The good news for the Chicago White Sox is that both Detroit and Minnesota lost tonight.  The bad news is that the Sox trail the Angels 5-1 in the 6th inning.  If Chicago wants to make a late season run at the Division title, it can't afford to let this game slip away.  And, they are surrendering meekly.  They have amassed a grand total of 3 hits in the game.

Where's the $100 million offense?  Rios, Konerko, Quinton, and Dye, are collecting big bucks and the bats have gone to sleep.  The game isn't over yet, but the season could be in about 3 days, if the Sox don't wake up.  Detroit can be had, if the Sox start playing (hitting) like a talented team.  They can get runners on base, Posednik is having a great season.  He's on base 2 or 3 times a game.  And, he only scores maybe one run.  That's not enough.  Good teams find ways to win games.  They force teams into making errors.  The pitcher may throw an errant pick-off throw, the second baseman mis-handles a slow ball to his left, the catcher drops a foul ball.  Good teams take advantage of these extra pitches and either move the runner over or drive him in.  That's how you play, and the Sox are not playing that way. 

Continue reading "ChiSox Season On The Brink"

Being a long-suffering Bears fan, it comes as no shock to hear that Brian Urlacher's injury is a serious one that will require him to miss the season.  This is Bad Bears News.  The other bad news is how the Bears let a game they had slip away in Green Bay last night. 

But replacing Urlacher is going to be mighty hard.  He still is at his age, the heart and soul of the Bears Defense.  They need to get someone with pro-bowl experience.  Derrick Brooks has been mentioned. Get him.  He's good.  He's athletic, quick, and hard-hitting.  Then the fall-off wouldn't be so great.  But as it stands now, The Bears are in a ditch.

You nothing ever comes easy for this team. If it's not Jay Cutler throwing 4 interceptions, one on the possible game changing drive, that indeed changed the game when Green Bay ran it down to the 12 yard line. Geez, how quickly a game can change.  When it was 15-12 I knew the Bears were in trouble.  They have a hard time taking a lead on the road.

Continue reading "Double Loss: Bears Lose 21-15 To Pack, Urlacher Out For Year"

We are so used to seeing the Cubs have bad years where they lose 90 games a season, or good years where they win 96 games.  The Cubs need to get used to simply winning, having a winning season.  If they finish seven or eight games over.500 you can't say that's a terrible season.  It may be a disappointing one---

Let's see if the Cubs can finish strong these final weeks of the season.  And, believe me, it has been a long one for Cubs' fans.  This team has been on a roller-coaster ride the whole year, up and down.  Let's just see with people playing healthy, if this team can win.  OK, Soriano is out, but the Cubs have won without him. 

Derrick Lee is the most valuable player this year. He is red hot at home, hitting close to .400 since late May.  He has 33 HR's and is closing in on driving in 100 rbi's this year.  If the Cubs had Ramirez for most the season, it may be a different story.  But the St. Louis Cards have been in the drivers seat most of the season.  They had terrible injuries problems last season, and got their pitchers healthy, and look at the difference. Plus, they have Albert Pujols, as close to automatic as you can get. He has been deadly with the bases loaded this year. Even tied Ernie Banks' old record of 5 GS hit in one season. 

Continue reading "6 games over .500, Cubs Moving Toward Respectable"

Jay Cutler may get to watch more football than play.  The ground game better be working. Because this game should be played in December. But, as the scheduler has it, its the 2nd game of the season. And the Bears need this game. They will be missing Brian Urlacher who is out for the season.  Hunter Hillenmeyer will fill in. The Bears will try to rally around their missing leader and play inspired, they will have to. 

We will see how much depth the Bears have on defense.  Chicago needs to step it up in every aspect of it's game, inorder to beat a team like Pittsburgh.  The Steelers are well coached and won't make mistakes. They wait for the other team to stumble and and then pounce on them.  That is the sign of a good team. 

Jay Cutler may be the second coming of Sid Luckman, but looking back 60 years, is a long time ago.  Luckman played when they were inventing offensive sets. Cutler has the best arm the franchise has seen in a long time.  Can he lead to team to victory, can he provide stability and presence of mind?  Can he rally a hurting team to play great football?  If he can do the later, he will be like a breath of fresh air.  The Bears lost their defensive leader. Maybe the one on offense can show up in this game. 

Continue reading "The Bad News Bears Need To Show Up vs. Pittsburgh"

Somehow, someway, the Chicago Bears found a way to win this game and earn their first victory of the season against the defending Super Bowl Champs The Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-14 at Soldier Field on Sunday.

Robbie Gould made a dramatic 44 yeard field goal with fifteen ticks on the clock and the Bears grabbed their first win.

Jay Cutler, who threw 4 interceptions in the first game, had a tremendous game going 27 for 38 for 236 yards and two touchdowns.  His 4th quarter strike to rookie wide receiver Johnny Knox tied the hard-hitting game at 14.  The Bears took advantage of two missed Steelers FG attempts and made a late drive of their own to set up for Gould's attempt.  His kick went through the uprights, and Bears fans breathed a collective sigh of relief.  They may have a good team after all.

Continue reading "Bears, Cutler Make It Happen over Pittsburgh"

The Chicago White Sox have wilted in the summer heat.  While it may be warm in Chicago, the Pale Hose' chances of making it post-season are all but done.  The White Sox had a shot but blew it by playing poorly on the road in their last road-trip.  And, they came back in a fog. 

This team had enough talent to win, but I think there may be something else going on.  The way the team has played in the past two weeks makes one wonder if these guys wanted it badly enough.  Ozzie Guillen, the outspoken manager has told-it-like-it is in the press.  He basically said he thought the team was mailing it in.  How does a team get to that position?

Maybe Ozzie is under contract, but there will be talk about maybe cutting the cord here.  Yes, he was the manager of the '05 Sox, but this is '09 and the team has spent gobs of money.  I think the Sox will keep Guillen and if they get off to a slow start next season, the ax may fall.  Alex Rios, the outfielder, has done nothing of note, since he was acquired in early Aug, for boatloads of money.  Peavy won his only start with the Sox.

Continue reading "Ozzie on the Edge? Sox Fading Fast"

The Chicago Bears don't know how to win the easy way.  Apparently, that is not in their DNA, or at least until Buddy Ryan led the "46" defense.  However, this season they have Jay Cutler who threw a late TD pass to converted receiver Devin Hester for 36 yards and the winning touchdown.  And, the Bears defense held off Seneca Wallace and the Seahawks to win and go 2-1 for the young season. 

Two pluses.  The Bears beat Pittsburgh and they won on the west coast, not an easy thing for any Bear team to do.

Next up is the Detroit Lions, who broke their losing streak that seemed to last an eternity.  It was actually 19 games, and it took a revamped Detroit team to do it.  The Lions have an offense.  Way back when, the Lions and Bears would play in Wrigley Field and it was a slugfest.  Alex Karras played tough on defense, and they had great linebackers.  The Bears would usually win in a score close to 17-13. 

Continue reading "Bears Beat Seattle 25-19 on late Cutler TD Pass"