Rocking the Cards fast a-sweep!!

Situation: Saturday April 8th and Sunday April 9th marked the final two games of the 1st 3 game series of the year against the despised Cardinals. These games saw the Cubs offense put up 11 runs over the final two games of the series, 10 of which came via the tater ball. ***Insert 2005 groan here*** Not so fast my friend, as in 2005, that many runs from homers would have gone for naught as the Chicago Cubs would have given up 13 runs. As you may have concluded from the title, the Cubs swept the ordained Central Division champs, behind a solid outing from Carlos Zambrano, on Saturday against Cy young award winner Chris Carpenter, and solid 4 and 1/3 inning debut from young, lanky Sean Marshall. Marshall infact made only one mistake all night to Scott Rolen in the 1st on Sunday with a whole host of people watching on ESPN, but yet he failed to crack. The real heroes though were the bullpen, Derrek Lee, and Michael Barrett. The bullpen went 7 and 2/3 innings over 2 days and their line--6 hits, 0 runs, 2 BB, and 7 Ks--was so solid that legendary (should be HOFer) Ron Santo gave them players of the game on Saturday. Derrek Lee continued his run of torrid Aprils by hitting homeruns in back-to-back-to-back games Wed. Fri., and Sat. and continued strong Gold Glvoe worthy defense at first base. But the one true hero, who is so astronomically hot, it's unreal, was Michael Barrett. He hits the game-tying 2-run homer on Saturday and then tops that by hitting the game winning grand slam off the StL closer Jason Isringhausen after he had walked the bases full on 15 pitches. ***Situation Update***: Jacque Jones finally broke out after an 0-13 start to the season, by launching a 4th inning 3-run homer into the Chicago night Sunday off of Sidney Ponson.

Record Update: 4-1, 1st in the NL Central, 1st in the Wild Card Race, Magic Number is 160.

"This is the Year" Moment of the Day: Anytime the Cubs can start a season series with any team with a sweep, the Big Chef in the sky looks like he may cooking up something special. Beating the Cardinals 2 out of 3 would have been great, but taking all 3, including the way we wrecked Isringhausen's psyche in the 3rd game makes this season look like we are stomping the right path toward the playoffs.

"It's the Cubs!" Moment of the Day: TOO MANY HOMERUNS!!! Chicks dig the long ball, but a season built around 2 hits and a three run shot just doesn't work for the Cubs. The difference this year is that the Cubs aren't necessarily dependant on the longball, as the have the means to play other ways. Last year, that could not be said, as no one could steal or even get on base in front of D Lee and Rami's monster shots.

King of the World;Able to Request the Finest Meats and Cheeses for His Post-game Spread: Michael Barrett....Michael Barrett...some DLee and bullpen...with just a touch more Michael Barrett. 6 RBIS in two days accounting for over half the runs and they couldn't have meant more than a game-tying shot, and a game-winning grand slam. Oh he called a pretty good game in a Zambrano ND, and a rookie debut. Just Michael being Michael I guess...

Equipment Manager for the Day: Juan Pierre. I love the guy, and am glad to have a table setter, but your leadoff man can't go 1 for 8 over the last two games against your rival while leaving 5 men on base. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect 100 RBIs from Pierre, but I do expect him on base.

W2W4: Another series with the Reds, with an opportunity to get back at Bronson Arroyo for ruining our perfect start. Glendon Rusch needs to get back to his spotting pitches and winning ways to keep us afloat. But in all reality getting swept by the Reds couldn't ruin the biggest sweep of the season since 2000 (the last time the Cubs swept the Cards). Nothing could wipe this grin off my face, not even slap from teh hottest bat around...Michael Barrett's.

Hey Tony...Go Suck an Egg

Situation: Friday April 7th, 2006 marked the first game of the Chicago Cubs season versus the hated rival St. Louis Cardinals. The game saw Greg Maddux, the ageless wonder, go a strong 6 and 1/3, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits, with the days only 2 walks for the Cubs' staff. The offense was lead by the middle infield with Neifi Perez and Ronny Cedeno going a combined 5-7, with 2 runs, a double, triple, RBI, and no runners LOB. The defensive keys to the game were no walks being allowed to create early inning jams, and a couple double plays killing Cardinal rally chances, including a spectacular wind aided grab by Murton and throw to Lee to double off a confused Juan Encarnacion.***Situation Watch***: Juan Pierre has been on base a handful of times this year already and Dusty Baker, the least likely manager to send a runner over the past year, has failed to greenlight our fastest baserunner

Record Update: 2-1, 5th in the NL Central (Virtual tie for second), 1.5 GB, 4th in the Wild Card Race (Virtual tie for the lead), Magic Number is 158.

"This is the Year" Moment of the Day: Anytime the Cubs can start a season series with the Cardinals on a high note, it could be the year, but the single moment in this game that was truly defining was Greg Maddux working a masterful 6 and 1/3 innnings when the Cubs needed it desperately. Maddux, a perennial slow starter, getting a win in his first start of the season could catapult him back to a 15 game winner in no time and at the very least it saved the bullpen from coming in the 5th inning for the 3 straight game.

"It's the Cubs!" Moment of the Day: It was nearly a flawless game for the Cubs. Outside of Jim Edmonds' homerun in the 7th through a 25 MPH wind and a failed suicide squeeze by Juan Pierre that he ended up driving the run home with a single anyway, the Cubs played a masterful game.

King of the World;Able to Request the Finest Meats and Cheeses for His Post-game Spread: Gregory Alan Maddux turns 40 in a week and pitched one of his greatest early season games of recent years. In the process, he passed Phil Niekro for 15th on the all-time wins list with his 319th victory. Mad Dog took full advatage of the elements and, with some timely hitting and great defense, shut the Cardinals out in six straight before giving up a meaningless homer to Jim Edmonds in the 7th. Next up on the All-time list is Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton, who are tied for 13th with 324 wins.

Equipment Manager for the Day: Michael Barrett? He did allow David Eckstein to steal a base, but I am really stretching to find something wrong with how the Cubs played. Juan Pierre also failed to execeute a suicide squeeze, by bunting it foul.

W2W4: Game 2 against the Cards with Baby Bull on the hill. Z had a bad first start of the season last time out not getting the win even though he left up real big. A solid 7 inning outing against the Cards is just what the doctor asked for though, as Carlos was 3-0 with a pencil-thin 1.10 ERA in 2005 against the Cards and he's 5-2 when facing Chris Carpenter in his career. All signs point to a good outing if the Cubs can jump on Carpenter, before Rolen jumps on Carlos (7-30 with 2HR in his lifetime)

First Loss of the Season

Situation: Wednesday April 5th, 2006 marked the first lost of the Chicago Cubs season versus the lowly Cincinatti Reds. The game saw the Cubs hit 3 2-run homers but it still be not enough to overcome again a multitude of walks and homerun by Bronson Arroyo, a first year National League pitcher. In addition, Junior Griffey hit his 537th career homer passing Mickey Mantle on the all-time list, as well as Joe Dimaggio on the all-time RBI list (stats only tracker back to 1920). The homeruns may not have been the biggest problem of the day, as Ryan Freel stole 3 bases and scored 3 times, including a steal on a poorly executed pitchout in the 3rd inning. The strike zone was far more generous in this game as compared to the first, but Glendon Rusch and Jerome Williams kept finding the middle of it rather than the edges.

Record Update: 1-1, 5th in the NL Central, 1.5 GB, T-8th in the Wild Card Race, Magic Number is 159.

"This is the Year" Moment of the Day: Upon blowing an early 2-run lead, the team could have packed it in by the 6th, but with back-to-back 2-run homer innings the Cubs had cut the deficit to one, and weren't going down without a fight. Only 1 man LOB was a major accomplishment, from the standpoint that the potential to score runs was maximized on the day.

"It's the Cubs!" Moment of the Day: Walks, Steals, and a throwing error!! Oh MY! Rusch faced 20 guys in 4 innings and walked 2, Jerome Williams faced 8 batters in 1 inning and walked 3, if the Cubs are going to stay afloat without Prior and Wood, the pitching has to go deeper, conserve pitches, and not allow the opposition to get so many runners on at the start of an inning via the walk. ***Bullpen watch***: In two appearances, Scott Eyre has inherited 4 runners, and 2 of them have scored, if the starters can't go deep and the bullpen can't keep the inhereited guys from the dish, it could be a long, hot Summer in the renovated bleachers.

King of the World;Able to Request the Finest Meats and Cheeses for His Post-game Spread: Probably should be given to a Cincinatti Red (Bronson Arroyo), but this is a Cubs blog, so Aramis Ramirez. Rami got the game off right with a 2-run shot in the first, that was squandered fairly quickly. However, no strikeouts in his line, and a batter behind him that has failed to get a hit in 2 games to start the season, leads me to believe that pitchers don't respect his bat right now. If they keep disrespecting, Rami will have a monster year.

Equipment Manager for the Day: Glendon Rusch, Jerome Williams, and Scott Williamson. Walks and the inability to stop runners from running will kill this season before it even gets started and these walks had nothing to do with the strike zone. Barrett had one shot at a runner all day and he blew it and cost the Cubs a run, but if Freel steals 3 bases, you have to believe that he is a threat everytime and Rusch as a lefty has to do a better job keeping him close.

W2W4: Another off day heading into the monster early season series with the hated StL Cardinals. Not stealing 2 games early in the season from the division rival Reds was bad enough, but the bullpen has also been taxed already. If Mad Dog doesn't have a long outing Thurs., the Cubs pen will be zapped by April 11th, the day we start a streak of 9 games in 9 days.

Opening Day

Situation: Monday April 3rd, 2006 marked opening day for the Chicago Cubs and an opening series with the oldest team in baseball, the Cincinatti Reds. The game saw the Cubs pull out a 2nd straight opening day win with a 16-7 dismantling of the Reds, matching the highest total output of runs in an opener for the Cubs (2005, D-backs, 16-6). The new offense was spectacular, so was the defense, and the bullpen was solid following a mediocre effort by the Baby Bull, Carlos Zambrano. 42,591 people, including President George Walker Bush, who threw out the first pitch, witnessed the Cubs explode for 5 runs in the first inning capped by a first time starter, Matt Murton's, 3-run homer.

Record Update: 1-0, T-1st in the NL Central, T-1st in the Wild Card Race, Magic Number is 162.

Defining Moment of the Day: Following Adam Dunn's homer to tie the game in the bottom of the 5th, the resilient Cubs hung a crooked 7 without the aid of a longball in the top of the 6th to all but clinch their second straight opening day victory in blowout fashion. While so much offense was predicated on the homerun last year, it was nice to see runners in scoring position being driven in, keeping the LOB to a low number.

"It's the Cubs!" Moment of the Day: Loading the bases 3 times and walking 10 guys is not a problem when the opponent is the Reds, but with the amount of games played against teams like the Cardinals, Astros, White Sox, Twins, and up-and-coming Brewers, they will find ways to capitalize when put in thsoe positions. IF the Cubs are going to be in the race past June, the opponents basepaths must remain untraversed.

King of the World;Able to Request the Finest Meats and Cheeses for His Post-game Spread: Tough call with all the offense, but Todd Walker. Going 3-4, driving in the first run of the season, which very easily would have been stranded on 3rd last year, go the season off on the right foot plating Juan Pierre. Honorable Mention to Juan Pierre. After a rocky Spring, a leadoff triple and 3 runs go a long way to proving that a leadoff man, could get the Cubs over the hill this year.

Equipment Manager for the Day: Carlos Zambrano. With Prior and Wood starting the season on the DL, Carlos has to keep his head abotu him and put the Cubs in a position to win. 4 and 2/3, 5 Runs, and a handful of walks will not keep the Cubs in position in too many games, and he shoudl be toting the team's bats to thank them for scoring 16.

W2W4: Following a monster win in the 2005 opener, the Cubs lost 3 in a row, sending out a signal for the year to come. A two game sweep of the Reds going into the home opener against the Cardinals would go a long way in the confidence department for this, the youngest Cubs starting squad since 1977.

Rededication

In an effort to redidicate myself to blogging, as I do find it somewhat enjoyable, I will, starting this Saturday, be blogging daily about something different than normal. I will however, keep that a secret until the first blog is published Saturday. Also, in an effort to win a free makeout session (reference: Comments from two blogs ago);), I am going to blog about somethign completely different than sports right this second.

Dateline March 9th, 2006
Blair, NE

Eddie Clemmons purchases Laser blue metallic 2006 Monte Carlo; Names it Southern Blue Belle

Edward J. Clemmons of Onawa, IA purchased and picked up his brand new ride this evening. Quinton J. Clemmons, Edward's brother, mentioned that he just liked riding in the seats with butt warmers. Kendall J. Clemmons, big little brother remarked that he loved the color as it has a hint of his favorite color in the paint job, purple. Elizabeth J. Clemmons, older sister, liked it so much that she got a new car herself in Rosamond, CA. The proud parents of Edward, Harlan and Rebecca were very enthused and proceeded to test drive a variety of cars, but have yet to make a purchase.

The XM radio and sunroof were key options and give the car a personality not unlike that of its fearless driver. Also exciting, the new embroidered floor mats should arrive March 29th. IF you have any information you would like to hear about this car, please inform the local authorities. The sports on XM radio are excellent as well!!

Did you really think I could go a whole blog without mentioning sports? Go George Mason...I am uber impressed with you ability to overcome obstacles the likes of UNC, MSU, and UConn. Good luck against FLA and GO GMU!!!! Duke Sucks, Big Ten Sucks, and how do you blow a 17 point lead Gonzaga?

Valentine's Day Dose of Love

This blog was originally created 2/14/06, but as I never got to finish it, it is finally beign posted. A delayed blog is better than no blog at all I suppose...Enjoy





Top 3 Sports Things I love about Valentine's Day 2K6:
3. Winter Olympics-According to ESPN, like 40% of the country has seen no Olympic action from Torino, and while I admit that I like the Summer Olympiad much better, I find myself thrilled whenever I can flip on NBC in the middle of the night and catch up on my curling and speedskating (By the way, interesting factoid of the holiday, I have the autograph of the greatest speedskater ever, Bonnie Blair). The Winter Olympics are not about US domination, excluding the snowboarding halfpipe (Gretchen, will you be my Valentine?), but they ARE about obscure sports that we only experience every four years. Short-track and long-track speedskating, curling, luge, bobsled...these are extremely exciting when only experienced on a quadrennial basis. Believe me, I wouldn't be flipping from an Iowa football game or Illinois basketball game on a Saturday afternoon, if Todd Hays or Vonetta Flowers were driving their bobsleds every other weekend on TV. BUT THEY'RE NOT! So I am clicking over to XXWO, and I LOVE doing so. March Edit: ***Bode Miller=Huge Donkey***

2. Barely over 1 day until Pitchers and Catchers-It seems like only yesterday that I was blasting the Chicago Cubs for their lack of winning during the 2K5 season, and then a lack of moves in the offseason. But of course with the White Sox winning, that means it is for all intents and purposes already a given that THIS IS THE YEAR. I say Howry and Eyre are overrated, Pierre is great, but can't save us, and we need Jacques Jones to to have a banner year protecting DLee and Rami. I say we need to be healthy, Wood and Prior need to return to form, Dusty needs to pick a lineup and stick with it. I say Todd Walker is the #2 man, we can play some D and it is CPat's year....OOPS, nevermind!

NONE OF THAT MATTERS, THOUGH!!! If there are baseball gods, then they can't give Boston one and the Southside Sux one without giving us one finally. THE YEAR IS NOW! And for all my disgust last year, I LOVE the Cubs ***March Edit: Pitchers and Catchers have reported and baseball season is 5 days away***

1. Big Ten Basketball-I log on, I read in the paper, and I watch TV everyday just to see what the next ridiculous move in the Big Ten is. There has never been another season like this. It's an absolute crapshoot. You think you have it figured out and then NW beats Iowa, Purdue beats blazing hot Michigan, PSU ends Illinois' home winning streak, and Minnesota destroys Michigan State. When will the mass insanity end? Come March, no conference will have been tried and tested on the road like the 7 members of Big Ten that should be in the tourney. Now the only way that any of this matters is if the invitees aren't completely mentally and physically wrecked from the toughest conference in the country. The Big Ten is going to give new meaning to the term March Madness, if they can even escape Frenzied February. I LOVE (and hate) the Big Ten. ***March Edit: I hate the Big Ten...0-6 to the Sweet Sixteen, disgusting***

Did Somebody Say Blog?

A month's worth of blogs wherever to start...

Let's start with apologizing to all my faithful readers (Stace, Wally, Keith) who have been deprived of blogging de Eduardo since before Christmas even. I can only say I have beeen busier and more tired than ever before, and while that is no excuse, that is my reason.

Here we go on a whirlwind adventure through the last month plus of sports...

Bowl Season or should I say Bull Season as in the refs and those God-forsakin' hook 'em horns. While i readily admit that week in and week out during college football season, I blast officials left and right most notably in the Big Ten--whose officials refereed the BCS Championship game and did a satisfactory job--I have never been so appalled by officiating across the board as I was this season. The Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA should be completely disgraced by the jobs their officials did in the Alamo and Outback bowls. While, I was praying that the Alamodome would collapse during the Michigan-Nebraska game, I was absolutely beside myself with the Sloescrew that Michigan had to choke down. Nebraska fans should be ashamed of how they act, saying that they won that game, and that Bill Callahan has turned the program around. YOU WERE GIVEN THE GAME ON THE MOST BLATANT PASS INTERFERENCE CALL EVER. I must commend Michigan on their ability to overcome such obstacles to still have a chance at the end to pull off the most exciting/whacky play since the BIG GAME (Michigan fans please ask Tyler Ecker what he was doing running out of bounds at the 13 yard line).

My Iowa Hawkeyes...what else can I say? While they did themselves no favors until time had nearly run out, they did get themselves into contention, also overcoming massive zebra striped obstacles, notably illegal tackling that gave the Flaorida Gators 7 bonus points. This incident was easily and most classically described by ESPN's Chris Spielman....“He didn’t hit him with his helmet, he hit him with his arm. … That’s it. Put flags on everybody. … Unbelievable! … If you can’t tackle in football anymore, I don’t know what you’re going to do.” However, there were a number of other obviously blown calls that really drove the momentum of the Hawkeyes straight into the ground, fully iced by the offsides call on the onside kick near the end of the game that the Hawks recovered only to have the game taken away by the officials. In the end Kirk Ferentz couldn't (as usual!) put it more eloquently..."They were consistent"

The BCS this year was amazing, and while I still say it's the wrong system, they did all right this year. Between the scoring of the WVU-GA, the unbelieavble length of PSU-FSU, and the history of the first meeting bewteen OSU-ND, no game could hold up to the history, scoring, and heroics of the Rose Bowl between Texas and USC. Like two heavyweights slugging away in the middle of the ring, no team believed it was over or backed down until the final gun. Vince Young was spectacular, LenDale White, Matt Leinart, Mr. President played their parts adn the game somehow lived up to the hype. I found myself cheering for USC though, as Mack Brown with that smug smirk stood on the sideline I could only see Major Applewhite riding the pine, and all I could think was how much Sooner this could have happened, and how Mack Brown wouldn't have had to sell his soul to the devil. Enjoy your championship Mack, I can only hope the flames of Hell are warm enough to melt your cold heart one day adn that you will realize that it wasn't worth it. And maybe while you are listening to your iPod with all the 50 cent you can want you will realize that you weren't the better team, you just were that night.

Let me interject, my cheers and wishes for you to have a Happy New Year at this point...

And on with the show...

The Chicago Bears won the NFC Norris and made the playoffs, for all of you living in Amishwille for the past month and a half, plus the Colts found a way to lose a playoff game where they were not playing NE Patriots. Steve Smith killed the Bears, but did he really? Charles Tillman looked liek he had been on a cruise ship for the last 3 months and couldn't on ground. But I despise Jake Delhomme. Son, you are a two bit talent, who threw to wide open receivers was well protected by an above average line, and who had the man who would be MVP on his team, so don't celebrate like your county just got dancing back for the first time in 25 years . How 'bout that Roethlisberger guy, he turned out to be pretty good. (Wally-reference the time I told you he was a poor man's Peyton). Ever since Norm "Roast Beef" Parker solved the Best Burger since the Cheeseburger, no team has had any real success against a fully healthy Big Ben. In fact, the Steelers trust him so much they are going to try to win the Super Bowl passing, when they have the best rusher out of Notre Dame ever in the backfield. If this is your last game Jerome, you have been a great ambassador and the wheels on the Bus will forever roll.

Super Bowl, Super Bowl, Super Hype...IT'S THE SEAHAWKS AND THE STEELERS, 1.2 million hours of hype is unnecessary. The top 4 names in the game are Shaun Alexander, Matt Hasselbeck, Big Ben, and Jerome Bettis. These aren't exactly striking fear in Dallas's Big 3, Montana and Rice, or Walter and the Fridge. I will watch it because I watch all sports, but seriously this game should not be getting this kind of hype and thusly, this is where mine ends.

When did Roger Federer become Dick Vermiel? He made out with Rod Laver and could barely function at the mic. Amelie Mauresmo, while not actually playing to win the trophy, didn't cry as much as the #1 MEN'S Tennis player in the world. He is pretty good I will give him that, but Sampras is still "the man" and will be until Federer stops bawling. If he wins 50 Grand Slams, great, but if he is still crying he can not be "the man".

Tiger meter: 1 event entered, 1 event won..winning percentage in 2006 1.000. 'Nuff said

J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison are waging one of the greatest player of the year battles since Magic vs. Bird (great game, by the way), but I can't help but think that Dee Brown is getting overlooked in all this. When he is going bad, Illinois can't win, and while he doesn't score 32 points per, he does the things that make his teammates better, on a #6 team that most people thought would be top 15 at best. Redick can't say that, he has a team full of McDonald's All-Americans. Morrison can probably say that, but plays less than no defense, which Dee plays phenomenally. I am not saying that Redick and Morrison aren't deserving, I am saying that they are peopel just under the radar that should be getting more pub than they do. I think the only way to solve the Redick/Morrison debate is in a game of H-O-R-S-E. I will tell you right now, that game could go on forever, the trash-talking would be intense, and the HALO 2 game afterward would be even better.

Tired yet?....

We must press on...

The NBA season is pretty much a one team show at this point. While the Suns, Mavericks, Spurs, and Heat are playing good ball and the Warriors and Clips are feel good stories, the Pistons are dominating the headlines with their insanely hot start not seen since 72 and 10. While I am pretty sure that the Pistons can't come anywhere near that, they have played so good it has been able to keep Artest out of our news reading hair, plus all things rap/drugs/assault have pretty much gone unnoticed (whatever happened to Eddie Robinson?). The true individual story of the year though...cough, gag, aack, Kobe "Mamba" Bryant.

81...think about it....fathom it....wrap your brain around it....81 points, 20+ per quarter. Most people woudl be happy with 20 per for a season. Kobe averaged it EACH QUARTER. AND HIS TEAM HAD TO COMEBACK TO WIN!!! They won't win championships, but think Jordan pre-Pip/Grant--there hasn't been scoring like this since that--and without hand checking at the top of the key, his numbers will stay phenomenal. Speaking of phenomenal numbers, this LeBron character grabs my attention. He is a special talent, and I finally have come around. He is a little young Jordan, a little Magic, and a little mature Jordan, but he is most definitely all LeBron. He just turned 21 and has a million dollar smile to go along with one of the greatest advertising campaigns right now (Butter...Butter..., Those numbers don't make sense), and one of the best throwback fundamental games in the league. Give me Duncan and LeBron, and I can't whoop any team you put together.

Hockey poll:

Greatest goal:

Vote accordingly Malik, Ovechkin, Michigan

Malik: http://taytv.blogspot.com/2005/11/marek-maliks-ot-winner.html

Ovechkin: http://my.break.com/Content/ViewContentPublic.aspx?ContentID=A4Xa9CErMMYE2XVr60OrVg%3d%3d&ContentTitle=Alexander+Ovechkin+Amazing+Hockey+Goal&ContentURL=http%3a%2f%2fmedia1.break.com%2fdnet%2fmedia%2fcontent%2famazinghockeygoal.wmv

Michigan: http://www.michiganlist.com/phunny/videos/michigan/Amazing Goal-Michigan Hockey.avi

Finally, the Olympics are coming up, which always give me a huge swelling of American Pride, that usually lasts as long as it takes us to destroy the Olympic Village. Everyone is talking about Bode Miller and skiing intoxicated. And here are my thoughts...is it sending the wrong message to kids? yes. Do kids know who Bode Miller is? Highly unlikely. Would you rather him be driving drunk? I think it's a safe compromise for everyone. And if he is that damn good, then ski drunk/hungover all you want big boy, but if you start driving drunk, I will get Apollo Anton Ono to castrate you with his speedskate.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the comeback of the blog...and remember only 16 days until pitchers and catchers, hopefully I will blog again before then.