It's Been Real

So I've decided that there's nothing better than forcing other people to read your opinions and viewpoints on various issues of the world. I haven't had this much power since I could control my little sister's every move. And I have to say, that I have enjoyed it. Sadly, the semester is coming to an end and so must my portion of this blog. I could continue writing, but I think that the world has had enough of me and my Cubs.

All I, and other Cubs fans, can do now is look towards next year. Before we know it, baseball will be upon us once more and the drama and excitement will unfold like it always does. This year was very productive for the Cubs and if they play like they did (minus the post-season) it should be another great year for them. There is no doubt that Lou Piniella will learn from his mistakes, that Derek Lee will be more aggressive at the plate in the post-season, the injuries will fade, and the various trades will enhance the team. The Cubs are a team of tradition and struggle but their time will come. I have every bit of faith that if we continue to support them, our dream of a World Series Title will come true.

Since this is my last post, I guess I'd just like to say thanks to those of you who actually read what I had to write. I know it was never easy and I know that some of the readers disagreed intensely with what I had to say. Thanks to the other contributors to this blog and if they are planning to keep on writing, good luck! If I have learned anything from starting a blog, it's that you have a responsibility to your readers to provide interesting information, develop a voice and character that people can relate to, and be relatively recent with your posts. Writing has always been fun but being able to write things that reach so many different people has certainly been a thrill. Even if you hated everything I wrote, I don't really care because I had fun.

So, this is it. So long. Peace, Love, Crabs. (Like Joe's Crabshack)

GO CUBBIES!

Top 5 Reasons to LOVE Chicago Baseball

1. The Cross-Town Classic
Probably the most obvious one. Chicago is the only place left with two chartered MLB teams in the same city. We wait all year to see the Cubbies and the White Sox battle it out in a two-weekend rivalry.

2. It all started here.
Did you know that the American League started here in Chicago? Well if not here is a little history lesson. The AL was created by Charles A. Comiskey in Chicago’s Fisher Building.

3. Some amazing baseball legends came from the Cubs and the White Sox
Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Frank Thomas, Billy Williams, and Carlton Fisk just to name a few.

4. There’s always something to do after a game.
Chicago is a city with many attractions.
Wrigley Field is known for their bars and restaurants, as the whole city is.
Navy Pier is always a good thing to do when you are in Chicago.
Baseball =summer=hot=swimming in Lake Michigan. You can always take a swim in Lake Michigan after an exciting game.
Shopping on Michigan Ave. is always a good time
Or you can go to one of the many museums in Chicago.
Bottom line, if you go to Chicago for a baseball game, make it an all day affair. There is something for everyone to do.

5. Baseball is historical at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field, which was built in 1914, is the 2nd oldest baseball park in the Major League. He has hosted my historical events including:
Ernie Banks' 500th career home run May 12, 1970
Pete Rose's 4,191st career hit in which he tied Ty Cobb for the most hits in baseball history.
Sammy Sosa's 60th home run
The All-Star Games in 1947, 1962 and 1990.

I think he has missed the south side... don't you?

So how will the Chicago White Sox solve the problem with not having a center fielder for the 2008 season? I mean we attempted to sign Torii Hunter, but that fell through and was a big shocker to all of us when Hunter signed with the Angels instead of us. Well I don’t know… how about possibly signing Aaron Rowand, a Gold Glove center fielder. Now Rowand is probably not a new face to most of the White Sox fans, since he had previously played for the White Sox for 5 seasons. So let’s bring him back to Chicago White Sox organization!

Just two years ago the Sox traded Rowand in order to get Jim Thome. But now Rowand is a free agent and the White Sox are taking a particular interest in him. Rowand had commented that he wants “to weigh all my options before making a decision. Hopefully that team will make the decision for me."

So how possible is it that the White Sox could have Rowand at center field again? Well very possible I think if the price is right. Plus I think that he has missed the south side, who wouldn’t right?

Whether the White Sox’s main interest is in Aaron Rowand or someone else, they need to sign a center fielder for next season very soon. They are hurting greatly in this defensive area. Let’s hope that this is their number one priority right now!

Special Delivery

It's been almost two weeks since my birthday and I've still gotten nothing from my boyfriend. It's not that he didn't get me anything, it just hasn't come in yet. And I have to say, that it just might be one of my favorite gifts ever.

Mike Fontenot isn't the greatest player in the MLB or even on the Cubs team, but if you know anything about me by now, it's that I love him. So, that's what I'm getting in the mail. A Fontenot jersey. I'm very excited to support my team as well as my favorite player. It's just killing me having to wait for it. Don't be surprised it I wear it every day. Ok, I definitely won't, but it's exciting none-the-less. It was ordered a month ago and it still hasn't been shipped. At first, my boyfriend complained to the company but then it was explained to him that they don't have Fontenot jerseys in stock and it had to be manufactured somewhere else. My question is, why don't they have his jerseys in stock? That fact was shocking to me. Shocking.

So once I get my jersey, I'll be walking around campus in style. On game days, I'll wear Fontenot proudly along with my ball cap. Hopefully it will bring just enough luck to the Cubs to push them through the playoffs and into the World Series. That's what I'd like to think anyway.

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Baseball

Baseball is called America's greatest past-time and there are many reasons why people feel this way. It can be something small like the hot dogs at their favorite stadium or something big like being the Tigers' #1 fan. Let me give you my reasons.

10. Baseball means summer. There's nothing better than looking forward to Spring Training. Not only is winter almost over but you can now put away your football jersey and break out the baseball cap.

9. The players. In baseball, you have to have skill. This is true in every sport, but you can be pushing 50 and still playing baseball...if you've got what it takes. Hitting a tiny ball going 98 MPH is far more impressive to me than making a layup.

8. The players. Yeah, this is also #9, but now I'm talking about really looking at the players. Football players may have huge muscles and soccer players have nice legs, but in baseball uniforms, a guy can look attractive with hardly anything at all. You can't be scrawny by any means, but show me some pinstripes and some tight pants, and I'll cheer for you.

7. It's in our blood. Americans have been infatuated with baseball for over one hundred years and the love affair shows no signs of stopping. USA=baseball.

6. Big League Chew. Hands down, this is the best brand of bubble gum out there. If there was no baseball, we would have never discovered such a wonderful treat. By chewing it, you feel like you could keep up with the pros and maybe even blow a bigger bubble.

5. The drama. You can't tell me that a brawl that clears both benches isn't one of the greatest things you can witness at a sporting event. It's not always pretty or dignified but when the pitcher is kicking the crap out of the hitter, you're bound to get excited. And don't even get me started on pitchers turning on their own catchers. Cough, cough, Zambrano.

4. "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks..." This song, sung in the 7th inning stretch, represents all that is good and holy in baseball. Everyone knows it and everyone can sing it, which means that everyone knows something about the great game of baseball. Our grandparents can sing it, while our parents hum it, and our own children will be trying to learn it on the piano. "Cuz it's one, two, three strikes you're out, at the ole' BALL GAME!"

3. The atmosphere. I went to a Dodgers game this year and although I'm not a huge fan, it was the best game I've ever gone to. Why? Simply because of the atmosphere. The sun had just set, it was about 55 degrees, and everyone was geared up in their favorite players' jersey. The stadium is one of the oldest in the country and I'm not even going to go into how wonderful a Dodger Dog is. What I'm trying to say is, the atmosphere of a baseball game is something that you can't take for granted and that you can't duplicate. If you've never been to a MLB game, please do yourself a favor and go.

2. You can be a baseball fan from the age of 4 up to 100. You start off playing tee ball, and then Little League. Soon you're on a middle school traveling team and your high school is winning regionals. You might play in college and you could be lucky enough to make it to the MLB, but the main thing is, you're in it for life. Baseball gets into your body and soul and without it, you are nothing. As Jimmy Dugan says in the movie A League of Their Own, "Baseball is what gets inside you. It's what lights you up, you can't deny that."

1. The loyalty and love you have for your team. For me of course, it's always been the Cubs. No matter what, if they haven't won a game all season or if they've just won the World Series, you stick with them. You follow the transactions, you feel for the pitcher when he has to get surgery, and you leap with joy when someone breaks a record. Your team and your fellow fans are what makes baseball great.

So there it is. My top 10 reasons why I love this sport. Stupid me, I've forgotten one. There's no crying in baseball.

Goodbye Cintron and Posednik, Hello Linebrink

So we finally have had some excitement in the off season trading industry this week. Its about time. The White Sox signed reliever Scott Linebrink on Wednesday, which was a four year, $19 million deal. However when you gain one, you normally have to lose one in order to make some room. The White Sox chose to make room by waiving their infielder Alex Cintron. The Sox were hesitant to give Cintron a raise, especially since he hadn’t made a complete recovery from a surgery he had on his throwing elbow. Another downfall that Cintron had was that he had a batting average of only .243 last season. So the White Sox obviously thought he was the one that needed to go. But I think that they made a very good choice.

The White Sox have commented that they also think that they made a good choice and are confident in their decision to sign Linebrink. The only consquence that came with signing Linebrink was that the White Sox ended up losing their second round draft pick. However, I think that they were willing to make the sacrafice. I’m sure they think it is worth it since Linebrink was 5-6 with a 3.71 ERA when he was with San Diego and Milwaukee last season. He will come to Chicago White Sox with a 30-16 record and a 3.21 ERA over the course of eight seasons with San Diego, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Houston.


The White Sox also decided to release outfielder Scott Posednik who signed the waivers last week and officially became a free agent. Posednik was out for a majority of the 2007 season with an injury.

And yet we still haven’t heard anything about what the White Sox plan on doing with Josh Fields and Joe Crede. I am surprised that they haven’t traded either of them yet, but maybe we will all be even more surprised if they decide to keep both of them. I have a feeling that there is a potential for more amazements in the very near future. Wouldn’t it be nice to see Aaron Rowand back on the south side?!?

I sure hope we don't choke in the off season....

Well it’s a new week, but it’s the same story. The White Sox are wasting another valuable week of off season moves with doing absolutely nothing. They have not resigned anyone nor are they showing any interest in anyone. I’m just wondering what is going through Kenny William’s head.

Like I stated in my last blog, the White Sox didn’t really make an intelligent move with the whole Orlando Cabrera and Juan Uribe ordeal. There are reports that we are not done with trading moves yet, (at least I hope so because we still need a centerfielder) but I’m just wondering when we are going to make some kind of move. Time is running out and it doesn’t appear that the White Sox are showing interest in anyone who is in the free market. The only one that they are really showed interest in was Torii Hunter and if you can recall, that number one target fell through miserably when he signed with the Angels.

I really hope Kenny Williams will make another off season move; however, I don’t really have high hopes of that actually happening. There will probably be the excuses of too much money, but we need to produce a promising 2008 season and the only way we can do that is with some good off season trading. And from the looks of things, I really don’t know if the “big” move is on the horizon. This is not the time to choke.