World Champion Red Sox Set the Standard

Folks may still be celebrating in Boston after the Red Sox clinched their second World Series title in four years, but the rest of the baseball world has already started to look ahead to 2008. Many of them will look to the Red Sox as a model of what their team should look like -- one built on a balance of offensive power, strong defense and gutsy pitching. They also combined the experience of players like Mike Lowell, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Jason Varitek with young players from their farm system such as Jonathan Palpebon, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury. With this balance of talent, the Sox appear to be set to compete for several years. One wonders if they have become the new "evil empire" especially as the Yankees appear to be rebuilding under new manager Joe Girardi.

But the difference between the Red Sox "empire" and the Yankees version is how the mega bucks the Red Sox spent were allocated. The Yankees threw money to whoever was available on the market, regardless if they really needed the player or whether they fit in with the team. Some speculated that they recruited players just to prevent the rival Red Sox from taking them. I don't know if that's true or not, but let's just say, the Yankees did not always invest wisely in their personnel. The Red Sox, on the other hand, spent money where they needed to. They filled the holes that needed to be filled and recruited quality players who understand how the game is meant to be played and know how to be a team player. How the Sox put their title team together was an example of smart planning. Yes, they spent money on quality free agents, but if Palpebon, Pedroia and Ellsbury are any indication, then their farm system must be pretty good too.

Championship teams are not built overnight (take note Chicago Cubs). But you can bet other MLB teams are watching the Red Sox' success as a model to follow as they plan for 2008. The Sox have set the bar high, but can any team come close to matching their success?

BlackHawk Home Games Back on TV?

A new era may be dawning for the Chicago Blackhawks. Rocky Wirtz, son of the late Bill Wirtz, announced today that the team has been meeting with the folks at Comcast Sports Net to air Blackhawk home games as soon as this season. This is great news for Chicago hockey fans and a huge departure for the Hawks, who for years did not broadcast the home games thanks to Bill Wirtz’s belief that if fans wanted to see the home games, they had to pay to see them. But son Rocky has other ideas, and wants to begin putting the home games on TV. Comcast already has most of their schedule set for this year, but you can bet the network will squeeze in a few games here and there, with a full lineup of home games next season.

Perhaps we are beginning to see a new era for the Blackhawks, both on and off the ice. The team is off to a good start with a 5-3 record, led by their top draft picks, 19-year-old Jonathan Toews and 18-year-old Patrick Kane.

Colorado Rocks On to World Series

Every year, there seems to be one or two sports teams that make the headlines for their unexpected and unlikely rise to the top. The NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers captured the headlines in 2006. This year’s darlings are the Colorado Rockies.

When the 2007 baseball campaign began, did anyone think the Rockies would make it to the World Series? In one of the most remarkable story lines this year, and perhaps in sports history, the Rockies punched their ticket to the World Series last night, defeating their divisional rival Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 and sweeping them 4-0 in the National League Championship series. Matt Holliday was named the MVP of the series, going 5-15 (.333) with two homers, including a game-winning three-run shot Monday night

The Rockies are in the midst of an amazing stretch of victories, winning 21 of their last 22 games. While I’ve always thought of them as a good hitting team at a hitter’s ball park, what has impressed me is their pitching and defense. They have no apparent weaknesses and are playing like a team that is destined for great things.

D-Backs’ outfielder Eric Byrnes may have gotten a lot of flak for saying the Rockies were getting a lot of breaks and winning by luck, but when a team is playing as well as the Rockies have been this past month, the breaks generally do go your way. The 2005 White Sox certainly had their share of breaks in their post-season run en route to their World Series title. One wonders if the Rockies have that same kind of “mojo” this year, enough to continue their thrilling ride to a World Series championship.

Will the Third Time Be the Charm for Dusty Baker?

Former Cubs' Manager Dusty Baker is trying his hand at managing again, this time with the Cincinnati Reds. Baker was named the Reds’ manager yesterday.

After four years as manager of the Cubs, it seemed odd to see Baker don a Reds’ uniform during the team’s press conference yesterday. I’m not sure he’s the right fit for this team however. One of the criticisms against Baker while he was in Chicago was his reluctance to work with young players and give them playing time. Unfortunately for Baker, the Reds’ have a lot of young players. It’ll be interesting to see how Baker handles them.

On the other hand, being in a smaller market like Cincinnati might be a blessing. The glare of public scrutiny isn’t as strong in Cincinnati as it is in larger cities, like Chicago. Baker might be able to make some progress with the Reds while working in relative obscurity.

Cubs, Sox Release Tentative 2008 Schedules

For the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, next year is already here. Both teams released their tentative 2008 schedules yesterday, which include several interesting match ups and road trips.

The two Chicago teams will square off in back-to-back weekend series in June. For the past few seasons, the two series have been separated by several weeks.

The White Sox open their 2008 campaign on the road on March 31 against the defending AL Central champion Cleveland Indians. They open at home a week later against the Twins and Tigers. The Sox also finish the season with a series at home against the Indians.

The Cubs open the season at home for the first time in seven years on March 31 against their NL Central rivals Milwaukee Brewers. They will also end the season facing Milwaukee at Miller Park on Sept. 28.

As for Interleague play, there could be some interesting match ups. Mark your calendar for June 13-15 when the Sox host the Colorado Rockies at the Cell while the Cubs travel to Toronto to play the Blue Jays. The Sox also face Pittsburgh at home and the Dodgers and Giants on the road. The Cubs host the Baltimore Orioles and visit Lou Piniella’s former team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Mind you, these schedules are tentative and may change.

Denver Marathon Offer Second Chance to Chicago Runners

Runners whose Chicago Marathon race was cut short because of the heat last Sunday, have a chance to finish what they started. The kind folks with the Denver Marathon have offered to waive the entry fees to runners who registered for the Chicago Marathon but were unable to finish. Runners can register online at www.denvermarathon.com and enter referral code ChicagoRunner. Chicago runners need to present proof of registration for the Chicago Marathon and a photo ID. The only caveat is that the race is this Sunday, Oct. 14, so you need to book your travel and hotel – fast.

Yankees' Future in Limbo

Would Mariano Rivera Exchange Yankee Pin Stripes for Cubbie Blue?

In the three days since the Cleveland Indians defeated the New York Yankees in the American League divisional series, manager Joe Torre’s career with the Yankees has been in limbo. Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner made it clear during the series that the Yankees needed to win in order to save Torre’s job. Now the world waits for the hammer to fall.

Today, reliever Mariano Rivera told reporters he hoped Torre would stay with the team. Rivera, who becomes a free agent after this season, said his decision to stay with the team hinges on whether Torre also stays. If Torre is fired, Rivera says he may decide to play elsewhere.

If that’s the case, I can think of one team on the north side of Chicago that might consider pursuing Rivera. Granted, the Cubs already have a closer in Ryan Dempster, but he has been adequate at best, but isn’t overpowering or dominant like Rivera. I would think that if a team has the money and the opportunity to bring in arguably the best closer in the game, they should take that chance. Can you imagine Mariano Rivera in blue pin stripes?

Marion Jones’ Apology Act

The good news (if it can be called that) is that track and field diva Marion Jones finally came clean and admitted to using steroids. In a tearful admission on Friday, the Olympic runner apologized to the public and admitted to lying to federal investigators about taking the drug. Jones will face prison time and has already turned in her five Olympic medals to the USOC.

The bad news is not many people believe her apology act, including USA Today columnist, Jon Saraceno, and Detroit Free Press sports reporter Mitch Albom on Sunday's Sportwriters program on ESPN. They don’t buy her explanation that she was duped into taking steroids by her ex-husband and coach. I did not hear her full admission from Friday, but from what I gather from Albom and Saraceno that her apology was filled with little white lies, intended to make her look the victim. But you can bet Jones is not a victim and will continue her “I was wronged” story for as long as she can.

The sad thing is, who can you believe anymore? You can’t trust anyone who says they didn’t take performance-enhancing drugs because there will always be a seed of doubt about whether that person is telling the truth. The next time someone does deny using steroids, will we automatically assume he/she is lying? Or will the truly innocent be considered guilty by association?

Is Torre’s Job on the Line - Again?

George Steinbrenner did it again. He publicly threatened to fire Yankee manager Joe Torre if the Bronx Bombers do not win the divisional series against the Cleveland Indians. His plan worked for Game 3 of the ALDS when the Yankees beat the Indians 8-4. But I seem to recall that Steinbrenner pulled this stunt a few years ago when the Yankees struggled during the post season. His plan wasn’t successful then, and I honestly hope it doesn’t work now. When will Steinbrenner learn that public threats and humiliation aren’t very good motivational tools?

Heat Cuts Short Chicago Marathon

Ask any runner and they will tell you that they’d rather run when it’s 40 degrees outdoors than when it’s 85 and humid. So it comes as no surprise that officials halted Sunday’s Chicago Marathon because of the unseasonably hot, humid weather, which caused hundreds of runners to become ill during the race. One Michigan man also died, but an autopsy today revealed he had a heart condition and the heat was not a factor in his death. Nearly one-fourth of registered runners did not bother to participate in the race at all. Hundreds of other racers probably should have done the same. (photo courtesy of Chuck Berman, Chicago Tribune)

Some runners were angry and complained that there wasn’t enough water at the water stations along the race route. But race organizers claimed there was enough water and also brought in cooling buses to help the runners. Even if there was a water shortage, why weren't more runners carrying their own water bottles? I saw very few runners with their own water supply. If you have a water bottle with you, you don't have to wait for the next water station to replenish yourself.

If you know you’re participating in a race in warm, humid weather that may challenge your body, you do whatever it takes to prepare yourself for the extreme conditions. Experts suggest that runners consume more water the day before the race to keep your body hydrated before the race begins.

I also wonder about the lack of proper conditioning of some of these racers. I watched part of the race and I could see that many runners were not in the best condition and had no business participating in the marathon under the extreme conditions. Even though there's more and better information available about training and conditioning, I wonder if some of the amateur racers understand what they need to do to prepare properly. We may have better knowledge of training and conditioning methods, but sometimes we forget that long-distance running can still be a dangerous sport if you don’t take proper precautions.

Figure Skating Tours May Merge

Organizers for two of figure skating tours are discussing a possible merger, the Chicago Tribune reported yesterday. Champions on Ice and Stars on Ice have both seen declining attendance at their traveling shows in recent years. While those associated with both tours deny any discussion taking place, it really doesn't surprise me that some "downsizing" might take place.


Sometimes we get caught up in the beauty of the sport that we forget that figure skating is still a business. And when business begins to slump, as it has for skating since the beginning of this decade, you look for ways to cut costs. Obviously, it doesn't make sense to keep both tours going when they attract such a small audience.

Griese Fingers

I know it’s only one game, but it’s clear to me that Brian Griese is not the answer to the Bears’ offensive woes. After throwing three interceptions, including one for a Lions’ touchdown, in the Bears’ 37-27 loss Sunday, Griese showed he isn't that much better that Rex Grossman, whom he replaced at quarterback. As I mentioned last week in my blog, Griese is only a temporary solution. I still think Grossman has a lot of potential and I think he will rebound from this setback.

Don’t get me wrong. I like Brian Griese – but only as a backup. While he’s had some success as a starter in the NFL, I think he’s better suited in the backup role where he can spell a starter who might leave a game with an injury. The problem I have with Griese is this: if he were as good as Bears fans think he is, then why isn’t he still playing for Denver or Miami? Why hasn’t he had any consistent playing time with any one team? The truth is that Grossman was so awful in many fans’ minds, that they viewed Griese as a much better quarterback than he really is. The truth is, Griese isn’t that much better than Grossman. More experienced perhaps, but not much better.

A local TV station held a poll last week, asking viewers who they wanted to see as the starting quarterback. The winner in the QB sweepstakes was Kyle Orton with 62 percent of the vote, while Grossman got roughly one-third. Griese received none. A couple of sports fans I talked with Sunday during the White Sox finale at the Cell felt similarly. The best Bears’ QB, they told me, is sitting on the sidelines.

Coach Ryan Made All the Wrong Moves

Before the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament began, Nike came out with an ad featuring the U.S. women’s team and the tagline, “The best team you’ve never heard of.” Well, now the U.S. team is getting a lot more publicity than it bargained for, and for all the wrong reasons.

After losing to Brazil 4-0 in the semi-finals of the World Cup last week, coach Greg Ryan came under intense criticism for choosing Brianna Scurry over Hope Solo as the starting goalie for the U.S. team. Scurry, one of the stars of the 2004 Olympic team, had not played in more than three months. Solo, on the other hand, started all three previous World Cup games for the U.S. with three shutouts to her credit. After the loss, Solo publicly criticized Ryan and Scurry, and claimed she could have made the saves that Scurry did not make.

We’ll never know if Solo’s presence in goal would have made a difference in the game or not. Brazil looked highly motivated and prepared to take on the American team, and I’m not sure the U.S. would have beaten them.

I do know that in preparation for any kind of tournament or championship game, you have to go with the hot hand. You stick with the people who brought you to the dance, and Solo has been the go-to person all along. Why bring in Scurry, who has been on the bench for so long and may have been a bit rusty?

Sadly, Solo received a lot of unfair criticism for her public display, and in fact, was dumped by her teammates who decided she was too much of a distraction leading up to the third-place game. But if I were in her shoes, I would have felt the same way. There is some speculation that Solo’s future with the team is jeopardized because of her comments, and that is sad. I don’t think it’s fair to cut a talented athlete because they express their opinions publicly. It certainly doesn’t seem to hurt Terrell Owens or Randy Moss. If anyone needs to have a career makeover at this point, I would say it’s coach Greg Ryan. The decision he made to switch goalies not only hurt the team on the field, it hurt the team’s morale more than Solo’s comments did.

Stay tuned. I’m sure there’s more to come.

By the way, the American women finished third in the World Cup, defeating Norway in the consolation game 4-1.

Wirtz Era at an End?

Funeral services for Blackhawks’ owner Bill Wirtz took place today. When I first learned that Wirtz had passed away, it didn’t take me long to realize the implications his death might have for the team. Wirtz has always been an astute business man who loved hockey as much as his family. While he did a lot to expand the NHL, when it came to his own team, he had earned a reputation of being somewhat miserly. Many fans criticized Wirtz’s decision to pull all Blackhawk home games off network TV and put them only on cable. His reasoning was that if fans wanted to see the games, they would have to pay for them, either by paying for tickets for the home games or subscribing to cable. Diehard Hawks fans claim that Wirtz’s decision eventually hurt the team since fewer fans would be able to enjoy the games. Fewer ticket sales and fewer fans means less profit. And that means fewer financial resources to pursue the right talent to compete in the league. Hence the Hawks fall from grace.

All in all, Wirtz’s passing may have closed the door to one era, and opened another one to (hopefully) a brighter and better future. It’s unclear at this point what the Wirtz family will do with the team. If they’re smart, they may decide to find a suitable buyer, preferably one with deeper pockets and a commitment to the sport the way it should be played.

I wonder if Mark Cuban would be interested.