Dye Hard

A former basketball player, football player, a leisurely golfer and now major league baseball player, Chicago White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye is an athlete in every sense of the word. Dye grew up in Vacaville, Calif. and said that baseball was just his sport. He said it helped growing up in California because the weather made it possible for baseball [read more...]

Long Day for the Sox

After a long day that included a statue unveiling, a major milestone, a trip to the DL for one Sox starter, and two starting pitchers who didn't see the fifth inning, the Chicago White Sox finally lost to the Kansas City Royals 8-7 After the pomp and circumstance of the pre-game ceremony honoring Harold Baines ended, starters John Danks and Bryan [read more...]

Looking Forward

The deliciously 10-games-over-.500 Redbirds continue to surprise - just ask anyone in the media. I'm beginning to believe that literally no one expected this, at least no one that has come forward yet. Even the hometown media is befuddled by St. Louis' 53-43 first half. As Bernie points out, even after the team has completed its successful first half, no one [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...]

Let’s Make a Deal

Come on Cards. TLR asked for help three days ago, and no trade yet??!? It appears the Cardinals will make some kind of move before the MLB's trade deadline, as oddly enough after LaRussa went public with his thoughts on what the team should do in the wake of the CC Sabathia and Rich Harden trades, St. Louis has been popping [read more...]

Crede’s Secret

Flintstones Gummy Vitamins; could they be the secret to the 124 career home runs and 416 career RBIs for Chicago White Sox third baseman Joe Crede? Crede said he's a "Centrum man", yet three bottles of these gummy vitamins remain in his locker. No matter what the secret is, it must be working. Crede grew up in Westphalia, Mo. and has been [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...]

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...]

Lemon Pie (featuring Kid Rock droppings)

OK, this is going to be a pretty serious diatribe, mainly about the musical desecration that Kid Rock has graced us with in 2008. First and foremost, I don't enjoy being a critic unless it is warranted. And this is a moment where I have witnessed another atrocity in the world of music, further driving home my point [read more...]

Picking the All-Star Teams: National League

Since the 1996 All-Star game held in Philadelphia, the American League has won ten of the eleven mid-season classics. The only time the National League didn't lose: the 2002 game that ended in a 7-7 tie. That means for twelve consecutive seasons, the best of the NL haven't been able to defeat the best of the AL. So why is that? [read more...]

Picking the All-Star Teams: American League

The fact that the league that wins the Major League Baseball All-Star game gets home-field advantage in the World Series might be the dumbest rule in all of sports. The NBA's big mid-season event doesn't determine who has home court in the Finals, and neither does the NHL's when it comes to the Stanley Cup. (I won't even mention the [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...]

WTF! Did George Carlin Die in Vain?

OMFG, I think he did! While Carlin's irreverence will be remembered for making most of you LOL (and me LMAO), it is clear that his work was all for naught -- except in the Major Leagues. But in the land made for you and me -- well, North Carolina to be exact -- [read more...]

Gay Songs at the Ballpark are Electric!

So with the lesbian kissing ban goin' on in Seattle, I got to wonderin' about whether or not they should play YMCA at the ballpark anymore, because we surely don't need anything else that feels uncomfortable -- shameful even -- goin' on in our baseball stadiums. But I'm a skeezy skeezer and I'm jonesin' for [read more...]

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Good Guys Wear Black

First of all, I never really understood that phrase, 'Good Guys Wear Black', when it came to the White Sox. Mainly because they're the White Sox, not the Black Sox. I've actually heard a conversation with Bobby Jenks on television in the bullpen pondering the same thing. Why are they the White Sox and they wear black? Hmm... who knows. Anyway, [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...]

Country Joe And The (Devilish) Rays

The way I see it, the White House seems to be in charge of baseball and war these days, at least according to my dedicated research. And since these things go hand in hand politically this year, I am making a plea to end the beanball, not only at home, but also on the road -- in places like Boston, [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...]

Tiger Woes

As the Detroit Tigers continue to slip, I have begun wondering if all my hope in this team is going to be let down. Through this tough 25-36 opening to the season, I have continued to say "I'm not worried at all, they're still going to get it together and win the division." The fact that no one in 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...]

The Bats Are Back

Looks like Ozzie's rants and some negative publicity helped the Sox figure out what they're bats are made for. The Sox have scored a total of 54 runs and just today they scored 12 on the Twins for their 6th straight win. Swisher finally broke out of his slump along with Konerko, Crede, and Ramirez. Quentin had some action as [read more...]

Mariners manager still fuming over illegal immigration war on lesbian kissing

What was Seattle Mariners manager John McLaren so mad about this week? Maybe he decided there hasn't been much on the highlight reel and just decided to drop some F-bombs in the effort to get the club some exposure on ESPN. I suppose it could be true that it was only because the Mariners truly suck this [read more...]

The ‘Unofficial’ 30

    I'm starting to get the hang of these lists--the latest being my version of the MLB Power Rankings for May. You can catch my rankings every month--in addition to daily baseball news--at www.probaseball-fans.com. 1. Chicago Cubs (33-21) The NL's best offense is led by none other than Carols Zambrano, who is hitting a robust .324, good for best on the [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...]

Why men should be banned from sideline reporting

Well, I opened up a real can of lima beans recently, with lots of worms in it. And as you might have guessed, I've taken a lot of shrapnel in the last few days for my self-parody column entitled Why Women Should Be Banned From All-Star Voting. While it is certainly a ridiculous notion to suggest that women shouldn't vote [read more...]

Roger Clemens is Barry Bonds, except he’s…

As much as it pains me to do this, I am going to have to acknowledge the blatant racial discrimination in the treatment of Barry Bonds during the whole steroids, BALCO, Victor Conte saga. At the time, I thought that Barry was just getting the treatment he deserved as a cheater and an all around poor human being. [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...]

Defending the Sports Fan

I have recently been thrust into the unenviable position of having an in-law move in with my wife and me. A brief respite from the despair is the fact that it is the father-in-law, not the dreaded monster-in-law. However, from the sports-viewing perspective, the household has taken a hit. While my wife was always tolerable of me watching various things [read more...]

Instant Replay Coming to an Arena Game Near you

From the Arena Football League: BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVE INSTANT REPLAY FOR 2008 PLAYOFFS The Arena Football League’s Board of Directors today unanimously approved the use of instant replay as an officiating tool for the 2008 playoffs. It marks the first time in the AFL’s 22-season history that instant replay will be used.   “The coach's ability to challenge a call on the field [read more...]

Jesus: The Saints sucked last year

What Would Jesus Blog? Well, I obviously cannot answer that without divine intervention. But a source close to Jesus -- speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of the wrath of God and damnation to hell's fire -- tells me that The Chosen One is unhappy with plenty of things shaking out in the world, including the perennial letdowns [read more...]

Estrogen alert

First, I would like to thank everyone that read my first blog (all 20 of you, wow). I would also like to that the only person that left a comment, thanks Dad. Unfortunately, he was wrong about the Blue Jays being good, but he did get me on watching NASCAR - though only the highlights. Who can pass [read more...]

Baseball Players Don’t Know How to Fight

I've been a baseball fan for some 14 years, and one thing has been made perfectly clear to me. Baseball players cannot fight. I'll never forget when the San Diego Padres were playing the Chicago Cubs. Padres pitcher Chris Young got into a fight with Derrek Lee. Here you have one guy who's 6'5" matching up against a guy whose 6'10". The [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...]

Gavin Floyd

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Blown out of Proportion

First of all, I don't see why the Chicago Sun-Times' front-page story featured blow-up sex dolls in the White Sox clubhouse. Second of all, I don't see why Kara Spak and Carol Slezak are making a huge deal out of it. I became more and more frustrated the more I read. For those who don't know what happened, here's the deal. [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...]

Here’s the 3-2 pitch– hey what’s that?

Ever wonder why pitchers decide to wear sleeves in 80-degree weather during a game? Well, for Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Justin Miller, it's because his tattoos are considered distracting. More than 50 percent of Miller's body is covered in tattoos. No one knows who made the complaint, but he was asked to wear sleeves when he pitches because his tattoos [read more...]

Hall of fame drama: Will someone please impeach Clemens already?

I don't know how much longer the Roger Clemens career-reducing drama can go on, but I'm asking Congress to give this another try---and to get it right this time. Clemens' homemade version of The Surreal Life is in episode 14 where the former seven-time Cy Young Award winner admits to helping Mindy McCready with performance-enhancing vocal tracks when she was 15! It [read more...]

No Joke

It's a job little leaguers all over the world dream of, and playing in Major League Baseball is a dream come true for Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle. Without any hesitation in his voice, Buehrle never thought he'd make it to the Major League. "I thought it was a joke," said Buehrle. When scouts came to his college he thought [read more...]

Just hangin’ out with the White Sox

As I walked into the locker room of the Chicago White Sox, I couldn't help but just stare in amazement at all of the memorabilia and of course, the Lazy Boy recliners all over. Plaques and signed helmets line the walls and the center of the room is filled with three rows of black leather recliners, some of course with [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...]

Smoltz gets 3000th strikeout; doesn’t have to look back

John Smoltz notched his 3000th strikeout earlier tonight, which is an astounding feat for anyone, but is doubly outstanding considering that Smoltz had severe arm trouble earlier in his career and subsequently spent a few years as a relief pitcher. Smoltz is 41 and is the 16th pitcher ever to accomplish the feat, which is absolutely astounding. Less people have struck [read more...]

Thrown off guard: A different side of Buehrle

My stomach drops, my heart skips a beat, my hands are sweaty, the edge of my notebook paper is all curled up because I've been anxiously playing with it, my legs are shaking so much I can barely walk, and I can't help but constantly take deep breaths. I keep thinking, ‘don't screw up, don't embarrass yourself, they're just people, [read more...]

What We Expected (And What We Didn’t)

While this baseball season is still in its infancy, this fact does not prevent us who follow the Cubs from forming opinions, rational or otherwise. Here are my initial thoughts on the first week of the 2008 season: WHAT WE EXPECTED; VALIDATED: *Derrek Lee is back. Remember the guy who wore out right and lefthanders in 2005? They guy who drove the [read more...]

“Playing Ball” Major League Baseball’s Way

With all that was going on last summer it was difficult to deal with some of the larger issues of and problems with Major League Baseball. This spring and summer it is time to make time to dig in an explore MLB and baseball, in general, much more deeply. The following is the first of many articles and commentaries to [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...]

Wiping Barry Bonds from AT&T: Peter Magowan’s and MLB’s Master Plan

In a move that is as crass as it is reprehensible, San Francisco Giants owner Peter Magowan removed any sign of Barry Bonds' presence at SBC bought by Pac Bell, merged with AT&T Park. Not even a "756" sign remains. The move also illustrates the worth of an athlete, even one who filled the pockets of the 16 National League team owners [read more...]

From Bonds to Clemens to Ankiel to Taylor to Tilghman: Context Lost

Months ago, when the Rick Ankiel-HGH news broke, I wrote that his being outed represented - potentially - a watershed moment in sports and sportswriting. It was the moment when the subjects of race and racism, of PEDs in football, and constructive criticisms of all sports, especially the NFL, could be broached by a large enough portion of the U.S. [read more...]

What Barry Deserves

Barry Bonds is about to get it. While almost all of the BALCO-related headlines scream of Bud Selig's threat to suspend Jason Giambi and of ex-Bonds attorney Troy Ellerman's plea bargain being rejected, Bonds is on the verge of receiving his just desserts.There is no big article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Or the San Jose Mercury-News. Or the Oakland [read more...]

What Gary Sheffield Really Said

You know how you can tell when it's more important to kill the message a person is trying to get across, especially a black person, especially a black person talking about racism; especially a black person talking about racism who is generally disliked by the press; especially a black athlete who dares speak out about any race issues?Quote him literally: "When [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...]

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...]

It’s Getting Late Pretty Early Out There

A few weekends ago, I observed my first in-person game of the season, a match-up pitting my adopted West Coast team (The Padres of San Diego) against the historically inept Colorado Rockies. It was a fine way to start the season: being in the stands on a crisp sunny Sunday afternoon, watching my ace fantasy pitcher Jake Peavy (making the [read more...]

JC’s MLB Predictions Extravaganza, Pt. I

The 2006 Major League Baseball season starts on Sunday night, and even though Commissioner Bud Selig is doing everything in his power to overshadow one of the quintessential rites of spring with this steroid gibberish, all will be well in my little world once again.I want to talk about legged-out triples, diving grabs, 5-4-3 double-plays, suicide squeezes, and pennant chases [read more...]

Like It Or Not, Frank Is Right

If you were a baseball GM, how would you feel about paying $17.5 million for a player who hit .255 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs, while striking out 182 times? You probably wouldn't be looking for more of the same and you might wonder who out there would be willing to take him off your hands. What's the significance [read more...]

Blips, Blurbs & Blasts

OK, Tom Brady, let's review. Your team has won three of the last four Super Bowls, and you've been the MVP in two of those games. Most football experts believe that the Patriots are the only team with any chance of knocking the Colts out of the postseason. You are currently dating Bridget Moynahan, one of the most drop-dead gorgeous [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Breaking Down the Boo

When Rafael Palmeiro made his first appearance at the plate after serving his suspension for steroids, I expected to hear the boos and catcalls normally reserved for athletes who screw up. With steroids such a hot-button issue, I figured the PA Announcer would have a hard time even getting his name out over the razzes and huzzahs. Imagine my surprise when [read more...]

Robinson Cuts Palmeiro No Slack

After serving a 10-day suspension following a positive drug test and then returning to face the wrath, as it were, of the Orioles fans, Rafael Palmeiro may have thought the worst of his ordeal was behind him. Well, guess again Raffy - it may just be beginning. Much of the media has already weighed in on the issue and there [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Pour Some Out

For those who are regular readers of my column (Hi Nana!), you probably know I have a slight attachment to the University of Texas at Austin. I own several items that illustrate that fact, including shirts, shorts, hats, and a bumper sticker. Until recently, I also owned a small charm that I wore on my necklace, a miniature hand flashing the [read more...]

The Flipside of Baseball Excitement

What do the numbers .338 and .342 mean to you? Great batting averages… right? Maybe even All-Star and Hall of Fame worthy… right? … But what if those were winning percentages? … And worse, what if those were winning percentages of two teams competing against one another in a three-game series? Ahhh, the joys of Interleague baseball. The Kansas City Royals, owners of a [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...]

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...]

Baseball’s Hangover Only Hurts Some

Man, this is some hangover. And how ironic. The day after St. Patty's, when half the world is reaching for Tabasco concoctions, regrettably sorting through big bar receipts, power-washing wretched breath with Listerine, and trying to understand where that lipstick on the collar came from, baseball itself is being forced to skip the snooze bar and address the bender it's been [read more...]

Congressional Righteousness The Most Juiced of All

These poor guys. We should excuse their boredom. Their taste for good PR blunted, and muddled in their arguments over trivialities such as the overhaul of Social Security, pesky diplomatic efforts with North Korea and Iran, the future of Iraq, and the typical squeals on deficits and judicial appointees, congress was hungry for something sweet. Juicy might be a better word. And [read more...]

The Incentives of America’s Cheatin’ Pastime

Nobody will ever go on record calling Jose Canseco brilliant. After a look at his first novel, it's conceivable that Canseco thinks a thesaurus is some kind of dinosaur. But stupidity and resourcefulness are mutually exclusive. And Canseco didn't make millions for his brains. He is merely, despite his Cuban descent, pure American - at least economically. Which is why baseball [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: Insomnia

For those that didn't see it when it first ran on HBO, the mini-series Band of Brothers is about the finest piece of filmmaking these eyes have ever seen. It is an eye-opening and incredibly realistic (I imagine) account of what it was like training for and participating in WWII, and every time I see it I appreciate my grandparents' generation more and more. Why [read more...]

A Concealed Legacy

Ken Caminiti has been dead for just over a month. Drugs. To many, he is another junky in the ground. The undeserved privileged. He abused social drugs while a ball-player, admitted to winning the 1996 MVP trophy with the aid of steroids, and continued his spiral to the grave the second he no longer had baseball to distract him. Caminiti [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Three Things That Made Me Mad About The World Series

Congratulations to the Red Sox. They beat the Cardinals fair and square, and pretty much manhandled them in every facet of the game during the World Series. As a Cardinals fan, I know I should be gracious in defeat. But really, where is the fun in that? So this week I bring you… Three Things That Made Me Mad About…The World Series 1. The base [read more...]

Boston Nears Sweep With Memories Fresh

In Monty Python's Holy Grail, one memorable scene unfolds as a man drags a cart down the street, as it overflows with those dead from the plague. He cries out, "Bring out your dead," as he drags on. At this point, one seemingly dead old man is placed on the cart, only to lament quietly, "But I'm not dead yet..." "Well, [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Yankee Doodle Devilry

Have you ever wondered if it were possible to script actual sporting events? Like aside from the WWE? If you could, I'm not sure you could do much better than what these baseball playoffs have provided so far. Have you ever watched those animal programs on the Discovery Channel, where a somber British voice describes how a pack of lions or [read more...]

Baseball Still Has Paper Potency

Leave it to baseball to pummel unpredictability. After the dispassionate Boston Red Sox dropped a 3-1 yawner to the business as usual New York Yankees Wednesday night, we sighed. When the St. Louis Cardinals bats had finished plastering the Backe-end of the Houston Astros rotation to take a 1-0 series lead, we basked in the potency of our predictions. Predictability in [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...]

Beane’s Babies (Epstein, DePodesta) Stray from Theory

Perhaps it's better to work for a genius than to be one. You can take an ounce of credit for the strokes of brilliance and must merely sit in the audience at the resignation conference if they ever screw it all up. Paul DePodesta (Harvard) and Theo Epstein (merely Yale) used Moneyball whiz Billy Beane, Michael Lewis' anointed baseball new-age genius [read more...]

Hart Surgery: The Ultimate Sports Weekend

Take a deep breath sports fans. Get all your chores finished early, drop your kids at their grandparents, and get a good night sleep. It is time for the Ultimate Sports Weekend. This weekend, April 23-25, is the only one the entire year featuring significant events for all four major sports. Baseball's regular season, the NFL Draft, and the NBA and [read more...]

Might and Right

For years, I have rallied against the unmitigated power of referees in basketball and umpires in baseball. The famous saying by Lord Acton "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is certainly the case in relation to many old NBA refs and umpires. In the case of the umpires, it took a walkout and getting fired and not [read more...]

Cap Cures Pile Up Side Effects

Each year, baseball prophets, pundits, prognosticators and pinheads all agree on a few things:-There are only a handful of teams in clear contention for a World Series title. -There is a clear chasm between the haves and the have-nots. -George Steinbrenner and the Yankees get what they want. Red Sox owner John Henry, a good baseball man with spending habits second only to [read more...]

MLB: Drowning In Juice

This is about to get ugly. Major League Baseball has enough sense to placate those who prefer integrity by keeping profiteering Pete Rose out of the game for now. They now brace for another storm. The water's rising - actually, make that the juice - and some are going to drown. With last week's not-so-shocking news that trainer to the pro's Greg [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...]

A Tale of Three Exhibitions

I have always felt that the only all-star game worth watching was baseball's - the oldest of the exhibition games. Baseball was "pure." The players played hard and tried to win, and it was a chance to see the best players from both leagues playing against one another.But with inter-league play, the best already play against one another, and despite [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...]

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: The Show is Over?

Many things attract us to athletics. The thrill of competition, the unpredictability, the common bond shared by fans of the same team. And there is one other reason. We watch sports because we see people doing things that transcend what 99.9 percent of the public is able to do. When we watch Tiger Woods, Barry Bonds, or Serena Williams, we [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...]

Hart Surgery:…So We Could Enjoy this Time of Year

There is a quote of an ancient Chinese proverb I always liked that Donald Sutherland says in the movie Disclosure (a fantastic movie, by the way). He says, "May you live in interesting times." Given the potential events for the coming week, it's hard to imagine more interesting times than these.I don't say that in jest, per se. No one [read more...]

Hart Surgery: The State of Sports Address

My fellow Americans, I come before you today to discuss the current state of Sports. We find ourselves at a crossroads, America. The amount of money we are spending each year on the Sports Industrial Complex is growing and growing at an alarming rate. Salaries are up. Product is down. Many problems need addressing. I take this time tonight to [read more...]

Hart Surgery: The Best World Series Ever?

People have been arguing on the airwaves about the place of the 2002 World Series all time. Some are saying it ranks up there with the great ones, especially after Saturday's amazing comeback by the Angels. But now that Game 7 is in the books, I think it is pretty fair to say this is not the Greatest World Series Ever Played. But where [read more...]

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