Streaking back to Chicago

CHICAGO– I feel the need to give these posts a dateline these days because I am always on the road. Just when I thought I was going to be home for a while because basketball season was over, I’ve spent this entire weekend in Milwaukee and am now in Chicago for tomorrow’s home opener. I couldn’t post without internet in Milly, but here’s my thoughts on the weekend:

4-game win streak

I think the most important thing about this weekend was what I saw in the dugout in the late innings of tonights 13-2 win over the Tigers. After Alexi Ramirez flied out to deep left (it definitely would have been a home run at Comiskey) the entire team congratulated him when he got back to the dugout and gave him a hard time. Ozzie spent more time the last two innings joking around than actually managing and I’m saying that this is a good thing.

Everyone looked like they were having fun and right in the middle of it all was Nick Swisher who has already shown that he fits perfectly on this team. I’ve already heard a number of comparisons between Swisher and Aaron Rowand and they really are similar. Rowand was obviously a better center fielder, but I have had no problems with Swisher out there and Nick is a switch hitter and even more outgoing in the clubhouse than Aaron is.

Speaking of Aaron…

Hanging out in Miller

While I was in Milwaukee I caught the Brewers-Giants game at Miller Park Saturday. I thought I was FINALLY going to get to see Rowand play in person for the first time since he was traded to the Phillies, but he was a scratch because of sore ribs.

Obviously I was a disappointed that he wasn’t playing, but I was even more mad that the roof was closed. BASEBALL IS MEANT TO BE PLAYED OUTDOORS*.

Now I put an asterisk after that because I am not against the idea of retractable roofs. Rain delays don’t help anyone so if it is raining then go ahead and close the roof. But Saturday we were tailgating outside and it was 60 degrees and sunny. Beautiful weather for an early April game in Wisconsin. Why would I want to go inside to watch a baseball game? Unbelievable.

I think that there should be a rule that if it is above 50 degrees and there is no rain in the forecast then the roof has to be open.

With that said, the Brewers would have swept the Giants whether or not the roof was opened, closed or if they played the game at now non-existent County Stadium. They certainly got it working with an underrated pitching staff and a great, young lineup. I like Manny Parra a lot and he looked great on the mound Saturday.

There will be more on the Brewers a lot this summer because I live in Wisconsin, but back to the team that really matters…

Sizing up the defense

Okay, I didn’t know what to expect from Carlos Quentin, but if he plays like this the whole season then I love him. That play he made Saturday doubling up Edgar Renteria at 1st base with a throw from left field was unbelievable. It was only No. 6 on SportsCenter Top 10, but if you see another left fielder do that again this season on a play where the runner does not make a huge running mistake (i.e. fall down, forget how many outs there were, etc) then call me up. It won’t happen. Renteria could have run harder, but no one expected Quentin to make that throw. It was an unbelievable play.

With that said, he can’t be dropping fly balls like he did today in the 9th. But he just took his eye off the ball so at least he got it out of his system when his team had an 11-run lead with one out in the ninth inning.

Swisher has looked more than comfortable in center field. He won’t be making the spectacular plays that Rowand or even Brian Anderson are capable of, but he has made some tough catches thus far.

I love Uribe at second base. I was trying to explain to my father tonight that Uribe is a great player when he is batting ninth and playing second base with Orlando Cabrera at shortstop. He sucks when he is batting seventh and is playing shortstop with Danny Richar at second. He has always been an above average fielder and he will be rock solid at second this season turning double plays with that cannon he has (which he showed tonight he will also use to throw out runners at third base and home plate on relays). I think he is a very valuable second baseman right now as long as he is in the No. 9 hole.

Saturday’s win was key

I really thought Saturday’s comeback win was huge. I thought the game in general was big because I did not like our chances Sunday night against Justin Verlander. All I wanted was to go 3-3 on this opening road trip and winning Saturday guaranteed at least that.

Winning that game also put the Tigers in an even bigger hole, which I think helped the Sox big time tonight. They are in a mental rut right now and the White Sox took advantage of that tonight.

I really do think that if the Tigers hold on and get that win yesterday then they would have played better tonight and won again. Remember that it was 1-1 tonight and even after the Sox squeezed in a couple of runs to make it 3-1 it was still a close game in their ballpark against a tough lineup. If the focus was better (like Carlos Guillen not dropping the ball at first which opened up the floodgates) then Sunday night’s game could have gone in a different direction.

So with the comeback Saturday the Sox are now 4-2 heading home instead of 2-4, or best case scenario, 3-3.

Ready to get to the ballpark

I love home openers and I can’t wait to be at the ballpark tomorrow. The Sox also have a great chance of winning. I like Javier Vazquez’s chances of getting his first win of the season against Nick Blackburn who lost his first start despite only giving up 1 run in seven innings.

The Sox are on a roll and will be juiced up in front of the home crowd. You worry about the guys being tired having to travel back to play a 3 p.m. game after a night game, but I think the adrenaline from playing at Comiskey will cancel that out.

Guys like Swisher, Cabrera and Quentin will be playing at home for the first time and it will be fun to welcome them. I expect Swisher to get a standing ovation in the first inning, but we’ll see.

I’m taking Memphis

Also, a quick National Championship Game prediction… I’m taking the Chi-town playa Derrick Rose and the Memphis Tigers over the other Chicago native Sherron Collins and the Jayhawks tomorrow. Both teams are playing great but no one can stop Rose and CDR right now.

Sox get one

Well the good news is that the White Sox can’t finish 0-162. Congrats to John Danks for a great game. It’s too bad he couldn’t get the win.

That was one of many good/bad observations I had watching today’s game. I’ll weigh them all.

The Good

  • John Danks looked great. He had all his pitches working and he was spotting them too, which was his main problem last season. Plus, he battled in a great pitcher’s duel against a veteran, Jake Westbrook, and gave his team a chance to win the game, which they did.
  • Joe “Clutch” Crede got it going again. He has always been key late in games (especially against the Indians) and he did it again today with the game winning solo home run in the 8th.
  • Jermaine Dye looked good at the plate the entire series. He started it Monday with a solo shot in the 9th and kept it going all the way through Thursday’s last at bat where he was robbed of a hit by David Dellucci.
  • Bobby Jenks looked great in the ninth inning. Always a good thing to convert your first save of the season. Can you believe that this is his third year of being the Sox closer on opening day? He has been so consistent and dominant that we have hardly noticed. That is such a good position to not have to worry about.

The Bad

  • The Sox got seven hits today in an old fashion pitcher’s duel and they won the game, but once again they were relying solely on solo home runs. I love the fact that Uribe and Crede got going with solo shots, but the Sox missed out on numerous opportunities today when they had men in scoring position–including after Crede’s 8th inning home run when there were two on and one out and Thome and Konerko failed to get them in. Sometimes all you need is a double.
  • Speed is very underrated and the White Sox have none of it. Speed at the top of the order is what got the Sox to the 2005 World Series and this could be the slowest team in franchise history. You hope Jerry Owens can get on base when he returns, but for now, Swisher is not a lead off hitter. He just isn’t. Unfortunately, Ozzie doesn’t have many other options, although I would love to see Pablo Ozuna get a chance to lead off in Detroit.
  • Jermaine Dye’s defense was awful in Cleveland. I thought he could have snagged the ball yesterday that led to the Indians pulling away and I thought he could have given a better effort on the ball today that allowed Travis Hafner of all people to score from first base. Then there was the mix up he had with Nick Swisher in center. The key word in that sentence was “center”. That was Swisher’s ball and not only was the kid there, Dye nearly tackled him and knocked the ball out of his glove. But I still have to make the argument that if Brian Anderson was out there, he would have gotten there a half-second earlier and Dye would have backed off. More on that later.
  • Thank goodness the Sox won this one because I think I would have thrown my computer out my window if I had to read another story about how the players are still happy with their effort even in a loss. The optimism is good, but the losing is still bad. I put this under “The Bad” for now because I think the Sox need to go 3-3 on this road trip and the 1-2 start means they must go 2-1 in Detroit now.

Put Anderson in center

I never thought I would be writing this but Brian Anderson should be the starting centerfielder. He is the best defensive outfielder on the entire team and he looked great at the plate during spring training. Quite frankly I have no idea why Carlos Quentin and Alexi Ramirez are even being considered.

If Anderson’s offense actually came around–and there are more than just signs right now that that is going to happen–he would be a phenomenal contributer to this team. As I said earlier, Dye would have let Anderson take that ball in center and even when the kid was terrible two years ago, he saved a number of runs with his outstanding defensive play.

Also, why the heck was Quentin batting ahead of Crede today? Here’s what my lineup would be right now:

  1. Nick Swisher, LF
  2. Orlando Cabrera, SS
  3. Jim Thome, DH
  4. Paul Konerko, 1B
  5. Jermaine Dye, RF
  6. A.J. Pierzynski, C
  7. Joe Crede, 3B
  8. Juan Uribe, 2B
  9. Brian Anderson, CF

And while I’m not sure Ozuna is better option at second base than Uribe on an everyday basis, I would love to see a lineup where Ozuna can be a true leadoff hitter. Here’s the lineup I would go with in that situation:

  1. Pablo Ozuna, 2B
  2. Orlando Cabrera, SS
  3. Jim Thome, DH
  4. Paul Konerko, 1B
  5. Jermaine Dye, RF
  6. A.J. Pierzynski, C
  7. Joe Crede, 3B
  8. Nick Swisher, LF
  9. Brian Anderson, CF

That looks like more of a baseball lineup than the first one, but I do like Uribe at second base. He has always been a good defensive player.

Well that’s all for me today. I’ll be in Milwaukee over the weekend so I’m not sure I will be able to post. I might be going to the Brewers game Saturday and I will be in Chicago by Sunday because the home opener awaits Monday afternoon.

LIVE BLOG: White Sox at Indians

I got the laptop on the couch and the game on the tube here in Madison, Wis. I’ll be posting periodically throughout tonight’s game:

Calling it a night

Cleveland 6, White Sox 1 – Top 7

Well it’s not looking good for the White Sox tonight. It is going to be tough to erase this deficit in the cold weather.

I going to keep the game on, but I’m closing up the blog for the night.

I’ll leave you with this new marking campaign I came up with: “Chicago Baseball: It is what it is.”

Mid-game links

Cleveland 2, White Sox 0 – Top 5

We knew this was going to be a pitcher’s duel. Vazquez has retired seven in a row and even though Carmona has allowed baserunners we all know that unless the Sox can get the ball out of the outfield, the Indians will get all the double-plays they need.

So this gives me a chance to throw out some links from the day:

  • First, here is my weekly column that comes out every Wednesday in the Daily Cardinal here in Madison. It’s about Indiana’s hiring of Tom Crean and how the Hoosiers are still going to struggle in an improved Big Ten next season.
  • For any other Badgers fans that come across this blog, Brian Lucas from UW Athletic Communications has a very in-depth post about the basketball team’s post-season travel. It’s pretty interesting.
  • Also enjoyed Leonard Shapiro’s column in the Washington Post detailing Chip Caray’s broadcasting career. Shapiro is currently teaching a sports writing class I am in here at Wisconsin.
  • I love this YouTube clip because it combines Gus Johnson and Stephen Curry. Having witnessed this layup in person, I can tell you that it was the most impressive layup I have ever seen live (and I have seen Michael Jordan in person).
  • This YouTube clip is horrible, but one of my buddies forwarded it to me and let me just say that you have wonder where the parents were. That’s all I will say.

Byrd provides some humor

Cleveland 2, White Sox 0 – Top 4

Because I’m watching the game on MLB Extra Innings, I am watching the Indians’ coverage of the game. The announcers were interviewing Paul Byrd during the bottom half of the 3rd and as Ryan Garko grounded out to Uribe to end the inning, they told Byrd to take them to the break.

“Garko hits a grounder to second and softly runs to first base just as I was talking about intensity,” Byrd said jokingly. ”Get it going Ryan.”

Slowest team in baseball?

Cleveland 2, White Sox 0 — Bot 3

You know it’s bad when your roommate asks you if Joe Crede is your fastest player.

That really just happened.

Doubled up

Cleveland 2, White Sox 0 — Top 3

I’m pretty sure the White Sox are going to set a new record for double plays this season. The first thing I said when Paul Konerko walked to lead off the 2nd inning was: “Having Pauly on first is pretty much the same thing as having nobody on base.”

Of course the White Sox managed to hit into two double plays in one inning, which is pretty impressive when you consider that it’s not even possible. A.J. was bailed out on the first one by a generous “safe” call at first base and it only took one more pitch for Ramirez to hit into an actual double play.

Lead-off walk, hit, near double-play, actual double-play.

Sadly that won’t be the last time I have to watch that sequence of events this season.

Back for a new season

Well, I’m back. Finally, right?

I know some of you are already thinking of the excuses I will probably give and they are all probably right. Last year my postings tailed off right as things got bad for the White Sox, but if you have been reading this blog for the past three seasons then you know I’m certainly not a fair weather fan–I just got a lot on my plate.

And I should be more accurate. The postings did not just tail off… they literally stopped. My bad.

In all seriousness last summer was pretty crazy. I was working as much as I could at the Oak Street Beachstro in Chicago while traveling to Madison, Wis. every weekend to work an internship with NBC 15 Sports. Great experience, very time consuming, but it left me broke because of all the gas I had to buy.

Of course before I knew it Badger football was starting up and I was in Madison during the weeks as well covering fall camp. That led into the season, which led into basketball season and once basketball season starts my life is pretty much booked until UW loses in the NCAA Tournament.

Which brings us to last Friday. I was in Detroit covering the Sweet 16 loss to Davidson (yes, Stephen Curry is even better in person) and the first thing I said when the game was over was, “Well, at least opening day is Monday.” (The fact that beautiful Comerica Park was nextdoor to Ford Field was comforting.)

The timing could not have been perfect. It would have been great if the Badgers got a crack at Kansas on Sunday, but then I would have been driving back to Wisconsin in the middle of the night and would have been way too tired to enjoy the opening day festivities.

Anyway, I love the new MLBlog Network. Sox Pride looks better than ever and I don’t have to pay an annual fee anymore! Great news.

The other great news is that I’m here for good now. Basketball is over (well, at least for the Badgers) and my mind is completely turned to baseball.

OPENING DAY

Talk about a crazy game for the White Sox. I have a Slingbox on my computer to watch the games, but it was raining so hard in Chicago that my Dad’s satellite back home was cutting in and out. And obviously I didn’t realize that we get the first week of MLB Extra Innings FREE on our cable, so I was stuck listening to the radio.

“Stuck” is probably not the right word, however. Chris Singleton is gone, finally (you may remember this post  from a year ago), so listening to the games on the radio with Ed Farmer and Steve Stone is actually somewhat of a treat. Still, when the two of them are complaining about bad calls that are costing the Sox the game, I’m naturally going to want to see them myself.

I couldn’t see them, but there are three people in my life I trust the most: my mother, my girlfriend and Steve Stone. If Stoney says it’s a bad call then I believe it’s a bad call and I am naturally going to start throwing things around the room. Of course this gets all my roommates on their usual soapbox about how I overreact about bad calls (last month I nearly flipped the living room table over after the phantom foul that cost Stanford a win at UCLA that could have helped them win a share of the Pac 10 title. Note: I’m not even a Stanford fan and I watch about three Pac 10 games a year. It was bad call. Trust me.)

The truth is that they are right. What can I do from my room in Wisconsin? In my mind, however, that doesn’t change the fact that they were bad calls and instead of being up 10-7, the Sox ended up being down 10-7 and losing 10-8.

With that said, it was a pretty good opening day other than the performances of Mark Buerhle and Octavio Dotel. I feel like I haven’t seen that kind of offense since 2006. Oh wait, that’s because I haven’t seen that kind of offense since 2006.

Anyway, I have to cover a UW softball doubleheader against Loyola-Chicago tomorrow so I will probably miss the Sox game, but depending on the internet situation at Goodman Diamond I might be able to get it on my computer. Good reporting, right? I call it multi-tasking.

Hope you enjoyed the first post, I’ll be around all season and I will be at the home opener on Monday.

NBA Draft Live Blog

I was supposed to work during the NBA Draft, but the weather was terrible so I got to go home. I whipped out the laptop and this is what transpired:

6:35 — The NBA Draft isn’t in HD?!?!? The Tampa Bay Devil Rays broadcast their games in HD but the draft isn’t?  I’m watching this on a 42-inch TV, but ESPN’s actual footage is taking up about 20 of those inches. Oden’s head actually seems kind of small — well, at least normal.

6:37 — Wow, getting drafted actually made Greg Oden crack a smile. An Oden smile is rarer than a solar eclipse. It’s not all that great though — for some reason Kevin Durant is smiling more than Oden.  And now I see where Oden gets it from because his mother hardly seems to care either.

6:40 — Stephan A. Smith’s first completely obvious comment that he feels the need to yell out loud at a very unreasonable volume level: "You can’t teach 7’0”! You can’t teach 7’0"!!" Do I really need to listen to this all night? I actually wish Mel Kiper Jr. was here.

6:42 — Talk about a tease. Andy Katz just announced that Seattle was making a trade, but it took him about 30 seconds to make it clear that the Sonics were not trading their No. 2 pick — instead they traded Ray Allen for the No. 5 pick. Katz has no idea how many heart attacks he just caused.  Seattle fans were thinking they just lost Durant, but realized 20 seconds later that it was only Ray Allen. Meanwhile, half of Boston suffered heart attacks because they thought they were getting Durant, then the other half suffered heart attacks when they realized they were only getting Ray Allen.

6:57 — So Jeff Green just went to the Boston Celtics of Seattle. Because the trade wasn’t made before 2 p.m. today, the Celtics still have to make the pick. What a dumb rule. For the rest of Green’s life he will look at draft day pictures and see himself wearing Celtics gear even though he isn’t on that team. It’s like if my parents dressed me in Cubs gear when I was born until my birth certificate was officially printed and I was officially a Sox fan. I know, that was a stupid thing to compare it to, but that’s exactly my point.

7:04 — I’m having a sudden appreciation for the 15-minute clock in the NFL Draft. ESPN is spending too much time breaking down the previous pick instead of previewing the next pick. Maybe we can compromise on a 10-minute clock.

7:08 — Yi Jianlian is talking to Stuart Scott. He seems to know the English language, but it doesn’t seem like he can talk. You think he is already pulling a Sammy Sosa because he doesn’t actually want to go to Milwaukee?

7:09 — Why is Stephan A. Smith yelling?

7:14 — Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune was 6-for-6 in his mock draft before Corey Brewer went to Minnesota. The bad news? Joakim Noah is still on the board for the Bulls to pick. The last thing we need is another big guy who can’t score.

7:17 — Can we just take a moment to realize how good of a trade the Sonics made earlier? They just got Durant and Green? That might be even better than the Cleveland Browns nailing Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn. They probably gave up less than the Browns did too. Ray Allen? That’s it?

7:19 — Michael Jordan drafted a UNC player already … shocking. And Jay Bilas had Brandan Wright as his No. 4 overall player in the draft? That’s the one thing about Mel Kiper that I like — I trust the guy. His hair annoys me, but I trust him. If Bilas has Wright No. 4 then I’m not so sure I trust him.

7:23 — ESPN is actually spending a minute to preview who the Bulls will take. Unfortunately Smith just took up the whole minute telling us that he has no idea who the Bulls will take. Thanks *****.

7:25 — Joakim Noah. Sh!t. Too many afros on this team. Not enough dance moves. The good news is that Noah is another guy who will hustle and bring a ton of energy to the floor. The problem is that he tended to frustrate the Gainsville media and I don’t think it will be long before he clashes with the Chicago media.

8:00 — At this point I left the building after switching back and forth from the draft to the White Sox game. Here are my thoughts on the rest of the draft, however:

No. 21: It still amazes me that someone would actually draft Daequan Cook in the first round. THIS GUY WAS TERRIBLE LAST YEAR. He won the Big Ten Six Man Award by default (who else was going to win it? Joe Krabbenhoft?) He couldn’t shoot, yet he managed to take too many shots. Philly traded him to Miami — like there aren’t enough guys already on that team who shoot too much.

No. 28: Tiago Splitter is by far the best name of the draft.

No. 29: Congrats to Alando Tucker for going in the first round. I was up in Madison over the weekend and people kept asking me where he would be drafted. I really thought Phoenix was the best place for him. An undersized, incredibly athletic wing forward can always work in that system. I’m happy for him. He will play and they will like him.

No. 30: Did Philadelphia just draft a hockey player? Petteri Koponen of Finland is the last to go in the first round.

No. 31: Who would of thought that Carl Landry would be the first pick in the second round? Good for the Landry family, but if Seattle doesn’t take him I’m not sure Landry even gets drafted.

No. 37: All I’ll say is, "I told you so Josh McRoberts." Still happy he left though, because I don’t have to see him play anymore. Even happier he went to the Pacific Northwest because I don’t have to see him play anymore.

No. 43: Another Big Ten guy that I didn’t think would be drafted. I’ll take it though. Adam Haluska is a good guy and a good player. If he’s 6’5” though, then I’m as big as Greg Oden.

No. 49: The Bulls are back on the clock. Watching the draft with my buddy Keith, this is how the pick transpired:

Me: "Please don’t take Aaron Gray. Please don’t take Aaron Gray."

Keith: "Please don’t take Aaron Gray. Please don’t take Aaron Gray."

Both of us: "Sh!t. They took Aaron Gray."

When Pittsburgh was at the Kohl Center back in December, the Panthers were No. 2 in the nation and Gray was supposedly the best big man in college basketball and a sure Top 10 draft pick. Then he ****** in the game and Brian Butch, yes, Brian Butch scored 29 points as the Badgers routed Pitt. Gray is terrible, but I will say this: He is the closest thing to Bill Wennington and Luc Longley since they left.

No. 51: I actually like the pick of JamesOn Curry. Taurean Green was available, but Curry could end up being a good pro. He’s got some size at 6’3” and he is better than a late second-round pick. He slipped because of his past — an arrest that happened three years ago. The Bulls aren’t incredibly deep at the point guard position and I think Curry will be on this team come fall.

ESPY Thoughts

ESPN has got to be kidding me. The ESPY award nominations came out and the Boise State-Oklahoma game was not nominated for Best Finish or Best Upset. Thank goodness it’s at least nominated for Best Game.

So maybe ESPN doesn’t want the ESPYs to be like the Oscars where one movie wins eight awards, but sometimes a movie is that good.  In my mind, the 2007 Fiesta Bowl might as well be the Godfather.

Here’s my take on the 2007 ESPY Award Nominations:

Best Male Athlete

  • Roger Federer- He’s got to be the winner. This is basically the "Who is the Most Dominate Player Overall Award" and right now no one tops Federer in that category.
  • LaDainian Tomlinson- Had a great year and could end up winning this award.
  • Tiger Woods- Still amazing, but he won’t be able to win if people can say, "We’ve seen better out of him."
  • LeBron James- How can a guy who isn’t even in the conversation for NBA MVP be the best male athlete?
  • Peyton Manning- A ring can get you to the Hall, but Jim Sorgi has a ring now too.

Best Female Athlete

Candace Parker is great, but University of Arizona pitcher Taryne Mowatt pitched eight complete games in six days to lead the Wildcats to the 2007 NCAA Softball Championship

Best Team

Okay I know if you win a championship you are automatically nominated for this award, but the St. Louis Cardinals should not be up for this award. They were by far the worst team ever to win the World Series and ESPN has some major problems if they really have the Cardinals up for this award but failed to put the Fiesta Bowl up for the Best Upset/Finish.

Dare I say that the Tennessee Vols were the most dominate team, but overall the Gators basketball team gets my nod in this category.

Best Moment

The New Orleans Saints had a great year and nothing was sweeter than when they went back to the Superdome and beat the Falcons on Monday Night Football. A game for the ages.

Best Breakthrough Athlete

Kevin Durant is great, but I need to see him prove it at the pro level before I give him this award. Ryan Howard could win this, but he hasn’t been as dominant this year. I hate to vote for a kick returner, but Hester did have a record breaking season and he is a Bear.

Best Game

Boise State-Oklahoma… the best college football game ever.

Best Finish

Maybe they just wanted this to be a good debate by leaving the Fiesta Bowl out and there are some good finishes in this category. My vote goes to the Division II Championship game. This clip will do the explaining for me.

Best Upset

Two of the four of these nominees weren’t even upsets. The Tigers were better than the Yankees and the Gators were better than the Buckeyes. Rutgers could be deserving but upsets happen in college basketball because it’s single elimination. The Mavericks were a good team and the fact that the Warriors took them down in six games is the most impressive of all these nominees.

Best Play

I might be wrong, but didn’t Nathan Vasher’s field goal return win this category last year? Then Hester goes out and does the same thing in an even trickier fashion and doesn’t even get nominated?

Again… Boise State wins. They should win every award.

Best Coach/Manager

Four of the five nominees had the talent already in place before their great seasons. The one that didn’t was Jim Leyland who made a bunch of young men into some of the best players in Major League Baseball.

That’s all I have for now… hopefully some thoughts on the NBA Draft later this week.

A very overdue post

I apoligize for the long delay since my last post. Here are my excuses in chronological order: I was finishing finals/papers until May 15 … I was in Florida for a week after that … I went to Minnesota for the Twins-Sox series without my computer (didn’t want any negative posts like this one from August ’05) … My sister graduated high school … I started a new internship with the sports department at NBC 15 in Madison, Wis. … I didn’t want to write about a terrible baseball team.

A lot has happened since my last post. Back then we had a team that was technically in a pennant race. Now I’m just hoping we hold off the Royals. I hate to be so negative, but this season is over. You are kidding yourself if you really think the White Sox will still win 95 games, leap-frog three teams and win the AL Central. You need baseball players who can actually hit, you need an actual major league bullpen and you need players that are so lethargic.

I’m still going to do my best to enjoy the season, however. I accepted our fate after the Sox were swept in Minneapolis, but I still went to four straight games this week — unfortunately we lost all four of them. In fact, the White Sox are 0-7 in the last seven games I have been to.

So I guess it’s my fault.

When does Bears training camp start?

Wednesday Morning from Madtown

Wow, I love the Internet.  I submitted "The Landlord" for an extra credit assignment in my Critical Internet Studies class and it was good enough to earn me a full letter grade boost on a quiz and five points added to my final exam.  If you haven’t seen this short video by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay then you must click on that link. It’s hilarious.

My final column of the year was published this morning as The Daily Cardinal goes on its summer hiatus tomorrow. You can read the entire column here, but I will also share an excerpt that Sox fans will probably want to read:

I look at the NL Central and can only hope the Cubs make a small comeback so the nation does not forget about the Brewers as they run away with a 20-game lead and their first division title since 1982.

The Brewers still need to make a move, though, if they want to be a serious contender once they are in the playoffs. Their biggest hole right now is at third base, where Craig Counsell and Tony Graffanino are not major league starters. The Brewers could make a move for pitching, but if Corey Koskie does not return from his post-concussion exile (is the guy still alive?), Doug Melvin needs to grab a third baseman.

I can already see myself buying a Joe Crede Brewers jersey.

It sounds crazy and is probably unlikely, but it actually makes sense. Crede is under the White Sox control through 2008, but a long-term deal still seems unlikely as Scott Boras and Kenny Williams go together like lamb and tuna fish.

Crede is still very inexpensive for what he brings to the table. His glove would be an incredible improvement at the hot corner, and he could bat as high as fifth in the Brewers order. Melvin probably could not sign the guy to a long term deal, but Crede has already shown how clutch he can be in the World Series, and the two sides could still reach a deal through arbitration for 2008, when he would once again be trade bait and bring young players back to Milwaukee.

The deal really does make sense, but that’s just coming from a guy who knows his favorite player is leaving the South Side soon and still wants to see him play close to home.

I want to know what Sox fans think. If we must lose Crede, we can at least just drive up to Wrigley North to see him play.

The end of Cardinal production for the 2006-’07 school year also means the end of my reign as sports editor. It is only a one-year commitment and my time is up. It was a great experience though. I became a much better writer and learned more about journalism than any of my J-school classes taught me.

I’ll miss it, but I won’t miss it. The work was tough and I will certainly enjoy my senior year at Wisconsin covering basketball games and continuing my weekly column.

Finally, if you are wondering why I have not been writing much about how the White Sox have been playing, it’s because their play speaks for itself. My complaining has never been fun to read, so in the words of Dwight from The Office, I am choosing to shun the Sox right now.  That doesn’t mean I’m not watching/listening to the games, I am just trying my hardest to have a short memory everyday.

It’s easy to do that, though, when you are Wisconsin. The shun will most likely have to be lifted next week when I return to Chicago.

I guess that’s good news if you like listening to me complain.

NFL Draft musings

Let me tell you that I usually like the NBA Draft more than the NFL Draft. It’s not that I like the NBA because if you read my stuff enough, you know that I do not. I just know college basketball more than college football and I usually know at least something about each player drafted (Note to Mel Kiper: You should have gone with basketball rather than football. There is big difference between knowing 60 players and knowing 300 players). But I have to admit that Saturday was a ton of fun. I have never watched that much of the draft, but it was worth it. I will admit though, that if Brady Quinn had gone in the Top 10, I would have turned it off by 2 p.m. Which brings me to my first point…

Never have I changed my mind about a player so fast than I did Saturday with Quinn. Oh, I still don’t think he will be a Pro Bowl quarterback, but my opinion about the guy is sky high right now.

If you listened to any of our radio shows last week, I was totally against this kid. He never showed me anything at Notre Dame and I really didn’t think he should be a Top 10 pick. A TOP 10 PICK. No. 22? I still thought he was top 15, and certainly top 20. By pick No. 15 the fact Quinn hadn’t been picked went from being annoying like Matt Leinert last year to being extremely exciting. My buddies and I made a pool about where he would end up and one guy actually got it right by saying Cleveland would trade up.

Where did I predict he would go? No. 31 to the Chicago Bears. That’s right. The guy I wanted to see agonize as team after team passed on him was suddenly my draft target and a guy I wanted competing against Rex Grossman. If you think about it, it’s not that hypocritical. I didn’t think Quinn was a top 10 quarterback, but he would have been a steal at No. 31. Plus, he will still probably be better than Grossman.

There was so much excitement adding up as Quinn kept slipping, that I started thinking ESPN should have brought in Gus Johnson to do play-by-play. I can only imagine his reaction when the Browns’ trade came in.

"Oh my, we have a trade. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH, OHHHHH. The Browns take Brady Quinn. HA, HA! You’re watching ESPN. This is April madness!!"

If that doesn’t make sense to you then you haven’t seen this YouTube clip.

The award for funniest moment in the draft came when the Packers picked Justin Harrell at No. 16. The clip ESPN showed of the little kids booing back in Green Bay was classic.

Congratulations to Joe Thomas who deserved to go in the top 3. I had him going to Cleveland in that spot and I’m actually happy that Cleveland got back in the game for Brady Quinn, because Thomas needs to be blocking for a least a decent quarterback or his talent is being wasted.

It’s too bad John Stocco wasn’t drafted because he could put up a good fight in any training camp. The Bears stole Chris Leak by signing him to a free agent contract Sunday night, but I would have loved to see Stocco beat out Kyle Orton for the No. 3 QB job in Chicago.

Other Badgers: Roderick Rodgers found a home in Denver. He deserves to be on someone’s roster. And my prayers go out to the New York Jets who wasted money on former UW linebacker Mark Zalewski.

Finally, I hate to switch sports but I have to give props to my Baby Bulls for sweeping the Heat. I had them winning in seven, but most people didn’t give them a chance. I think they have a great chance to beat the Pistons. My early pick is Bulls in seven.

Singleton has to go, maybe Farmer too

I’m sick of this and it’s time for White Sox fans to take a stand. Our radio crew is the worst in the business.

We used to be right at the top. John Rooney and Ed Farmer were like peanut butter and jelly. In 2005, USA Today ranked them only behind Vin Scully as the best broadcasting team in baseball.

Today, I wouldn’t rank them ahead our own WSUM crew that broadcasts the UW softball games.

Last year I was all over Chris Singleton. He had no passion and never painted a Singleton picture of what was going on. I’ve been to 1000 baseball games in my life and he  some how makes me forget where left field is.

Singleton is a little bit better this year, but that isn’t saying much. The bigger issue I have this season is that Farmer is now as boring as Singleton. I don’t know if Singleton ****** the life out of Farmer or if Farmer is just not suited for play-by-play, but the radio team is somehow worse this season than it was last year.

The bad news for Sox fans is that these guys aren’t good enough to get a bigger offer somewhere else. The good news is that this radio team is still only in its second year and the Sox have a chance to change it.

If you are wondering why this bugs me so much, it’s because in April and September I am stuck in Madison, Wisconsin with only the radio to listen to. Right now, I’m at the point where I just want to watch the online scoreboard and Brewers game (although Brian Anderson, the new Brewers play-by-play guy, isn’t very good either).

As fans, we want to be at every game. There, the emotion comes from the crowd. At home, we can cheer but we need a third party to help feed our emotions — that third party is the broadcasting team. Ken Harrelson might be annoying to non-White Sox fans, but for us, his stupid sayings and constant yells keep us going at home.

Let me tell you what I heard last night and you tell me if it is supposed to make me excited:
It’s the bottom of the eighth, Royals have runners at second and third with two Farmerouts in a 7-7 game.

Ed Farmer: "Called strike three …(3 second pause)… and the Sox get out of it. We go to the ninth still tied."

Excuse me? That was the most important pitch of the game — and knowing Boone Logan, I doubt anyone thought he would get a called third strike to end the Royals threat. If Farmer was at all excited I would have been happy to throw an exclamation point in that quote, but believe me, there is no need to.  Try to read the quote again, but this time read in the most boring and slow way possible. That is how Farmer sounded — and I’m done listening to him to do play-by-play.

Look, the Sox and The Score aren’t going to change their radio team mid-season, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t change it in the offseason if Sox fans do enough complaining.

Remember how great Rooney’s World Series call was when they won Game Four? I could only imaging Farmer’s:

"Grounder to short (no mention that it went over Jenks because that would be too much detail) … (three second pause while Farmer watches the play) … ‘Yes!!’ (I put that in single quotes because that is Singleton yelling) … The White Sox have won the World Series."

Now, Farmer did a great job of keeping his composure and immediately backing up Rooney with analysis when the Sox won it in 2005, but I just can’t see him doing play-by-play in such a situation. And I certainly can’t see Singleton backing Farmer up with good analysis.

The Sox never made a move when Darrin Jackson struggled early in his broadcasting career with the White Sox. Over the years, D.J. has improved into a decent analyst, but terrible play-by-play guy. Now, it’s too late to make a change.

I just hope the Sox don’t make the same mistake with the radio team.

Mugs of Singleton and Farmer courtesy Whitesox.com

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