Chicago Cubs

I’m obsessed with baseball. I mean, really obsessed.

If I didn’t have a girlfriend, I would still be living in my mother’s house collecting baseball cards, playing fantasy baseball, and Tivo’ing every game I could. It’s really good that Katlyn’s here to keep that in check.

Trust me, I know I’m a weirdo. And I’m okay with it.

The Chicago Cubs completed a three game sweep of the San Diego Padres on Thursday, as their bats came alive in a 11-3 drubbing of the Fathers. Ryan Dempster pitched well, and hit well too. He allowed two runs and three hits over seven innings and got his first and second hits of the season.

In fact, there were several big hits in the game. Bobby Scales, who continues to write a good story, drove in four runs with two ringing doubles, his first coming in a five-run fifth, following Reed Johnson's two-run double off the wall.

Filed:May 12th, 2009

Rich Harden delivers a pitch against the Padres Tuesday (Cubbie Nation/file)

Click here for the photo gallery of Tuesday's game.

He came. He pitched. He lost.

I am sorry.

I wanted to come to this community as soon as I found out the news was going to be released to let my fans and respected colleagues know some tough circumstances I am dealing with now.

I, Tab Bamford, have cheated Bleacher Report by using performance-enhancing substances.

While the Bleacher Report community might not have any rules that lead to a suspension or loss of writing privileges, I thought it was the right thing to do to come clean now, before this becomes a bigger deal.

Being only 20 years old, I was all of one in 1989 when the Cubs made the playoffs, so for me 1998 was my first taste of postseason baseball as a Cubs fan.

The 1998 season was quite a season for the North Siders, and it all culminated in a one game playoff with the San Francisco Giants.

As I watched Steve Trachsel pitch the game of his life and saw the Cubs punch their ticket to the playoffs, it was then that I knew I would be a Cubs fan for the rest of my life.

So here is a look back at what I'm sure will be fond memories to the first Cubs playoff team of my generation.

Late last week, the Cubs traded speedy-yet-worthless urban legend Joey Gathright to the Baltimore Orioles for Ryan Freel, a player most Cubs fans would have loved to have seen at Wrigley Field four years ago.

Freel, who stands 5'9" and is 33 years old, is a versatile player who can play most infield and outfield positions.

Aaron Miles, whom the Cubs gave a two-year contract in January, stands 5'8", is 32 years old and is a versatile player who can play most infield and outfield positions.

By picking him in the third round of the 2003 draft, the Cubs seemed to have high hopes for University of Michigan product, Jake Fox.

Yet here we are six years later, and he has played in a grand total of seven games and tallied 14 at-bats for the big league club. So what went wrong?

Don't expect any walk-off home runs from Aramis Ramirez anytime soon.  The Cubs' star third basemen will be out until at least mid June after suffering a dislocated shoulder in Friday night's 3-2 loss to the Brewers. 

The Cubs have suffered numerous injuries this season but this one really hurts.  Despite this latest injury the Cubs will have to move forward.