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.

Patcheye

Tuesday is Great Nicknames day at Just One Bad Century and this week we feature a man they called "Patcheye."

He was not a Pirate.

Read all about him here.

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.

Joe Garagiola

This week's Cubs Hall of Famer at Just One Bad Century is former Cubs catcher and HOF broadcaster, Joe Garagiola.

Read all about him here.

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. It was the only run of the game.

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.

Greg Jarrett

Some pretty cool behind the scenes stuff with WGN morning man Greg Jarrett as he sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at Wrigley yesterday.

(If you'd like to read my Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Jarrett from last year, click here.)

The Fork

Sorry optimistic Cub fans, I held off the fork as long as I could. Look at it this way...at least we stayed in it until June.

But there's no getting around it. It's time to put a fork in it. This season is done. When you get swept by the worst team in the National League, you are officially the new worst team in the National League.

Enjoy watching the kids play the rest of the year. Maybe there will be hope for the coming seasons. Until then, we once again say..."Wait til next year."

Ladies Day

It was a tradition at Wrigley Field for 60 years. Friday was Ladies Day, and today's Tales from a Bad Century tells all about that great tradition.

You can read it here.

Cubs taking a hit in attendance

Anyone that has tried to sell tickets this year knows about this already, but the press is starting to notice too.

Cubs attendance is way down.

I've already had to turn down tickets to three different games this year. Those tickets normally would have been sold on sites like StubHub, but the people offering me the tickets can't get rid of them, so they offered them to me for free...and I still couldn't go for one reason or another.

When I have gone, I couldn't help but notice the empty seats. The same thing was happening at the end of last year. Look out, Cubs fans, we may have a trend here.

Now let's see if this gets the attention of the owner. For years Cubs fans have been hearing that it's our fault the Cubs don't win because we support them whether they win or not. I always thought that was a load of doo doo because nobody went to the games when I was a kid, and that didn't seem to make a difference either.

I guess we'll find out whether or not it's true...again.

The 1907 World Series

That was a brutal loss for the Cubs last night, and it's becoming obvious that we can once again say that immortal phrase: "Wait til next year." This week's Tale from a Bad Century goes back to a year they didn't need to say that.

Read all about the 1907 World Series.