STFU Paul Bako

It's been a long time since I handed out the coveted STFU Award, so you know Paul Bako done messed up by opening his mouth.

For some odd reason, Bako still wants to talk about the 2003 National League Championship Series.

From the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald:

"We were so close we could taste it ... Things didn't work out."

No sh*t, Bako. You and your .229 regular season batting average and .311 on-base percentage didn't help much, either. Neither did you .607 OPS in that fateful NLCS.

"Personally, I don't think we blew that. I think the Marlins showed that they were the better team and they rolled through the next round (beating the Yankees in the World Series). They beat us fair and square."

I guess Paul didn't realize that the Fighting Fish overcame a 3-1 deficit to take the LCS.

Not only that, they had to beat the National League's two best pitchers at the time (Mark Prior and Kerry Wood) on the road to do so. Maybe Bako doesn't remember the Marlins pulling off back-to-back come-from-behind wins in Game 6 and again in Game 7.

Maybe all of that does not constitute "blowing it" to him, but it does to me ... and probably every other Cubs fan with a pulse who saw that series.

Speaking of things that blow, maybe I'm the only person bothered by the fact that Bako received $725,000 for a non-guaranteed roster spot as it is quite possible the suckfest that is Koyie Hill could beat him out.

I guess Jim Hendry does not know the nation is in some sort of recession. Maybe President Obama included the Cubs in the stimulus package.