The Chicago Cubs are still in the running for the divisional crown. They are only 2.5 games out of first place and one game back in the loss column.  You can look at it, and say, "Hey, the Cubs are right there."  I'm not looking at it that way.

The Cubs wasted a good night from pitcher Carlosl Zambrano who pitched 7 solid innings and lost the game when the bullpen allowed Geoff Blum to beat them with a 9th inning game winning hit. Blum, who played on the 2005 World Series Champs White Sox and hit a home run in a key game, now plays for Houston and he beat the Cubs.  That's the game of baseball.

If the Cubs can't right their bullpen soon, this season will go up in smoke. The Cubs let Kerry Wood go to Cleveland and cleared out some money so they could sign Milton Bradley, who is so not on fire, he might as well be playing for the Rockford Rocks.  If he runs the bases and doesn't get hurt stepping on 2nd base, that would be a surprise. Every other day, he is nicked up, and can't play.  When can he play?  The hope is when the weather warms up in Chicago, his legs will feel better, and he can concentrate on hitting the ball, which is why the Cubs payed him millons of dollars.

Continue reading "Cubs Season May Be Over"

It looks like the Los Angeles Lakers, up 3-1 in the series vs. the Orlando Magic, will come up with the title before the series is over.  Maybe the Magic will win game 5 and send it back to LA, but it will likely end in game 6.  The Lakers have the best player, Kobe Bryant, and the best coach, Phil Jackson.  Jackson will end up with 10 NBA titles as head coach.  That is a number that's hard to believe.  Years back Pat Riley was the hot coach, when Kareem and Magic Johnson were in their prime.  You have to have great players to be a winning coach.  And, a great coach finds a way to keep his great players playing at the highest level.  Jackson benefitted from coaching Jordan and Pippen and the rest of the Bulls, not to forget, Dennis Rodman.  He was able to get Rodman to play his best, and that was not an easy thing to do.

Continue reading "Whatever happens in NBA Finals, Jackson is Tops"

Plaxico Burress' case was postponed until the fall.  It will be heard 3 weeks into the football season.  Since Burress only caused injury to himself, and shot himself by accident. He will be judged on whether he was carrying a licensed gun, which apparently, he wasn't.  OK, maybe he's not the smartest bloke but he can catch passes big-time.

The Bears need a bona fide receiver. A player who is a threat on the field, who demands coverage from the defense.

Burress is that guy.  Hey, don't settle for getting Jay Cutler who can throw the ball to any player.  Get someone to catch the ball.  The addition of Burress would make the Bears a threat.  A threat to throw the ball and it would improve the running game. Defenses can't key on Matt Forte for half the game.  IN my book he was NFL Rookie of the Year.

Continue reading "Bears Have to Inquire About Burress"

The former Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, put out a statement recently that he was expecting to "calmly wait" till he was voted in baseball's Hall of Fame.  Then about a week later, news came out that he was one of the 104 players on a list from 2003 that said certain players had tested positive for "performance enhancing drugs."

How this list got documented, who has a copy of it, remains disuputed. But, if Sammy is on this list, that does not bode well for him to be voted in the HOF.

Sosa and Mark McGuire captivated the nation in 1998 when they went toe to toe in slugging home runs.

Sammy was loved by Chicago Cubs' fans and it seemed he owned the town.  Now, he is the object to scorn on sports cable shows.  Reporters are going on record saying they won't vote for him.  This is not good.  Now, if Sammy did not tell the truth or did not knowingly take a substance then he should talk to the press.  He admitted to congress a few years back that he did not take any steroids in a statement read by an attorney.

Continue reading "Sammy May Have To Wait A Long Time"

The Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland 6-2 to sweep the Tribe, and more importantly, win their 4th game in a row.  Dont blink too fast, but this is a modest winning streak.  A few weeks ago, the Cubs look moribound, and I wrote it so, basically writing them off.

But, impatient Cubs fan as I am, it's a long season and the Cubs have too much talent (don't need you Kerry).  Wood pitched before the hometown crowd and blew two games, which last year seemed an impossibility. He messed up a few games but saved many more than be blew.  But to see him uncork a wild pitch and having the winning run dash from third, was, well, there may be a Santa after all.

The good news is that Derrick Lee rediscovered his touch, Soriano makes big plays and scores big runs, and Milton Bradley has a hitting streak.  Keep hitting Milton.  Geovanny Soto hit a couple of big home runs on the homestand.  Fukudome even went 4 for 5 yesterday.  When that happens, good things are more than likely to happen. 

Continue reading "Maybe New Cubs Can Do It"

If Shaquile O'Neal was 32, this would be blockbuster trade.  But He's older than that and appears slowing down.  Cleveland's effort to get a big man for LeBron won't pay off and may hasten his exit from the team when he is a free-agent.  The problem is you have two big men who will clog up the middle of the post.  Lebron can rebound, dunk, block shots, post up, drive for layups...Shaq can do some of those things and then you have to sit him down for a rest.

Who will demand the ball.  Sometimes Shaq will.  He has the rings. Some nights he may be effective.  But not on back to back games.  Not on the 4th night of a 6 game road trip.  These will be losses for Cleveland and may not earn them the top seed in the East. And, if they don't get the top seed they are toast.

Continue reading "Shaq Trade to Cavs Won't Put Them Over"

The Chicago Cubs are 35-36.  The Chicago White Sox are 36-38.  Both teams are flirting with the .500 mark as we get closer to the half-way mark of the season.  Unless these teams are can go into after-drive and put the pedal to the metal, it is likely that these team will finish near the .500 mark.  The Cubs had a thrilling homestand and won some games with pulsating finishes.  Then they go on the road and make the Detroit Tigers look like world-beaters.  In one game, the Cubs have a one run lead late, but  their closer gives up a 2 run homer in the last of 9th to win the game for Detroit.

Good closers don't give up game winning home runs to lose the game.  Unfortunately, Marmol is the set up man and putting him in is like watching a chopped tree tottering before it falls.  You never know how it's going to work out.  Some days he looks great striking out the side. Other days it could a hit batter, a wild pitch, a walk, a single, and game on the brink.  This is after the Cubs have scored 4 runs on 9 hits to tie a game.  Last season, the game would have been over.

Continue reading "Chicago baseball is simply mediocre"