Ryan Neiman's Chicago Cubs fan blog archive for 02/2008

February 2008

February 18, 2008

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Ryan Neiman

With pitchers and catchers finally reporting to spring training, it marks the start of the 2008 season where anything is can happen.  It is a season where even the Tampa Bay Rays can contend for fourth place.  It is a season where the impossible turns into the possible.  Just listen to Ryan Dempster of the Chicago Cubs make a bold prediction, “I think we are going to win the World Series. I really do.”  Great, just what a Cubs fans need to hear, another prediction. 

                                       

Continue reading "Is this the year of Dreams? Think again Chicago Cubs fans"

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February 19, 2008

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Ryan Neiman

As spring training finally arriving, it marks the beginning of new bright season of baseball.  Fantasy baseball owners are scrambling on what player they should own and fans are wondering if their players will deliever for them.  Below I have picked the top players at each position for the National League, who will lead at what category, who will win the awards, and who are the flops.  Enjoy!

  • 1B Albert Pujols
  • 2B Chase Utlery
  • 3B David Wright
  • SS Hanley Ramirez
  • C Geovany Soto
  • OF Carlos Lee
  • OF Alfonso Soriano
  • OF Matt Holiday
  • SP Johan Santana
  • SP Roy Oswalt
  • SP Jake Peavy
  • CLOSER Billy Wagner or Bob Howry or Kerry Wood

 NL BATTING CHAMP

Jose Reyes

Continue reading "2008 Major League Baseball Preview: National League"

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Ryan Neiman

As spring training finally arriving, it marks the beginning of new bright season of baseball.  Fantasy baseball owners are scrambling on what player they should own and fans are wondering if their players will deliever for them.  Below I have picked the top players at each position for the American League, who will lead at what category, who will win the awards, and who are the flops.  Enjoy!

  • 1B Justin Morneau
  • 2B Robinson Cano
  • 3B Alex Rodriguez or Miguel Cabera
  • SS Carlos Guillen
  • C Joe Mauer
  • OF Tori Hunter
  • OF Grady Sizemore
  • OF Magglio Ordonez
  • UTIL David Ortiz
  • SP Josh Beckett
  • SP John Lackey
  • SP Justin Verlander
  • CLOSER Jonathon Papelbon

AL BATTING CHAMP

Continue reading "2008 Major League Baseball Preview: American League"

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Ryan Neiman

As we enter this new baseball season, there is nothing better to do than predict what will happen this year.  Below are my predictions of each divison of what the final standings will be.  I also posted what the playoff picture will be and who will be the World Series Champ

AMERICAN LEAGUE

EAST

  • (1) Boston
  • (2) Yankees
  • (3) Tampa Bay
  • (4) Toronto
  • (5) Baltimore

CENTRAL

  • (1) Detroit
  • (2) Cleveland
  • (3) White Sox
  • (4) Minnesota
  • (5) Royals

WEST

  • (1) Angels
  • (2) Oakland
  • (3) Seattle
  • (4) Texas

WILD CARD

Cleveland Indians

NATIONAL LEAGUE

CENTRAL

  • (1) Cubs

Continue reading "2008 Baseball Preview: Final Standings"

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Is Bud Selig still alive?  Where is he and is he even watching what is going on in his own sport?  It seems like ever since he gave himself his own contract extension, he has been hiding.  I do not understand what he is doing.  Players that were named in the Mitchell Report have told us they did   take the substances that were mentioned in the Report.  Andy Pettite has even held a press conference to admit to using HGH and apologized for what he has done.  But is that enough?  According to Bud it is.  No he hasn't come out in public and verbally told us this.  You could tell by his actions.  He is too afraid to punish these players because it was during the era he was the commisioner of baseball.  It would look bad on his part if this activity was going on under his nose and he recogizes it by punishing some of the stars of our game.  He will not do this.  He is going to look pass all of this because it was the Steriods Era and it is now a time to move on.  He doesn't care.  To his credit, he helped gain the popularity of the sport back by intorducing our modern day Incredible Hulks in the season of 1998 when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire slugged it out for the famous Roger Maris record which is now tainted.  Selig has made millions during this era.  Actually, billions.  He thanks the players for this.  They helped make him look better as they injected each other while supplying a fake realm of baseball to its fans

Continue reading "Andy Pettite admits to HGH. Where is the Punishment?"

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February 20, 2008

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Ryan Neiman

I will now have a column called OFFTRACK, which I will post often.  These stories will be stories outside of baseball.  It will be stories in other sports or just about events in our everyday lives.  Todays is a story in which something happened to me I would like to share with others.  It is called: A story of Poverty and Hope.  Enjoy

 A STORY OF POVERTY AND HOPE

           As I stand in front of this man, I search for any means of money in my pocket.  I pull what seemed to be a thousand dollars in change from my pocket.  I look up to the register and it reads, “$2.69.”  I look back down towards my worthless treasure in my hand and I begin to add the coins up to $2.69.  While counting, I think to myself, what a dumb price.  Why wouldn’t they round it to $2.70, or for the consumers benefit, round down to $2.00 so it wouldn’t take me forever to get the exact amount, all in coins?  As time stood still for the man behind the register while I added up all the coins, I kept on losing track on what dollar I was on and how much I already added.  As I recounted for my sixth and hopefully my final time, I peered away from my hand and slowly looked up towards this man probably thinking to himself, “This kid is a real jerk for using coins.”  I could see where he was coming up with that thought because for how long it takes me to add up all these coins will probably take him twice as long.  I stare at him and I see a wounded soul.  Or he might just be tired because it’s open twenty-four hours a day and he has been pulling a triple shift.  I see a cold and placid look on his face.  His eyes do not give any signs of emotion except for maybe, “Why the hell am I working here?” 

Continue reading "Offtrack: A story of Poverty and Hope"

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February 21, 2008

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Ryan Neiman
  

 

     WHO WILL PLAY? 

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are two people that changed the sport of baseball forever.  One might look at this statement and say, “Of course they did.  Bonds took down the most prestigious records in baseball by hitting more dingers than good Old Hank.  He has given the sport more publicity and has made it more popular.  Clemens is a superhero for all of us.  A man whose career was falling apart, quickly changed turned it around and showed the 40’s were the new 20’s.  With all those Cy Young’s, he is one of the best pitchers in history.”  I would tell you, “Nope, that isn’t how they changed it.  That is how they ruined the sport.”  You would then look at me funny and walk away.  Go ahead, walk away from the truth.  The truth is these men have tainted this sport and have embarrassed the players in the generation before them.

Continue reading "Bonds or Clemens? Who Will play in 2008?"

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February 23, 2008

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Ryan Neiman

After witnessing Tennessee Volunteers defeat the number one ranked team in the nation the Memphis Tigers, it is crystal clear what this game meant:  Memphis is one of the most overrated number one team.  Sure, they had the second best RPI in the nation, but they just were not that good.  They have not been tested at all while they faced Conference USA teams.  Sure they defeated USC, UCONN, Arizona, and Gonzaga, but that was all in the start of the season when those teams were slow out of the gate.  After those uplifting victories, Memphis has not been tested at all by facing mediocre teams in CUSA.  While watching them face Tennessee, it was clear who was the better  team.  In one of its biggest games of the season, it struggled because this team has not faced this kind of atmosphere all season.  The players seemed rattled by the atmosphere and there was sloppy plays everywhere.  From bad shots, passes, and turnovers, it was a display that showed Memphis is not considered one of the best teams in college basketball.  Even though Tennessee was horrible at times, they were able to overcome their struggles, and the crowd.  They were able to prevail.  Memphis shot too many threes and played selfishly as they tried to drive it to the basket when other players were open.  Memphis is not a considered a national champ, but rather a national flop.

Continue reading "IT'S OFFICIAL: MEMPHIS IS THE MOST OVERRATED # 1 TEAM"

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February 25, 2008

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Ryan Neiman

After having 120 different lineups last season,  Sweet Lou Piniella wants to find the right combination during spring training.  His latest idea is probably one of the best he has came up with since juggling everyone around.  Lou suggested Fukudome would bat third, followed by Lee and Ramirez.  The whole lineup would probably look like this:  Soriano, Theirot, Fukudome, Lee, Ramirez, Derosa, Soto, and Pie.  It is a great combination of speed at the top and power in the middle.  "I've been thinking about our lineup and what makes sense and what we can try," Piniella said Friday. "Let me warn you, it's only Feb. 22, so there's plenty of time to adjust this thing."

Continue reading "POTENTIAL 3,4,5 HITTERS: FUKUDOME, LEE, RAMIREZ"

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If you are reading this title, your heart probably sank and it has shattered all the chances of the Cubs making it to the World Series.  Put away those tissues and turn that frown around because good old Zambrano is not hurt, but in perfect health.  But will he stay that way?  Below, I have posted my top ten predictions on what will happen during the Cubs season.  If any of these do happen you wish would not happen, please do no send me hate mail.  Enjoy!

 (1) Carlos Zambrano will get injured.

     Ever since the Dusty Baker era in 2003, Zambrano has become a work horse by pitching over 200 innings each year.  That includes his whopping total of 216.1 innings last year.  To add to that, Zambrano has averaged 107.9 pitches per game since 2003.  This will eventually catch up to this 26 year old.  His arm is bound to give in soon, and when it does, the Cubs will not know what to do.

Continue reading "Carlos Zambrano Injured!!!"

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February 27, 2008

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Ryan Neiman

As the Cubs open up their first spring training game on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants, there are three stories we should look at while this game is going on.  These will also be the stories throughout spring training.

 (1) Ryan Dempster's First Spring Training Start

   It is a role Dempster has not seen in a while.  Ryan Dempster is trying to return to the rotation after 3 years as closer.  He will open up Catcus League Thursday against the Giants.  This may be only Dempsters first start during spring training, but it will be in everyone's mind when his finished.  If he does bad, it will put Dempster behind in the race for the final two spots against Marquis and Lieber.  If he goes out there and does an excellent job, it will take a lot of stress off of him.  Dempster has been going through grueling workouts and lost over 20 pounds during offseason.  "  He's looking forward to this.  This will be a challenge for him," said Piniella.  Dempster was asked how he would like to perform this spring and during the season, " I want to be better than the guy I was before."

Continue reading "What to Watch For"

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When the San Francisco Giants held its first full squad work out on Tuesday, there was one thing all the players noticed what was gone: the media.  " That's the biggest thing," infielder Kevin Frandsen  said. "When you walk in here, you can actually walk in here."  With the Bonds era finally ending, the clubhouse can finally relax.  Barry Zito mentioned that some San Francisco players weren't "totally comfortable in their own skin" around Bonds, and reliever Brian Wilson said players will no longer have to walk around "on eggshells." 

 

Continue reading "Gone Bonds Gone: Giants Now able to Relax"

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February 29, 2008

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Ryan Neiman

          It was as recent as 2004 where Roger Clemens was at top of his game.  It was his first year in the National League while playing for the Houston Astros.  He ended up going 18-4 and eventually went on to win the National League Cy Young Award.  How quickly can things can fall from grace.  In December 13, 2007, Clemens name was listed in the Mitchell Report, which alleged that he had used steroids and HGH during the 1998-2001 seasons.  Ever since those allegations, Clemens has been saying he was falsely accused with his lawyer Rusty Hardin backing him up.  Even under oath in front of federal investigators and the Supreme Court, he kept to his story that he never did take HGH or steroids.  What a horrible decision that would later be for him.

Continue reading "Legend of the Fall"

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