Chicago Cubs Baseball

So the Chicago Cubs are a bunch of whiners, huh? Well, at least that’s the opinion of Chicago Cub baseball from Houston Chronicle blogumnist Brian McTaggart. He also called the Cubs losers, but most of Cubdom has already acknowledged and accepted that fact.

McTaggart’s assertion stems from the Houston-Milwaukee series, where his homeboy Astros opted to toss three rookies against the Central Division contending Brewers. Some Cub players questioned the moves although Astro management cleared its decision with the office of baseball commissioner Bud Selig (former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers) and Chicago Cub GM Jim Hendry.

“I can’t say I haven’t looked and seen a guy named Paulino throwing [Tuesday] and not known who he was,” Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa said. ”That’s no knock on him. It’s just when you see (Roy) Oswalt’s name pop up, it gives you a little different feeling inside.”

It should be noted that Oswalt was with his wife for the birth of their child. Scheduled starter Woody Williams simply opted out of his start in favor of the rookie.

While the Brewers were facing baseball’s nearly anonymous Matt Albers, Felipe Paulino and Juan Gutierrez, the Cubs took on the Cincinnati rotation that included Bronson Arroyo, potential Cy Young candidate Aaron Harang and 30-year-old rookie Tom Shearn.

And let’s not forget in Monday’s 6-5 Cub win, interim Reds’ manager Pete Mackanin brought in a fifth infielder in an attempt to thwart Chicago’s rally.

If there’s any question whether Houston did the right thing or not, ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball analysts Orel Hershiser and Steve Phillips answered the question when posed by play-by-play man Dan Shulman. Both Hershiser and Phillips agreed, to paraphrase, that it’s an unwritten rule of baseball that a team plays its best players against the contenders and uses its youngsters against the rest.

I think at this point it’s important to point out to McTaggart that a difference exists between whining and a healthy skepticism. I know the two can be easily confused, but 99 years of baseball frustration has earned Cubdom that much.

There’s no question Chicago Cubs baseball 2007 has its share of characters. But whiners?

The Cubs have had their brawlers (Michael Barrett, Derek Lee), their frustrated (Jacque Jones, Matt Murton) and their confused (Will Ohman). Heck, the Cubs even have muy loco himself, Carlos Zambrano, who redefines schizophrenia with each passing press conference.

Plus, name calling from a city who gave America Enron and our 43rd President? Puh-leezeee.

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