Saluki QB Chris Dieker Attends Prestigious Manning Camp
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It’s cliche, yes, but every senior wants to end their career the right way.
As for SIU quarterback Chris Dieker, his final campaign with the Salukis is already off to a good start. (more…)
Derrek Lee Just Says No To Cubs Trades
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Derrek Lee is single-handedly thwarting the Chicago Cubs’ chances of hosting a firesale.
According to a Bruce Levine post, the veteran first baseman who is entering the final months of his contract will not waive his no-trade clause.
Lee, who traditionally has warmed up with the weather, is mired in a season-long funk. It’s almost as if each month of his calendar reads April or May — where he is a career .261 hitter. After batting .233 in the season’s first three months, Lee has picked up his game hitting .292 in July to go along with eight of his nine extra-base hits being doubles.
For Lee, it’s a sign that he is finally breaking out of whatever plagued him in the first half. (Probably looking at a calendar and realizing it reads July helps.) For the Cubs, it’s meaningless. (more…)
Carlos Zambrano Should Let Arm, Not ESPN, Do Talking To Cubs
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ESPN has cornered the market on half-hearted sincerity.
First, it was LeBron James’ attempt at self-aggrandizement in his hour long ‘Decision’ fiasco. Now, enter stage left Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who offered up an apology in his first statement since blowing up on first baseman Derrek Lee and the rest of his teammates in a June loss against the Chicago White Sox. (more…)
Is Tracy McGrady The Missing Link For The Bulls?
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Ten years and countless injuries later, it looks as if Tracy McGrady and the Chicago Bulls seem to be a match for one another.
Once upon a time, McGrady was part of a star-studded free agency class and the Bulls were amongst he suitors hoping to woo the rising star. The Bulls were coming off some dreadful post-Jordan years and hoped a dog-and-pony show would seal the deal to land McGrady in Chicago.
Unfortunately, the Bulls whiffed and McGrady spurned Jerry Krause’s advances and took his talents to South Beach Orlando.
Fast forward to July 2010, where McGrady seems to have unfinished business on his mind. (more…)
Cubs, Cardinals Set For Fireworks At Wrigley Field
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The Chicago Cubs are mired in a dreadful season with a lame-duck manager.
The St. Louis Cardinals are fighting to hold off the upstart Cincinnati Reds at the top of the division.
In a mismatch made in baseball hell, the Cubs-Cards rivalry opens up a new page today — and don’t think for one moment this series is not a big deal.
C’mon, today marks the return of Aaron “.185/.224/.242/.466″ Miles.
Even though the Cubs are just playing out the string and counting down the days until Lou Piniella gives his final speech at Clark and Addison, fans attending today’s game against the hated first-place Cardinals should be treated to an offensive onslaught.
In three appearances (two starts), Cubs starter Randy Wells is 0-2 with a 10.13 earned run average in eight innings of work. In his May 21st outing against the Cards, Wells allowed five runs on six hits while failing to record a single out.
Opposing Wells on the bump this afternoon will be Jeff Suppan, proud owner of an 0-5 record and 6.05 ERA split between stints with the Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. In two starts against the Cubs this year, both coming while with the Brewers, Suppan was 0-1 with an 8.68 ERA. In 9.1 innings of work, he allowd 16 hits, 10 runs and three home runs.
I mean, if that doesn’t get you psyched for baseball’s best rivalry, I don’t know what will.
And if that doesn’t get it done for you, it’s time to hop along the express and check out the key factors in the National League’s premier rivalry. (more…)
Former Saluki Nick Evans’ Arrest Should Be Considered A Call For Help
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Over the weekend, we were tipped on a very troublesome story to come out of Carbondale on Friday night.
As first reported by KFVS12′s Chad Fryman, Nick Evans has found himself in trouble with the law. (more…)
Cubs GM Jim Hendry Is Far From Safe
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Kudos to Tom Ricketts for making Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry feel safe around the office despite knowing Hendry’s gig as general manager is treading on thin ice.
Want proof? When asked if the Piniella era was a success, Ricketts offered the following via:
“Our goal is to win the win the World Series,” Ricketts said. “Our goal is to put a team on the field that can win the World Series every year. I can’t envision an era without that and still calling it a success, no.”
As infuriated as it was to hear Ricketts say Hendry and Crane Kenney were going to be a part of the hiring search that will eventually find Lou Piniella’s replacement sometime in October, I took a step back and diagnosed the situation. And for one moment, I thought as if I were a businessman. (more…)
Lou Piniella Set To Retire, Cubs Should Be Ready To Set Fire
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When Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella retires at the end of the 2010, it won’t likely be on good terms.
The Cubs are 42-52, 10 games under .500 and 10-1/2 games behind the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals. Since last having sole possession of first place on July 30, 2009, the Cubs are 71-83.
Piniella helped clean up Dusty Baker’s mess, going 307-271 (.531 winning percentage) in his four years on the Northside. He sent Cesar Izturis to the bench, Michael Barrett packing and flip-flopped the pitching roles of Carlos Marmol and Ryan Dempster and made a successful ball club in doing so. Piniella should go down as the best manager in my lifetime if only for leading a team that had Cliff Floyd as its primary right fielder to a division championship.
Consider Sweet Lou the first domino to fall in regard to the Cubs’ future, for the end of an era is forthcoming.
If Tom Ricketts is serious about turning his boyhood rooting interest into a contender, the next guy to take a fall must be Jim Hendry. And I don’t say must for hyperbolic purposes only. I say it because if the Cubs are going to move forward and improve, Hendry must go.
I understand that Big Jim can’t hit for Derrek Lee or Aramis Ramirez, but neither can Sweet Lou. Yet, it’s become fashionable to axe the manager. The fact that Hendry receives a free pass from anyone reminds me how absent-minded stupid we Cubs fans can be.
Hendry has never successfully gone through a trade deadline scenario in which he was the seller. Truth is, the Cubs needed to start selling July 1.
When he brought in Ramirez, Kenny Lofton and Randal Simon, he was a buyer. The seller (Dave Littlefield — who works under Hendry in the front office) was a dope. Chicago could have gotten Ramirez, Lofton and Simon for a bag of sunflower seeds had Hendry not eaten said seeds as a pre-game snack.
Any time Hendry finds himself in a selling mood, he demeans the value of the product he wants shipped out.
Felix Pie and Corey Patterson went from can’t-miss prospects to can’t-get-rid-of players.
Sammy Sosa and Milton Bradley each saw their Cub careers end at the hands of a Hendry character assassination.
I’ll be sure to add Carlos Zambrano’s name to that list too whenever the time comes.
Hendry has not shown signs of turning movable parts into something worthwhile. He has shown that he has no concept of selling high. No idea what it means to wave the white flag.
Ramirez, Kerry Wood, Rich Harden, Angel Guzman and Ted Lilly are among the names of players who at one time or another should have been shut down in the Hendry era when the Cubs were out of it but weren’t because the Cubs’ general manager had no idea what “out of it” meant despite being closer to third place than to first.
Piniella made it clear that he will not be a part of what happens at the future of Clark and Addison. Now, it’s time for Mr. Ricketts to pass that message along to Jim Hendry.
LeBron James Is Not And Will Never Be Michael Jordan; Let’s Move On
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Since LeBron James announced he was taking his talents to South Beach, basketball fans have sat around waiting for what Michael Jordan had to say about the situation.
And why not?
James was supposed to be the next Jordan, though his most adamant defenders will say James never tried to be like Mike.
He chose Nike’s shoe contract even though they offered less than the competition. He selected No. 23 when it was suggested by others to go elsewhere before saying goodbye to 23 in honor of Jordan. James did everything from the pre-game talcum powder to the rim-rocking slam dunks to try to shoot his name up the NBA ranks.
He referred to himself as King and had “Chosen 1″ tattooed across his back.
LeBron James wrote his victory speech before even stepping onto the stage.
So, when basketball’s true king, His Airness himself, spoke on Sunday, everyone listened. And everyone nodded in approval.
“There’s no way, with hindsight, I would’ve ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, ‘Hey, look, let’s get together and play on one team,’” Jordan said after playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. The interview aired on the NBC telecast of the event. “But that’s … things are different. I can’t say that’s a bad thing. It’s an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys.”
Amen.
Once upon a time, the sporting world was divided into two realms: Good and Evil. It was a simple time in life when the good guys were cheered until they rode off into the sunset and the bad guys were booed mercilessly until they left town in a box or with their tails between their legs.
But when James decided to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, he blurred the line of sports as we knew them prior to July 8, 2010.
With an hour-long special and a clumsy sentence, James effectively admitted to being guilty of fraud. He was no Jordan. He was no king. If he was the “Chosen 1″ as his tattoo insinuates, he must have been chosen to follow. And it all makes sense.
James tried to lead his team to a championship.
He failed.
He attempted to play general manager as he urged the Cleveland Cavaliers front office to bring in the likes of Larry Hughes, Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O’Neal to help in his quest to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy.
And failed yet again.
So, rather than channel his inner-Jordan, James discarded the essence of competition which made Jordan a basketball deity and chose to LOL with his BFFs in MIA.
The best thing about James signing with the Heat is that the comparisons to Jordan should come to an end. The talk of him being among the top three players in league history should subside. The idea of taking the crown from the game’s true king will be only an afterthought.
Besides, how can one’s head carry the weight of the crown when his hands aren’t strong enough to carry a ring.
Carlos Zambrano’s Time With Iowa Cubs Could Affect Return To Chicago
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A quick trip to Iowa could mean a lot to Carlos Zambrano’s long-term future in Chicago.
According to a Chicago Tribune report, the hot-headed right-hander could return to the Cubs’ pitching staff during next week’s road trip which features trips to Houston and Colorado. But only after a stint in the minor leagues.
Zambrano has been on the restricted list since blowing up in a rant against his teammates in a lopsided loss against the Chicago White Sox in June.
The Trib reports Big Z will be sent to Des Moines, Iowa, where he will be under the watchful eye of none other than Triple-A manager Ryne Sandberg.
While much of the focus on this move has been placed on whether or not Zambrano’s return to the big club is imminent, Zambrano’s stay in Iowa will likely shape his future in Chicago.
With manager Lou Piniella at the helm in the final year of his contract, a year in which he saw the Cubs stumble out of the gates and currently oversees a team that is 10 games under .500, it is the assumption that Sandberg will take the reins from Piniella next season.
So, consider Zambrano’s stint on the farm an audition for a spot not just on this year’s roster, but possibly the 2011 team as well.
At age 29, Zambrano should still be entering the prime of his career but is instead stuck in a mid-career crisis. Since posting a 91-51 record and 3.39 earned run average in 193 strats from 2003 to 2008, Big Z has been a big disappointment as he is only 12-13 in 50 appearances (37 starts). His ERA since the start of the 2009 season is 4.24, while his WHIP has taken a jump to 1.453 from 1.265.
Despite his struggles over the past two seasons, there is a double-dip of good news for the fledgling former workhorse. There are still some peripherals in Big Z’s corner that could prove to be signs that reports of his demise might be premature.
Zambrano’s strikeout-per-nine ratio over the past two seasons is 8.2, a leap from his career 7.6 mark and a lengthy stride from his 2007 number of 6.2. El Toro’s 2.12-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2010 is the best he’s posted since 2005 when it was 2.35-to-1.
Under proper tutelage (and the right meds) there is a distinct possibility for Zambrano to turn it around. And if it begins under Sandberg, it could go a long way toward rebuilding Big Z’s confidence and returning him on the road to success he once so proudly marched on before tumbling over the past two years.
Many believe Cubs GM Jim Hendry will do everything in his power to jettison Zambrano and the approximately $55 million owed to him over the next three seasons. Clear heads believe there is not much worth in trading the former ace at bargain basement levels just for the sake of making a trade.
Not that Hendry isn’t used to demolishing the trade values of once highly sought-after players (Read: Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Sammy Sosa, Kyle Farnsworth and Milton Bradley) but it could be possible that the Cubs general manager has learned his lesson from his previous debacles in dump deals.
