Cubs Are an Embarrassment

The Cubs organization is an utter embarrassment to the game of baseball. Let's set aside the fact that they haven't won a World Series since the Civil War. They went out a spent $300 million on new players and managers and still stink. They are fighting each other in the dugout and clubhouse, Lou Pinella is going berserk, and fans are throwing crap on to the field. What a bunch of losers.

Friends with Felons

It sounds like Mike Vick associates with some pretty classy characters. He now has convicts saying that they witnessed Vick at dog fights. I am glad to see that AirTran has pulled his sponsorship. His poor behavior deserves to be punished.

Welcome Back to Mediocrity

Florida Gator basketball fans, welcome back to mediocrity. Your Golden Boy, Billy Donovan, has left for the Orlando Magic. Your team now has permission to recess back to the middle of the SEC pack. Perhaps I will get the chance to watch your team get bounced from the first or second round of the tourney every few years.

Go Bruins!

Big Win

Big win for the Bravos today. The Brewers are struggling, as well, but it was good to see the Braves handle them anyway. Chuck James had a strong outing, and I look for him to continue to improve throughout the season. He reminds me a little of Jason Schmidt in his early years. I hope he can turn out as well.

The more I watch this Braves team, the more I am convinced they are a few pieces shy of really being a contender. They are in need of a proven third or fourth starter, as well as one big bat. They can do without the bat, however, if Chipper can stay healthy and Andruw can play like he did in 2005.

Gonzalez Out For Year

Mike Gonzalez is out for the year. This is a huge loss for the Braves. I am very glad we got Soriano and resigned Wickman, but this still hurts. Let's just hope that Yates can keep up his solid work.

Now This is a True Fan

A death row inmate in Arizona used his last breath on this earth to say "Go Raiders!" as he was executed. This guy is literally a "die hard fan", especially given the fact that the Raiders are the worst team in the NFL. Read more here.

Andruw Jones - Most Overrated CF Ever?

Jason Stark has written an interesting book claiming that Andruw Jones is the most overrated center fielder of all time. I think the "all time" portion is a big stretch. Jason does, however, put stats around something that I think a lot of Braves fans have suspected for the last few years. Andruw is not the same defender he used to be. I don't know if it is the weight gain or just age, but he does not have the range he had in the late 1990s.

Based on Jason's stats, the lack of range is even more dramatic that I suspected. Andruw dropped from a career high of 493 put outs in 1999 to 365 put outs in 2005. He equates that to about three extra hits per week. Not only that, but in some stat tracking process that ESPN has to rate center fielders based on range, Jones finished last! That is shocking.

I will hate to see Andruw go when the Yankees, Red Sox or Mets inevitably sign him after this season. I do think that the Braves can get a lot more for their money than they are getting from Jones.

Read Jason Stark's full article here.