Results tagged ‘ Blackhawks ’

Lakers, Hawks, & Cubs

As I write this, my Lakers are pasting the Rockets by 39 points in the fourth quarter.  Big deal. This is what they should have done to Houston on Sunday.  Do the Lakers need a smack in the face to get motivated?  Not good.  Totally unacceptable.  They’ll end up getting past Houston, but they will definitely be the underdogs against Denver.  Yeah, I said it.  I don’t care about home court advantage in this next series.  I’ll go with the hot team.  The Lakers need to prove me wrong.

The game just ended.  Lakers 118, Houston 78.  Good for you, Kobe & company.  Now quit playing like chumps and close it out on Thursday.
46881301.jpg

Robert
Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Kobe needs to take command.  Who cares if someone calls you a ball hog.

46881323.jpg

Wally Skalij
/ Los Angeles Times

Quit dancing and learn how to make a free throw.

46881304.jpg

Robert
Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

You need to play better.      
Lakers, take a cue from the Blackhawks.
46858238.jpg                        
Scott Strazzante, Chicago Tribune / May 11, 2009

These guys know how to close out a series.

Look Who’s 4-1

Don’t look now, but Rich Harden is now 4-1.  Harden beat the Padres tonight with the help of a two run homer by Milton Bradley.  It was good to see the bullpen hold a lead once again.

eVbdDRdi.jpg

Charles Rex Arbogast/AP


Way to go, Bobby!

Congrats go out to Bobby Scales on hitting his first career home run Tuesday night.  It was greatly appreciated.


Opportunity Knocks

The Cubs have five more games to go on this current home stand, two more with San Diego and three with Houston.  These teams are struggling right now.  The Cubs need to be opportunistic and sweep both of these series.  It looks like the Cardinals offensive machine may be slowing down.  The Red Birds lost Tuesday to the Pirates, 7-1.  Being just 1.5 games out of first right now, the Cubs need to put themselves into position to take back the division lead from the Cardinals when they play them again next week.  Are you ready for round three, Dad?


Photo Credits:


http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-lakers-rockets13-2009may13-pg,0,4064474.photogallery

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-chicago-blackhawks-playoffs-photos,0,2877113.photogallery

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20090512&content_id=4687430&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=home



The Villainous Braun

It’s always good to see Ryan Braun look like this after an at bat.
46834168.jpg
                       Darren Hauck, Associated Press / May 10, 2009     


Braun is
one Brewer who is starting to rub me the wrong way.  He seems to have an
arrogance about him   When he hits a home run, he throws his bat, runs
around the bases with his arms extended and his tongue sticking out.  If
the Brewers win, he pulls his shirt out of his pants right away and struts
around with an arrogant bravado.  He’s the perfect villain in the Cubs vs.
Brewers rivalry.  We couldn’t contain him Friday, but thankfully we did yesterday.

46809840.jpg     Darren Hauck, Associated Press / May 8, 2009

See what I mean?

Yesterday, the Cub bullpen finally did its job in preserving a 4-2 win in Milwaukee.  Marmol looked shaky again in the 8th, having loaded the bases, but he managed to pitch out of it.  Gregg was actually effective in closing out the ninth.

46834170.jpg
                          Darren Hauck,
Associated Press / May 10, 2009     

Sean Marshall turned in another strong outing.  He struggled early, but only gave up two runs.  He really settled down after the rocky start.

46833612.jpg

                                  Darren Hauck,
Associated Press / May 10, 2009  

I heard that Piniella feels that fixing the bullpen should be priority number one.  Yeah, no kidding.  The Cubs did call up reliever Jose Ascanio to replace the injured Chad Fox.
Finally, here’s some good news coming out of Cubs camp.  Derrek Lee had an MRI on his neck and it was determined that he will not need to go on the DL and should be back in the lineup during the upcoming home stand.
It’s a good thing that there is no Cubs game tonight, because all eyes in Chicago will be on our beloved Blackhawks as they look to close out the Canucks at the United Center and punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals.
Hopefully, we’ll see more scenes like these.
46826195.jpg
      Darryl Dyck, Associated Press / May 9, 2009

46825571.jpg
               Jonathan
Hayward, Associated Press / May 9, 2009  

46826198.jpg
                 Jonathan
Hayward, Associated Press / May 9, 2009  

Let’s start the chant now.  ”Let’s go Hawks!”  ”Let’s go Hawks!”
Photo Credits:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-chicago-cubs-photos,0,6973722.photogallery


http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-chicago-blackhawks-playoffs-photos,0,2877113.photogallery

Power Surge & Honoring Number 31

He did it again!  In the bottom of the first today against the Marlins, Ryan Theriot launched a two run homer.  It was Theriot’s second homer in as many days.  Where did this come from?!

46676891.jpg
                                   Paul Beaty,
Associated Press / May 2, 2009  

It’s great to see the power from Theriot, an unlikely source.

Derrek Lee also launched a monster home run onto Waveland Avenue.  The bats are starting to heat up!

Ted Lilly pitched one heck of a ball game today, going eight innings and only allowing a solo home run.

46676867.jpg
     Paul Beaty,
Associated Press / May 2, 2009  

Tomorrow, the Cubs will honor Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux by retiring the number 31 each of them wore.  They are both deserving of the honor.  As I said before, I do wish that the Cubs would have retired Jenkins number before Maddux came up so that each of these pitchers could have had their own special day.  I won’t let that detract from what will be a very special day in Cubs history.  


45650763.jpg
     Tribune photo
by Ed Wagner / February 16, 2004  


I have some fond memories of Fergie Jenkins.  I actually got his autograph twice.  The first time was at my first Cubs game on July 1st, 1982.  My father took a couple of my friends and I to the game and we got Fergie’s autograph on a scorecard before the game.  This was when stadiums were more lax about fans going down near the field.  Nowadays they’d probably tell you to sit down.  I’ve framed that scorecard not only for Fergie Jenkins and Jay Johnstone’s autographs that are on it, but also for it being my first ever Cubs game.  The second time I got Fergie’s autograph was when my family went down to Wrigleyville before the first night game in 1988.  We went to get a “First Night Game” t-shirt and who did we see walking into the same souvenir shop across from Wrigley?  Feguson Jenkins.  My father was actually the one that recognized him first.  After he signed an autograph for us, the clerks in the store asked who that was.  My father told them Fergie Jenkins.  Of course, we had to hear about the fact that Cub fans don’t even know who their players are and that they don’t know anything about baseball.  Blah, blah, blah.  Cardinal fan.    Fergie Jenkins is a great guy so I’d like to congratulate him on the honor, as well as congratulate Greg Maddux.   

45652192.jpg
                             Tribune
archive photo / September 8, 2008  

If you go to www.chicagotribune.com, you can read Dave Van Dyck’s interesting article entitled “31 Things About Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux.”  It’s a good read.

Congratulations to Kyle Busch on winning the race at Richmond on his 24th birthday no less.  Happy birthday!

capt.8bbb36645939470a8abad52a3170e153.aptopix_nascar_richmond_auto_racing_vash123.jpg
                                         AP


I also have to congratulate the Blackhawks who came back to defeat Vancouver in Game 2 of their second round series.  Do I dare start thinking they have a chance here?

46681185.jpg


Darryl Dyck,
Associated Press / May 2, 2009  


Photo credits:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-chicago-cubs-photos,0,6973722.photogallery


http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-090318-jenkins-jersey-kws-photogallery,0,808579.photogallery

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-090318-maddux-jersey-kws-photogallery,0,4024446.photogallery

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090503/ap_on_sp_au_ra_ra_su/car_nascar_richmond;_ylt=Ai_UdnHM.Vn.ygo_HaAHXyAR07QF


http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-chicago-blackhawks-playoffs-photos,0,2877113.photogallery

Good Times, Bad Times

The Good: Alfonso Soriano leads off the game with a home run.  It’s the third time he’s done that this year.  Just let him lead off, Lou.

46552104.jpg
Matt York,
Associated Press / April 27, 2009


The Bad: Ted Lilly did not have it tonight and Dan Haren did.  D-Backs win 7-2.

The Good: Milton Bradley will be in the lineup tomorrow night.

The Bad: Milton Bradley is 1 for 23 this season.

The Good: Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Marmol are said the be close to returning.

The Bad: Derrek Lee has neck spasms.

Given their weak and depleted bench, should the Cubs bring back Jim Edmonds?IMGP2045.jpg
The Good: The Lakers have advanced to the second round!  107-96 over Utah.  Up next will be the Rockets or Blazers.  I hope it’s not the Blazers.
46574097.jpg
Gina Ferazzi
/ Los Angeles Times

The Bad: Luke Walton has a partially torn ligament in his left ankle.
The Good: The Blackhawks have advanced to the second round!  When was the last time you could say that?
46574110.jpg
(AP) (Jeff McIntosh, Associated Press / April 27,
2009) 
The Bad: They’ll lose to the Canucks.  Luongo’s a hot goalie right now.
Photo Credits:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-chicago-cubs-photos,0,6973722.photogallery


http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-lakers-jazz28-20090apr28-pg,0,4970385.photogallery?index=3


http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-chicago-blackhawks-playoffs-photos,0,7834969.photogallery

A Great Time to be a Fan!

This is such a great time for me to be a sports fan!  My Blackhawks are up 2-0 in their series against the Flames, my Lakers start their road back to finals tomorrow, Jimmie Johnson is creeping closer to the Nascar points lead, and my Cubbies just took care of the Cardinals for the second straight day with their dramatic 11th inning win today!  Aramis Ramirez got the job done today with a two run blast with two out in the bottom of the 11th.  The Cubs are developing a penchant for the two out rallies this year.  Let’s hope they keep it up.

A lot of positives in today’s game.  Kevin Gregg going two perfect innings.  Hopefully, his knee is feeling better.  He looked dominant today, as a top notch closer should.  Marmol cleaned up the mess left by Neal Cotts in the seventh.  Man, Cotts has been terrible.  This is a concern because he is their only lefty reliever.  I think the White Sox caught lightning in a bottle with him in 2005.  Another positive was that Derrek Lee actually came through in the clutch today, delivering a two run double in the fifth.  Aaron Miles also stung his former team for an RBI single.
I know my father has said he will not agree to the wager and wear the floppy hat when the Cubs win the season series with the Cardinals.  I wish he would agree to it.  I think a lot of people would like to see this wager agreed to.  Please comment if you would like to see out wager agreed to.  If the Cardinals win the season series, I will wear Cardinals gear and post my picture on this blog.  If the Cubs win, then my father has to wear a Cubs floppy hat and have his picture taken.  I don’t think it’s too bad of a wager.  I could ask that he wears oversized Harry Caray glasses for a day.
| back to blog home |
Theme: MLB “fan” | Get a free blog at WordPress.com
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.