Losing it?

People in Chicago scream about Ozzie Guillen and his antics, well they better start looking at Carlos Zambrano. This guy needs some serious help. Lou Piniella also needs to grab control of this out of control team.



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The cycle of baseball

The game of baseball is so cyclical it's amazing that all the teams don't end up 81-81. Thank goodness for the Nationals of the league.

Last week I was moaning about how crappy the White Sox were playing as they were losing 12 of 15. Then they wake up and have won 5 of their last 7. Including a 20-1 loss to Minnesota and a 17-3 win over the Angels last night. Go figure.

They get turned down by Jake Peavy in a trade for him which in essence may have been a wake up call by Kenny Williams to the whole team. Shape up or ship out. They still need better hitting with men on base and starters John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Bartolo Colon need more consistency. At 20-24 this is not a record that intimidates teams but maybe they're ready get things going.

Of course most Cubs fans think their team is in first place by ten games. Reality, they're 21-22 and mired in an eight game losing streak. I had mentioned how they were winning but not playing well. They are playing the same way and it caught up to them.

This is a team close to imploding.

Let's see, Ted Lilly gets thrown out of the game that he's not even in, Ryan Dempster gives his best stuff to the Gatorade machine, Milton Bradley blames the Tribune for making him say stuff about the umps, they use Carlos Zambrano as a pinch hitter on a cool damp night as he's just days off the DL and Neal Cotts keeps longing for 2005 and his days with the White Sox. All that in a 10-8 loss to Pittsburgh

You better start waking up Cubs fans and realize that Jim Hendry is not doing a good job so far. The injuries are piling up and he's not doing much to find fill-ins.

I know Cubs fans, you have a better record. Guess what? We're not in your division, lucky for you.
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This could be exciting

This could be huge if it happens

The San Diego Padres have agreed to trade staff ace Jake Peavy to the Chicago White Sox and are waiting for Peavy to decide if he will waive his no-trade clause, sources tell ESPN.

Peavy has a full no-trade clause and can veto the deal.

We all thought Jake Peavy could end up in Chicago, but with the White Sox? Buster says it could happen and then checks other deals that could be in the making.

ESPN's Peter Gammons reported that according to sources, the White Sox will send the Padres four players to complete the deal.

Sources told Gammons that White Sox shortstop prospect Gordon Beckham is not among the players in the deal. Beckham was the eighth overall pick in last year's amateur draft.

ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine reported that White Sox players in the deal include left-handed pitcher Clayton Richard and left-hander Aaron Poreda, a former No. 1 draft pick.

Peavy called White Sox right-hander Scott Linebrink last night for his opinion about going to Chicago and got strong feedback, Gammons reported.

"Jake called me [Wednesday] afternoon to ask about what it's like here in Chicago," said Linebrink, according to ESPNChicago.com's Levine. "I think he's ready to move on, but I can't tell you for sure he's going to accept the deal. Losing 100 games, like they did last year, wears on a player.

"Right now, I'd say it's 50-50 as to whether he accepts it or not. He'll get with his family today and make a decision."

Linebrink was Peavy's teammate in San Diego.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Thursday that the two teams were near a deal and that according to team personnel, Peavy met with Padres manager Bud Black late Wednesday night to discuss the possibility. Peavy declined comment after meeting with Black, the newspaper reported.

The Padres were said to be close to dealing Peavy to the Chicago Cubs during the offseason, but that trade did not materialize.

Peavy, who won the 2007 NL Cy Young Award, has a 89-67 career record with a 3.27 ERA. In 2007 he earned the pitching Triple Crown by leading the National League with 19 wins, 240 strikeouts and a 2.54 ERA.

Peavy is due to earn $11 million this season. Padres GM Kevin Towers has said the Padres are about $5 million above the $40 million player payroll that the team's majority owner, John Moores, has set for this season, according to the Union-Tribune.

Peavy is currently 3-5 with a 3.82 ERA for the Padres, who are 18-22 and third in the NL West, 10 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers.

Lame tidbits

I can't do a rant and rave on the Cubs/Sox because the Sox are struggling big time and the Cubs are winning but not playing great. The Sox just seem to have little excitement on the field. Maybe I'll call Ozzie.

The Blackhawks started their Western Conference finals as I expected. Teams that wait for a series to begin while the opponent was still playing always have no rhythm and start slow. Detroit's goalie, Chris Osgood, did rebuff the young Hawks' surge in the first period and set the tone for the game. I think the Hawks will be better in game 2 on Tuesday night.

Couple of pet peeves: 1st. I hate hearing about all these kids leagues that don't keep score of the games. Call it practice then. Sports is about winning and losing, being good sports, and playing the game right. My friend Marcella's son had a soccer game the other day and scored a goal in a 4-3 win. I said, "I thought they didn't keep score." She said, "Everybody keeps score." There you go.

2. I read today that some parent punched his son's little league coach because he thought he said something negatve about his kid. Nice example for your son butthole. I almost would like to see parents stay away from their kid's games. Most parents probably have no clue about the sport their son or daughter is playing anyway. Let your kids enjoy the game. Stay home.
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I want this to happen more

This was extreme but I want to see more of this in the future

Bryan Fuller told his Campbellsville University coaches he was never going to play baseball professionally, so he was willing to sacrifice his arm.

With much debate and reluctance, but knowing what was at stake and what their other options were, his coaches acquiesced.

Fuller, a senior, ended up pitching 21 shutout innings in 26 hours as Campbellsville (Ky.) advanced to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, where on Friday it will face Lee (Tenn.).

Campbellsville had fallen into the loser's bracket in its NAIA super regional, and needed to win three straight to get the World Series berth. Against Lindenwood on Thursday, Fuller, who throws sidearm, pitched three scoreless innings for the save.

With just 25 minutes between games, Campbellsville's coaches decided to start Fuller in the next game, against Kansas Wesleyan, which had won 26 straight. Fuller, according to assistant coach Jake McKinley, "is an undersized kid" who had started only once previously in four seasons.

"We were nearly out of pitching and he looked comfortable," McKinley said. "We told Fuller we would need him to make his second career start and if he could give us three or four innings, that would be great, and it was in the biggest game in the history of our program against a team that had won 26 straight games."

Fuller ended up pitching a complete game as Campbellsville snapped Kansas Wesleyan's winning streak with a 11-0 victory.

That put Campbellsville in the final. According to McKinley, the coaches were prepared to start their No. 1 pitcher on two days' rest, but Fuller wanted the start.

"We told him no way, because we didn't want to hurt him ... He just threw 12 innings the day before," McKinley said. "He told us that he was a senior that will never play pro ball and he was going to be an accountant in just a few weeks. He said he didn't care about his arm and told us he will give us a chance to win."

And he did, using just 77 pitches in his second consecutive complete-game shutout as Campbellsville (39-10) beat Kansas Wesleyan again 4-0, giving the Tigers their first NAIA World Series appearance in school history.

"We're not sure yet, but we are not opposed to using him in any role," McKinley said. "At this point, we'd be fools not to start him."

Old Time Baseball

The notion that Alex Rodriguez has tipped pitches to opposing players in return for their tipping pitches to him -- one of the more bizarre allegations in the new biography of the Yankees third baseman -- has generally shocked players and executives throughout baseball. It shocked Jim Price, too. But Price, a Detroit Tigers television broadcaster, at least spoke from experience. Price was the Tigers' catcher on Sept. 19, 1968, when he and pitcher Denny McLain conspired to give Mickey Mantle a going-away gift. A few weeks from retirement and tied with Jimmie Foxx with 534 career home runs, Mantle came to the plate in the eighth inning with the Tigers comfortably ahead, 6-1. Detroit had already clinched the American League pennant -- this was before leagues were split into two divisions, let alone three -- and McLain had already won his 30th game. Price, a second-year reserve who was playing to give Bill Freehan a rest, walked out to the mound to give the 9,063 fans in Tiger Stadium one last chance to pay their respects. "When I got there, Denny said, 'Hey, big guy, should I let him hit one' " Price recalled Thursday night in a telephone interview. "I said it was a great idea. Mickey was always nice to me. So I went back behind the plate and Mickey, like he always did, was tapping the plate with his bat when I said, 'Want us to groove one for you' " Mantle apparently didn't believe Price, but when he saw McLain nodding on the mound, he understood what was going on. "High and tight, mediocre cheese," Price said Mantle responded. McLain served up a few that were apparently not gift-wrapped quite as neatly as the Mick preferred. But then came exactly what Mantle was looking for, and he hit a rocket into the upper deck in right field, the next-to-last home run of his career. "McLain was clapping as Mickey was rounding the bases," Price said. "And when he crossed home plate, Mickey thanked me. The next batter was Joe Pepitone, and he said, 'Give me one, too.' And I go, 'No way, you're not Mickey Mantle.' "

New York Times

Wow!

NEW YORK – Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball, becoming by far the highest-profile player ensnared in the sport's drug scandals.

The commissioner's office didn't announce the specific violation by the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, who will lose about one-third of his $25 million salary.

Majored in what?

Check out these guys playing beer pong at Olivet University in Bourbonais, Illinois. Their parents will be proud.

Some thoughts

Bulls- I have not been a big fan of the NBA since the Bulls had Michael Jordan. Not that I'm a front runner, it's just that it was fun to watch how they played as a team. Today's game is more about individuals, thugs, and big contracts.

However, the Bulls/Celtics series has been amazing. Four overtime games and coming up Saturday the decisive seventh game to declare a series winner. I have not seen this many exciting games in the NBA for a very long time with all the back and forth scoring. Neither team has been pretty and without a doubt MJ, Pippen, Rodman and company would trounce both of these teams. But it has been fun for six games.

Sox- Another White Sox experiment has failed in outfielder Jerry Owens. If he could just steal first base he'd still be around. Amazing how a player with his speed and not listen to coaching can kill a career. Hit the ball on the ground, bunt, and draw walks was all he had to do. So this means 2005 star Scott Podsednik is back. How long before we hear strained groin? I think Kenny Williams is going to have to make a move.

Cubs- I wonder if they wish they still had Mark DeRosa and Kerry Wood. Milton Bradley and Carlos Marmol aren't doing much.
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