Cubs Throw 1918 World Series

Well, looks like the Black Sox weren't the only dirty team in Chicago.


http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6396358

Chicago Sports Power Rankings

Our fine city by the Lake has gone through some tough times in the last decade in sports. Without exception, every single team representing the Chi has absolutely stunk at one time or another. The Sox winning it all in 2005 and the Bears' Super Bowl in '06 were high points, but other than that, the mid-2000s were a bit of a struggle for Superfans.

Now that we're in the offseason for the NHL, NBA, and NFL, and in the stretch run for baseball, it's a good time to see which organizations are doing well, and which ones are flailing.

1. Chicago Blackhawks - They just won the Stanley Cup, and have an excellent young group of stars to build around. New management has turned around fanhood with more accessible games on TV, and hey, everyone likes to back a winner. The 'Hawks bandwagon has never been more full.

On the downside, all of the cost-cutting moves this offseason, while necessary, have left something of a bad taste in fan's mouths. Losing Niemi and Byfuglien reminds me of the Sox having to dump Rowand after the World Series. Still, things are looking good for the Blackhawks going forward.

2. Chicago Bulls - Despite losing out on LeBron James and the rest of Miami Thrice, the Bulls have a new coach, lots of fresh blood, and emerging superstars in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

Top to bottom, this might be the best roster in the NBA (at worst, it's still Top 10), and Tom Thibodeau knows what to do with good depth. (DEFEND! PRESS!) Also, the Bulls have made the playoffs the last two seasons in a row, and fan support barely even wavered during the crappy years.

I expect the Bulls to be a fast-breaking, fiercely aggressive team this year, a joy to watch even if they don't get to the Finals.

3. Chicago White Sox - Ozzie Guillen is the best coach in Chicago, and with his seven years' experience, the dean of Windy City coaching. He has his team, once again, in position to battle it out down the stretch with the Twins for the AL Central crown.

Is this a dominant team? No, but quality pitching and steady leadership (not just Oz, but also Buehrle, Don Cooper, Paul Konerko) make being a Sox fan easy these days. Also, US Cellular has the best food in town, ballpark-wise.

4. Chicago Bears - No doubt, this is OUR team, the team that every sports fan in Chicago really cares about. So why No. 4? Well, they were 7-9 last year. Lovie Smith is gone if they don't make the playoffs. Key players, like Brian Urlacher and Olin Kreutz, but including many others, are getting old.

This is a make-or-break year for the Bears. Succeed, and reclaim the top spot in Chicago fan's hearts. Fail, and we know we're in for a rough 2010-2020 at Soldier Field.

5. Chicago Cubs - Yes, it warms the cockles of my evil lil' heart putting the Cubs down here. Seriously though, they are overpaid and terrible, and Lou Pinella is on his way out.

On the bright side, Wrigley still fills up for games, Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin look like they'll be good, and new ownership is willing to spend.

6. Chicago Rush - In case you hadn't heard, they just got eliminated from the playoffs. You hadn't? Oh. Right.

7. Chicago Wolves - I'll be honest. I have no clue how the Wolves did this year, or are doing. But I do know they signed Chelios for a minute there, so that counts for something. And they've always been a decent AHL/IHL team.

8. Chicago Fire - Technically they play in Naperville, so that's Strike One. Also, they have a losing record this season and are scuffling in their international league. Strike Two. I'm not ready to give up on the Fire yet, but with solid soccer teams emerging in LA, New York, and even Salt Lake City, it looks as if the Fire may be stuck in reverse.

9. Chicago Sky - We have a WNBA team? Yes, and they stink.

Did I miss anything? Lacrosse? Rugby?

Happy Fourth of July, Cubs Fans

I just want to take this chance to say: Drew Stubbs is my homeboy.

Cubs vs White Sox Part II with a side of World Cup

Big Day for ACSS fans today. Today will be the conclusion of the ACSS World Cup Pool. Up to 4 people can still win in any given scenarios. That action is at 10:00 and 1:30 CST. Then The Cubs will play on the Southside today as they take on the White Sox at 3:05. So busy day in front of the TV.


LET'S GO WHITE SOX

Cubs and White Sox to play for Crosstown Cup

ESPN Chicago is reporting, starting this year the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox will play for a traveling trophy to be called the crosstown cup. The trophy will be awarded to whichever team wins the season series, or if tied at 3-3 the team that wins the final game.



The cross town cup will join the ranks of the silver boot which is awarded to the winner of the Lone Star Series between the Rangers and the Astros.

I personally kind of like the idea, even though I bet a lot of people out there might find it dumb.

Miller Park 4-23

Most of the box score stuff you guys are more than capable of looking up so I just am going to hit the highlights of the game, and some of my observations.

-The atmosphere reminded me very much of the sox tigers game I went to. I have never felt so much hatred in the air at a Brewers game before.
-It was NOT north wrigley. If I had to guess I would say that only 1/4 of the fans were cubs fans.
-The roof was closed. Outside temp was about 50 with rain.
-Jeff Suppan should quit. He pitched an extrodinarily slow game and officially gave up 5 earned in 4 and a third. I personally think the 6th run should have been earned but w.e.
-Slow game. Even though the score was 8-1 Dempster and Suppan sure take their time. Total game time 3:12.
-In the first inning I got to witness my first replay at a baseball game. I still think the ball cleared the yellow line however prince fielder was awarded a double.
-Either miller park broke their speed gun of their reliever coffey is a madman. In the final inning, in which he gave up two runs, he struck one guy out with apparently a 200 MPH changeup and then got the next batter to ground out to short with an 800 MPH fastball.
-The hotdog won the race beating the churrizo in a photo finish.
-No Zambrano out of the pen, however he did warm up with the pen and was screwing around in the outfield during BP. If I was the manager I would not want him screwing around just in case I do want him to be my ace again sometime soon.
-The cubs infield certainly looks impressive. Looking back on my scorecard I have 2 ! so a fantastic night on defense for them.
-I was greatly disappointed not to be able to witness Trevor "Hells Bells" Hoffman come into the game.
-Apparently the brewers have cheerleaders now.
-Beer and a brat cost 12 even. Both were fantastic.
-Only four security incidents. One a fans cub instigated it. He was thrown against a rail, cuffed and led out by security. The second was instigated by a Brewers fan and he was simply led out. The other two had to do with fans rushing the field.
-Overall, not a terrible game to go to as Miller park is still in my eyes a fantastic place to go see a game.
-I will try and get some pictures and video up soon.
-Go Brewers

Cubs Prospect Watch:

So it’s April 22nd and the Cubs are off to a tremendous start (read – sarcasm). With “The Machine”, AKA Albert Pujols, carrying the Cardinals on his back to a 10-5 start, is it time to look to next year for the Cubs already? Maybe not quite yet – but it is time to call up some young guys to give the ole ball club a shot in the arm.

If I’m Jim Hendry there are three prospects that I would call up TODAY who would have an instant impact in the big leagues (ranked in order of awesomeness):

1) Starlin Castro, SS (Pictured) – (.380 Avg, 3 2bs, 3 3Bs, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 4 SB at AA Tennessee)

If anything, calling up Starlin would make new around the majors. A lot of people would point to this as the Cubs rushing another top prospect to the big leagues, but I say let him give it a try. We know what we are getting with Theriot, why not shift him to 2B and make room for this future all-star? I like Jeff Baker at 2nd…but even more as a pinch hitter.

2) Andrew Cashner, RHP – (17IPs, 2.60 ERA, 25 Ks, 4 BBs at AA Tennessee)

Cashner was drafted to be a closer, and I think he will fulfill that at some point in his career. He has been starting at Tennessee this year but would be immediately become the dominant 8th inning guy the Cubs have lacked so far this year (yea, yea, I know...Zambrano was moved to that role – well, he suuuucks and should be playing the role of 5th starter or cut…)

3) Jay Jackson, RHP – (18IPs, 2.00 ERA, 12Ks, 3 BBs at AAA Iowa)

By all accounts Jackson is one of the Cubs top prospects and I say throw him into the fire. Carlos Silva will not continue to sport a 0.95 ERA this year…With Lilly returning from injury I think the Cubs rotation would look great if it went: Dempster, Lilly, Wells, Jackson, Gorzelanny/Silva.

There are definitely a few more prospects waiting in the wings as well. I have my eyes on:

Tony Campana, OF – (.404, 6 SBs at AA Tennessee)

Hung-Wen Chen, RHP – (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 2 starts at AA Tennessee)

Josh Vitters, 3B – (.250, 6 RBIs at A Daytona)

Brett Jackson, OF – (.315, 11 BBs, at A Daytona)

Alberto Cabrera, RHP – (1-1, 16.1 IPs, 12 Ks, 2 BBs at A Daytona)

Cubs Moving Zambrano to the Bullpen

Carlos Zambrano is moving to the pen to become the most expensive relief pitcher ever. I have to say I really dont get this move, but I guess we will see how this goes. I know many of you are Sox fans but thoughts?

http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/3878

Best Chicago Fight Song! Poll

I haven't posted in awhile but I was listening to the Bears fight song and this got me thinking, "What do other people think is the best fight song in Chicago?" Well let's find out. Rank your favorite fight song in order of 1-5 from best to worse. (Note there has been some discrepancy with my choice for the Bulls [Jamie] so if you can come up with a better song then my choice, let me know.


Chicago Bears





Chicago Blackhawks





Chicago Bulls





Chicago Cubs





Chicago White Sox

World Series of Unfortunate Events

So as I prepare to root on the Cubs for another season, I have hopes they will go far into October. I really hope they can at least keep me onboard until the end of Summer. Derrek Lee hurting himself while eating is not a good start. Yes, it involved a chair collapsing but the NL Central should prove more dangerous this season. It got me thinking back to the other recent "freak" injuries that have plagued the organization.

2009- Ryan Dempster breaking his big toe jumping over the railing. It's ok to celebrate victories but this season try walking up the stairs onto the field.

2008- Alfonso Soriano straining his right calf doing his signature "hop." Alfonso I know it supposedly helps you with your timing but just make sure you land right. Also, be careful when celebrating victories in center field after games. Celebrating can be dangerous, just ask your teammate shown above.

2007- Kerry Wood slipping while getting out of the hot tub. If his arm wasn't enough of a problem for the years leading up to this incident, his stomach and chest took a beating this time. It was an early sign of things to come with Mr. Dempster...Don't climb in/out of things if you are a member of the Cubs and it can be avoided.

2004- Sammy Sosa sneezing in the clubhouse forcing him out of the lineup in San Diego. The sneezes caused his back spasms to flare up so much so he had to grab a CHAIR for support. Sosa is long gone, but we're back to an "event" that involved a chair one way or another. Is there any possibility that the same chair caused havoc on Derrek Lee?

History says the Chicago Cubs are cursed by a goat. That might be true, but maybe it has just been a chair causing the heartache all along.

Sports and Hollywood: Chicago Sports most Famous Fans

While watching Hollywood congratulate themselves last night during the Academy Awards my mind started drifting towards sports, as it usually does. When Demi Moore walked on stage, one of the first things I thought of was her and Ashton Kutcher going to Bears game. This thought then lead me down the path of, who is the most famous fan for each team in Chicago (I’ll throw in IU too, if Ryan wants to add Illinois, Fodor NU etc.)

Chicago White Sox



I’ll start off with the easiest team first. The White Sox most famous fan is the First fan, President Barak Obama. After Bernie Mac died, the void for famous fan was quickly filled by President Obama. On the campaign trail, when asked about Cubs or Sox, he didn’t give a political answer, he gave the typical White Sox answer of, People on the south side watch the game, northsiders go to have a good time. When he threw out the first pitch of the 2009 All-Star game, guess what jersey he was wearing, yup White Sox. Other famous White Sox fans: Simpson Creator Matt Groening

Chicago Cubs

As you all know, I am not a Cubs fan, so I could be way off on this. The Cubs most famous fan is, Bill Murray. Bill Murray regularly attends games, and occasionally watches them from the bleachers. I have him beating out John Cusack because of clips like the SNL debate where Bill Murray asked that candidates how they will prevent the Cubs from losing again. Other famous Cubs fans: Vince Vaughn, Ferris Buehler,




Chicago Bears

I believe Ashton Kutcher is the most famous Bears fan. He can be seen at multiple games a year with Demi. He wears his Bears hat around Hollywood and even to Lakers
games that he attends. I’ve heard him on national Sports shows, where all he will talk about his entire segment is Bears and not about a movie he is trying to pitch. Other famous fans: Demi Moore, but more because of Ashton. Vince Vaughn, Jim Belushi (is that a good thing?)




Chicago Blackhawks




This was a tough one, but in the end I went with Vince Vaughn. He is probably Chicago sport’s most famous fan right now, because he seems to attend more games then everyone else. He has been seen at multiple Blackhawks games, we already knows He likes hockey (link).

Chicago Bulls

Even though he’s not around as much anymore it’s has to be Michael Jordan. Since he is a GM/Owner of another team, he might lose this status. But anytime Michael was in attendance at any game, it was a story. The TV camera’s stay on him as much as the action on the court. He is a larger the life person in Chicago.

IU

Has to be John Cougar Mellencamp. We all know the story, he grew up in a nearby town of Seyborn, and started playing at the Bluebird before he made it big. He still regularly attends games which always gets applause from the crowd. Other famous fans: Mark Cuban, Doc Rivers, Stephen Noffke, Mark Fodor

U of I

I’m going to throw My U of I pick out there too. I say MJ, but I only saw him once at that was at the Maui Invitational and we are still unsure if he was there to see his son, or if he happened to be playing golf there while his son was playing. I do find it funny that MJ, Bobcats GM, is too busy to come to Illini games, while Doc Rivers is coaching the Celtics and has showed up to so many games that I got sick of the, Did you know Jeremiah is Doc’s son? Storylines. Other Illinois fans, Hugh Hefner, but he doesn’t come back to Chicago/Illinois often if ever. He does have other distractions so I think it’s ok.


I’m sure I missed tons of fans, and probably a big name or two, but weigh in with your thoughts below.

Sammy Sosa is White? What is going on?

I have no idea what is going on here, but this picture is real. I have heard some people this is an after effect of steroids orI also heard he tried to do some skin rejuvenation. Maybe I don't know, just weird and creepy.

Joe Giardi ESPN Article

I found this article amusing. When the cubs signed their manager three years ago they passed on reigning NL Manager of the year Joe Girardi and picked Lou Pinella. I said at the time, the right choice for the cubs is Joe Giardi and look who agrees with me. Now most of you won't believe me, but that's ok. Still a good article.

Late Summer - Sports Finally Get Interesting Again

Dateline. July 25th. I noticed today that ESPN is finally starting to cover football in full. Training camp previews are up, and summaries of the upcoming CFB Headlines ("Tebow! Tebow! Tebow!) are starting to sneak onto the airwaves once again.

Meanwhile, baseball has almost reached the 100-game mark, and the pennant races are shaping up into something interesting, with the AL Central a Tiger chase, the AL East a 3-way mess (for the record, I think Tampa is donezo), and the NL Central pretty much an up-for-grabs potluck. Both Chicago teams are still live and kicking, although the Cubs lost their de facto ace, Ted Lilly, to surgery and the DL.

So all of you Bears out there need to wake up from your early-summer Sports Hibernation and get ready for ESPN to get watchable again.

My top storylines, in no particular order.

White Sox Scrap for the Playoffs... again.
Hanging in a few games over .500, the Sox are looking just good enough to contend in the AL Central. They have to win it outright, because the loser of the AL East Sweepstakes is goanna get the Wild Card. But after getting that PERFECT GAME from Numero 56, hopes are high. Can the Sox do it? Can Buehrle stay on his tear and contend for (Dare I say it?) the Cy Young?

Bears Training Camp
The obvious story here revolves around Jay Cutler and his corps of questionable receiving talent. Can Devin Hester and Greg Olsen make The Leap? If they can, this will be a really potent offense. The other interesting stories for me are in the secondary, where it seems like nobody really has a position locked down with the possible exceptions of The Interceptor and Tillman, and at Hunter Hillenmeyer's former post, where FA pickup Pino Tinoasamoa and Northwestern alum Nick Roach will battle up and comer Jamar Williams for the right to join the Bears' Pro Bowl Tandem at 'backer.

Big Ten College Football
Will anyone other than Ohio State make headlines? I'm looking at Northwestern to emerge under wunderkind Pat Fitzgerald and start out the season on a tear. Wisconsin's Brett Bielma is on the hot seat at Camp Randall. And I sure hope that Bill Lynch is sitting on something similarly warm. Another bad season for Indiana, just as the great new horseshoe opens up, would be a disaster for a scuffling athletic program. Can Michigan make any noise? And so on. Enough Tebow - I want to know what's up around the Midwest.

Bulls Hot Stove
I'm praying Hinrich sticks around. And a free agent pickup sure would be nice. It looks like James Johnson will contribute after a nice Summer League showing, but no one else on the team is a rotation lock. Illinois alum James Augustine performed well, and DeMarcus Nelson was the best of a lousy group of guards. Taj Gibson collected a ton of fouls. My pick to click, Taurean Green, shot under 30% but passed well. I'm guessing the Bulls do the same, and pass on Green, leaving Chicago perilously thin at guard with only Rose, Hinrich, and Salmons as sure things.

What stories are you looking forward to? What's on your mind, Armchair Superstar nation? Let me know. I need some new story ideas!

Mark Buehrle and Ted Lilly are Chicago's All-Stars

Just in case you didn't hear, Mark Buehrle and Ted Lilly have been named to the All-Star team.

Lazy Week Update

Obviously, we here at Armchair Superstar never rest when it comes to covering sports. Like the mailman and pizza delivery drivers, we like to bring it to you rain, sleet, or snow.

The problem is sunshine and summer weather!

So yeah, I'm sorry about the lack of updates this week.

A couple of things, quickly, as I get ready to do at least one proper article this weekend and probably more like two.

–Remember those awesome days last year when it looked like the Cubs and Sox might just be on a collision course for the first Red Line Series in over a hundred years? Yeah, me either. The Northsiders just broke out of an extended (eight game?) slump last night, beating the Pirates in a game that, lucky for them, got called after the fifth inning due to rain.

Here's Mr. T, uhh, singing (?) Take Me Out to the Ball Game at Wrigley the other night. Thanks to AK for the link.

Meanwhile, the Sox also won yesterday as The Big Fella, Bartolo Colon (holy crap, what a good looking guy!), pitched a pretty amazing (for him, anyway) 6 2/3 innings while making it look easy. Podsednik is fitting right back in on the team, getting an outfield assist last night. The Pale Hose are hanging around just under .500, at 21-24, but scored seventeen runs against the Angels in the first game of this series, and go for the sweep late tonight. Preview can be found here. It's Jered Weaver, who is having a fantastic year (2.52 ERA), against Gavin Floyd, who has been about as unpredictable as they come.

–Other interesting baseball stories. Tim Lincecum is regaining his form and pitched eight scoreless last night. The Blue Jays are starting to fade a little bit in the AL East. And Raul Ibanez continues to lead the NL in home runs. Some good stuff there.

– I cannot believe LeBron lost last night. What a great game. That shot he hit while leaning over the far side out of bounds line was unreal, and then Rashard Lewis hit an amazing one too, using his pivot foot to create about eight feet of space for an open three-ball dagger. The Cavs obviously have to win out now, and while I still think they can do it, it's looking more and more like the NBA Finals might just be a little different than we all predicted. ESPN has a highlight reel on their front page today, link is on side of page.

In the West, the Nuggets and Lakers are knotted up 2-2. The thing that most impressed me in Game Four was JR Smith all of a sudden becoming a passer! Who knew that he had court vision like that? Anyway, the Nuggets just blew away Kobe and Co., finishing with 42 fourth-quarter points. Entertaining series thus far.

– Went to the Indianapolis 500 this weekend and had a good ol' time with Nate and friends in the infield. This makes the second straight year that I've attended both the Big and Little 500s. Thinking about writing an article comparing the two of them, and would appreciate any insight from those of you that have gone to both of Indiana's classic races.

–Condolences to Mike Tyson and his family. Tyson's four-year old daughter died yesterday after an ugly household accident.

–More to come soon, but for now that's all from Bloomington. Hope everyone is having a great start to summer.

Bloomington: Summer Superstar Convention

So Noffke and Jamie came down this weekend (yes, they brought their flippy floppys) for a whole bunch of grilling and bartime socializing. How can I make this somehow sports related? Well...

We watched the Sox choke away a game at Yogis with Ninja Bartending Master Glass. And then, as soon as the South Siders lost, 2-1 to Toronto, my fantasy team Cub Kevin Gregg gave up four runs in the ninth to blow the save, followed by the Cubs scoring a run in the bottom of the frame. And no, Gregg didn't get the vulture win, because he didn't even manage to get an out. (Gregg is quoted in the Tribune saying "I think I could have hit myself today.") The Double Baggers just took their first head-to-head loss of the year in my Yahoo!Random League. Utley, Pena, and Wells all decided to slump at the same time as Danks and Chris Young (dropped for Barry Zito)... then Gregg got lit up too. Ouch. On the bright side, I'm goanna win K's every week.

Anyway. Other sporting events of the weekend–we got in three games of darts at Upstairs. I'm not going to gloat too much about the outcome other than to say I will be joining the semi-pro dart playing ranks as of tomorrow. However, Noffke did give me ten-to-one odds on hitting a triple 20.

I am one dollar poorer. Damn.

But yeah, great weekend, except that the Sox really need to pick it up. 15-19? Ouch. I mean, the AL Central is by no means out of reach but it's time to get another starter- yeah, Colon pitched a good 5+ innings today but he can't go any deeper than that- so come on, Kenny Williams.

Hawks-Wings Game One is tomorrow at 3. I'm thinking this is going to be a great series for not only hardcore hockey fans, but also the sport as a whole.

Some North Side Perspective

[Editor's Note: This piece is written by guest writer and potential full time armchairsuperstar.blogspot.com writer Derek Wilson. Let us know what you think]

Hello blog universe! I think it’s about time for what the masses that read this blog have been clamoring for: A CUBS fans perspective!

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Derek and I have been a diehard Cub’s fan for as long as I can remember. I won’t go into the drama that this affliction causes at least once a year in my life…mostly because I am fairly certain that if you are a living, breathing, human being you probably have a good idea.

As I sit here in my apartment 3 blocks from what I like to call the biggest beer garden in the country, Cubbie fever has already begun to sweep across the north side of Chicago. Anybody who is remotely a Cubs fan knows that every year Spring breeds optimism in Cub nation at about the same rate rabbits breed in general. Whether this year culminates in something that hasn’t happened since America’s fattest president took office remains to be seen.

While the Cubs are off to a solid 5-2 start, that means there are still 155 games left. So here are my thoughts, predictions, and general ramblings for the rest of the season that is quickly 1/23rd of the way completed. Grab yourself a newly Kraeusened Old Style and enjoy.

OF:

Reed Johnson and his amazing defense continues to impress me. If you haven’t seen this catch, watch it…and then watch it again to appreciate just how awesome it was. That is the second year in a row that Reed has made a ridiculous play in the outfield. With his defense and bat (and the questionable health of Milton Bradley) I don’t think he should ride the pine as much as he does. I think we will see Reed’s playing time increase as the season goes on, and with him in the lineup more and more I think we will see this team take off come June.

Now it is time for a quick English lesson. The following is the Dictionary.com definition of the word enigma: “a person of puzzling or contradictory character.” They might as well paste a picture of Kosuke Fukudome on their website next to that word. As much as I would like to believe that Kosuke will continue this current tear for the rest of the year, he showed last year that he can fall off the map for months at a time. I think that the poor second half showing by Kosuke last year was more a matter of the Wrigley faithful getting in his head as he struggled to get acclimated to our culture. I think we will see a more consistent Kosuke who will finish this year with a .300 average, .400 OBP and double digit homers and steals.

We can already see that Alfonso Soriano is poised for a gigantic year. He is my pick for MVP as I think he will hit over 40 home runs and drive in 100 this year, even out of the lead-off spot.
Bradley has had great plate discipline so far, which I love, but has already shown that his health will be a major question mark all year. He already turned an ankle rounding first base and now has this tight groin. I’m hoping for 130 game out of Milton, but if I was betting I wouldn’t go over 110.


IF:

I think that the rest of the Cubs line-up is solidly built, with a nice blend of righties and lefties. I think Mike Fontenot will produce with his everyday role while I am still a bit skeptical of his defense. I think the defense up the middle could cost the cubs a game or two, with the Cajun connection of Fonty/Ryan Theriot.

Derrek Lee is starting to lose me as a fan. His approach at the plate is driving me crazy and his body language just makes it seem like he is not confident in himself. I hope that he can turn it around, but he needs to move down in the order. I think we will see quite a few GIDPs out of him again this year and I may throw my remote through my tv because of it.

Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto will both produce this year. I like Lou’s approach of keeping Soto down in the order to keep his mind on calling the games and take the pressure off his bat. He’s still a young player experience-wise and could falter on defense if his offense begins to slump at all. Ramirez should be hitting 3rd or 4th in the order to try and maximize his at-bats. I think we will see him have his best statistical season of his career in 2009.

SP:

The first thing I need to discuss here is the great game that Ted Lilly pitched in the home opener against the Rockies. He was one out shy of making it through 7 innings of hitless ball to go along with 8Ks, great game for Ted. All I heard after Lilly’s first start this season was that he is going to give up a ton of home runs this year and that the Cubs were in trouble. Nobody seemed to care that the Cubs opened that game up with a pair of four run innings and were winning 8-0 before the Astros knew what hit them. I’m of the belief that a pitcher should go out and throw strikes with a lead like that, and that is exactly what Lilly did. His final stats weren’t to glamorous because he gave up 4 home runs, but he walked zero and the Cubs won. A major league pitcher doesn’t win 17 games in a year by accident; I think Lilly is going to lead the team in wins this year.

The rest of the rotation should produce as well. I want to see Ryan Dempster master the control that we saw him lose in the playoffs last year. Carlos Zambrano looks good so far and should finish up with his typical stats. Rich Harden looked dominant in his lone start so far. I think that we will see him pitch very well when healthy, and if he can get 25 starts could post a sub 2.5 ERA and double digit wins. Sean Marshall will be an interesting 5th starter for us. When given a chance to start he has looked like a solid #3 starter. He will produce when given the chance and gives us another lefty to complement Lilly. I like Sean to finish up with an ERA in the high 3s and double digit wins as well.

RP:

If the cubs have an Achilles Heel this is where it is. Neal Cotts is the lone lefty in the bullpen and struggled with inconsistency since we obtained him from that team on the South side. Not sure the rest of the bullpen is worth mentioning…most of them scare the crap out of me when they take the mound. We could get a pleasant surprise form Aaron Heilman or David Patton though; I like them both so far. If the bullpen doesn’t shape up the Cubs season could end up resembling this or this.

I’m not sold on Kevin Gregg at closer. He obviously does not have close to the same stuff as Carlos Marmol. But if Marmol does take over as closer, then who gets the Cubs out of bases loaded jams in the 7th and 8th innings? It’s a catch-22. In the end I think that the Cubs stick with Gregg, who will have an up and down season and finish with about 30 saves and a 4ish ERA.

(Side note: Marmol will get his fair share of save opportunities and shine, but is more valuable for now as a set-up man. If Gregg pans out and closes out a championship on the north side this year great, if not, 2 years down the road when Jose Ceda is closing games for the Marlins the Cubs will be regretting this trade.)

Final Prediction:

I have the Cubs finishing up the season with a record of 99-63, falling short of their 100th win on the last day of the season. I think the Cardinals will provide a ton of competition for the division title, but will wind up winning the wild card with 91 wins. The rest of the division will shape up with the Brewers in 3rd followed by the Reds, Astros, and finally, the Pirates.
A couple quick notes:

· All this writing is making me hungry…how about a 4 pound pretzel?? That is what they have begun serving at Wrigley this year. They are calling it the “Northside Twist” and it comes in a pizza box and serves 3-5 people.

· Has anybody tried the newly Kraeusened Old Style yet? I had it last time I stopped in Sluggers and was pleasantly surprised. It is definitely more along the lines of a MGD or Budweiser now, as opposed to Busch or Natty Light before.

Last one, I promise:

· Indiana football commitment Nick Zachery has been named to the USA Football Junior National Team. I’ll be honest, I had no idea there was a Junior National Team, but it is nice to see some accolades for him. He is one of 7 on the team that will be playing his college ball in the Big Ten. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do for our Hoosiers.

Annual Cubs v. Sox Wagers

It’s time for an annual tradition; the Cubs-Sox Wagers! This is our 5th year doing it, which I believe has gone 2 for the White Sox, 1 for the Cubs and 1 Undecided (see below for reason).


So here’s the setup. To make the season a little more interesting, my friend Tim and I choose 7 categories where we each pick the team or players from either the Cubs (Tim) or the Sox (Steve) for those categories. Whoever wins a majority of the categories wins. We do have a small prize but its more for the bragging rights.

Tim and I have had a discussion and here is a summary of what transpired.

Category 1

Steve: Alright, let’s do the easy one first. Season Series with runs as the tie-breaker.
Tim: Yup just like always.


CATEGORY 1: HEAD TO HEAD GAMES (RUNS AS TIEBREAKER)

STEVE HAS: WHITE SOX
TIM HAS: CUBS

Category 2

T: Home Runs. 2 Players.

S: This is a little bit of a tough one. I know I want Carlos Quentin, but the question is who I want going with him. I don’t trust Jermaine Dye even though he was pretty good last year. So it’s got to be Paulee or Thome.

T: Thome seems to be a solid despite his age, but you know he is slated for at least one DL trip. Once he has a back injury we all know that it never goes away.

S: Yeah, Just ask Mr. Joe Crede. But Thome is the DH, which I think helps his chances of avoiding injury. Plus Paulee’s thumb might give him trouble. Alright, I am going with Carlos and Thome.

T: I will choose Aramis Ramirez.

S: No surprise there.

T: The next one is kind of tough.

S: I was thinking you were going Soriano

T: Bradley has some power and Soriano’s a frontrunner.

S: Plus Bradley will have a little more protection then Soriano in the 1 hole.

T: D-Lee is out, and Soto won’t put up HR hitter numbers.

S: What, the 12 Hrs he hit from June to the end of the year doesn’t impress you?

T: Not really, the 4 HR after the All-Star break is bad for a hitter like him. I am going to go with Soriano


CATEGORY 2: MOST HOME RUNS BETWEEN 2 PLAYER

STEVE HAS: CARLOS QUENTIN & JIM THOME
TIM HAS: ARAMIS RAMIEREZ & ALFONSO SORIANO

Category 3

S: Three Pitchers. Wins.

T: Yup sounds good.

S: Mine are easy. Danks, Floyd, and Buehrle.

T: No hesitations there.

S: Nope put it in the books.

T: I think I’m going to go with Zambrano, Dempster and Lilly.

S: Worried about Harden’s health?

T: I can’t count on Harden even though he has Ace stuff. Marshall is still a 5th starter. Lilly has been solid for the Cubs and pitches well in big games. He went 9-0 two season ago after a loss. He also won 17 last year.

CATEGORY 3: MOST WINS BETWEEN 3 PITCHERS

STEVE HAS: JOHN DANKS, GAVIN FLOYD AND MARK BUEHRLE
TIM HAS: CARLOS ZAMBRANO, RYAN DEMPSTER AND TED LILLY
Category 4

S: Now that the staples are out of the way, what should the next ones be?

T: Saves, holds, errors, assists, steals, any of those tickle your fantasy? (yes he actually said that)

S: Neither of us picked our 1B for home runs, so how about 1B triple crown stats?

T: I like that one.

S: Looking at this I would say Paulee has an advantage in home runs, but DLee has an advantage in Avg. So RBI’s will be key.

T: Yeah, done.

CATEGORY 4: 1B TRIPLE CROWN STATS (BEST 2 OF 3)

STEVE HAS: PAUL KONERKO
TIM HAS: DERREK LEE

Category 5

S: Saves?

T: That’s fine.

S: Gregg vs Jenks or something else?

T: Up to you.

S: I'll take it straight up, I’m not the team with the closer battle during spring training. Saying that, Jenks missed like 2-3 months last summer.

T: I think it will stay with Gregg, Lou likes to use Marmol in tight situations in the 7th and 8th.

S: Sounds good putting it in the books.

CATEGORY 5: SAVES (CHOOSE 1 PLAYER)

STEVE HAS: BOBBY JENKS
TIM HAS: KEVIN GREGG

Category 6

S: I'd like a defensive one. How about Brian Anderson vs Fukudome putouts?

T: Fukudome won’t play everyday.

S: BA probably won’t either, so probably not a good one.

T: Yeah. Do they keep track of double plays turned?

S: I am sure they do, they keep track of everything. Would we know where to find it?

T: No.

S: How about putouts by SS?

T: That’s Fine. The Riot vs Alexei.

CATEGORY 6: PUTOUTS BY SHORTSTOP

STEVE HAS: ALEXEI RAMIREZ
TIM HAS: RYAN THERIOT

Category 7

S: How about we do Managers suspensions and ejections?

T: Sounds good.

S: In the spirit of the category whoever’s team’s manager has more suspension or ejections wins.

T: Agreed

CATEGORY 7: TOTAL NUMBER OF EJECTIONS AND DAYS SUSPENDED FOR EACH TEAM’S MANAGER

STEVE HAS: OZZIE GUILLEN
TIM HAS: LOU PINELLA

Now, these bets are not finalized until the first pitch of opening day. So if anybody out there has a better idea for a category please leave a comment below. If it’s a good one, we are willing to call the audible and change one or add it.

Also if you don’t agree with any of our player choices for the categories let’s hear about them.

So I am sure you have been waiting all article to hear why we were undecided in our Cubs Sox bets. Well the first reason is because we forgot to write down our bets. We couldn’t remember who Tim selected last year in our category that was highest total or holds and saves for three bullpen pitchers. Depending on who he picked he would have won or he would have lost.

Also, we had a minor controversy around Jim Thome’s home run against the Twins in the one game playoff for the division crown. MLB tracks the stat as part of the regular season but Tim and I couldn’t agree upon if it should count for the bet. That home run would have pushed the category from a Tim win to a tie–that’s how close we were.

Sorry Cubs Fans

I wish I was as creative as these two links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quKraecWnTs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrobcJa_EV8