Monday, March 31, 2008

Play Ball!


The Lineup. At first glance it looks like Murder Inc. But after careful review, Pie looks out of place at 8. They will pitch around him to get to the pitcher, but the pitcher today is Big Z- and he can't be pitched around. He is the best hitting pitcher in the league. Ideally Soto should be 8th to protect Pie at 7th.

1.Theriot SS
2.Soriano LF
3.Lee 1B
4.Ramirez 3B
5.Fukedome RF
6.DeRosa 2B
7.Soto C
8.Pie CF
9.Zambrano P


Hopefully no rainout today- a win over Sheets would be great to start the season.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Cub Nation 2008


They're all back and then some; Sweet Lou, D-lee, Fonzie, the Contagion, Delarosa, Aramis, the Italian, Zambri and Woody. This is the year of the 100th anniversary and the team hasn't looked better in years. A few of Lou's mistakes are gone and several upgrades have arrived.

First the Pitching;
1. Zambrano- the horse
2. Lilly- wiley lefty
3. Hill-quickly maturing
4. Dempster- big ?
5. Marquis-must maintian strong start

Middle relief goes to John Lieber. Good choice by Lou to go with experience in Lieber to get us through 5-7. Then comes murderers row- Howry, Marmol, and Wood. If these three stay healthy all leads will be maintained through sheer intimidation. Forget the fact that we don't even have a lefty, Woody hasn't served up a hit all spring!

Even with the doubt I have in Dempster, this is easily the best pitching staff in the NL. The division is weaker with the execption of the Reds. I am calling for the Cubs to win 90 games and the division.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Black Sox faction

So, rite after writing how the Sox are rocking the clocks of teams left and rite this spring training, here comes the other side of the team. In two split squad games on Friday, the Sox were out scored 22-1 and collected seven hits over 18 innings of total baseball. Out scored?? More like pounded out of existence.

Sheesh!!!


Ah, but what of the pitching?? Javier Vasquez gave up five earned runs in 1/3d of an inning, and Nick Masset 3 in 4 innings. Of the ten pitchers used, these two and Octavio Dotel seem to be the only ones who will make the team. However, it kinda sucks to see Lance Broadway give up 5 in 2 innings- an indication of how weak the starting staff is past the top Mark Beurlhe and Vasquez.


They now fall to 5-7, and the bright spot can only be said that the five wins are half way to last years 10.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

They're Baack!


According to "Inside Sport" Evander Holyfield, 45, will potentially fight Mike Tyson, 41 for the 3rd time.

Hoyfield said that last week Jeff Fenech, on behalf of Tyson, contacted him to inquire if he was interested in doing it for the 3rd time. Following Hoyfield's disclosure, criticism came from all corners of the sport. But in reality, the heavyweight division is so weak and boring, I beieve it would sell well.

Tyson obviously needs the money, and Holyfield needs more brain damage. Perhaps this is just what boxing needs in order to fully realize that it is on the ropes.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Wrigley Gum Corporation Field

Although the Iowa unwashed are messing the backs of their overalls about the possibility of The Wrigley Gum Corporation Field being renamed after....... uh...... well........ a corporation, the Official Paper of the Cubs (todays space could be declared a tie - Sox got extra column space --due to two games played - the Cubs, as has been the usual all spring -got the front sports page. And the front Tempo page. What- don't believe me? Try reading the Trib. It really seems to be getting worse - maybe they still haven't corrected the balance when the Trib was forced to follow the Sox in '05) had an article from their excellent architecture critic Blair Kamin on the true dangers of this situation. A far more important issue is @ stake than the feelings of the tourists from Iowa - namely that if Zell or whoever gets the city to change landmark status on Wrigley, fucks like him mite use this example to run amok on the rest of the cities landmark buildings and districts.


Yes, I always love taking the piss out of Cub fans, but Wrigley without a doubt must be protected. It's one of three -oops, just about two now - remaining old buildings that fans can hoist up the sign "Babe Ruth played here" as they did @ Old Comiskey's last game that sad September day in 1990. Like Fenway and Yankee's, it's nice to sit in the stands and think about all the old players - and all the old fans who were here before. Although never as homey as the Sox's old home - remember Harry's peonna(sic) to Comiskey "Ah ya can't beat fun @ the Old Ballpark"-it's a great place to take in a game -as long as one can get past the yikky yokals. Chicago has lost too many sporting treasures to let anyone mess with Wrigley.


Now they have 'messed' with Wrigley before. The bleachers , for example- no, not adding 2000 seats several years back, but the entire structure itself. The upper deck and the scoreboard are also not original. And it was future Sox owner Bill Veeck who planted the ivy. But to-gether, it works well. By the twin fortunes of its surviving baseballs- and societies @ large- 'tear down era' and that neighbourhood turning from a shitty area to unwashed uppy central (ick!! -I am old enough to rememebr when that neighbourhood actually was a real cool city area instead of what you got now -what, would you hang out there? Really: Where? The Cubby Bear?? Or that place across the street from it? Hey guys - Let's get a drink @ THE CUBBY BEAR. Even Cabaret Metro rarely has kool shows these days) has allowed Wrigley to become an reminder of the old days of baseball. It should be protected. Remember, Cub fans - lose Wrigley and suddenly the Devil Rays mite suddenly become the choice of those from the hamlets of Iowa.


But the issue is more than the survival of Wrigley and grand old buildings like it are @ the center piece of Kamins article. It's more than sports architecture and rivalries. Shitheads like Mayor Daley, the Tribune Corporation, Zell, Trump, real estate developers - fuck, I'll even drop Robert Moses's name - who only see $$$ when we see garish efidices, horrid condo buildings, parking lots where there used to be class structures, and ripped out neighbourhoods - must be counteracted.


Cub fans - now that you have moved off the farm and into the city, please make as much fuss as you can about respecting the integrety of gum corporation baseball grounds. This city has lost way too much to people who do not care. Although the digg on cub fans is that when @ wrigley they do not pay attention to the game - remember, YOU ARE @ WRIGLEY ITSELF, and if you enjoy that atmosphere, @ least strive to protect it. I know that you get an enormous amount of grief from baseball fans, please fite for this. it's not just wrigley - it's the whole city's integrety @ stake.

Sunday, March 02, 2008

The Black Sox Faction

Just a few games into the 2008 season, but the Sox have played well. Sox fans have been buzzing by the teams play in the first few weeks. Holes abound still, but there's hope in many areas. Two things the team wanted to work on in spring training so far has given everyone reason for optimism. Only spring training, yes ; but that's the point. Lets hope it continues.

Ozzie has made a point that their terrible record in '07's spring = 10-22-1 contributed mightily to their aweful regular season by establishing that air of losing that characterized the whole campaign. They have started out 3-1 to teams that they have had a 3-22-2 record since 2006's spring. Only spring training, yes ; but that's the point. Lets hope it continues.

The other positive is the hitting. Last years team fell apart partly from the pitching (especially the relievers, but the starters sucked as well), but I always felt that it was the horifying hitting that doomed the team. The big boppers all had awful starts - Konerko, Dye, and Thome (injuries contributed), along with the loss of Crede, all had a heavy hand in the losing atmosphere of '07. This spring, in all four games the Sox have had hit totals in the double digits and have been scoring runs. Only spring training, yes ; but that's the point. Lets hope it continues.