May 06 2008
If this is what it takes to get your team fired up,
God bless.
But guess what. It didn’t work.
Six losses in a row, and Ozzie has already lost it. It’s funny though, because we’re not even a full week into May, and his team is only 2 games back of the Twins. I’d pay money to see Terry Francona act like this.
Nonetheless…
May 05 2008
May 05 2008
Just in case you didn’t know, the Cubs dropped two of three this weekend to their arch rival St. Louis Cardinals.
When there’s a Yankees vs. Red Sox game, there’s usually an ad campaign a week previous on every sports network promoting the game. Granted I don’t know how strong the rivalry is between these two teams, but I thought it was the biggest one in the NL.
Maybe it just isn’t pushed as hard because the NL doesn’t matter. Since 1991, only five NL teams have won the World Series (compared to the AL’s 11). Watching a pitcher stand in at the plate is almost as painful as watching reruns of Will and Grace with your girlfriend (not that I’ve ever done such a thing). I really wish the Senior Circuit would get with the times and make their games a little bit more interesting instead of becoming a league for old pitchers to thrive in.
Then again, the same can be said for the AL. Players like David Ortiz would be a major liability in the NL because of a lack of ability at 1st base. Would Frank Thomas be playing anywhere in the NL right now? It’s a toss-up.
Baseball’s resurgence in the 1990s was definitely spurred by the long ball (and indirectly, steroids). Alright, this is getting long.. I guess my very indirect point here is that the MLB should have synonymous rules between both leagues. When’s the last time you saw a single sport have separate rules for each of its conferences?
Wow, I’m spent. And what a segue.
Apr 25 2008
Stepping out onto the lush, green grass at Northeastern Illinois University for the first time this spring, it suddenly occurred to Chris Beacom just how much of an impact baseball could have on a community.
“Can you imagine how much this piece of land is worth?” marveled Beacom, looking out on the fields flanked by crowded city streets. The sirens of an ambulance and police car cut through the rush hour traffic.
The resurgence of baseball in inner cities has been a challenge with green space coming at a major premium. The concrete jungle has become a developer’s goldmine, but has left children without a place to play.
Enter: The Illinois Baseball Academy.
This spring, Beacom’s North Shore-based organization has partnered with eight Chicago Public elementary Schools, providing students the opportunity to learn about baseball and build character.
“Any sport that you introduce kids to is one more thing to help get them through some of their home lives,” said Arnell Seifer, who works as a teaching assistant and coach at Dodge Renaissance Academy on Chicago’s West Side.
“Sports can also get some of these kids out of their neighborhood high schools and into a better school,” he said, adding that some of his students have gone on to top Chicago programs for their athletic abilities.
More than 225 kids in grades 4-7 have signed up for the IBA Chicago program, which began on Tuesday. In addition to the location at Northeastern, the program has also extended to the South Side to West Lawn.
The schools, which are managed by the Academy for Urban School Leadership, have afforded youth like 12-year-old Quentin Richardson an opportunity they otherwise would not have had. “I couldn’t wait to come here to show my skills, and learn and develop them,” said Richardson, a 7th grade student at Dodge.
Baseball programs like this are not an anomaly. Major League Baseball has had its own initiative, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, since 1989. Since its inception in Los Angeles almost 20 years ago, thousands of kids have come through RBI programs, which are now present in more than 200 cities worldwide.
In addition to improving their baseball skills, IBA students learn lessons about teamwork and character in a daily lesson taught by instructors. This day’s lesson is respect. To demonstrate respect, John Byrne, who leads curricular enhancement for AUSL, has the kids rake the infield.
“Respect the game. Respect the field. Respect each other,” he says to the children.
Pending positive results from this year’s program, Byrne said he wanted to begin his own league next year. “Hopefully this will result in baseball being resurrected in Chicago Public Schools,” said Byrne.
“Whether it’s a lot or a little, it’s going to make a difference in the lives of these kids.
Apr 21 2008
After the Cubs’ completed their second sweep of the Pirates this season last night, your two baseball teams are at the top of their divisions. The White Sox have won six of their last nine, and with the Yankees and Mets coming to town, both of these teams are fortunate to have their mojo right now. So how are they doing it? At opposite ends of the mound.
The Cubs currently rank 3rd in the majors, hitting with a .282 batting average. and 2nd in RBI with 101. Derek Lee is back to ‘05 form with 7 home runs and 17 RBI already here in the early-going, and there are eight guys with batting averages over .300. And just in case you haven’t been following, that’s with Soriano on the disabled list, too. Granted it’s early, but October could be interesting if this lineup keeps producing like it has.
The White Sox, however, are getting it done on the other side of the ball, currently ranked 5th in the majors with a 3.45 ERA. Despite only having two guys (Pierzynski and Dye) batting over .300, the White Sox have managed to win by silencing the bats of their opponents.
And it isn’t because of perennial all-star Mark Buehrle, either (1-2, 5.96). Outside of Buehrle, the White Sox pitchers are 8-3. So once Buehrle shakes off the rust, and the lineup starts producing, it appears that Chicago’s South Side Bombers might be playoff bound.
