Your 2008 AL Central Champs: Chicago White Sox

It's 10:30 now here in Chicago, and I must have seen the A.J. Pierzynski tag on Michael Cuddyer at least 25 times by now, and I plan on watching it at least 25 more times tonight.

What a prick.

It almost seems like you can see him say to Cuddyer "you're out" after showing him the ball. And I fucking love it.

You would be hard pressed to find a player more hated by every fan base in the Amercian League and here on the north side of town then Anthony John Pierzynski. AROD? Close, but no cigar. And it's the little things that he does that make me as a White Sox fan think of him as a complete prick but at the same time love him for what he does.

With Cuddyer at third, Danks threw a pitch in the dirt that A.J. lost track of for a mere second, but had the baseball I.Q. to try to fake Cuddyer out as though he had lost the ball. It's the little things that A.J. has done, from running to first after the "dropped" third strike in game 2 of the ALCS, and more recently him drawing the interference call against the Rays whom they will face Thursday in Tampa.

Looking back on the season, there's three things have have really stuck out as to how they got to the postseason:

- The maturation of Danks and Floyd
- The emergence of Quentin and Ramirez
- The veteran leadership of Thome and Konerko

First: Danks and Floyd. I'm not going to reiterate how they came over, because if you're a sox fan, and you're reading this blog...you should know. If you don't; put your cubs hat back on. Danks was shut down in September last year for scuffling so bad, and when the Sox traded Garcia to Floyd, you'd of thought they'd were having parades in the streets of Philly to get rid of Gavin. That just goes to show you this season what Don Cooper means to this staff. To turn Garcia, Garland, Contreras, Danks, Floyd all into pitchers whom you would rather not face when they're on.

Second: Quentin and Ramirez. Both of these guys were nowhere near the discussion of being apart of this team heading into the season. So what did they did do once given the chance to play everyday? Combine for 58 home runs and over 175 RBI's. Before Quentin broke his wrist, he was the leading MVP candidate for the AL, and while Longoria in my mind deserves the AL ROY, the Cuban Missile made it very close in the long run. Without these two, the end up tied with the Royals for 4th place if not worse.

Third: Thome and Konerko: Let's face it: they didn't do a whole lot when you look at he broad spectrum. HOWEVER, they made it happen when they needed to. Konerko started off decent enough until he hurt his hand and then his oblique, which made him powerless for a good two months. After he got back, he struggled mightly until the end of August when he helped J.D. get the team the AL Central lead up 2 and a half games. Thome? You saw what happened tonight.

This was a team that nobody predicted would do shit, and the same goes to the Minnesota Twins, who in my opinion should have been the winner of the division.

The coin flip rule is complete horse shit. The Twins were 10-8 versus the Sox, and this game should have been played in the house of horrors that is the Metrodome. I sure as shit will not complain, but if the circumstances were flipped, this is what I would bitching about.

Twins fans, if you're pissed, I completely understand.

That said: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

FUCK YOU!!!!

I'm very excited for the playoffs starting on Thursday in another house of horrors that is the Trop, but at the same time; this is an awesome game to watch.

One of my friends texted me after the 5th inning ended that this was the most exciting game he had ever seen (sarcasm alert for retards). I texted back that it was very similar to game 4 of the '05 series that didn't have a run scored until the top of the 8th thanks to a J.D. single that scored Willie Harris.

Although the go ahead run was a 461-ft blast to center instead of a single to center, the end result remained the same with similar spectacular plays in the 9th.

Instead of Juan Uribe diving into the stands to record the second out of the inning, it was Brian Anderson making a great diving catch to end the game, capping the division that seemed so far gone after the 3 game sweep less then a week before.

I have no idea what Ozzie's pitching match-ups for the season will be, but here's my inebriated suggestion:

Game 1: Vazquez
Game 2: Buehrle
Game 3: Floyd
Game 4: Danks
Game 5: Buehrle

Vazquez has been pitching like a fuckface recently, but he has the freshest arm, and if you lose game 1, not a big deal. You'll still have your more consistent 3 ahead of him pitching the rest of the way. I would also have no problem with pitching Clayton Richard (aka Clay Dick) in game 1. Richard seems more likely to have a good 5 innings then Vazquez would given what we've seen lately.

For the first time in 102 years, the Cubs and White Sox will be participating in October, and while I don't really like the Cubs, I'll be watching both teams very closely. Part of me hates the Cubs, and the other part doesn't have a problem with them because so many of my friends are die hard Cubs fans.

I want my friends to get the feeling of winning a World Series, and the other part wants them to go to fall classic only to fall on their fucking face. It's a very fine line with the Cubs. But no matter what happens in the long run: this has been a very special summer in Chicago for the entire city.

May the best team win...and may the White Sox prevail.

The City of Big Shoulders and Tired Arms

HOG Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders:

These were the words penned by Carl Sandberg in the poem "Chicago" 92 years ago. If they were reflecting the current state of Chicago today, it might read something more like this:

Owner of Moo and Oink,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Old Autos,
Players with nagging injuries and sore arms;
Stormy, husky, brawling, (and whatever other adjectives that the Sun-Times likes to describe the weather on any particular day. Today? WAN)
City of Big Shoulders..which might need further examining.

Despite both teams leading or owning a piece of their Central division leads, it's ominous times on both the north and south side. Zambrano heading to the othropedist today. Quentin sitting out with a sore hand. Harden capable of breaking at any moment. Danks looking like Big Brown down the stretch at the Belmont.

Yes, it's not looking good right now. While the Sox have "something missing" according to Ozzie on a cut this morning on Mully and Hanley, the Cubs aren't looking that much better. Sure, they have the best record in the MLB thus far, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have an epic choke like the Mets last year, holding a 7 game lead over the Phillies on September 12th before not making the play-offs.



As we look ahead to the final 3 weeks of the season, the White Sox will have 13 games at home, and 11 on the road if you include today. Their second to last series of the year will be a 3-game set in Minnesota which the Sox do not want to be the deciding factor.

The Cubs will spend 16 of their final 23 on the road, two more 3 games sets against Milwaukee (1 in Chicago, other in Milwaukee).

The city with big shoulders and tired arms is accompanied with nervous thoughts, habitual chain smoking and lots of muttered cursing today.

New Weekend Hours For North Siders Favorite Bar?

That's what Lou Piniella and Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney (Sounds like a law firm to me) are pushing the city of Chicago to consider. With the 20th aniversary of the first night game coming up this Friday, Lou is hoping that the city will be flexible with their schedule:

"There are certain times during the course of a season where exceptions should be made for night games [on weekends]. Not all the time, but look at the schedule and there are a handful of games where you're coming in late in the morning. Like when we came in from Arizona [at 5 a.m.]. You could use a night game on Friday to get your breath a little bit.

We'll see. It makes sense to me."

Makes sense to me too, Lou. Because of the neighborhood, the Cubs are limited to 30 night games a year.

That's funny. I thought it would have been because of incidents involving violence and alcohol.

Can't We Just Get Along?

The scene: Huntley, IL. A seemingly innocent birthday party on a Saturday afternoon. Two year olds are playing, their parents and friends - avid Cubs fans with a few White Sox fans mixed in - are boozing like there's no tomorrow.

You know what pisses me off? Sesame Street. Fuck that stupid Big Bird. If you're a bird, why don't you go fucking fly somewhere? Take snuffle-whatever-the-fuck with you. I'm sooo pissed off right now. Oh look, the Cubs' game is on.

Damnit though, I'm still pissed. Either I'm kicking Big Bird ass, or I'm settling for a Sox fan. Hey, look at this guy..Hey you..you a Sox fan?! Hey Maciej and Blogusaw, this guy likes Sesame Street and the Sox!! Come here you prick!

HUNTLEY, Ill. - McHenry County authorities say three Chicago Cubs fans face felony battery charges after allegedly beating a Chicago White Sox fan so badly he lost his right eye.

The men are accused of beating 32-year-old Robert Steele of Gurnee during a 2-year-old girl's Sesame Street-themed birthday party.

Police said Monday the men were drinking alcohol at the July 19th party and taunting Steele.

They say Steele was kicked in the head and his nose was broken. He stayed several days at an Elgin hospital.

Thirty-one-year-old Jaroslaw Czapla, 37-year-old Boguslaw Czapla and 33-year-old Maciej Trojnar face mob action and aggravated battery charges.

Jaroslaw Czapla's number is unlisted. There were no listings for Boguslaw Czapla or Trojnar.

When I think Key Division Match-Ups, I Think Munson Vs. Big Ern

That's right, both the Cubs and White Sox have a huge four game series on the road with the teams that are nipping on their heels.

I would take the time to expand more on each series, but I have too much actual work to do (and by work, I mean read other people blogs). So, I'll go the lazy route and let Phil Rogers take care of the Cubs-Brewers series. For the White Sox-Twins, I give you Scott Merkin.

Paging Dr. Green: Wood and Contreras Head To DL

Kerry Wood and Jose Contreras will be enjoying the pine for a while as both were sent to the disabled list retroactively. For Wood, a blister on his right index finger means his 12th trip in his career, and one that could be putting my prediction about him going on the DL once for the season in peril. I figured he would be bound to go on there at some point, and this isn't too bad of news for Cubs fans. He's had blisters on the same hand before and returned fine. Were it inflammation or something of that nature, then there would be cause for concern.

Such is the case for Jose Contreras, who is being shut down for Elbow tendenitis after sporting an 8.60 ERA over this last seven starts.

"I wasn't too pleased the way he handled the situation," Guillen said. "He didn't let (trainer) Herm Schneider know, myself or (pitching coach Don) Cooper know, and he continued to pitch that way. When you're hurt, you're not helping the ballclub. I don't want any of my players to go out with pain and try to be a hero.

"I was — I don't want to say upset — a little disappointed when one of my players is hiding stuff for no reason."

Ozzie should be pissed off. If you're fucking hurt, say something. If it's effecting your pitching, take a break. Look at Freddy Garcia when he started having issues. His velocity was way down, and he was getting jacked. Same can be said for Contreras.

The White Sox called up D.J. Carrasco over the weekend, and he pitched 3 scoreless innings yeseterday against Kansas City in the loss. I would tell you more about him, but I was asleep the entire afternoon trying to sleep off the terrible hangover I had from Saturday night. And after that game, I glad I didn't watch because I would have felt shittier.

Let's See How Those Cubs-Sox 08' Predictions Are Going

At the end of March as you may or may not recall, I figured I would make some stupid predictions in which I hoped would come true so I could call myself a genius. With the season entering the second half, let's take a look back at my jackassery (which will probably be changed to a different word because Noce is a word nazi. You worked at the Daily Illni, I get it. Stop giving me your high and mighty bullshit because you use proper nouns.)

WHITE SOX:

Jose Contreras will win 15 games: at 7-6 it's a possibility, but highly unlikely. He should end up pretty close though. Contreras had a better second half last year, but given how shitty he was, that's not hard. You'll recall in 05' he had an absolutely stellar first half, and then cooled off. He's on pace for around 238 IP, and that's not a good thing.

Joe Crede will be on the Sox after the trading deadline: I doubt they would package Crede with the way he's played, and especially with Fields not exactly ripping the cover off the ball in Charlotte. To play Devil's advocate, he's the best trading piece the Sox have right now. I'm not sure where they would need to improve thanks to Alexei Ramirez and the best league ERA for a bullpen.

AJ Pierzynski and Paul Konerko will not be in Sox uniforms by the deadline: Did you hear that? I just punched myself in the nuts. And it was well deserved to think the Sox would trade A.J. Win some, lose some. Fucking awful. Anyways, Konerko is a 10/5 guy (10 years MLB experience, 5 years with the same team) and has the right to veto any trade he doesn't like. Who could use him? How about the Rays? Carlos Pena has spent most of the year on the DL (like Konerko hasn't? just saying though). While they be reluctant to take on that much of a financial commitment, he'd sure as shit be an improvement over Ben Zobrist for the surprising Rays.

CUBS:

Fukudome will struggle for the first half, and turn in a stellar second half to win Rookie of the Year. He came out of the gates hitting every thing, but is now down .279 which isn't too bad. He was project to be in the .280 to .300 range, so he's right there. He also leads all NL rookies with a .383 OBP. However, Geovanny Soto would have to be the front runner for the title.

The Cubs will have the division wrapped up on September 4th: I still think this is the right date. The Cardinals are 4 back, Brewers 5. CC Sabathia is not enough to make up the distance, and the Brew Crew will need to win most of their 10 games upcoming against the Cubs in the second half. While 7 of those will be in Milwaukee including the final 3 of the season, it may not matter by that point.

Finally, the boldest call of them all: Kerry Wood will only go on the 15 day DL once. So far, so good. Same can be said for Wood's performance in the closer's role this year. He's had a couple blown saves, but overall has been very effective.

Cubs Fans, Welcome Kerry Wood Jr.!

He throws his fastball in the upper 90's with ease. He's got a huge K/9IP ratio. But he's been on the DL 6 times since 2005. Thinking about Kerry Wood after this description? Wrong! Look what you've won Chicago, your very own reincarnation of Wood named Rich Harden! Yay!

Harden and Chad Gaudin come to the North Side after parting ways with Matt "the ginger" Murton, Eric Patterson, Sean Gallager and Single A catcher Josh Donaldson.

According to Dave van Dyck from the Tribune, One other scout who watched said Harden has changed since the injuries, throwing "only fastballs and changeups, no sliders or splitters," and that he topped out about 90-92 m.p.h. on the radar gun. Earlier in the year his fastball had been clocked at 94 m.p.h.

Kinda Santana-esque in the fact that he only really throws two pitches, but Harden is no Santana. And he's only throwing in the low 90's, that's not good. Santana is in the 93-95 range, and while it's not a huge difference, every split-second counts.

Harden has had shoulder, elbow, and oblique issues in the past.

I would be cautiously optimistic if I were a Cubs fan. On one hand, you make a statement right back to the Brewers and the rest of the NL Central that you mean business. You get that 2nd starter really need for the postseason.

On the other, Eric Patterson has looked like a hitting machine from what I've seen in a Cubs uniform, and Gallagher has very good stuff. I was never sold on Matt Murton being an everyday starter for the Cubs, so it's good that he gets a chance to do that in Oakland. I don't know anything about the prospect catcher, but I do know that Chad Gaudin has given the Sox fits before in some spot starts.

Just don't expect anything like a Wednesday, May 6th 1998 performance from Harden. He'll give you 5-6 innings every start, and that should be enough to lead to the bullpen.

Speaking of that particular date, you'd swear it was like fucking Kennedy getting shot with Cubs fans' descriptions:

I sitting in my apartment on grace street right off Clark. I had just gotten a thirty pack of Old Style from the Jewel down the street on Southport. It was a warm, beautiful day when number 34, Kid K, earned his nickname. I received 12 phone calls in span of 10 minutes as he piled up the punch outs. It was so magical...

The Funky Old Piniella?

Move over Super Bowl Shuffle. There's a new terrible singer in town, and his name is Louis Victor Piniella. From the fingers of Tribune Cubs Beat Writer Paul Sullivan:

As they began their three-game homestand Tuesday night against Atlanta, the Cubs had the National League's top-ranked offense, its top-ranked pitching staff and its only rapping manager.

Manager Lou Piniella revealed he actually rapped while shooting a TV commercial promoting the upcoming City Series against the White Sox. Is America ready for MC Lou?

"I'm a rap star," he said with a grin

In the words of the Church Lady, well isn't that special. Lou could end up making Jim Jones sound like Jay-Z.

Samardzija To Be The Next Drew Henson?

Longevity. Something that every athlete hopes for in their careers, no matter what the sport. While it's something you can count on more if you're a golfer in terms of physical wellness, in the 3 major US sports it could be here today, gone tomorrow. Of these three, football takes a greater toll then it's mainstream counterparts.

While I can't speak for their reasons, I could imagine that fact played a role for players such as Drew Henson and Joe Mauer who chose the diamond over the gridiron. However, I would argue that baseball is not as clear cut a path as football is, and these two are the perfect examples. Mauer and Henson were top level quarterbacks in high school (Mauer didn't play college football). Look where they are today. Mauer is an all-star for the Twins, and Henson had to retreat back to football after toiling around in the Yankees system. Henson is now looking for work in the NFL after being cut in late October last year by the Jaguars.

Whether former Notre Dame receiver Jeff Samardzija will stand out as a Chicago Cub some day has yet to be seen, he's hit a bit a rough spot right now at Double-A Tennessee:

Tuesday, however, he gave up six runs in five innings to Mississippi in his third consecutive start of allowing six or more runs. Over his last six starts, Samardzija has allowed 27 runs in 251/3 innings for a 9.59 earned-run average, with 26 walks and 17 strikeouts.

This is not to say that he won't or can't turn thing around at this point. He's only been in the Cubs system for about a year now. However, think about the money he turned down when he signed a 5 year, $10 million dollar deal with the Cubs. In 2007, Calvin Johnson signed a 6 year, $64 million dollar deal as the number 2 pick in the draft and first receiver taken. Where Samardzija would have went in the draft is speculatory, however scouts had him as a mid-late first round pick before he inked his contract with the North siders. At the fourteenth pick, Darrelle Revis signed with the Jets for 6 years, $36 million.

That's alot of cash Samardzija missed out on to get 20 bucks a day for food in Kodak, Tennessee. While the path is not as clear to a starting spot in the MLB as it is in the NFL, it appears as though Samardzija could be at a crossroads soon. Joining the ranks of Mauer and others in the mid-July classic, or shuffling from NFL roster to roster hoping to prove himself as a possession receiver who can still go over the middle. Only time will tell.

Mark Cub-an To Visit Wrigley Tonight

With no more playoff basketball to worry about, it appears that Douchebag Extraordinaire Mark Cuban will be heading to Wrigley tonight to curse watch the Cubs and Brewers. Since it appears that Tribune Owner Sam Zell is leaning towards a deal to sell the Cubs to the state, I don't really think it matters what bullshit the dummy tries to pull by heading to the game. He'd probably make a good owner in terms of treating the players right with all the nice amenities and such, but have you seen what he's done with the Mavericks? Jack fucking shit, that's what. Who really gives a shit if they go to playoffs every year? They never get anywhere (but if you think about it, that would be perfect for the Cubs fans since they're so used to it; he's the perfect potential owner!). I don't think thats a direct indictment on Cuban, but at the same time he keeps trudging the same old bullshit out on the court to disappoint season after season. If want to get somewhere other getting your ass handed to you by New Orleans and Golden State, do something about it. Firing Avery Johnson doesn't solve much. Maybe he could give Jim Boylan a call...Anyways...

How much you wanna bet if they announce Cuban being at the Cubs game that the Wrigleyville crowd starts screaming his name and cheering? Just like they did when I was on my way to Sluggers last year and everyone was chanting Jason Kendall's name after the game was over because they had just acquired him in a trade. Seriously, how did that turn out? And while were betting, how much you want to bet some more these pictures turn up after he leaves the game and heads to Red Ivy?

This chick could give a dog a bone..keep it cool, Mark...think about chairs or something

Giggity Giggity Giggity..heh, allllright

A Great Start To The Season For Both Clubs...

It didn't matter whether you were a Cubs fan or a Sox fan yesterday...you were left a punch in the stomach to start the year that leaves you saying there's plenty of season left to go. After a tying 3-run HR from Fukudome in the bottom of the ninth (so much for my claim he might struggle early, but one game does not a month make), Bob Howry put on his Dempster game face blowing the tie for a tenth inning loss.

Fucking Zambrano left the game with soreness or some horse shit, no word on what his story is. Motherfucker better not stabbage my fantasy team, "THE ONE DOG". Yes, I enjoy paying tribute to lesser known players, not just in Chicago. Past examples include OIL CAN BOYD and The Runnin' Reboulets (Still my favorite name).

On the South Side, Mark Buehrle was in 2006 mid-season form getting his ass shelled for an ERA equivical to what it takes to fill my gas tank. There were some good things to draw from this game, though. Masset was awesome in 4 1/3 innings allowing no runs, Thome homered twice which means he shouldn't be dropping off yet. Nicky Swish and Orlando Cabrera got on base 5 times.

But here's what I thought while listening to the game on my portable radio while walking to the train (I carry so much shit in my coat pocket it's not funny..I refuse to carry a workbag). WHY THE FUCK WOULDN'T YOU YANK DOTEL WITH TWO OUTS FOR JENKS?!?! I understand his job is to close with the lead, but you don't have much options when the fucker loads up the bases. Get one fucking out with your best pitcher, head to the ninth with a chance to win so he can shut'em down. Dotel was all over the fucking strike zone. Bad call, Ozzie

Both teams are off today; and I'll have some Bears shit for you coming up around noon.

Bold (Not Smart) Predictions For 2008 Sox and Cubs

What?! Actual sports talk on the Bull? Yeah, I know, seems like a foreign concept given the past couple weeks. But to be honest, there's only so much bitching I care to do. While I do enjoy ranting about how I fucking can't stand Juran Uribe, or cry about how shitty the Bulls have been, I don't feel the need to whine all the time.

We've been trying out some different shit (Would You Rather?, other stupid shit such as We're Pissed, just to make us laugh). Some of it has done alright, the other stuff; not so much. Hey, at least we're tryi...on second thought we've been lazy. What can you do?

Moving on, I would expect alot more sports and shit here with baseball just around the corner. You know what's funny when I think about it? Every upcoming season for Chicago sports in the past year has been like a "Thank fucking God it's finally here"...then after a month the same feeling of waiting comes around.

Well, here's to hoping this season provides at least a longer relief. I'm cautiously optimistic with the Sox this year. I don't expect much out of them, and honestly I think sometimes its better to lower expectations so that you're not let down. That said, I think the Sox will be better. How much better? Only time will tell. So let us wait no further as me and Noce unveil our Bold Predictions for the year on the north and south side:


WHITE SOX:


- Jose Contreras will win 15 games. Boy this one is really going to bite me in the ass if I'm wrong. But if I could bet on this Vegas, I guarantee I'd have some good odds with which to bet. Reasons being:


- Contreras has looked good so far in the spring. That doesn't mean jack shit, but from what I've seen and heard, his stuff has looked better. His split-finger fastball has improved and he'll have to believe he's better then what he showed last year.


- All the divorce shit is out the window. I don't have any idea of exactly how going through a divorice would fuck with you, and I hope never have to. But I have to believe it takes quite a toll. When you only have your job to focus on, it should make a difference.

Now, 15 games is as much of a stretch as it would be for me to make Jim Boylan coach of the year, but fuck it, if I'm right, at least I can say I called it.

- Joe Crede will be on the Sox after the trading deadline. But not after the waiver deadline. I don't see Crede doing any better then the slump he's been in once the season starts. What does that mean? The trade value will not be there...at all. Unless Kenny is content with another fucking Iguchi for Michael Dubee-like trade, the Sox are not going to get the offers they'll want. While I would rather have Fields up and playing, Crede had to yo-yo back and forth a couple times before he finally came up and stayed. Disheartening? Yes. But you can't not play Crede at all. Benching him would make him worth complete dick.



AJ Pierzynski and Paul Konerko will not be in Sox uniforms by the deadline.
The talk of the Sox trading Paulie has been going on for quite some time, and I think this is it for him on the South Side. The Sox will realize that Gavin Floyd and John Danks can't get the job done. Therefore, they will trade both for a starter and a prospect. While Toby Hall is not ready, and this is a complete reach for AJ being traded, injuries happen. It's called taking a fucking guess every now and then.

Fukudome will struggle for the first half, and turn in a stellar second half to win Rookie of the Year.
Most of the Japanese players who have come to America in their first year actually do really well. Ichiro hit .350 in 2001 and won the MVP. Hideki Matsui hit .287, 16 HR's and 106 RBI's. Iguchi his .278 with 15 HR's and 71 RBI's. While Fukudome has been projected to be a .280 hitter with 15-20 HR's and 70-80 RBI's, I think he'll have a tough time adjusting right away, especially if he hits an early slump. However, he's shown flashes of what he can do this spring, and I think we'll be talking about him a lot in July and August.

The Cubs will have the division wrapped up on September 4th. I randomly picked the date, but I will say no later then September 10th that Cubs fans can start wasting their money on their back-to-back NL Central Champs shirts. This is the shittiest division in baseball, and the Brewers are their only competition. Outside of Ben Sheets, the Brewers have no pitching. None. Chris Capuano's going have to get a 2nd Tommy John surgery. Jeff Suppan is washed up. This will be the biggest cakewalk in baseball.

Finally, the boldest call of them all: Kerry Wood will only go on the 15 day DL once. If this were to happen, you can fucking guarantee I will trumpet the fact loud. If Wood stays healthy, I'm calling 40+ saves.

Are these predicitons good? Not really, but that's not to say I won't connect on a few. One of my favorite sales sayings goes something like "Picking just one time to advertise is like blindly throwing a dart at a dartboard, you could hit something good, or you could hit nothing at all".

Well, I'm throwing a few darts here, let's hope I get my money's worth. Feel free to make your predictions in the comments section; we'll bring'em back up in a few months to see how were doing.

Uh-Oh...Lou's Getting Pissed Already

As of today, we're currently 25 days away and counting for the start of the Cubs 2008 season, but already the cantankerous Cubs manager is getting sick of losing after the Cubs blew a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning to lose 5-4 yesterday and drop to 2-5 in spring training...

"I'm getting tired of losing ballgames, even in spring training. I don't like the idea of our pitching staff getting hit around, whether it's spring training of playing tiddly winks"

Are you kidding, Lou? You've got 25 games left in March if you include two split-squad games left, and you're already bitching? These games are about as meaningful as a Sunday morning Hallmark movie on WE. Probably even less important then a 1st quarter of a NBA regular season game in November. No one likes to lose, but you've really got to put things in perspective, here. Are Ed Campusano and Tim Lahey going to figure in to bullpen plans anytime soon? Obviously before their shitty performances probably not, but now your decision is even easier then it was already.

You should be dwelling on the positives here, Lou. Zambrano pitched 3 innings of one hit ball while striking out 3. Hill also pitched 3 innings, only allowing 1 earned run. Fukudome's looking good. Hell, even Dempster hasn't looked bad in his starting role thus far. With the exception of minor injuries to Soriano (broken finger) and Ramirez, (sore shoulder) your team is healthy and you're in a shitty division which should be yours for the taking.

While Mully and Hanley brought up a good point I heard on 670 the Score about not assuming their going to just take the division by storm (Bears and Bulls this year), the truth is their division is weaker then their fellow city sports companions.

Someone needs to get Lou an Aquafina, quick:

While Lou's done a good job with his plate throwing, hat and dirt kicking antics, he's going to have to step his game up if he ever wants to top the greatest meltdown on the North Side:

Seriously Cubs Fans, You'd Rather Have Lieber Start Over Marquis?

So I was on ChicagoSports.com reading the different headlines when I saw today's poll question:

The top of the Cubs starting rotation is practically set with Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster (yikes) and Rich Hill. Who's your choice for the fifth starter?

- Jon Lieber

- Jason Marquis

- Sean Marshall

To me, this seemed like a no brainer. You're talking about a guy who ate up 191 innings for you and went 12-9. Sure he games he got his ass handed to him; who doesn't? But the results surprised me:

LIEBER: 50.6%

MARQUIS: 14.5%

MARSHALL: 34.9%

ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? MARSHALL ABSOLUTELY BLOWS!!!! I wouldn't even begin to think for a minute that Cubs' fans would seriously vote for that ass clown. That guys' curve ball is worse then mine. I don't of anyone who throws more meat over the plate. Here's a look at the last two years between Lieber and Marquis:

MARQUIS:

2006: STL: 14-16 194.3 IP 221 H 136 R 130ER 35HR 75 BB 96 K 6.02 ERA 1.523 WHIP

2007: CHC: 12-9 191.7 IP 190 H 111R 98ER 22HR 76BB 109K 4.60 ERA 1.388 WHIP

LIEBER:

2006: PHI: 9-11 168.0 IP 196H 100 R 92ER 27HR 24BB 100K 4.93 ERA 1.310 WHIP

2007: PHI: 3-6 78.0IP 91H 44R 41ER 7HR 22BB 54K 4.73ERA 1.449 WHIP

When you breakdown the numbers, neither one really stands out abover the other, except for the innings and age factor (obviously not depicted above). Marquis is a horse, and only turns 30 this year. Lieber is entering his 14th season, and turns 38 in a little over a month.

If it were me as the Cubs fan, I would personally want Marquis to at least start in the fifth spot, and keep Lieber fresh for further on in the season. Well, I've made my case for Marquis; make yours for Lieber.