Cubs Fri Oct 03 2008
Pretty Much Sums It Up
Our sponsor, Cubscast, has nailed the plight of Cubs fans so far this post-season with this t-shirt. Available (in sweatshirt and hoodie form, too) in their shop.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (1)
News Thu Oct 02 2008
Short Hops
- Eddie Vedder, Schmeddie Vedder. The Tampa Bay Rays have their own crooning fan in Kevin Costner.
- Sure, they're involved in a heated playoff series. Doesn't mean that Derrek Lee and Mark DeRosa shouldn't think about their longterm future.
- The Wrigley Field faithful aren't the only ones singing "Go, Cubs, Go". A "fan" in California wants them to win too, although for admittedly selfish reasons.
- If the Twins had their way, it would have been double-or-nothing against the White Sox. (OK, not really, but...)
- According to one writer, the Fire fans are some of the nicest around town.
- Got an extra $90,000 or so lying around? You can sponsor your own triathlon.
- Two more elite runners (PDF) announced for the Chicago Marathon field.
- Now that Ben Gordon is back in the fold and Derrick Rose is in the lineup, the Bulls should be a front-runner in the NBA's Central Division, right? Not so fast...
- Got crazy flipper fingers? A supple wrist? Check out the pinball expo.
- The Chicago Outfit Roller Derby team host their last clash of the season when they take on the Hammer City Rollergirls of Hamilton, Ontario.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Wed Oct 01 2008
Win Some, Lose Some
Well there you have it. The Cubs have dropped game one of the NLDS. Since 1995, the winner of game one has gone 23-3 and in 10 tries the Cubs have never won a playoff series after losing the first game. What does this all mean? Nothing! Obviously. This is baseball, where a team (with their own curse) came back from a 0-3 deficit against their arch-enemies to win the pennant. These Cubs have won 97 games and played extremely well over a long season. They've come back in dozens of games, once from 8 runs down. They are a good team but lost a game; simple as that. This is 2008 and the season started in April, not in 1909. We come back and beat them tomorrow.
One side note, I heard something I found very troubling. On the radio post-game show Dave Kaplan railed against the fans in the park for not being supportive. By his account those at the game were far from the die hard fans that hung on every strike during the season. I wasn't there but if it's true that would be a real shame. As if its not bad enough that MLB has let prices spiral out of control, in part by getting in bed with StubHub, those that got to go might not have done their duty as fans. Let's hope it's better tomorrow.
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (1)
Cubs Wed Oct 01 2008
Cursing the Curse
This time, no talk of curses, OK? No dusky felines or horned farm animals or bespectacled young men sitting several rows back or haunted magazine covers. No hoodoo or voodoo or hexes or incantations or spells involving animal bodyparts and plants mashed into a poultice.
Oh, the media will try to goad you into talking about those things as if they were actual factors. They'll stick cameras in your face and a tape recorder under your nose and will get you to try to say that every Cubs' pitcher's ball four and every Derek Lee strikeout is part of some cosmic plan to keep the Cubs from winning the World Series. They'll do these things because people expect them and it saves them from doing any real work ("OK, people, story ideas for the Cubs series." "The curse?" "Great, good job, let's break for lunch."). They'll write books about and get famous celebrity Cub fans to talk about it. There'll be bad songs written about it by hack songwriters trying to capitalize on it. People will burn things or bury things or wear things or bless things. Nuns will be employed at some point, I believe.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
News Thu Sep 25 2008
Short Hops
- The White Sox ship may be sinking, but Juan Uribe is worried about a different boat.
- Cubs' manager Lou Pinella talks about his future with the Cubs.
- "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks has added to this personal roster.
- With talk of the sale of the Cubs heating up again, a YouTube video offers one possible outcome.
- That All-Time Cubs/White Sox team has irked one fan... in Indianapolis.
- The White Sox will take on the Reds in next year's Civil Rights Game.
- Donovan McNabb says he's fired up to play against the Bears this Sunday. Great... just great.
- An AIDS activist is running from New York City to Chicago to raise awareness of the disease's devastating affect in Africa
- The Chicago Red Stars of the Women's Professional Soccer league obtained the rights to four international stars.
- "Cicero Fury" comes to, well, Cicero in the form of an evening of boxing on October 17.
- Brush up on your Big Wheel skills. The Urban Assault Ride is coming to Chicago this weekend.
- More pedal-powered fun: bike polo.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Wed Sep 24 2008
Tickets to a Dream
These might be tickets to a game that will never happen, but for most Cubs fans, they're still dream tickets. If you're not a season ticket holder, your only chance to hold one of these puppies may by sucking up to your alderman.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
Cubs Wed Sep 24 2008
Summer in October
Well unless you live in a sensory deprivation chamber you know the Cubs have clinched their division and are busy setting up the team they will take into the playoffs. Players like Micah Hoffpauir and Kevin Hart are still fighting for spots but successfully battling two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana was enough for Sean Marshall to earn a spot in the October bullpen.
The current series against the Mets is very likely a preview of NL first-round action so both teams are taking a good look at each other. One person who didn't care to look is Ron Santo. The Cubs legend and WGN radio broadcaster didn't make the trip, either because he still harbors resentment for the Mets, or he didn't want to burn his new toupee. I'm sure Ronnie will be wherever the Cubs are when it comes to the NLDS and any other playoff series. Even if its the Southside.
With two more games against the Mets and the last three at Milwaukee, the Boys in Blue still have a lot to say about what happens in the NL. Carlos Zambrano goes tonight. Hopefully, for all of us looking toward the post-season, we'll get the no-hitter Z, and not the inning-and-two-thirds Z that showed up last start.
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (1)
News Tue Sep 23 2008
Where Not to Drink During the Playoffs
As previously mentioned in Merge, bars in Wrigleyville and US Cellularburg (US Cellstonia?) are being asked to voluntarily stop serving alcohol after the 7th inning of home playoff games wherein the Cubs or Sox could clinch a series. This is some hilarious quasi-fast pitch (pun intended) being called by Hizzoner and what should bars really do? Games get out at what? 11pm, CST? So, yeah, stop serving three hours early for the sake of what, families? children? Excuse me, but last time I checked, former frat boys, duuuuuuudes, and vapid women lived in Wrigleyville. Meanwhile, on the Southside, I'm pretty sure they have vastly more important things to worry about than curbing the amount of consumption and need to be vastly more aware of the clientele and actually exacting some sort of responsibility on the employees and customers of said speakeasy.
Back to the lecture at hand, what Daley is proposing is ludicrous and would amount to a much less safe and far less controlled environment wherein people would be, indeed, "gettin' their drank on!" The only comparable notion I can I think of is the current straits that many universities find themselves flummoxed by when confronted with the problem with under-agers drinking far too much in uncontrolled circumstances at off-campus house parties.
However, instead of realizing that people like to get drunk, down, fete, dirty, krunked, what-have-you, Daley, is of the belief that people are having too much in bars -- which, in many cases, I am sure they are. Yet, attempting to curb drinking through a 7th inning cut-off would merely exacerbate the drunken throngs by tempting them to raid their own pre-purchased stockades of liquor and beer that they (the drunken crowds) already are fantasizing about while drinking until the end of the games, bar time, whatever. Within the realms of a bar at least there exists the implied notion of control, versus the unchecked beer-swilling of a person in their own (or a friend's) home.
- Brian Lauvray | Comments (4)
Cubs Tue Sep 23 2008
Where Not to Sit During the Playoffs
Now here's a truly useful thing to have handy while you shop for Cubs playoff tickets: a list of seats with obstructed views. It even notes whether you can easily see one of the TV monitors from the seat.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
Feature Thu Sep 18 2008
Short Hops
- If Chicago is the stress capital of the U.S., the New York Times has one reason why.
- Meanwhile, The Trib's Steve Rosebloom sticks by his Cubs/White Sox World Series prediction. Um, has he looked at BOTH teams' bullpen?
- Ozzie being Ozzie, part 37.
- The good news: Carlos Quinten's cast has been removed. The bad news: They're not rushing him back.
- Ok, so Kosuke Fukudome didn't exactly set the Chicago baseball world on fire. There could be another Japanese baseball star trying to make his mark at Wrigley Field next season.
- They haven't had their first match yet, but the Chicago Red Stars already look like the team to beat, thanks to three new additions to their roster.
- A survey says nearly every kid plays video games. Will the Jumbotrons of today be the playing fields of tomorrow?
- Apparently he wasn't punched enough the first time. A local boxing promoter is returning to action IN the ring.
- In case you missed it, the Chicago Open crowned a squash champion recently.
- The Chicago Storm joined the four-team Xtreme Soccer League. You know it's wild because they spell it "Xtreme".
- Check it out: U.S. Women's Soccer vs. Ireland at Toyota Park. The Chicago Cyclocross Cup at Jackson Park. The Blackhawks Training Camp Festival. The AIDS Run/Walk at Grant Park. Tuesday Night Pub Quiz at The Globe.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Baseball Mon Sep 15 2008
Meanwhile, Back At 'The Cell'...
It was an ironic move that wasn't lost on White Sox fans.
When ESPN made the necessary switch from the White Sox/Detroit Tigers waterlogged game Sunday (Game 2 of a doubleheader) to the dramatic conclusion of the Cubs/Houston Astros neutral-site game in Milwaukee, it was a microcosm of the 2008 baseball season in Chicago.
There were the White Sox, sloshing and slogging their way through a hastily arranged doubleheader on a dreary, grey, overcast slit-your-wrists kind of evening. Still, despite that depressing scenario and in front of a crowd only slightly larger than most high school graduating classes, the Sox had managed to stake a 7-0 lead, giving a national audience at least a glimpse of the kind of run-scoring ability they possess (Good thing they weren't around for their catnap against the Toronto Blue Jays earlier in the week). And when the lead was cut slightly to 7-2, there was some concern but nothing to cause one to throw their giant White Sox foam finger at the television in anger.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Mon Sep 15 2008
The No-No in Wisco
The Cubs should play all their games in Milwaukee. Congratulations to Carlos Zambrano for pitching the Cubs first no hitter since Milt Pappas just missed a perfect game in 1972. Milt told ESPN after the game he had mixed feelings but was ultimately happy for Carlos. The game was already destined for the books since it was being played on "neutral" ground due to Hurricane Ike making baseball in Houston impossible. Still, Big Z stole the show by coming back from injury with his most dominating performance of the year. The win put the Cubbies 7.5 games over the Brewers with only 14 to play; cautious optimism is starting to turn into giddiness.
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (1)
Cubs Fri Sep 12 2008
It's Just a Game
This weekend ESPN will begin airing an Outside the Lines detailing the Cubs history and woes. The website we linked to on the GB homepage has a good preview. I imagine they began planning the show when the Cubbies were winning series like nobody's business. The last thing I want to hear about while the team is tanking is the last 100 years of misery. Still they did eek out two close games to take the series in St Louis. Yesterday's win came despite Wood's insistence on putting a couple guys on in the ninth just to make things exciting and shoot Ron Santo's blood pressure through the roof. With the next two days of Cubs baseball being canceled on account of hurricane, you can get your fix with some of the other features OTL put together. I like the 102 facts about Chicago baseball and the board they set up to let fans air their grievances. I love it when Chicago baseball fans get together so Cubs fans can talk about the game and history and Sox fans can talk about Cubs fans.
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (0)
Feature Thu Sep 11 2008
Short Hops
- No, we didn't expect the Bears to beat the Colts last Sunday night either. But if they're going to build on that, there are three things they must do to beat the Carolina Panthers this Sunday.
- Even if they don't win the game, the Bears are still scoring touchdowns at the bank.
- Arguing over who gets the last drumstick is one thing. But a Cubs-White Sox World Series could drive one family nuts.
- REALLY old school White Sox fans will mourn the death of former manager Don Gutteridge.
- Current White Sox star Carlos Quentin hopes to be healthy by the playoffs. Question is: will he be playing or watching?
- Patrick Kane and Jonathan Towes, the Blackhawks' Teen Titans (OK, they're not really teens but it's not far off) get some more (inter)national publicity.
- From Kansas City to Chicago on a bike: Are gas prices THAT high?
- The marathon gold-medalist from this year's Olympics, Constantina Tomescu-Dita of Romania has joined the field (pdf) of runners for the 2008 Chicago marathon. Hopefully, we'll have better weather this year.
- The Sky take on the New York Liberty in their next-to-last game of their WNBA regular season.
- Chicago teams finished third, fourth and fifth in the 2008 North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association Gay Softball World Series.
- You're in Lisle. You're riding your bike. You have a hankering to see a play. What are you going to do?
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Wed Sep 10 2008
Word!
There is little more satisfying to a baseball fan whose team is losing badly as a manager who tells it like it is. And I quote:
"We're not executing, we're making mistakes and we're getting beat. I'm getting tired of watching it, to be quite honest with you."
Cubs fans, who isn't tired of watching it? Again, I quote:
"We can talk about having fun, we can talk about relaxing. You've got to get your shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass!"
Ladies and gentlemen, Lou Piniella.
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (0)
Baseball Fri Sep 05 2008
Voting: Not Just For All-Star Games
Amidst the heart-pounding stories of untimely injuries (like that of Carlos Quintin), panic-inducing losing streaks (five and counting for the Cubs?) and too-close-for-comfort pennant races, there is a bigger question that looms for Chicago baseball fans: whom to vote for.
No, we're not talking about next year's All-Star game. That's a little too "wait'll next year" even for baseball fans. We're talking about THE election, the big one, the biggest "sporting event" in the country. The race for president.
Surprised that hardcore baseball fans in Chicago, who are engaged in nail-biting division races on both sides of town, would have time to contemplate things like budget deficits and tax gains? Well, if a presidential candidate can find time to discuss baseball, then it's only fair that a die-hard White Sox fan places the race for the White House in baseball terms.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
News Thu Sep 04 2008
Short Hops
- The Chicago Sky go for their fourth win in a row, a franchise record, when they host the Seattle Storm tonight at the UIC Pavilion.
- A Los Angeles resident tells about the great time he had seeing the Cubs at Wrigley Field recently. Of course, this was before their recent, ahem, troubles.
- Despite their contract differences, a Sporting News writer thinks Ben Gordon and the Bulls are "destined" for each other.
- The Bears' Kyle Orton says he's not the same QB he's been in the past. Thank God.
- Meanwhile, another NFL quarterback with a Chicago connection, Donovan McNabb, tells of growing up a Chicago sports fan.
- The next time your significant other complains about your obsession with sports, show them this.
- Now that you've seen the commercials a bazillion times, you might as well go out and see that Red Bull Flugtag thing in person.
- Got the need for speed? It's a big weekend for racing at Chicagoland Speedway.
- Or if you like your racing a little more sedate, try model boat racing at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
- And speaking of water (don't you love these segues?), the Big Shoulders Open Water Swim Classic is this Saturday at Ohio Street Beach.
- Chicago has a champion on the diamond, thanks to the Chicago Maccabi softball team who took gold at the Maccabi Games.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Thu Sep 04 2008
Uh...What Just Happened?
Sure they say don't panic, but when a team's history results in even the most rational fans being able to name two or three curses off the top of their heads it's going to take more than words. Yes the Cubs have lost five in a row at home and possibly their ace in Big Z; a big blow even though his last few outings haven't really been ace-worthy. Usually we would start looking for black cats and green turtlenecks but in this writer's humble opinion this year is different. This is a good team, a great team even, and in many ways they're not even playing to their full potential. Derrek Lee's average may be around .295 but his clutch hitting has been at sub-DLee levels. The book on Fukudome was doing just what it was supposed to do; find holes, but with time to adjust I think he can be just as good in the MLB as he was in Japan. Maybe adversity is just the ticket to get the guys really playing the way they can. The truth is if we're panicking it's our own faults. Before the Phils came to town the Cubbies won more series in a row than any year since 1907. The underlying message in that feat should have told us all something: don't get used to this. What we can count on is a manager and several players that have battled through September and October, as well as a couple of aces in Dempster and Harden. So seriously, don't panic. If that doesn't cheer you up, how about knowing that the last time the boys delivered a championship, the Cardinals where 46 games out of first place!
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (0)
News Wed Sep 03 2008
Drink Up, It's A Long Season
Thanks to all of the ups and downs, as well as the unpredictable twists of the current Chicago baseball season, well, it's enough to drive one to drink. A popular vodka company apparently knows that and will unveil new billboards to at least give fans an idea of WHAT to drink.
Effen Vodka is set to unveil new billboards on the south and north sides of the city to capitalize on the continuing (fingers crossed) good fortune of both the Cubs and White Sox. The Cubs-themed billboard will make reference to the supposed team curse, while the one located near U.S. Cellular field will simply bolster the South Side pride.
But when it comes to aligning themselves with a local sports team, the Bears would seem to be a natural fit for the Holland-based vodka company. After all, I can't count how many times I've heard someone yell, "Effen Rex Grossman" in the last couple of years.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
News Thu Aug 28 2008
Short Hops
- Stories That Will Not Die 1: Mariotti says he's not going to Boston, which leaves only five bazillion other cities for him to tell us where he's not going. Also, the Sun-Times takes a parting shot at their one-time star columnist.
- Stories That Will Not Die 2: The Wall Street Journal says Barack Obama isn't the only one down on the Wrigley Field Experience. And Sports Illustrated jumps on the pile, too. But another website turns the other cheek and tries to link White Sox-lovin' Obama with the Cubs.
- Stories That Will Not Die 3: Another week, another standing: Now, Chicago is supposedly the front runner for the 2016 Olympics.
- The City of Chicago has a plan to make use the most bike-friendly place in the world.
- Professional squash fever: Catch it! An international pro squash tournament is headed here.
- A lesson in how not to write a press release, this one involving the Bears. My favorite sentence: "The Chicago Bears tickets have many sources of power that let the team to be so."
- Among upcoming events at Soldier Field: the Chicago High School Kick Off Classic this weekend.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Wed Aug 27 2008
Are We There Yet?
No matter what happens today the Cubs will have won their ninth series in a row. Here's a little perspective for you: they haven't done that since 1907. That year the team won ten in a row. Remember though we are still cautiously optimistic. Having had the best record in baseball for a good part of the year, a fan asked Carrie Muskrat (scroll down a bit) how teams with the highest win percentage did in the playoffs. In short, only OK. They made the fall classic a shade better than half the time but have a losing record in the big series. Then again the conventional wisdom is it's all about pitching in October and at least one analyst thinks the Cubs have the best playoff rotation. We'll just have to wait and see. Stupid linear time!
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (1)
Cubs Mon Aug 18 2008
Hey Hey, Weeeeeeeeeee
Cub fans are as worrisome as they come. The same guy that says he isn't superstitious might yell at the TV when Len or Bob even mentions the postseason. That guy may or may not be me. Then again, you look at power rankings, their record and these last couple road trips and even the biggest bleacher bum has to admit it might just be time for cautious optimism. About the only thing I can harp on is their inability to consistently lay down a sac bunt. It's a minor gripe but still odd. I'll let someone who gets paid to analyze these things figure that one out. The rest of the story is peachy. It's hard to imagine a scenario in which the boys in blue don't make it to October, 1969 notwithstanding. That swagger Lou was looking for last year is seemingly here; better late than never. The road doesn't look so scary anymore. Even Florida can't continue its hex. There is no clear NL MVP candidate on the Cubs (I know what Gammons heard and it's touching but most likely a dream) but apparently even that is a good thing since one of their greatest strengths is versatility. Now I know you Sox fans/general Cubs-haters are dying to remind me of every failure in the last hundred years but until you find me, I'll be sitting back and enjoying the view.
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (0)
News Thu Aug 14 2008
Short Hops
- It may not make it to the side of a milk carton, but the Chicago Fire fan club Section 8 is missing their banner.
- Some people might have an opinion about who they are, but a new book of photos entitled "We Are Cubs Fans" seeks to define the loyalists visually. The obligatory Ronnie Woo Woo photo is included.
- Speaking of the Cubs, Sports Illustrated joins the rest of the country in being amazed that they AND the White Sox are both in first place and may make the playoffs in the same season for the first time since 1906.
- And speaking of the Sox, Fox Sports calls the acquisition of Carlos Quinten the steal of the century. OK, they call it the steal of the season. It just LOOKS like the steal of the century.
- The Bears are set to unveil a major advertising blitz. Too bad they can advertise for a quarterback.
- Tickets for the National Pro Fastpitch softball championships go on sale this Saturday at Judson Sports Complex in Elgin, home of the Chicago Bandits. The Bandits are one of the four teams who will be participating.
- Now that the Blackhawks are enjoying a resurgence in popularity, new fans might want to read about one of the team's legends featured in a story from the Sports Illustrated vaults.
- Mark them on your calendar: The Human Race, the cycling National Championships in Downers Grove, Chicago Gems women's baseball, Windy City Rollers action and gay rodeo.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Mon Aug 11 2008
A Nice Place to Visit, But...
Probably no other series brings out the baseball tradition of Wrigley Field like a Cubs-St. Louis weekend clash (one of which was just concluded Sunday with a 6-2 Cubs victory). The sea of Cubby blue competing with the tsunami of Cardinal red. Cheers of support for both teams that wash over in equal waves. And Budweiser everywhere (it may be St. Louis' beer, but Harry Carey made it Wrigley's own). It's enough to make one forget the deteriorating condition of much of the ballpark.
Well, almost everyone. A student writer for the UCLA Bruin gives his thoughts on Wrigley Field and Cubs baseball. But don't let the first sentence fool you. He liked the place, he really likes it.
- Ken Green | Comments (1)
Baseball Fri Aug 08 2008
Weekend Worriers
It's another weekend of crucial baseball in Chicago (but then aren't they all these days?), and it's one that might cause at least a little worry for the teams' respective fans.
The Cubs' cushy six-game lead over St. Louis (and their five-game lead over Milwaukee) could take a hit if they do the seemingly impossible and tank their three-game series against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. (Update: The Cubs defeated the Cardinals 3-2 in 11 innings Friday) We say "seemingly impossible" because the Cubs are a ridiculous 43-16 at home and the Cardinals are a very human 31-25 on the road. No need to do the math because it's right there. It's the Cardinals' first visit to Wrigley this season. The Brewers, meanwhile, will be taking on the Washington Nationals, who are currently stinking up the joint in the National League East
The White Sox, meanwhile, are teasing their fans more than Gypsy Rose Lee with their tenuous hold on first place (now they're in, now they're out) and a four-game series with Boston isn't helping matters any. Their half-game AL Central lead over Minnesota could crumble like a churro if the Red Sox repeat last season's dominance over the White Sox, when they outscored the South Siders 46-7 in a four-game series. Yeah, there's no Manny Ramirez to face this year, so that might figure in the White Sox favor. It's one of the few breaks they'll receive this weekend, thanks to Minnesota having to contend with lowly Kansas City.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
News Thu Aug 07 2008
Short Hops
- Rex, Kyle...or even Chad Pennington. What difference does it make without an O line?
- ..but at least we have a first-rate stadium.
- He was much more than the guy who had the ball go between his legs in the 1984 NL Championship Series. The Indianapolis Star catches up with Cubs legend Leon Durham.
- If you've been reading Tailgate's own Zach Thomas, you know that bike racing is booming in the Chicago area. The Chicago Tribune plays catch-up.
- A South Side group is getting kids as young as eight into the challenging sport of triathlons...
- ...while elsewhere on the South Side, another group is bringing the sport of rowing to a new, younger crowd.
- The Urbanathalon is coming! Yes, it sounds like some B-movie monster, but actually it's a moderately strenuous 10-mile race, obstacle course thingy. Not too late to enter
- Bring the pain: The UFC is coming to the Allstate Arena October 25. Top bout on the card is Anderson "The Spider" Silva vs. Patrick "The Predator" Cote. Anyone in UFC nicknamed "The Fluffy Bunny"?
- Start saving your betting bucks now. The Arlington Million is this Saturday.
- Twenty-five years ago, they installed lights in Wrigley Field. Purists howled. The world survived.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Tue Aug 05 2008
Oh s#*t!
Well the Cubs (and Cubs fans) have had a crazy time the last week or so. Frustration, elation, angry princes and rogue lightning are just a few of the things we've witnessed recently. First of all, congrats to the team for sweeping their division rivals the Brewers. If you watch any sports TV at all you don't need me to tell you that the series was trumped up as October in July. We'll see. In any case, it was immensely satisfying after being so frustrated by the bullpen and lack of timely hitting since the All-Star break. I swear I'm trying not to smile when I see Prince Fielder annihilate his bat after a pop up and get tossed for yelling horse[poop] over and over, Gagne not being able to bean Edmonds in four tries and then hearing that the Brew Crew is brawling in their dugout. The bottom line is they are a good team, the Cubbies had a good series, but there is a lot of baseball still to go.
That point became painfully obvious as the team dropped the first game of each series to the Pirates and Astros. At some point the Cubs are going to have to figure out how to hit young call-ups. They did come on to win the last two games, clinching the rubber match thanks to what Reed Johnson described as his favorite moment on a baseball field. The Astros series remains to be decided, but already it's given us one of the best highlight videos of the season. Watch as Derrek Lee, um...exclaims and the guys laugh in the dugout as Lance Berkman tosses his metal chain and scurries off the field.
A few tidbits: if you haven't done so yet, check out the new West Side Rooters. You can't go wrong with Ronny Woo Woo as your Sergeant at Arms...OOF WAH!... Woody could be back tonight; maybe Mark O'Neal found the neosporin. Lastly, on a sad note, Skip Caray, son of Harry, father of Chip, passed away over the weekend. He was 69, and although he limited himself to home games, was still broadcasting this season.
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (0)
Baseball Thu Jul 31 2008
Super Fans, Here is Your Shirt
No Bears... yet.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
Cubs Wed Jul 30 2008
Let's Flay Two
First it was two alleged Cubs fans pummeling an alleged White Sox fan over his chosen team affiliation to the point of his losing an eye. Now comes word of more alleged Cubs fans being involved in another physical altercation, this time reportedly pouncing on a Milwaukee Brewers fan following Tuesday night's game at Miller Park.
The Cubs currently hold a three game lead over the Brewers in the National League Central. If this is the price of success, perhaps we should keep an ambulence handy at 1060 W. Addison.
Once again, it's just a game.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
News Tue Jul 29 2008
It's Just A Game
While we here at Tailgate have been know to get a bit passionate about sports, be it baseball, football, soccer, cycling, etc., things like this serve to remind us it's all just a game.
- Ken Green | Comments (1)
Baseball Mon Jul 28 2008
First Things First
As Chicago's two baseball teams continue their improbable dual climb to the top of the baseball food chain, they both meet the two biggest challenges to their dreams in the next four days.
The Cubs and White Sox, atop the NL Central and AL Central respectively, confront the two biggest threats to their first-place status when the Cubs facing the surging Milwaukee Brewers in Bratsville while the Sox travel to Minnesota to face the pesky Twins in the Hump Dome. Both series are four games each with the Cubs and Brewers kicking it off tonight at 7:05 p.m., while the Sox and Twins kick off their series five minutes later.
The White Sox hold a 2 1/2 game lead over the Twins while the Cubs have a narrow one game lead over the Brew Crew. A stumble by one or both teams in these very important series could push them into second place where there's a good chance they could stay there for the remainder of the series. Even if you loath the team on the other side of town, the chance to see them sink in the standings makes both games must-see TV.
Start exercising your remote control fingers. There stands to be a lot of channel surfing in the next few days.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Baseball Fri Jul 25 2008
That's How They Play in Peoria
The Cubs' Peoria farm team, the Chiefs, got in a brawl with the Dayton Dragons Thursday evening — in the first inning! Both managers and 15 players were ejected from the game, and a spectator was taken to the hospital after getting hit by a baseball thrown at the Dragons' dugout by pitcher Julio Castillo (as Chicagoist said, guess we know why Castillo's still in the minors.) It was Castillo who instigated the fight, in fact, by retaliating for a hit batter by hitting not one but two batters, and threatening a third. That brought Dragons manager Donnie Scott down to talk with the umps, Chiefs manager Carmelo Martinez down to defend — and the rest is history. Here's some video:
The ejections were reversed by the league commissioner to avoid forcing the teams to use their bullpens to fill in the outfield.
You'll be able to catch the Chiefs in action -- well, playing baseball, at least -- next Tuesday when they play the Kane County Cougars at Wrigley. Tickets are still available.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
News Thu Jul 24 2008
Short Hops
- In case you’ve forgotten, the Chicago Force are going for the IWFL title this Saturday at North Park University’s Holmgren Athletic Complex. Cheer them on.
- The White Sox’ Juan Uribe to the Red Sox? It might make a lot of people happy.
- Cook County Commissioner Mike Quinn got a lot of Detroit Red Wings fans ticked off when he managed to skewer the team in his resolution celebrating the outdoor game against the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field...
- ...But here’s guessing he’ll have an easier time getting tickets to the game than you do.
- A half-game lead (as of Thursday afternoon)? Are the Cubs done for? One writer seems to think so (though he admits he’s a Sox fan but insists that has nothing to do with it… right.)...
- ...But never fear Cubs fans, there are enough pro-Cubby blogs to ease the pain. In fact, there’s a whole army.
- The need for (man-powered) speed: The Chicago Criterium is this weekend.
- A Chicago hospital offers a free women’s sports injury prevention pamphlet…
- ...Which you might need if you attend tryouts for the Grand All Star League (GALS, get it?) women’s basketball tryouts for females 50 and over.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Wed Jul 23 2008
A Fine Mess for Cubs
If the prospect of getting swept by the Arizona Diamond backs and losing their grip on first place in the NL Central weren't enough, the Cubs are now a half a mil lighter in the wallet thanks to a fine by Major League Baseball regarding their actions following the June draft. According to Sports Illustrated, the Cubs failed to report a signing to MLB offices and put a player on the field without MLB approval, earning them the $500,000 fine.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
News Thu Jul 17 2008
Short Hops
- The Windy City Rollers threw the smack down in their 138-19 trampling of the Tuscon Saddle Tramps in roller derby action.
- The Blackhawks' Nikolai Khabibulin to the Ottawa Senators? Reports out of Canada say it's in the works.
- Never let them see you sweat: Barack Obama is apparently a gym rat.
- Women's Health Magazine is asking local female fitness buffs: "Are You Game?" (pdf)
- The Chicago Bandits have a chance to move into first place in the NPF when they continued their four-game series against the league-leading Philadelphia Force tonight. The Bandits beat the Force 3-1 in the series opener on Wednesday.
- The 2008 Aberdeen Street Dodgeball Ninjas will host their summer tournament this Saturday at Sheridan Park. If nothing else, it should provide some interesting photos.
- The Chicago Cycling Club hosts a "Baseball Nostalgia Tour", which includes stops at 10 present and former ballparks and lunch at the Billy Goat Tavern.
- And speaking of baseball, an all-Cubs channel? I thought we already had that...and referred to it as the local news (said the White Sox fan with the inferiority complex).
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Baseball Wed Jul 16 2008
NOW The Season Begins
So now it REALLY begins.
Not to dismiss the first half of the 2008 baseball season, but for me, my battle cry has always been, “Talk to me AFTER the All-Star break.”
Countless frantic fans on both sides of town, giddy with early-season promise have, through the years, approached me with manic glee in their eyes, fully convinced that this was The Year due to the fact that either the Cubs or White Sox are in first place at the break, a sign that supersedes anything a billy goat or Shoeless Joe could conjure up.
I’ve seen it so many times I’ve lost count. Take this season, for instance, which finds the White Sox AND the Cubs in first place in their respective divisions. Or rather take 1977, the year to which this year has most often been compared. For it was 1977 which marked the last time both teams were in first place at the same time.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Thu Jul 10 2008
Now That the Harden Puns Are Waning...
Well you could spend the rest of the day reading about what Rich Harden might or might not do for the Cubs. All the locals have write-ups; here are Mariotti, Sullivan and Morrisey's. ESPN's Jayson Stark weighed in as well. No one, however, is better prepared to deal with Harden's injury history and possible upside than Cubs fans who labored through the Prior/Wood years. Who is better at being encouraging, hopeful and stoic while pretending not to hear the guy two rows back detailing what we're bound to get in return?
In any case it's been a pretty fun summer so far. With the Cubbies in the hunt, all sorts of interesting articles are popping up, and not just about the team, but things that really only die hard fans could care about. My favorites so far are the uniform breakdown, the "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" article and guest singer contest. Ah one, ah two, ah three...!
- Vince Jose Cancasci | Comments (0)
Baseball Thu Jul 03 2008
Short Hops
- Steve Stone joining Hawk Harrelson in the White Sox TV booth? According to the Tribune, it could happen, though the dominos have to fall in just the right way.
- ESPN’s Scoop Jackson says the Bulls’ drafting of former Simeon High School star Derrick Rose evokes the memory another Simeon hoopster tabbed for greatness, Ben Wilson, whose murder 24 years ago stunned the city.
- Deposed WSCR morning man Mike North says he has four deals on the table. No word on whether any of them involve dishing out extra relish.
- A new online marketplace offers fans the chance to put in a bid for playoff and World Series tickets for the Cubs (provided they make it) from season ticket owners looking to dump them. Presumably the website will offer the same deal for (ahem) the White Sox.
- The Chicago Rush take on the Grand Rapids Rampage (don’t you love those Arena Footbal League names?) in an AFL Divisional Round playoff game this Sunday, 2 p.m., at Allstate Arena. In other Rush news, wide receiver Donovan Morgan was named AFL Rookie of the Year
- The Sky’s Sylvia Fowles is getting a bit antsy since being sidelined with a knee injury, as she reports on her WNBA blog.
- White Sox catcher A.J. Piersynzki needs your help in selecting his at-bat music. Though the website lists suggestions (“Panama” by Van Halen?) , I’m sure there are more appropriate songs...right?
- Also, the White Sox host the first Double Duty Classic, featuring the top high school baseball players from across the Midwest, on Monday, July 7, 2:30 p.m. The game will honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues and is named for legend Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe.
- Ken Green | Comments (1)
Baseball Wed Jul 02 2008
Last Chance for Cubs, Sox All-Stars
If you're a fan of Chicago baseball, you might take special pride in seeing your Boys of Summer represented in the Midseason Classic, set for July 15 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. If so, get cracking: All-Star voting ends tonight at midnight.
As it stands, one Chicago team should be well represented in the game while the other will be woefully absent, despite having both teams in first place in their divisions. As of Wednesday, the Cubs have a strong possibility of having three starters in the game. Geovany Soto leads all catchers in voting, while Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome (yes, Fukudome, he of the .292 batting average and six HRs) are Nos. 1 and 3 in balloting for the starting outfield. Derek Lee is third among first basemen, Mark DeRosa is second among second basemen in votes and Ryan Theriot is third among shortstops.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Baseball Tue Jul 01 2008
The 'Sweet' Life
He may not have had the national attention and accolades of the current Cubs, who have argueably usurped the title "America's Team" from the Dallas Cowboys, but for "Sweet Swinging" Billy Williams, his connection with the team has been no less exciting.
If you don't know many of the details of Williams' life as a Cub (and if you're a die-hard Cubs fan, you should), you can brush up on All Things Billy by picking up a copy of his book and having Williams autograph it for you at a special signing for his new biography, Billy Williams: My Sweet-Swinging Lifetime with the Cubs, July 8, 4:30-6pm at Harry Carey's Tavern, 3551 N. Sheffield, just a long foul ball from Wrigley Field. The book was written with longtime Tribune sportswriter Fred Mitchell.
Williams, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987, suffered the same unfortunate fate of his longtime teammate Ernie Banks, which is to have never made it to a World Series despite an exemplary career. But that apparently hasn't diminished his love for the game in general and his love for the Cubs in particular. Williams is still connected to the team as an executive advisor.
The book tells of Williams' early childhood, growing up in the same home state as Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey and Satchel Paige (what the heck were they putting in the water?), his days in the Negro League and his five decades in the big league. It's a must-read for any true Cubs fans. Or even a White Sox fan.
- Ken Green | Comments (1)
Baseball Thu Jun 26 2008
Button Up for Crosstown Part II
Show your love for the Cubs or Sox with a widget from the Tribune:
The widget clicks through to the Trib's latest news for the team.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
Baseball Mon Jun 23 2008
Crosstown Lessons
So the first half of the Great Chicago Baseball Orgy is over and the Cubs have emerged not only with early bragging rights but a firmer grip on National League Central, thanks to their three-game sweep of the White Sox. The Sox, meanwhile, saw their lead in the AL Central get cut to 1 1/2 games over the always-bothersome Minnesota Twins.
So what have we learned from this, other than Ozzie Guillen and a few other guys on the White Sox should probably zip it until after the series is over? Well, we learned that:
- The Cubs will never lose another game in Wrigley Field.
- The Cubs can get by just fine without Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano, but the White Sox are pretty lost without a healthy Paul Konerko and an effective Jim Thome.
- There are two Jose Contreras: Good Jose and Bad Jose. Bad Jose was in the ballpark on Saturday.
- Carlos Marmol is not the best closer-who's-not-a-closer as some would have you believe.
- He may be the better rapper, but Guillen might not be the better manager in town.
- Big rats and the smell of urine are far less scarier than Aramis Ramirez' bat.
Sox fans get a chance to exact some revenge against their pain-in-the-neck Cub fan cousins next weekend when the White Sox host the Cubs at U.S. Cellular (which USA Today says will take place on the "less pristine South Side"). Nothing less than a sweep will do for the White Sox in the three-game series and while the team does have a few home series sweeps under their belt this year, the Cubs' current play is on another planet. You've been forewarned, Sox fans: it might be another long weekend.
- Ken Green | Comments (2)
Baseball Fri Jun 20 2008
Cubs vs. White Sox Not Hard to 'Get'
I suppose it makes sense that the actual participants in the annual local baseball orgy known (among other names) as the Crosstown Classic are a little blasé about the whole thing. Listen to sports talk radio or read the papers and you get the idea that baseball Armageddon is on the horizon and nothing less than the fate of the free world hangs in the balance.
But read the quotes from the likes of players like Paul Konerko, Derek Lee, Joe Crede or even Kerry Wood and you get the idea that they’re as excited by the contests as someone having a hangnail removed.
Their opinions usually run along the lines of “: “It’s just another game.” “It means more to the fans than us.” “It’ll be a lot of fun, but…” The Cubs’ Mark De Rosa said as much last week when in an interview he stated, “(I)t has to be viewed as [just] another series. I know it's not. I know it will be hyped up, and rightfully so. It's fun, it's a hot topic to talk about, and they're playing well and we're playing well. But I think it ends there. Six games hopefully won't affect the outcome of either team's division standing.”
Great. Try to stay awake for game, Mark.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
News Thu Jun 19 2008
Short Hops
- A Major League Baseball story on the Cubs' days as a WEST Side ballclub includes some interesting bits of information, including the time in 1908 when a woman gave birth in the bleachers. Contrast that with today when...nah, too easy.
- Belmont Harbor will be the launching site of a major international boating event when 84 boats from around the world compete in the 2008 Etchells World Championships. The weeklong event kicks off this Friday.
- Another bout has been added to the boxing card at the Aragon Ballroom this Friday, which we told you about yesterday.
- After a surprising and promising 2008 season for the Blackhawks, this weekend's NHL draft will be as important for the Hawks as the NBA draft will be for the Bulls. A hockey prospects resource site gives the lowdown.
- He may not be in the Hall of Fame, but South Carolina residents are not forgetting their native son, White Sox legend Shoeless Joe Jackson and are building a museum in his honor. The organizers are hoping that the tribute helps the HOF committee forget about Jackson's role (or non-role) in the whole Black Sox scandal.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Thu Jun 12 2008
Hand It To The Cubs: They'll Survive
On any other team it would seem like the end of the world, or at least the end of a season.
Your marquee player, the one who leads the team in home runs and is fourth in RBI goes down with a broken hand for at least six weeks, a span in which your team faces an AL Division leading team, two of the hottest teams in baseball who are both in the thick of their own division race, and two feisty opponents from your own division, both poised to cut into your slim division lead.
But the way the Cubs have been playing lately, this may be nothing more than a blip on the radar.
When outfielder Alfonso Soriano was plunked on the hand by Atlanta pitcher Jeff Bennett at Wrigley Field Wednesday night, breaking a bone (a minimally displaced fracture of the fourth metacarpal, for the doctors in the crowd), you could hear the groans and cries of “Here we go again” all the way to Irving Park. The team has been cruising along with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games, a 28-8 record at home and a 2 ½ game lead in the NL Central. So something had to go wrong…. Right?
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Baseball Thu May 29 2008
Japan, Carlos Quentin and Cap Anson
Random baseball items found on the web…
With the Cubs’ Kosuke Fukudome the latest Japanese baseball star to try to show his stuff in the West, the status of Japan’s own professional league is in shaky condition, according to a Bloomberg report. No less than former MLB manager Bobby Valentine says, “MLB is trying to kill the sport.”
The Sporting News reports on the “surprising” White Sox (surprising to them, right?) and says one of the main reasons for the unexpected surge is – who else? – Carlos Quentin.
The website Black Athlete Sports Network shows another side of Cap Anson, the legendary baseball figure who was captain-manager of the Chicago White Stockings (who later became the Cubs). Generally regarded as less-than-enlightened when it came to race, Anson was reportedly one of the first major leaguers to compete against an all-black team that was led by future Negro League founder Rube Foster.
- Ken Green | Comments (2)
Baseball Mon May 19 2008
Next Up: A Plague of Locusts
The Cubs AND White Sox both in first place? OK, that's GOTTA be one of the Modern Signs of the Apocalypse, right after Howard Cosell rising from the grave. But that's where we find ourselves this morning after the Cubs wrapped up an 8-2 homestand with a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and the White Sox completed a sweep of the San Francisco Giants with a 13-8 victory for their fifth straight win.
Their frenzied weekends left the Sox 1 1/2 games up in the AL Central while the Cubs hold a two-game lead over St. Louis.
Enjoy it while it lasts, Chicago. Bartender, bragging rights for everyone...
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Wed May 14 2008
The Arrival of Jim (Yawn) Edmonds
According to reports Wednesday, the Cubs have, for all intents and purposes, signed veteran outfielder Jim Edmonds and if you hear a collective yawn of indifference it's to be expected.
Edmonds, a minor star with the St. Louis Cardinals but a virtual nobody with his current team the San Diego Padres, is expected to arrive in Chicago sometime today for a physical and could be in uniform as soon as tomorrow... to face his old team the Padres at Wrigley Fieid.
Signing Jim Edmonds for about $280,000 is a puzzler. He's currently batting .178 with 24 strikeouts through 26 games with the Padres this season, so his bat, such as it is, adds nothing to the lineup. And while he won eight Gold Gloves as a centerfielder with the Cards, it's generally accepted that he's lost a step or two.
So why is he here? Who knows? The Cubs are desperate for a lefty hitting centerfielder now that Felix Pie has washed out and is expected to be sent to Iowa AAA. But Pie is hitting .222, so putting Edmonds in his place? ...well, as the kids say, what's up with that?
Maybe they're banking on a change of scenery sparking Edmonds to some semblance of his former self. Don't count on it.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Tue May 13 2008
ISFA naught
In a move that has Illinois tax-payers rejoicing and the Sun Times rehashing the "Zell No!" pun for the umpteenth time, the Tribune Co. has rejected the Illinois Sports Facility Authority's proposal to purchase Wrigley Field. However, the delicate public/private dance may not be over as it seems that the body's chairman, former Gov. Jim Thompson, is undeterred by today's announcement and is still examining options to put our tax dollars to work to "respect the landmark ordinance and to keep the iconic nature and historic nature of Wrigley Field". Even if Sam Zell is willing to sell on the cheap to pay down his mountain of debt, the citizens of Illinois seem to have more pressing concerns (PDF) than nostalgia.
- Aaron Rubens | Comments (0)
Fire Tue May 13 2008
Worlds Collide
Tomorrow night Chicago Fire playmaker and Mexican national hero Cuahtemoc Blanco will throw out the first pitch at the Cubs game. Since he probably doesn’t know the words, he won’t be singing during the seventh inning stretch though. That duty will fall to the striking partnership of Chad Barrett and Chris Rolfe. Just a guess, but I’ll bet it’s going to sound pretty terrible. Also betting Blanco can throw a pretty mean fast ball.
- Steve Gillies | Comments (0)
Cubs Tue May 06 2008
Foo-Koo Dough-May!
After the racist t-shirt controversy early in the season, show your support with a truly respectful shirt. According to Son & Heir Apparel, the Japanese characters translates to "Go Cubs" and "It's Gonna Happen." (If you read kanji and can vouch for this, let us know.)
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
Cubs Tue Apr 29 2008
Remembering 'Old Yeller'
By now, the attention being paid to former Cubs manager Lee Elia’s now infamous post-game explosion in 1983 is starting to seem a little like overkill. Yes, it was an interesting blip on a then-boring Chicago sports landscape. Yes, even in 1983, a profanity-top-heavy post-game analysis was a bit out of the ordinary. But to many in the media today, that mere 4 ½ minutes of frustration has earned the right to be commemorated as an “anniversary”.
On the radio today, WSCR-AM has constantly mentioned Elia’s rant it in its hourly newscasts as if it were a recent event. The Tribune, meanwhile has mentioned the incident in no less than 10 stories since April 23, including five articles fully dedicated to the occasion. (The Tribune, incidentally, is the organization that owned the Cubs and fired Elia after the outburst.) The Sun-Times has managed to hold its Eliapalooza to six articles, including only two fully dedicated (thought they did have a link to the censored recording on their website). However the Sun-Times may win The Most Overwrought Headline Award regarding the Elia saga, after labeling his outburst as being part of “baseball infamy”, a category I personally was reserving for the steroid scandal or Roger Clemens’ possible hanky panky with a 15-year-old country singer.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Baseball Mon Apr 21 2008
Start Spreading the News...
Deny it as we might, Chicagoans do have a little chip on their shoulder about playing second fiddle to New York City in just about everything, a fact that a New Yorker will waste no time in telling you. “Sure, you have the Sears Tower, but the Empire State Building is the quintessential skyscraper. Sure you have a thriving theater scene, but everyone knows a play isn’t REALLY a hit until it makes it on Broadway. And sure your entire city burned to the ground about 137 years ago, but you’re trying to compare it to OUR great tragedy of only seven years ago?...”
Which is why the baseball events of the next few days are our rare opportunity to exact a modicum of revenge in a short amount of time. In a quirky bit of scheduling, both Chicago baseball teams will take on both New York City baseball teams in their respective leagues. The Cubs (12-6) open a short two-game series today against the Mets (10-7) while the White Sox (11-7) square off against the Yankees (10-10) in a three-game series beginning Tuesday night. Speaking of Tuesday, it will offer the rare chance for a Chicago-New York unofficial split doubleheader as the Cubs and Mets battle at 1:20 at Wrigley Field, while the White Sox and Yankees clash at 7:11 at U.S. Cellular Field.
- Ken Green | Comments (1)
Cubs Sun Apr 20 2008
Cubs Fans Get Rid of Your Racist T-Shirts
It's not enough that they've stopped selling those racist Kosuke Fukudome t-shirts outside of Wrigley Field. Those of you who bought one (unknowingly, of course) or were given one as a gift need to get rid of them!
It'd be a shame if instead of honoring Kosuke Fukudome's fast start in the major leagues (.317 /.442 / .460), the friendly confines were filled with ignoramuses wearing racist t-shirts that demean his ethnicity.
- Shaz Rasul | Comments (0)
Cubs Wed Apr 16 2008
Another "Cubby Occurrence"?
I generally reject talk of billy goats, black cats or Walkman-wearing fans in left field when discussing the alleged otherworldly reasons for the (mis)fortunes of the Cubs. Unless it was a billy goat that drafted Mike Harkey or a black cat that let a ball go between his legs in the eighth inning of the 2003 National League Championship Series.
Still, when you sit back and ponder the collection of freakish incidents that have befallen the team over the years, you might concede that while the gods must be crazy, they are also NOT Cubs fans.
Tuesday’s injury to left fielder Alfonso Soriano might be another page in that weird book. Soriano, to the dismay of baseball fundamentalists, routinely performs this strange little hop while catching a routine fly ball. It’s not baseball blasphemy, but it’s enough to make a Little League coach instruct his team to change the channel whenever a ball arcs its way toward left.
Against the Cincinnati Reds yesterday he performed his usual fly ball shtick, only this time with different results. He landed and immediately lifted his right leg in pain. The end result: a calf injury that could land Soriano on the 15-day DL. (Right now would be a good time to cue to a video shot of Lou Pinella sitting in the dugout rubbing his face and head in frustration.)
Update: Soriano was placed on the 15-day DL late Wednesday afternoon.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Baseball Mon Apr 14 2008
Sox and Cubs Both Looking Shockingly Good
It's hard for me to get very hopeful, knowing both teams' track record, but this is shaping up to be a great year for Chicago baseball. The Sox are at the top of their division after finishing off the Tigers with not one but two grand slams yesterday — a team first — while the Cubs have eked one out with an extra-inning win on an error yesterday over the Phillies.
The next few games will be a test for both teams, as the Sox face the A's, a perennial rival, and the Cubs take on Dusty Baker's Reds. A middling Cincinnati team shouldn't be much of a challenge, but facing their former skipper may turn a few Cubbies toward point-proving, which rarely goes well. We'll see.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
Basketball Fri Apr 11 2008
Wrigley Land-marked Up?
To some, it’s probably akin to spray-painting your name on The Vatican. That’s the high regard that some baseball purists, and even casual fans, have regarding Wrigley Field. Words like “shrine” and “temple” are often bandied about when talk about Wrigley in the context of ballpark esthetics comes up. Even when Cubs teams throughout the years stank up the joint something fierce, there was always those appealing bricks and ivy to make stench palatable. Even quite a few White Sox fans have had to admit that in the era of whiz-bang, high-tech, Corporate-Name-Of-The-Month ballparks, Wrigley is a gem. Well, except for Ozzie.
So it’s not without a little bit of consternation that Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin questions the latest addition to the ballpark: the letters “CBOE” painted on in bright yellow letters on a new section of ground-level seats that the Chicago Board Options Exchange is sponsoring this year.
The lettering, located on the wall between the Cubs’ dugout and the left field bullpen, raises the question of whether this bit of advertising violates City of Chicago landmark ordinance.
- Ken Green | Comments (0)
Cubs Tue Apr 01 2008
Cubs Win! In 1945!
A surprise ruling by Major League Baseball today has ended the longest championship drought in American pro sports. The Commissioner's office today declared the Chicago Cubs champions of the 1945 World Series—erasing the team's 100-year title drought.
The Chicago Cubs lost the 1945 World Series 4 games to 3, to the Detroit Tigers. But Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig today announced the Tigers used an illegible player in that series—and he's stripped Detroit of the championship.
Well, OK, maybe not, but this 100 Year Curse™ crap really needs to stop. The last thing the Cubs need is the extra weight of overwhelming expectations loaded upon them. We all remember the last time they got close, how they cracked under the pressure with a little help from a certain guy wearing headphones? Don't tell me you really think it was all his fault. The boys in blue get flustered easily, especially under pressure.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
