



(Photo: Getty Images)

The logo says it all

Get yours here.

Losing Streaks

If this Cubs eight game losing streak feels familiar, there's a good reason why. It's the eighth time in the last twenty years that they've lost eight in a row (1992, 1996, 2000, 2001, twice in 2005, 2006, and 2009).



This is nothing. Their record is 14 games. The MLB record is 19.



I think this Cubs team has what it takes to be truly historic. C'mon boys! Let's go out and there and make history. It shouldn't be too hard. Every team you play is better than you are.

Draft Day

Yesterday was draft day for MLB, and the Cubs had a pretty good draft slot (#9 overall). Going into the draft I figured that they had so many needs they couldn't possibly make a bad pick at that slot. Just pick the best player available, as long as it's not a shortstop--because Starlin Castro is only 21.



They picked a shortstop.



I'm really starting to believe that the Cubs are the subject of longest and most successful "Candid Camera" show in history. Are the rest of you watching this on a secret channel that Cubs fans are blocked from seeing? I bet it's hilarious.

The JOBC Contest

Time for this week's JOBC Contest.



The first person that e-mails me the correct answer at rick@justonebadcentury.com will win a commemorative Greg Maddux 3000th strikeout scorecard, an autographed copy of the excellent baseball novel "The Pitch" (by Hank Owens), plus a t-shirt from the Just One Bad Century catalog.



Here's the question: Baseball's Amateur Draft was held on this day in 2006. Among the players chosen in the first round that year were Tim Lincecum, Evan Longoria, and Clayton Kershaw. Who did the Cubs pick?

UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER! Al Vance was the first to e-mail me that Tyler Colvin was the player the Cubs chose in the first round of the 2006 Amateur Draft.



Colvin's current stats this year: 77 at bats, 4 runs, 7 hits, 2 homers, 8 RBI, and a batting average of .091.

Four Words

DON'T



PITCH



TO



PUJOLS

This week in 1908, 1945

Every weekend at JOBC we close our eyes tight, pretend the present isn`t as painful as it is, and go back in time to the last year the Cubs won the pennant and the World Series.



This week in 1908, the city of Chicago decides to change it's street numbering system (to the way it is today), and Mordecai Brown throws a one-hitter.



This week in 1945, the Allies capture Nazi loot and criminals, Marilyn Monroe turns 19, and the Cubs paint their reddish-brown scoreboard green--which it remains to to this day.

Holtzman's No-No

On this day, exactly 40 years ago, Ken Holtzman pitched his second no-hitter for the Cubs. He did it in Cincinnati in front of just over 11,000 fans.



In the Reds lineup that day; Hal McRae, Tommy Helms, Lee May, Johnny Bench, George Foster, Tony Perez, and Dave Concepcion. Not too shabby.



The Cubs scored an unearned run in the top of the third, and it was Holtzman himself that scored it. He reached base on an error by Tony Perez and scored on a Glenn Beckert single.



Holtzman struck out six, including Johnny Bench (once), George Foster (once), and Dave Concepcion (twice). He also struck out Tommy Helms and Lee May for the last two outs of the game.



That big win brought the Cubs three games under .500, and 8 1/2 games behind the first place Cardinals. The Pirates would eventually win the division and the World Series that year.

The Cubs finances

Are the Cubs having financial troubles?



According to baseball's debt rules, yes they are.



Great. Just great.

Sights & Sounds

This week's Sights & Sounds at JOBC features video of Bill Veeck at Wrigley Field, and audio of a Landecker & The Legends song called "Baseball's Striking Again" (about the 1994/1995 baseball strike)



Watch and listen here.