By Dan O’Shea

This season marks the first time that Yahoo! fantasy baseball team owners have had available to them a “Not Available” position designation, meaning they can stash a minor leaguer (classified by “NA” on the waiver wire) on their roster without having to waste a live roster spot.
Many fantasy owners probable saw their NA bets begin to pay off this week with the debut if Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who has been compared to Bo Jackson in size, skills and ability to generate hype. So, with Puig in play, who are some other prospects worth watching?

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Posted on June 4, 2013

By Jim Coffman

The best thing about taking a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series is the task that then faces your foe – four wins in five games or bust.
The smart bet is on bust.
The Kings must win four before the Hawks win two after Los Angeles suffered a 4-2 loss last night in the Madhouse. A far more likely potential outcome: the Blackhawks split in LA and return home for Game 5 with a great chance to put this series away quickly.
Of course, going to LA requires actual travel to the West Coast, an experience the Hawks had avoided until now in these Western Conference playoffs. This team caught a huge break with its travel schedule when its first-round showdown with Minnesota was followed by a match-up with the Red Wings, teams that are otherwise known as two of the eastern-most members of said conference.

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Posted on June 3, 2013

By Steve Rhodes

“When Albert Almora was made the sixth pick in last year’s First-Year Player Draft, it was significant, because the high school outfielder would always have the additional tag of being Theo Epstein’s first selection since taking over as the Cubs’ president of baseball operations,” Carrie Muskat writes at Cubs.com.
“The emphasis since Epstein arrived in October 2011 was to build a foundation for sustained success. The focus, he said, would be on developing homegrown talent and to find impact players through the Draft and international signings.
“On Thursday, the stakes are even higher for Epstein and the Cubs, who have the second pick overall in the Draft.”
While most of the draft focus is on pitchers Mark Appel and Jonathan Gray, and third basemen Kris Bryant and Colin Moran, we here at The Cub Factor have our own ideas about who the Cubs should draft. On our board:

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Posted on June 3, 2013

By Roger Wallenstein

When Phil Lucas’s daddy jumped a train in Alabama in October of 1946 heading to St. Louis for the National League playoff between the Cardinals and Dodgers, he couldn’t have known that his escapade would have long-term repercussions for his unborn son.
The Cardinals beat the Dodgers 4-2 that fall afternoon, and two days later they wrapped up the NL pennant by thumping Brooklyn 8-4 in the best two-of-three playoff.
Although Lucas, a history professor at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, grew up outside of Philadelphia, listening to his father talk about that 1946 playoff resulted in Phil becoming a lifelong Cardinal fan.
Not only that, Lucas has had a passion for the game’s origins, history and role in American society almost as long as he’s cheered for the Redbirds. Lucas’s expertise is American history from colonial times through Reconstruction, but he’s managed to share his love of baseball by offering a course, Baseball: The American Game, once every three years since 1984.

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Posted on June 3, 2013

By Steve Rhodes

Let us review/preview.
1. The game-winner.

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Posted on May 30, 2013

Blackhawks A Prohibitive Favorite, But A Good Bet?

1. Tony’s Picks.
“The game seven odds from this Western Conference semifinal playoff series have the home club Chicago Blackhawks the -210 odds betting favorite with the take back on the road underdog Detroit Red Wings at +190 odds. The goal over under line is set at five goals.
“The Blackhawks have won two straight playoffs games since falling behind 3-1 in this NHL playoff series. After defeating the Red Wings 4-1 in game five the Blackhawks force the seventh and deciding game in this playoff series after a game six 4-3 road victory as a -123 betting odds favorite. The game total landed over five goals.”

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Posted on May 29, 2013

By Steve Rhodes

“Dale Sveum calls it ‘mind-boggling’ and ‘strange,'” the Sun-Times reported this week.
“‘Just certain things you can’t explain,’ the Cubs manager said of his team’s persistent inability to turn excellent pitching into victories this season.
“Peppered with questions about so-called clutch hitting, about lineup shuffling, about rethinking his lefty-righty platoon patterns, Sveum engaged the media brainstorming efforts before Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.”
Um, it doesn’t take a genius, Dale. Your team sucks – just as designed. It isn’t built to win. Didn’t you get the memo?

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Posted on May 28, 2013

By Jim Coffman

What. A. Win.
So many awesome individual Blackhawk performances to celebrate.
Way to go Bryan Bickell! The man is the offensive star of this series after scoring his second massive goal in two games.
Bickell did just what the Hawks desperately need him to do (besides initiating as many Red Wing rough rides as possible), which is go to the net and find a way to connect with rebounds.

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Posted on May 28, 2013

By Roger Wallenstein

Despite missing his turn in the rotation last week as the White Sox made a mad dash to the .500 mark, Chris Sale did receive some publicity. It had nothing to do with his ability to mow down American League hitters as one of the league’s best pitchers.
No, this was about his culinary habits as described by the Wall Street Journal’s Brian Costa under the headline “Baseball’s Greatest Metabolism.”
To wit:

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Posted on May 27, 2013

By Dan O’Shea

In a year when neither Chicago baseball team is likely to catch even a whiff of first place, could there possibly be any Cubs or White Sox worth owning in fantasy leagues?
Of course. There are a few very obvious ones: Anthony Rizzo, Jeff Samardzija and Starlin Castro on the Cubs; Alex Rios, Chris Sale, Addison Reed, Jake Peavy on the Sox.
But, as the Crosstown Cup, er Classic, er whatever, is set to play out next week, let’s take a look at some of the maybes:

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Posted on May 22, 2013