Imma Feelin’

…pretty good about the Chicago Bears in the 2nd half.  I thought the 2nd half was going to be a bear but not so much.  Green Bay and New England are going to be very tough but the rest of the games are win-able.  10 or 11 wins looking good but that probably means another year of Lovie.

…pretty excited about the Bulls.  They didn’t look so hot in the 2nd half of that San Antonio game but they are 6-4 without the Booze.  If they can come home from the circus road trip at .500 I’ll be happy.

…pretty disappointed in the Hawks effort so far.  Granted they are banged up and have a bunch of new guys but they are going to have to do better than .500.  I guess I’ll be patient, for now.  After all they started slow last year and we know how they finished.

…pretty unimpressed by the Cubs efforts on and off of the field.  They aren’t going to spend any money this off-season which means no Adam Dunn or Cliff Lee.  We need to unload some dead weight and no go so far.  Then they can’t seem to get the momentum behind a Wrigley re-build.  Ugh!

…pretty pissed at Governor Quinn and the City of Chicago playing BS politics with the Cubs.  The Bears and White Sox got public money to help finance a new stadium.  The Cubs are told to take a hike despite the fact more people go to Cubs games than any other major sport in Chicago.  They are watched by the one of the largest nationwide audiences on the Superstation WGN.  They draw mega-millions in tourist and commercial dollars to the city, specifically the Wrigleyville neighborhood.  If they want to play politics and I were a Rickett, I’d pay a visit to Buffalo, N.Y. and visit their beautiful little Wrigley replica.  I hear the upper deck can be expanded at a reasonable price tag to accommodate 38,000.  The Sox threatened to move, I sure would.

…pretty tired.  Time to go home and watch the Bears v. Dolphins.

Football is King in NWI and Chicago

Living in NW Indiana (basically a suburb of Chicago) this is the time of year many of us begin moving on.  We may still catch an inning or two but our sports minds have begun looking ahead.  We have moved on to pigskin, helmets, pads and touchdowns.  The true “die-hard” baseball fans (most of those on the North side of the city) will hang in there longer than most of us.  However there are many who have mentally moved on to football. 

In NW Indiana there are 3 pro football teams.  The Chicago Bears (obviously), Indianapolis Colts (In state) and Pittsburgh Steelers (steel mills support the Steelers) all look to be good this season.  The Bears and new QB Jay Cutler look to be NFC North Division favorites and compete for the NFC crown.  The Colts still have Peyton Manning and a solid group of guys and the Steelers look to repeat as Super Bowl champs.  How can the Cubs and Sox beat that?  

NW Indiana is also in the heart of college football country.  Notre Dame is 90 minutes away and has a huge following.  They look to improve on last year’s bowl season with a majority of the starters coming back.  The Big10 (5 of the schools are within a 4 hour drive of NW Indiana) appears to be wide open this season.  Michigan State looks to be an early favorite but after MSU, Ohio State and Penn State the conference is wide open.  Indiana, Illinois and Northwestern all have a legitimate shot at 6 or 7 wins and a bowl game.  Purdue has a difficult schedule and is re-building but West Lafayette is always a fun place to see a game.   

Now I admit the Big 10 is in no way the SEC or Big 12 but the games are usually very competitive regardless of national record.  And, for all of you SEC, BIG 12 and PAC 10 fans/alums there is a place for you in the Chicago area too.  Most of the bars on the cities North side all have collegiate affiliations and are great places to spend a Saturday afternoon. 

Purdue game – Durkins, Michigan game – Duffy’s, Michigan State game – Gin Mill, Illinois and Florida games – Joe’s on Weed, Kansas games – Kincades, UCLA games – Lion’s Head Pub, Nebraska games – Kirkwood…and the list goes on and on.  http://www.chibarproject.com/Features/College/ChicagoCollegeBars.html

While there are certainly plenty of watering hole options for your college football viewing, nothing beats a little road trip.  When the weather turns cooler and leaves change colors, tailgating at a college football game should be on your to-do list.  The smell of encased meats on the grill, playing catch with friends and knocking back a few cold ones is as American as this PED infested sport they call baseball.  Even if you didn’t attend any of the major programs in the area there are plenty of in-state and conference rivalries to keep your interest.  I encourage road trips to Madison, WI, Ann Arbor, MI and South Bend, IN.

Road trips and kick offs a side, baseball games are still fun, just not that important after All-Star break.  Neither team will be “out of the race” which will keep some interest but let’s not forget the WHY…because their divisions suck.  The reality is the Cubs and Sox are going nowhere fast.  Baseball holds no interest for many of us until October when good teams like the Yankess play the Red Sox in the ALCS and the Dodgers play the Phillies in the NLCS.

Fact is the minute Jay Cutler and the Bears take the field it’s over for our local baseballers.  When you hear the roar of the crowd during kick off at the Notre Dame v. Michigan State game or Wisconsin v. Michigan game, it’s over.  When you enter Joe’s on Weed or the Tilted Kilt and have to go to a small TV in the corner to watch your Cubs or Sox, it’s over.

So, don’t fight it.  Enjoy what’s left of your seasons.  It might still be fun to play hooky from work on a Wednesday afternoon and go to Wrigley or The Cell.  Nothing wrong with that.  But Chicago fans know once football season starts weekend baseball in Chi-Town only exists in the box scores we read in the paper or highlights we catch on ESPN. 

Cubs and Sox, enjoy what is left of your spotlight in Chicago area sports.  Like sands in the hour glass so are the days of the Cubs and Sox lives.

MLB 2009 AL PREVIEW

American League

East
1st New York Yankees – I hate to even admit this because I have such hatred for the men in pinstripes but they should come out on top. Sabathia and Burnett are a tough 1-2 punch and picking up Teixera for the middle of the order was huge. The chemistry seems to be working right now but if they struggle out of the gate it could be a tension filled year in NY.
2nd Boston Red Sox – Boston is coming back a year older but they have most of their championship core intact. They will also have Jason Bay for a full season and I look for him to put up career numbers in Fenway. The rotation is killer, especially if Beckett and Penny can stay healthy. The bullpen is also stellar. They have a great chance to win the division but they most likely enter the playoffs a mid-90 win wildcard.
3rd Tampa Bay Rays – I am still try to get over the smoke and mirrors act this young group put together last season. I can’t see them repeating, Burrell in the order or not. I am not so sure I would trust Percival and Isringhausen in the bullpen. That could be an area of need for this team. They also had young players with career years. Look for some of those numbers to come down a bit.
4th Baltimore Orioles – Baltimore actually has a pretty decent lineup. I look for big things out of Cub cast off Felix Pie. In fact Pie, Jones and Markakis make up the best young outfield in the majors. The reason this team won’t break the .500 mark is pitching. They’ve improved but not enough for this division. The top three teams will own them in the pitching matchups. I do like this team’s future though. They’re moving in the right direction.
5th Toronto Blue Jays – Is it me or did this team’s management just give up. I don’t blame them if they did looking up at Tampa, Boston and NY, but c’mon. Aging cast offs and disappointing youngsters dot their lineup. Rios may be the only stud in the whole lineup. After Roy Halladay, one of the best pitchers in the game, the rotation doesn’t inspire anyone. I would consider the bullpen above average. It is going to be a long year for the Blue Jays.

Central
1st Cleveland Indians – This team probably wouldn’t finish in first in any other division but the AL Central suits the Indians just fine this year. Health is a huge key for this team. Hafner has to stay healthy and provide power from the middle of that order. DeRosa and Peralta also have to produce like they did last season. Lee and Carmona are a tough 1-2 duo in the rotation. After those two it is kind of average which is why Pavano needs to stay healthy. Their success also depends on the health of closer Kerry Wood.
2nd Minnesota Twins – The Twins should run neck and neck with the Indians all season. Minnesota, like Cleveland, is counting on a couple of key players to remain healthy. One of those keys is Sox cast off Joe Crede. If Joe can start 100 or more games at 3rd this season he should provide some much needed pop wedged in between Mauer and Morneau. I am also interested to see how Gomez and Span continue to develop. I would call the Twin rotation solid. They absolutely need Liriano to remain healthy. He is a potential 20 game winner. The bullpen is also solid and is anchored by one of the league’s best closers, Joe Nathan.
3rd Chicago White Sox – The Sox don’t impress me and I was tempted to put them a little lower but for some reason Ozzie gets the most out of his rag tag bunch of veterans, rookies and imports. Some of the champion Sox still remain like Konerko, Dye and Pierzynski but they are getting old. DH Jim Thome is also getting old and has seen his numbers steadily decline. On the upside the Sox do have the young nucleus of Ramirez, Fields, Quentin, Owens and Getz to build around. The rotation is pretty solid with a mixture of vets (Beuhrle, Colon and Contreras) and youngsters (Danks, Floyd and Richard). 2009 should be one hell of a rollercoaster ride on the South Side.
4th KC Royals – I really want to like this team. Finally, after a decade of sucking badly, KC shows some life. They added the speed of Crisp and power of Jacobs to go along with Guillen and DeJesus. They also have exciting young players like Callaspo and A.Gordon. The rotation is this teams biggest question mark. There is no doubt this group has no 20 game winners but it does have a lot of potential 13-15 game winners. The development of Hochevar is key after a not so impressive debut. The bullpen is fair at best. If the top three teams battle inconsistency and injury it is possible we could see the Royals surprise everyone a la the Rays of 2008.
5th Detroit Tigers – Much like the city itself this team is a mess. Inge and Everett make up a very light hitting tandem on the left side and DH Sheff’s production continues to come down. Miggy and Mags are the lone bright spots in this order. Some of these vets will get moved at the trading deadline. The pitching staff is a disaster. It is loaded with guys who get hurt and consistently under-perform. Dontelle (roids?) and Bonderman (underperformer) need to be very good if this team is to have a shot at .500. This team will get gutted this July.

West
1st Anaheim Angels – They are due to disappoint but I don’t think a surging Seattle Mariners will catch the aging Angels. A lineup of Vlad, Torii, Abreu and Figgins is too solid. They do need to stay healthy though as the bench isn’t what it once was. The rotations of Lackey, Santana, Saunders and Weaver is very solid. Weaver can’t afford to struggle this season. The bullpen is also strong despite the loss of F.Rod. Sheilds and Fuentes should be able to handle the 8th and 9th.
2nd Seattle Mariners – Surprise. That’s right. I was looking for that one dark horse team to spring up in 2009 and Seattle just has that feel. With Texas and Oakland status quo and Anaheim a little older I thought, why not Seattle. The Griffey signing gives Seattle a legitimate DH. Beltre and Johjima are due for better years and Ichiro is always money. The rotation is better than I thought with King Felix, Bedard, Silva and Washburn. Young starting pitchers Brendan Morrow or Garrett Olson could also be a factor. The bullpen is kind of a mess right now and is the weak spot on this team. They will need to find a closer and young starter Ryan Rowland-Smith might end up being that guy. If the Angels struggle even a little bit Seattle will have a division crown in 2009.
3rd Texas Rangers – One thing the Rangers know how to do is hit the ball. Kinsler, Young, Blalock and Hamilton make up one of the tougher lineups in baseball. The lineup also has some question marks like youngsters Chris Davis and David Murphy. If they continue to develop well the lineup gets even tougher. The biggest question mark is Andruw Jones. If he shows some signs of life this spring he will earn a roster spot and give Texas some much needed pop off of the bench. The rotation, as usual, is the weak spot for Texas. Millwood and Padilla are serviceable but the rest of the rotation isn’t so great. The bullpen is decent with Donnelly and Guardado but Fransisco is an unproven commodity as a closer.
4th Oakland A’s – Oakland certainly built up their lineup by adding Holliday and Giambi. They also have two young studs who will be the future stars of this team in Sweeney and Buck. To get this lineup and loads of future talent they cleared out their pitching staff so the rotation and bullpen leave a lot to be desired. Duchscherer is the lone stud in the rotation. He could win 17 or 18 games with some run support. The A’s should be a much better team in 2010.

Spring Training Fever?

Can you feel it?  No really, can you?  Baseball has begun in Florida and Arizona.  The pitchers are pitching and the hitters are hitting.  GMs and Owners survey all that is theirs.  Isn’t it exiting?  The sound of silence.  You can only hear the wind in the back ground, maybe a chriping bird but that’s it.  Fans aren’t going like they used to and most are fed up.

This spring training starts off with a major PED scandal.  No, not Bonds or Clemens but A Rod.  He was supposed to be the squeaky clean poster boy who would eclipse Bonds home record.  Now we know he cheated which means his homers, RBI, hits, walks, etc. for those three season should be stricken from the record. 

And, per usual, none of the managers and players can agree on course of action.  Of course guys like LaRussa and Girardi support their cheaters and say, “We never saw anything going on.”  Others like Ozzie Guillen say reveal the list and suspend future first timers with a year suspension.  I usually don’t like Ozzie but way to go Oz.  The Cubs Aramis Ramirez and Derek Lee agree with Ozzie.  Call the guys out and string them up.  Curt Schilling also agrees saying all the players should be ousted ASAP.

Other players like the Cubs Rafael Soriano says forget the drugs and the list, let’s play ball.  Hmmm, OK, normally I am all for putting aside distactions and getting to the sports at hand but not now.  Not when the integrity of the game is on the line.  Or is it that maybe Soriano might pop up on this list.  Perhaps Pujols and Chipper too.  Maybe Kerry Wood and Jason Schmidt.  Who knows how many were juicing.  All I know is the Roids and cheating are front page and Spring Training isn’t.

In addition the economy is in the shitter so who is going to go.  Are fans from NYC, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Minnesota and St.Louis gonna make those long treks to the South and West?  Some, maybe, but most are too worried about things like keeping their jobs and homes.  Even those in decent financial shape right now are saving and stocking up.  They aren’t on Priceline and Travelzoo trying to figure the best prices on hotels and airfare.  Most just can’t do it.

Baseball is off to a rough start.  The cheating millionaires appeal less and less to the common man who can’t afford to see them any ways.  Raise your prices MLB and skirt around the “cheating” issue.  I am sure economy or not the ASSES, ooops, I mean masses will come.  Or will they?

Baseball Winter Meetings Maddness

After a couple of days of meetings we have nothing interesting to report.  I’ve read hundreds of articles and Blog entries about who is going where and how it will impact the season but no one has gone any where.

The big deal is supposed to be the Cubs acquiring Jake Peavy.  This morning GM Hendry himself said the Cubs were “close” to a deal.  Padres GM Kevin Towers said the framwork was in place.  Then, at Noon today a source close to the Cubs organization said no deal was in place and they weren’t going to do anything until a left handed outfielder was acquired.  They also need to find a taker for Jason Marquis.  Well NADA on all fronts.  Nothing.  Note to the sportswriters and Blogging community: The Cubs could trade for Jesus Christ and Kris Kringle and they are still going to come up short.

The White Sox traded Dye to Cincy.  Oh wait, no they didn’t.  Homer Bailey isn’t enough.  NO DUH!  Now the Braves want him to replace Jeff Francouer who has been almost dealt to KC for Zach Greinke.

Burnett talks to the Red Sox and C.C. says no to NY and yes to ANY OTHER team on or near the West Coast.  NY Yankees talk to Burnett who already talked to Pavano who told Burnett he would rather have a starving German Shepard chomp on his privates than play for that team again.  Good to know.

Burnett talks to the Blue Jays and then again to the Red Sox.  Oh wait!  It looks like K-Rod actually signed with the Mets.  Confirmation!  I need confirmation.  YES!  A three year deal for A LOT of dough.  Well, the Mutts needed a closer so that was a good move for them.

It is still confirmed the Cubs are nowhere close to getting Peavy.  Hmmm, OK, good to know.  But now dumping DeRosa on Philadelphia is part of the no deal – deal.  I don’t think I like this no deal – deal.

Now Minnesota is going to ship Delmon Young back to Tampa and Tampa is going to send pitching to Colorado and Colorado is going to send Atkins to Minnesota.  This sounds confusing.

Illinois Governor Blagojevich is going to prison.  No suprise.  He screwed with official Cubs business?  You bastard!!!

Kerry Wood joins the INDIANS!!!!  Are you sure?  Nope, can’t confirm that either. 

Ron Santo screwed again.  The Cubs just can’t win.

Well that’s the unofficial-official report from Vegas.  Vegas?  We’re in Vegas?  That explains a lot.  Now I know why no one is getting anything done.

Someone get Hendry away from the craps table.  We’ve got work to do.

MLB BASEBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW

Major League Baseball has wrapped up its regular season and the playoffs are here.  Most of the teams I thought would be there at the end (Cubs, Angels, Red Sox, Dodgers) are there.  The others (Philadelphia, Milwaukee, White Sox and Tampa) are a bit of a surprise.  I thought NY would finally get over the hump but they choked yet again.  I thought Milwaukee, even after acquiring C.C., would still finish just behind either Philadelphia, NY or Arizona in the Wild Card.  The Chicago White Sox are a bit of an embarrassment.  Sure they made it in but prior to this mini 3 game streak they had pretty much packed it in.  They are no where near the same kind of St.Louis team that surprised everyone last year.  Finally despite Tampa leading their division almost all season I was convinced they would cave in at the break.  Than I thought maybe sometime in August.  The collapse never came.  I swear this team is doing it with mirrors.  Well, that and they defend their home turf like a starving Pit Bull.

MLB Predictions

National League

Chicago Cubs over the LA Dodgers 3 games to 2 – In Cubs fashion they will blow a couple of games they should’ve won.  That and Manny Ramirez will hit .600 in the series.  Look for Dempster to pitch his ass off in Games 1 and 5.

Milwaukee Brewers over the Philadelphia Phillies 3 games to 1 – The Brewers have some major momentum heading into this series.  Philly has some issues, most important of all of them is the injured Pat Burrell.  I look for every game to be close but for Milwaukee to win at home.

American League

Anaheim Angels over the Boston Red Sox 3 games to 2 – It pains me to make this prediction as I am a huge fan of the Red Sox.  However Anaheim is arguably the best team in the world.  Boston is dealing with Beckett arm issues and Lowell and J.D. won’t be 100%.  I addition to that Papelbon has looked human in the 2nd half of the season.  I look for the home team to win the games and an exciting Game 5. 

Tampa Bay Rays over the Chicago White Sox 3 games to 1 – Chicago couldn’t win in Tampa during the season and it isn’t going to change now.  Chicago will take one at home with Gavin Floyd on the mound but that is about it. 

NLCS

Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers 4 games to 1 – Chicago has played pretty well at home and has played equally well at their home away from home, Miller Park.  The Cubs should hit Brewer pitching quite well…including C.C.  Once you get into Milwaukee’s bullpen good things usually happen.  Milwaukee will steal a game at home but Chicago will clinch at home in Game 5 with BIG Z on the mound. 

ALCS

Anaheim Angels over the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to 2 – Anaheim is awesome.  Their roster is stacked from top to bottom and the pitching is awesome.  Tampa Bay is made up of young kids and some grizzly veterans.  At some point the gig will be up and it will be this series.  Anaheim should attack with their timely hitting and speed.  I look for them to get out to early leads and attack the Tampa bullpen.  Tampa will have to play catch up almost every night.  Unfortunately for them the Angels have a guys named Fransisco who will squash most of those rallies.

WORLD SERIES

The CHICAGO CUBS will win the WORLD SERIES 4 games to 3 games over the ANAHEIM ANGELS

After 100 years it is about damn time they won.  If they get this far they won’t lose no matter who their opponent is.  However, in true Cubby fashion, it won’t be easy.  They will “choke” a few games away to the Angels but I think the Cubs starters are just a little bit better.  Dempster and Harden should have a great series and I think Kerry Wood will step up and lock down the clincher.  The Cubs hitters also thrive in warmer weather so if the Southern California weather cooperates a couple of warm nights would benefit the visiting Cubbies.  SERIES MVP ALFONSO SORIANO

The Chicago Ships are Sinking

The SS Cubs and SS White Sox are lost at sea and fans are fearing the worst.  Both ships are taking on water and neither skipper is sure how to stop the ship from sinking. 

Ozzie answer is “Paws Up” and “Tighten your belt but if it isn’t already you’re too late.”  Now I am not sure what he means by that but he is concerned.  He is concerned because Contreras and Quentin are gone and now Paul Konerko, who was just starting to heat up, is also gone for some time.  Not too mention the Sox have played some of the worst fundamental baseball all season and seem to be lacking fire in the Clubhouse.  The Sox have a tough stretch the final 18 games, including 3 with rival Minnesota.  This boat isn’t just taking on a little water, it has a gapping hole in the hull.  Look for this ship to sink into 2nd place and miss the playoffs.

Meanwhile the Cubs ship, which has been leading the armada of ships most of the season, seems to have veered off course.  It is beginning to take on some water and many fans are panicking memories of the Titanic sinkings of 1969, 1984, 1989 and 2003 come into focus.  Captain Lou is beginning to lose his cool.  The Cubs have no natural leader on the entire roster, they have been leaving dozens of men on base and the better half of the pitching staff is banged up.  Not too mention most of the remaining games are on the road where the Cubs are usually at their worst.  Captain Lou said, “We need to come out here and kick somebody’s ass,” and I couldn’t agree more.  D. Lee needs to stop leaving guys on base.  Fukudome just needs to start hitting.  They need to stop failing in clutch situations.  Now that I look at it this ship may back into it’s destination (the playoffs) all leaky and out of gas and sinks in port (aka losing in the first round of the playoffs).  However the Cubs, unlike the team on the South Side, have the ability to right the ship and still finish with the NL’s best record.  But the time is now. 

Both teams have been in front of their divisions almost all season and it would be a monumental tragedy in Chicago sports if we didn’t get at least one team to the fall classic.