By Roger Wallenstein

Yogi Berra allegedly said “Good pitching beats good hitting, and vice versa.” Former Sox third baseman and current Comcast analyst Bill Melton has a less confusing take. “Good pitching beats good hitting, and mediocre pitching beats poor hitting,” he observed last Friday.
Melton might have added, “Horrible pitching beats horrible hitting” after Francisco Lirano – entering last Tuesday’s game with a 9.35 ERA – no-hit our fellows.
This is a team that four innings into the season had a 14-0 lead against the mighty (all right, I said it) Cleveland Indians. And the next day they tagged on eight more runs. What a bright, positive, awe-inspiring beginning: 23 runs, 29 hits, a couple of homers, and five hits by Gordon Beckham all by himself.
Surely, this was a portent of things to follow. But after a 4-18 swoon, we are reminded that 1) only a fool would make any kind of prediction after four innings, and 2) only a slightly lesser fool would draw any conclusions after two games.

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Posted on May 9, 2011

By Thomas Chambers

The Kentucky Derby has always been a confounding race.
Especially in recent times when 20 are sent to the post in a gate area that can probably only handle 16 or 18 effectively. The ensuing 10-furlong stampede can take the wind out of the sails of the best horses, opening it up for some lucky stiff. Emphasis on stiff.
But Saturday’s 137th running, scheduled to go off at 5:24 Central time (NBC), is the most inscrutable version I have ever seen in the relatively short number of years I have been handicapping the race. I’m heading out tonight to buy a new set of darts, the better to place the sharpest bets.

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Posted on May 6, 2011

By Carl Mohrbacher

Which Cubs player has the name best suited for porn?
-Ron, Los Angeles
Reed Johnson is the leader in the clubhouse, but Kerry Wood and Thomas Diamond are close seconds.
Is Ryan Dempster tipping his pitches?
-Neil, Elgin IL
Less like tipping and more like skywriting.

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Posted on May 5, 2011

By Dan O’Shea

I sat down to start writing this column just hours before attending Tuesday night’s White Sox game against the Twins. Here’s my original first paragraph:
The first week of May has me looking back at the cruelest month and in particular at those players whose fantasy baseball numbers were most disappointing. Among hitters, the most awful start may be a toss-up between Hanley Ramirez and Carlos Gonzalez. Among pitchers, no two had worse starts to the season, given their pre-season rankings, than Ubaldo Jimenez and Francisco Liriano. Still, out of these four, the only one I would consider parting with is Liriano.
Liriano, of course, no-hit the already lifeless Sox Tuesday night, and while this does not nullify giving up 24 earned runs in his first 23 innings to start the season, and is not nearly as impressive as it would have been to no-hit, say, the Texas Rangers, re-evaluating my position on Liriano is an absolute must.

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Posted on May 4, 2011

By Dmitry Samarov

I haven’t made it through many Sox games over the last couple weeks. I put on the iPod or just look out the window to let the anger fade. These guys give the impression that they’ve lost before they even start. The worst part is that all this ineptitude was completely unexpected (at least by this dumb fan.)
Before the 2010 season started, few gave that squad much chance of contending. They limped along for the first few months, then put together a hell of a hot streak before fading back to second place. It was a shame that they couldn’t hang on and the late (and unnecessary) addition of an over-the-hill Manny Ramirez left a sour taste, but overall they exceeded expectations. Coming into this season, I don’t know any Sox fan who didn’t count on a lot more than what we’ve gotten so far.

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Posted on May 3, 2011

By Jim Coffman

I try to avoid previews.
When I read (or view) sports coverage, I’m looking for analysis, i.e., an assessment of what has already happened. I’m fond of plenty of other stuff as well, such as profiles of compelling sports figures or stories about unusual sporting occurrences.
But a great deal of standard sports media divvies up into review or preview. And I would much rather spend time on the former than on conjecture regarding future events.
Of course, decent pre-game stories contain information about what has happened before, especially in previous games featuring two teams that are facing off on a given day. But in the end, a prediction is required and that’s when it all goes off track.

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Posted on May 2, 2011

By Marty Gangler

At least this week the Cubs are no longer .500.
Cub fans can finally be angry that the team has lost more than it has won. And that is important.
With few expectations coming into the season with this team, you would have to feel pretty good if they kept playing .500 baseball.
So they aren’t even average now, and you can really begin to dissect what the issues with this team are and complain about them.

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Posted on May 2, 2011

By Roger Wallenstein

What’s the guy doing out there in the first place?!?
That should have been – and probably was – the question that the Yankees were asking after Brent Lillibridge made not one – but two – spectacular, game-saving, once-in-a-lifetime catches to close out the Sox 3-2 win at The Stadium last Tuesday night.
If Lillibridge wasn’t the 25th man on the roster leaving spring training, then he was 24th, a baby step ahead of Lastings Milledge, who was gone a week into the season.

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Posted on May 2, 2011

By Terry Shanahan

These meals are great examples of Paleo Nutrition and proper Basketball Nutrition.
1. Asparagus is a favorite.

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Posted on April 29, 2011

By Carl Mohrbacher

When are Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner coming back?
-Sue, Winnetka IL
If the Cubs have their way, faster than a North Side meter maid tickets you for an expired plate sticker.
Listen to Mike Quade’s April 22nd endorsement of the James Russell and Casey Coleman contingent:
“If we have another option, someone who’s ready, I would like to explore that.”
Here are some of the options the Cubs are exploring:

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Posted on April 28, 2011