Serafini Says...

Is Brian Hanley Gay?

2010-03-25T16:56:00.003-05:00

Just askin.'

30 Ballparks I Have Been To

2009-03-25T16:13:00.002-05:00

Wrigley Field
PNC Park
Coors Field
Safeco Field
SBC Park
Anaheim Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Jack Murphy Stadium
Royals Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium
Comerica Park
Riverfront Stadium
Great American Ballpark
Busch Stadium
New Busch Stadium
Fenway Park
Comiskey Park
U.S. Cellular Field
Miller Park
Three Rivers Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Fulton County Stadium
Enron Field
Astrodome
Joe Robbie Stadium
Bank One Ballpark
Skydome
Olympic Stadium
Metrodome
Shea Stadium

Dan Serafini leads Soccer County in Upset Baseball Victory over Hockey Country

2009-03-09T21:32:00.007-05:00

Dan Serafini, last seen being banned for using steroids after stops in Japan and the 2007 Rockies expanded September roster, beat Team Canada for Team Italy. Using the loosest rules, the native of California started for Italy and went three innings for a team whose batting coach is Mike Piazza.

Couldn't be bothered to check Italy's roster, but I bet not too many spent any significant time in the country. They beat a pretty good Canadian lineup actually, and a team that played the U.S. real close.

I enjoy the World Baseball Classic, and would love to spend some quality time in a Caribbean ballpark in March 2013, when they do this again.

Knowing that my alter ego, or is it the other way around is still playing makes me really enjoy it. Another great thing, Lee Arthur Smith is the pitching coach for South Africa, who are on the verge of elimination by Mexico as I type.

The End of the 2008 Cubs: An Exercise in Catharsis

2008-10-13T20:00:00.004-05:00

I was fearful of the 5 game series all season, and knew that the whole thing could come crashing down in 4 days. I was optimistic, but realistic. The LA team the Cubs played early this year was nothing like the team that went ~16-7 in September, and had dominating pitching from Lowe and Billingsley. The Cubs played their best baseball in June-early August.

Game 1 - I had told people that all it would take is one early HR to deflate the ballpark, and that Dempster, while good/very good all year, was never really dominant. The crowd wasn’t really that hyped at gametime, which may have been because it was 530p, and when Dempster kept walking guys (he wasn’t getting squeezed, he was wild), you knew it was a matter of time. Sho’ nuf, the grand slam ended the game, and the crowd knew it.

Game 2 – I was confident that Zambrano (on long rest) would pitch well, and the 830p start meant a much more lively crowd pre-game. They played Going the Distance from Rocky as Z ended his warmups and went to the dugout, and the crowd was as loud and electric as I can remember at Wrigley. Very positive energy. Z then blew the Dodgers away in the 1st, and in the second gave up a lead off single, then got three straight double play balls. The first was a single that went through shortstop, as Theriot was covering second on a hit and run. Bad break. The next two batters hit routine ground balls that DeRosa and Lee booted. Inexcusable. Then Furcal bunts for a hit. Then Martin hits a ringing double. 5-0, all unearned, but they count. Game over, series over.

Game 3 – I resisted all efforts to get me to a bar to watch, and the Long Haired Filipino Dogwalker and I watched at my house. I told LHFD that if the Cubs don’t take the lead early, they lose. Dodgers get a two-out RBI hit in the first, and it was done for. The body language of the Cubs was awful, like a late-era Knight IU team during an early round loss to Pepperdine.

As far as the offense, I always believed that pitching and defense win in the post-season, as only the good pitchers pitch. The fact that the Cubs didn’t get hits (in any situation) was not surprising, as they faced a good staff that was peeking.

They won most of their games by scoring 5+ runs, and you cannot or should not expect that in the post season. You need to catch the ball and make good pitches on good hitters. The Cubs did neither.

Neither Soriano or anyone else here is catching flack, but I am avoiding coverage, so who knows. He is who he is, and I had no expectations of October greatness from him.

As my brother and I talked about the 2009 Cubs during the end of Game 2, I think Lee is a guy who is expendable. He never expresses a great love of the fan base (sometimes the opposite), has seemed distracted (rightfully so, his daughter is going blind) all year, and spoke openly about the pressure the team felt after Game 3. There was a tangential reference to him going (possibly to San Francisco) in the Tribune’s ‘look ahead’ article I read.

Ah, that felt better. That is the most I talked/wrote about since it happened. Thanks for the catharsis.

(I am looking forward to the expansion IU Hoosier bball team. They could be OK, like .500, and a victory over Illinois, I think, is possible)

More Evidence That the Brewers are Weak Minded

2008-09-12T16:59:00.003-05:00

The Brewers' Corey Hart said it was great to escape the boo-birds in Milwaukee and get to a more serene place -- ehhhhh, Philadelphia? "Actually, it felt more like a home game than playing in Miller Park," Hart said. "We didn't hear the boos that we sometimes hear at home. … A guy makes an error, a guy strikes out, and you hear your hometown booing you. It makes you ready to get out of there and go somewhere else for a while. I think we're all looser here."

Todd Rundgren's 'Stood Up'

2008-09-04T16:04:00.005-05:00

When I found we could have some brains
I was the first in line, cause we were, like
Dragging our knuckles along the ground

(dragging our knuckles along the ground)

Ever since, I've been convinced that every

Sacred thought is mine, and you were still

Dragging your knuckles along the ground

(dragging your knuckles along the ground)

Cause I think I'm there, dude

(don't get ahead of yourself)

I think I'm there, dude (Already high)

And when they asked us who will lead

I thought it surely must be me

But I stood up too fast(I stood up too fast)

Because as soon as I was boss

The next one in line took my head clean off

Cause I stood up too fast(I stood up too fast)

I was barely in my teens when I decided I was tired

Of always like dragging my knuckles along the ground

(dragging my knuckles along the ground)

So with all due haste I based until I got so freakin wired

Forgot I was dragging my knuckles along the ground

(dragging my knuckles along the ground)

I thought I was there, dude (you'll got ahead of yourself)

I thought I was there, dude

Already high

And when they asked for volunteers

I must have thought they said 'drink beers'

And I stood up too fast(I stood up too fast)

I can imagine things that can't possibly exist

And then I add them to an ever-expanding list

And when I've solved every significant test there is

Then I'll move on no matter how many clues I've missed

It's so easy to be smart but it's a struggle to be wise

You shouldn't be always throwing your weight around

(always throwing your weight around)

It's much better to be humble than to have a big hat size

Or you'll be just begging somebody to take you down

(begging somebody to take you down)

And you'll be nowhere, man (you got ahead of yourself)

And you'll be nowhere, man

Already high

And right before your very eyes

I have ignored my own advice

Cause I stood up too fast

(I stood up too fast)

And nobody has the slightest choice

But to put up with my droning voice

When I stood up too fast

(I stood up too fast)

From Illini Red Shirt to Champaign County Orange Suit?

2008-07-29T13:35:00.005-05:00

An arrest warrant has been issued for Illinois basketball player Jamar Smith after prosecutors filed paperwork to revoke his probation for allegedly drinking alcohol.

The 21-year-old Peoria man is serving two years of probation after pleading guilty last year to felony driving under the influence causing great bodily harm. He drove a car into a tree in February 2007, injuring former teammate Brian Carlwell.

Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz says the warrant was issued after police investigated an incident outside a campus bar called Fubar. Details weren't immediately available.

Smith is a junior guard who sat out last season after his guilty plea.
Illinois coach Bruce Weber wasn't immediately available for comment.

He later said, "I run a scummy program, and I cannot even recruit. What do you want from me?"

Too Bad He's Dead...George Carlin

2008-06-23T20:23:00.004-05:00

The first two minutes of this clip are the truest words I have ever heard.

Bruce Weber Sucks Cock...Don't Put that on the Internet

2008-06-20T13:45:00.005-05:00

Major league whiner, minor league coach, and a man who effectively blew off his mother's death, makes the obvious point that Indiana will struggle because of developments in the program.

Funny Guy Weber told the Peoria Star: The league should be wide open and we can be right in the middle of it. I do know one thing, though. I think Indiana will suck. Don't put that on the Internet."

This is also the same coach that punished Jamar Smith, who left his teammate for dead after a drunken driving accident, by forcing him to redshirt.

What will the NCAA do with IU?

2008-06-09T23:43:00.002-05:00

The NCAA will give IU a strong talking to, wag their finger, shake their collective head disappointingly and issue sanctions that will involve everything and anything but the one thing that would effect the NCAA's bottom line: TV and/or Tournament bans.

There is a reason that IU is on CBS a maximum number of times per season, and never get the early morning first round tournament times: TV ratings. That's me being cynical.

IU, for its part, will point a finger at Sampson ,who I suppose is a scumbag, but not more so than the people still at IU who enabled him.

They, and Tom Crean (for completely different yet equally selfish reasons), hope the story goes away and we can then focus on the literal sinkhole that is IU football, which features their version of Mike Davis, a suspended star, and increased capacity for a stadium that is, on its best days, half full.

It's Official: Indiana Football (Field) Sucks

2008-06-08T10:02:00.004-05:00

The Indy Star reports that the IU football field was damaged when a sinkhole developed under the fake turn field on top of due to heavy rains in the Bloomingville area.

I do think it is symbolic, as it will be the way every story about the 4-8 2008 Hoosiers will begin. Well, at least I know that now and can focus my attention elsewhere, as I had planned anyway when I heard Kellen Lewis was suspended.

I do blame Greenspan for this, too, as this had to be foreseeable, and especially if insurance doesn't cover the potential $1M damages. And, not just some of it.

Perhaps this bad dancer can blame the dance floor.

Too Bad He's Dead...Sydney Pollack

2008-05-27T08:25:00.002-05:00

He was a great and famed director, but to me, these two scenes from Tootsie were my favorite work by Sydney Pollack...

Oops, I couldn't find the second scene, when Dorothy Michaels meets her agent at the Russian Tea Room.

Back in First...To Stay

2008-05-13T08:26:00.004-05:00

I really think this is the first day that the Cubs stay in first place, and they will stay there until late September (when the regular season ends). With Zambrano pitching with the precisely right amount of emotion, and his hitting, this team seems poised to go on another roll.

Of course, as Earl Weaver said, momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher.

Just Say No to Jim Edmonds

2008-05-13T08:20:00.003-05:00

Is Lou Piniella really that frustrated with Felix Pie that he would push (or agree to) the signing of Jim Edmonds? He is batting a woeful .178 with 24 strikeouts in 90 AB. He is slugging .233 and is no longer the outfielder that Pie is. Yes, Pie has a higher percentage of strikeouts, but is hitting .233 and is slugging .286, and is the far superior outfielder.

If, as it appears, the team insists on signing Mr. Fake Hustle, give him 2 weeks, tops, to show he is better than the younger Pie.

I guess this is when you give Piniella the benefit of the doubt, but...

Alexis Marshall's Husband Gets 1st MLB Save

2008-04-10T08:41:00.007-05:00

In a game that championship teams win, the Cubs overcame unclutch relief pitching to beat the Pirates in 15 innings. And, who picked up his first major league save? The favorite pitcher of a certain Phoenix television personality...

Kudos to Ryan Dempster for his incredible one-hit pitching over seven innings and Feliz Pie for keeping his head up and getting the big hit in the 15th.

Frank Deford Column about the Dying Olympics

2008-04-09T13:04:00.004-05:00

There is something wonderfully ironic about the Olympic torch, which is making its journey around the world with what appears to be, a big "KICK ME" sign on it for China.

Ah, what goes around ...

The torch was conjured up out of whole cloth by the Nazis for the 1936 Berlin Games, and then embedded in our dreamy Olympic consciousness by the magnificent gossamer photography of Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's favorite movie maker. Now, three-quarters of a century later, the torch has come back as an unexpected curse to haunt another totalitarian government to which the International Olympic Committee has hitched its wagon.

The ignominy that China is going to endure with protests, which will cling like moths to the torch e're it goes, will far exceed whatever positive attention China might receive when the Olympics are in the world limelight for a fortnight in the dead of summer.

The reflected heat from the torch uproar will also help expose what a humbug the IOC can be. This is the organization that loves to call itself a "movement." Come on, would we accept it at face value if baseball commissioner Bud Selig stood up and crowed about the "Major League Baseball Movement?" Would we bow our heads if Mayor Oscar Goodman asked us to pay homage to the "Las Vegas Strip Movement?" Get serious.

There's no real difference, but only the IOC still calls itself a movement and gets away with it. Hey, it's no more than an international cartel that puts on a big show every four years. It's just NASCAR with accents. And to tell you the truth, I think the Olympics are yesterday's party. Once upon a time -- before globalism and jet airplanes and cyberspace -- bringing athletes together quadrennially in one place might have made sense. Today, it's an unnecessary excess. And while insular Americans may not understand this, soccer's World Cup has become much more important to many more people worldwide.

The Olympics has really ended up as a festival for those sports that nobody much cares about for the other three years and 50 weeks. The showcase is track and field, but how many of you can even name a single American track athlete in this year's Games? How many of you can name a single track athlete from any nation? The Olympics is a symphony orchestra without the violins and brass.

But hooray for all the Olympic athletes. Please, everybody, just threaten to boycott, but let the athletes all go to Beijing and have their day in the smog. It was so unfair when, in 1980, President Carter sacrificed our Olympians to make a point against the Soviet Union. But as the torch wends its way, spreading the bad news, I really think we might be seeing more than a censure of China. We may also be witness to the start of the Olympics' real decline.
I love London. I wish it hadn't got itself stuck with the 2012 Games. I love Chicago. I hope it gets lucky and doesn't get stuck with the 2016 Games. Every dog has its day. No movement is perpetual.

I met Frank Deford at an obscure sporting event, and, at the time, he was much more positive towards the "Olympic Movement" or at least the "athletes." I agree with everything he says except about the idea of a boycott. Boycott these Games, and the athletes can find something better to do with their lives. Like anything.

WWW.FIRETOMCREAN.COM

2008-04-03T20:43:00.002-05:00

The post title is simply to catch Google traffic, but I think this was a smart hire, blah blah blah. For me, the best part of this is that my brother-in-law is the spitting image of Coach Crean.

Well, this has me relieved. Ted Kitchel is OK with this hire. After telling anyone that would listen that he wouldn’t let Kelvin Sampson coach a seventh grade girls team, he let the Indiana Daily Student know that he was gratified that Crean would give him a call.

Another self-righteous guy stuck in his Glory Days, Kent Benson, even got a shout out at the beginning of Crean’s press conference, which is unfortunately some lip service he is forced to pay. I guess he had to say that before he announced he would not be running the precious motion offense. Benson, you may remember, stopped going to IU games to protest Sampson. Like anyone gives a shit what this has-been has to say. If he was such a hero, he would not have lost his campaign for state Secretary of State.

Jay Bilas Calls Rick Greenspan "Incompetent"

2008-03-28T15:45:00.005-05:00

On Tony Kornheiser's radio show today, Jay Bilas was asked about Bruce Pearl and the Indiana job. He said, "Indiana is a little bit disfunctional right now. And, honestly Tony, I wouldn't work for that athletic director for any amount of money. I don't think he's competent." This echoes John Feinstein's sentiments when Sampson was hired.

Unfortunately, since he's on the 'blue ribbon committee,' he will certainly be around for a while. It also means that IU will take the safer (and reasonable to me) choice of Tony Bennett over Pearl.

Dick or Rod or Johnson...Johnson?

2008-03-25T13:29:00.004-05:00

The Cubs have added the right handed Reed Johnson to platoon with Felix Pie in centerfield. A good pickup, it says here. I was at Skydome on Father's Day 2003, and Johnson hit a tenth inning walk off home run off Mark Guthrie. Is it Opening Day Yet?

With a Whimper

2008-03-22T01:36:00.000-05:00

Other than D.J. White, Armon Bassett, and Lance Stemler, the team quit after their coach got gacked. Seems to me that they resented that their guy, Ray McCallum didnt get the job, and the new guy (and Knight guy) Dan Dakich did get the job. I think they also resented the crowd's cheering for Dakich (both in Bloomington, and in Evanston, where I saw them) after booing Sampson the way they did at the end. This was not a team that the fans liked, and the feeling, unfortunately, was mutual.

Hopefully, the new coach will be a non-Knight guy who will return the pride to this program.

As for Eric Gordon, he never recovered from the game in Champaign, which tells you a little something about his heart and mind. Luckily, he will never face that kind of scrutiny in the NBA.

2008 NCAA Tournament Map

2008-03-18T08:24:00.002-05:00

Click the link above to see it very clearly. Where can I find the NIT and CBI maps?

Indiana to Be One of Last Teams to Lose in First Round

2008-03-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

The Hoosiers will be losing to Arkansas in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, but the good news for IU fans is that they will get to watch almost the entire first round before watching their team lose, as their game starts at 640p (Vegas time). Your Humble Correspondent will be in Vegas, and is looking forward to betting against his alma mater, especially in the first half. We notice that Indiana started out a 2 point favorite, and it is now down to one. By the time we get out there, the will be getting points.

Disclaimer: if IU happens to win their first game, they will come close, but lose to North Carolina.

Indiana's 2009 Post-Season Destination

2008-03-14T13:30:00.006-05:00

Get ready for the College Basketball Invitational. Having a bad season, even below .500? Doesn’t matter. Have a big name that will provide good ratings for their Television partner, Fox College Sports? Perfect.

From the organizers of the College Hoops Classic, the O'Reilly Auto Parts Classic, and other pre-season tournaments comes this rival to the NIT. While the 32-team NCAA-owned NIT now has a rule about being .500 or better, and gives automatic bids to teams that win their regular season but lose the automatic bid in their conference tournament, the CBI is all about the money.

Organizers of the CBI are trying to lure teams away form the NIT with promises of more money, home games (meaning more money), and guaranteed exposure on Fox Regional Sports affiliates. Compelling to your humble correspondent is the idea that the last two teams will play a best-two-out-of-three final.

It is also wise enough not to schedule any of its games opposite the NCAAs. All-in-all, if crappy teams can go to bowl games and sell t-shirts., then crappy basketball teams should be allowed to hang a CBI banner.

The Daily Herald is reporting that one such team is the Illinois-Chicago Flames, they of the 18-15 record. the school has signed a contract with the College Basketball Invitational.
The contract doesn't guarantee the Flames will be in the field that will be announced Sunday, but it gets them in the mix.

If UIC gets in, it requires a not insignificant investment on the school's part. The Flames must guarantee $60,000 to the tournament, with that money being recouped with ticket sales, etc. Sounds like a losing proposition to me. Missouri agrees. On the other hand, Rhode Island wants a bid. Washington is ready to be convinced.

Shithead Convention

2008-03-13T08:37:00.002-05:00

A drunk who enables steroid users and dead pitchers, a boorish coach who calls media people whores, and then becomes one himself, and the father of a guy who starts brawls in Spring Training games.

Sean Marshall's Wife Redefines "TV Personality"

2008-03-08T16:08:00.008-06:00

The Cubs were on WGN today, and as background noise, it was just fine. Len and Bob had a whole bunch of guests saying the same things they have said in the papers the past week, until Alexis Marshall, wife of Cub lefty (and Brian Roberts trade bait) Sean Marshall. She was flogging some food drive at Spring Training in Mesa. I suppose they were counting on the Superstation to reach the Arizona fans.

Anyway, they are newlyweds. Brenly asked if she knew "what she was getting herself into" by marrying a "major league pitcher." She wondered if he knew what he was getting by being with a "television personality." A whaaat, I thought? Never heard of her.

After a modicum of research, I found she is Alexis of Ron, Rick and Alexis on the Fox affiliate in Phoenix' morning show. Television personality? I suppose. She does not cop to the identity of her husband, but does refer to her dog, "Cubby."

What I found really compelling was her blog. She talks about everything, yet nothing at all. She reminded me of Suzanne Stone.

On American Idol: Melinda Doolittle was on set with us this morning! ...she was also such a sweetheart! She said that she’s been SUPER busy since American Idol, but loves her schedule and all the cool things she gets to do.

On Chicago (and coming to the Cubs Convention): I am going to Chicago this weekend and boy is it going to be so cold there. The high on Saturday is supposed to be 9 degrees. BRRRRR! Even though I would choose warm weather over cold weather any day, I am looking forward to a nice chilly weekend. Once in a while it’s fun to bundle up in your warmest sweater and drink hot chocolate. The good news is, I’m only going for a weekend, so if I can’t handle the Chicago weather…I’ll be back to sunny, mild Arizona on Monday.

www.firerickgreenspan.com

2008-02-21T14:00:00.007-06:00

It appears that Coach Sampson is gone. Dan Dakich (a good guy) will be the interim guy and likely have no chance short of a Steve Fisher situation of keeping the job. Well, after the dust has settled on Sampson, can we also take out the person that put this fine university into this situation? Rick Greenspan knew that Sampson had baggage when he hired him, and now must also be removed for his inability to control him.

It would be epically disproportional for Sampson to be fired (and effectively blackballed inthe profession) while Greenspan would keep his job.

All I know is that if Greenspan keeps his job, the new basketball coach better be a guy who will win, and win big, and not come close to Knight-like misanthropy or Sampson-era violations.

If Sampson Goes, Greenspan Must Follow

2008-02-20T13:24:00.004-06:00

So, it looks like Indiana University is going to fire its coach. Why? For overzealous recruitment of players. What he did not do was choke his players, put tampons in their lockers, headbutt them, throw chairs in response to bad referee calls, and generally act like a bully.

The person that hired this coach, the athletic director, is taking all of seven days to report back to the president, and make a recommendation.

The reason that everyone thinks that Coach Kelvin Sampson is gone is because he is repeating the same mistakes (or violations) that he did while at Oklahoma. He is being fired for being a repeat offender. So, why is the person that hired Sampson, Rick Greenspan, not getting fired himself? He brought this mess to the university that is so bent on not being tainted by a cheater.

Will this satisfy the Knight fans? Getting rid of a guy who violated NCAA rules but never was an ass like Knight. Do they want Knight and his by-gone system back? Will they mind a .500 team if that means 100% graduation and not even a sniff of scandal?

Yes, I realize that you can win and be clean, but dumping Sampson and not the guy who hired him? Wouldn’t make sense.

OK, hire Tom Crean, Bo Ryan, Sean Miller, or maybe even Kevin Stallings.

All I know is the new guy better win.

Am I Confused, or is this Hypocrisy?

2008-02-07T11:41:00.000-06:00

As I will find out in person tonight, the Orange Krush section and all lame-brained Crying Illini fans are all upset over Eric Gordon committing to Illinois, then signing with Indiana.

But now, from today’s Chicago Tribune story about College Football Signing Day, we get this:

Illinois benefited from the decommitment craze. Corey Lewis, a 6-6, 278-pound offensive tackle from East Stroudsburg, Pa., switched from Virginia recently.Earlier, Illinois picked up Ford and Homewood-Flossmoor linebacker Russell Ellington, both of whom had committed to Iowa, and Cahokia tight end London Davis, who had committted to Missouri.

So, it’s OK in football?

Then there is the fecal matter coming from this nimrod columnist at the Daily Illini.

Nice comments from a school that gave away Chevy Blazers during the Henson/Collins era and has had multiple NCAA violations (i.e. Mike White). Illinois, lest you forget, went before the NCAA Infractions Committee three times for violations in Men's Basketball and Football.

Let's not forget last year's car wreck involving illini players. Was Jamar Smith punished? He was red-shirted so the story would die down.

Why Bobby Knight Retired Now

2008-02-04T19:13:00.001-06:00

Sure, he could wait, he could do a "victory lap," and gather a bunch of rocking chairs and golf clubs, and he could be made to make gracious remarks all around a conference where he landed after being ignominiously shitcanned eight years ago.

But the real reason he quit now, in the middle of the season, is a simple one: Nepotism. Bob Knight (or someone in his circle) announced at least a few years ago that his son Pat, would take over once the Classic Bully quit. The story then was that Pat's recruiting was so bad that his dad would have to renege on scholarship offers.

But by quitting so abruptly in the middle of the season, he can command the continuity of his son in this major conference program. Even if he stinks.

If he quit effective at the end of the season, the athlectic director, et.al. could do a search for a real coach. Now, Little Knight will get the half season, then demand his own chance, not just 10-odd games.

The same thing is done all over American coaching, business, and politics. It still stinks, and hopefully Texas Tech will have the guts to make Pat the Passer earn his job.

The Always Classy Illini Fans

2008-01-11T08:13:00.000-06:00

So, last night, while watching the latest Illinois loss (I was watching simply as an exercise in scouting), Erin Andrews reported that Illinois players were complaining that the wonderful Illinois student section, the "Orange Crush," (or is it Krush) was booing Chester Frazier, though Frazier is apparently injured.

I don't remember those wacky Dukie-wannabes booing Jamar Smith for leaving his teammate Brian Carwell for dead last February.

I guess when you lose to Miami of Ohio, Tennessee State, Ohio State and Penn State at home, huh?

Also, loved hearing Brent Musberger quoting Harry Caray's great "Can't be fun at the old ballpark, friends" line after telling Steve Lavin to stop "yapping" about the current BCS setup that the Big Ten favors while broadcasting a Big Ten game.

IU will beat these losers by 20 Sunday night.

An Illini Double Standard when it comes to Oral Committments

2007-12-21T11:57:00.000-06:00

As you must know, all Illinois fans are pouting about Eric Gordon coming off his oral commitment to Illinois to go to Indiana, a move that was made after Indiana got rid of Mike Davis to go to his home state team. Apparently when Illini Nation points a finger, it forgets that it points four back at themselves.

From the Chicago Sun Times:

Homewood-Flossmoor's Russell Ellington, who had given oral commitments to Iowa State and later to Iowa, now has given an oral commitment to Illinois coach Ron Zook.

The 6-3, 205-pounder, who is projected to play linebacker, has played wide receiver as well as on defense. He was moved to quarterback, where he sparked the Vikings' surprising run to the Class 8A semifinals.

"Things with Iowa just haven't felt good for the last few weeks in particular," Ellington told Tim O'Halloran of EdgyTim.com. "My family in particular just didn't feel comfortable with some of the things they were hearing about me from Iowa. I really don't want to get into the details, but I told the Iowa coaches a few weeks ago that I was going to reopen my recruiting. I decided this past weekend that I was ready to give Illinois and coach Ron Zook my verbal commitment."

Ellington will join friend and H-F football and basketball teammate Supo Sanni.

"They recruited us as individuals and sold us both on the positives of Illinois," Ellington said. "Sure, Supo and I are already talking about being roommates at Illinois and all of that, but that was never the big plan or anything like that. It just worked out that way, and I'm pretty happy.

We Await the Japanese Language Signage Behind Home Plate

2007-12-12T09:11:00.000-06:00

Now that Kosuke Fukudome is signed up for 4 years, we can see if he is closer to Ichiro Sukuki, Hadeki Matsui, or So Taguchi....

Well, if nothing else, I now know where my increased season ticket payment is going.

The First Post-McDonough Promotion Set

2007-12-12T09:06:00.000-06:00

According to sources, the Cubs will be having its First Turn Back the Clock Day, wearing the 1948 uniforms. No date was set.

Seems like McDonough always said that every day was Turn Back the Clock Day, so there was no need. Was this a promotion that he had vetoed up until his travels to West Madison Street?

We'll see...

"That's Why They Call Him Dick" Williams to HOF

2007-12-03T11:26:00.000-06:00

Dick Williams, the manager of the 1984 San Diego Padres, and the A's dynasty of the 70s, was elected today to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hopefully, he will not spend time in Cooperstown in the same way he did before a fantasy camp in January 2000.

Back then, rollers were called to Williams' hotel after several guests reported that the 70-year-old was walking naked and masturbating outside of his room in Fort Myers, Florida, where he was attending a Fantasy Baseball camp. For the record, Williams denied the part about the tossing off.

He was known as a gruff guy. Not gruff but lovable, just gruff. The scuttlebutt was that the arrest caused HOF officials to encourage voters to keep him out in the Spring 2000 veterans' vote.

Good to see jerking off in public won't keep one out of the Hall of Fame.

Meanwhile, Marvin Miller, not to mention, Ron Santo, is on the outside looking in.

Looking at this picture, Dick looks like the Strother Martin character in Slap Shot, and here is him talking about Dick's "avocation:"

P.S. Tossing off, or Throwing Things, Indeed...

Say It Ain't So, Dan!

2007-11-27T14:38:00.000-06:00

Based on the increased traffic here, especially after a long layoff, I checked google news to see what was the reason:

Here's the reason:

Major League Baseball suspended free agent pitcher Dan Serafini 50 games Tuesday for testing positive for a performance- enhancing substance in violation of the league's joint drug prevention and treatment program.

Serafini appeared in three games this past season for the National League champion Colorado Rockies and recorded just one out while allowing two runs and two walks. Prior to his short stint with the Rockies, Serafini last pitched in the league in 2003 with the Reds.

"Although I understand that I must accept the terms of the suspension, I want to make it known that I did not use any banned substances in order to gain a competitive advantage," Serafini said in a statement. "However, while playing baseball in Japan, I suffered two significant injuries that limited my playing time to seven games in 2006 and nine games in 2007.
"While trying to accelerate the healing process of these injuries, I took substances that were prescribed for me by a doctor in Japan. What I did not know at the time was that these substances would cause me to test positive once I returned to the US. I have not taken these or any banned substances since returning to the US and signing with the Colorado Rockies organization in July."
A cynic would say that you shouldn't use Japanese doctors, but while in Japan, do as the Japanese do. A cynic would also say that there is no need to ban a guy who is likely going to be on the outside looking in anyway.

Also, for those that think I am the real Dan Serafini, please take a look here and here.

Finally, a special HELLO to the gang at MLB, ESPN, RedReport, and Desipio!

Dan Serafini to Get Good Look at World Series

2007-10-19T14:14:00.000-05:00

Dan didn't get a shot to pitch after that night in Philadelphia, but he has had a great look at one of the great stretch runs and playoff runs in baseball history. The Colorado Rockies have simply torn it up, and are now waiting (cooling their heels would be redundant in Colorado) until the Indians decide whether to choke away the series to the Red Sox.

So, even though Dan won't be eliglble (unless they change the roster) to pitch, he will be in the dugout and/or bullpen, with the proverbial "front seat to history."

Eva Mendes is Good Looking

2007-10-19T14:06:00.001-05:00

Righteous Indignation from Knight's Sheep

2007-10-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

So, yeah, Kelvin Sampson made some mistakes with phone calls. Things probably Robert Montgomery Knight had no history of. Things that likely would not have seen the light of day had an intern not discovered them.

This has given ammunition to the (coincidentally, white) Knight followers who forgive the litany of excesses from him because of national championships twenty years ago, but cannot stomach a few extra phone calls. Phone calls to recruits that wouldn't give Knight's Indiana program a first, let alone second look.

From the Indy Star:

Reaction by former IU players Monday was swift and harsh. Kent Benson, a two-time All-American, called the situation “a total travesty.”

Ted Kitchel, another former All-American who previously criticized Sampson’s hiring by saying he “wouldn’t hire that guy to coach my fifth-grade girls team,” said the new reports suggest Sampson does not believe rules apply to him.

Joe Hillman, a member of the 1987 national championship team, said it’s embarrassing to “the program, the university and to Rick Greenspan.”

Benson, in particular, blasted the university. “I’m absolutely, totally embarrassed for the Indiana basketball program,” Benson said. “They need to do the right thing. If no tolerance means no tolerance, they get rid of him. And Greenspan should be right behind.”

A teammate of Benson on the '76 championship team, Bobby Wilkerson (coincidentally, black), feels differently:

“All coaches advertently or inadvertently make those mistakes,” Wilkerson said. “He hasn’t done anything other coaches haven’t done. They have a million rules. I think he’s a good coach. He’s a coach IU can grow with. I support him 100 percent.”

Seems to me Benson, in particular, is carrying water for Knight. To continue to beat the drum about "zero tolerence" tells you what this really all about.

I agree with Wilkerson about everything he said.

Soon to be Seen at Great American Cinergy Riverfront Stadium Ball Park

2007-10-15T13:15:00.001-05:00

I will say this much for the guy, he is a hell of a good interview. April 15 he will be at Wrigley, dude.

Wait Until Next Year

2007-10-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

A. Bartlett Giamatti

Cubs Lose Game One, but it's a Best of Five Series

2007-10-04T11:14:00.001-05:00

I hate the idea of facing Doug Davis down 1-0.

I would have more to say, but I was too focused on the “Cub fan” right behind home plate who spent the night talking on the phone, putting up signs, chatting up the blonde with his back to the game before bringing attention to himself on the ninth with the flashing light. The downside to HD, I suppose, is seeing that so clearly.

Tough call to take out Zambrano, but I was in support at the time. Leaves Z with a good feeling going into Sunday, and his arm should be fresh. Assuming we get there. Unfortunately, the Cubs were swinging hard and to pull against Webb, and the result was predictable. Piniella’s post-game comments were right on, and Z just as easily could have given up the bomb to Reynolds…

Listen, you guys, this is only the first game. There's a lot of baseball to be played in this series, OK? Let's not gloom-and-doom this thing."

He is So Taguchi

2007-09-26T22:35:00.000-05:00

Yeah, the Cubs lost, but...

Ned Yost and Prince Fielder showed that they are inferior to Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols tonight when they first lost a round of beanball, and then got beat by the pathetic Cardinals.

Fielder got beaned, then Yost got tossed when the Brewers hit Pujols, leading to a 4 run inning, going from 4-2 to 7-2, featuring a big double by good ol' Number 99.

Either way, the magic number is 3. Same result as if both teams won. A push. Really.

But, yeah, let's win tomorrow.

Feeling Woozy

2007-09-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

It's amazing what 1.5 games will do to one's stomach. Yes, you can't win them all, and yes, Dontrelle Willis had a good game in an otherwise crappy season, and umpire Andy Fletcher had a five-foot wide strike zone (I doubt you'll see him in the post-season), but there is a huge difference between a 3 game lead and a 2 game lead these days.

Just win tonight against the guy I have never heard of, and get me off the ledge.

Zambrano NOT to the Rescue

2007-09-19T09:14:00.000-05:00

The Cubs followed up their thrilling victory Monday night with a game Tuesday night in a matchup between the Cubs arguably best pitcher against the Reds' best pitcher, Aaron Harang. They knew they still had a whisker-thin one game lead, and were tied in the loss column, so they had to get a win, especially with the Brewers facing a rookie starter.

As they say, Momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher.

Unfortunately, the Cubs were losing before they got a chance to bat. Zambrano, pitching for the first time at Wrigley since he bitched about Cubs fans who booed him, gave up a single to the first batter, hit the next, and eventually gave up two runs in the first inning.

The rest of the game was spent waiting to see if Zambrano would self-immolate and get booed, and it looked like the rest of the team was fighting to keep Zambrano in the game, or at least not be taken out mid-inning to boos, and thus keep the focus on the pennant race, and not one guy. They did not seem to be ready to come from behind again, whcih is why a good start by Zambrano was so critical.

Don't get me wrong, I love Zambrano (really), but you can now tell how he will do by the first inning, if not the first batter. He needs some focus, badly, and it seems he gets it when he's on the road.

Sure, you can say the Cubs lost to a good, if not great pithcer, and they can win the series by winning tonight behind Ted Lilly. They question is, if the Cubs do make the playoffs, should Big Z be your Game One starter?

Still, it's only one game, right? Let's see how he does Sunday against Pittsburgh...

About IU Football...

2007-09-18T09:59:00.000-05:00

There have been inquiries about why I dont talk about IU Football, when I do talk about IU basketball. Instead of succumbing to my fallback line, "I went to Indiana; we don't have a football program," I will say a few words about IU Football.

BEAT ILLINOIS

Everyone wants IU to go to a bowl, and I do, too, but they won't (or shouldn't) if they don't beat Illinois this week. They didn't blow out the three non-conference opponents so far, other than woeful Indiana State, and their schedule doesn't offer them too many chances if they don't beat a badly coached Illinois team.

The other reason I care little about football, either the Bears or IU, is that the Cubs are in FIRST PLACE, and as long as they are playing meaningful games, the football schedule will just have to wait. For example, I usually go to the Indiana-Illinois football game (or at least to a bar to watch), but I have Cubs tickets, so I will DVR the game and hoe to see it without learning the score after the Cubs game.

Looking for a Positive Here...

2007-09-13T22:25:00.000-05:00

Dan Serafini pitched to one batter last night in the Rockies-Phillies tilt and walked him, committing a balk along the way. Unfortunately, the guys after him allowed his runner to score, which means Dan's ERA goes up to 54.00. The Rockies lost 12-4, so his role was not large in the defeat.

Let's hope Dan gets some outs here real soon.

Serafini helps set National League Record!

2007-09-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

Dan Serafini was one of a National League record 10 pitchers used by the Rockies in nine innings in a 10-4 victory over the Padres, who used only six pitchers, in front of 27,247. The 10 pitchers in nine innings tied a Major League record.

Mark Redman and Ryan Speier relieved Dessens in the third and the Padres scored one run.
Then Speier, Dan Serafini and Matt Herges pitched the fourth, keeping the Padres to one run, as Herges got Milton Bradley to ground out with the bases loaded. For those of you keeping score at home, that's five pitchers in three innings.

First Game Back: 0.1 innings, 1 Run

2007-09-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

Dan Serafini pitched 0.1 innings today, hit his fellow high school alum, Barry Bonds, and was charged with a run. Well, at least he got the rust off...

BACK TO THE BIGS!!!

2007-09-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

Kudos to Dan Serafini to returning to the Major Leagues, this time with the Colorado Rockies. Unfortunately, the Rockies don't play any of the Cubs' rivals, but we wish him the best of luck that he has come to the majors to stay.

From the Rockies' official release:

The Rockies will officially add lefty Dan Serafini to their active roster Tuesday.

Space for Serafini, who is not on the 40-man roster, will most likely be made by moving Jason Hirsh or Aaron Cook to the 60-day disabled list.

Serafini started the year in the Japanese League, and the former first-round Draft pick of the Twins has not pitched in the Majors since 2003 with the Reds. In 11 games and three starts with the Sky Sox, he went 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA.

For those of you new to this site, I explain the name here.

Ugly Day at Wrigley. Real Ugly.

2007-09-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

The wife and I went to the game yesterday, leaving the boy with a sitter and hoping to enjoy the first place Cubs and Carlos Zambrano pitching. Things did not go well on the field, and I told the wife as it was imploding that the fans would be booing Carlos and that it would be ugly.

Unfortunately, I was right. From The Tribune:
"I don't accept that the fans were booing at me," a seething Zambrano said afterward. "I can't understand that. You know, I thought these were the greatest fans in baseball. But they showed me today that they just care about them, and that's not fair, because when you're struggling, you want to feel the support of the fans."No, I don't accept it. I just pointed to my head, and I will remember that because I don't want any bad outings. I know the great moments of my career will come."

"[Fans] pay to see a good show," he said. "They pay to see a good pitcher. Right now, I'm not doing too well. I just call [out to] the fans, 'I want a little support.' That's all. When you're struggling, or you have a brother who's struggling, you show him love. You don't show him you want to kick him out. That's what I ask of the fans—a little support." And not only [for] me. I go out there and try to do my best, but not everybody is like Carlos Zambrano [and can] keep his head up and keep trying to do a good job. There are people on this team who are struggling and going down and down …"When you're booing somebody, you're booing the 25 men on this ballclub, and that's not fair. That happened before to some of my teammates, and that's not right. I think we go out there to give Cubs fans a good show and to go to the playoffs, and that's what I want. No one wants to do a bad job. … Every single player in that clubhouse wants to do a great job for the city, believe me."

I tend to agree with the sentiment about booing the home team, and I truly don't doubt his wanting to do well and working hard, but it was real dumb for Zambrano to express it in that situation. As it stands, he will likely have only one more start at Wrigley. Let's just hope that we make the payoffs, and we can make the day just a blip on the radar. Wishful thinking, huh?

Also, why does Joe West make himself part of every game he is in?

Before we sweep the Giants...

2007-08-23T10:34:00.000-05:00

I am referring to Paul Sullivan's entry here.

More interesting Barrett stats:

Cubs with Barrett: 32-37 (.464). Cubs after Barrett: 32-24 (.571).
The Padres before Barrett: 41-28 (.594). The Padres with Barrett: 25-30 (.455).
The Padres with Barrett starting: 8-17 (.320). Padres all season with anyone else starting: 58-40 (.592).

Hopefully meaningless Koyie Hill stats:

From June 3-July 16, when the Cubs were 26-12 and the best team in baseball: With Hill catching 13-4, Barrett 5-5, Geovany Soto 2-0 and Rob Bowen 6-3.

Since Jason Kendall arrived: 4-3 with Hill, 12-14 with Kendall.

Going into the week, Kendall's catcher's ERA was near 5.00, while Hill's was 3.02, though Kendall's was a terrific 3.38 with Oakland this season.

Just one more: Carlos Zambrano's OPS against was .523 with Hill, .801 with Kendall and .965 with Barrett.

(from Rozner today)

The Belly of the Beast

2007-08-08T11:23:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when Barry Bonds' 756th home run lands a few rows in front of you.

From Deadspin.

Interesting Michael Barrett Stats

2007-07-31T08:58:00.000-05:00

From today's Rozner column:

Carlos Zambrano in 2007 with Barrett catching him: 2-4, 7.52 ERA, 1.893 WHIP. With anyone else: 12-3, 1.97 ERA, 0.985 WHIP.

Jake Peavy in 2007 with Barrett catching him: 0-4, 4.88 ERA, 1.542 WHIP. With anyone else: 10-1, 1.89 ERA, 1.00 WHIP.

Cubs are 23-11 since they traded Barrett. The Padres are 15-19 since they got him.

This does not include his bitchfest which led to a one game suspension.

Bruce Froemming Cannot Retire Soon Enough

2007-07-13T08:22:00.000-05:00

Bruce Froemming is retiring after this season, and not soon enough. Unlike any umpire this side of Joe West, Froemming makes himself part of the game like no other. You need not look up the umpires when he is working the game, because he will call attention to himself at some point during the game.

MLB realizes this, and assigned him to work Tuesday's All Star Game so that they would not have to use him when it matters, in the postseason.

Last night, as he wore his All-Star patched hat (as if to remind people), He blew another call (or calls): From the Seattle Times:

The crowd of 31,994 at Safeco Field erupted in thunderous cheers as it realized Beltre was safe and all the runs counted. But second-base umpire Bruce Froemming had plenty of explaining to do as the Tigers, led by Guillen and manager Jim Leyland, surrounded him on the field.

"They don't get him and now they come out to argue that they got him," Froemming told a pool reporter after the game. "But they don't know if they got him or not."

But television replays appeared to show Guillen tagging Beltre at least once, if not twice.

"It felt like twice," Guillen said. "I don't know. He made the call."

The confusion mounted moments later when the Tigers made an appeal throw to second before the next pitch. Froemming called Beltre out, ruling he'd never touched the bag before heading to third.

But replays appeared to show Froemming getting it wrong once again. Beltre did indeed appear to touch second base — Froemming initially made a "safe" gesture with his arms that seemed to confirm it — but was ruled out nonetheless.

"He said that I never touched the bag, which I did," Beltre said. "He [Guillen] might have tagged me, I don't know. It was weird because I was trying to swing away from him. I don't know if he tagged me."

This guy isn't just a bad umpire, he is a bad guy.

They love Serafini in Japan!

2007-07-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

And no, I cannot translate.

What I Was Going to Say Before they Won It...

2007-06-25T22:26:00.000-05:00

A bad loss. Coming off the big sweep of the White Sox, this team had a big lead and then coughed it up...

Lou Pinella gets the blame for this loss. The six runs given up in the ninth were given up by 1) a guy who hasn't pitched in a big situation since crapping all over himself for most of the season, and who had been extended into his third inning, as he came into the game in the 7th; and b) another aging guy who has was pitching for the third day in a row after getting two one-inning saves after spending most of the season as a set up guy before being marginalized by Pinella, and I would bet he hasn't pitched three straight days all season (he hasn't, I looked it up).

It is also a mistake to have Koyie Hill pinch hitting as the final out of the game. I would even prefer Cliff Floyd against a leftie. Ok, he got a hit, but...

At least Comcast showed the moron who rushed Howry get "nuetralized" by security before realizing what they were doing.

And how's about Mike Fontenot! And a huge clutch hit by the National League Player of the Week.

Too Bad He's Dead: Rod Beck

2007-06-24T17:34:00.000-05:00

Rod Beck died.

He was real good for the Giants, but then saved a whopping 51 games for the Cubs in the magical year of 1998. He didnt seem to have any special pitch, and it was amazing he ever got anybody out.

For the Cubs, it was a one-year wonder, and he was gone by September of 1999. You can read elsewhere about him, and it is likely he died from something connected with substance abuse, but he was a real good closer for the Cubs for one year, a playoff year.

Addition by Subtraction

2007-06-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

Michael Barrett is gone. To the left is Big Z helping Barrett get his luggage to the airport.

The Cubs traded the reptilian free agent-to be catcher for a poor hitting backup catcher and a former first round pick outfielder who is currently hitting .211 for the Fort Wayne Wizards.

A great trade.

We here have been waiting for this day for a while, and Sox fans won't have him to kick around anymore...

Too Bad He's Dead: Terry Hoeppner

2007-06-19T09:31:00.000-05:00

Indiana Football coach Terry Hoeppner died this morning at 59.

He may not have had the greatest record at Indiana, but he brought more enthusiasm to the job than anybody else in the job in my lifetime, other than Bill Mallory, who actually won.

I guess they will let interim coach Bill Lynch take this season, and if he doesn't get them to a bowl, they can go out and hire a new hot young coach.

But, let's hope they rise to the occasion and go to a bowl this season. Why couldn't have been Cam Cameron?

Ernie Banks at the Ballpark

2007-06-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

It was Ernie Banks #14 hat day at the ballpark last night, and he sang during the 7th inning stretch. You can see it here. Instead of wearing the hat that they were giving away in his honor, he wore this hat. Let's hope he got paid well for that, because it looked shabby.

He was his typical self during the interview, somewhat charming, but also showing a distinct lack of knowledge about the current team, or the talents of its players. He thought Cliff Floyd was 22. He called Ryne Sandberg "firey" when Len and Bob's point was that it was out of character for Ryno to be ejected 3 times already as a Class A manager.

In that conversation, he did refer to Dusty Baker as "always bitching..." about the trevails of a big league manager. Strong words from Mr. Cub, but he said them so nonchalantly, that you have to believe he was not looking to shame Dusty, just describing his tone. Dusty "bitching" to Ernie. Pathetic.

The other highlight of last night was the benching of Michael Barrett and Koyie Hill's two hits. And, of course, Sean Marshall pitched great.

All I see are Barrett's Mistakes

2007-06-13T11:30:00.000-05:00

Michael Barrett is not the only reason the Cubs lost, but he is part of the reason. He may be a fine offensive player, and may be working hard at his defense, but he is a terrible catcher. Terrible as a handler of pitchers, terrible at blocking pitches, and terrible at the the thinking part of the game.

He is like a reptile, never thinking, but only reacting. The Zambrano thing, the AJ thing, and his less remembered runins with Oswalt and Dave Roberts show that the pattern emerging is not about them, but about Barrett. This has been going on since 2005.

Agreed, you cannot trade Barrett without getting a decent catcher in return, but for this team to win, he must be replaced. Koyie Hill is a terrible hitter, but he has already shown he is more adept as a catcher than Barrett.

Unfortunately, Barrett seems to make his biggest mistakes when the game is most on the line. DH him next week in Texas and Comiskey, please.

Dusty's Whine is Well-Aged, though the Skin is Thin

2007-05-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

In the Tribune today, poor Dusty Baker whines about the Cubs spending money, the end of his tenure here, and, most pathetically, being afraid to go back to Wrigley. Johhny B. also talks about becoming a wine maker.

"At this point I'm not ready to [call a game at Wrigley]. I don't need any more abuse, you know what I mean? I was booed and jeered enough. You use every experience to your advantage to learn. Some you'd just as soon forget; some you don't."

Hey Dusty, I have heard you on ESPN, and you are brutal, dude. Because of blackouts, I will likely have to watch the game Monday on the U! instead of ESPN. A pity.

He is also very relatable, as he talks about not wanting to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row, which means he has to pay for the extra weight in his luggage on a (gasp) commercial flight.

I would say I cannot wait until Dusty is a manager again, but I think I will have to. I cannot imagine him getting a job any time soon. Who would want him? Unless Joe Morgan is buying a team.

P.S. Found a really good casual but upscale restaurant in the neighborhood last night.

Sweet Story, huh Tony?

2007-05-04T11:02:00.000-05:00

Tony LaRussa is a jerk, and a bad guy. He had to have known that his beloved Josh Hancock was drunk when he plowed into the back of a tow truck, but threatened anyone that “want[s] to turn this into . . . some kind of story that's not all sweet” with a fungo bat. Better for the recently DUI'ed to threaten anyone who wants to learn the truth than take the time to bemoan drinking and driving. What a man.

Turns out, he was legally drunk, had a full pipe of pot in the truck, and was talking on the phone when he crashed his truck. Now I have no objection to doing any of those things, but not while speeding down the Interstate driving. Hancock went from mop-up pitcher to being mopped up off the highway.

It was really incredible that the initial reports were that there were no containers of alcohol found in his car, so the inference was that this was a “sweet, horrible” accident.

I always root against the Cardinals, but now I really do.

Good to know I am not alone on this.

Click This for Larger Picture

2007-04-17T13:24:00.000-05:00

0-1, but No More Softball Uniforms

2007-04-03T10:03:00.000-05:00

Sure, they are 0-1, and Big Z looked shaky again in an Opening Day start, but this is good news as far as I am concerned, from today’s Tribune:

Cubs starting pitchers usually get to select which color jersey the team wears, with the choice of blue or gray on the road and blue or white at home. Carlos Zambrano always has preferred to pitch in the blue jerseys, as he did all of spring training, but the team wore gray Monday.

As it turns out, Zambrano had no choice. Cubs President John McDonough has decided the Cubs will wear gray on the road and white with blue pinstripes at home. The move corresponds with the decision to put names on the backs of the uniforms.

FINAL 32

2007-03-16T07:50:00.000-05:00

Indiana played well enough to win, as their tight defense and just enough offense beat the stoned, hallucinating Gonzaga team.

You knew they were going to win when Rod Wilmont made his first three-pointer, as he and Earl Calloway were playing as if it were their last college game, which will come Saturday night, when they get dismantled by UCLA.

Super Bears Super Bowl

2007-02-02T13:55:00.000-06:00

GO BEARS

Back...and it's 16-5 (6-2)

2007-02-01T13:12:00.000-06:00

As I spent the month of January bathing in the Super Bowl Bears' performance, I was still following the Hoosiers.

As tough as the Illinois loss was and is (especially with that piece of crap Bruce Weber and his shameless whining), the fact is that this team is really coming together.

Beating Wisconsin was the best example. Coach Sampson alsways says that this team has to play like it has a chip on its shoulder, and I believe him. This is a team that has dispatched the lesser team and has really competed agisnt the good or better teams. What makes me apperhensive is that this team cannot be overconfident playing anyone, be it a lesser team in the Big Ten tournament or in the first round of the NCAAs.

And they must beat Illinois February 10.

This Is the Way It Is?

2006-12-28T14:24:00.000-06:00

For reasons that need not be expouned on here, I receive emails (mostly fundraising) for the Drug Policy Alliance, and I was blown away (to put it bluntly, pun(s) intended) by who I recently got a missive from the Most Trusted Man in America:

Dear (my name here),
In my career as a journalist I knew how to recognize a good story and jump on it. When opportunity knocks, we must respond.
That's why I wanted to make sure you knew about a special opportunity to support the Drug Policy Alliance -- your tax-deductible gift today will be matched dollar for dollar by an anonymous donor. That means your investment in national drug policy reform will go twice as far toward building a new foundation of reason, compassion and justice. But please hurry - the dollar-for-dollar match ends December 31.

As part of the DPA community, you already know that we are at the forefront of efforts to expose the waste, brutality and civil liberties invasions of the war on drugs. We are also among the leaders in advancing creative alternatives and new policies, solutions that work and help people, rather than suppress our personal freedoms and swell our jails.

There is hope for significant reform in 2007, and the Drug Policy Alliance will press forward to tell the American people the truth - "the way it is." That's why I strongly urge you to renew your support or become a member today.

Americans are paying too high a price in lives and liberty for a failing war on drugs about which our leaders have lost all sense of proportion. The Drug Policy Alliance is the one organization telling the truth. They need you with them every step of the way.

And that's the way it is.

Sincerely,
Walter Cronkite

What Would You Say?

2006-12-21T10:35:00.000-06:00

According to the Associated Press, the Dave Matthews Band is hoping to play Wrigley Field July 8 & 9. They are getting clearance from the City Council before they announce.

Sign. Me. Up.

Though Wrigleyville will be overwhelmed with people, like it was 2003 again, most of the DMB fans will be hard-pressed to get into the bars…

7-3

2006-12-20T20:24:00.000-06:00

Even though they played a Western Michigan team that seemed as spirited and hard working as Indiana, the sheer level of talent and shooting allowed Indiana to escape with an eight point victory.

Indiana was coming off what I will call a quality win over Southern Illinois, and Western Michigan has more Indiana natives than the Hoosiers, so they were playing with extra gusto.

Now, two games against the bottom feeders in the fictional Hoosier State Conference, IUPUI and Ball State, where Indiana holds a 1-1 record, before the Big Ten opener against the intimidating Greg Oden.

Oh Lilly, Lilly, Lilly, Lilly, Legs, Lilly, Lilly

2006-12-06T22:34:00.000-06:00

$44,000,000.00 for four years.

That is a lot of money.

More in one year than his combined lifetime earnings.

He was on the 2004 American League All-Star team, though he did not pitch. Carlos Zambrano did pitch for the National League, and Alfonso Soriano was the MVP.

Still a lot of money for a pitcher one game over .500.

Let's Get Him a Hanky that Says "World Champions" to Cheer Him Up

2006-11-30T11:07:00.000-06:00

Apparently now that Albert Pujols has won a World Series, he can dedicate the remainder of his career to playing for a team of one, himself.

Taking a cue from once-pouting superstar Frank Thomas, the 13th round pick bitches at a Dominican sports conference, whatever that is, that he didn’t win the Most Valuable Player award. He thinks that only players from playoff teams deserve it.

He also went on to start a campaign for the Hall of Fame. This appears to be a safe bet, and therefore, simply another self-serving, unnecessary, me-first move.

Unless, of course, the whispers a la Mark McGwire grow louder.

I used to actually kinda like Pujols, who seemed to be a solid team guy and totally clutch, even if the team happens to be those filthy Cardinals. Now, he may as well be Jim Edmonds.

There Are No Moral Victories

2006-11-29T15:29:00.000-06:00

It must be karma.

Because the painters are in the house, and my pregnant wife cannot handle the fumes, and because a radiologists convention took most of the hotel rooms in the city limits, I had to DVR (not TIVO, as will become obvious) the IU-Duke game while I was getting the Missus settled into her suburban hotel. Don't ask. It is a long and painful story.

Last year I watched the game on TIVO, but only after a long drive, and fast-forwarded through most of it.

In 2002, I had shattered my kneecap the morning of the Sweet 16 game, so I listened to nurses in the recovery room update me with the score. I spent the remainder of the Final Four on vocodin. Not a bad tradeoff.

This year, I got home and switched the game on. Nothing. The DVR, or as I called it then, that piece of shit, had screwed up and I couldn't watch it. Same with the last five shows I had set to record.

I turned on ESPN, and got to watch the last two minutes. I was heartened to see IU was very much in it, but beyond frustrated that I missed the first 38 minutes. Coach Sampson seems to have the guys busting their asses, though nine days of practice can make you ready for any opponent. Being at Duke doesn't hurt when it's time to get adrenaline.

Tough loss, but one to grow on, as they said on Saturday morning. And Illinois, with their loathsome, cheap imitation of the Duke student section, lost.

Beat Charlotte!

And He Wears #12, Just Like Shawon Dunston!

2006-11-20T09:43:00.000-06:00

Soriano CF
DeRosa 2B
Lee 1B
Ramirez 3B
Jones RF
Barrett C
Murton LF
Izturis SS
Zambrano P

Or, Murton leads off and Soriano bats second. It really doesn’t matter. The Cubs added a 40-40 guy in his prime, and who brings energy and excitement to the game.

There will be nit-pickers, of course, but this was the best everyday player available, and they got him.

His contract, big at 8 years and $136,000,000.00, but that is OK, as it is actually where the market is and was. Sammy Sosa averaged $16M for four years on his last contract, so this is not entirely outlandish. Scary, but true.

Best line from Phil Rogers of the signing:

You knew the Cubs were serious about upgrading their roster when they talked Piniella into replacing Dusty Baker, who must want to strangle someone these days.

Tough break, Dude.

Beware the In-State Rival (2006 edition)

2006-11-15T14:33:00.000-06:00

So, Indiana got beat. They looked terrible at times, especially on offense, and played an inspired tea. The team looked like they were not used to playing with each other and in this new offense. Also, it looks like the offense will come to a standstill without D.J. White, and even when he is in, the guards seemed to have a real hard time getting him the ball.

Skip Myslenski either drank the Kool-Aid or found some bright spots, and he is not an Indiana guy:

There is bound to be a toughness about a guy forged by these types of experiences (crazy road trips), which is just the virtue Sampson now is busy force-feeding his Hoosiers. They don't have it yet. That was proven Tuesday when they were undone by some ludicrous officiating, by their inefficiency down the stretch and by unyielding Butler, which grabbed its victory in a second-round game of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

So, no trip to New York, and a real sense of urgency against Indiana State and Chicago State (how dare they play at the same time as the Bears?!).

A Cub-Centric Assessment of the Cy Young Voting

2006-11-14T16:49:00.000-06:00

So, Brandon Webb, he of the 16-8 record and 3.10 ERA, wins the NL Cy Young Award. More interestingly, to me, is where Big Z ended up. Fifth!

Webb, 27, finished the season with a 16-8 record and 3.10 ERA in 33 starts. His 16 wins tied five other pitchers -- the Reds' Aaron Harang, the Dodgers' Derek Lowe and Brad Penny, the Braves' John Smoltz and the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano -- for the most victories in the National League. Webb's win total marked the lowest for a starting pitcher who won the Cy Young in a full season. Sutcliffe won 16 in 1984, but that was after a trade.

Now, I suppose Webb deserves it as much as the other 16 game winners, but I do not understand those that came in 2nd through 4th.

Trevor Hoffman – This appears to be a Lifetime Achievement Award, as the two times I remember hearing his name this season were for BAD outings. First, in the All-Star Game, which he coughed up for the National League (don’t tell me he wasn’t under pressure like a regular season game), and against the Dodgers on September 18, when he gave up the last two of four consecutive home runs in blowing a 4 run ninth inning lead on the way to a 10-inning loss.

Chris Carpenter – Pitches for the Cardinals. I hate him.

Roy Oswalt – I just don’t like him, but I have no rational reason for saying he didn’t deserve the nod over Zambrano, except that Zambrano won the Silver Slugger and overcame a winless April, when he went 0-2 with a 5.35 ERA in six starts, to earn Pitcher of the Month honors with a 6-0 July.

Lafayette, We Are Here

2006-11-14T09:06:00.000-06:00

Though they started like a house of fire, they were slowed down by a bunch of over officious jerks, and then had to scrap there way through it before hitting some shots and beating a likely-lousy Lafayette team.

Apparently Notre Dame is bad too, as they lost to Butler, so IU plays Butler tonight for a trip to NYC, and likely a game against Tennessee.

Dick Vitale was doing the game, so he parachuted in with his typical “the Assembly Hall should be named for Robert Montgomery Knight” prattle. Knight, meanwhile, was his typical self in his first game.

Back from the 70s

2006-11-07T08:52:00.000-06:00

The Cubs added Ivan DeJesus to Lou Piniella’s coaching staff. They say special assistant to the manager, so I don’t exactly know the difference.

Traded with Bill Buckner from Dodgers to the Cubs for Rick Monday, he was the biggest stolen base threat the Cubs of the late 70s had. He was also in the lineup every day.

He was traded to Philadelphia for Larry Bowa, and, oh yeah, Ryne Sandberg.

Let’s hope he gets his #11 jersey, and that his thigh muscles are as huge as I remember them. Or was it that his waist was so small?

Bonus on the picture: notice the empty upper deck. It truly was a different era.

Turn Back the Clock Day

2006-11-02T09:13:00.000-06:00

It’s always interesting to see what people you knew or were acquainted with in college are doing now:

When I was a freshman at IU, we shared phones with our next door neighbor, and at Foster Magee, there were lots of athletes, and two football players lived next door, and my roommate, Doug Skonicki, and I were often taking turns taking messages for the fellows.

Thanks to a Google search, I find that Doug, who was last seen by me getting piss drunk (literally) and playing Molly Hatchett and Mountain on his turntable, is a graduate of the Harvard Arts & Sciences East Asian Languages and Civilizations program and winner of a seemingly prestigious
award. Kudos to him.

But, one of our neighbors eventually played in the NFL. So, just as a goof recently, I Google searched him. Turns out Ian Beckles parlayed his football days, mostly with the Buccaneers and
Eagles, into a radio career. (that's him at right guard agaisnt the Bears, #62) I thought I would just get info about Ian’s stats, and was pleasantly surprised to see him still out there working in sports. I remember I told my sports agent friend to sign him up…

The story I heard about Ian that I always doubted was that, in junior college in Kansas, after a night of drinking, he went into a McDonald’s, sat down next to someone, and began eating his meal.

My only real humorous (to me) story involving Ian was during Little 500 week when an intoxicated me was given the shaving cream treatment by the aforementioned Harvard grad Skonicki and some others. I was pissed. As I left the bathroom after having cleaned up and puked up some black stuff, Ian just laughed long and hard. I responded with a sneering “Fuck You.” His face went immediately blank, and then a bit angry, before laughing even harder than before.

Ah, memories.

A World Series Ring Doesn't Make the Town Any Less Wretched

2006-11-01T09:27:00.000-06:00

OK, the fact is that the Cardinals won the World Series, making Mark McGwire’s pal a genius again. I cannot change that.

But, look at these Cardinal fans and their tattoos. Yeah, if it means looking lioke that, I will do without my championship.

Thanks to
Joe’s Sports Page for finding these monstrosities. Let’s hope they do not reproduce. Or vote.

Save December 29 on your Calendar

2006-10-31T09:01:00.000-06:00

That's when Indiana will most likely go bowling, most likely in Phoenix or Orlando, after thrashing the hapless Michigan State Spartans. Already, it appears too rich for my blood to go to either place, but I have an Orbitz deal detector in place just in case.

Unlike the team, I can put the cart before the horse. IU must win one of its next three, and its games are at a bad Minnesota team, home for a Michigan team that should be looking ahead to its game agaisnt Ohio State the next week, and at Purdue, a team that has scored a total of 3 points in its last two games.

I must admit, I was skeptical of the rah rah stuff from Coach Terry Hoeppner, but I have bought in. The guy had brain surgery, and the team lost the two games he missed, and then they come back agaisnt an admittely awful Illinois team, but beat a ranked Iowa team. I mean, whipped them. Kellen Lewis, a Florida guy who only was offered a scholarship to play QB at Indiana, is making the most of it, and looks better each week. And, he is only a freshman.

If they play in the Insight Bowl (6th place in Big 10), it wil be a Big 12 opponent, if it's the Champs Sports Bowl (5th Place) in Orlando, it will be the ACC. Miami? Florida State? Boston College?

Let's just beat Minnesota..., but if we come in 4th, the Alamo Bowl! Against Nebraska?

The Girls of One Tree Hill

2006-10-26T09:11:00.000-05:00

As I see who comes to this site, it is almost always someone looking for nude photos of Danneell Harris. Well, turns out the girls posed for Maxim. The show itself is pretty wretched. But does it really matter?

Here are the photos I found…still no nudes, so if google brought you here, sorry!

"We’re going to win here. That’s the end of the story."

2006-10-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

"Uncle" Lou Piniella was introduced as Cubs manager today. Now, I won't say he is my first choice, I do think it means that there is a REAL sense of urgency. Some of my favorite quotes, besides the one up top:

I’m a fiery manager. I want to have fun, but I do make it demanding.

Player talent wins.

On On-Base Percentage:
My philosophy is to get 8 midgets and walk all the time.

Some names that have already been mentioned, as the Cubs will undoubtedly increase payroll (it had to be a part of Piniella's willingness to take the job): Moyer, A-Rod, Lee Elia, Carlos Lee, Alfonso Soriano.

Intriguing.

How Great Was That Game?

2006-10-17T11:37:00.000-05:00

Thanks to ESPN.com and Elias, we know:

• The Bears' comeback from 20 points behind was the largest deficit overcome by any NFL team in a win which advanced a perfect start to 6-0 or better. The previous largest was 17 points by the 2005 Colts against the Rams to bring the Colts to 6-0, and also by the 2003 Chiefs vs. the Packers to go 6-0.

It was the first game in NFL history in which the winning team came back from a deficit of 20 or more points by means of three touchdowns on returns.

It was the first win in Bears history in which they trailed by at least 20 points in the second half.

• The Cardinals are the first team in NFL history to lose consecutive games in one season after leading by at least 14 points at the end of the first quarter in each game.

• In Monday's loss to the Bears, Matt Leinart became the first player in NFL history to throw at least two first-quarter touchdown passes in each of his first two career starts.

• Rex Grossman completed only 14 of 37 passes (38%), threw four interceptions and lost two fumbles on Monday and the Bears still won!

The last time a team won on the road while committing as many as six turnovers was almost 20 years ago: on Dec. 21, 1986, the Bears won in Dallas, 24-10, while throwing three interceptions and losing three fumbles.

The last time a team won on the road while completing less than 40 percent of its passes and throwing at least four picks was almost 22 years ago: on Dec. 2, 1984 the Cowboys won in Philadelphia, 26-10, despite Danny White going 8 for 25 with four picks and Tony Dorsett throwing an interception on his only pass.

• Devin Hester had an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown on Monday night after having an 84-yard touchdown on a punt in the Bears' first game. The only two other rookies in NFL history who had at least two 80-yard punt-return touchdowns in their rookie seasons were George Atkinson for the 1968 Raiders and Craig Yeast for the 1999 Bengals.

• The Bears are only the second team in NFL history to score at least twice on fumbles and at least once on a return of either a kickoff or a punt in one game. On Oct. 25, 1964 the Browns beat the Giants, 42-20, behind fumble-return touchdowns by Paul Wiggin and Charlie Scales and a punt return by Leroy Kelly.

• Edgerrin James had a key fumble in the fourth quarter and gained only 55 yards on 36 carries. That's the most carries in one game in NFL history by a player who did not average at least two yards per rush. The old record was set way back on Nov. 25, 1951, by the Giants Eddie Price, who ran 32 times for 47 yards.

Undoing a Mistake Before It's Too Late

2006-10-13T10:14:00.000-05:00

According to the Chicago Tribune, top-ranked high school senior Eric Gordon is opting out of his verbal commitment to come to Indiana.

Now, the Cryin’ Illini will bark that Coach Sampson has broken an unwritten rule about (verbally) committed players, but I would suggest to you that this is the exception. Gordon is from Indianapolis, and has always said he wanted to play for Indiana. However, when the UAB coach failed to recruit him, he looked elsewhere, and that elsewhere was Illinois.

Now that Indiana has a new coach, it was Gordon, by all accounts, that first showed interest in IU. Then the dance began. The dance that ended with today’s announcement.

If nothing else, it will rekindle the rivalry that was largely dormant (outside of my family) since Henson and Knight were on the sidelines.

My favorite Henson quote from that period:

Well, what do you expect out of Knight? What do you expect out of him? I mean, he's a classic bully. I was in the -- I was in the locker room, and he jumped on me. I wanted him to come outside. He's a classic bully, I'll tell you. But he comes in and rapes our state, takes our players, then comes back in and treats the people of Illinois like he's treating them. I think he runs over everybody in his path.

Probably true, and stronger than anything you will read in the aftermath of this. Maybe. Here’s a quote from Coach Weber:

“In football, it's always been known to be open game, but that hasn't been the case with us," Weber said this summer when Gordon was getting attention from Indiana. "If you have a kid [verbally] committed, then for that eight or nine months you don't recruit anyone else. So you lose all that time recruiting other kids, because you have one committed. Ask 98 percent of the coaches, and they'll tell you that they stop calling kids once they [verbally commit]. We do. Most do it."

Bitter.

Maybe Gordon got the letter from the Illinois faculty ripping the Chief…

How many days until November 13?

2006-10-11T09:57:00.000-05:00

Now that Indiana football has ended its one-game season undefeated after beating the hapless Fighting Illini, it's on to basketball:

I guess it is to be imagined that in the first story about the team as it begins to prepare for practice (the myth that they cannot yet “practice” but can do “conditioning” is one I will perpetuate here) there will be some attention paid to the differences between Coach Sampson and the current UAB coach. But I did not expect it to be so, well, unsubtle.

But as Ben Allen told the Indy Star, “The big difference this year is there's a lot of discipline and a lot of structure.” Quite an indictment, I would say.

Big Ten Player of the Year (to be) D.J. White echoes those sentiments, even if he was a fan of the old coach, “"It's just the energy," White said. "Everything we do is at the highest level. Whether it's conditioning or individual workouts, it's just at a fast pace at all times.''

A-Rod to the Cubs? Depends on What We Give Up...

2006-10-11T09:50:00.000-05:00

Meanwhile, Paul Sullivan makes noise about the Cubs going after A-Rod, and while I have often been a proponent, I cannot make that trade at the cost of Rich Hill. Seems to me that the Yankees need him to go more than the Cubs need him to come. And, you just cannot trade good starting pitching. You can’t. Look at the Tigers.

Felix Pie and Scott Eyre? OK. But not Rich Hill.

Even if it is Lip Service, it is Good to Hear

2006-10-04T16:18:00.000-05:00

Paul Sullivan, the wonderfully skeptical (if not cynical) beat writer for the Tribune interviewed new Cub President John McDonough and addressed my situation directly, along with telling us that no jumbotrons were in the “immediate future.”

As a guy who splits 81 game season tickets, I ate probably all four of my tickets for 3-4 games in late August and September, which meant losing a bunch of money, but the fact is, I saved money I would have spent on beer, etc..

The exchange:

Q. Did the empty seats in September jar you, and did it have any affect on the organization?

A. Yes, it did jar me. To me, when you see empty seats that are sold, which most of them I think were, it speaks to apathy and indifference that in some ways they might have given up hope, and for whatever reason they chose to do something else. That has to be changed. It will change.

I hope he speaks the truth, and I tend to believe him, as he is a marketing guy, and knows that empty seats are bad for PR. He was also interviewed on WGN last night, and he left the door wide open to having Steve Stone come back in some capacity, from broadcaster to front office guy.

The only down side to McDonough is his friendship with the disloyal Mark Grace. The buzz is that he wants to come back into the fold, since his Arizona buddy, Thommy Brennaman, is heading to Cincinnati. I sure hope he is not going to replace Bob Brenly if Brenly takes a manager job.

Today's Great Garrison Keillor Column

2006-10-04T16:03:00.000-05:00

I would not send my college kid off for a semester abroad if I were you. Last week, we suspended human rights in America, and what goes around comes around. Ixnay habeas corpus.

The U.S. Senate, in all its splendor and majesty, decided that an "enemy combatant" is any non-citizen whom the president says is an enemy combatant, including your Korean greengrocer or your Swedish grandmother or your Czech au pair, and can be arrested and held for as long as authorities wish without any right of appeal to a court of law to examine the matter. If your college kid were to be arrested in Bangkok or Cairo, suspected of "crimes against the state" and held in prison, you'd assume that an American foreign service officer would be able to speak to your kid and arrange for a lawyer, but this may not be true anymore. Be forewarned.

The Senate also decided it's up to the president to decide whether it's OK to make these enemies stand naked in cold rooms for a couple of days in blinding light and be beaten by interrogators. This is now purely a bureaucratic matter: The plenipotentiary stamps the file "enemy combatants" and throws the poor schnooks into prison and at his leisure he tries them by any sort of kangaroo court he wishes to assemble and they have no right to see the evidence against them, and there is no appeal. This was passed by 65 senators and will now be signed by President Bush, put into effect, and in due course be thrown out by the courts.

It's good that Barry Goldwater is dead because this would have killed him. Go back to the Senate of 1964--Goldwater, Dirksen, Russell, McCarthy, Javits, Morse, Fulbright--and you won't find more than 10 votes for it.

None of the men and women who voted for this bill has any right to speak in public about the rule of law anymore, or to take a high moral view of the Third Reich, or to wax poetic about the American Ideal. Mark their names. Any institution of higher learning that grants honorary degrees to these people forfeits its honor. Alexander, Allard, Allen, Bennett, Bond, Brownback, Bunning, Burns, Burr, Carper, Chambliss, Coburn, Cochran, Coleman, Collins, Cornyn, Craig, Crapo, DeMint, DeWine, Dole, Domenici, Ensign, Enzi, Frist, Graham, Grassley, Gregg, Hagel, Hatch, Hutchison, Inhofe, Isakson, Johnson, Kyl, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Lieberman, Lott, Lugar, Martinez, McCain, McConnell, Menendez, Murkowski, Nelson of Florida, Nelson of Nebraska, Pryor, Roberts, Rockefeller, Salazar, Santorum, Sessions, Shelby, Smith, Specter, Stabenow, Stevens, Sununu, Talent, Thomas, Thune, Vitter, Voinovich, Warner.

To paraphrase Sir Walter Scott: Mark their names and mark them well. For them, no minstrel raptures swell. High though their titles, proud their name, boundless their wealth as wish can claim, these wretched figures shall go down to the vile dust from whence they sprung, unwept, unhonored and unsung.

Three Republican senators made a show of opposing the bill and after they'd collected all the praise they could get, they quickly folded. Why be a hero when you can be fairly sure that the court will dispose of this piece of garbage.

If, however, the court does not, then our country has taken a step toward totalitarianism. If the government can round up someone and never be required to explain why, then it's no longer the United States as you and I always understood it. Our enemies have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. They have made us become like them.

I got some insight last week into who supports torture when I went down to Dallas to speak at Highland Park Methodist Church. It was spooky. I walked in, was met by two burly security men with walkie-talkies, and within 10 minutes was told by three people that this was the Bushes' church and that it would be better if I didn't talk about politics. I was there on a book tour for "Homegrown Democrat," but they thought it better if I didn't mention it. So I tried to make light of it: I told the audience, "I don't need to talk politics. I have no need even to be interested in politics--I'm a citizen, I have plenty of money and my grandsons are at least 12 years away from being eligible for military service." And the audience applauded! Those were their sentiments exactly. We've got ours, and who cares?

The Methodists of Dallas can be fairly sure that none of them will be snatched off the streets, flown to Guantanamo Bay, stripped naked, forced to stand for 48 hours in a freezing room with deafening noise. So why should they worry? It's only the Jews who are in danger, and the homosexuals and gypsies. The Christians are doing fine. If you can't trust a Methodist with absolute power to arrest people and not have to say why, then whom can you trust?

Where We Are Now by Tom Tomorrow

2006-10-04T10:34:00.000-05:00

"The Clock on the MacPhail-O-Meter has Run Down to Zero"

2006-10-02T11:43:00.000-05:00

If you are at this site, you know that the Cubs organization is being razed. Andy McPhail resigned in a bit of a surprise, and Dusty is likely to find out he will not be brought back. Not a firing, technically, as his contract has expired. Neither is McPhail a firing, as he offered his resignation in mid-summer, and Tribune people only now took the opportunity to accept it.

I appreciate the efforts McPhail made, and I applaud his willingness to fall on his sword. If nothing else, it rids the fans of a punching bag. A quote from McPhail:

"It's not just that we had a terrible season. I've been here 12 seasons and only two postseason (appearances) and to me that's not what I came here to do. Obviously, I've not been as effective as I wanted to be."

I am curious about the idea of interim President / marketing guru John McDonough bringing in Steve Stone, as Rozner ponders here.

If nothing else, it would answer the question of how Stoney would do with his money where his mouth is. Apparently McDonough and Stone are close.

Would Hendry survive if Stone came in? I would have to doubt it.

Elsewhere, I took the pregnant wife to her favorite comfort food place, Chili’s (at Ontario and State), on Friday. We saw Juan Pierre there. As he passed I told him I hoped to see him back next year. He kinda mumbled “thanks.” He is certainly not coming back, making that trade even worse.

Bottom...As In Last Place, Dude

2006-09-29T16:25:00.000-05:00

Asked to compare his current situation and the one that precipitated his departure in San Francisco when he and owner Peter Magowan had differences, Baker said it was obvious.

"Well, I was there a lot longer, you know. I thought I'd be here longer. You always think that," he said.

"It's different because at the end in San Francisco I was negotiating from strength on top and here I'm negotiating from a weaker position from the bottom."

Writing about All Things Bloggish, as they say...

2006-09-19T13:39:00.000-05:00

Ø Rich Hill deserves to be in the rotation next year. Since he was called back up, he has been good. Very good. Especially last Saturday, as he threw a shutout as his alma mater trounced the Irish last Saturday.

Ø Ryan Theriot deserves a shot at second next year, assuming lack of power is made up for in other places. Rozner quotes an e-mailer who suggests the Cubs go after Andruw Jones in center, which would allow Murton and Theriot to bat one and two in the lineup. The writer says that the Cubs would have to take Tim Hudson and his big contract as well, but that would just fill another spot in the rotation. Intriguing.

Ø Zambrano’s back must have gotten better fast. I always suspected that he wanted to take a few starts off, but then realized that he still had an outside chance at the Cy Young. Plus, he wanted to pump up his offensive numbers.

Ø A-Ram is playing like he wants Scott Rolen money, and he will likely get it somewhere, including here in Chicago. If he does go, though, he will need to be replaced, and A-Rod might be available. Despite the love for Scott Moore, ask Kevin Orie and Gary Scott about being a rookie third baseman for the Cubs.

Ø October 7 will be the biggest day in the Big Ten season, as that is when Indiana will play Illinois for the 11th spot in the conference. With Illinois losing at home to a team that had lost 12 in a row, and Indiana losing to a 1-AA school (albeit a good 1-AA team), it really will be the unstoppable force against the immovable object.

Ø Super Bowl, Super Bears!

Ø Just got an HDTV, and it is fantastic, especially for sports. Even the Cubs look good. Run right out and get one. Now!

Ø Love the null signs for bullet points, don’t you?

Who Wants to See This Woman Naked?

2006-09-11T17:07:00.000-05:00

The chief of police in BFD, Oklahoma had to quit because you could see this mess nekkid.

Turns out it is his wife. Poor Bastard.

Yeesh!

Super Bears, Super Bowl

2006-09-10T18:11:00.000-05:00

Random Cub Thoughts as the Season Peters Out

2006-09-07T13:43:00.000-05:00

> Carlos Zambrano had a bad start on Monday, and, realizing he would not win the Cy Young Award, chose to take himself out of the game, and likely for the season. I don’t really mind saving his arm, but it kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And this is coming from the biggest Zambrano fan you will ever find.

> Love the empty seats and no-shows at the ballpark lately. The best message is an announced crowd that is 8000-10,000 more than it looks like in the ballpark.

> Bad List: Freddie Bynum (both at second and at the plate), Juan Pierre getting caught stealing at third, Ryan Dempster, Michael Wuertz, Ronnie Cedeno brain-dead defense and baserunning, Dusty (obviously)

> Good List: Rich Hill (see you in ’07), Matt Murton (a young Ryne Sandberg who will also eventually hit for power) Joe Girardi, Scott Moore, Ron Santo killing Cedeno over his poor play.

> Apparently, this is not about Dusty Baker.

> Stacey Dash was in Playboy, and is very hot. You can see all of the pics here. No charge.

Saint Louis is Still a Sad, Pathetic Place

2006-09-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

So, I checked into the Holiday Inn on the south side of Saint Louis, and because I am a member of the exclusive Priority Club, I was given a free drink ticket at the attached bar-staurant, which is part of a chain, I guess.

The place was empty, which I understand as it was the day after Labor Day. There was an older guy who looked like he was on the road like me, and he was watching the Cardinals' game.

I ordered my free drink, a Rum and Diet Coke with a lime, and I took a sip. It was a combination of flat pop and bad booze. The bartender, maybe 55, asked the guy down the bar if he had ever see the TV show, "House." He hadn't. Apparently, the season premiere was that day, and since her boyfriend had died the week before, she was now without a TiVo, and she couldn't run the VCR.

Yikes. Very sad, I thought, and, if asked, I would have told her to put "House" on. I may have been asked, but didn't stay in the bar long enough. I left half of my drink there, and returned to my room, where it was not so sad.

Deck Chair Tossed Over Side of Team Titanic

2006-09-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

When we traded for him, I was not aware of the reputation of Phil Nevin. I then read him described as peevish, which is synonomous with petulant, irritable, snappish.

Bad for the clubhouse, as there were reports that he told the younger players to be a jerk to the media. For a #1 overall draft pick, he sure has been traded a lot.

As the AP tells us: The Minnesota Twins acquired first baseman Phil Nevin and cash from the Chicago Cubs on Thursday for a player to be named, a deal made on the final day players must be in an organization to be eligible for postseason play.

He will NOT be missed.

Happy Friday.

Nice Hustle, Fool or You Can't Help the Team on the DL

2006-08-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

I suppose nothing should surprise me about Sox fans. The LHPDW and I were in the bleachers last night and about ten Sox fans, most in some form of Aaron Rowand outfit, though one had his #13 Garcia jersey(?), were there so they could cheer on their team, the White Sox.

Well, not exactly. They were there to cheer on a single player who was traded by the White Sox to the Phillies, yes, Aaron Rowand. The guy who is this generation’s Jim Edmonds, you know, a guy who will dive for every ball, no matter if it means him getting hurt and costing his team by being out of the lineup. The type of guy who dives when he doesn’t have to, and gets the crowd excited, but the bottom line is he is a good, but not great, major leaguer.

So, I was very confused when I saw some (alleged) Sox fans in the right center bleachers, dipping and/or spitting sunflower seeds (because he would!) and cheering for their beloved Aaron. Me? If I were a Sox fan, I would be watching the White Sox, as they are playing a fairly big series against the team in first in its division. I would not be at Wrigley Field.

Last year, I bought tickets at Comiskey on the night Sammy Sosa was supposed to be back in town with his new team, the Orioles. But it was a night the Cubs were off, and they certainly were not in a pennant chase. I was not wearing any Sosa stuff, or even Cubs wear. Of course, Sammy failed to materialize.

So, last night, once the Rowand fans showed their allegiance, the other bleacher fans railed on them about the Sox score. Rowand walked and singled, but they were not memorable. He did pull up on a ball to center, which allowed us to hoot at the fans who came to see Mr. Exciting.

In the eighth inning, we got what we came to see. On a blooper just behind second base, Rowand came flying into short center, where he colliding with second baseman Chase Utley, and both went flying. Rowand lay motionless for a second, and eventually had to come out of the game, with at least a sprained ankle. The Rowand fans quickly and quietly left after the half inning.

Utley had the ball all the way, but no matter, Rowand will get there. He got there, but he didn’t get the ball.

Update: Rowand broke his ankle. He's out 4-6 weeks.