After the implosion of the Cubs this past week - I maintain that they truly didn’t lose, they gave the series to the Dodgers with passion-less play. In fact, I would say that they lost the series after James Loney’s grand slam in Game 1… they never looked good after that and played as if they were going to lose the series.
Anyhow, Page 2 has a great way of bringing humor to the situation with this fake facebook page.
At the beginning of the season I made my season predictions and fared pretty well sweeping the National League and missing out on the Devil Rays, Tigers, and Indians in the American League. I actually picked 6 of the 8 teams… not too shabby.
I’m not sure anyone really saw the Devil Rays come through like they did in the East, but it’s certainly an exciting story to follow in the postseason. That’s why I’m picking them in 5 over the White Sox. I think the White Sox are a dangerous postseason team and have the potential to go a long way, but they are also prone to massive cold streaks. I think the Devil Rays have the best possibility of taking them down early on.
Devil Rays v. White Sox
Devils Rays in 5
Angels v. Red Sox
With the Red Sox struggling with injuries to their pitching staff and a Manny-less existence in the playoffs, I’m not sure what kind of team we’ll see the post season. I like the Angels, but they played in arguably the worst division in baseball. I think these two teams might be more alike than not. I’m going to say this one goes the distance as well, but the Angels will prevail in 5.
Angels in 5
Angels v. Devil Rays
The Angels bullpen is too good, and their offense can be flat out destructive when they’re together. I think the Angles win it in 6.
Angels in 6
Phillies v. Brewers
The Brewers scuffled into the post season, and Ben Sheets has been completely shut down. Their starting rotation for a short series is in disarray, and they have major bullpen issues. I have a hard time seeing the Brewers even taking a game from the Phillies who look better than the have in a long time… but Sabathia will more than likely win a game for them. I think the Phils may be one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs this year.
Phillies in 4.
Cubs v. Dodgers
I hope the Cubs don’t overestimate the Dodgers. They have a decent starting rotation, a great bullpen, and a fair lineup with the addition of Manny. The Cubs however, are the most balanced team in baseball… when clicking on all cylinders. The Cubs were my preseason pick to win the world series and the Dodgers certainly aren’t going to sway my original pick.
Cubs in 4.
Phillies v. Cubs
This could go down as an epic battle between two very good teams. The Phillies bullpen is equal to the Cubs, however they have the advantage with Brad Lidge who’s had a perfect season thus far. The Phillies have a more potent offense, while the Cubs is more balanced (5 with 20 HR’s). The Cubs have a better starting rotation, but the Phillies rotation isn’t shabby. This could go down as an amazing series.
Cubs in 7.
Angels v. Cubs
Once the Cubs make it this far there’s no turning back. I think at this point they show their dominance.
Cubs in 6 (Picked in the preason—can’t turn back now!)
My recent trip to Great America Ballpark in Cincinnati to see a Reds game is just one more check off the list to see a baseball game in every ballpark in my lifetime. However, not all stadiums are created equal. In fact, some just flat out suck. So, here is my rankings for the stadiums I’ve seen games in. The criteria for ranking the experience is four-fold: Connectedness with baseball history; Fans interaction with each other and with the game; Uniqueness; Overall design.
So here’s the current list.
1] Wrigley Field: There isn’t a stadium like it in all of baseball. In fact, it seems to be the model that many of the newer parks are attempting to replicate in some way. It is ripe with history standing as the second oldest stadium in the majors - and perhaps one of the more interesting facts about Wrigley Field: it took a month and a half to build. It is a simple, unique design from the ivy to the manual scoreboard atop center field, and maintaining the old charm of organ music. The seventh inning stretch is the best in the majors and the fans are incredible. Wrigley Field stands above the rest in a big way! (P.S. don’t forget the trough’s!)
2] AT&T Park: Home of the San Francisco Giants this is the best new park I’ve been to hands down. In fact, it would be easy to call this the best park because of how beautiful it is. In the background is a beautiful view of the Bay and the Oakland Bay Bridge, McCovey cove is a spectacular innovation with the kayaks waiting for the illusive home run ball, and although it’s not a historical ballpark, it certainly incorporates a tremendous sense of history throughout the stadium. I truly love watching games in this park!
3] New Busch Stadium: It’s hard to admit, but I actually really like the New Busch Stadium. It’s got a great view of the city of St. Louis in the outfield, and the fans are really great. The food is amazing, the seats are great, and it truly is an enjoyable experience.
4] Miller Park: Even though it’s got a retractable roof that makes a horrendous sound, and the biggest piece of history rattling around is an All Star Game that ended in a tie, there isn’t a bad seat in the place! The views are amazing and the 6th inning sausage race is one of a kind. The fans are great as of late (since there’s a team to actually root for) and the design is great for a new stadium.
5] Kauffman Stadium: This is the best stadium from the 70’s that has an amazing outfield view. It probably helps that when I visited Sosa hit 2 homeruns, but it was an exciting place to visit…
6] The Ballpark at Arlington: This is one of the better new parks that I’ve visited. It’s got great outfield seating and has a great “old” ball park feel to it. The fans weren’t spectacular, but the ball park certainly was.
7] US Cellular Field: A space ship has landed on the south side of Chicago. It was poorly designed aesthetically and I’m not really sure what the gigantic lollipops adorning the scoreboard are all about, but they’re not good. The Cell is simply utilitarian and not beautifully designed. It doesn’t connect well with history and although the fans are great and can bring the stadium alive, they can also make a game a real bore and simply sit idly by. A funny note about it’s design: it had to be renovated nearly 10 years after opening because of faulty design. The cost to build=$167 million… the cost of renovation=$118 million. Poor design led to massive costs only 10 years later.
8] Old Busch Stadium: This was perhaps one of the ugliest, stadiums of all-time. I’ve seen several games here, and even though there were some good experiences, the travesty of design and turf can’t outweigh what good times there may have been. The circular design blocked any good views of the city—thankfully that was rectified with New Busch. At least the fans are always into the game! That certainly bumped it up on the list.
9] Great American Ballpark: 16,860. That was the number in attendance the night I went to watch a game at the “Great” American Ballpark. It’s perhaps one of the ugliest “new” parks out there… the steamboat in center field is hideous, the scoreboards are in horrible locations, and the fans just simply don’t have it. It was an okay experience, but the ballpark is one of the worst I’ve been to.
10] Dodger Stadium: There is some good history here in Chavez Ravine, however there’s not much to look at. It’s a hard stadium to navigate your way through and there is simply no view. The fans leave after the 7th inning and there are police officers patrolling the grounds at every corner—not the seemingly family friendly ballpark you might be hoping for.
So, this is it… my run as a fan is over. I enjoyed the six championship runs but was always flustered with how Jerry Reinsdorf ran off Michael Jordan in the first place and prematurely dismantled a dynasty. I enjoyed the unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Finals led by Pippen in the absence of MJ, and the unexpected run a couple of years ago led by Hinrich and Gordon. But those days are long gone and for some reason I have continued to root for a team owned and led by Jerry Reinsdorf (what was I thinking!) Alas, the thrill is gone.
If I had been wiser as a child and realized who owned the Bulls maybe I wouldn’t have found myself in this place… perhaps I would’ve found myself rooting for a team that actually had competent ownership, or at least learned how to utilize and maximize their resources for the good of the game and the good of the fan… but no… I got stuck with Bumbledorf.
So, today it is official… no longer will I root for the Bulls, no longer will I care about the number 1 draft pick that I screamed out loud about when the little board was flipped to reveal the bulls logo… no longer will I root for anything associated with Jerry Bumbledorf. It’s over. And as hard of a break-up this is for me… it’s for the best.
I’m taking applications now… what team should I root for… what team should I care about… or should I even bother? With new allegations of refs fixing the playoffs is there any reason to even care? Should I just begin focusing on the Illini and other college basketball teams?
So, I leave it to you the reader… who should I root for? Who should be the team of choice? If any…
This time last year I picked the Red Sox to win the World Series… this year I’m not nearly as confident in choosing the champion for the 2008 season. I am, however, extremely excited that baseball season is finally here! I’ve loved watching a few games here and there throughout the week, catching bits and pieces of Cubs games as they appear on tv (I have yet to have the time to sit through an entire game), and of course—hope springs eternal. So, here are my season predictions for 2008.
P.S. *This season marks the 35 anniversary of the demise of baseball in its purest form.
The National League is extremely competitive this year, and it was extremely difficult to pick the division winners as well as the choosing the Brewers to come out on top in the Wild Card race, however that’s as far as I think they’ll get this year. Of all the teams, I think the Cubs will come out on top in the playoffs and make their way to the World Series. The American League, however, isn’t nearly as balanced as the NL, but I think the Cleveland Indians are the team to beat and even though they won’t win their division they’re built for the post-season. So, I’m picking the Cubs to match up against the Indians. It’s great theater and a dream match-up to see the two perennial losers face off against each other to see who can end their championship drought.
In this case, I’ll take the Cubs over the Indians and an end to 100 years of futility.
What do you think? (Let the berating begin.)
The annual draft for the Lincoln League was this past weekend and we all got together for one heck of a time in the club house of my apartment complex. It’s always a fun time to see everyone from college, do a little catching up, argue about past arguments, talk a little baseball, and this time we even played a little Guitar Hero (man that game is hard!)
So, here’s my draft results: We’re an NL-only keeper league with 9 teams. You can keep up to 6 players (I kept the max), 5×5 category scoring rotisserie style, 25 man rosters, 9 starting offensive spots, 7 starting pitching slots and a salary cap of 260…
This may go down in history as my best draft ever… it’s certainly the most balanced offensive, and pitching team I’ve ever assembled and on paper I’m slated to tie the league for first with John Mark… we’ll see how that turns out in the end and if I can maintain, or self-destruct. (I also have the best infield, by far… outfield is just above average.)
So, here’s this years team: Jesus’ Troopers
keepers are in italics
C - Russell Martin (LAD)
1B - Ryan Howard (PHI)
2B - Chase Utley (PHI)
3B - Ryan Zimmerman (WAS)
SS - Jose Reyes (NYM)
OF - Shane Victorino (PHI)
OF - Josh Willingham (FLA)
OF - Randy Winn (SF)
UTIL - Geoff Jenkins (PHI)
Bench - Ryan Freel (CIN)
Bench - Chad Tracy (ARI)
Bench - Dallas McPherson (FLA)
Bench - Andre Ethier (LAD)
SP - Roy Oswalt (HOU)
SP - John Maine (NYM)
RP - Rafael Soriano (ATL)
RP - Trevor Hoffman (SD)
P - Barry Zito (SF)
P - Oliver Perez (NYM)
P - Tom Gorzelanny (PIT)
Bench - Noah Lowry (SF)
Bench - Jeff Suppan (MIL)
Bench - Franklin Morales (COL)
Bench - Jason Marquis (CHC)
Bench - Carlos Villanueva (MIL)
My draft strategy was brilliant this year, I must say… and this team is extremely balanced. I did, however, break one of my top rules for this years draft—don’t bid on any Cincinnati Reds due to Dusty Baker as manager… especially the rookies! I picked up Ryan Freel for cheap, and hopefully he’ll make decent trade-bait towards the trading deadline to pick up a decent offensive or pitching weapon in a multi-player deal… but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Here’s to imaginary (fantasy) baseball and another great year!
The megalomaniac known as Alex Rodriguez speaks…
“I have two daughters. Well, I have one and one on the way in April. If I had a daughter, I’d want her to marry Andy Pettitte. The age difference might be a little awkward, but in this day and age, anything’s possible.”—Alex Rodriguez.
What’s wrong with this guy?
today is a good day… the official end of winter (at least in my book).
the baseball season is upon us!
today is the first day of the year and the rose bowl is upon us! it’s been a long time since illinois made it out to pasadena for their appearance in the granddaddy of them all… but today they are there and i can’t wait to see them play against USC. everyone (including the vegas odds-makers) are completely writing illinois off as a fluke, completely undeserving of this bowl bid. but lest they forget, this is the same illinois team that went into ohio state (one of the teams in the national championship game) and beat them rather easily. USC is a great team, arguably better than ohio state, but the orange and blue could stun the nation today… that’s what i’m looking forward to watching!
3:30 central time can’t come soon enough!
(p.s. ~ there nothing like watching lou holz give his locker room speech on college gameday and having it addressed to the illini… never thought i’d see that day!)
four… four massive turnovers that were extremely costly and should have ended in scores of some sort. one… a 29 yard missed field goal in the first half. and a game plan that didn’t do much until the third quarter—that is before the slew of turnovers changed the game. the game was close for about 3 seconds… and illinois had a chance in the third quarter… but they blew it. i should’ve known it would happen, and a part of me deep down inside knew it was going to happen i just didn’t want to listen.
one thing is for certain, usc is a lot better looking that ohio state. usc deserves to be in the national championship game, but until there’s a playoff system in college football (which still blows my mind that it hasn’t happened yet) a team not only has to be nearly undefeated, they also have to lose that game or two early in the year and hope that they stay healthy. this isn’t how you determine a national champion. there’s too much luck involved and good fortune needed for something like that to take place. whoever wins the national championship this year will be just as disputed as all the past 4. this has got to change… but i’m sure it’ll be another decade or so before they realize that it is possible to have a playoff system with the bowl games included during the month and a half break that they currently take between thanksgiving and new years.
one last observation… i didn’t realize pete carroll was such a saint. abc certainly has a major crush on him. i was getting kind of tired of listening about how wonderful he is.
She stands alone on the corner of Clark and Addison
This dowager queen, dressed in black and pearls
75 years old
Proud head held high
And not a hair out of place
Awaiting yet another date with destiny
Another time for Mr. RightShe dreams, as old ladies will
Of men gone long ago
Joe Tinker
Johnny Evers
Frank ChanceAnd of those of recent vintage
Like her man Ernie
And The Lion
And Sweet Billy WilliamsAnd she thinks wistfully of what might have been
And the pain is still fresh and new
And her eyes fill
Her lips tremble
And she shakes her head ever so slightlyAnd then she sighs
Pulls her shall tightly around her frail shoulders
And thinks
“This time.”
“This time it will be better.”~ Vin Scully on Wrigley Field. October, 1989
