By Andrew Reilly

MLB Network will air The Colorful Life Of Ken Harrelson, a one-hour documentary on the life and times of the Sox play-by-play man, this Thursday at 6 p.m. CST. Ahead of its premiere, the Beachwood Bureau Of Unofficial Sneak Peeks is proud to share some of the highlights.
Hawk On Sabermetrics: “If there is a statistic for flimflam and gobbledygook, then these guys have been leading the league in it since day one, because if my five decades in the game have taught me one thing it’s that baseball is not a game that can be measured and quantified, and the idea that it can is just b.s.”

Read More

Posted on July 16, 2013

By Steve Rhodes

Answering your burning questions.
Dear Cub Factor: Will a new Jumbotron help the Cubs win?
No more than a new Jumbo Dog with Jumbo Coke and Jumbo Fries. It may generate Jumbo Dollars but those will go right into the Jumbo Pockets of the Ricketts’ family, who are Jumbo Jagoffs.
Dear Cub Factor: Why so sour? Isn’t the farm system loaded with talent now?
Not as much talent as the St. Louis Cardinals’ farm system – and they didn’t have to put a century of utter futility to do build it. It’s not as if other teams aren’t also drafting hot prospects – or that the Cubs haven’t played this game before.

Read More

Posted on July 15, 2013

By Roger Wallenstein

The bad news was the “dreaded lead-off walk” that Matt Thornton yielded in the bottom of the 11th inning yesterday. Of course, the good news was the color of his Sox – Red and not White.
In case you missed it, Thornton strode to the mound in a 2-2 game in sun-drenched Oakland for his first appearance since 2005 in anything but a White Sox uniform. Matt walked the first hitter who advanced to third on a sacrifice and ground out. Thornton walked the next guy before Oakland’s Josh Donaldson delivered a soft single to right field, sending Thornton and his new Boston teammates down to defeat.
After making a team-record 512 relief appearances for the White Sox and giving up fewer hits than innings pitched in six of his eight seasons with the South Siders, Thornton was the first to be traded last week in what is rumored to be an active period for general manager Rick Hahn before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline.

Read More

Posted on July 15, 2013

All Sexualities, Skill Levels Welcome

“Currently, the CGHA fields three teams named the Red Liners. The Johnny’s Red Liners play in the C3 division at Johnny’s Ice House, the North Shore Red Liners play in the recreational division at the Northbrook Park District rink and the Outdoor Red Liners play in the Chicago Outdoor Hockey League.”

Read More

Posted on July 12, 2013

By Dan O’Shea

As we approach the MLB All-Star break early next week, there again are rumors flying that the league is set to hand out suspensions related to the Biogenesis scandal. Of course, we have heard reports before that the league was this/close to suspending several players, and it still hasn’t happened.
If the suspensions do come soon, they may serve as a bit of a mood killer for the second half of what has been a pretty fun season so far.

Read More

Posted on July 10, 2013

By Steve Rhodes

The Cub Factor Alert System has just issued a 24-hour severe Cubbie Occurence Warning: It’s raining out and Matt Garza could slip and twist an ankle, or bump a funny bone, or break an arm, so can we just put him to sleep until he’s traded?
If you see Garza in your area, do not approach. He’s a Cub and therefore dangerous to himself and those around him. Call the authorities and let them take him down with a tranquilizer gun.
And if you see Jed or Theo, tell them to not get cute. Trying to drive a bidding war is not advisable given the likelihood that Garza will sneeze and break a rib. Trade him before I get to the end of this column or you’ll be sorry.

Read More

Posted on July 8, 2013

By Jim Coffman

The trade of Scott Feldman is all about Chris Bosio. The Cub pitching coach has had great success over the past few years taking mediocre pitchers such as Paul Maholm, Scott Feldman and especially Travis Wood and helping them get over the hump.
On the other side those three have found enough sustained success to become significant trade targets (the first two) and an All-Star.
And if Bosio can work his magic with now former Oriole power pitchers Jake Arrieta (assigned to Triple-A for now) and Pedro Strop (joined the Cubs and looked good Sunday in 1.1 innings of relief), Cub fans will eventually look back at last week’s trade of Feldman and backup catcher Steve Clevenger as a success. Fans can do so without trying to break down whether the additional international bonus pool money part of the deal made a significant difference – or not.

Read More

Posted on July 8, 2013

By Roger Wallenstein

When you lose 27 of your last 37 games, score a paltry seven runs in nine games for your newly-named All-Star pitcher, rank next to last in all of baseball in runs scored, and field better than only two American League teams after being the best last year, you had better do something to put a positive spin on this mess of a 2013 season.
So last week Sox general manager Rick Hahn skipped town and flew to the Dominican Republic to hype the signing of a 16-year-old kid to a $1.6 million dollar contract, the most cash the franchise has ever shelled out for a Latin prospect.
“We are sure [he] will have a tremendous impact,” gushed Hahn, talking about 6-foot-3, 225-pound Micker Adolfo Zapata, the second-ranked international prospect by MLB.com. (Baseball America has him at No. 9.)
Of course, that remains to be seen. Theoretically, first the kid needs to take driver’s ed and Algebra II, and then we’ll see whether he can catch up to a 95-mph fastball or hit the cutoff man.

Read More

Posted on July 8, 2013

By Steve Rhodes

Every second that Matt Garza remains a Cub is a bad second for Cubs fans.
Not only is he at his highest value, but he is a Cub, which means that every second is perilously fraught with danger.
Matt Garza is a ticking injury bomb. Cubs executives need to ensconse him in velvet and keep him in a temperature-controlled man cave until a trade is signed and sealed. Don’t let him drive, don’t let him near kitchen knives, don’t let him mow his lawn or take a hot tub. Maybe put him to sleep for a few days.
Because otherwise, we all know what’s coming . . .

Read More

Posted on July 1, 2013

By Jim Coffman

Garza has to go. And so does Gregg. Otherwise, a major player dump at the trading deadline later this month doesn’t make sense for the Cubs, who are one win away from a successful long road trip in their latest stretch of schedule (just one victory over the A’s in the next three days gives the Cubs at least five successful results in nine games away from home).
Hey Theo, don’t listen to all the geniuses calling for yet another purge. You can add a little pitching depth at the deadline without devastating this year’s team.
One hopes that Epstein has started to figure out that giving this team a chance to at least play .500 ball in the second half matters.

Read More

Posted on July 1, 2013