By Marty Gangler
If nothing else this week, the Cubs proved that there is nothing to worry about. Despite all the nagging injuries, DL stints, tantrums, and bullpen meltdowns the Cubs sit only 1.5 games back of the Brewers for the division lead. For those of you keeping score at home, 1.5 games is like nothing right now. And technically the Cubs would win the wild card if the season ended today. But the season doesn’t end today. So there’s still plenty of time for the Cubs to blow it. To this point we here at The Cub Factor wanted to think about what could possibly go wrong for the Cubs to actually be in real trouble.
* Bud Selig decides to “spice up” division races by randomly switching managers of teams and the Cubs get stuck with Dusty Baker.
* During a pivotal series against the Cardinals, Tony LaRussa demands that Mike Fontenot and Aaron Miles be measured to see if they meet the league minimum height requirement. They are both deemed too small and the Cubs in violation lose every game they played in.
* Ryan Dempster accidentally makes Ryan Theriot disappear during a magic trick gone awry.
* Lou Piniella is suspended for charging Neal Cotts on the mound and Alan Trammel becomes manager.

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Posted on May 18, 2009

By Thomas Chambers

“A single thought occupied the minds of everyone in racing. Seabiscuit and War Admiral had to meet.”
– Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit: An American Legend
*
The festivities at Pimlico Saturday will not be of such import, or quality, but the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes will have its own delicious twist, and that’s no thanks to the owners of 312-hour racing sensation Mine That Bird, the shocking winner of the Kentucky Derby just two weeks ago.
MTB’s matchup is sensational filly Rachel Alexandra, the Kentucky Oaks winner who also had Calvin Borel aboard – and will again on Saturday.I didn’t sense a lot of traction in the mainstream media’s efforts to stamp MTB with the “legitimate Triple Crown contender” mantle, not like Big Brown last year. And in the last few days, Rachel has stolen just about all the buzz.
A horse must, after all, conquer both Churchill Downs and Pimlico before taking on The Big Sandy, Belmont Park, but some props for winning the Derby please? MTB is another Dangerfield.
The thunder’s been ripped from the hearts and minds of MTB owners Mark Allen and Dr. Larry Blach, but they made a Sure It’s Half-Assed But It Just Might Work effort to keep Rachel out of the Preakness and they might have pulled it off if not for . . . I don’t know what.
Not cool.

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Posted on May 15, 2009

By Carey Lundin
“You drive the car and don’t let the damn car drive you!” A.J. Foyt says he told his grandson, A.J. Foyt IV, after he failed to qualify for the Indy 500 on Pole Day. On Day 2, Foyt IV was bumped from the field by his own teammate, Vitor Meira.
The third try was the charm. Foyt IV had been “struggling for speed” according to a Foyt team press release.
And feeling the pressure.
“I was so nervous and so stressed out,” Foyt IV said later.
But his team made “substantive changes to the car on the pit lane” and helped pull him through – though he doesn’t know exactly how.
“When asked what they did to the car to gain the extra speed,” Team Foyt says, “Foyt IV said candidly, ‘I have no idea. We were running 221s and then we were running 223s so you’d have to ask A.J. what he did.
“Cracking a smile, he added, ‘He already told me to shut up and drive the car so I don’t really ask anymore’.”
*
The race to win the Indy 500 doesn’t begin on Memorial Day. It actually starts three rollicking, loud weeks in advance with Pole Day. Pole Day, Qualifying Days and Bump Day position a driver’s crucial starting position in the race. This weekend is the third day of qualifying and Bump Day, where the slowest car of the top 33 is “bumped” from the field by a faster qualifying car.

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Posted on May 14, 2009

Three for and of the Blackhawks advancing to the Conference Finals.
1. Game Summary

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Posted on May 12, 2009

By Jim Coffman
Even after all the thrilling Round 2 comebacks versus Vancouver (the Blackhawks have trailed in three of three victories in the current series and also rallied from a three-goal deficit in Game 1 before giving up a late goal to lose), the Blackhawks’ top playoff performance so far remains Game 5 at home against Calgary. That was when they took command of Round 1 by pouncing on the Flames for a couple early goals and never eased up on their way to a 5-1 thrashing. The Blackhawks then played a more careful game in the clincher on the road, scoring early again, adding some insurance and eventually winning despite being out-shot by a considerable margin.

Beachwood Baseball: The Cub Factor The White Sox Report

There’s a great chance we’re in for a repeat this evening, when the Canucks come to town down 3-2 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals. The Blackhawks have outplayed their current foes for long stretches of the past two games (most recently they out-shot Vancouver by a rate of 2-to-1 during the second and third periods Saturday) and if they can just light the lamp early, watch them ride the momentum to an early two or even three-goal lead. Then it will be up to the defense and Nikolai Khabibulin to lock it down.

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Posted on May 11, 2009

By Andrew Reilly
The White Sox won a low-scoring, close game Saturday without hitting a home run. This is perhaps the single biggest moment in recent franchise history.
It’s not that they got by through super-timely hitting or well-executed baseball savvy, and it’s not that they didn’t so desperately need the long ball, but prior to Saturday’s showing the Good Guys have been, shall we say, ill-suited to such endeavors. How ill-suited? So ill-suited they’ve won a meager two others in such fashion – one against the Mariners and the other against the Rangers, of all teams. Expanding the Sox’ means of attack must be an AL West thing.

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Posted on May 11, 2009

By Marty Gangler
Remember when you and your little brother had that “good” relationship? You were the top dog and he accepted it? And then something changed, right? He was no longer happy just being second fiddle and he let you know about it. You didn’t automatically get the first crack at the pile of pork chops; he wanted the best one and he wasn’t going to accept the second best (or third if Dad got top billing) pork chop that had that little extra fat on it. Remember how that all went down?
You may be asking yourself, what the heck is he talking about or you may be saying, I know where he is going with this. Either way, I’m talking about the Milwaukee Brewers.
I took in the Cubs/Brewers game on Friday night this week and I have to say – what happened to the fun little trip up north? Because after that game – the Brewers won 3-2 in dramatic fashion – things really got weird.

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Posted on May 11, 2009

By Thomas Chambers

Hindsight must be heeded. This is more true in Thoroughbred handicapping than in many other endeavors. It provides lessons and angles that must be understood and respected.
The victory by Mine That Bird in the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday certainly gets you to thinking about hindsight. First, you look within. What did I miss? How did I miss it? Why did my handicapping fail me? My own words flashed before my eyes, chiseled into the ageless marble of the World Wide Web. The thing about “chumps” betting the “stupid money.” Or the part about it being a pretty ridiculous race “with 20 starters, more a stampede than a nicely developed 10 furlongs.” And then there was “And what if it rains?” with something about the difficulty of a horse getting so much mud in its face.
I never felt more or better prepared for a Kentucky Derby than this one. Aside from the winner, I nailed it. The money lost is just now beginning to fade from consciousness, I think, but the ignobility of this horse winning this race continues its gnaw.

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Posted on May 8, 2009

By Carey Lundin
Imagine you’re hurtling down the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at speeds above 200 mph. The most minute touch of your steering wheel could send you into the wall. You’re pushing your car to the limits of your control. This is known as “the ragged edge.”
Some drive with the control of a fine lead pencil; others with a crayon. Sharp pencils drive fast, fast, fast.

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Posted on May 7, 2009

By Dan O’Shea

Albert Pujols, Ian Kinsler, Evan Longoria, Aaron Hill: Which one of these things is not like the other? If you guessed Hill, you are correct. Those other three chaps certainly were expected by many to be ranked in the Top 10 among position player performances at this point in the season. Hill? Not so much.
Through earlier this week, Hill, 2B, was ranked No. 10 in many Yahoo! leagues after turning in a scorching first month of the season: .360 AVG, 6 HRs, 22 RBIs, 2 SBs, 45 hits (!). Hill’s Toronto Blue Jays are the surprising toast of the American League East, and Hill their surprising superstar. But, can he keep up the good work? Since many people weren’t aware of Hill before this season, they may be inclined to think he’s a flash in the pan. However, Hill gave a pretty good indication of what he was capable of back in 2007: . 291, 17 HRs, 78, RBIs, 47 doubles (the last figure put him among the league leaders in that category.
So, how did his name get lost this year at second base?

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Posted on May 6, 2009