Z Power!!!

It may not have been the greatest moment in Cubs history, but it was certainly the greatest Cubs moment I've ever witnessed. Carole and I were watching the White Sox-Tigers game on ESPN (a pretty great one as well, with the Sox blowing a 7-0 lead in the 7th inning, then coming back to win it with DeWayne Wise's pinch-hit grand slam in the 8th), and kept hoping they would cut away to the Cubs-Astros game in Milwaukee. They finally did for the final inning of Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter, and we hung on every pitch until Z got Darin Erstad to swing and miss on a low-and-outside pitch to seal the deal. I involuntarily let out a Tarzan yell; Carole had tears in her eyes; it was fucking beautiful.

Even with my newfound respect for Ryan Dempster (who really has the perfect name for a Chicago pitcher, and has had a dynamite season) there's no Cubs pitcher I would have rather seen make history than Big Z. I've loved him since his rookie year, when Dusty Baker (boo! hiss!) would have to come out onto the field to assure the home plate umpire that Zambrano wasn't yelling at him — he just yells at himself, because, well, he's completely nuts. But insanity aside, Big Z has been the true face and leader of this team for the past five year; and if any Cub deserves to have such a glorious moment in the spotlight, it's him. Sure, he may not have cool sideburns like MIlt Pappas, the last Cub pitcher to throw a no-no (back in 1972, against the woeful Padres), but he's still my favorite Cub.

And while I don't hate or fear the Brewers like I do the Cards or Astros, I can't help but think that this has got to have been the most demoralizing day imaginable for them. A Cubs pitcher throws a no-hitter in their park, as they lose an away double-header to Philadelphia that drops them into a dead heat for the wild card with the Phillies; meanwhile, the combination of Cubs win and two Brew Crew losses reduces the Cubs' magic number to 7. Unless the Cubs players also defiled the Sausage Race costumes, I can't imagine how they could've stuck the knife in deeper. 

In case you missed it, here's a YouTube clip of the last six minutes of the game, with Pat Hughes and Ron Santo providing the call. I am thankful that Santo didn't die of a fucking heart attack.

Comments

[Stu]

This was indeed a totally thrilling moment. I watched the last Cubs no-hitter (the Pappas one) as a 9-year-old and I was as excited last night as I was back then.

[Chris Perry]

Tears? You guys need a World Series victory...BAD!

[Craig Rosen]

Hey Dan,

Thought you might be interested in this...

http://fuelfriends.blogspot.com/2008/09/someday-eddie-vedder-and-cubs-will-go.html.

[Dan E]

Thanks, Craig, but I fuckin' HATE Eddie Vedder, and the prospect of him glomming on to the Cubs' potential World Series championship sickens me like the image of Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore making out on the field while the Red Sox celebrated their '04 win sickened millions of Boston fans. Dude's probably a closet Padres fan, anyway.

[Craig Rosen]

Ha! Pads or Cubs, either way poor Eddie is long suffering. Probably his tortured vocal stylings.