When the news of A.J. signing with the Texas Rangers reached my ears, I started to have a funny feeling about how 2013 would play out.
Besides missing a guy who was consistent and steady as a hitter for the South Siders, A.J. was a hell of a leader. He got under the skin of opponents - as he used to do to the White Sox when he donned a Twins jersey to start his career.
A.J.'s presence with the staff is unquestioned. His baseball knowledge, combined with having one of the best pitching coaches in MLB in Don Cooper, has helped the White Sox in having one of the best front-to-back starting rotations in his time here.
Tyler Flowers has some big shoes to fill. Based on how long it took for the Sox brass to put their full support behind Flowers, I am hesitant to think he can even fill half of the shoes left behind by Pierzynski. You could say that A.J. was making it difficult for the White Sox to make Flowers their full-time catcher, but Flowers has done nothing to inspire my full confidence.
For this reason, among many others, I am having my doubts about the White Sox this year
Last year, I was wondering how Robin Ventura would handle his inaugural season as the skipper - I don't think there were many fans that didn't have this worry. By all reasonable accounts, Ventura succeeded, even though the White Sox blew a September division lead to the eventual World Series runner-ups.
The pitching staff stayed relatively healthy last year, with Jake Peavy managing to avoid the disabled list for the first time since 2007. However, I worry about the health of John Danks, who hasn't pitched since June. I am also skeptical of Jose Quintana, whose second-half ERA in 2012 (5.02) was over double what he did in the first half of the season. His K/BB ratio needs to improve or else we may see more of what we saw in the second half of 2012.
I do worry about the health of the top half of the rotation - it seems inevitable that Sale, Peavy and/or Danks will miss some time due to injury. I know it's hard to anticipate injury, but look at how delicate they treated Sale last year. Remember they almost made him the full-time closer in May despite his dominant performances? If that's not a sign of them worrying about his arm, I don't know what is. I get this feeling that Sale, like many young pitchers, is due for an injury early in his career that could sideline him a while - call it a gut feeling. Can Peavy be trusted to start another 32 games? Can Danks bounce back from his shoulder issues?
The bullpen remains a strength. Addison Reed enters his second year as the closer. His walks/hits allowed needs to improve if he wants to become a top-tier closer, but I see potential with him. Thornton, Nate Jones, Matt Lindstrom and whoever doesn't win the 5th spot in the rotation between Quintana and Hector Santiago will provide the set-up and long-relief work to get to Reed. On the face of it, the bullpen should be the team's calling card for winning games.
I'd say there are some issues too with the outfield. You never know what Alex Rios you're gonna get. Dayan Viciedo is a great candidate to get 30+ home runs, but he strikes out too much with how little he walks (only 28 walks to 130 strikeouts in 543 plate appearances). De Aza is fairly average. And the back-ups in Spring Training (Jordan Danks, Jared Mitchell) seem like they're not going to be answers this year.
The infield is just as much of a question mark. Yes - Konerko has produced in the last few seasons better than just about anyone could expect, but how long can he keep this up? Beckham hasn't lived up to the hype that came with his arrival to the majors what feels like a decade ago - can he finally have an All-Star quality season? Alexei tailed off quite a bit last year - only 9 home runs in over 600 at bats. What might be even worse with the Cuban Missile is that he recorded only 16 walks en route to a pathetic .287 on-base percentage. The third base position is now manned by Jeff Keppinger, who can actually provide a steady bat and is able to play just about all of the infield positions. He doesn't really fit into the infield equation, but I expect to see the same Adam Dunn that we did last year, the same Adam Dunn that existed in every year except 2011 - a lot of HRs, a lot more strikeouts and a lot of walks.
Taking everything I mentioned above into the equation...what does all of this add up to? A lot of skepticism for this guy. If everything goes right for this team, I'm thinking high-end 86 wins....low-end could be in the low 70s, especially with the improved rosters of the Indians and Royals.
I'm going to say a disappointing 76-86 season awaits. No September teases this year. In fact, I can see a situation where Konerko gets traded in July to a contender, removing the final member of the 2005 World Series squad.
I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I'll be wrong here.
Feel free to share your thoughts on the White Sox and tell me that I'm wrong (or that I'm right).
3/28/2013
Fit Happens Chapter 6: Participant Profile 2 (Hippo)
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| Looking to take the belt of Fit Happens Champion |
Next on the profile docket is Hippo, who is close on my tail as far as the overall percentage lost is concerned. To his credit, he started losing weight outside of the contest in December, so all things considered, he's lost the most weight of all of us the past four months.
He shares some of the same goals and concerns as Chris, as we see in the latest edition of Fit Happens, Participant Profiles.
1. What made you decide to do Fit Happens?
I have been
overweight my whole life, and as the years pass by it becomes more and more
difficult to lose weight. I basically came to the conclusion that if I didn't
get healthy now, I never will.
2. What were your goals to come out of this?
I want to be
"healthy". No matter how many pounds it takes me to lose, or how much
time it takes, I want to be able to walk into my doctor's office and have them
tell me I am healthy.
3. What changes have you made to your daily habits during the
contest?
First and foremost
I am eating a more "normal" amount of food. In addition to that I am
eating more fruit and less extremely bad foods. I am also exercising a few
times a week. Most importantly I am trying to break my obsession with stuffing
myself.
4. Have you ran into any difficulties during this contest? If so,
how have you overcome them or trying to overcome them?
It's definitely
been hard, but it gets easier every day. Getting through the first few weeks
and getting to the point where I could eat less was definitely the biggest
challenge. Staying motivated has also been an issue. After the initial rush of
losing a bunch of weight wore off, it's hard to keep it going day in and day out.
5. When the contest is over, do you think it will be hard to keep
up this level of intense workout and/or diet?
It will be hard for
a long time. I don't plan on stopping when the contest ends because I won't be
at my goal. But once I get there I won't be confident that I can keep it up for
a while.
6. Entering the second half of the contest, what are your goals for
the next three months? Have you had to adjust them as time has passed?
No new goals. Just
keep up the same routine, keep losing weight and trending in the right
direction.
7. What do you expect your final weigh-in to be?
Originally I wanted
to drop around 30, but I am already there, so I have moved my target to 50
pounds. But as long as I am still moving in the right direction I will be
happy.
8. In your honest opinion, who do you think is going to win the
contest?
Honestly, my money would not have been on B-Bo, but he has
absolutely dominated so far. Chris was at a massive disadvantage since he
already worked out so much. And while he is definitely in the best shape now,
and will be when it's over, I think it will be tough for him to lose too much
more. Even if he doesn't win, he will have still accomplished a lot. Dave
doesn't seem to care enough at this point, and even though he is behind if he
wanted to he could easily catch up. I like my own chances at this point, but
B-Bo has gone the extra mile so far, and he is the favorite at this point. Ask
me again in a month though.
A Bunch of Bull: Why Derrick Rose Owes You Nothing
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| Remember the last time Derrick played in garbage time? Yeahhhh |
No and no? Ok then. Derrick Rose doesn't owe you a thing.
Not a goddamn thing.
You say he owes you to play out the end of the regular season. You pay his salary after all, or so you say - actually Jerry Reinsdorf does. If anything, he would owe it to his team and organization, and I'd argue that even that is false. When a man's health is in question, he owes nothing to anyone.
You say he should play because he is practicing just fine, that he's running around, taking shots and looking decent. Do you really know how he is? Practice versus game is a different beast. Plus, if it happens to be a mental issue and he just doesn't think he's ready, do you really trust him to be his elite self right now?
Sure, you say you don't expect him to dominate right away, but why demand that he plays at all this year, especially if he is not going to be dominant?
You say that other athletes recently have recovered from ACL injuries in a faster time period (Adrian Peterson has officially ruined the reasonable recovery time for these injuries - beware RGIII). It's not reasonable to expect Rose's ACL to heal as fast as a guy like AP's (or for anyone who has had quick recoveries from the type of injury Rose has had). Everyone's body is built differently and they all heal differently, so you can't expect one case to be like another.
Are you questioning his heart if he is not playing? Just because we see guys like Michael Jordan playing through a flu and we see Brett Favre tough out injuries for years to start over 300 straight games, we expect our stars to "gut it out and play". Like I said before, whether it's still his injury that is affecting him or if he just doesn't believe that he is ready to come back mentally, it does him no good to be out there.
Rose will be 25 years old when the 2013-14 season begins. He has an entire future of basketball to worry about. It might not be as long of a career as Steve Nash has had, especially if Rose continues with his aggressive style of driving to the hoop against the taller trees of the NBA. Nevertheless, it's still a decade of potential greatness that he has no reason to risk on some meaningless regular season games. Besides, this is not a Bulls team that can be considered an NBA Finals team, especially with how dominant the Heat have been. Don't be deceived by the Bulls' regular season victories this year against the Heat - they mean nothing come playoff time. The Heat will run through the East.
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| With this being Spring/baseball season, now's as good of a time to say this to a Chicago fan...Wait till Next Year |
You think he owes it to you, the fan who sits on his ass at the United Center with popcorn butter and ketchup covering his #1 jersey, to play this season? He owes you nothing.
If anything, you owe him a little patience. Wouldn't you rather have a healthy Rose next year than a hobbled one (whether it be physically or mentally hobbled) playing?
Talents like Rose don't come around often, so be patient and wait for the return of #1 next year. Believe me, it will be worth the wait.
3/27/2013
Fit Happens Chapter 5 - Participant Profile 1 (Chris)
The third month of Fit Happens is about to wind down. For all four of us, it has been the most challenging month as far as weight loss goes. The toughest part of the contest by far - where motivation amid lower weight loss than previous months enters into the equation. It looks like it will come down to me versus Hippo for the monthly winner - a mere 0.03% difference in our total weight loss for March entering the last 5 days. I will provide an official blog at the beginning of April for March's results as well as the overall standings.
As the contest has entered its halfway point, I wanted to profile each of the contestants aside from myself. The only one to respond so far is Chris, who was kind enough to answer some questions about the inspiration for the contest as well as some goals and challenges he has faced as the contest has developed.
As the contest has entered its halfway point, I wanted to profile each of the contestants aside from myself. The only one to respond so far is Chris, who was kind enough to answer some questions about the inspiration for the contest as well as some goals and challenges he has faced as the contest has developed.
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| Chris cooking up some results in the weight loss category. |
1. What made you decide to do Fit Happens? I needed to lose some weight. On a binge eating experience with Hippo and Magic Bus, Hippo started talking about a weight loss program he was trying. That got the ball rolling. Before too long we were creating a contest. The motivation to lose weight as already there, the contest just made it more serious and urgent
2. What were your goals to come out of this? To lose weight and look skinnier. I had a goal weight in mind, but I think my number one goal is just to look and feel better.
3. What changes have you made to your daily habits during the contest? The biggest thing I have attempted is to eat less and eat slower. I have not modified my diet all that much in terms of what I eat. I just try to eat less and by eating slower, I recognize when I am no longer hungry and am able to stop. Before I would regularly shovel food as fast as possible and would stuff myself way too often. I'd feel sick afterward. Honestly, there have only been 1-2 times during fit happens when I felt that way. Major progress from my few times per week before the context.
4. Have you ran into any difficulties during this contest? If so, how have you overcome them or trying to overcome them? The only difficulty I have had is the recent plateau. We all shed a bunch of weight in the first few weeks/month. After that it is much more of a slow burn. There is less motivation when you lose half a pound in a week than when you are seeing multiple pounds per day come off. I am just trying to keep up with the diet and the exercise intensity so that it continues to come off, even if it is only a small amount at a time.
5. When the contest is over, do you think it will be hard to keep up this level of intense workout and/or diet? I should easily be able to maintain the diet. I just need to remember to take it easy at meals and eat slowly. My exercise regimen has been pretty intense. I work out a minimum of 6 days/week right now. That will be difficult to maintain, but I should be able to keep up at least a 4X/week program without much issue.
6. Entering the second half of the contest, what are your goals for the next three months? Have you had to adjust them as time has passed? My goal is exactly the same - lose as much weight as possible.
7. What do you expect your final weigh-in to be? Aspiration - 210; realistic - 215 (both much lower than I anticipated)
8. In your honest opinion, who do you think is going to win the contest? B-Bo is on a tear, but Hippo is right on his tail. I'd say that Magic Bus and I are comfortably out of the money. I will leave it at that.
3/23/2013
How's Your Bracket & Other March Madness Musings
How does your bracket look?
Honestly, I stopped looking at mine with the string of upsets on Thursday, particularly New Mexico (one of my Final Four). But with that loss, I decided that this March (and future Marches) would not be considered a success or failure based on my brackets. Instead, my focus will be strictly on my gambling account.
Does this look like a successful bracket to you?
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I don't think this bracket is going to win me anything. Too many red lines too early in the tourney.
But you know what? As long as the bets I make are coming in, I don't care if this whole sheet is full of red lines.
I have had some bad bets (Montana was my worst bet of the year, possibly a top-5 all-time worst bet) - note that I don't always bet with my bracket (but usually do). For instance, one of my best bets ever came on Friday, betting on Florida Gulf Coast against Georgetown (the first half line of +7.5, game line of +13.5 & the best part, the money line of +800 - the biggest money line I've ever hit for a single game).
Are We the Champions?
The big bets still alive exist in the East bracket, where I have two teams still alive for my prop bet to win the tourney. Illinois did what they could to blow their huge lead, but ultimately held on to win. They face Miami on Sunday. I'm not really sure what to expect from them, but I'm hoping that they or California (preferably both) can pull off upsets in their Round of 32 matchups - Cali has Syracuse Saturday night.
A California title would net me $3750 on a $15 bet, while an Illinois championship would pay $4125. The odds of either team winning it are still remote, but it's still nice to see them stay alive. I hope one of them teases me with another win and a promotion to the Sweet 16.
Speaking of Illinois...
I've heard there's a lot of Illinois fans consumed with hatred of Bruce Weber, so much so that they seem to be enjoying the Kansas State loss more than their school's win. If you have any issues with Weber, you have issues yourself. I'm not sure what he did to get people to hate him so much. So what if he wasn't the best basketball coach? It's not like the guy murdered anyone - no reason to root so hard against a guy that led your school to its only title appearance in 2005.
If you're an Illini fan reading this and you're angry with Weber about his stint with Illinois....get over it. It's over and done with. Embrace the current and future Illinois teams. Enjoy watching these teams coached by a fantastic young coach (John Groce was a great hire) who has proven himself as a solid recruiter. Don't waste your energy on a part of our school's past that frankly wasn't all that bad.
Speaking of bad...
Did any of you attempt to watch most/all of the March Madness action? If so, I apologize. My eyes and brain hurt greatly from the poor quality of games so far this tourney. Forgive me if you disagree, but the quality of play from most teams was evident. I'm sure you can cite a plethora of reasons for this: (1) playing outside of normal game conditions, (2) lack of overall talent due to underclassmen going to the NBA, (3) pacing of games is choppy with all the TV timeouts, coaching timeouts and fouls, etc.
For me, especially this year, it's been almost impossible for me to watch games without having a reason to watch it (i.e. gambling). And for many of you, you'd probably not be watching these games if you didn't have bets on it or a bracket to follow. Gambling and brackets drive the March Madness, not the quality of play. We get so blinded by how great college basketball supposedly is by the 63 items to fill on those brackets that we don't even realize how poorly played these games are. Sloppy fouls, horrible turnovers, ridiculous shots that require viewers to consume shots. If you can enjoy these games without a bracket and without bets, then all the more power to you - I can't.
Good luck with your bets/brackets the rest of the tourney. I hope the games are higher quality than we've seen so far.
Honestly, I stopped looking at mine with the string of upsets on Thursday, particularly New Mexico (one of my Final Four). But with that loss, I decided that this March (and future Marches) would not be considered a success or failure based on my brackets. Instead, my focus will be strictly on my gambling account.
Does this look like a successful bracket to you?
I don't think this bracket is going to win me anything. Too many red lines too early in the tourney.
But you know what? As long as the bets I make are coming in, I don't care if this whole sheet is full of red lines.
I have had some bad bets (Montana was my worst bet of the year, possibly a top-5 all-time worst bet) - note that I don't always bet with my bracket (but usually do). For instance, one of my best bets ever came on Friday, betting on Florida Gulf Coast against Georgetown (the first half line of +7.5, game line of +13.5 & the best part, the money line of +800 - the biggest money line I've ever hit for a single game).
Are We the Champions?
The big bets still alive exist in the East bracket, where I have two teams still alive for my prop bet to win the tourney. Illinois did what they could to blow their huge lead, but ultimately held on to win. They face Miami on Sunday. I'm not really sure what to expect from them, but I'm hoping that they or California (preferably both) can pull off upsets in their Round of 32 matchups - Cali has Syracuse Saturday night.
A California title would net me $3750 on a $15 bet, while an Illinois championship would pay $4125. The odds of either team winning it are still remote, but it's still nice to see them stay alive. I hope one of them teases me with another win and a promotion to the Sweet 16.
Speaking of Illinois...
I've heard there's a lot of Illinois fans consumed with hatred of Bruce Weber, so much so that they seem to be enjoying the Kansas State loss more than their school's win. If you have any issues with Weber, you have issues yourself. I'm not sure what he did to get people to hate him so much. So what if he wasn't the best basketball coach? It's not like the guy murdered anyone - no reason to root so hard against a guy that led your school to its only title appearance in 2005.
If you're an Illini fan reading this and you're angry with Weber about his stint with Illinois....get over it. It's over and done with. Embrace the current and future Illinois teams. Enjoy watching these teams coached by a fantastic young coach (John Groce was a great hire) who has proven himself as a solid recruiter. Don't waste your energy on a part of our school's past that frankly wasn't all that bad.
Speaking of bad...
Did any of you attempt to watch most/all of the March Madness action? If so, I apologize. My eyes and brain hurt greatly from the poor quality of games so far this tourney. Forgive me if you disagree, but the quality of play from most teams was evident. I'm sure you can cite a plethora of reasons for this: (1) playing outside of normal game conditions, (2) lack of overall talent due to underclassmen going to the NBA, (3) pacing of games is choppy with all the TV timeouts, coaching timeouts and fouls, etc.
For me, especially this year, it's been almost impossible for me to watch games without having a reason to watch it (i.e. gambling). And for many of you, you'd probably not be watching these games if you didn't have bets on it or a bracket to follow. Gambling and brackets drive the March Madness, not the quality of play. We get so blinded by how great college basketball supposedly is by the 63 items to fill on those brackets that we don't even realize how poorly played these games are. Sloppy fouls, horrible turnovers, ridiculous shots that require viewers to consume shots. If you can enjoy these games without a bracket and without bets, then all the more power to you - I can't.
Good luck with your bets/brackets the rest of the tourney. I hope the games are higher quality than we've seen so far.
3/21/2013
Brian's Bracket - 2013 Version
Nothing else needs to be said, aside from my two tourney bets that aren't reflected on my bracket:
Good luck with your brackets. Here is my bracket of integrity (in an offshoot, I have New Mexico winning it over Indiana)
| 169809293-1 | 3/21/13 12:54am | $15.00 | $4,125.00 | Pending | 3/21/13 12:15pm Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball +27500 National Champion 2012/13 - Illinois |
| 166242856-1 | 3/2/13 2:54am | $15.00 | $3,750.00 | Pending | 3/2/13 12:00pm Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball +25000 National Champion 2012/13 - California |
Good luck with your brackets. Here is my bracket of integrity (in an offshoot, I have New Mexico winning it over Indiana)
3/20/2013
Sleeper Cell in Champaign: Making A Case for The Fighting Illini
It would be fitting for me to write a blog about a sleeper team as most people are snuggled away in their beds, having March Madness nightmares. Flying brackets are coming at them at high speeds, with large seeds being planted deep in their membranes. Should I pick that upset? Should I keep this team in my Sweet 16?
Yes, you should pick that upset - that's what March Madness is for. And yes, keep them there - you're always better off going with your gut instinct with these things.
One team you shouldn't sleep on is one that practically fell asleep mid-season, but was fairly awake for the beginning part of the year along with wet dream games against Ohio State and Indiana. In fact, they lay claim as the only team in the tourney that can say they beat three of the top eight seeds in the tourney.
Yes - Illinois fits the role of the Cinderella. Will the shoe fit?
Beating the Big Boys
It fit when they traveled to Spokane in the early part of the year when they shot lights out against Gonzaga in a hostile environment. A month later, they never trailed in a blowout of Ohio State at home. Another month after that, a spirited second half comeback helped the Illini upset then No.1 Indiana.
Sure, they've had their clunkers (see: plenty of the Big Ten schedule, especially games against Northwestern at home and at Wisconsin). Not too often an 8-10 Big Ten team is worthy of a 7 seed in the tourney, but the Illini's strength of victory has to be considered when the bracket is put together.
This blog might be useless come Friday afternoon if they lay a dud against Colorado (possible). But the way Illinois has played this season, they feel like they are just as likely to advance to the Elite Eight as they are to lose in their first game.
Yes, I believe they can beat Colorado, Miami and their third opponent (whoever it may be). Hell, if Indiana is still standing at that point, I believe Illinois could beat them as well - they already proved earlier this year that they can play with them.
Track Record
Besides, let's not forget what their new coach John Groce did with mid-major Ohio last year, leading them into the Sweet 16 and taking top-seeded North Carolina to overtime before just missing a chance at an Elite 8 appearance.
When Illinois is playing at its peak, it has proven it can beat the top teams in the country. Here's to hoping, especially as an alumnus of the Fighting Illini, that they can find some of their early season magic, which led to a 12-0 start and win a string of games that can take them into the second weekend of the tourney and beyond.
I have Illinois losing to Indiana in the Elite Eight, for what it's worth. I might take a shot before the tourney starts at Illinois' 275/1 odds to win the tourney.
When they lose in the first round against Colorado, don't say I didn't warn you (and don't say I covered my ass by including this disclaimer - talking out of both sides of our ass is what writers/prognosticators do).
If the shoe fits....we shall see.
Yes, you should pick that upset - that's what March Madness is for. And yes, keep them there - you're always better off going with your gut instinct with these things.
One team you shouldn't sleep on is one that practically fell asleep mid-season, but was fairly awake for the beginning part of the year along with wet dream games against Ohio State and Indiana. In fact, they lay claim as the only team in the tourney that can say they beat three of the top eight seeds in the tourney.
Yes - Illinois fits the role of the Cinderella. Will the shoe fit?
Beating the Big Boys
It fit when they traveled to Spokane in the early part of the year when they shot lights out against Gonzaga in a hostile environment. A month later, they never trailed in a blowout of Ohio State at home. Another month after that, a spirited second half comeback helped the Illini upset then No.1 Indiana.
Sure, they've had their clunkers (see: plenty of the Big Ten schedule, especially games against Northwestern at home and at Wisconsin). Not too often an 8-10 Big Ten team is worthy of a 7 seed in the tourney, but the Illini's strength of victory has to be considered when the bracket is put together.
This blog might be useless come Friday afternoon if they lay a dud against Colorado (possible). But the way Illinois has played this season, they feel like they are just as likely to advance to the Elite Eight as they are to lose in their first game.
Yes, I believe they can beat Colorado, Miami and their third opponent (whoever it may be). Hell, if Indiana is still standing at that point, I believe Illinois could beat them as well - they already proved earlier this year that they can play with them.
Track Record
Besides, let's not forget what their new coach John Groce did with mid-major Ohio last year, leading them into the Sweet 16 and taking top-seeded North Carolina to overtime before just missing a chance at an Elite 8 appearance.
When Illinois is playing at its peak, it has proven it can beat the top teams in the country. Here's to hoping, especially as an alumnus of the Fighting Illini, that they can find some of their early season magic, which led to a 12-0 start and win a string of games that can take them into the second weekend of the tourney and beyond.
I have Illinois losing to Indiana in the Elite Eight, for what it's worth. I might take a shot before the tourney starts at Illinois' 275/1 odds to win the tourney.
When they lose in the first round against Colorado, don't say I didn't warn you (and don't say I covered my ass by including this disclaimer - talking out of both sides of our ass is what writers/prognosticators do).
If the shoe fits....we shall see.
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