Blog Archives
The Wake-up Call Podcast
To listen to the commercial-free broadcast of today’s show on www.sportstownchicago.com you can click here http://snd.sc/LCV8g1 where I give you my take on the highly anticipated Cubs debut of Anthony Rizzo.
The impact of the Kevin Youkilis trade for the White Sox and what he means to their division title aspirations.
And last but not least, the death of the BCS with the news of a 4-team playoff format beginning in the 2014 season.
Chicago’s Current Mount Rushmore
English: Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The city of broad shoulders prides itself on legendary architecture, gorgeous beaches, decadent food, and our professional sports teams and athletes.
The major teams in town, The Cubs, Sox, Bulls, Bears, and Blackhawks have great players on their clubs, but who is the best of the best?
Evaluating the resumes of the current crop of Second City athletes was difficult and an arduous task, but that is a great thing because that means the pickings weren’t slim, and the city is flush with talented athletes in every sport.
I have comprised four athletes that represent the best the city has to offer who will represent the Mount Rushmore of Chicago.
Brian Urlacher- the Bears linebacker came to Chicago in the 2000 draft out of New Mexico and quickly became a fan favorite making plays en route to winning the Rookie of the Year award. He holds the record for career tackles made by a Bear, making eight trips to the Pro Bowl and winning the AP Defensive player of the year award in 2005.
The Bears have played the best football the team has seen since the glory days of 1985 with him in the middle of the defensive huddle. His #54 jersey is seen everywhere in the city and Urlacher became a lock to represent the city after taking the Bears to the Super Bowl during the 2006 season. The Bears are known for their defense and their middle linebackers and Urlacher is destined to join Bill George, Dick Butkus, and Mike Singletary in Canton, Ohio, and the NFL Hall of Fame when his playing career is over.
Paul Konerko- Another veteran to the Chicago sports landscape, Konerko has cemented himself as the best Chicago baseball player in the 21st century. A bit of a late bloomer who did not experience the love affair that Urlacher had right away. However, Konerko’s been like a fine wine and aged gracefully as he is currently playing his best baseball at 36 and emerging as a potential Hall of Fame candidate if he continues his career renaissance.
The five-time All-Star has flirted with hitting .400 the first two months of the season as he has led the White Sox into first place in the American League Central. With more than 400 homeruns as a member of the club and a World Series on his resume the decision to add Konerko to the Mount Rushmore of Chicago is a no-brainer.
Derrick Rose- Unlike the first two stars who had to come to Chicago from college or other organizations, respectively, Rose has been a Chicagoan since birth, winning two state titles at Simeon Academy before his one year at the University of Memphis ended in the championship game vs. Kansas.
Like Urlacher, Rose took home the Rookie of the Year honors after directing the Bulls back into the playoffs. A lightning quick ascension to the top of the game’s elite has set the optimism sky high for Bulls fans since he donned the Bulls jersey. An All-Star in just his second season was surpassed when he became the league’s youngest winner of the MVP award in his third season, becoming only the second Bull to win the award.
Rose suffered a torn ACL in his knee during the first round of the NBA playoffs this season, which left the city in a state of sorrow and despair for weeks. The work ethic and dedication Rose has shown on the court has me convinced that he will regain the explosion and speed that has made him one of the game’s elite players. The future is still bright for Rose and the Bulls and after signing an extension in the off-season, he will be in his hometown for years to come.
Jonathan Toews- Another young superstar like Rose fills the fourth and final spot on Chicago’s Mount Rushmore. Toews and Rose represent the next generation of Chicago athletes as Urlacher and Konerko are on the back end of their illustrious careers whereas Rose and Toews are just getting started. The third overall pick in the NHL draft in 2006 was the runner-up to his teammate, Patrick Kane in rookie of the year honors and won a gold medal at the 2010 Olympics.
However, the single event that qualified Toews for inclusion on this exclusive list is that Toews has done something that Urlacher and Rose are still chasing, that is winning a title in their respective sport. Toews captained the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in 2010 winning the Conn Smythe as the MVP of the postseason in the process. The 24- year old Center for the Blackhawks signed a long-term extension after winning the Cup and like Rose will have roots in Chicago for the foreseeable future.
Did your favorite make the cut?
Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt
Patrick is a diehard Chicago sports fan and an avid college football fan, particularly the SEC. Patrick is the host of “The Wake-up Call,” a weekly sports show on Sportstownchicago.com every Wednesday morning from 8-10. View his show’s website here.
Memorial Day Standings
With Memorial Day a few days away and backyard bbq’s and pool parties about to be set off in full bloom this weekend, let’s take a minute to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to help make the United States the greatest country in the world.
Memorial Day is also the unofficial day when baseball teams realize they are who they are, not to steal from Denny Green’s famous postgame rant in a Monday Night loss to the Chicago Bears years ago, but sometimes teams are not who we thought they are.
Take a peek at the top of the standings across Major League Baseball and you will see five of the six division leaders are not the team that won the division a year ago.
The biggest surprise has to be the Baltimore Orioles who entered Saturday as owners of the best record in the American League. They are one up on the Tampa Bay Rays, four and a half on the New York Yankees, and six and a half on the cellar dwelling Boston Red Sox.
Will they maintain their hot start into the dog days of summer?
Who knows, but Buck Showalter has his team playing as good as they have in a long time.
The American League Central sees the Cleveland Indians two and a half games on top of the Chicago White Sox and five games on everybody’s preseason darling, the Detroit Tigers.
It will be interesting to see if Cleveland acquires a bat or another arm to keep the Sox and Tigers in their rear-view mirror in the AL Central standings. Much like the Orioles, many don’t think they will be in first place at the end of the season, let alone the All-Star break.
However, I beg to differ because this division will beat up each other because I don’t see a complete team dominating in the summer and putting some distance between the other teams in the division. This could be a three team race well into September.
The American League West is the only division to have last year’s winner atop the standings. The Texas Rangers are poised for a third straight trip to the World Series and will look to win their first title behind Josh Hamilton, who is the front runner for the Most Valuable Player award, and a lineup that strikes fear into even the best of pitchers.
Jered Weaver can attest to that. The Angels starter gave up eight runs in three and a third innings of work in a start vs. the Rangers after yielding only one earned run in his previous 21 innings of work, including tossing a no-hitter.
The Rangers own a six game lead on the Athletics but could see a run by the Angels who are six and a half games back after a sluggish start.
The National League East sees the Washington Nationals leading the Atlanta Braves by two games. Inspired by their Manager Davey Johnson and teenage sensation, Bryce Harper and flame throwing Steven Strasburg, the Nationals are turning their immense potential into wins. Leading the NL in ERA, the Nationals are a fun team to root for behind the ageless Davey Johnson.
The Nationals have a slew of questions to answer if they are to keep their place atop the standings in the East.
Does Harper start playing like a 19- year old?
What happens when Strasburg hits his innings mark? He is only allowed 160 after Tommy John surgery ended his rookie season two years ago.
How will injured stars Ryan Zimmerman , Jayson Werth, and Michael Morse fit in the lineup and will they stay healthy?
Who closes? The team has adopted a closer- by- committee approach but have All-Star set-up man Tyler Clippard ready to step into the ninth inning.
The NL Central leaders are Joey Votto’s Cincinnati Reds who head into Memorial Day weekend with a half game lead over the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals recently lost their All-Star first baseman, Lance Berkman for eight to ten weeks after he required knee surgery and are already playing without Allan Craig and his .373 batting average as he nurses a hamstring injury.
Can the Reds put some room between themselves and the Red Birds while they deal with injuries?
With stars like Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Jay Bruce they figure to score enough runs to keep their fifth ranked pitching staff in games. The biggest question is how recently promoted Cuban flame- thrower, Aroldis Chapman handles closing duties.
So far the early results are good as he is yet to give up a single run all season while striking out 43 batters in 24.1 innings.
The NL West boasts the team with the best record in all of baseball and very well could have the MVP, CY Young award winner, and Manager of the year all on the same team. Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, and Don Mattingly have the Dodgers comfortably in first pace and have done so with a dominating home field advantage.
Winners of 19 of the teams 24 home games have given Vin Scully’s Dodgers a six and a half game lead on the San Francisco Giants. A balanced attack that sees the LA squad second in ERA and second in batting average, the Dodgers seem poised for a return to the playoffs.
Of the six teams currently in first place the Rangers and Dodgers are the only two teams I see atop the standings come October.
Meaning the fun is just beginning!
Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt
Patrick is a diehard Chicago sports fan and an avid college football fan, particularly the SEC. Patrick is the host of “The Wake-up Call,” a weekly sports show on Sportstownchicago.com every Wednesday morning from 8-10. View his show’s website here. And read more of Patrick’s blogs here.
Chicago’s “All-City” Pitching Staff
Matt Garza (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In my blog Friday I wrote about the “All-City Lineup” today I will compile a five man starting rotation and a six man bullpen.
Starters
Ryan Dempster – The number one starter for the team despite not recording a win. Not entirely his fault though as he sports a dazzling 1.74 era and a whip of 0.97. Hitters are hitting a meager .196 off him and carries 4:1 k/BB ratio. The Cubs opening day starter should have four wins on his resume this year if not for absolutely no run support.
Jake Peavy – Reverting to the form he displayed during his Cy Young campaign in 2007 as a member of the San Diego Padres and looking like the pitcher White Sox General Mangers Ken Williams once traded four pitchers for. 4-1 with a 2.65 era and more importantly has gone atleast six innings of seven of his eight starts.
Matt Garza – In his second season as a Cub, Garza has pitched better than his 2-1 record would suggest. His 2.58 era has kept the Cubs in many games while the offense tried to give him some run support. Garza is plagued by the similar anemic offense that has yet to give Dempster much support when he is on the mound, and could easily have twice as many wins as he currently has if not for a lack of support.
Jeff Samardzija – The former All- American wide receiver for Notre Dame has found a home in the starting rotation after working out of the bullpen the last few years. He is tied for the team lead with four wins and strikes out more than one batter per inning with a nifty era of 3.00. His future is bright and is one of the hardest throwing starters in the entire National League.
Chris Sale – Tied for the team lead with Peavy at four and an era under three for the young lefty earns him a spot on the “All-City” staff. While the Sox aren’t sure if he is a starter or a closer, the rotation needed a lefty to round out the staff and Sale gets the nod over Paul Maholm of the Cubs. Sale has a high ceiling if he can stay healthy.
The Bullpen
James Russell and Raphael Dolis – The Cubs have had a great deal of problems finding a reliable arm to turn to in late inning pressure situations, and while each has had their down moments, they also represent the two best the Cubs have to offer. Russell has a 1.06 era and hitters are batting only .208 off of Dolis thus far on the season.
Nate Jones, Jesse Crain, and Matt Thornton- The rookie Jones has been a pleasant surprise to the Sox and his 1.37 era is evident of that. Crain has just nine innings under his belt this season but hitters are hitting below the Mendoza Line off his pitches, so he earns the spot. The final set-up man job goes to Matt Thornton despite his three blown saves out of necessity and the lack of quality arms to choose from.
The Closer
Addison Reed- Young and inexperienced, but has a lot of talent in his arm and has the ability to strike a hitter out which is essential to success as a late inning reliever, especially a closer. Reed is a perfect four for four in save chances this season and could be a good one for a long time on the Southside.
The bullpen on both sides of town has had it’s fair share of turnover, but combined into one super pen, it actually looks pretty solid on paper. Let me know what you think and how yours would look.
Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt
Patrick is a diehard sports fan and former football player from Chicago. Patrick is a fan of the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks and is an avid college football fan, particularly the SEC. Patrick is the host of “The Wake Up Call,” a weekly sports show on Sportstownchicago.com every Wednesday morning from 8-10. View his show’s website here.
Baseball’s Civil War in Chicago
For as long as there has been two professional baseball teams playing in Chicago the two sides have despised each other that would make the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s proud.
As the City of broad shoulders prepares for another Civil War between the Cubs and Sox, I have already grown tired of the sophomoric and ignorant stereotypes that both fan bases throw back and forth at each other.
I have often found it humorous for one to be a fan of both teams, and I have yet to wrap my brain around having two favorite teams in any sports. However, is it possible to be a Cubs or Sox fan and not have the urge to throw the same tired insults at the other team, their fans, and their ballpark?
Denigrating one team does not make your team superior, it makes you look foolish.
I am a Cubs fan and support them through good times and bad. In many ways it is a marriage and as many times as I get disappointed or angry with the team, I always come back to them and believe that next year is right around the corner.
I am as loyal as they come concerning the supporting of my team. This is something that many Chicagoans pride themselves on. This trait is what makes Chicago fans the greatest in the world. This is not a biased opinion.
This fact is backed by my viewing Yankee fans boo Derek Jeter, Philadelphia fans boo Santa Claus, Los Angeles fans lose a football franchise on more than one occasion, and countless other cities struggle to fill their stadiums and arenas. Have you seen the empty seats in Miami during Heat games and the thousands of empty seats in Atlanta during the Braves decade of dominance in the ‘90’s?
This series brings out the worst in Chicago fans and a sample of what you will hear in any bar this weekend will go like this:
Cub fan: “The White Sox fans don’t care about their team and that’s why they can’t sell out their stadium.”
Sox fan: “Sox fans are just smarter and we don’t support a bad team unlike Cub fans who just go to Wrigley to get drunk. They don’t even pay attention to the game.”
Cubs fan: “At least our park is a historical monument and full of history and beauty unlike that monstrosity named after a phone company.”
Sox fan: “Well our park is clean and you don’t have to worry about concrete falling on your head or walking a mile to use the bathroom.”
Cubs fan: “No but the umpires and first base coaches need to worry about being assaulted.”
Sox fan: “Well your announcers are awful. All Ron Santo did was moan and groan. He was just a fan in the booth.”
Cubs fan: “Have you heard Hawk Harrelson?!”
Sox fan: “At least we won a World Series.”
Cubs fan: “That’s right; you have now won as many as you’ve thrown in the last 100 years.”
Tell me how many times you have heard this exact conversation?
I am willing to bet the answer is far too many.
My plea for Cubs and Sox fans this weekend is that we all get along. I pray no fights break in or around the stadium. The past few years have seen an increase in hostility, aggression, and drunken belligerence. Let us remember this is the city that brought us affable and players who personified class in guys like Ernie Banks, Luke Appling, Ron Santo, Minnie Minoso, Ryne Sandberg, and the man in the White Sox dugout this weekend, Robin Ventura among many others.
For three days I urge the fans of both sides to represent the best the city has to offer and not act like Albert Belle and Milton Bradley.
I am rooting for three well played competitive games and if the Cubs lose Friday afternoon, you better believe I will have my Cubs gear on for Saturday night’s game under the lights.
You will not see me bashing the White Sox if they beat the Cubs in every game this year, sure I will be disappointed, but more than if the Cardinals came into town and swept the series. That is the team’s real rival. I would think the best White Sox fans would agree in the same vein agree that they are more concerned with gaining ground on Detroit and Cleveland in the standings.
I am concerned about the fans on both allegiances that do not recognize this fact and have a distorted sense of reality. These are the fans that participate in conversations like the one I wrote about earlier and get tossed out of games and bars for engaging in buffoonery.
Both have great fans but it is the clowns to the left and jokers to the right who ruin it for the true fans.
Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt
Patrick is a diehard sports fan and former football player from Chicago. Patrick has been a fan of the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks from birth and is an avid college football fan, particularly the SEC. Patrick is the host of “The Wake Up Call,” a weekly sports show on Sportstownchicago.com every Wednesday morning from 8-10. View his show’s website here.
Chicago’s “All- City” Lineup
This year’s first edition of the Cross-town Classic between the Cubs and White Sox finds both teams battling inconsistency as the Cubs find themselves in last place and the Sox looking up at the Tigers and surprising Indians in the American League Central.
Each team has had their fair share of surprises and disappointments six weeks into the season while trying to establish an identity under their rookie managers all the while facing the pressure from a rabid fan base desperate for a winner.
I’ll take a look at the roster of both teams and form the ultimate “All- City” roster. No doubt some fan favorites will be left off the list and with the games in Wrigley Field this weekend, a designated hitter will be absent from the roster.
This will be a two-part series with the lineup unveiled today and the pitching rotation to be announced Saturday. In addition, the decision who will be managing the roster will be announced Saturday.
With both teams struggling to varying degrees at the back end of the bullpen, the toughest decision may be who gets the ball in the ninth inning.
First Base: Bryan LaHair
The 29-year-old is finally getting a chance to show what he can do in the Major League level after dominating in the minor leagues. His numbers are strikingly similar to Paul Konerko who is having a fine season himself hitting .362, but LaHair gets the nod due to a higher on base and slugging percentage.
Second Base: Darwin Barney
Barney gets the start even though he isn’t lighting the world on fire hitting .264, but Gordon Beckham is hitting below the Mendoza Line and not hitting for any sort of power.
Shortstop: Starlin Castro
A slam-dunk choice to be the city’s shortstop and should be on the “All- City” roster for years to come, but how many more at shortstop? His defense has been an issue, where his counterpart Alexei Ramirez excels. However, Castro’s 49 hits, 12 stolen bases, and a .322 batting average vault him ahead of Ramirez.
Third Base: Ian Stewart
Much like second base, this position is a weakness on both sides of town. After the departure of Aramis Ramirez to Milwaukee via free agency, the Cubs traded for Stewart who is hitting only .200, but has shown some pop in the last week. The Sox Brent Morel has essentially been an automatic out at the bottom of the Sox lineup hitting to the tune of .177 with a paltry .195 slugging percentage.
Left Field: Dayan Viciedo
If you told me that Viciedo would get the nod over Soriano in March, I likely would have told you Viciedo would be having a great start as a first year starter in Chicago. However, he gets the call due to Soriano’s rapid decline more than outstanding offensive statistics. Viciedo is hitting with more authority than Soriano, six homeruns to only two, even though the RBI’s aren’t there for “Tank” quite yet. He will not be a colossal defensive liability either that Soriano presents.
Center Field: Alejandro De Aza
Tough call here over Tony Campana. After taking over for the traded Marlon Byrd, Campana brought the speed element to the top of the Cubs lineup and his nine stolen bases and presence on the base paths has added a dimension lacking in the Cubs lineup for years. His energy sparks his teammates, but De Aza gets the start for his larger body of work and ability to drive in a run with a little more pop in his bat. Toughest call yet in the “All- City” lineup and one sure to generate some outcry from Cubs fans.
Right Field: David DeJesus
The free agent signee leads the Cubs in runs scored with 22 more than double the output of Sox right fielder Alex Rios who still hasn’t shown the ability to hit for power with one home run on the year. DeJesus has one as well, a pinch hit grand slam, but as a leadoff hitter he is paid to get on base, not hit for power, but he has done both better than Rios with an OPS nearly 50 points higher.
Catcher: AJ Pierzynski
Much like the shortstop position, picking Pierzynski over Geovany Soto is a no brainer. He is hitting .299 compared to Soto and his .161 avg and has 26 RBI to Soto’s six. Case closed.
Final tally has five Cubs and three White Sox on the eight man lineup. The toughest calls were De Aza over Campana and LaHair over Konerko. No designated hitter means Adam Dunn is left out of the “All-City” lineup despite his strong comeback year,
What do you think? How does your lineup look?
Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt
Patrick is a diehard sports fan and former football player from Chicago. Patrick has been a fan of the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks from birth and is an avid college football fan, particularly the SEC. Patrick is the host of “The Wake Up Call,” a weekly sports show on Sportstownchicago.com every Wednesday morning from 8-10. View his show’s website here. And read more of Patrick’s blogs here.
Chicago’s Rookie Managers
After the season both Chicago baseball teams experienced last season a change at the managerial position was a must as the teams hope for a breath of fresh air and a new direction for the 2012 season.
The White Sox traded Ozzie Guillen to the Miami Marlins saying adios to the manager that led the team to its first World Series since 1918. The outspoken manager wore his welcome out in Chicago after butting heads with General Manager Kenny Williams for the better part of the last three years.
When management declined to offer Ozzie an extension, the two sides agreed to the split that netted the Sox two minor league prospects from the Marlins, the Guillen once served as third base coach during the team’s 2003 World Series winning season.
The White Sox surprised many when they hired former Sox third baseman Robin Ventura who had zero experience coaching or managing on any level in baseball.
The decision to part with the manager and coaching staff from last season’s staff was made for different reasons as the team’s record under Mike Quade sealed the fate of the first year manager.
Finishing with the 6th worst record in Major League Baseball the affable Quade often appeared to be outmatched and in over his head as he struggled to manage the team’s roster.
Quade was particularly stubborn in his refusal to play the younger talent on the roster in favor of struggling veterans conceivably to give him a better record and a higher chance of returning for his sophomore season in the dugout.
The move backfired as Quade was told he would not return after the hiring of new President Theo Epstein who hired Dale Sveum, whom he had as the third base coach in Boston. Sveum was most recently the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Many Cub fans had clamored for the hiring of former Cub icon and Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg who had climbed the ranks in the Cubs minor league system, having success at every stop.
The hiring of Sveum turned off a plethora of fans fantasizing about seeing “Ryno” in a Cubs uniform again and leading the team to the first World Series win since 1908. Alas, Cubs fans were urged to believe in Theo and trust his decision making, after all he was the boy genius that ended the Red Sox curse with two titles in a four year span as General Manager of the Boston club.
Two teams in the third largest market in America hiring rookie managers. Both fan bases surprised and perhaps even a little confused by the hiring of the two men put in charge of leading the teams back to the playoffs.
Ventura fills the shoes of Chicago’s last manager to bring a championship to the city, and will operate without the off the field distractions Guillen brought with him.
Sveum doesn’t have to do too much for Cubs fans to forget the Mike Quade era. However, the pressure to win for Sveum is immense as the fan base is trying to remain patient under new management albeit with a clenched jaw and pursed lips.
The two managers will face each other in this weekend’s Cross-town classic where they will get a taste of the rivalry from the steps of the dugout.
Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt
Patrick is a diehard sports fan and former football player from Chicago, the greatest city in the world. The home of deep dish pizza, the greatest skyline in the world, and the best sports fans in America. Patrick has been a fan of the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks from birth and is an avid college football fan, particularly the SEC. Patrick is the host of “The Wake Up Call,” a weekly sports show on Sportstownchicago.com every Wednesday morning from 8-10. View his show’s website here. To read more of Patrick’s blogs click here.
Cubs Preview: Week of 5-14
Two separate two game series vs. the reigning World Series champion Cardinals and the defending NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies await the Cubs before the return of Interleague play and the Cross-town Classic with the Chicago White Sox.
Monday 5-14
After salvaging one game of the three game series in Milwaukee the Cubs head to the Gateway to the West and take on the division leading St. Louis Cardinals for a two game set.
Ryan Dempster and his 1.02 era will pitch in hopes of getting some run support and nailing down his first win of the season. In fact, Dempster has not recorded a win in his last 14 starts, a string dating back to last August.
Pitching for the Cardinals is Jake Westbrook who has received more runs in his starts than any other National League pitcher. Westbrook brings a 1.76 era with him to tonight’s start at Busch Stadium.
If the Cubs are to win Dempster will need to get some run support, and it figures to be tough opposed by a pitcher with an era under two.
Tuesday 5-15
Paul Maholm toes the rubber in the finale of the series and he’s been on fire of late for the Cubs winning his last four starts, and only giving up a total of three earned runs over that span. He is however 0-1 this season vs. St. Louis.
Kyle Lohse aims for his sixth win on the year as he battles back from a hamstring strain he suffered during his last start. Lohse enters Tuesday afternoon’s game with a 5-1 record and a stellar 2.08 era for the defending World Series champs and current National League Central leaders.
Wednesday May 16
The Cubs return home for another two game series, an odd scheduling quirk, to face the struggling Philadelphia Phillies with Matt Garza opposed by the Phillies Vance Worley.
Garza had his shortest outing of his season over the weekend in Milwaukee and will look to prove that was an aberration as he recovered from the flu bug that cost him a start. Garza brings a 2-1 record with a 2.56 era into the first game on the Cubs homestand.
Worley took the loss against the Cubs and Garza earlier this season in Philly and faces a Cubs lineup that has shown signs of life the last week as they look to climb out of the division cellar.
Thursday 5-17
The series comes to a close with a decided advantage to the Phillies as their ace Roy Halladay gets the call vs. the Cubs Chris Volstad, who remains winless and sports a lofty 6.92 era into Thursday’s nightcap.
Halladay has been a tough luck loser this season for the same reasons Ryan Dempster has not recorded a win to date, and that is a result of poor run support. Halladay has already taken a loss to the Cubs this season and will look to get some revenge on the Cubs lineup. He has to be thinking his boys can get some runs against Volstad, who hasn’t won in his last 18 starts.
Stay tuned for the Cross-town Classic preview this Thursday for the “All-City” Team and series preview.
Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt
Patrick is a diehard sports fan and former football player from Chicago, the greatest city in the world. The home of deep dish pizza, the greatest skyline in the world, and the best sports fans in America. Patrick has been a fan of the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks from birth and is an avid college football fan, particularly the SEC. Patrick is the host of “The Wake Up Call,” a weekly sports show on Sportstownchicago.com every Wednesday morning from 8-10. View his show’s website here.
