Ryan Neiman's Chicago Cubs fan blog

If your team is struggling or you are scrambling for someone after injuries to players such as Mendenhall or McGahee, you should look at this top pickups for week 5 to help your team get back on track.

• WR Lance Moore or WR Robert Meacheum of NO Saints

         

                With injuries to Shockey and Coltson, both of these players are now the receiving targets for Bree’s.

• RB Le'Ron McClain Baltimore Ravens

             Some are saying McGahee will be back this week, but he looked like he was really in pain after leaving the game against the Steelers.  Even the game he did start, McGahee looked like he was still hurt from the hamstring injury.  McClain has got a lot more looks lately and will get more as rookie QB Joe Flaco struggles.

Continue reading "WEEK 5 FANTASY FOOTBALL PICKUPS"

If your team is struggling or you are scrambling for someone after injuries to players such as Mendenhall or McGahee, you should look at this top pickups for week 5 to help your team get back on track.

• WR Lance Moore or WR Robert Meacheum of NO Saints

         

                With injuries to Shockey and Coltson, both of these players are now the receiving targets for Bree’s.

• RB Le'Ron McClain Baltimore Ravens

             Some are saying McGahee will be back this week, but he looked like he was really in pain after leaving the game against the Steelers.  Even the game he did start, McGahee looked like he was still hurt from the hamstring injury.  McClain has got a lot more looks lately and will get more as rookie QB Joe Flaco struggles.

Continue reading "WEEK 5 FANTASY FOOTBALL PICKUPS"

The biggest debate right now in Chicago is what spot should Carlos Zambrano be pitching in for the NLDS starting next week.  Some say Zambrano should pitch in the first game of playoffs to have a chance to go up in the series.  Some say, he should pitch the third game, in case we are up 2-0 in the series, he can slam the door shut.   I say, keep your mouths shut because you both are wrong.  Besides pitching the no hitter this year, Zambrano has had an mediocre season showing Cy Young stuff and then the next day showing Kevin Tapini stuff.  I do not want a him to pitch the first game of the playoffs, which sends a message to other team.  Zambrano  has not been himself lately.   In August his ERA was 7.43 while giving up 22 runs and 7 homers.  Right now in September, Big Z has an ERA of 6.32 while giving up 11 earned runs.  Even with his 14-6 record, there is no telling of what might happen in each start for Zambrano.  One thing I'd like to know, how is that shoulder feeling?

Continue reading "Zambrano not a number One for Playoffs or a Number Three"

As the Chicago Cubs prepare their team for the playoffs next week, none of us thought the Cubs would clinch the division so early in September, with most experts saying this division will be decided in the last week.  Well, so much for predictions.  However, that is the fun part of sports, predicting an outcome, wondering if you will be right or the so called "experts" on t.v.  In the beginning of the year, I made ten predictions on what will happen during the season of 2008.  Below is a quick glance of my predictions:

 1) Zambrano will get hurt.

 2) Ted Lilly Cy Young Candidate.

 3) Soto Win Rookie of the Year as he hits 23 homers and has 90 RBI'S

 4)  Ryan Dempster or Jason Marquis traded.

 5) Pie Sent down to the minors

Continue reading "REWIND: Catching up With Predictions of Chicago Cubs 2008 Season"

 HOUSTON DEFEATS CUBS 5-3 ON A CARLOS LEE HOME RUN AS HOUSTON TAKES SERIES

After the Cubs went 8-2 on their latest home stand which made their record at home 19-8, it seems as if they forgot how to play anywhere else.  After losing to the Astros 5-3 and losing the series, the Cubs find themselves 9-11 away from the friendly Confines.  If a team wants to find themselves in the post-season, they need to win the big games on the road.  In a series that had playoff atmosphere, both teams were out to make statements.  The Astros were louder than the Cubs according to Shawn Chaccon, who got the decision in the victory.  "One message the Cubs might get out of it is, 'We're here. We're here to compete. We're going to battle,'" Chacon said. "'It's not the team it was last year. Basically, it's going to be a tough team to beat the whole year.'"

Continue reading "After winning at home, Cubs continue to falter on the Road"

After another game where stranding base-runners has become a common theme, what Lou Piniella had the right words to sum up the Cubs recent slide, "Like I told my guys after the ballgame, make the other team beat you, don't just give it to them," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "You play like that and you're going to lose quite a few of them, or most of them. Anyway, it's over with. Done."

 So far the Cubs have been losing most of them.  To begin the night, the Cubs were facing the Reds tough rookie Jhonny Cueto, who baffled the Cubs all night.  Geovany Soto seemed like the only player to figure Cueto out when he hit a solo home run, his sixth of the year, to put the Cubs on board when it was 5-1.  But it was the costly errors that squandered Cubs chances.

Continue reading "Cubs lose 5-3 after having bases-loaded with 1 out"

After the Cubs had one of their best records in April in 1969, the start of May is starting to resemble the collapse towards of the season in 1969.  In one their toughest weeks this season, nothing looked pretty as the Cubs just won two out six against there NL Central rivals the Brewers and the Cardinals.  In a week that could have seperated them from everyone else in the divison, the Cubs are now looking up towards the Cardinals who now have a 1 1/2 lead over the Cubs.  Lets quickly recap this horrible week the Cubs have endured.

In the first game of a three game series against the Brewers, the Cubs lost 10-7 where there bullpen exploded and the Cubs were not able to deliever in the clutch.  The second game, which is forgotten in everybody's minds because of the other events that happened in this week, the Cubs demolished the Brewers 19-5.  In this game Geovany Soto hit 2 home runs and had 6 RBI's.  Things were looking up for the Cubs as they entered game 3 of the series.  The Cubs had a 3-1 lead entering the ninth inning with Kerry Wood on the mound to seal the deal.  Earlier, Zambrano pitched a beautiful game and was helped by perfect innings from Carlos Marmol.  Soriano was also back in the line up after returning from the DL.  Even though Soriano went 0-4, the day was going to have a beautiful ending.  I think I spoke to soon.  The beautiful ending never came as the Cubs coughed up the lead and ended up losing 4-3.  It all started with Wood hitting the first batter in the ninth and then allowing the next batter get on base.  It was now men on first and second as Wood delievered the next pitch to the next batter.  A fly ball to left field which is playable and catchable for Soriano.  Soriano misjudges it and misses the ball.  A run comes across the board and pretty soon Cubs were down 4-3.  Frustration mounted over to the press conference as Pinella ripped a reporter who questioned him about leaving Soriano in the game and not have a defensive replacement.  It was one of the most frustrating lost the Cubs have had so far this season. I hope Lou can endear another misplay by Soriano.

Continue reading "Rough Week for Cubs spells Rough Road Ahead"

After 17 years as the Green Bay Packers quarterback, the legendary and future hall of famer 3 time MVP Brett Favre is set to retire.

"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally. I'm just tired," Favre, a three-time NFL MVP, told ESPN's Chris Mortensen in a voice mail message.

"If I felt like coming back and Deanna (his wife) and I talked about this the only way for me to be successful would be to win a Super Bowl. To go to the Super Bowl and lose, would almost be worse than anything else. Anything less than a Super Bowl win would be unsuccessful," Favre said in the message.

Continue reading ""Iron Man" Set to Retire"

  Chicago Cubs pitcher Jason Marquis is competing for the final two spots in the starting rotation.  If he does not make the rotation, he would probably end up in bullpen.  In his first start during spring training he went 2 innings, gave up 2 runs, both earned, along with 3 hits.  However, it wasn't his arm that hurt his chances of winning a spot in the rotation.  Rather it was his mouth.  Jason Marquis does not feel he should be competing for a starting job.  He said he signed as a Cub because he thought he would be guaranteed a starter every year.  "That's my ultimate goal, that's how I think I help the team the most. Obviously, we'll see what happens when it's time for them to make their decision," Marquis told reporters.  Marquis was asked how he would feel if he did not make the rotation and ended up in the bullpen. he replied, " As much as I want to be here in Chicago, and I love it, I love the fans and the stadium, I also have a family to worry about, too.  I could take my services elsewhere if that's the case, and I could help another team in that capacity as a starter. My value doesn't lie in the bullpen in my mind."

Continue reading "To Start or To Not to Start: Marquis Sounds off"

          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"