John Rodgers

(picture obtained from www.kernels.com)

For my final project for class I wrote about the radio broadcaster for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Kernels are the single-A affiliate for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They play in the Midwest League, which includes teams from Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.

John will begin his 14th season in the booth for the team next season, making him the broadcasting dean of the league. The 51-year-old began broadcasting later in life, after previously being a college professor and coach.

He is beloved by all of his listeners and has been a favorite in the Cedar Rapids community and around minor league baseball.

I have included a few links where you can listen to the voice of the Kernels from this season. You will have to copy and paste the link so that you can open the media files with the appropriate program. Then search for the following dates and click on the game to listen in. Make sure to click on the KMRY radio broadcast to listen to John.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/multimedia/audio.jsp

September 5---Cedar Rapids Kernels @ Clinton Lumberkings 8:00 p.m.
Division Semi Finals
5-4 win
Kernels win series at advance to Division Finals.

August 27--- Cedar Rapids Kernels @ Beloit Snappers 8:05 p.m.
Kernels clinch playoff berth
3-2 win

August 17--- Beloit Snappers @ Cedar Rapids Kernels 3:00 p.m.
5-4 win
Clay Fuller with a walk-off home run.

August 16--- Beloit Snappers @ Cedar Rapids Kernels 8:00 p.m.
6-5 win
Clay Fuller hit by pitch to win game.



The Kernels at Dale & Thomas Popcorn Field @ Veteran's Memorial Stadium are a hidden gem in the eastern Iowa area. It's great fun for the family, and they can also host your bachelor parties, class reunions, or other outings. The Kernels play an exciting type of baseball of base stealing, good defense, and smart hitting, just like the Los Angeles Angels. If you can't make it out to a game, or few, this season, you can listen to John all next season call the games on 1450, KMRY.

BOWL PICKS

I’m taking a break from my Cubs news for the day and taking you through the College Football Bowl Games. Now I’m a fan of college football, but I certainly don’t know crap about most of these teams and don’t care to watch them play in a pointless bowl game. So, we’ll see how it goes.

EagleBank Bowl---Wake Forest vs. Navy---Washington DC
Well there could be worse games to start off the bowl season. I'll take Midshipmen because they are playing in their back yard, and they surely can't lose in our nation's capital.---NAVY

New Mexico---Colorado State vs. Fresno State---Albuquerque
Here's the first one where I don't know crap about either team---FRESNO

magicJack St. Petersburg---Memphis vs. South Florida---St. Pete
This one might not even be close. South Florida playing in their home city, basically. Tampa is a suburb. Played at legendary Tropicana Field, the worst place to watch any sport event ever. South Florida's offense rolls up the Tigers---South Florida

Pioneer Las Vegas---BYU vs. Arizona---Vegas
Vegas loves the Cougars. BYU is making their fourth straight appearance in this bowl game. They knocked off UCLA in last year's game, but I'm taking Arizona who ranks 16th in the nation in scoring and is riding high off their rivalry game win over ASU---ARIZONA

R+L Carriers New Orleans---Southern Miss vs. Troy-- New Orleans
I've been to Troy, Alabama (not that I'm bragging about that) , and former Iowa State coach and Columbia, Missouri partier Larry Eustachy is Southern Miss' basketball coach---TROY

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia---Boise State vs. TCU---San Diego
The most ridiculous name for a bowl might be the best non-BCS game. TCU's two losses are to BCS teams. They only gave up 35 points at Oklahoma and lost by 3 at Utah. Great game, but I think the Horned Frogs squeak it out.---TCU

Sheraton Hawaii---Hawaii vs. Notre Dame---Honolulu
So you're telling me Notre Dame has another terrible season, their coach will be on the shortest leash of anyone next season, and they still get to spend a week in Hawaii? Wow...But, Hawaii is a tough place to play, especially when you're playing Hawaii! Just ask Cincinatti who only won by 5 last weekend. Crazy things happen to teams when they go play there. It just seems like the refs always favor the Rainbow Warriors---HAWAII

Motor City---Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan---Detroit
Motor City bowl reps are probably the only people outside of Champaign, Illinois sad to see the Fighting Illini not bowl eligible. They probably would've gotten the Big 10 Illinois, but they're stuck with this worthless game. Luckily for them, it's the only game of the day and in primetime---CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Meineke Car Care---West Virginia vs. North Carolina---Charlotte
I'm really excited for this matchup. A pair of 8-4 teams do battle here. I like North Carolina to pull it out, and really look for UNC to seriously contend for the ACC next year---UNC

Champs Sports---Wisconsin vs. Florida State---Orlando
Intriguing game between Bowden and Bret. FSU will bring more fans. The Badgers were in town last year for the Cap One Bowl. FSU has more quality wins (Clemson, Miami, VA Tech, NC State) than Wisconsin, who only beat 2 bowl teams (Fresno State and Minnesota)---FSU

Emerald---Miami (Fla.) vs. California---San Francisco
Another fun one. I look for Cal's offense to come alive and win this---CAL

Independence---Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech---Shreveport
Talk about another bowl that got screwed. This was supposed to pit SEC and Big 12 teams against each other, but neither conference had enough bowl eligible teams. Who wants to go to Shreveport anways?---LA TECH

Papajohns.com---NC State vs. Rutgers ---Birmingham, Ala
Rutgers looked amazing in putting up 63 last week versus Louisville---RUTGERS

Valero Alamo---Missouri vs. Northwestern---San Antonio
The Wildcats need to quit crying about not going to the Outback. This is still a great bowl one they can win. I'm picking the Big 10 in a game that surpasses 100 total---NW

Roady's Humanitarian---Maryland vs. Nevada---Boise
Maryland's great holiday gift is to travel to the blue turf! I bet they're excited. Just be thankful you're not playing Boise State. I'll still take the turtles---MARY

Texas---Rice vs. Western Michigan---Houston
Western Michigain is much better. I mean they've beaten two Big 10 teams in the last 2 years---WESTERN MICH

Pacific Life Holiday---Oklahoma State vs. Oregon---San Diego
Year after year one of the best games of the season. Another game that might surpass 100 total points. But, OSU's 3 losses are to OU, Texas, and Tech. Plus, there coach IS A MAN!---OKIE STATE

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces---Houston vs. Air Force---Fort Worth
Ummm...I'll go the Falcons because they have 8 wins versus Houston's 7---AIR FORCE

Brut Sun---Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh---El Paso
The worst place to be for a bowl game besides Boise (At least El Paso is warmer) This could be a really good game. I go with the Beavers---OREGON STATE

Gaylord Hotels Music City---Boston College vs. Vanderbilt---Nashville
Vandy beat Auburn and South Carolina, but lost to Duke. It's their first bowl game in 26 years and where do they go? Nowhere they stay home in Nashville. I still think Vandy pulls it off. One of the bigger upsets of the bowl season---VANDY

Insight---Kansas vs. Minnesota---Tempe
The Gophers suck, and KU just beat Mizzou. Kansas in a rout---KU

Chick-fil-A---LSU vs. Georgia Tech---Atlanta
GA Tech ran all over Georgia, and LSU's best win was at South Carolina. The national champs fell hard this year. Maybe Les Miles should've taken the Michigan job. GA Tech at home---GEORGIA TECH

Outback---South Carolina vs. Iowa---Tampa
In a battle of two very good defensives, it's Iowa's Shonn Greene who will win it for the Hawks. South Carolina's offense is terrible---IOWA

Capital One---Georgia vs. Michigan State---Orlando
This game looks ugly on paper. The Cap One really wanted Iowa, but Big 10 officials really wanted them to stick to the standings and take the Spartans. It could be close, but I see Georgia pulling away in the second half---GEORGIA

Konica Minolta Gator---Clemson vs. Nebraska---Jacksonville
A great game, but Clemson got its swagger back under their new head coach against South Carolina. Clemson wins easy---CLEMSON

Rose Bowl---Penn State vs. USC---Pasadena
Big 10 teams just don't beat USC at the Rose Bowl (or period really) I'll be rooting hard for Penn State, but I just don't see it happening. It's tough going out there when you're from the Midwest---USC

FedEx Orange---Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech---Miami
Cincy is better than people think, and Virginia Tech isn't that good at all. A boring game to watch, but I like the Bearcats---CINCY

AT&T Cotton---Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech--Dallas
This classic SEC-Big 12 matchup is always fun to watch. Ole Miss might be the best team no one talks about, like Iowa. Their 4 losses were all by 1 score each. And they beat a top team in Florida. Sound familiar? But, what a tough matchup for them. The Red Raiders will put up 50.---TEXAS TECH

AutoZone Liberty---Kentucky vs. East Carolina---Memphis
Why this game is played in January I have no idea. East Carolina wants to keep a hold of Coach Skip Holtz before he bolts for another job---EAST CAR

Allstate Sugar---Utah vs. Alabama---New Orleans
I don't think Utah is all that good, but they drew a good matchup for them. It's closer than people think. 'Bama's defense wins it though---ALABAMA

International---Buffalo vs. Connecticut---Toronto
Not many people will watch this one, but I will. UCONN's QB is a native of Eddyville, Iowa. He played in my conference in high school. Buffalo's Turner Gil may take the Auburn job before this so who knows if Buffalo will be ready to go. I gotta take the Iowa guy---UCONN

Tostitos Fiesta---Ohio State vs. Texas---Glendale
Ohio State loses another BCS game, but it might be to the best team they've faced in any of those games. Texas wins easy, and if they do and OU beat Florida---Maybe a split national title??---TEXAS

GMAC---Tulsa vs. Ball State---Mobile
Another game that should've been played two weeks earlier. Tulsa's offense is sick, and Ball State won't handle it. Tulsa will probably be the underdog, but they pull off the upset---TULSA

FedEx BCS National Championship---Florida vs. Oklahoma---Miami
OU might have the best offense we've seen in college football in a while, but they're used to the Big 12 defenses. Tim Tebow is on a mission (probably literally) and he wins it for Florida---FLORIDA

CUBS NEWS...

Tonight on SportsCenter, Peter Gammons said the Cubs are not quite out of the Jake Peavy sweepsteaks, which Lou said they were. He said the Cubs are looking to work out a 3-way deal between the Padres, Cubs, and Orioles.

Gammons also said the Cubs may be looking towards Bobby Abreu to fill the right field spot.

The Cubs continue to state that few changes will be made during the winter meeting, which open up next week in Las Vegas.

On a sad note...Henry Blanco's brother was found shot dead in Venezuela. Police are treating the death as a kidnapping/murder. The older brother was reportedly being held at ransom for $200 million. Henry was in the process of negotiating with the kidnappers.

Henry is currently playing winter ball in Venezueula

CHANGES I WOULD MAKE IN SPORTS...

So all this talk about change in the world got me thinking. What would I change in the world of sports? Here ya go…

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Create a 4-team playoff that incorporates BCS bowl games. Continue using the current system for all other bowls.

No more bowls can be added. We have more than enough already.

No automatic bids to the BCS for conference champions of “major” conferences. We could see Cincinnati or Pitt and Maryland making the BCS this year!

No automatic bids for non-power conference teams, like Utah. The Boise State upset over Oklahoma was a great story, but unlikely to happen every year.

Bids will be selected by a committee, not computers.

The Rose Bowl will always have a Big 10-Pac 10 matchup.

Injury Reports must be released to the general public, just like the NFL.

Joe Paterno must either start coaching again or retire.

Add the 2 minute warning, like in the NFL.

Start conference rivalries for non-conference games, like the Big 10/ACC Challenge in basketball. You could change it every year so it would be Big 10 vs SEC then Big 10 vs Big 12. This way we don’t have to watch meaningless games in September.

Change the overtime rules, and make the offense start with the ball at the 50. I don’t like how a team starts already in field goal range. It distorts the game. Each team would still get a shot with the ball though.


NFL

Only 3 preseason games.

Only 1 week in between the AFC/NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl.

No more games in London.

No more penalties or fines for touchdown celebrations.

Al Davis must retire or Die.

Michael Vick and Pacman Jones banned for life.

Guaranteed Contracts.

No more coaching challenges. All replays will be instigated by a replay official in the booth.

Change the overtime rules to the new college system I proposed above.

Los Angeles must get a franchise.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Lengthen the first round series to 7 games. ( Not because I’m bitter about the Cubs)

Shorten season to 125 games. Begin playoffs in late August.

Division teams will play same opponents in interleague play. It’s not fair if the Cubs play New York and Boston if St. Louis is playing Toronto and Baltimore.

Managers will shake each others hand at the end of each series, not after each game though.

Don’t start the season in Japan.

Pete Rose inducted into the Hall of Fame.








Ron Santo to the Hall of Fame.

No DH.

Tampa Bay must play games outside and certainly not in the dump of a stadium they call Tropicana Field.

A true salary cap.

Mark Cuban is allowed the own the Cubs.

The record book will have a special section for years 1998-2005.

All Star Game is no longer worth home field advantage in the World Series. Go by best record.

NBA

Cut NBA 1st round to 5 games.

Shorten breaks in between playoff games so playoffs do not last as long.

NHL
Eliminate one-fourth of the teams.

Move teams like Florida, Dallas, and Tampa Bay to Canada.

No teams will be south of St. Louis.

Knock out the 1st round of the playoffs.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Kelvin Sampson is banned for life.

Bob Knight must coach somewhere next season.

Double amount of teams in the tournament and get rid of the NIT.

Regular Season conference champion and the conference tournament champ gets automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

ALL SPORTS/ MISC.

Lower ticket prices.

Lower beer and food prices.

College athletes can transfer to other D-1 schools without sitting out 1 year.

Minnesota can never build another stadium without a roof. No one wants to watch Gopher football in late November outside, especially since Iowa always plays Minnesota at the end of the year!

You can now cheer in the press box.

No more stadiums have company or business naming rights.

You can put names on the back of college jerseys that you buy in stores and on their jerseys in video games. Everyone knows who #47 on Iowa is so just put his name on there!

Athletes and coaches can never answer a question with, “We’re going to play 1 game at a time” or “We’re going to play hard.”

Mandatory drug testing for all sports every week.

All contracts must have a team option for the following year so players have to earn their money. You can still have long-term deals. The team just has the option of picking it up the following year.

Fewer TV timeouts.

Referees and Umpires must now hold post game press conferences.

Referees and Umpires will be fined for bad calls.

Alcohol sold in college venues.

No more expansion in any sports, unless teams are eliminated first.

CHANGES FOR SPORTS ON TV

No playoff games will start after 7 pm central time.

No baseball playoff games in the afternoon. Put them on different channels so all games at are 7:00.

No Poker on ESPN.

No in-game coaches interviews like in MLB and the NBA do.

No halftime coaches interviews. They are too cliché, and nothing worthwhile comes from them. We now they are “going to make some changes and come back and play in the second half.”

No more sideline reporters, except for Erin Andrews. She will in fact do all games involving the University of Iowa.

No more college football games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. It’s just weird.

Shows like 1st and 10, PTI, and Around the Horn must debate different sports topics throughout the day.

Kornheiser and Wilbon will be on every episode of PTI.

No more 3-man broadcast teams. Vin Scully is the best there ever will be, and he flies solo.

Local TV announcers can announce their team’s playoff games. No one wants to hear FOX announcers spout off useless information about teams they think they know about.

No Blackout Rules.

Finally, the Cubs will win a World Series in my lifetime. If needed, Major League Baseball will fix the season so the Cubs do. It will not be discovered that it was fixed until after I die. That way, I never find out and can die happy. I would even settle for a Iowa Hawkeye National Championship!

Let's here what everyone thinks about some other changes that need to be made in sports!

LOOKING BACK AT THAT FINAL GAME...

Taking a break from the Cubs entry today. Hope you enjoy reading this post about remembering a certain game that my friends and I played in back in high school.

It was the final game we would ever play together, and it almost never happened at all. My senior year of high school football was a year of mediocrity. For the fourth year in a row, our high school team would finish with a 5-4 record and not make the playoffs.

We had a big group of seniors, and we were all very close. In a town of 2,500 and a school with classes of less than 90 students, closeness is almost assured. Everyone knows everyone else’s business, and your parents find out what trouble you’re in before you even have the chance to get home from school and figure out a way to cover it up.

Eight football games down, and our record was 5-3 going into the final game. I guess if you’re paying attention you know we lost the final game I’m about to talk about. The ninth game of the year was at home. Senior Night and Dad’s Night all wrapped into one. The final time our senior class would play football together on the field at Mustang Stadium in Bloomfield, Iowa.
As I look back on this game with friends, it brings up memories I hadn’t even remembered myself.

It was cold, really cold. And it was rainy, really rainy. A late October thunderstorm came to town and delayed the start of the game for two hours. It was so bad that school officials even thought about cancelling the game.

See, the game had no bearing on district standings. We weren’t going to the postseason. Our opponent was and already knew who they would be playing in the first round.
The opponent was number-one ranked Sigourney-Keota. If anyone knows the history of Class 2A Iowa High School football, you know about Sigourney-Keota. The Cobras have won numerous state championships and seemed to be well on their way to winning another. Their wishbone offense made them well-known across the state because very few teams run it, and it’s extremely difficult to stop.

So difficult to stop that in practices leading up to the game, the scout team offense played without a football. You see, in this type of offense you can’t follow the ball because you can’t ever see it. The offense runs with no receivers. The backfield twists, turns, and does circles while the quarterback mysteriously gives the ball to one of the three running backs in the backfield. Before you know it, the player who apparently has the ball is running downfield for a touchdown.

This team was good at what they did, and no one could stop them. No one had all year. Not only was their offense good, their defense hadn’t allowed a point in district play yet!
They were big, really big. Their small farming community raised hard-working kids who had dreamed about playing for the Cobras. They worked hard, harder than anyone else.

Sigourney-Keota might have wanted the game cancelled. They could rest and not risk injury before they made their playoff run. Not us. We wanted to play. This is all we had left. You might be wondering why we wanted to play a team that would most likely destroy us. We wanted to play for pride. We wanted to play because we could. We wanted to play because it would be the last time we ever would.

Thunderstorms finally subsided. We went out for warm-ups, but rain started to fall again so we headed back inside. This time we thought it was probably over for sure. Fans wanted to go home, I’m sure. But they stuck it out. The game finally began after the rain stopped a short time later.

The field was a complete mess, getting torn to shreds. It didn’t matter. It would be over 10 months until the next game that would be played on the field. Standing water and puddles everywhere. It made running nearly impossible.
The Cobras were intimidating. They just looked tough. They warmed up tough, if that makes sense. Their uniforms looked tough. They were huge. But we didn’t care. We were going to have the time of our lives.

Sure, we got killed. Was there any question? We lost 56-7. But the number that stands out in my mind is 7. We were the only team to score upon them in district play. We scored a touchdown in the first half. My buddy seems to think another team scored upon them earlier in the year. I disagree. We were the only team. But, I guess that’s what makes looking back fun. Everyone seems to have a different view.

I led the team in tackles that night as a safety. I know that’s not very good as a team when your safety leads in tackles, but it’s something I’ll remember. My other buddy seems to think he led the team in tackles. I know he’s wrong. I have the newspaper clipping to prove it. Like I said, that’s what makes looking back fun.

Two great memories stand out for me from the game. Here’s the first. The Cobras had a stud of a running back. Jon McLaughlin was his name. He ended up playing at Iowa Central Community College so he wasn’t that great. But, for Class 2A in Iowa he was a stud. It’s funny how everyone I talk to remembers his name. It’s not like we remember any other school’s running back. It’s not like McLaughlin went on to become a star in college. But, for some reason we all remember. Anyways, the highlight came when I recovered a fumble of a ball that he dropped. No, I didn’t even tackle him. I certainly didn’t cause him to drop the ball. It kind of just fell in front of me, and I jumped on it. The wet conditions caused him to drop it. I didn’t run for any yards after I recovered it. It really wasn’t that special or that cool, but I’ll always remember it.

The second memory comes from after the game. You would think that a team that just lost by 49 points would be a little down. Not us. Face it, we pretty much knew we would lose anyways. It was probably close to midnight by the time this game ended because of the delay. I have no idea what the actual time was. No one I talk to remembers either. Remember that standing water I talked about. Yeah, the entire team slid into the biggest puddle near the sidelines. As if our moms weren’t upset enough about washing those white, now-brown pants. After we slid into that mud puddle, the brown turned to black.

Inside the locker room, it was emotional. Just like the ending of any sport, no one really knows what to do or what to think. But this time it was forever. Never again would anyone play with each other on that field again.
Our quarterback would no longer execute the plays his dad, the offensive coordinator, would call. Our parents would no longer see us play on the field. We wouldn’t line up next to each other again. Most importantly, we would never put on the pads again.

It’s funny how much you miss something when you look back on it. I remember not being upset at the time. I remember being glad not to have to go to practice on Monday afternoon. I remember looking forward to free time. It’s funny how much you begin to hate something when you do it for four months straight, nearly every day. Especially when you’re 17 and too young to understand what real fun is.
But, when you look back you wish you had one more chance. One more game, one more play. Just to enjoy it more. Just to have that type of fun again.
Nowadays, my friends and I try to recreate it every once a while. We get together to play touch football on Sunday afternoons sometimes. Maybe 6, 7, or 8 of us might go. It’s not the same, and you know it won’t ever be. But, it’s still fun. We still like it. I think we like the fun of being together more than the fun of actually playing. That fact doesn’t matter though.

Sometimes, other than for this blog entry, we’ll bring that game up. Start talking about it. That’s probably the best part of it because you don’t just talk about the game. I mean, you might for a few minutes. Then it moves on to other things and other memories we have together. Other games. Other sports. Classes. Crazy stuff that happened.

Those type of memories will live forever. It’s even okay that some people’s perception of events are different than others. That’s the fun in it. They can tell their version of what happened, and I’ll tell mine.

PINIELLA IS YOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR...

The Cubs are racking up the awards this offseason. (Not that it helps ease the pain of the playoff sweep by the Dodgers.) Lou Piniella was named the National League's Manager of the Year today. This is after Geovany Soto was already named the NL's Rookie of the Year.

Piniella won for the 3rd time. He won in 1995 and 2001 with Seattle.

Charlie Manuel finished 2nd, and Fredi Gonzalez of the Marlins finished third.

Lou will receive a $100,000 bonus from the Cubs. This was put into Piniella's contract. He donated the money to charity.

Don't get excited and think the Cubs will sweep the postseason awards with the NL MVP. That will not happen, but good for Lou!

SOTO IS YOUR NL ROY

Geovany Soto brought home the hardware today as he was crowned the National League's Rookie of the Year.

Geo received 31 out of 32 possible first place votes. The Reds' Joey Votto finished 2nd and received the other first place vote.

Soto hit .285 for the Cubs this year with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs, but I would argue his biggest contribution to the team was the way he handled the pitching staff. He helped turn the careers around of Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood, as well as catching Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter.

Geo started the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium and won NL rookie of the month in April and August.

GIANTS-EAGLES LIVE GAME BLOG

I’ll be live blogging during the Sunday night NFL game on NBC. We’ve got the Eagles taking on the Super Bowl champion Giants. It should be a good game as most matchups within the NFC East are competitive.

Bear with me tonight as my internet isn’t working that well. So when it's not working I'll write this in a word document and then paste it in when I can.

7:03---I’m watching the pregame show. Overall I like it. I really like Bob Costas. Dan Patrick and Cris Colinsworth is okay. But, is anybody with me in saying Keith Olbermann is just flat out annoying? To me, it just seems like he tries way too hard. I never seem to understand what he’s talking about. Just give me the highlights.

7:05---That commercial with Troy Palomalu and Bob Sanders for Nike is just flat out awesome. If you’ve seen it you know what I’m talking about. One of the best commercials I’ve seen in a while.

7:10--Since NBC and the NFL don't like to start games at the top of the hour and I'm sitting here bored, I'll say a few words about the Hawkeyes win over 3rd ranked Penn State yesterday. One of the greatest feelings I've ever had after a game at Kinnick Stadium. Simply unbelivable. After all of the close losses this season, it was great to get this one at home. The only other game that rivals this for me personally is the 2004 game vs Wisconsin when Iowa won a share of the Big 10 title. Of course, beating Michigan in 1985 may always be at the top of that list, but I'm not old enough for that!

7:12--Collinsworth picks the Giants

7:14--All I can think about is how much I need to be studying for an Anatomy test I have tomorrow. Oh well, this is more fun than that anyways!

7:15--Let me say I'm a huge fan of the intro to NBC Sunday Night Football. I know it's kind of corny, so it just must be Faith Hill. Tim McGraw's a lucky man...

7:17--48 degrees tonight in Philly. They don't know what cold is. Yesterday at Kinnick was cold. If you look at the forecast for next Saturday's game it looks to be more of the same!


7:20—Al Michaels is the man. Might be my favorite football broadcaster. I know I’m probably in the minority, but I’m also a fan of John Madden. He usually gives good insight, and I just can’t imagine football without him.

7:23---New York is 7-1…Philly is 5-3…So this is a pretty big one. We’re set for kickoff. Philly kicking left to right to New York. Rocky Theme music in the background…

7:25---Giants go 5-wide on 2nd and 6…Manning complete to Amani Toomer for a first down

7:26---Defensive Tackle Mike Patterson with the Interception…Big number 98 intercept the Manning pass! He bats it down and grabs it and runs it down to the 9 yard line. 1st career interception

7:27—Direct snap to DeSean Jackson in Wildcat formation….TOUCHDOWN PHILLY…I didn’t think Jackson got in the endzone initially, but the replays show he did…Akers with the extra point…7-0 EAGLES. We’re off to a crazy start.

7:32--Talk about a 3-headed beast of a backfield with the Giants. Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw...Not too shabby. How hard would it be to tackle Brandon Jacobs? Wow...

7:34--Manning to tight end Kevin Boss on 3rd and 1...Gain of 21. Boss has stepped up since the Giants lost Shockey to injury last year. That made it rather easy to say Bye-Bye to Shockey this past offseason.

7:38--Manning converts on another 3rd down...TOUCHDOWN GIANTS...It goes to Plaxico Burress...His 4th TD reception of the year. Not a big fan of Burress, but man is he good...WE'RE TIED AT 7 A PIECE

7:41--A lot of stuff happening early on...The Eagles fumble to kickoff return and Giants recover...Madden says defenders are doing more of stripping the ball now than just flat out tackling the ballcarrier...See, I told you he gives good insight. 1st down at the Eagle 14 for New York

7:44---The Giants luck on 3rd down conversions run out as the Manning pass attempt is incomplete. Carney in for Tynes for the kick...KICK IS GOOD...GIANTS 10-7

7:45---I think this will be the first NFL game I've watched start to finish since last year's Super Bowl. Mostly because I'm always busy with work for the Hawkeye football team on Sundays. But also because my KC Chiefs flat out suck this year. 1-8? Come on! Today's loss was rough, but I don't fault Herm for going for 2 and trying for the win. I mean, you're on the road and have nothing really lose with such a terrible team.

7:47---I just thought of another reason. The damn NFL breaks to commerical way too often! We had one kickoff and it's back to commercial. That pissed me off yesterday too in the Iowa game because it was ABC. Network TV games really deteriorate the flow of the game. Especially when you're standing in 20 degree wind chills like yesterday!

7:52--Philly punts...Another commercial, but I'd like to see more of that Eagle cheerleader before the night's over!

7:57--Manning looks really sharp tonight. They're moving down the field with ease...1st and 10 from the 14

7:59--Manning already with 100 yards passing...Still in 1st Quarter

8:00--Manning to Toomer...Ball at the 1 as the Quarter end...Al Michaels just said Philly had the ball for a whole 90 seconds in the quarter...A touchdown is likely here so this game could get ugly!

8:02--Did you know childhood obesity affects 1 in 3 kids?

8:03---TOUCHDOWN GIANTS...Manning to Boss...Great catch by Boss...17-7 GIANTS

8:04---2 man broadcast teams are so much better than 3-man teams. Michaels and Madden work well together. Not sure why ABC goes with a 3-man team of Nessler, Griese, and Macguire...I watched the TV broadcast of the Iowa game yesterday, and those 3 just stumbled over each other!

8:05--After watching the player intros where they name their college, I'm so glad I didn't hear any high schools mentioned. I hate when guys do that! I don't give a crap where you went to high school because I have no idea where they are! Tell me where you went to college

8:06--Aaron Ross takes a poke at Ohio State by saying he went to THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS...I like it. I hate Texas, but I love it when anyone can find a way to make fun of the Buckeyes...Too bad Aaron Ross got burned by Andy Brodell in the 2006 Alamo Bowl!

8:09---Am I the only one who thinks of Tom Coughlin's beat red face from last year's NFC Championship game in Green Bay when I see him on TV?

8:22---Not much has happened lately. The Eagles defense has stepped up. Giants stop the Eagles on 3rd down. Punt time for Philly

8:27---Jacobs tries to get the first down by jumping over a defender. He gets leveled by another Eagle and fumbles the ball. Eagles recover. Ouch! He took a hit!

8:28—Great play by McNabb as he remains calm in the pocket. Completes a pass to his receiver downfield.

8:30—Reverse to Jackson. It looks like he’ll get nothing, but he turns on the jets and gains a few yards. Personal foul…Late hit out of bounds on the Giants defense..1st down Eagles

8:31---1st and Goal Eagles…McNabb gets pressured but avoids the sack

8:32—TOUCHDOWN EAGLES…McNabb completes it to Avant…17-14 GIANTS STILL LEAD...The fumble by Jacobs comes back to hurt the G-Men

8:36---Joe Biden’s in the house!

8:40—My buddy just asked how many years Brian Westbrook has been in the league. I’m not sure of the answer off the top of my head, but it proves a point. Westbrook is definitely the most underrated back in the league.

8:41---McNabb picked off by Sam Madison. Giants have the ball deep in Eagle territory right before the 2 minute warning.

8:46---Carney hits a 26 yard field goal…GIANTS 20 EAGLES 14

8:49—McNabb finds LJ Smith in the middle of the field. 57 seconds to go. Timeout by Philly. They’ve got 1 left. They really need to put some points on the board before the half.

8:53---McNabb finds Westbrook. They’re down inside the 15 with 10 seconds left. Incomplete pass. 5 seconds left…They bring on Akers for the 29 yard kick. IT’S GOOD…GIANTS 20 EAGLES 17 HALFTIME...Perfect timing for me because I got to watch Entourage. I’ll pick it back up in the 2nd half!

9:30---It’s 24-20 EAGLES…Giants are driving in the redzone…6:18 to go in the 3rd quarter

9:32---Manning called for an illegal forward pass. He threw after he crossed the line of scrimmage for the first time in his career. Coughlin is challenging the call…Not sure why. It looked pretty clear in the replay…We’ll see

9:34---Great challenge by Coughlin. The call is overturned. I didn't know the complete rule. Apparently the QB's entire body must be across the line of scrimmage. Michaels does a really good job of explaining this. 1st and goal from the 3

9:38---TOUCHDOWN GIANTS...Jacobs runs it in…Another lead change. It’s now GIANTS 27-24…Can’t say enough about the challenge by Coughlin. Smart move! Michaels says its the right call...Madden disagrees

9:41---Eagles have to punt. They don’t gain a yard in 3 plays. A bonehead play by the Eagles return man. Fair catch interference moves the ball up 15 yards so it’s Giants ball 1st and 10 at their own 33.

9:45--Eagles killing themselves with penalties...Another 15-yarder with a face mask. Giants in Eagle territory now

9:46--Tonight's Entourage wasn't the best. Not much happened. Vince is still upset about with the director of the movie he's doing. E saw Sloan for the first time in a while, and Seth Green gets on E's nerves again. Not sure if anyone knows what I'm even talking about.

9:47--Bradshaw gets his first carry of the night for the Giants. They're down inside the red zone as the clock ticks down in the 3rd quarter.

9:52--Burress is complaining there wasn't a flag on that last play. I can't stand him. On 3rd and Goal the Giants are stopped. Huge play. They've got to settle for the field goal.

9:53--Carney's kick is GOOD...30-24 GIANTS LEADING

9:57--They keep talking about that challenge call 20 minutes ago. It's pretty clear to me they got it right, but Madden won't admit it. He finally does, but I think he does just so he doesn't feel like an idiot.

10:00---Oh Peyton Manning...Gotta love his commercials dont ya?

10:03--If the G-Men put it in the endzone, the game's over

10:05---Madden states the obvious: "You take the penalty to make it 3rd down because then you would have 2 downs left, 3rd down...then 4th down!" Really, are there 4 downs in football?

10:11--Wow that's close. The ball popped out as Jacobs was crossing the goal-line...Philly is challenging the call.

10:16--Play is confirmed. It's a TOUCHDOWN for the Giants...They go for 2 but fail. It's 36-24 GIANTS with 9:30 to go. Let's get this game over with so hopefully I can study a little before I pass out.

10:27--Eagles aren't done yet. They march down the field for a TOUCHDOWN...36-31 GIANTS...Cue the Rocky theme music.

10:29--Wow, NFL games take forever when you totally don't care who wins! At least Ward stayed in bounds to keep the clock running

10:32---Madden said this game is just like a Heavyweight fight. Well, of course. We have been listening to the Rocky theme song all night!

10:33---Here’s the situation..Eagles at their own 14. They need a touchdown. Just over 3 minutes to go…1 timeout…and the 2 minute warning

10:34---Interception, but there is a flag

10:35—Defensive holding…Forget the interception…Ball at Eagle 36

10:39--Here's the ballgame...It's 4th and 1

10:40--They don't get it. Giants stop them. 1 Timeout Left. Giants should be able to run the clock out

10:45---Ballgame Over...GIANTS WIN...Later!

WHY CUBAN WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR THE CUBS...

Well it looks like Maverick's owner Mark Cuban will not be allowed to purchase the Cubs. The Chicago Tribune has reported that Cuban will have a tough time getting approved by Commissioner Bud Selig. It's quite a shame. I think Cuban could have been good for the Cubs in a few ways.

1.) Cuban would have turned the Cubs into a more national product that they currently are. Just like we have Red Sox nation, the Cubs would have gained more fans across the country.

2.) Cuban cares more about winning than making money. He turned one of the worst teams in the NBA into a perennial playoff team every year in the Dallas Mavericks. He would have spent as much money as it took to turn the Cubs into World Series champions.

3.) The Cubs need someone to spice things up. The NFL has Jerry Jones. The NBA has Cuban. The Yankees have the Steinbrenners. One thing those guys have in common: They win.

ZAMBRANO, DEMPSTER, AND JAKE PEAVY??

According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs could be a front-runner in the running for San Diego Padre-ace Jake Peavy. The Braves, Dodgers, and Yankees seem to be the others in the race. Peavy has a no-trade clause but said he would come to the north side. The Padres reportedly want young pitching in exchange for Peavy.

Rosenthal also says the Cubs may be willing to offer Ryan Dempster and 4-year deal.

Just think of the possibilities Cubs fans!

Read the whole article right here: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8761340/Sources:-Cubs-consider-deals-for-Peavy,-Dempster

CHECK THIS OUT...

Found an interesting story on Cubs.com. Students at DePaul University have the opportunity to take a class on the history of the Chicago Cubs. Must be rough!

Check out the link: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081105&content_id=3664683&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

Cubs Free Agents...

The Cubs have eight players who have filed for free agency:

Henry Blanco--Had an option for 2009, but it was declined by the Cubs. I look for the Cubs to eventually resign Blanco. Most likely, they will do so at a lower price. Blanco is a very good defensive catcher and a good 2nd option behind the plate. He won't wow anybody, but he doesn't have to with starter Geovany Soto locked in behind the plate.

Ryan Dempster--In the days after the Cubs were eliminated from the playoffs, Dempster said that he would love to come back in a Cubs uniform. The Cubs need to get Dempster signed. I think a deal gets done because this is near the top of GM Jim Hendry's "to do" list this offseason.

Jim Edmonds—I look for the Cubs to say thanks for this year, but we don’t want you back next year. Jim was a great pickup for the Cubs, but I just don’t think he puts up as good of numbers next year. Lou said he wants to platoon Reed Johnson and Fukudome in center so I really think that was a sign that Edmonds will not be in a Cubs uniform next season.

Chad Fox—Injuries have hampered his Cubs career, and it’s now time to say Good-bye.

Bob Howry—Howry’s role in the bullpen diminished with the emergence of Jeff Samardzjia. Howry gave up too many late inning home runs, and it’s time for him to go somewhere else.

Jon Lieber—Looked like it could be a good signing at the time, but Lieber was never really healthy. He can be a good long-inning relief game or a spot starter, but his big league career is winding down so there is no use signing him for next year.

Daryle Ward—This could go either way, but I would guess the Cubs get rid of Ward. Micah Hoffpauir has shown he can hit in the big leagues so he can take Ward’s spot off the bench, if he doesn’t find a way into the starting lineup.

Kerry Wood—Another thing on the top of Hendry’s “to do” list. The Cubs need Wood on the backend of the bullpen, and I’m not the only person who knows that. Hendry knows this, and I’m nearly 100% confident a deal will get done. Kerry’s a life long Cub. He and his wife are always doing charity work in the community. He has no reason to leave the team now, especially when the Cubs will certainly want him back.

IOWA CUBS NEWS...

Chicago Cub Micah Hoffpauir has been awarded by Minor League Baseball for his 4 Home Run game back on August 9 in a game between the Iowa Cubs and the Round Rock (Texas). Micah was 4-5, hitting 4 homers in his first 4 at-bats.

Hoffpauir was given the "Game of the Year" in Minor League Baseball overall and in Triple-A baseball. This season he hit .362 with 25 homers and 100 RBIs for Iowa.
With Chicago he played in 33 games and hit .342 with 2 homers and 8 RBIs.

Hoffpauir did not make the Cubs postseason roster for the series versus the Dodgers, but he looks to garner a spot on next year's opening day roster.

TOP 10 MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM 2008 CUBS SEASON...

Here is my TOP 10 MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS from the Cubs 2008 Season…

10.) Ted Lilly Takes No-Hitter Into 7th---September 15---Miller Park
Cubs fans were experiencing “Déjà Vu” as Ted Lilly took a no-hitter into the 7th after Carlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter the night before. (See # 2) The left-hander gave up one hit through seven while striking out nine against the Astros in a game that was moved to Milwaukee because of Hurricane Ike. Three Cubs relievers finished the final two innings in the Cubs 6-1 win.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200809153481468&c_id=chc

9.) Geo Soto’s Inside the Park Homer---May 19---Minute Maid Park
Geovany Soto became the first Cubs catcher to hit an inside the park home run in 49 years with his 3-run shot off the wall in the 4th inning. The Cubs beat the Astros 7-2.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805192731882&c_id=chc

8.) Reed Johnson’s Spectacular Catch---April 25---Nationals Park
The Cubs lost this game 5-3 to the lowly Nationals, but Reed Johnson made one of the greatest grabs you will ever see by a centerfielder. The distance he ran to catch the ball in simply unbelievable.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200804252587970&c_id=chc

7.) Blanco’s Walk Off---August 8---Wrigley Field
Henry Blanco sent the Wrigley faithful home happy with his RBI single in the 11th inning to beat the rival Cardinals 3-2.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200808083274953&c_id=chc

6.) Fukudome Awes the Crowd on Opening Day---March 31---Wrigley Field
The Cubs lost the Opening Day game against the Brewers 4-3, and this was certainly Kosuke Fukudome’s best moment of the year. However, there was something special about this that made you think this could be a special season. Fukudome’s first MLB game was memorable as he went 3 for 3, including a 3-run homer that tied the game in the 9th.


http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl_3_1.jsp?w=2008/open/tp/archive03/033108_milchn_fukudome_hr_tp_400.wmv&pid=mlb_tp&gid=2008/03/31/milmlb-chnmlb-1&vid=7758&mid=200803312476798&cid=mlb&fid=mlb_tp400&v=2&id=637653

5.) DeRosa Brings Them All the Way Back---May 30---Wrigley Field
Mark DeRosa’s two run homer in the 7th inning gave the Cubs the lead in a game they trailed 9-1 after five innings. The home run capped off a 6-run 7th inning, and the Cubs won 10-9 over the Rockies.


http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805302800246&c_id=chc

4.) Ramirez’s 2nd Homer Beats Sox---June 20---Wrigley Field
Aramis Ramirez’s 2nd Home Run of the afternoon in the last of the 9th inning downed the Sox 4-3. Ramirez and Derrek Lee went back to back in the 7th inning to tie the game. This was game one of a 3 game series that the Cubs would sweep.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200806202968467&c_id=chc

3.) Series versus the Brewers---July 28-31---Miller Park
I’m including this whole series because it was probably the most critical moment of our season. By sweeping the Brewers the Cubs put a stranglehold on the division that they would never relinquish. Going into the series the Cubs held a 1-game lead and left Wisconsin with a 5-game lead. Beating Sabathia and Sheets were great moments, but the video is of Jim Edmonds’ grand slam in the fourth game.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200807313231155&c_id=chc

2.) Big Z’s No-Hitter---September 14---Miller Park
With the Cubs playing the Astros in Milwaukee, Big Z made the Cubs fans who made the drive up north very happy and feeling it was worth the gas money. Carlos Zambrano was dominant. He struck out 10 and walked one in the first Cubs no-hitter in 36 seasons.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200809153478790&c_id=chc

1.) Cubs Clinch---September 20---Wrigley Field
The Cubs wrapped up the division championship with a 5-4 win over the Cardinals. It was the 1st time in 100 years that the franchise had been to the postseason in back to back years. Unfortunately, this would be the lasting memory for the team as they swept out of the playoffs by the Dodgers.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200809203515598&c_id=chc

Let's here what everyone thinks!

REVIEWING THE RICH HARDEN TRADE

The Cubs traded for pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin midseason, and both pitchers helped the Cubs clinch the Central Division.

I'm going to look at the trade for both the Cubs and the A's and see how all players fit into future plans for both teams.

THE TRADE
CUBS GET--SP RICH HARDEN, RP CHAD GAUDIN

A'S GET----OF MATT MURTON, UTL ERIC PATTERSON, SP SEAN GALLAGHER, C JOSH DONALDSON

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE CUBS:
The Cubs picked up Rich Harden's option for 2009. It was a $7 million option, and I think the Cubs will reap the benefits with Harden. He can be a great number starter for the Cubs when healthy. Gaudin will be a good part of the 2009 bullpen. The Cubs will be very happy with both of these right arms.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE A'S:
Gallagher made 11 starts for the A's in the 2nd half. He went 2-3 with a 5.88 era. He did make an appearance on the disabled list, however. I think the A's will be very happy with Gallagher. Will he ever be a number one starter? Probably not. Can he be a very solid number 3 starter eventually? Definitely. Gallagher has the mentality that you love as a starter. He won't back down to anyone and is a "gamer." Matt Murton was basically what we saw with him as a Cub. He only had 30 at-bats for the big league team, getting only 3 hits. He spent most of his time in Triple A. Eric Patterson struggled, as well. He didn't do enough to solidify a starting spot for 2009, like the A's were hoping. He batted .174 in 30 games for Oakland. Donaldson played at High-A Stockton and improved his hitting over the 2nd half.

This deal could work out for both teams if Gallagher develops. Patterson could eventually be a good starter in the Majors, but it might be a while. Murton looks to be a career "tweener," where he bounces from Triple A to the big leagues. With Donaldson, it's too early to tell how well he will become.

WORLD SERIES PREDICTIONS

2008 WORLD SERIES

I’ve been holding off my World Series prediction because, frankly, I can’t decide who I think will win. Philadelphia gets set to take on the Rays in Game 1 in St. Pete tonight on FOX.

Let me start off my saying this could be a classic series. I think both teams are evenly matched. I think most fans want to see Tampa Bay win the series, except for fans of the Phillies. Fans love to root for the little guy, the underdog.

But, Tampa Bay is certainly no underdog in this series. They have proven they were the best team in the American League all season long. Beating the Red Sox in Game 7, even if it was in Tampa, shows this team is the real deal.

Tampa has great young pitching and young superstars who are fun to watch, like Evan Longoria and BJ Upton.

That being said I am picking the Phillies. Cole Hamels is the best pitcher in this series. Even though he will probably only pitch twice in the series, he can lead this team to the title. The Rays haven’t seen a team with the offensive firepower that Philly possesses.

Rollins, Howard, Utley, Burrell…Scary…

Not to mention the Hawaiian sensation Shane Victorino, who has seemed to be the spark plug for Philadelphia through the postseason.

Philadelphia’s bullpen is slightly better with Madson and Lidge on the back end. Tampa’s is no slouch either with the emergence of David Price though.

I could very well be wrong with this prediction, but I see the Phillies in 6. I look for Philly to get at least 1 in Tampa. Then go and take 2 at home before closing it out on the road.

PHILLIES IN 6 GAMES…

Let me know what everyone else out there thinks!

JIM HENDRY BREAKING NEWS

As expected the Cubs have resigned General Manager Jim Hendry to a contract extension. The deal is for 4 years, meaning he will be the GM of the Cubs through the 2012 season.

If Hendry stays till 2012, he will have been the GM for over 10 years. He began his duties back in July, 2002.

The announcement was made by Cubs chairman Crane Kenney today at the club's organizational meetings in Mesa.

JIM HENDRY

It looks like Jim Hendry will sign an extension soon that will keep him as the Cubs General Manager. His contract is up at the end of December. Hendry is the first GM to lead the Cubs to 3 playoff appearances. Last week the Cubs denied the Mariners' request to interview Hendry for their GM position.

The Cubs open their organizational meetings in Mesa, Arizona today so an announcement could be made early this week.

I think resigning Hendry is a good idea. He has made some great deals that have brought good teams and players to the north side.

Here are a few of Hendry's top moves:

--Trading for Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton in 2003
--Trading for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin in 2008
--Resigning Carlos Zambrano

WHAT TO DO ABOUT FUKUDOME...

Kosuke Fukudome had a less than impressive year for the Chicago Cubs this season. Things went downhill after his opening day performance where he hit a home run to tie the game against Milwaukee at Wrigley Field.

FINAL STATS:

.257 Average, 10 HR, 58 RBI

No one really knew quite what to expect coming into the season, but with his lucrative four year contract Cubs fans wanted much more.

I am not ready to give up on Fukudome quite yet. I will give him another season to adapt to American baseball. He had to get used to the travel, the language barrier, the pitching, and the expectations of Chicago. I'll give him a mulligan for those reasons alone.

I think that Kosuke can become a productive player for the Cubs next season so that is why I hang onto him.

He showed very good plate discipline at times, even though he struck out 104 times to 81 walks.

He showed that he can play great defense, in arguibly the toughest right field to play in baseball. He only had 5 errors in 137 games.

Lou showed his displeasure with Fukudome towards the end of the year. If he starts out sluggish next season, look for Lou to pull him out of the starting lineup sooner. I expect Kosuke to be starting in right field when the Cubs start 2009.

So to answer the question: What should the Cubs do with Fukudome?

Keep him, and be patient. Let him go into year number two with the opportunity to show that he has adjusted to the States. He was productive in Japan. There is no reason he can't be productive over here. He won't hit a lot of home runs for us, but I think his average will improve as he has had a full season to see the pitching. His defense never faltered, and it will not next year either.

BREAKING NEWS...

ESPN IS REPORTING THAT THE CUBS HAVE RE-SIGNED RICH HARDEN FOR THE 2009 SEASON. HE HAD A CLUB OPTION AFTER BEING TRADED FROM OAKLAND TO THE CUBS MID-SEASON.

He will earn $7 million next season. Harden's shoulder was examined before the Cubs decided to pick up his option.

General Manager Jim Hendry and other members of the organization will make plans for the off season at team's club meetings on October 19 in Mesa, Arizona.

LCS PREDICTIONS...

Well, now that the Cubs are down untill 2009 here are my predictions for the NLCS and ALCS...

NLCS---Phillies vs. Dodgers

I look for the Phillies to take this series. Even though the Dodgers are playing really well right now, I think the Phillies offense will lead the way to victory. Utley, Howard, and Rollins will take Philadelphia to the World Series. I like the Dodgers pitching, but Philly will put up a better offensive attack then the Cubs. Manny will make this a good series. He is hitting the cover off of the ball. I see an offensive battle in the series. Let's go with Phillies in 7.

ALCS---Red Sox vs Rays

I see the Red Sox and their playoff experience taking this series. The Rays are the cinderella team that I am rooting for, but I just don't see it happening. The Bo Sox took down the AL's best team in 4 games. The Rays pitching staff will keep these games close. But, there is certainly something to be said for experience, something the Rays don't have. Great run for the Rays, but it comes up short here. Red Sox in 6.

THE SUN DID COME UP...

Now that we've had a couple days to drown in our sorrows after Saturday night's Game 3 loss, we've all come to the realization that, Yes, the Cubs will not be playing baseball anymore this year.

Kinda hard to say that isn't it?

I mean, this was the team to go all the way.

Best record in the National League.
Great starting pitching.
A solid bullpen.
Outstanding Hitting.
The most runs scored in the National League.
Home Field throughout the Playoffs.
A manager with a World Series championship.

But...It just didn't happen.

The Cubs forgot how to play baseball in the 3 most important games of the year.

It's hard to say Los Angeles will be playing Philadelphia in the NLCS. It just doesn't seem right. That was supposed to be us.

I mean..."It's Gonna Happen!" Right?

I guess not. It hurts, but life does go on. We're Cubs fans so we know how to deal with it. We've done it before. We'll do it this year like we have before. It's just this one hurts a little more.

Last year...I think we were just happy to get there. Sure it was a let down, but we knew we ran into great starting pitching. Plus, Arizona had home field advantage.

2003 was rough...But we still made it further. We put up a better showing than this year!

1998---We were just happy to get there.

And, of course no one my age will remember anything beyond that.

In a way, Cubs fans my age have had it better than a lot of people. I mean, I've been able to watch some good Cubs teams. We've been to the playoffs 3 years of the last 10! Think about other teams...Cincinnatti, Kansas City for example. I know fans of those teams, and they haven't had the privledge to watch playoffs runs like I have.

Maybe, older Cubs fans aren't as disappointed because they didn't get their hopes up. They'd seen it happen way more times than I have so they weren't ready to book World Series trips like I was. They were there in 1989 when Wil Clark and the Giants killed us. They were there in 1984 when the Padres stole the series from us. They were there in 1969 when the black cat in New York creepily ruined any playoff chance.

I'm just happy I get to look forward to many more years of watching the Cubs. This team isn't done. They've got a good foundation, but we don't have a lot of time. Lee and Ramirez are getting older. Edmonds won't repeat his breakout year. However, we do still have good young stars like Theriot and Soto so there's always hope.

Stay with me through the next few months as I will preview the remaining playoff games.
(As painful as it is) I will also look at what the Cubs need to do for next season to bring about a World Series title after 101 years. I will also recap the great stories and memories of the past season.

So, it's over...We have to deal with it...But remember, THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR...

DO OR DIE...

Lou Pinella got upset when a reporter asked if last night's game was a "do or die" game. He said it wasn't because the Cubs have Rich Harden going in Game 3 and Ted Lilly in a possibe Game 4.

Well, now it is "Do or die," even if Lou doesn't want to use those words. Every game from here on out is.

Stunned is about the only word to sum up the first 2 game of the series. Dempster loses all control in Game 1, and the Cubs commit 4 errors in Game 2. One by each of the 4 infielders. All should have been routine plays.

The Cubs had the best team all year long. I think they are better than the Dodgers, but the pressure has just caught up with this team. Every player on the team says they don't think about the 100 World Series drought. However, I think they want to win so badly for the fans and the organization that it is affecting their play.

The team sense tense and tight. They aren't making routine plays. They aren't hitting the ball.

Let's hope this off day allows them to relax, and they come out and play the way they did all summer on Saturday night.

We traded for Harden for a reason. It's time for someone on this team to step up!

NLDS PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS

Time for Cubs weekly previews and predictions!

This week I preview the NLDS!

CHICAGO CUBS---97-64---CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS
VS
LOS ANGELES DODGERS---84-78---WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONS

CUBS ARE 5-2 VERSUS THE DODGERS THIS SEASON, SWEEPING ALL 3 AT WRIGLEY AND SPLITTING 4 AT LA.

Look for close, low scoring games this series. In the 7 games, the winning team won by an average of 2 runs.

Game 1 Wednesday@ Wrigley-Ryan Dempster (17-6, 2.96) vs Derek Lowe (14-11, 3.24)

Game 2 Thurs. @Wrigley-Carlos Zambrano(14-6,3.91) vs Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14)

Game 3 Saturday@Dodger Stadium-Rich Harden(5-1, 1.77)vs Hiroki Kuroda (9-10,3.73)

Game 4 Sun@ Dodger Stadium-Ted Lilly(17-9,4.09) vs ???

Game 5 Tuesday @ Wrigley Field---Ryan Dempster vs ???

CUBS PITCHING VS DODGERS HITTING

CUBS TEAM ERA---3.87 (3rd in NL)
DODGERS TEAM AVG--- .264 (5th in NL)

CUBS STARTERS THIS SEASON VS LA
Dempster—2 starts (1-0, 4 runs over 12.1 innings)
Zambrano---2 starts (0-1, 8 runs over 14.2 innings)
Harden and Lilly have no appearances.

CUBS RELIEVERS THIS SEASON VS LA
Kerry Wood--- 4 innings (4 saves, 0 runs)
Carlos Marmol---3 innings (2 holds, 0 runs)
Bob Howry---3 innings (1-0, 1 hold, 1 run)
Neal Cotts--- 2.1 innings, (0-0, 0 runs)
Jason Marquis---1 start (1-0, 0 earned runs over 6.1 innings)

DODGER HOT HITTERS VS CUBS PITCHING THIS SEASON:
Jeff Kent--- 3 Hits, including a Home Run off Dempster
1 Home Run off of Howry
Juan Pierre---2 Hits off Dempster
Russell Martin--- 3-4 off Zambrano
Matt Kemp--- 1 Home Run off of Zambrano

ADVANTAGE: CUBS
The Cubs didn’t face Manny Ramirez this season, and he can turn the series into the Dodgers favor if the Cubs pitch to him. Lou won’t let that happen. He is the one man you can’t let hurt you. Rafael Furcal is rumored to be starting at second base. He has been on the DL since early in the year. He is certainly a threat, but he won’t be his usual self. Jeff Kent has good numbers against Ryan Dempster this season so look for Dempster to be careful with Kent if he’s in the lineup. Zambrano pitched well in his first outing versus LA, but got roughed up late in the 2nd start. He’s going up against Billingsley so the Cubs should get some runs on the board for Big Z to work with. The Dodgers strikeout a lot. This will be a big advantage for the Cubs bullpen that likes to mow down hitters. The young Dodger hitters will struggle in their first postseason experience.

DODGERS PITCHING VS CUBS HITTING

DODGERS TEAM ERA---3.68 (1st in NL)
CUBS TEAM AVG--- .278 (2nd in NL)

DODGERS STARTERS THIS SEASON VS CUBS
Lowe---2 starts (1-0, 3 runs over 14 innings)
Billingsley---2 starts (0-1, 6 runs over 11 innings)
Kuroda--- 2 starts (1-1, 1 earned run over 15.1 innings)

DODGERS BULLPEN THIS SEASON VS CUBS
Scott Proctor--- 2 innings (0-0, 1 run)
Jon Broxton--- 2.2 innings (0-0, 0 earned runs)
Takashi Saito---4 innings (0-1, 2 runs)
Cory Wade--- 3 innings (0-0, 0 runs)

CUBS HOT HITTERS VS DODGERS THIS SEASON:
Soriano homered off of Lowe
Lee, DeRosa, and Fukudome homered off of Billingsley
Ramirez homered off of Proctor

ADVANTAGE---CUBS
The Cubs lineup is stacked. Lowe has pitched well against us this year, but we won’t need to get much with Dempster taking the ball for us. Billingsley has struggled against the Cubs this season. I give Game 3 to the Dodgers if Kuroda takes the mound. He’s better at home, and for some reason the Cubs haven’t figured him out. As good as the Dodger bullpen is, the Cubs offense is much better. I look for them to break out the bats in the first 2 games to put LA down early in the series. The Dodgers pitching staff is very good, but the Cubs won’t need to push man runs across with our solid pitching staff pitching against the Dodgers.

MANAGING ADVANTAGE---DODGERS
Joe Torre gets the advantage in the managerial matchup. He’s one of the best in-game managers in the league and has been a great leader for this team in his first year.


FIELDING ADVANTAGE:---DODGERS
Los Angeles has a better fielding percentage than the Cubs so the advantage goes to the Dodgers. Both have strong catchers behind the plate that may shut down the running games.


HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE:---CUBS
The Cubs open with 2 at The Friendly Confines, and the Wrigley faithful are longing for a title after 100 years. The place will be rocking. Los Angeles may only have 1 game at home, and the Dodger fans are not nearly as big of an advantage.


PREDICTION---CUBS IN 4
I look for the Cubs to take Game 1 in a close game that is decided late. Game 2 will see the most runs of any game in the series. The Cubs will jump on Billingsley and Zambrano will do just enough to win. I give Game 3 to L.A. Harden will pitch well, but Kuroda will be the stopper for the Dodgers and get the one. Ted Lilly will come in Game 4 to close it out. The Dodgers may go with Lowe on 3 days rest, rookie Clayton Kershaw, or Greg Maddux. That would be interesting…Maddux pitching against the Cubs in the playoffs.

OTHER SERIES PREDICTIONS:

MILWAUKEE VS PHILADELPHIA---PHILLIES IN 4

BOSTON VS LOS ANGELES---ANGELS IN 5

CHICAGO VS TAMPA BAY---TAMPA BAY IN 4

IT'S THE DODGERS....

Thanks to Bob Howry…Ryan Braun’s 2-run homer yesterday gave the Brewers the win over the Cubs. The city of Milwaukee waited to watch the Mets blow yet another late season division lead, sending the Brewers to the playoffs as the Wild Card.

That means the Cubs will face Joe Torre’s Los Angeles Dodgers. This is the team I wanted to face weeks ago, and I won’t change my opinion now. Other members of the national media are weary…

Peter Gammons of ESPN has picked the Dodgers to win the series. ESPN radio’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic both agreed that the Cubs have a tough draw. I understand crazy things happen in a short series, and I’m fully aware the Cubs may get upset. But why do the Cubs not get the credit they deserve?

The Cubs have 97 wins, and we only played 161 games with the game that was cancelled due to the hurricane in Houston.

That is 5 more wins than Philadelphia’s 92. Milwaukee finished with 90. LA finished with only 84 wins, 13 fewer than the Cubs. And they played in far inferior division.

At times this season, you could argue the NL’s top 3 teams were in the Central division.

The times have been set for the NLDS.

Wednesday night at Wrigley---5:30 pm
Thursday night at Wrigley---8:30 pm
Saturday night at Dodger Stadium---9:00 pm

All games will be on TBS. The broadcasting crew for the Cubs-Dodger series will be as follows:

Dick Stockton, Ron Darling, and Tony Gwynn.

Of course, you know TBS would send their A-crew to cover the Angels-Red Sox series. That pair consists of Chip Caray and Buck Martinez.

As a Cub fan, I was hoping for Chip Caray. I always liked him when he worked for the Cubs and enjoyed his excitement and enthusiasm.

Check back Wednesday as I will have previews and predictions for the NLDS series!

DEMPSTER CAN LEAD CUBS THROUGH PLAYOFFS...

Josh Beckett pitched teams to World Series championships in 2003 with the Marlins and in 2007 with the Red Sox.

Beckett’s teams have won every postseason series that he has pitched in. He has pitched in 10 postseason games, starting 9 of those.

Last season for the Red Sox, Beckett went 4-0 in the playoffs with 35 strikeouts and an ERA under 2.00 as they rode him straight to their second World Series championship in 4 years.

Ryan Dempster can be that same guy for the Cubs in 2008.

Lou must think so also. He’s given Ryan the ball in Game 1 of the NLDS on Wednesday. Dempster could come back and pitch Game 5, if needed.

You want Ryan to pitch at home because of his dominance at Wrigley this season. He just feeds off the energy of the friendly confines and pitches late into ballgames, giving us a chance to win.

Dempster is 17-6 this season, going for his 18th win tonight at Milwaukee. His previous career high was 15 in 2001.

The reason I choose Dempster is simple.

Zambrano has been too inconsistent as of late. He could pitch you a no-hitter one night and have you warming up the bullpen in the 3rd inning the next. Riding Big Z through the postseason would be too risky.

Harden has the nasty stuff to lead this team through the postseason, but he usually doesn’t take us deep into games. That would leave everything in the hands of our bullpen.

While Dempster isn’t flashy, he can get the job done. He has all season long.

The only concern I have with Dempster is the man we are counting on so much this postseason has just 1 inning of postseason work.

That came late in Game 2 of last years NLDS with the Diamondbacks. In his 1 inning, he struck out 2.

Dempster just needs to do what he’s done all season long. Be solid, and keep us in ballgames. Our offense will do the rest. A month from now we may be comparing what Dempster just did to what Beckett did one season ago.

SMALL BALL....

I'm taking a break from Cubs news for today and want to say a few words about "small ball." You know...the hit and run, stealing bases, and running from 1st to 3rd on a single.

I think baseball is finally exiting the "chicks dig the long ball" era of baseball. Steroids and HGH are leaving the ballgame with tougher penalities for offenders. I see a shift moving towards good pitching, base running, and defense. While good pitching has always won titles for years and years, I don't think teams necessarily have to hit home runs anymore to win.

Home runs are down from a year ago. Ryan Howard leads the majors with 47 home runs. Unless he hits 3 dingers in his final 3 games we will not see anyone eclipse the 50 home run mark. That will be the first time since Dodger Adrian Beltre hit 48 in 2004.

2007 ML Leader---Alex Rodriguez 54
2006 ML Leader---Ryan Howard 58
2005 ML Leader---Andruw Jones 51

I think the transition is happening quicker in the American League. Take a look at the playoff teams as they would be today: Tampa Bay, Boston, Los Angeles, and Minnesota.

Excluding Boston, the other three teams win exclusively with pitching, defense, and good baserunning.

The class of the league, the Angels, have won this way since Mike Scioscia arrived in 2000. They won the World Series in 2002. Since that title they've won 4 division championships. In my opinion, Scioscia could win the Manager of the Year award every single year. He only won in 2002. His Angels have averaged over 90 wins for the past 5 seasons. A little East Coast bias there...

Look at the Minnesota Twins...After a sweep of the Chi Sox, they have a half game lead on the division going into the weekend. They are looking for their 5th division title since Rod Gardenhire arrived in 2002.

Tampa Bay of all teams has proven this point as well. Their magic number to win the division sits at 1 with 3 to go. They've already punched their ticket to the postseason.

If small market teams like the Twins and Rays can win with "small ball" maybe it's a lesson to be learned for teams across baseball.

Don't forget, Rays Manager Joe Maddon is a former Angel. Something to be said there...

Finally, I have to give a shout out to former Angel, and now Minnesota Twin Alexi Casilla. He got the game winning single last night against the White Sox in the 10th inning to give the Twins the division lead. If Minnesota goes on to clinch the division, that will go down as one of the big hits in Twins history.

The second baseman came over from the Angels in the JC Romero trade back in 2005 and has earned his way to a starting spot for the Twins. Alexi played in Cedar Rapids with the Kernels as part of the Angel organziation back in 2004 and 2005. A great guy who has made his mark in the big leagues.

Nice job Alexi!

PREVIEWS AND PREDICTIONS

Beginning tonight I will start a weekly feature where I give previews and predictions for my beloved Cubs as they make their push into the postseason. You can check back every Wednesday for updates!

This week I predict what I think the Cubs’ postseason roster will be.

25 players will make the final cut for the postseason roster. After all of the September call ups the active roster currently consists of 33 players, 16 of those are pitchers. So, 8 players will need to cut before the Cubs open up the playoffs at Wrigley next Wednesday.

Let’s start with the pitchers. I predict they’ll take 11 pitchers. Usually most teams don’t take 12 into the postseason, especially in the NL where bench players are needed late in games.

So, here you go. We’ll start with the obvious ones:

1. Dempster
2. Harden
3. Zambrano
4. Lilly
5. Marmol
6. Wood
7. Marshall---Lou said last night he would be on the roster

No, we’re done to the final 4 spots:

8. Cotts---need another lefty besides Marshall
9. Samardzija---has been a boost to the pen late in the year
10. Marquis---I think his start in New York this week gave him his spot.
11. Howry---Has struggled lately, but I think Lou likes that he’s a veteran and has
pitched in big games.

So, here’s who is left out:

Gaudin---certainly the toughest to leave off. He struggled in his first appearance after his injury, and the injury concerns may leave him off the roster.

Hart, Guzman, Wuertz, and Wells

Now, for the position players:

In For Sure:
12. Soto
13. Blanco
14. Cedeno
15. DeRosa
16. Fontenot
17. Lee
18. Ramirez
19. Theriot
20. Edmonds
21. Fukudome
22. Johnson
23. Soriano


Now, done to the final 2:

24. Hoffpauir
25. Pie---He makes the cut because of his speed and defensive abilities. There is no reason to take Hoffpauir and Ward who are basically the same player.

Left Out:

Ward---This was my toughest choice of all. He could easily take Hoffpauir’s spot because of his veteran leadership.

Hill and McGehee


Let me know what you think!

A BIG WEEK STILL AHEAD FOR THE CUBS...

The Cubs wrapped up home field advantage throughout the National League playoffs tonight with the victory over the Mets. The Mets now trail Philadelphia in the East by 2.5 games, but they lead Milwaukee by 1 game in the Wild Card.

The Cubs will have a lot to say about who will win the Wild Card. The Cubs play 3 more in New York and end with 3 games at Wrigley North with the Brewers.

I predict that Philly will wrap up the East, leaving the Brewers and the Mets to battle it out for the Wild Card.

The Brewers want the Cubs to beat up on the Mets. The Mets want the Cubs to beat up on the Brewers. But the Cubs have bigger fish to fry. They need to get their pitching rotation set for the postseason and basically hold week-long tryouts for the final positions on the playoff roster.

I think it will be the Mets who pull it out in the end, because let's face it...the Brewers just don't seem like a playoff team right now. So, if it is the Mets in round one...

Here's a few reasons why the Cubs have the advantage...

---The Cubs pitched Jason Marquis tonight (He may not even make the playoff roster and definitely won't get a start in round one)

---The Cubs pitch Sean Marshall tomorrow (Same as Marquis)

---The Cubs will face Johan Santana tomorrow night. (This will be a good chance for the Cubs to see him before he pitches in game one)

---Ted Lilly won't pitch in New York (If we face the Mets, Lilly could get the nod in the series because of the Mets left-handed bats. So, New York won't be able to see him before he pitches)

---The Cubs will most likely now rest some of the regulars. (Mets pitchers won't get a chance to face our studs before the playoffs)

I'm still actually rooting for the Brewers to make the playoffs so we can face the Dodgers. We match up best with them, as I showed in an early post.

2 More reasons why I hope to play L.A.

---Playing LA means the Phillies face the Brewers in round one...I think if the Brewers get in they can be dangerous in a short series. They can beat the Phillies. The Dodgers cannot.

---I would love to play the Brewers in the NLCS. Not only would both cities go crazy, but we've had the Brewers number all season long

However, most signs point to us facing the Mets at this point.