The other shoe drops ...

Anyone who was shocked by the Dale Tallon firing, ahem, reassignment by the Blackhawks on Tuesday has not been paying any attention to the Hawks P.B.W. (Post Bill Wirtz). This is a team that does not rely on the buddy system for jobs. You keep your job based on results. If you can't produce, Rocky shows you the door, or at least a cushy side job where you do nothing but stay in the organization (see Savard, Denis).

It's easy to say Tallon got canned because of the botching of the restricted free agent contracts. In truth it was likely the final straw. All of this outpouring of emotion over Tallon being canned as such a bad thing is really overstated and stems from the goodwill he built up as a player and announcer for the team.

What has Dale done well? He has pulled off some great trades, like getting Havlat, Sharp and Versteeg for nothing. Kudos to him on that. He's also drafted well, picking guys like Toews, Kane, Barker, and more. But how much of that is because of him or because of the scouts? Or how about the draft position for these guys? Kane was a No. 1, Toews a No. 3, Barker a No. 3. It's not hard to get a great player at those positions, but he should get credit for not picking busts.

Tallon has done some great things for this team, it's true. But you can't overlook the negatives.

There is no truth to the rumor the back of his jersey next season will read "Cap Killer" instead of "Campbell".

First and foremost, and the real reason in my eyes why he was fired, is the contract he gave Brian Campbell. 8 years, $56 million. For a guy who does one thing well, which is skate. What a joke. Not only has that severely hampered the cap position of this team, but how do you pay Keith and Seabrook less than him when they are clearly better players? Or how about Toews and Kane? Granted, the Hossa contract does scale that back some, but still.

That contract is a high water mark, and you know the agents for Toews, Kane, Keith and Seabrook are all looking at that as a negotiating point. At least Tallon was negotiating against other teams for Campbell as the reason for the high amount of cash, but the contract was, and is, and always will be, a mistake.

Tallon has made plenty of other bad signings too. The debacle coming out of the lockout of Aucoin, Cullimore, Khabibulin, LaPointe and Barnaby. Overpaying Havlat. Byfuglien. Sopel. And now, because of the RFA screwup, Barker and Versteeg. Huet can be included in this category, but the amount he's making as a No. 1 goalie this year isn't obscene.

It's obvious that Tallon spends like a drunken sailor when it comes to contracts. And the end result? He has painted the Blackhawks into a corner.

The decision the Hawks have to make, fans, is this: Say 'The Hell with it!' and go for the Cup this year and likely lose one of the Big Three (Toews, Kane, and Keith) next offseason OR move pieces this offseason, take a minor step back, but set up room for the Big Three to be signed to big deals and remain lifelong Hawks.

Why can't the Hawks do both? I suppose it's possible, but the closer the Big Three get to free agency, the less likely other teams are going to be willing to help the Hawks out of their mess. Why should they help the Hawks when they may have the chance to sign a guy like Kane to be on their team?

So don't be surprised if and when new GM Stan Bowman trades away some fan favorites this summer to help clear space. Sharp. Versteeg. Byfuglien. Barker. All of these guys are in play now.

Ha ha, very funny! The NHL doesn't have a salary cap! I can spend all I want and it won't be a problem.

Wait, you're serious? There is a salary cap? Damn.

And that, Hawks fans, is why Tallon is now being paid to play golf for the next three years. Not for some snafu with the RFA offers. But the $56 million he paid to the red-haired defenseman who can't play defense. If Toews, Kane or Keith are pulling a different sweater over their heads in 2010, be sure to know who to thank. The man on the tee box at No. 13 at Conway Farms.

We all knew it would happen...

...we just didn't know exactly when.

It's amazing isn't it? These so-called windows of opportunity major league teams have to seize the moment and make some noise with a possible championship.

The Cubs window hasn't slammed shut, but a first half of 500 ball is starting to show the end is closer than many of us thought.

I'm not about to tell you who should come or go, but the writing on the wall is telling us this team has a number of players on the wrong side of 30. Can the Cubs make the post-season or win their division? Of course they can but do the 2009 Cubs look like a World Championship team to you I ask?

I don't have the inside knowledge or experience of a GM but I do try and pay attention to how winning organizations stay competitive year in and year out, and they don't do it by hanging on to aging players.

I'm not saying the Cubs have a lot of trade-able players, but if the desire of the new owner is to build a first class organization, changes have to be made.

Injuries have certainly played a role in this season's record but so has an amazingly shocking lack of fundamentally good baseball.

The rotation has been strong enough, but what if Wells would not have come through this season?

The problem of injuries can never be anticipated but what if Ramirez goes through the same power outage Lee did after his wrist injury? Don't get me wrong, I always thought Ramirez should have been the #3 hitter since Lee's injury but now who knows?

We all should realize Dempster's glorious '08 season was a mirage and when Lowe, even at his age but with a proven successful track record could have been had instead, it looks like a mistake.

I was all for and probably still am in Bradley's corner but Fukake is resorting back to last year's second half form and is as weak a link as 2B base is.

I overestimated Fontenot's ability to play everyday and produce like he did in a reserve role but for the peanuts the Cubs pay him, he certainly isn't the major flaw that the signing of Dempster and Fukake was.

I could go on and on but you get the drift...the team isn't getting any younger and with the resources the Cubs have at their disposal, it would be a shame for them to just sit pat.

Is blowing up the team a possibility? Right now that seems reckless, but with the no-trade clauses and pricey long term contracts, this team may just crash and burn.

All-Star Special!

The MLB All-Star Game has been and always will be the better of the main four all-star games.

It never really needed some ridiculous scheme to make the game matter again.

The main reason for the game's success: kids.

Kids are the driving force behind the All-Star Game; always have been, always will be.

As a youngster, I remember cornering off my pocket of the downstairs to see the starting lineups of the '87 game: Schmidt. Strawberry. Ozzie. Mattingly. Ripken. Sandberg. Dawson.

Why did it matter so much?

Before interleague play, you watched for matchups that you would never see again. These were matchups that could only exist in baseball card simulations in your bedroom.

How would Jose Canseco of the A's fare against Nolan Ryan of the Astros? How could Rickey Henderson run on Scoscia? Could Roger Clemens throw one past Andre Dawson?

These were questions that could only be answered in the All-Star Game. And it was extra special if you got ole Vin Scully calling the balls and strikes. Hell, you could even gimme ole Jack Buck.

It might be tough for a younger audience to relate, but there was a time when we only had the local teams playing baseball on TV. The Cubs were on WGN. The White Sox were on SportsVision/Channel 32. The only-non Chicago team you would get would be the Braves on TBS.

And let me tell you something, kids: THOSE. BRAVES. SUCKED. We didn't get no Tom Glavine/John Smoltz shit. This was Zane Smith, Glenn Hubbard, Gerald Perry SUCKFEST '87-'90. You almost wanted to contact your local cable operator for them to take the Braves off the air.

We're talking Joe Boever. Okay, I digress.

I'm just sayin' ESPN didn't get baseball until 1990.

So, the NBC/ABC Game of the Week was your chance to watch players you didn't get to see. The All-Star Game was the 'Grand Buffet'. You didnt' have to watch all of the Games of the Week to see your favorite players...they would be contracted into one appearance in mid-July.

Of these All-Star Games, one memory sticks out:
The neighborhood kids decided to play a pickup game of basketball before the '89 All-Star Game. Everybody stopped when Bo Jackson came to the plate against NL starter Rick Reuschel.

Jackson took a pitch fairly low and tatooed the ball to deep center. It must have gone about 425 feet, because it landed on the tarp beyond the gap separating the wall and the fans at ole Anaheim Stadium.

Bo was such a phenom at the time, that when he connected on the home run, word spread quickly of his lead-off blast. It was like the 1950's. Kids would run home to ask their dads if they saw the home run. It was a big deal. It sounds weird today, but at the time, it was a big deal.

Kids are connected to their baseball heroes.

I'm not sure if things are the same today. I know that the NFL and NBA have grown leaps and bounds over the last 20 years. Plus, the NHL has trading cards. Back in the mid-80's you'd have to drive six hours north just to sniff a pack of NHL trading cards.

You can laugh at me all you want. But I love the All-Star Game.

Just like a corny seven year old, pleading with his mother to stay up to watch Dawson and Sandberg hit one more time.

It's a kid's game. And it doesn't matter if it counts.

400th article!

(UPDATE: Per Pat, Cubs and Giants are shopping a deal with Rich Harden/Alfonso Soriano for Barry Zito.)
(DOUBLE UPDATE: Pat is retarded. I should never listen to anything he says. He's still the same guy who pranked me freshman year and pretended to be the RA. He is a liar.)

How much hot air can an irishman spew? Apparently, 400 articles worth.

However, I could not have reached this milestone without help from Pat DeMarco, Jim Leo, Brian Longly, and some others (you know who you are!).

So, in honor of our great achievement we give you some famous 400th anniversaries!

1892-Special 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus landing is celebrated with special 'Dunk the Colonial Adversary' dunk tank.

1917-German soldier Anton von Ohlderstaf's 400th gassing of World War I unfortunately doesn't occur in enemy lines...but after a hearty filling of beans, in his own bunk.

1927-Poor immigrants in New York watch in awe as Babe Ruth swats his 400th career home run. If only home runs could feed them!

1934-400th pencil sold by street vendor, Mel Toledo. It's the 395th time that oil magnate Chester Mufferston has bought a pencil from his old adversary Mel Toledo. After each purchase, Mufferston uses the pencil to curl his handlebar moustache and then chuck the pencil to the ground...crushing it with his feet in front of a feeble Toledo.

1938-400th cough drop shared by poor children on Baltimore's west side.

1944-400 pairs of gams and one hell of a USO show!

1964-William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary of his birth! In Kansas, 400th anniversary without Shakespeare.

1965-Joe Jackson, father of Michael Jackson, beats his sons for the 400th time. In honor of the occasion, Mr. Jackson uses a special gold-tinted belt for extra care.

1970-400th book written about how great the 1970 New York Knicks were...and it's still 1970.

1972-Bobby Douglass, quarterback of the Chicago Bears gains his 400th yard of the season rushing after only five games. When asked about why he runs so much, Douglass responded: "My #1 target is George Flipping Farmer."

1977-Willie Stargell hits 400th home run. Proceeds to gain 400th pound next day.

1983-Rickey Henderson would like to remind you that The Great Rickey Henderson stole his 400th base only five years into his great career. Did you know how great I am? You should, because I'm Rickey Henderson.

1987-The Story of the 1985 Chicago Bears is played for the 400th time in the Dooley household.

1989-Pat Summitt wins her 400th game as head coach of Tennessee. She celebrates by berating her players in order to fulfill the emptiness of having a father who never had a boy.

1997-Gordie Kirkman, head hoops coach of West Aurora gets his 400th win. Fortunately for us, text messaging does not exist. If it did, friends of Jim Leo could expect at least three texts on the issue.

1999-John Dooley asks for popcorn for 400th time at dorm next door.

2007-Jamestown celebrates it's 400th anniversary. All natives within 100 yards of the ceremony are given 'special blankets' and told to walk 3,000 miles west.

2009-Ron Santo utters the phrase, "Is he a rookie?" for the 400th time in one season...a new record for Santo.
In a related case, Pat Hughes responds to Santo by stating "No Ron, he's actually in his xth year," for the 400th time.

Boozer to Bulls? Tallon free? Cubs writers from Tribune still dumb? All answers inside!

A quick hit list of issues during the Cubs' off day. The Cubs start a four game set with the St. Louis Cardinals tomorrow. It could get ugly.

-A trade is in the works to send Carlos Boozer to the Chicago Bulls while sending Tyrus Thomas to Utah and Kirk Hinrich to Portland. It's an intriguing trade, but only of value to the Bulls if Carlos Boozer stays healthy.
Stay tuned.

-The Chicago Blackhawks re-signed Kris Versteeg to prevent any further downpour of media criticism. The Blackhawks are sitting close to the cap, but will have a couple players sent down before the season starts. Brent Sopel's contract has to go. Somehow, some way.
The big question is what will they do when the Big Three kids have to be re-signed? That's when Tallon will earn his money...however, this writer still thinks that Stan Bowman will be in place by that day.

-Why I still like Wendy's.

-How do we live in the third biggest media market in the nation and be stuck with the worst grouping of sports writers? The Chicago Tribune dresses a concoction of idiocy on a daily basis that makes the learned cringe, and even the oblivious question.
This recent assertion by Paul Sullivan that Ted Lilly's collision was the defining moment of the 2008 Cubs is arguably the silliest thing I've ever read in my life. I could probably come up with about 10 moments off of the top of my head...like I don't know...

The first no-hitter by a Cub in 36 years?!?!?!

But I digress, that's not my point.

My point is that I grew up with Bob Verdi, Bernie Lincicome, Jerome Holtzman. This compilation of Morrissey, Sullivan, and Dan McGrath doesn't do it for me.

Plus, you know what...David Haugh stinks. There, I said it. I know my football. He just looks good because all of the other dog food around him is so putrid.

Paul Sulliven, Gorton's The Fisherman Wittenmeyer, Carol Slezak...mediocre.

It's really interesting the furor that Jay Mariotti raised while writing for the Sun-Times. While it was easy to assume that Mariotti was writing for reaction, Jay usually did his research. Plus, he was a work horse. It showed in print. Mariotti's articles were usually intriguing, even if they made you want to throw the paper across the room.

And now? Well, he's gone. And we're left with two papers in this town that are better suited for toilet paper than toilet reading.

Kawakami'd!

The Cubs lost 4-1 this afternoon to a middling starter for the Atlanta Braves named Kenshin Kawakami. Kawakami kept the Cubs off-balance six innings and giving up only one earned run.

Kevin Hart struggled with his control, but still only gave up one run in five innings of work. The problem for the Cubs wasn't the pitching, per the usual, it was the bats.

The Cubs have tallied only two runs in their last 24 innings. The Cubs haven't struggled to get base hits, it's been the usual issues of hitting with runners in scoring position.

Milton Bradley has hit only .220 with runners in scoring position, but has a ridiculous on base percentage of .429 in the same situations. Is Milton getting the pitches to hit in these situations? Is he trying to force some opportunities with his bat, at times? That's a discussion for another day... Here's some more random thoughts/links.

-Fangraphs put together a nice little issue regarding Alfonso Soriano. Apparently, one of the many reasons that Soriano has struggled (he's hurt folks, wake up!) is that he's getting less fast balls from NL competition. Clink on the link to show the percentage of fastballs that he's received plummet from 54% in 2006 to 45% in 2009.

-Former Mets and Phillies center fielder Lenny Dykstra's life is in a serious mess! The New Yorker had a wonderful article written on him a year back regarding his new career. He was going to do a magazine that would only be circulated around athletes. The publication had something to do with 'the athlete's lifestyle' or something like that. The way The New Yorker tossed Dykstra up as some 'tough as Nails, market savvy entrepreneur' is laughable today. What a candy-coated article on Dykstra's life that was compared to the hell he's going through now.
What's even more funny is looking back on that whack-job of a '93 Phillies squad. Darren Daulton believes that aliens are going to land, Curt Schilling is hand-grabbing with any conservative he sees, and Mitch Williams/John Kruk do a great job making fools of themselves on national TV.
And don't even get me started on the '86 Mets!

-I know it's Wednesday, but I just wanted to let everybody know that it's STILL okay to fondle children and/or cheat on your wife. You will be remembered! I'll be giving updates on this topic all week...I'm pretty sure it's not going to change. The national media says it's okay so, why not!

-Chuck at ivychat makes a really good point on the Utay/Ricketts issue. Methinks that Ricketts having more cash is going to sit better with the courts...in this economy, banks don't like being heavy on the financing. But there are always outliers to deals, and we'll here more details in the days to come.

More to come later!

News from around the World: Cubs sale, Dempster DL, and other stuff!

Some odds and ends from the last 24 hours of Chicago Cubs baseball:

-Marc Utay is/is not the second buyer for the Chicago Cubs. His 'petition' apparently has much more money as a whole, but doesn't have the money up front that Ricketts has.

Anybody think that Zell is just trying to up the ante for a consistently desperate Ricketts? (Me raising hand.)

-Carlos Zambrano was forced to start tonight's affair with the Atlanta Braves when Ryan Dempster fractured his big toe while celebrating the Cubs win on Sunday. This isn't akin to the Steve Trout bicycle tragedy of 1985 (story for another blog posting), but it sure isn't far from it. As the Cubs reach closer to getting their full team together, Mr. Practical Joke pulls a fat one on us!
Kevin Hart was brought back from the bus station today, and Carlos Zambrano filled in admirably giving up 2 runs in 6 innings.

This puts Zambrano in the running to start one of the two key games against St. Louis, this weekend. Personally, I would've liked for the Cubs to start Marshall tonight and then bring Ascanio up, but what do I know...

-Angel Guzman returned to action tonight and threw one scoreless inning in relief.

-Milton Bradley was given the day off by Lou Piniella. This continues an odd disparity in days given off by Piniella. Cubs managers have traditionally given starters the day off for day games following night games. However, Lou has on more than one occasion given games off the day before.
Milton is 3 for 18 all time against Atlanta, and was sat the previous time the Cubs faced Vazquez.

-Apparently Steve McNair is getting a two-day funeral inside LP Field. Two days.

Just for perspective: Walter Payton was the all-time leading rusher in NFL history, he was arguably the most complete player in NFL history, he fought cancer admirably...and he was given only a two hour ceremony in an open stadium.

Steve McNair leaves his wife, his four children, stoups some waitress from Dave and Buster's, and then gets found dead.

Two days. Open stadium funeral. What the hell is the world coming to?

I feel sorry for his wife and children. They lost a husband and father...but to analyze his life and death without acknowledging that he was a seriously flawed individual is a serious mistake.

-Ron Artest is apparently going to wear the #37 in honor of the amount of weeks that Michael Jackson's Thriller appeared at #1 in the charts. In other news, I'm going to wear the #8 in honor of the amount of times I stabbed myself in the eye with a compass after hearing the news.

-The Blackhawks are at risk of letting prized youngster Kris Versteeg get away. In case you didn't hear, Hardhawks GM Dale Tallon forgot to post-date his mailings (as required by the NHLPA) by June 29th. Due to union regulations, this may force Versteeg to test the free agent market. The Hawks could lose their prized Calder Trophy candidate.
Prediction: Stan Bowman is team GM in two weeks.