Big Z Swinging the Lumber

When asked about his 2009 slump by manager Lou Pinella, Carlos Zambrano answered with confidence.

"Hey, this is the National League. You have to be able to do anything you can for your team," said Zambrano, who previously had been 0-for-9 this season. "It's early."

Zambrano pitched his way towards his 2nd victory of the season, going seven strong innings, but this was not his highlight of the game. Big Z went 3-4 at the plate and missed the cycle by only a triple. Big Z has always prided himself on his plate appearances, oftentimes breaking the bat over his knee, reminiscent of Bo Jackson in the early 1990's, after a strikeout or missed bunt.


Check out this video:

Although Big Z may have lost a bit on his fastball, he can still carry the Cubs this season. He plays with passion, sometimes to his own demise, but nevertheless, he is someone the Cubs need to perform to win the National League Central for the third straight year.

Ted Lilly is the Number 1

I believe Ted Lilly has become the Cubs greatest asset.

Over the past two seasons as a Cub, the lefty has gone 32-17 and moved into contention as the Cubs "go to guy" on the mound. In Lilly's last two starts, he has not given up an earned run in 13 2/3 innings, and has 10 strikeouts. Against the Reds in his last start, he did not walk a batter over seven innings, giving up five hits. The Reds' only score off him was set up by a throwing error he made fielding a bunt.

His greatest quality may be the fact that he is durable and stays off of the Disabled List. As a Cub, Lilly has surpassed the 200 inning mark in both seasons, which is considered the highest mark for a starting pitcher. In 2007 and 2008, he started 34 games in each season, which was 2nd and 1st in the National League, respectively.

He may not be as electrifying as the likes of Rich Harden or Carlos Zambrano, but the guy is a fierce competitor who knows how to get the job done. Without Lilly, the Cubs starting rotation would be missing a key piece to their success.

Milton Bradley Lights A Fire

Sorry for my lack of Cubs Bloggin' the past week or so; I've been trying to concentrate on my feature for the final project. In family-related news, I will become an uncle AGAIN in June and my brother Blake has just proposed to his girlfriend Marni, who has an athlete friend who will be her made-of-honor (they went to Hononegah High together in Rockton, Ill.), you may recognize her by taking a peak here.

It has been quite the week in Chicago sports: The Bulls have a legitimate chance to defeat the defending champion Boston Celtics, in a series that has seen explosive play from Chicago guards Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon and also chippy play by Celtic guard Ray Allen in their game two win.

The Blackhawks are up 2-1 on the Calgary Flames in the Western Conference First Round Playoffs.

And now to the good stuff: The Cubs, after a two-game split with the Colorado Rockies, took 2 out of 3 from in-division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. In that series, Milton Bradley was ejected in his first Wrigley Field plate appearance for arguing balls and strikes. We all knew what Bradley was bringing to the North Side: In Finance they call it "No Arbitrage", for all of us J-School majors, this simply means he is high-risk, high-reward.

I gotta be honest on this one: I like the intensity.

When Sweet Lou snapped off a year ago, he lit a fire. When Barrett jacked AJ Pierzynski, the Cubs started to perform up to their potential. Do fights and arguments always mean that a team will play better? No.

I'm not saying that the Cubs are playing badly so far, although their bullpen has issued more walks than my dad has given to my 18-year-old Golden Retriever. All I am implying is that maybe this will show some fire, some grit, some NO More Loveable Losers From The City. In some years past, the Cubs have played passively, particularly in the playoffs. I think that in 2009, they need to play with something to prove, not to me as a fan, but to all of the MLB.

The need to prove that they are The Team. That this is Their Year and that they will not sit back on their heals anymore.

If anyone is watching the Cubs/Reds game right now, I hope you noticed the "Cat" that just ran onto the field...I wonder, who is the first sports columnist to pick this one apart? I'm sure we will hear the echoes I always hate...a five letter word of pure ignorance, it starts with C and ends with -URSE.

Kaeding Update

Thursday, April 16:

We had a light practice today. I woke up at 7 and was in the training room by 7:30. More heating and out to the tennis courts for Soccer Tennis. It was supposed to be chill, but I'm a little too competitive and the game turned into a smack-talking fest. After an hour we watched film and I went to my lecture at 9:30. Got back home, ate a salami sandwich (my fave) and went to a captains meeting with Coach before my AWESOME PR class (which rob decided to skip). Grabbed ice cream with a friend and edited my paper that was due in my 4:30 class. After class I went right to work at Shorts. It was real busy, so it was a good night. Grabbed a quick beer with some regulars after work and was home around 11:00. Stayed up late, again, to watch my boy Stephen

"Life Itself is the Most Wonderful Fairy Tale"---Jackie Kaeding

Wednesday, April 15:

Woke up at 7 this morning with a raging headache…could have been because I was up until 1:30am watching Stephen Colbert (he’s my guy). Ate some Corn Chex and was out the door by 8…realized I forgot my cleats at home so I had to turn around and grab them – I didn’t have a lot of time for my daily treatment (throw a heat pack on the groin and get “magic sticked”…that’s what I call it when the trainer rubs out my quad with this weird, foot-long stick), but I pulled it together in time and went out to the field. Today was the first practice without long sleeves---It was money. After practice, lifting again, got a $15 parking ticket at Carver because those jerks don’t give us passes, and we were done a half hour early. That extra half hour was time spent shaving my legs…haven’t done that in a while. Walked to class at 1, stayed at AJB and worked on a paper between classes, went to my 5:30, done at 8, walked home and ate a late dinner, and by the time I showered again I was ready for bed. But I gotta finish this 4-page paper first…so now I’m sitting here in my pj's writing this daily diary to procrastinate a little bit more. Thanks, Robert

Jackie Kaeding: A Look Inside the Athlete

My final project for Sports Writing will be an in-depth profile piece on University of Iowa soccer player Jaclyn Kaeding. She does it all: Trains, takes a full-load of classes and works at the Iowa City pub "Short's Burgers and Shine." I will be following Jackie over the next few weeks to gain a perspective on her life both on and off of the soccer field. I have asked Jackie to keep a "diary" of random thoughts of her days, here is the first installment:

Monday, April 13:

Not happy because I woke up to a text from my coach at 7:00, a half hour before my alarm was supposed to go off. I had to spread the word that practice would be inside today...it was pouring rain and 20 degrees. 1.5 hours of practice and a 30 minute session from our sports psychologist. I ate about three pounds of ham on Easter Sunday so it took me a while to get my legs moving. Today’s practice was amazing because all we did was 5v5…a whole practice of straight competition. After that we drive to Carver for an hour of lifting. For 6 weeks we’ve been building up the weight on Olympic lifts like (squats, hang clean, etc), and this week we are unloading/taking it easy. After all the squats and core work, we break it down and by 12:00 I’m in my car and on my way to the second part of the day. I have a little less than an hour to shower and slap together a sandwich and I’m back out the door to my first class of the week. I grab some groceries and a birthday card for my buddy at CVS and I’m home in time for a nap and dinner. I work on a paper until ten and fall asleep to my T.V.

Tuesday, April 14:

I got to sleep in today. Woke up without my alarm at 8:30, had enough time to stop at Bruggers before my 9:30 lecture. Coach gave us the day off today (NCAA rules-have to have one day off every week, though I’m sure we’d be practicing 8 days a week if it weren’t for the guidelines), so I get a lot of time to relax. My room is in desperate need of a cleaning, checks need to be cashed, roommate needs a ride to class, I continue working on my paper, have a meeting with soccer teammates and go for a little shake out/mile run. Now that I’m nearing my 5^th year I’m sore most of the time. Recent injections in my inflamed hip make me feel like I’m an 80 year-old. I grab a shower and hit up a restaurant with my family – my cousin is in town from Philadelphia so it’s a nice chance to catch up. After dinner I head straight to a film screening for class at 8 and we’re there until 10:30 (long-winded professor). I have a little time to chat with my 7 roommates and I’m in bed watching Real Housewives of New York City-all of those shallow people make me feel better about myself.

Cubs Quote of the Day

Alright, since the baseball season is long and can become tedious, I am going to try and post my "Cubs Quote of the Day" every few days, just to give me something random to look for on the endless sites I visit each day. Instead of posting after each game, I will post my thoughts on the games at the end of the series, for sake of space and my fingers' willpower.

"That's pretty classy," Piniella said. "Prince is a classy young man anyway."

Yes, Lou, that was classy, and the way baseball should be played. Anyone who has the same name as the man who sang the song "Purple Rain" is alright in my book. Stay Classy, Prince.

Cubs Steal Series Up North

After a give-away loss Friday night, the Chicago Cubs bounced back to win the series' final two games against the Milwaukee Brewers. Led by the bat of Alfonso Soriano (belting two long home runs and also joining a very exclusive club during the series) and the jumping ability of Reed Johnson, who robbed an otherwise game-tying Grand Slam by Brewers first basemen Prince Fielder on Sunday night, the Cubs actually won the series (Hold your breath here Cubs fans) on...PATIENCE. Yes, patience at the plate. The Brew Crew issued four (4) bases-loaded walks to the Cubs during Sunday night's game. It was a change of pace for Pinella, considering Kevin Gregg and the rest of the reliever's felt it necessary to throw 55-foot, 3-2 sliders to pinch hitter Chris Duffy, whose last contact with wood was the furniture he moved last week. For the series, the atmosphere was reminiscent of a playoff series in April and both Cubs and Brewers fans alike made the journey to Miller Park (which is an excellent ballpark, by the way). I refuse to call the Cubs/Brewers matchup THE RIVARLY OF THE CENTRAL quite yet, but it is definately becoming a great series to watch. Good baseball (for the most part) and good competition (See: Sportsmanship of Prince Fielder after Reed Johnson robbed that ball). All-in-all, great roadtrip for the Cubs to start 09 off. I'll take 4-2 with a smile.

Lastly, my good friend and former roommate, we will give him the alias Stewie Griffin, is an "avid" Milwaukee Brewers fan and was born and raised in Milwaukee. He is a stubborn fan and to my knowledge, the fan that no one likes: He acts like he is a die-hard (you know the type), but doesn't know when the Brewers play and couldn't name 30% of the total roster. On Friday night my cell was lighting up after I had just come down from my verbal assault of Kevin Gregg and the stupid mistake(s) the Cubs had just completed to give the Brewers the series opening win and it read "Stewie Griffin Calling...." I decided that in the best interest of our friendship that I need not take the call and promptly responded with a text message which read, "There is a reason they play 162 games..." Being the respectful fan that I am (I consider myself a diehard Cubs fan and don't feel it necessary to succomb to such ignorant sportsfanmanship), I decided not to call Joe, oops I mean Stewie, back on Saturday or Sunday night....Instead, we will just wait and see because the Cubs and Brewers still see each other 15 more times in 2009. But if you are reading this Stewie, here is my revenge, for all of my classmates and Cubs fans to see...

Onward to Wrigley on Monday! I'm guessing the weather will be beautiful as it always is in Chicago in April.

Mike Fontenot's Hair is Awesome

The Cubs' offensive onslaught of the Houston Astros Wednesday night in a 11-6 win captured a 2-1 series win to start off the 2009 season.  Kusuke Fukudome led the Cubs with four hits and a home run and The Bayou Basher (Fontenot) matched a career high with four RBI's.  Ted Lilly looked less than stellar, giving up four home runs, yet still receiving the win.  

Now to the important stuff:  As I watched the win last night, I couldn't help but notice how sweet Mike Fontenot's blonde locks were!  I think he should just grow em' out for the remainder of the season, Al-la Matt Clement's chin-beard of the 2003 season.  Chicks dig it, Mike!  

Athletes in the past have had some serious up-do's, mullets, shaved heads, "the chinstrap" beard and many more...

Give me a few of your favorites!  

Why the Strike of 1994 was Inevitable

• 

They picked a bad season to be having career years.

Tony Gwynn was closing in on Ted Williams' batting average record, the up-and-coming phenom Ken Griffey Jr. ended the season with 40 home runs and the Montreal Expos were the front-runner to win the World Series with a record of 74-40.

In the blink of an eye it was gone: The records, the averages, the home runs and the money.

The Major League Baseball strike of 1994 was as inevitable as Phil Jackson drawing-up a last second shot for Michael Jordan in a timeout.

The Major League Baseball strike ultimately cost owners millions of dollars in lost revenue and the disillusionment for fans across the country.

The tension between owners and the MLBPA didn't happen overnight and could have been avoided if the owners would have been more flexible in the early days of salary negotiations and free agency issues. The owners across Major League Baseball have one interest and that is the bottom-line. Cash is king in Major League Baseball and the owners wanted it all for their own endeavors. As Helyar notes in Lords of the Realm, owners such as Gussie Busch wanted exclusive rights on advertising, specifically his Budweiser beer ads. In Atlanta, Ted Turner was building a behemoth television network that brought in more money for his franchise then had been seen up to date. The owners were making money and the players were unhappy at their compensation program.

As the Collective Bargaining Agreement expired in December of 1993, the foundation of the house began to crumble. The main issue stalling the two parties was the owners desire to implement a salary cap and the players did not feel that a salary cap was fair compensation for their on-the-field attributes.

In June of 1994, the owners presented their Collective Bargaining Agreement to the MLBPA:

• Seven year contract that split total revenue 50/50, while "phasing in" a salary cap over a span of four years
• Provided revenues didn't fall, players would be guaranteed $1 billion total in salary and benefits during 1994
• Limited salary arbitration, but allowed players with 4-6 years experience to become a free agent

This proposal contained several shortcomings:

• Players "share" of revenue would decrease from 56% to 50%
• Players did not want to share revenue and the loss of arbitration would remove major impetus' to higher paid and more deserving salaries
• Free agency was becoming liberalized, but only on the catch that a club could retain a player by matching the seeking clubs offer
• Health care, pensions and other benefits would be taken from the players' 50% revenue share

However, these shortcomings would not matter to the owners of Major League Baseball. They wanted to sign players for fair market value and sign them to contracts that they thought the players deserved. The owners thought that free agency was flooding the market for players and allowing under-performing players to sign lucrative deals. In the case of revenue sharing, the owners felt that fans were coming to their stadiums, to watch their players and enjoy their product. In the eyes of the owner, the players were out of touch and out of line.

As Heylar notes, Curt Flood was traded because of his desire to an increased salary. He was a landmark in St. Louis and Gussie Busch, the Cardinals owner, refused to pay him fairly. The debate on "fair market value" for players could have been avoided in 1994 if owners' from earlier generations had been more flexible to the idea of fair compensation plans. As ticket prices soared and advertisements streamed in, the revenues that the owners saw were becoming increasingly higher. Economically speaking, as supply (revenues) goes up, so does demand (the players right to higher compensation programs).

The strike of 1994 caused serious distress for America's national past-time. Along with the loss of revenue, the loss of regular season games and playoffs, the fans became disenchanted with Major League Baseball.

Where does it end? How do you diagram a fair compensation program? Who should be paid what? These are all questions that are out of my ballpark. I do know one thing, however, the owners can sit in their luxury box and say Player A should be paid 'this' and Player B 'that', but they are not on the field, leaving their emotions onto the field. They are financially devoted, yes.

But when do you draw the line on a game?

Words Just Can't Explain...

For anyone who reads this thing, here is what I couldn't read out-loud in class this morning. I could only get through the first few sentences before the sight of my father and grandfather together entered vividly into my mind. I was shocked at my reaction, all things considered. I feel as though it isn't fair that I receive full credit for the assignment because I didn't follow through with the reading, so here is the full shebang! So, here ya go, no tears, just my typed words:


I grew up playing sports.

My family rarely had “family dinners”, not because we didn’t love one another, but because the six children were always playing sports, going to after school camps and practices. It was instilled into me at a young age that winning is fun, and as my dad often puts it, “It is good to be king.”

I traveled throughout my childhood on a baseball team called Forest City Pallet, that ended up winning the Little League World Series in Jersey City, N.J., when I was 14. It was the best summer of my life. Not because of the wins (we went 85-7 that summer), but because it is the last time my grandfather and my father, together, saw me compete.

A little background for those unfamiliar with the Lotzer family tree: My father was a star athlete in high-school and college, playing for Rockford Boylan High and averaging 29 PPG over his three year varsity career and landing a full-ride to the University of Wisconsin. I don’t know exactly when he started drinking, but I remember it all too vividly the “chaos” that surrounded us during those times. He wasn’t violent, he was still a great person and he loved my family. He taught me everything I know about sports and I am grateful for that. He had a stroke this year and finally decided it was time to end the days of partying and find something deeper in life. I can see it in his eyes, the lost years, the lost opportunity, the lost promises.

My grandfather Ray was a great man. He was married to my grandmother Katherine for 68 years before he passed away in 2005 from a very difficult struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He played minor league ball for the Cubs and Yankees during the Great Depression. He gave my brothers and I a scorecard from the 1932 Yankees World Series game played at Wrigley Field in which Babe Ruth “called his shot”. Talk about priceless. Grandpa never missed one of my games. He was one of my biggest fans and I remember the first time I looked into the crowd and didn’t see him standing up with a smile on his face, his glasses larger than life, his depleted Cubs hat hanging over his ears and my grandmother attached to his side as though it were 40 years earlier.

It was tough for my father to go through this. He had everything in life: His parents lived in the same home for 70 years, he had six loving brothers and sisters and now he had a family of his own to support and love. But when my grandfather died, his drinking escalated and our relationship became distant.

I remember in Little League, before my final game, my dad, grandfather and I went to grab a quick bite to eat and then head to the stadium for the game. I did not know or understand that this would be the last time that they would see their youngest child and grandchild play in a game. I wish I could go back in time.

To me, having those two men in the crowd for my games was something I never realized the importance of until right now, at this very moment, in this very classroom. I worshiped the ground that they walked on and I was proud. Not proud because of their athletic accomplishments, but proud because I was lucky enough to see them together. And honestly, before seven months ago, it was the happiest I had seen my father in years.

That is the proudest and happiest moment of my sporting life. Not the winning shots I have had, the game winning touchdown runs or passes or the game winning hits. But the moment I saw my role models, my father Mark and my grandfather Ray, together at a little league baseball game.

Cubs Start 09 Campaign with Win in Houston

Carlos Zambrano pitched the cubs to a 4-2 victory on Monday night in Houston. Big Z went six innings, giving up one earned run while striking out six. It was his first opening day win in five attempts.

Soriano led the game off with a home run, his 50th career lead-off home run. Aramis Ramirez had a solo shot and Mike Fontenot added three hits.

The biggest positive for the Cubs may have been the relief pitching of Aaron Heilman, Neal Cotts and Carlos Marmol, all of whom earned a "Hold" in Monday night's game.

In other news, Kusoke Fukudome looked like the savior of 2008, going 0-4 in his 2009 debut. See what Tribune writer Steve Rosenbloom thinks of Fukudome batting 2nd in the order here.

Baseball season is underway and echoes of "This is the Cubs Year" is running rapidly throughout Cubs Nation. My thoughts? Easy Joben! (Bad attempt at humor if you have seen the movie I Love You, Man). It is early, Soriano will not hit 162 home runs and Big Z isn't going 36-0. Take win number one with a grain of salt and take it for what it is worth: Win number one out of 162.

The Greatest Day in Sports

I sit and type, as excited as an infant walking into some type of Candy Land abyss.

It is only 9:25 a.m. and I cannot concentrate on school, work, finding jobs after school, anything. I need 6:05 p.m. to be here, so I can sit down on my couch, grab a cold one, and turn my brain off until the Cubs record the final out of their first game.

Baseball season is finally upon us. I'm one of the college bred students who bitterly say the same thing every year on this day: "The National Championship is on tonight (Does the Big Ten still under-perform? HATERS!) and the Cubs play their season opener...So why do I have a test, a paper and two other assignments due tomorrow? This should be a national holiday!"

Well, sorry professors, my work will suck for the fourth consecutive year because I simply L-O-V-E this day in sports. I take it back, I don't just love sports; I am infatuated with it, I long for it, I think about it every second of every single day. Sports is the cheese in my macaroni, the syrup on my pancakes, the home cooked meal I've wanted since Christmas.

Sports fans, enjoy this day to the fullest. Go with your friends for a few good laughs and a few cold pints, because it is almost over for some of us, and it sucks.

Go Cubs!