By Marty Gangler
Okay. It’s been a week and although that is not much of a sample size there may be a few things I have to re-think. And, well, it’s time for the first week knee-jerk reaction. It’s really all the first week is good for. With this in mind a few things don’t make as much sense as I thought they did. For one, Alfonso Soriano seems to be doing fine in the leadoff role. And Derrek Lee does look like he sucks now. And Kosuke Fukudome can actually hit. So what does this all mean? It means that I was pretty wrong in my thinking on all of these counts. Yes, it’s only been a week but maybe these things are actually true. Which makes me think of some other things I might be wrong about and should change my mind on – both Cub-related and otherwise. So with all of this in mind, we here at the Cub Factor now believe the following statements to be true:
* Ron Santo is really a tremendously talented broadcaster.
* I will sell my house next week.
* Wrigley Field is a shrine and should never be torn down.
* My straight job is very secure and I have nothing to worry about.

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Posted on April 13, 2009

By Phil Barnes
Not a bad ending to opening week, huh Sox fans? Despite a drubbing on Friday night, coming back on Saturday and Sunday with offensive onslaughts almost entirely negated the previous work-week struggles at the plate. Instead of accidentally letting myself foreshadow the meat of this report, let’s just get right into it.
Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly, White Sox opening-week style.

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Posted on April 13, 2009

By Thomas Chambers

It’s getting right at that time when you can, or think you can, start to draw some conclusions about the contenders for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby May 2 at Churchill Downs.
But this year, a year in which the three-year-old class appears to be at least somewhat talented, and the Derby Preps very entertaining, there will also be two stories that portend more intense scrutiny and disdain for a game battered by the heartbreaking saga of Barbaro, the Big Brown steroids “scandal”, and the breakdown of Eight Belles in this very race last year. They include a syringe full of “cough medicine” and alleged mistreatment of Thoroughbred horses by a fairly prominent horseman.

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Posted on April 10, 2009

By Dan O’Shea

What does Opening Day really mean in the fantasy world? It’s nice to get off to a strong start, of course, but don’t get too panicky just because CC Sabathia had one of his worst outings ever in his Yankee debut against the Orioles. Sabathia has never been good on Opening Day, and practically has made the argument against starting him to start off the season. He did turn in a truly terrible line this week that was virtually absent of fantasy points: 4.1 IP, 5 BBs, 0 Ks (!), 8 hits, 6 ER. That, in turn, already has the New York media on his back, but wait until Sabathia gets rolling sometime in May, along with a Yankee offense that will give him more breathing room.

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Posted on April 8, 2009

1. Reverse

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Posted on April 7, 2009

By Jim Coffman
Jay Cutler would have been worth five first-round draft picks. Of course he would have. We’re talking about a shiny, new all-Pro Bowl quarterback, one who still has three years left on his rookie contract. Signal-callers this good and this young and this cheap (yes the Bears will have to re-do his contract before it ends – but I’ll bet they get at least one great year out of him before they do) do not get traded. Ever. So talking about the Bears giving up too much just doesn’t compute. How can you trade too much for the far and away most valuable commodity in the sport? Short answer – you can’t.

Beachwood Baseball: The Cub Factor The White Sox Report

And, of course Cutler, won’t win games by himself. He’ll need help. But the Bears didn’t lose anything from their defense last week (maybe it would have been good if they actually had lost a few of last year’s most egregious under-achievers but still . . . ). And while I’m hoping the Monsters will sign free-agent wide receiver Torry Holt (who would be able to help next season while rookies almost certainly wouldn’t), there are significant offensive pieces here already. Start with deep passes to Devin Hester and then mix in short and medium-ranged ones to Matt Forte (whose ability to run the football is actually surpassed by his knack for catching it) and stud tight end Gregg Olsen. Not bad. And the absolute happiest guy on this team has to be wide receiver Earl Bennett, who did not catch a pass as a rookie last year but now is reunited with his former college quarterback. The Bears draft a big wide receiver in the second or third round and grab a Jerry Angelo special or two, i.e. significant defensive contributors in the fifth round (when they have two picks) or later, and I’ll take that going forward.

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Posted on April 6, 2009

By Marty Gangler
As the Chicago Cubs begin another season I’d like to ask all fans a question. How’s your mouth? Do you still have that bad taste in it? And as you probably do, does it still have that really sour milk tang to it? It took me a good 3 months before I could even talk about the ’08 playoffs but even now I still can’t get that really bad “way too long after the expiration date” tongue funk out of my mouth. And you know what? It’s not going to go away until October. The Cubs embark on the most meaningless regular season in the history of the franchise. Because they could win 116 regular games and it wouldn’t matter because you mouth will still be polluted. Sure they tried to help your dirty mouth with the acqusitions of Kevin Gregg and Milton Bradley but they’re weak breath mints in a pewtrid stanking mouth filled with rotting bits of hot dog and broken dreams.
I’m not saying that this season won’t be fun. Bradley, Big Z and Uncle Lou should provide plenty-o-fun at the old ballpark. Let’s not forget these guys are nuts. As well as seeing how Little Mike Fontenot does at second base and what happens with newly christened Cub savior Micah Hoffpauir. Plus there’s the whole thing about how Soriano can’t field and Fukudome can’t hit. That’s fun. So there will be some things to talk about but it all doesn’t mean a hill a beans a difference until October gets close. So let’s enjoy these guys until it’s time to see if they learned anything since last year, we have six months until it matters.

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Posted on April 6, 2009

By Phil Barnes
Unlike the other five divisions in baseball, there is no clear-cut choice as to who is going to come out on top of the American League Central this season. Nobody should really be surprised by this for the simple reason that after 162 games last year, there still wasn’t a winner.
With all that said, no one is predicting the Sox to win the division, including Baseball Prospectus, whose PECOTA rating (as of 4/3/09) have the Sox winning 76 games, good enough for fourth in the division, just a win better than the lowly Royals.
While many Sox fans can get huffy and upset hearing that last season’s division winners are perceived this year as the equivalent of Kansas City, there were so many questions that have been unanswered until recently, it becomes hard to blame “experts” who have been looking at a depth chart all off-season with questions as to who was going to play where at more than half the positions.
Who will lead off? Who is in the rotation? Who will play center? Second? Third?

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Posted on April 6, 2009

By Steve Rhodes

Once again the sharpest minds at Beachwood HQ have come together to produce the nation’s best brackets. Watch for updates after every round.
Championship Monday
North Carolina vs. Michigan State. If you played your bracket the Beachwood way, you’ve already clinched no matter what happens tonight. Don’t say we never made you any money.
Final Four
Michigan State vs. Connecticut. After UConn gives the Spartans a whooping, MSU will be laid off to balance the state budget.
North Carolina vs. Villanova. The run ends here for ‘Nova as NC positions itself to win bucco Obama stimulus bucks.

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Posted on April 6, 2009

One in an occasional series. Hit like they do.

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Posted on April 2, 2009