By Marty Gangler

If you have kids in this day and age, you know the power of the DVR, on demand, and Netflix. Parents can play tantrum-saving cartoons at any second of the day.
I have boys seven and almost four, and we’ve found a good overlap with a show called Teen Titans. It’s a cartoon that has superheroes at its core, but it’s more about the day-to-day interaction of the teenish superheroes than actually stopping crime. And it’s silly and clever enough to not be horrendous to watch as a middle-aged man.
Okay, I’m getting to the Cubs tie-in. One of the characters is called Cyborg and he is, um, a cyborg – part machine and part man/boy or whatever. And Cyborg was feeling bad about not having a pet, so he befriended a machine that was once an enemy called Pain Bot. And as much as he tried to reform Pain Bot, it just didn’t work; the only thing Pain Bot knows how to say is, “All I know is pain.” And that’s what it felt like to be a Cub Fan this week. All we know is pain. How about that ninth-inning loss to the Cardinals when they were down to their last strike? All I know is pain. Or how about losing that game to the White Sox despite drawing seven walks by not scoring a single run to lose 1-0? All I know is pain. And while we are at it, how about all those years you’ve been alive as a Cub fan? All I know is pain.

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Posted on July 13, 2015

By Roger Wallenstein

Are we to believe that the White Sox recent streak of nine wins in 12 games, including taking two of three at Wrigley Field over the weekend, is a portent of a drive to postseason contention? Improbable but not impossible. This puzzling group has shored up its defense while the pitchers have led the charge in close, low-scoring, nail-biting games. Meanwhile, hits still are few and far between, let alone runs.
But we must remain calm. This is not the time for hopes to rise because most teams continue on a similar pace in the season’s final 80 games like they performed in the initial 80. Lest euphoria reign, let’s pause this week for the four-day All Star break. It comes at an opportune time. We can relax along with the entire Sox roster sans Chris Sale, who will be the team’s lone representative Tuesday night.
It’s also a good time to take a peek at history.

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Posted on July 13, 2015

By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes with Noahbattacola

One is not a wave. Plus: The Crushingly Boring Crosstown Classic; Jeff Samardzija Vu; Patrick Sharp Is Still No Longer A Blackhawk; World Cup Carli; and Elena Delle Donne Deserves More Stardom.

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Posted on July 10, 2015

By Dan O’Shea

The “Crosstown Cup” rivalry between the Cubs and White Sox lacked any real tension the last few years as both teams scuffled. This year, the Cubs have been both good and lucky, while the Sox have been just plain bad, but I sense a comeback. Here’s why:
1. The Cubs have been better than expected, currently sitting nine games over .500 and in the lead for the second wild card spot. They’re coming off a couple motivational victories against the Cardinals, and are primed to go on a run. Having said that, given their wild card position, every game is important. The Cubs’ bats have gone quiet lately, and I wonder how many runs total they can manage against this weekend’s likely Sox starters – Carlos Rodon, Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. If they come out on the losing end in their six-game North Side-then-South Side series, it could very well make the difference in their potential to make the postseason.

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Posted on July 8, 2015

By Marty Gangler

Remember when the Cubs had all these great young position players who were really good? And these kids were leading the team to a great bounce-back season after a handful of years of losing on purpose? Well, you shouldn’t believe what you kind of think. Because the Cubs are having a solid year and it has close to nothing to do with these great young position players.
The Cubs are 12th (out of 15) in the NL in runs scored, yet have the fifth-best record in the league. It’s all been the pitching, which is fourth in the league (still 15 teams) in ERA. And there are a ton of other fancy stats to tell you in every conceivable way that the Cubs have pitched their way out of the mess they were in a few years ago.

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Posted on July 6, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

It’s not what you think. Plus: The White Sox Meet Their Past; Old White Men vs. Soccer; Bulls Media Madness.

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Posted on July 6, 2015

By Roger Wallenstein

In less than two weeks the White Sox will celebrate the 2005 World Series champion ballclub. Former players like Joe Crede, Aaron Rowand, Geoff Blum, Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko along with Ozzie Guillen – back in Kenny Williams’ good graces – will return to The Cell to bask in past glory and enjoy the adoration of the Sox faithful.
Too bad that the schedule-makers didn’t get lucky. What a treat it would have been to have the Atlanta Braves provide the opposition instead of the Kansas City Royals.

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Posted on July 6, 2015

By Dan O’Shea

On the enormous crap shoot that is the market for fantasy saves, I usually have very little to say, but I have noticed a few things in the last week that I think are worth sharing, especially if losing saves every week is what’s keeping you out of playoff position.
These observations include three players that don’t appear to be much on the radar of most fantasy owners right now:

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Posted on June 30, 2015

By Marty Gangler

Okay, that wasn’t much of a week. And you could be one of those fans who is all mad about the lack of offense, the continued Starlin Castro issues, or a bunch of other stuff – but forget all of that. There something that Cub fans haven’t had to worry about in a long while, the All-Star game. And sure, it’d be nice, I guess, to get a few Cubbies in there, but forget that too. As stupid as it sounds, Cub fans have to actually care who wins that game for the first time since, well, since whenever Bud Selig got mad about that one tie and made the game count for home field advantage in the World Series.

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Posted on June 29, 2015

By Roger Wallenstein

“Learn Spanish,” wrote the celebrated chef/author/TV personality Anthony Bourdain in his best-selling autobiography Kitchen Confidential.
Bourdain was spewing his advice to anyone contemplating a culinary career as a chef.
“I can’t stress this enough. Much of the workforce in the industry is Spanish-speaking. If you can’t communicate, develop relationships, understand instructions and pass them along, then you are at a tremendous disadvantage.”
Creating a culinary experience and managing a major league ballclub might be worlds apart, but Bourdain’s words may just be pertinent to the challenges facing White Sox manager Robin Ventura and his brethren.

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Posted on June 29, 2015