Odds of IU in a bowl game

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- IU would like to make a bowl game this season, and so would their fans, but not many people are giving them a chance to do that. When I look at their schedule, I definately do see the possibility of them getting to that 6 win mark. Over 6 wins is way out of the question, but I do see 6 as a possibility. To get their IU must win their four nonconference games. That is not an option, if they lose one of those games then they have absolutely no shot of making a bowl. In the Big Ten season I see them knocking off Illinois to get their fifth win of the season. Illinois is a team that has been weak in the past, and it looks like they will be weak once again this season. Then the next question you ask is where is number 6? I think that the Hoosiers have a chance to knock of Michigan State at home. A chance. I am not telling you that they are going to dominate that game, I am just saying that their is a possibility of them winning that game. I make this statement for a couple of different reasons. One, it's homecoming week, and I think that IU will be fired up to win in front of their home crowd. Second, Michigan State usually starts off the season hot, but then they lose a couple and lose complete control of the season. By the time that the 2 teams meet State should be at the point in their season where they have thrown in the towel. I think the Hoosiers can take advantage of that and sneak in win #6 just like that. My odds of IU making a bowl game would be about 40-60. I think they have a fair chance at making one, but their history doesn't make me believe it will be a sure thing.

Cubs ready for season to end

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- It is all too obvious. The Cubs no longer want to win games. The Cubs are just waiting for the season to be over so they can have a break. Last night the they lost to the Pirates, giving up 11 runs to the worst team in the MLB in the process. If the Cubs wanted to win they would not continue to put pitchers out there that continue to struggle. The Cubs have looked absolutely awful in the last 2 weeks and quite frankly I am sick of it. If you watched any of the ballgame last night you saw 2 things. First of all, you wasted your time, but you noticed that about 5 people were there watching the game. That is the way it is supposed to be when your team is in last place. The Cubs are not in any hurry to make a big move because the money is still piling in. What is the point of spending more money on players when you are going to sell out regardless. The Pirates are more than likely going to do something in the offseason now since nobody is showing up to their games, but the Cubs are in a completely different situation.
Derrek Lee returned to the Cubs and he went 1-4 with 2 RBI. Not a terrible game, but the Cubs just simply do not care. They will send Carlos Zambrano out on the mound tonight when they play the Pirates again, and tonight the offense probably won't show up. The offense scored 6 runs in the game last night which is normally considered to be a good game. Obviously it was not since they were nearly doubled by Pittsburgh. All of a sudden the Cubs have lost 9 out of 10, and nobody has been worse in the league then them lately. How can Dusty Baker say that he feels he is going to come back "sometimes". What in the world is that supposed to mean? I understand that the losing is not all Dusty's fault, but he continues to put out these pathetic pitchers and hurt the team. Dusty will not be coming back next season, and I can almost guarentee you that. The people in Chicago are interested in winning games, and Dusty has something completely different on his mind.

Cubs swept in walk-off fashion

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- The pits. That is the way you can describe the Cubs series against the Cardinals. The Cubs came into St. Louis thinking it couldn't get a whole lot worse, but boy were they wrong. Chicago had lost 5 out of 6 coming into the series, and continued to struggle on Friday when they failed to score a run (2-0). Saturday afternoon's game ended in the 9th inning when Gary Bennent broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single. The Cubs had only 1 run in the first 2 games combined, and it looked like they might turn it around when they got 2 runs in the 1st inning Sunday night. In the bottom of the 1st the Cubs killed themselves when Jacque Jones let a ball get past him resulting in an inside the park home run for Scott Rolen. They fell behind 6-3 after 3 innings and looked to be out of the game. They added a run in the 5th, then Jacque Jones tied the game on his 22nd home run of the season. The Cubs made it look like they ahd forced extra innings again, but they were wrong again. For the second consecutive night Gary Bennet won the game for the Cardinals with a walk off hit. This time he ended it with a walk off grand slam to give the Cards a 10-6 win and a sweep.
In just 3 days the Cardinals have gone from being tied in 1st place to having a 3 game lead. The Cubs came into the series with a perfect oppurtunity to take their rival out of the playoffs, but they were unable to do it. It was an ugly sight to see.
After losing 8 of their last 9 games, the Cubs now open a series in Pittsburgh with the last place Pirates. It's now turning into a situation where the loser of the series will look forward to a higher pick in the ameatur draft. The only good news for the Cubs is that Derrek Lee is finally coming off the DL tonight. On second thought, I don't even know if that is good news. Lee has yet to help the Cubs this season, what makes you think he will help them now?

Pitching holds own, Cubs still lose

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS-The pitching stepped it up for the Cubs on Friday night, something they do not normally do. Rookie Juan Mateo went 5 innings for the Cubs, giving up 10 hits but only 2 runs. Then the bullpen came in with some quality innings from Bob Howry and Michael Wuertz. Usually it is the Cubs pitching that loses them games, but not this time.
The Cubs only managed five hits against Jeff Suppan and Jason Isringhausen, 2 of them coming from youngster Freddie Bynum, who got his first start of the season. Aramis Rameriz recorded his 30th double of the season, and Angel Pagan came up with 2 more hits but it was to no avail. The only time the Cubs really threatened was in the 8th inning when they had 2 guys and and 2 outs. They never had a runner on 3rd, and never really got close to scoring. The Cardinals runs came in the 3rd and the 5th innings when Scott Rolen hit a sacrafice fly and Juan Encarnacion hit an RBI single.
The loss marks the the Cubs 6th in their last 8 games, after they started the month of August 9-6. The Cubs have a losing month going for the 4th time in the 5 month season. They will play the Cardinals again today at 1:20 when Rich Hill will take on Cy Young candidate Chris Carpenter. On Sunday it will be Sean Marshall returning from the DL to face struggling Jeff Weaver of the Cardinals.

Cubs end losing streak, crush Phillies

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- The Cubs had been playing terrible baseball here in the last week, but they looked like a completely team last night. The Cubs hit 4 home runs and scored 11 runs to help ace Carlos Zambrano win his NL leading 14th game of the season.
Ryan Howard singled in Chase Utley in the first inning and it looked like more of the same from the Cubs. They didn't have to wait long before scored their first runs because it happened in the bottom of the 1st. Aramis Rameriz knocked in 2 runs with a triple to give the Cubs an early lead. Then Michael Barrett knocked in Rameriz when he hit a 2 run home run to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead after the first inning. The Cubs continued their domination in the 3rd when Matt Murton knocked in Phil Nevin and Aramis Rameriz with a single. In the same inning Angel Pagan smacked a 3 run home run into center field to give the Cubs a 9-1 lead after three. In the 4th Rameriz hit again, and this one was a rocket. Rameriz put a charge into the ball and knocked it out of the park for his 31st of the year.
Carlos Zambrano went 7 innings and allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits and struck out 7. Zambrano became the first pitcher in the National League to earn his 14th win of the season (14-5). He looked good, and continued his consecutive streak of at least 100 pitches in a start. The Cubs now start another series with the Cardinals where they have a chance to take their rival out of the playoff race. The Cardinals are now tied for the NL Central lead with the Reds, and a series sweep by the Cubs would really hurt them. Rookie Juan Mateo will be on the mound against the Cardinal ace Chris Carpenter. It should be quite a weekend series.

Are D'Backs giving up on playoffs?

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- I don't know why it is, but Arizona's recent moves make it look like they are playing for the future. Yesterday the Diamonbacks completed a trade that sent veteran Shawn Green to the Mets for a minor league pitcher. Shawn Green is an everyday guy for the D'Backs that puts up decent numbers. When you are only a couple of games out of the wild card position and still in the pennant race, you cannot trade an everyday guy unless you get one in return. I feel it is a very stupid move, and it hurts me to be a D'Backs fan at this time.
There is still a month of the season to go, and like all season the Diamondbacks are in a spot to make a run at the playoffs. When you make a move like this after a 2 game losing streak it makes it look like you don't think you can make a run at the playoffs. When you are in the chase you have to do absolutely everything you do to make the playoffs and you cannot play it safe by planning for the future. They just traded to get an old pitcher in Livan Hernandez, then they are going to make a move like this? It just does not make sense.

Cubs are in big trouble

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Me, and probably the rest of the Cubs fans around the country, are in a sad state of mind today because of the way they have been playing lately. The Cubs had won 5 of 6 before this 3 game losing streak, but the Cubs just look dismal right now.
The Cubs young pitching rotation is finally catching up to them. It looked good at first when Rich Hill got a couple of wins in a row, and Ryan O'Malley posted a shutout in his rookie debut, but not anymore. Just to make it worse, the Cubs bullpen has been among the worst in all of baseball, and they cannot even get to Dempster for a close situation. I think it is just one of those situations where the Cubs need to back it in for the season, and see if they can't pick up an experienced pitcher or two in the offseason. Even if that is not possible, the rookies from this year will have a full year under their belt, and they should be a lot better off. I hate to say it, but I am throwing in the towel on the Cubs right now because I just don't any chance of them doing anything in the final month. The only thing I have to get excited about right now is for Carlos Zambrano to win the NL Cy Young.
The Cubs will be in action again tonight against the Phillies when they will send rookie Guzman out to the mound searching for his first win of the season. The Cubs are just hoping to get one in this series before they get ready to play St. Louis again.

Cubs are in big trouble

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Me, and probably the rest of the Cubs fans around the country, are in a sad state of mind today because of the way they have been playing lately. The Cubs had won 5 of 6 before this 3 game losing streak, but the Cubs just look dismal right now.
The Cubs young pitching rotation is finally catching up to them. It looked good at first when Rich Hill got a couple of wins in a row, and Ryan O'Malley posted a shutout in his rookie debut, but not anymore. Just to make it worse, the Cubs bullpen has been among the worst in all of baseball, and they cannot even get to Dempster for a close situation. I think it is just one of those situations where the Cubs need to back it in for the season, and see if they can't pick up an experienced pitcher or two in the offseason. Even if that is not possible, the rookies from this year will have a full year under their belt, and they should be a lot better off. I hate to say it, but I am throwing in the towel on the Cubs right now because I just don't any chance of them doing anything in the final month. The only thing I have to get excited about right now is for Carlos Zambrano to win the NL Cy Young.
The Cubs will be in action again tonight against the Phillies when they will send rookie Guzman out to the mound searching for his first win of the season. The Cubs are just hoping to get one in this series before they get ready to play St. Louis again.

Your take!

1. Should Blue Jays pitcher who argued with manager be fined?
2. Are the Diamondbacks giving up on the season?
3. Was it a good move of the Pacers to get Al Harrington?
4. Who deserves to be the NL MVP?, AL?
5. Is Carlos Zambrano the NL Cy Young?

Finally a Done Deal

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- The Pacers have finally done it. That is they made Al Harrington part of their team once again. Although it had been debated for many weeks, the trade is done and we can forget about it. The only interesting thing coming out of the news of the Harrington trade was that Larry Bird said a couple more trades could happen here in the near future. That excites me a little bit, but I still believe major changes are needed. This is a step in the right direction, but they need to keep it going.

When will Harrington saga come to a close?

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- It has been going on for weeks. The headlines in newspapers and websites have said that Harrington and the Pacers are close to a deal, then the next day it will say that the deal is dead. I think the media needs to get out of this.
Are sports so dead right now that columnists need to write the same thing about this story every single day? I know that if you are like me you are sick of hearing about it, and at this point you don't really care if a deal ever does get done. Sports writers are acting like this deal could change the Pacers season completely in the other direction and make them a championship basketball team. Let me tell you something, that is not going to happen. Harrington had good numbers last year, but if you remember when Harrington played for the Pacers before, he did not like to sit on the bench. If Harrington comes back to the Pacers, then he will be like their millionth player that plays either the "3" or "4" position. Harrington is not going to play all the time, and he is going to become unhappy and be another attitude issue. The Pacers do not need Harrington, and he is not going to be an answer to their prayers.
The other day when I was reading an article about Harrington and the Pacers never being in the future, I read that Harrington said he wants to go there and it is not about the money or the playing time, it is about the team not wanting him. That statement is completely bogus. I mean completely. The Pacers did not want to get rid of Harrington in the first place. He wanted to be dealt so that he could be a starter. The Pacers would have no problem having him back. To tell the media that he does not care about the money or playing time is completly obsurd because if that were true then he never would have left Indiana. This situation is a problem for the Pacers, and they need to get it taken care of.

Cubs lose in series finale

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- It was a great effort, but it was just not enough to get a win. The Cubs young starting pitcher Juan Mateo was shaky early, and that caused for the defeat. In the first inning Mateo gave up 4 runs, and had the Cubs in a 4-0 hole. Mateo would end up going 7 innings, not giving up another run after the 1st.
"Overall Juan did a good job, Cubs radio announcer Bob Brenly said. "If it wasn't for that first inning he would have posted a shutout."
The Cubs were unable to score until the 6th inning when they finally got to Chris Carpenter. Juan Pierre led the inning off with a triple, then Matt Murton drove him in with a single. Rameriz hit a double, then Jacque Jones drove in a run on a ground ball to second. The Cubs trailed 4-2 after 6 innings.
There was no more scoring until the 9th inning when Scott Speizio drove in Yadamir Molina to give the Cardinals a 5-2. In the bottom of the 9th inning Aramis Rameriz led off with a solo home run, his 30th of the year. The Cubs were unable to get any more baserunners after that, and fell to the Cardinals 5-3.
The Cubs had a good effort on Sunday afternoon, unfortunately you did get anything for effort. The Cubs are now 10.5 games out of the wild card, and they really cannot afford to lose any games for a while if they have any hopes at the wild card spot. Rich Hill will take the mound for the Cubs when they play the Phillies on Monday night. He needs to have a quality outing and get the Cubs back on the right foot.

Pierre, Nevin win game for Cubs

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Wow, what a game it was. I felt so proud of the Cubs it was unbelievable. The Cubs came into the game 17 games under .500 and had every reason in the world to quit in this game, but they did not.
Carlos Zambrano was on the mound for the Cubs, and he gave up 2 runs in the first 2 innings to the Cardinals and allowed them to get the early lead. Zambrano would settle down though, not giving up another hit until the 7th. THen the Cubs had a run on an error from Suppan, and Ronny Cedeno singled in another run to even the game at 2-2. Then in the 5th inning Matt Murton doubled home a run to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Zambrano came out of the game after 7 innings, and the first batter that Howry faced hit a solo home run to even the game again. The Cubs would get a run in the 8th though on a bloop RBI single by Phil Nevin.
In the 9th, Ryan Dempster failed to save the game when he gave up an RBI double to Ronny Belliard. In the same inning the Cardinals loaded the bases with Albert Pujols to bat. Pujols smacked it to straight center, and it looked like it was out. Then Juan Pierre made the play of the game to catch and pull it out of the ivy. That ended the top of the inning, and the Cubs had a chance to win the game, but they didn't. The game went to the 10th inning and the Cardinals were not able to do anything with their half. In the bottom of the 10th Jacque Jones led of with a double. Then pinch-hitter Angel Pagan came up with a bunt single when he was just trying to move the runner over. That made it first and third with Ronny Cedeno coming up. St. Louis decided to walk him and load the bases for Phil Nevin. Big mistake. Nevin came up and hit in the last run on a hit to the wall. Final Score Cubs: 5 Cardinals: 4
The Cubs refused to give up, and played like a team that deserves to be in the playoffs. They are still 9.5 games out of the wild card, but at least they are continuing to battle. The key for them will be to get more innings out of their starters because the bullpen has been struggling. The Cubs have won 5 of 6, and have looked good of late.

Very Ugly Performance by Cubs

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Just when everything got a whole lot better for a Cubs, things went in the opposite direction. Again. The Cubs looked good early, but when the Cardinals got a run on a throwing error from Marmol you knew it was going to be a long night.
Marmol pitched only 3 innings before coming out of the game. The Cubs trailed just 4-3 in the 6th inning, but from there it fell apart. Roberto Novoa gave up back to back home runs in the 6th, then Scott Aardsma gave up back to back to back home runs in the 7th. The game was not a fun one to watch, and the Cubs bullpen problems were greatly exploited.
The only good thing for Cub fans is that Carlos Zambrano will be pitching on Saturday, a chance for the Cubs to redeem themselves in the series. They are now 10-4 against the Cardinals this season, and big Z will give the Cubs a good chance to make it 11.

Is thumb really a big deal?

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- The Steelers received some bad news at the end of practice Wednesday when QB Ben Roethlisberger had to leave the game because of a strained ligament in his thumb. In case you don't remember, Roethlisberger played with a broken thumb at the end of last season. Some experts say that injury is going to be a big deal and some say it is not. I personally think it my affect him somewhat, but not physically. He has proven he can play hurt before, so that won't be an issue. The issue will be how he feels mentally, if he is up to starting the year the way he ended it last year. Personally I do not think that this injury is really a big deal, but it is just something that we are going to have to wait and see.

Fantasy Football Breakdown

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
To explain fantasy football a little bit, it is just something designed to make the NFL season more interesting. There is a draft that will be held before it all starts where all league teams draft the players they want on their team. Ask me if you have questions on creating a team. Each week 2 teams from the league will play each other and whoever has more points will get the win. Standings will be determined by record at the end of the season. Weeks 15 and 16 are playoff weeks. You get a certain amount of points for each thing a player does. For example 20 yards of passing or rushing=1 point. The computer will add up all of your points for you. The problem I see right now is that our draft is set for this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. If you all can't get to a computer at that time let me know and also tell me a time you would be available. The more teams the better for the league. And I know the question that you want me to answer next and the answer is yes it's FREE. The only way we would play for money would be if we played for money between ourselves. Let me know if you have any questions.

Ryan O'Malley comes through for Cubs

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- I guess the Cubs should go to 18 innings more often because it worked in this instance. Ryan O'Malley is a guy that had only been pitching okay at best in the minor leagues. The Cubs never would have called him up to start unless something like this occured. Thank goodness that it did. O'Malley went 8 scoreless innings against Houston and was able to get the win thanks to a Michael Barrett home run in the 6th. That home run was the only run recorded in the game, and gave the Cubs their season high tying 4th win in a row.
The Cubs earned only their 4th sweep of the season, 3 of them have been against division opponents. They are now only 9.5 games out of the wild card and 12 games out of the division. Despite how poorly they have played at times this season, they are still right there. What they really need to happen here in the next few days would be to have St. Louis sweep the Reds, then the Cubs sweep St. Louis. That could pull them closer and closer, and with still 41 games to go they can do it. The one huge problem that they need to address is walks. In the last week the Cubs have been giving up way to many walks, and eventually that will come back to hurt them. Ryan O'Malley should be very proud of himself, and he may of just found his way into the major leagues.

Robert O'Malley comes through for Cubs

Cubs outlast Astros

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- I guess I was wrong when I said that the Cubs didn't care about the season anymore. It was apparent on Tuesday night that they still have some fight in them, even after a very long season. Juan Mateo was the first of 10 starters for the Cubs, eventually Rich Hill was the winning pitcher making him 3-5 on the season. For the Astros Roger Clemons was the starter, striking out 5 and giving up 5 runs in 6 innings of work. Mateo may be a much younger and less experienced player then Clemons, but on Tuesday night he outpitched him. It was a brilliant sight to see.
The Cubs started the scoring early when Cesar Izturis drove in Juan Pierre in the 1st inning. Then in the 2nd Ronny Cedeno hit his 4th home run of the season off of Clemons. In the 4th inning Aubrey Huff tied the game on a 2 run double to deep left center. Mateo would not get rattled though as he finished the 4th and the 5th innings flawlessly.
In the 5th inning Jacque Jones got ahead in a count against Clemons 3-1 and made the best of hit. Jones hit a shot to straight center field 440 feet to earn himself a 3 run homer. Jones had been struggling of late, but he finally got his 20th home run of the season.
The Cubs 5-2 lead was short lived when Adam Everett and Orlando Palmeiro both hit 2 run doubles in the 6th inning. The 7th and the 8th innings were quiet and it looked the the Cubs were going to blow another game. In the top of the 9th Matt Murton hit a home run to center to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
The game continued on with 7 consecutive scoreless innings until it reached the 18th and the clock read 1:30 a.m. Matt Murton came up huge again in the 18th when he hit a 2 run double to give the Cubs an 8-6 victory. Wow, what a ballgame.

Zambrano gets back on track

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Carlos Zambrano picked up right where he left off 2 starts ago when he had won 9 games in a row. Zambrano went 8 innings, giving up only 4 hits and 0 runs during that time. The bad part about his pitching was that he walked 7 Astros. Walks have been the thing that has really hurt the Cubs in the last couple of games. Marmol walked 8 in a Cub win on Sunday, but I have never seen Zambrano walk so many guys this season.
The Cubs offense added little but enough support to win the game. Struggling 1st baseman Phil Nevin went 3-4, including a 2 run home run and knocked in all 3 of the Cubs runs. It was nice to see him get back on track, especially against a divison oppenent like the Astros.
The Cubs have now won back to back games after losing 4 in a row to start this road trip. The key for the team will be how well the young pitchers can pitch in the upcoming games. They should model their work off of Zambrano, because I don't believe there is a better pitcher in the game then him.

Pitching Woes continue

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- If the Cubs had any hope of making an incredible comeback and taking the wild card spot, they better just forget it. It looks like the team has completely given up hope, and they just got more bad news on Saturday. Pitcher Mark Prior was placed on the DL for the third time this season, and he may be lost for the year. At the start of the year the Cubs did not have a single rookie in the rotation, now they have four. Carlos Zambrano is the lone veteran on the team now.
Rookie pitcher Guzman did not have a good performance on Saturday. He went just 2.2 innings and managed to give up 7 runs in that short period of time. The Cubs relievers did fine in the game, but the starter made too many mistakes to allow the Cubs to make a comeback. The bats were alive and swinging, but the Cubs did not take advantage of their oppurtunitites. The Cubs had 13 hits but only managed to score 4 runs in the ball game. The Rockies scored 8 runs on 15 hits. The struggles continue for the Cubs, and things don't appear to be getting any better.

Cubs pitching roughed up by Rockies

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- My oh my how great it is to see the same old Cubs. Just kidding. The Cubs are returning to the way that they used to play baseball and their pitching is awful AGAIN. Rich Hill started the game for the Cubs and was only able to go 4 innings, but he did give up 6 runs and 6 hits. After he left the Cubs trailed 6-2 and a comeback didn't look promising. In the 5th the Cubs got 2 guys on base but were unable to add anymore runs. The next pitcher for the Cubs was Micheal Wuertz and he added to the Cubs pitching woes as he gave up a run in an inning of work.
Then the game got really ugly. Scott Eyre was the next pitcher to come into the game and he made sure that the Cubs wouldn't be making any sort of comeback. Eyre faced Choo Freeman when he got into the game. Freeman led of Eyre's time in the game with a solo home run. Eyre walked the next batter and the 3rd batter that he faced hit a 2 run home run to left. The Cubs trailed 10-2, but they had given up long before that. Batters didn't even bother running to first base when they hit the ball in the air and showed zero effort whatsoever. It was not what anybody needed to see, and of course after a good run the Cubs have to go on a losing streak. They have now lost 3 games in a row, and they are playing against teams that are below .500. They need to solve their pitching problem in a hurry, but it won't be easy because they have another rookie pitcher on the mound again tonight. With Mark Prior going back out the Cubs now have 4 rookies in the starting rotation. The rookies are giving it everything they have, but the everyday guys are not backing them up.

Prior beat early, Cubs unable to rebound

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Just another sad performance from a guy that has never lived up to his full potential. Mark Prior was pitching for the Cubs on Thursday afternoon, and he was definately dissapointing. Prior went just 3 innings and gave up 6 runs during that time.
The Cubs looked good in the first inning as Pierre got on with a double, then was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Theriot, then scored on a sacrafice fly by Rameriz. The Cubs led 1-0 after the top of the first inning but the Brewers added 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st. The Brewers built up an 8-1 lead before the Cubs decided to wake up. In the 5th inning Aramis Rameriz stayed hot with a 2 run home run. Then in the 7th inning a hit by Phil Nevin drove in a run to make the score 8-4. In the 8th inning backup catcher Henry Blanco hit a 2 run shot to cut the deficit to 2 runs. The Cubs had a chance again in the 9th when they got 2 guys on base with no outs, but they were unable to do anything and they lost the game 8-6.
Even though the game ended in the loss it was happy to see that the Cubs at least had some effort and cared enough to come back. If they could have gotten a better performance from their starter then it might have ended with a different result.

Cubs, Zambrano struggle in loss

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- The Cubs were unable to get out and score early like they have done often in recent games, and they payed for it. The game was scoreless and hitless for the first 2 innings of the game, then in the bottom of the 3rd the Brewers hit the big one. Zambrano walked a guy with 2 outs, then Brady Clark recorded the first hit of the ballgame on a 2 run home run. The Brewers scored 2 more in the 4th and the 5th to take a 6-0 lead, and the Cubs still did not have a hit. In the 6th their were 2 outs before Juan Pierre recorded the Cubs first hit of the game. Pierre hit an infield single to the left side and reached first safely. Pierre later stole second but it didn't matter because Michael Barrett was hit by a pitch to get put on first base. The next batter was Aramis Rameriz, and he hit the big 3 run shot that hit the foul pole in left field. The hit brought some energy back into the crowd, but not enough back into the Cubs as they lost 6-3.
The loss was bigger then just a game in the standings, it hurt Carlos Zambrano's chance of winning the NL Cy Young. Zambrano has now lost 2 consecutive starts after winning his previous 9 decisions. For some reason in Zambrano's last 2 starts the Cubs have not put up runs to back Zambrano up. Maybe they just think since Zambrano has been so good they can just take the night off, but that is not it at all. The Cubs need to refocus and get a win in game 3 of the series.

Your take!

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- I will start to do this once or twice a week. Below are a list of questions that I would like your opinion on if you have any time.

1. Was Floyd Landis framed?
2. Who will win the MLB World Series this year?
3. Will the Steelers repeat as Super Bowl Champions?
4. Will Team USA win the World Basketball Championships?
5. Who will win the National Championship in college football this year?

Injury could hurt Team USA

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Team U.S could be in even more trouble now because one of their stars is injured. Carmelo Anthony went down in the exhibition game against Brazil with what the doctors said was a hyperextended knee. Anthony was the U.S leading scorer with 16 points against Brazil before leaving the game.
The question is, how serious is the injury? The team trainer said the injury doesn't seem to be too severe, but what should Coach K do? If Anthony is not going to be able to be 100% in the World Championships then do you really want him to be there? There are other guys who are capable of filling his role that would be 100% (those who were cut from the team). It is a question that has to be considered by the coaching staff, and I think they should consider it very carefully. This is just not what the U.S team needed right now.

Cardinals crushed in second game of series

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Less than 24 hours after the Cardinals roughed up the Reds 13-1, they were humiliated almost just as badly. The Cardinals gave up 10 runs on 17 hits to the Reds and lost the game 10-3. The Cardinals pitcher Jason Marquis has been one of the most inconsistant pitcher in the national league and that held up. He has the most wins for a pitcher in the national league but he also has double figure losses. Marquis is now 12-10 and has given up 5.8 runs per game this season.
Inconsistancy has stayed with the Cardinals as their modest 3 game winning streak was snapped. They have now lost 9 of their last 12 games, yet they still lead the division by 3.5 games. We will see what will happen in game 3 of the series tonight as Adam Harang will take on St. Louis ace Chris Carpenter. You never know what will happen with two consecutive blowouts in opposite directions.

Cardinals crushed in second game of series

Cubs score early, hold off Brewers

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- The Cubs have done it again. They got out early and scored almost all of their runs in the first inning to just take the energy out of the Brewers. The Cubs hit two 2 run home runs in the first inning and led 5-0 after 1. Pitcher Carlos Marmol gave up 2 solo home runs in the second and third innings, but that was about it for the Brewers. Each team added another run in the later innings and the Cubs took it 6-3.
This was another important game because it gives more confidence to a younger pitcher who could really use it at this point in the season. Marmol went 5.1 innings and only gave up 3 runs on 4 hits. He is now 5-5 on the season and really coming on strong. He has to be big for the Cubs because he is their second most experienced MLB pitcher and he is only a rookie. He has been forced into a tough position where he has to grow up in a hurry, and he is doing a great job with it. The Cubs pitchers have been hot of late, and I just hope they will be able to keep that up. These next couple of series coming up are huge because they are within the division. The Cubs are now only 4 games behind the Brewers in the division and 12.5 behind the Cardinals for the division lead. They continue to fight, and that is really all you can ask for from a team.

Does Team USA have a shot?

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- I remember watching Team USA play basketball in the last Olympics, and to tell you the truth I was embarrased. They couldn't put the ball in the basket for anything, and they had nobody that could shoot the basketball. We all hope that can change now with new Coach K, but I wouldn't be so sure. Team U.S rolled through their first 2 exibition games against Puerto Rico and China, but those are two of the weakest teams in the entire Olympics. Then the U.S played Brazil in another exhibition game and received quite a scare. They trailed in the closing minutes before pulling out an 80-76 victory.
I will admit that this team has a much better shot then the last U.S team, but I still do not give them a huge shot to win it. Technically they should win it, but I just don't think they play like a team near as good as some of the other teams do. Team U.S has by far the most talent, but they have not played with each other long enough to make that talent work together.
Another reason why I don't give Team U.S much of a shot is because I just don't think they care as much as some of these other teams do. Some of the other teams are going to put everything on the line for their country and I just don't see that mantality in the U.S players. It is just a bunch of spoiled players who are getting millions of dollars playing in the NBA who could ultimately care less what happens in the Olympics. I am not saying that this is the attitude from all of the players, but it is from most of them. I hate to say it, but the U.S is not going to win the world basketball championship this year.

Progression of Brady Quinn

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Brady Quinn went from a nobody to the top of the line in a hurry. Quinn was forced to start as a freshman when Carlyle Holiday was not up to par. Quinn was roughed up in his freshman year, but it made for all the better.
In his sophmore year, Quinn had another disappointing season and left people wondering if he was the quarterback for the future. He threw big interceptions at key points in the game, and it didn't look like he had much of a future. Boy how things can change in just a year's time. It is amazing how good you can become with just one year under coach Charlie Weis. Quinn was willing to change, and listen to what he was told. He was disiplined and worked hard everyday. At the beginning of the junior year he was a dissapointment, and at the end of the year he was a player that the NFL really wanted. Quinn is in a posititon to do something really special right now with a good team, and he cannot let that oppurtunity get away.

Not to worry Irish Fans, ND loves to be underdog

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Notre Dame is not where everybody in the country expected them to be at the start of the year. That is they are not #1 in the preseason rankings, or even #2 for that matter. Notre Dame starts in a tie for 3rd with USC, but that is just the motivation that they need. Notre Dame started last season unranked and had much of the country guessing what they could do. Under new head coach Charlie Weis the Irish exceeded anybodys expectations except for those of Weis. Weis now has a sign up in the Notre Dame weight room that says "9-3 is not good enough."
Now if the Irish were ranked #1 in the country it would be easy to become overconfident and not give it everything they have. Since they are ranked #3 there is some work that needs to be done before they earn that #1 spot. Notre Dame has always worked better as the underdog, and that won't change this year. Even if the team that they are playing isn't ranked higher then they are, they will know that most of the people in the country do not think they will win the national title. That doubt makes them an underdog, so they have to work their butts off to prove those people wrong.
The part of Notre Dame's team that people question is their defense. It was a defense that struggled dearly a year ago, and people tend to question if they can improve enough this year to make a run at a national title. i believe the defense will improve since this is Weis' second year with the team. Last year his prime concern was offense. Even though that is probably still his prime concern, he has seen all of the teams once so he can make some adjustments to his defense to help them to perform better. You better wake up the echos because here come the Irish.

WHO IS AL MVP?

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- It is a question that has all of the sports experts talking. Who really is the AL MVP? David Ortiz has put up better numbers then anybody in the game, but is it really possible to win the MVP as a DH?
Do I think he deserves to win it? Absolutely. Ortiz plays his best ball in the clutch, and there is just nobody like him in baseball. Ortiz has so many walk off hits and home runs that sometimes it is hard to believe. Other candidates for the award are guys like Derek Jeter, Travis Hafner, and Jim Thome. Ortiz has better stuff then all of those guys, and his team is actually winning. No way in the world that Jeter deserves it. The Yankees have every big name from the past on their roster, so one guy is not that big of a deal. Hafner is with the Indians, need I say more. Jim Thome is in the same situation as David Ortiz, but his numbers are not near as good. The AL MVP simply has to be David Ortiz even if he does only play one side of the game. He comes up big at big times, and wins his team games. What more can you ask for?

Pirates unable to get over Hill

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- It was just what the doctor ordered. A great starting pitcher performance and runs to back it up to record the Cubs 8th win in the last 11 games. Rich Hill had been pitching fantastically in the minor leagues, but he got a little bit intimidated once he was called up to the majors. Hill lost his first 4 decisions before he won last week against the Diamondbacks. Hill took the mound again on Sunday, and it looked like he has settled right in with his new team. Hill went 7 innings and only gave up 3 hits and a run. The stat that jumped off the page was the number 8. That is how many strikeouts Hill was able to record, most of them looking at that evil curve ball. Hill was on target.
The Cubs didn't score any runs in the 1st inning like they did on Saturday, but they were able to add a run in the 3rd. The 4th inning was the big one for the Cubs when Ronny Cedeno hit a 3 run home run with 2 outs to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead. The Cubs added another run in the 5th to give hill a nice cushion and allow him to get his second consecutive win.
Chicago has put a nice run together at a place where they had been struggling. The Cubs have had few wins at home this season, but they were able to go 8-3 on their longest home stand so far this season. They are 10 games out of the wild card spot as they head to Monday's off day. Monday afternoon the Cubs will make the trip from Chicago to Milwaukee to get ready for a series with the Brewers starting Tuesday. The Brewers are just a few games ahead of the Cubs in the divison, so a series win could allow them to move up a spot in the central.

Cubs get out early, get Prior first win of season

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- How great it was to see the Cubs coming out and striking first. All season long they have been playing catch up and trying to get back into games, but not on Saturday. The Cubs recorded 6 hits and managed 4 runs in the first inning, giving them the early edge. RBI's were recorded by Ronny Cedeno, Matt Murton, and Angel Pagan.
Prior pitched extremely well early, but then he began to tire a litte. He made it through the first inning on just 11 pitches, including 2 strikeouts. He gave up a run in the second and the fourth, then in the sixth he walked 3 guys in a row to score a run for the Pirates. The Cubs still led 4-3 when Prior was pulled after 5.2 innings. Will Ohman came in to strikeout the next Pirate, so they left the bases stranded.
In the 7th inning Matt Murton hit a solo home run to give the Cubs a 5-3 lead. In the 8th Angel Pagan did the same to give the Cubs a 7-5 lead, ultimately the final score in the game. Baker's comment must have gotten to his team because they definately showed up on Saturday. Now they need to focus and keep getting wins.

Good Talking Dusty

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Dusty has finally done something right. Well actually it would be "said" something right. Dusty Baker came out and made the comment that the Cubs are not out of the wild card chase, and all they need to do is have somebody get hot. I don't know how much he actually believes this himself after trading Greg Maddux, but the comment has the potential to give his team the confidence they need to make a playoff push.
I don't know if you have noticed it or not, but the Cubs are playing better baseball now then they have all year. After being swept by the Nationals they took 2 out of 3 from the Mets, swept the Cardinals in 4 games, then split a 4 game set with the D-Backs. It just takes a stretch of about a month or so and we could be talking about a whole different team. The pitching is starting to come around so if they can just put that together with some hitting then they might have a chance.
I am not saying that the Cubs are going to make the playoffs. I am not even saying that they have a 50/50 chance of making the playoffs. All I am saying is that you can't count them out quite yet when they are playing as well as they are. Keep on fighting and anything is possible.