Panic Attack

I can't speak for how other baseball teams work, because I have only been a part of one fanbase in my life. But when it comes to real Cubs fans, there are two distinct types: the ones who believe 'This is our year' and the ones who ask 'When is my next nervous breakdown gonna happen?' (Of course there are [read more...]

The Brain Leak

The Brain Leak (Week of 7/7/08 - 7/13/08) With my creative fluids replenished, The Leak fine-tunes itself for a mid-summer charge and stands unfazed by the oppressive swelter of the annual Midwest "Humidity Fest." It is truly that wretched time of year when a majority of the country falls victim to brutally high dew points and even the most adamant of [read more...]

The Brain Leak

The Brain Leak (Week of 7/7/08 - 7/13/08) With my creative fluids replenished, The Leak fine-tunes itself for a mid-summer charge and stands unfazed by the oppressive swelter of the annual Midwest "Humidity Fest." It is truly that wretched time of year when a majority of the country falls victim to brutally high dew points and even the most adamant of [read more...]

Summerfest Sports Orgy Blitzkrieg Quiz

I'm feeling a little more A.D.D. than usual today. And being the super-spaz child that I am inside, I'm looking for answers to a thousand (and one) questions. Discuss amongst yourselves... please help me answer my most pressing doubts, concerns, and fears. Take your time... this is one of [read more...]

Rich Harden

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Praise for Hendry is Long Overdue

Yesterday's trade of Rich Harden further cemented the legacy of one of Major League Baseball's premier general managers. Possibly the most important part of any trade is timing, and once again this GM showed impeccable timing. So congratulations Jim Hendry. What, you thought I was talking about Billy Bean? With all due respect to Bean, the winner of any trade is the [read more...]

The Brain Leak

The Brain Leak (Week of 6/30/08 - 7/6/08) As displays of symbolic patriotism mark the skies and BBQ grills stoke the flames of tradition across the country during the venerable holiday weekend, the Leak firmly adheres to its original commitment of never taking a day off. In such spirit, it is with no regrets that I forgo the three-day weekend to [read more...]

The Brain Leak

(Week of 6/23/08 - 6/29/08) An abbreviated version of The Leak hits the deck this week. But fear not, begrudgingly loyal readers (who are yet to leave a comment), a stripped-down edition can still achieve the same psychoanalytic results as those garnered by the lengthy, self-indulging diatribes I am used to posting. Just think of it as the senseless yet oddly [read more...]

White Sox Bats Coming Alive

The Chicago White Sox have won four out of their last five games and are now hitting .304 with 42 home runs and 150 runs scored in June. They definitely stepped up their game offensively during the second half of the Crosstown Classic this weekend at US Cellular Field, with the big hits of this series starting with Nick Swisher's [read more...]

More Than a Ballgame - Or Is It?

The stadium is packed with over 39,000 cheering fans – a sellout crowd all hyped up just to see a ballgame at US Cellular Field. This isn't just a ballgame however, it's the Crosstown Classic. To Cubs and Sox fans alike, this six-game series is one of the most intense ones of their lives. They wait anxiously for these two weekends [read more...]

More Than a Ballgame - Or Is It?

The stadium is packed with over 39,000 cheering fans – a sellout crowd all hyped up just to see a ballgame at US Cellular Field. This isn't just a ballgame however, it's the Crosstown Classic. To Cubs and Sox fans alike, this six-game series is one of the most intense ones of their lives. They wait anxiously for these two weekends [read more...]

Aramis Ramirez

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Pujols To Join The X-Men

The Wizard had a lot of excuses prepared for today's post. After all, the Cardinals have somehow managed to lose two in a row to the suddenly hot Kansas City Royals, so many excuses would be needed. There are the injuries, the fact that both games were one-run loses, flooding, etc., etc. It really comes down to the St. Louis offense not [read more...]

Simply The Best

As the Cubs and Sox kick off their annual home and home series Friday at Wrigley, in honor of the six games here are six reasons why the Cubs have a better shot at the World Series than the Sox. DEPTH Since we are looking forward to October, let's look back at recent fall classics. Why did the Red Sox win [read more...]

WS stands for White Sox and World Series – Coincidence?

The baseball season is 70 games old, which makes it about 43.2% complete, give or take 0.009% or so. That also makes it time to obnoxiously and prematurely speculate about who is primed and ready for the World Series. Yes, a month before the Midsummer Classic even happens, we erstwhile members of the sports media have to sit down at our [read more...]

A Dip In The Shallow End

I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to gripe about these kinds of things, but what can I say, we live in a shallow world. I think the only reason I continue to read the Chicago Sun-Times is to find things that tick me off so I can complain about it here. For example, I take a look at [read more...]

Week Two of The Leak: Manny gets selfish, June harbors ill-feelings in Chi-Town, a real ‘nut job’ at the Bee and the government’s sexual guide to getting rich quick

The Brain Leak (Week of 5/27/08 - 6/1/08) Due to the overwhelming response to the first ever Leak (which was in the form of one rather interpersonal nonetheless appreciated comment by the esteemed Mr. Den Cotton), I have decided to go against what may prove to be my better judgment and produce a second edition, therefore defying the harsh remarks of the [read more...]

Soriano using recycled plastic bags to catch fly balls

OK, Lima Bean posse, this is where I openly rant about anything and everything affecting our general mental health diet. We'll call it Organic Sports Therapy... Grocery bagger guy: I don't need a bag for a banana dude! And I won't feed your bagging addiction. Stop being such bagwhores. Baggers everywhere, grocery and retail: Please stop bagging my [read more...]

I’ve got your injuries right here

It's becoming apparent that injuries could be the downfall of this year's Cardinals squad. I know that's a really negative way to start this party, but we're getting a little nervous here in Oz. The good news is Pujols (strained calf) seems to be okay, at least judging by what he's telling the Post-Dispatch: "I feel better. But I also understand," Pujols [read more...]

MLB Report Cards

The start of June means only one thing to nearly every student in the country: School is almost over and summer is about to begin. But before thousands of kids can enjoy the beach, sleeping late and Fourth of July fireworks, there's that important thing called grades. Have a poor report card, and a student's summer can turn from backyard [read more...]

Prince Fielder Is Nibbling On My Ear

I'm not saying you're not a vegetarian Prince Fielder, but I just don't know a lot of 5'11", 260 pound non-carnivores. I've been eating mostly vegetarian fare for the last couple of years, and I think you're trying to pull the lima beans over my eyes. I saw you play against the Cubs earlier this season, and I think you [read more...]

Duncan sent to AAA

Hot off the presses, Chris Duncan has been sent to AAA-Memphis. Prospect Joe Mather will take his place on the major league roster. Duncan has been pretty bad for a while now. As Bernie Miklasz pointed out yesterday, since July 29 of last season, Duncan is hitting .219/.322./.324. He's still only 27 years old, and I'm pretty sure everyone other than [read more...]

No One’s Excited for the Rush

While reading a story about Avery Johnson being interested in the Bulls' job... hmm, I wonder if getting the number one pick influenced his decision, they had a poll question asking which Chicago team you're most excited about. The Cubs, Sox, Blackhawks, Bulls, Sky, Fire, Wolves, and the Rush were listed. Despite a Rush division title and eight straight playoff [read more...]

Why Chicks Should Be Banned From All-Star Voting

Perhaps I've been drinking too much of the Colin Cowherd Kool-aid, but I've realized female sports fans are messing with the natural order of things -- and that is turning me into a chauvinistic, repressive fool. As I recall, Colin has spoken about the upsides -- a requirement even -- of having a relationship with a girl who doesn't love sports. [read more...]

Boo Edmonds

I can only imagine what Cubs' fans must be thinking. After years of being flipped off and tortured, centerfielder Jim Edmonds is now a member of the Chicago Cubs where he will likely platoon in centerfield with Reed Johnson. While it would be easy to simply cheer for the man wearing the uniform of your favorite team. When the Chicago White [read more...]

Say Yes to Edmonds

I admit I have developed a respectful disdain for Jim Edmonds over the years. He was everything the Cubs always needed but never had - a left-handed, power hitting centerfielder who catches everything in the outfield, and, oh by the way, hits for average too. Over the years, while we've been subjected to the likes of Brant Brown, Jacque Jones [read more...]

Well That Was Painful

For a road trip that started off so promising - wins in the first two games as well as a lead in the eighth inning of the third - it really couldn't have gone worse for the Cards. While the evil team from the North Side of Chicago flexed their muscle and exacted a little revenge against Arizona, our beloved Redbirds [read more...]

Lou Piniella

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Tough Being a Fan

It's pretty depressing to be a Chicago sports fan right now. You've got the White Sox incapable of scoring, the Cubs incapable of beating one of the worst teams in the National League, the Bears' starting running back involved in a huge Texas-sized mess, and the Bulls not wanting to shell out the big bucks for a quality coach. What kind [read more...]

IMHO: I’m a cranky, old bastard

First of all, let me start by saying that I am not LMAO right now. In fact, I want to kick you in your chuckling ass every time I get a reply via e-mail with Internet slang, jargon, shorthand, Tech-talk, Netspeak, Nu English, computer language or any other cutesy phrase that has been promulgated to describe this form of [read more...]

The Psychology of Soriano

It's time to frame the endless Alfonso Soriano debate a little bit differently. If you frame the argument based on where Soriano's natural hitting abilities are best utilized - where most of the debate is centralized - hands down, he is better in the 4, 5 or even 6 spot. Not selective enough to hit 2 or 3, the Cubs [read more...]

Ozzie Hatin

This is my first blog, so I will get the little details out of the way. I am living in Chicago for about 6 years now. Came here a huge Cubs fan (like most tourists) learned that it is much more fun to enjoy the White Sox, i.e. tailgating, cheaper tickets, lack of Chads and Trixies. Now [read more...]

Americans finally considering GW trade to Baghdad

Politics can be a lot like sports, but not nearly enough -- as far as I'm concerned -- when it comes to hiring and firing of the people who manage the land; your land; my land. When someone isn't getting the job done in baseball -- batting average dropping below .200 -- they usually get benched or traded. [read more...]

Smoke and Mirrors

The Cardinals are eerily good so far this season. This past weekend they somehow managed to turn 8 extra-base hits, a few singles and a bunch of walks into two wins over the second-place Cubs, who they now lead by 1 1/2 games in the NL Central. I expected a Kyle Lohse breakdown, so that was no surprise. But both Adam [read more...]

If Toby Keith wrote sports clichés …

Greatest Hits Volume I It's a Do or Die Situation (and I'm Drunk) I Love This Game (but not as much as this bar) I'm in a Zone (so gimme' another shot) Favre's a Hard Working Man Can't Buy a Bucket (to piss in) Sox is a Four Letter Word I Bet You're a Cubs Fan (and a Dixie Chicks Fan Too) Bar Clearing Brawl I Only Get Drunk [read more...]

Cubs Come to Town

I'm not saying I'm not excited about an 18-11 April. But I am cautiously excited (and that's a hard thing to be). A couple of things jump out from out this past month. The Cardinals were 10-6 against division opponents and 3-2 against the Brewers. And the Cards haven't played the Cubs yet. Beating up on the bottom feeders of the NL [read more...]

Welcome

Welcome to the Wizard of Oz. I love Dorthy. I love Todo. But the blog is actually named for the most beloved shortstop in all of Cardinals Nation: Ceasar Izturis! Or maybe Ozzie Smith. With that, here's some links and thoughts: -Good news, Cardinals are in first place. Possibly better news, the Cubs have now lost five of seven and Kerry Wood [read more...]

Bump in the Road

The wheels are certainly not off the tracks on the Cubs season. The optimist in me says they are hitting a bump in the road on their way to a division championship, but four losses in five games provides plenty of reasons to gnaw at the fingernails. This team misses Alfonso Soriano. The eight wins in nine games right after he [read more...]

Mars-Wrigley deal not sweet enough for Cubs fans

It's been over a couple decades since the Wrigley family sold the Cubbies to the Tribune Company -- and there haven't been any Life Savers for Chicagoans or anything as sweet as a World Series title during that time; or for the last, say 100 years. So now that Mars Inc. is buying Wrigley Jr. Co., [read more...]

A White Sox Road Trip

Stepping foot inside a major league ballpark is an annual pilgrimage for me. Two dozen or so new parks have been built since the 1990's, so there is plenty of product. And when I found myself in Tampa Bay, FL last week, my trip would not be complete without a trip to the Trop. The White Sox are in town, which [read more...]

Thanks Dusty

I was strolling down Clark St., just in front of Wrigley Field earlier this week. I had just finished meeting with a ticket broker, discussing a business transaction. As I glanced over towards the new Ernie Banks statute, I noticed a man sitting on the new benches that surround Banks. Dressed all in black, clutching a cell phone, I wasn't [read more...]

Opening Day 2008

Is there a better hooky day than a Monday baseball opener? Never before have the Cubs opened at home in March. I was not about to sit this historic day out. 6:15 I rise with this thought dancing in my head- which do I wear to the game…my vintage Moonlight Graham jersey or the Cubbie parka? I have four [read more...]

The Fairs And Fouls Of The Friendly Confines

When people ask me about my job, I like to tell them that I share an office with Carlos Zambrano and Lou Piniella. And while that's technically not true, it sounds cool and has some aspects of accuracy to it. In reality, I'm a Wrigley Field seat vendor, which is a fancy title for a guy who walks around the [read more...]

Naming Wrigley

So Sam Zell said he might sell the naming rights to Wrigley Field. No statement in Chicago has caused more vitriol since Jerry Krause said "organizations win championships." The idea was called "blasphemous" by one member of the local media.What? No, blasphemy occurs almost every time Ozzie Guillen opens his mouth. It should not be used when discussing naming rights [read more...]

Maybe Baker Should Stay…

It could happen any day. Soon, Dusty Baker may no longer be the Cubs manager. But a case can be made, and will be made here, for keeping Baker. Granted, it goes against my nature to support a manager of the second worst team in the league, but I'll give it a try. A real effort. To start, let's review [read more...]

A Matter of Time?

Dusty Baker is frequently accused of ruining Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. The guilty verdict is not so obvious. Wood has a long history of arm troubles that predates Baker. As for Prior, there's no doubt Baker rode his best pitcher heavily in 2003. But if the team had managed to win it all, few Cub fans would care if [read more...]

A Rare Day in June

It is observed that fans continue to come to Wrigley no matter how poorly the Cubs play. This fact is seen by White Sox fans as a sign of stupidity and by others, Dayn Perry for example on this site, as counterproductive. Why put a winner on the field when you can fill the seats anyhow? I'll address both [read more...]

Ozzie Succeeds, Allowing Failure

Michael Pitre, a Lieutenant in Iraq, recently wrote in a dispatch that he finds it important not just to put a soldier in a position to succeed, but in a position to fail. Pitre, of course, was talking not just about the battle field, but about America's favorite form of sporting combat: baseball. And he was sweating over whether to pull [read more...]

The (Ex) Cubs are on Fire!

The Cubs have the worst offense in baseball, averaging less than 3.9 runs per game. That's a far cry from the 4.7 per game that the Cubs average during their winning 2003 and 2004 seasons.Those players are mostly gone from the team now, but many are still playing, and thriving, with other teams around the majors. In fact, here's a [read more...]

Why Do Cubs Fans Deserve Cuban?

Jay Mariotti does not get paid it seems, to swing like Juan Pierre, which is something in the neighborhood of Rafael Belliard before he quit the juice. He is sometimes controversial, sometimes erudite, sometimes predicts perfectly, sometimes imperfectly, he supplies glee in some, rage in others, and is at times capable of doing more for water coolers in Chicago than [read more...]

The 10 Commandments of Catching

The White Sox took two out of three from the Cubs in the first installment of the 2006 Crosstown Classic, and like most prize fights, a rematch is right around the corner. Considering Michael Barrett made like Sugar Ray on fellow catcher A.J. Pierzynski, the boxing metaphors are a little more applicable than usual.The highlight ran on a continuous reel [read more...]

Not a Rivalry? Rrrright

It's odd to write or use the term "rivalry" to describe what the city - and nation - saw this weekend, because prior to the affair, Ozzie Guillen, his players, and even Dusty Baker and the Cubs summarily dumped the notion that this weekend was anything more than a three-game set each side wanted to win. Same as every other, they [read more...]

Could Sox Envy Be the Way?

George Will was talking Cubs and Sox baseball last night. Well, he was actually talking to an audience of us at the Milton Friedman Freedom Awards about the wonders of liberty and the foundations of free societies. That might be oversimplifying it, but because Will is an admitted baseball guy to go along with being one of the countries finest political [read more...]

Clueless Cubs Falsely Mimic Sox

There's no point in comparing the talent level of the Cubs and Sox because, well, there's no comparison. But it might be worthwhile to compare the philosophies of the two teams … to understand why one is on its way back to the playoffs and the other is headed for a second straight sub-.500 year. The conventional thinking about the '05 [read more...]

No-Trade Clause is No Scare Tactic

If you've ever been asked to sign a prenuptial agreement, perhaps you can feel what the Cubs feel today. No-trade clauses in baseball are one of the more peculiar constructions in sports contracts, because, like the pre-nup, they mean everything, and nothing at all. When Derrek Lee and agent Casey Close finally were able to come to a deal with the [read more...]

Early Cubs, Sox Assessments

Assessing the virtues or fallibility of a baseball team after one week feels a bit disingenuous, as though we are giving a thumbs up or down guess as to whether a marriage will last based upon the success of the honeymoon. The Cubs marriage with winning may have just honeymooned with a killer deal at the Bellagio, whereas the White Sox [read more...]

The Downfall of Corey Patterson

The Corey Patterson era in Chicago, such as it was, is over. Patterson, once considered the crown jewel of the Cubs farm system, was sent to the Baltimore Orioles for a couple of middling minor league prospects. The decline of Corey Patterson into perhaps the worst player in major league baseball - well, look at the numbers - as he [read more...]

New Year’s Resolutions

I can't believe it's already been a year since I wrote last year's list of New Year's resolutions. Although, it's nice to know that I don't have to worry about my favorite baseball team anymore. I'd like to send a shout-out right now to Ozzie Guillen and his crew for allowing me to scratch "I never got to see the [read more...]

One Hit Wonders

Some thoughts that are on my mind as I take a break from jury deliberations in the Michael Jackson trial: When I make a list of must-see-TV NBA Finals matchups, Spurs vs. Pistons is right up there with Hornets vs. Hawks … Anne Bancroft passed away this week at the age of 73, and I think I speak for a legion of [read more...]

The MLB Accountability Game

While MLB players and administrators continue to lash out over the lack of accountability from the media in implicating anybody and everybody regarding steroid use, you have to laugh at the irony. Here is a league that has avoided accountability to the fans and media for decades regarding drug abuse, but now hurling accusations faster than reports can surface. When Boston [read more...]

Around the Horn

We know you thought this would happen. So pardon us for feigning, no, actually displaying pure shock. Still, while watching the Bulls land in the 4th spot in the East, we are still palpably surprised. Whether the glass is half full: the Bulls are a strapping, resourceful young team, or half empty: the East is more shallow and empty than Nick [read more...]

The Early Numbers Game

Juicy Thirty-eight. The most significant number from early April. It wasn't the number of three-pointers Illinois attempted versus North Carolina. It wasn't the number of syllables Clark Kellogg used in a 38-word sentence to describe the game. (He used 39). It wasn't the number of commercial breaks in the NCAA final. No, we're already back to baseball. On Monday, it was revealed that initial tests [read more...]

Midweek Moonshine

No Brackets, No Pr…Yes, This is a Problem It was just thirty years ago that an NCAA Tournament bracket was a foreign entity. The NCAA Tournament--if you could call it that--once consisted of just four teams. The Final Four was given, not made. Which begs the obvious question: What the hell did people do? Apparently, just watch the games, though it [read more...]

Kerry Wood: For Cubs, Fans It’s Kerry When?

An annual rite of spring in Chicago is the speculation that this year will finally be the year that Kerry Wood puts it all together. A Cub since 1998, Wood has only 67 career victories, which works out to an average of fewer than ten per year. During that time, he missed the entire 1999 season and significant parts of 1998, [read more...]

Ron Santo: Hall-Worthy?

With Ron Santo being denied entry into Hall of Fame yet again, let's take a statistical look at Santo's career and see if he's getting screwed or left out for good reason. Stat guru Bill James, in his first Historical Abstract, wrote 20 years ago that he thought Santo's accomplishments would eventually be recognized and rewarded with induction. He certainly has [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Master Debaters, Part Deux

Following the rousing success of the first debate between me and Tom (and by rousing, I mean my mother liked it), we came back this week for round two. Just like the presidential debate Friday night, this will be in a town hall forum, with each of us responding to questions asked by a panel of sports fans. In this case, [read more...]

Hart Surgery: A September to Remember

Baseball is a long season. At times, it is hard to get excited for any of the 162 games on the schedule. But as September dawns, the excitement of the approaching postseason begins to build as teams bear down for that final push towards the playoffs. There are many intriguing storylines to follow over the last month of this season, [read more...]

Insanity of Cubs Fans

Insanity - 1) lack of reason or good sense - extreme foolishness or an act that demonstrates it 2) legal incompetence or irresponsibility because of a psychiatric disorder.That is the only way to describe the scene here in Chicago on one brisk February day. The perpetual 45-minute line to get wristbands weaves around from Clark and Addison to Murphy's Bleachers. [read more...]

The Sports Anti-Oscar Goes To….

Sports and Hollywood should be the antithesis of one another.Hollywood has awards based on the subjective, sports on the scoreboard. The sporting world lives for championships and morphine for dislocated shoulders. Hollywood lives for its award shows and botox for dislocated eyebrows. Like hockey playoffs, Hollywood award season is one unto itself. Fortunately, hockey players have too few teeth or are [read more...]

ENOUGH!

The "Bartman Baseball" was blown up Thursday. The Today Show was in town to feature the event, which was televised around the nation. The promoters even brought an in "Oscar-winning special effects man" to perform the deed. Major League Baseball players are universally puzzled by the widespread fascination over this horsehide albatross. Meanwhile, entertainment promoters everywhere are wondering whether Babe Ruth's [read more...]

Cursed and Comfy

Serial killers have been executed with less fanfare.And not only was there more cheering at this execution, but it was far more gruesome. The accused and convicted was literally blown to smithereens, in the blink of an eye. And this to a chorus of cheers so loud, you would have thought it was a crowd witnessing their team win a [read more...]

Passion of the Cubs Started Early – Too Early

For Chicago Cubs cronies, the controversy surrounding Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson's new film, is old news. Sacrilegious, sure, but Northsiders have been for weeks dealing with the Passion -- of the Cubs.Perhaps the greatest threat to the success of either? Overwhelming expectations. Gibson's film is purported to contain the most graphic and realistic representation of the last hours of [read more...]

Only in Chicago

Thursday, February 26, 2004 It is a strange thing to be a sports fan in Chicago. Fans here are among the most rabid, most loyal creatures in the universe, but with this comes a strange type of depression, bordering on schizophrenia. Chicagoans love to win; they wish nothing more than for their teams to win championships, but the ownership of the major [read more...]

Signing Maddux: Wisely or Unwisely?

Several of my friends, all Chicago White Sox fans, have something to smile about this week.My friends have been glum since last summer with the hated cross-town Cubs winning the NL Central Division while the White Sox foundered just short of the playoffs. Their angst was only placated by the Steve Bartman foul ball incident and the Cubs loss to [read more...]

The Yankees are the Most American Team in History

I wrote a whole column a few months ago that basically said it was "unpatriotic" to root for the Red Sox or the Cubs. I ended up not running the piece because I felt it was too harshly inflammatory. I thought it was sort of written in a muck-raking style and I thought it was not appropriate for the period of [read more...]

Yankees Envy a New North Side Passion

They're easy to hate, but often easier to envy.The Yankees and Alex Rodriguez deserve each other. Each is rich and needy, but maintain one significant difference. The Yanks display remarkable loyalty to fans, and a good product. A-Rod has showed a sincere sense of selfish ambition and disloyalty to those who've cheered for him. Now that's over, pleasing Steinbrenner is [read more...]

Cubs’ Hendry On a Roll

It's one thing when the team's on fire, but the general manager?GM's in Chicago should watch Jim Hendry operate right now. He's rollin'. Hendry remains quietly in the midst of one of the better GM streaks this city has seen in some time. A microcosm for Hendry's talents, the negotiations with Greg Maddux and difficult agent Scott Boras have been handled [read more...]

Cubs Get R-Rated … Good

Put the kids to bed, or cover their eyes. It's time for the Chicago Cubs to move up - in ratings. Call the FCC if you want, but we're getting Rated-R - Finally.Time to darken the tender sunshine atmosphere, and add more night-ball at Wrigley. Inserting extra night games into the Cubs schedule not only adds to a national appeal, it [read more...]

Low Expectations Leave White Sox Sitting Pretty

What are you so afraid of Sox fans? You'd think that the White Sox had raised another white flag during the off-season from the negative energy coming from the South Side. Much of this malaise is simply a product of watching the other side of the city spend money.The North Siders currently carry the city bragging rights after an NLCS [read more...]

English Eye for the American Guy

As an Englishman living in America, I have no idea how the BCS standings work, but then again, perhaps no one really know how the rating system works. The college football season lasted for four and a half months and then at the end of it; there were two winners. This doesn't make much sense to me. Wouldn't it make [read more...]

The Hall of Pedantic Exclusivity and Museum

There are a few actions in life that-no matter how much care you take when you perform them-when you do them, you inherently become a jerk.One of these is correcting someone's grammar. For example, if you receive an email, and someone has committed one of the cardinal sins of writing, you might have an overwhelming urge to correct them. For example: [read more...]

Hart Surgery: The postseason, in nine parts

Sitting here watching the World Series, there are so many things I start to wonder about. Maybe it's because it takes like seven minutes for a guy to make one pitch, I'm not sure, but either way, this postseason has raised a ton of questions. So, I thought I would try to answer some of them, one for each inning of a baseball game. [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Playoff Time

Three things that make me mad about the baseball playoffs… 1. Adventures in mediocrity The recently completed baseball season has been lauded for providing incredible excitement in September, what with so many teams challenging for a playoff berth. Pardon me if my yawning gets too loud. What exactly is so exciting about a bunch of barely .500 teams duking it out [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Back to the Pastime

It is mid-June, and somehow I have neglected to write anything about the baseball season. I'd like to rectify that right now, with a new feature on Hart Surgery. I like to call it: 3 Things That Piss Me Off About Baseball… 1. LaRussa is LaWorst. Oh, I could go on forever about this one. The Cards have, [read more...]

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