A Friendly Beating

The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field are just perfect for a night of baseball. I mean it's been asked a million times before but is there a better ballpark in the Majors? Probably not.

You have a the great seats, the old school park, the hot dogs and the clear, crisp Chicago sky. Then to top it off, your team slams the Atlanta Braves for seven runs before the fourth inning is over!

The Cubs are looking lethal against Atlanta today and it's hard to argue that they won't figure in some October activity. Could this, their 100th year, really be the season that breaks the drought?

Well with Ryan Dempster well in control with 39 strikes from 63 pitches at the fifth inning mark, things are looking very good right now.

Cubs for sale?

The Cubbies crushed the Brewers today 19-5...it was brutal. But more disturbing than Milwaukee's pitching was seeing Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban in the stands wearing a Cubs jacket and assessing the prospect of Chicago ownership.

Say it isn't so. Cuban Baseball? In Chicago? At Wrigley? Why? What about the Mavs buddy? The team just got bounced in the first round of the playoffs and "parted ways" with coach Avery Johnson. I think there's more work to be done in Texas. Surely.

But then again, with great payers like Reed Johnson in the Cubs line-up it'd be hard for any millionaire not to reach into his back pocket and make an offer. I mean check out Reed's socks for crying out loud!

Old school cool. Why did Toronto ever let him go?

The competition is Royally screwed

Just how good are the Kansas City Royals?

Well they've gone from laughing stock of the majors to the 2008 cinderella team - and practically overnight!

Currently at 7-5, the Royals are atop the AL Central division and not looking like slowing down. And the real indication that they're a legitimate pennant contender? They bounced back to trounce the Minnesota Twins 5-1 after dropping three in a row. That type of resilience goes a long way when August rolls around.

The Royal's Brian Bannister pitched the second complete game of his career and did it in a frigid 29 degrees. Hey look, it's hard enough getting your shorts on in that type of cold let alone pelting a fastball. Bannister gave up only one walk and one unearned run, and struck out three. Yes, this is not a dream...the Royals are a good team.

What a great catch...I think...

I could actually visualize Melky Cabrera's against-the-wall catch today...amazing, I know.

I just listened to the Jays vs Yankees game on MLB.com Audio, the first time i've tuned into a radio call in a while. And what a refreshing change it was. Not only was the call on the Jays' Fan 590 as solid as it gets but the beautiful simplicity of listening to sports on the radio once again was, well, like music to my ears.

Sure, there's nothing like sinking your backside into a well-worn couch, chewing through a bag of pretzels and taking in a game on a giant LCD screen. But to shake things up a bit, I wholeheartedly endorse rediscovering the radio call.

For some people, I'm sure this is no revelation - perhaps you listen to ball games in the car or at the desk at work. But for those who've forgotten all about the old wireless amidst the plasmas, i-pods and pay per views, do yourself a favour. The radio game is still a treat, even when your team loses 3-2 on opening day.

Who's the new guy?

Opening day!

Fresh cut grass, the aroma of hotdogs, the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd and the fat guy blocking the view from your otherwise perfect $50-3B-line seats. There are a few days on the sporting calendar that make being a sports fan worthwhile and opening day is one of them.

The Nationals vs. Braves game in Washington DC's new ball park had everything - big hits, some runs and a suspenseful 3-2 win for the home team. And who will forget the boos the President received as he walked out for the opening pitch? I mean this was a home game for the big guy. I'd hate to see how opposing fans treat the chief next time he gets the starting assignment.