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An Inside Look At The Best Racetracks & Getting The Best Seats In The House
If you're planning to attend a NASCAR race, there's a lot to consider. Which race should I attend and where should I buy the tickets? Which seats are the best and how do I choose?
It's been called the Super Bowl of NASCAR and it's held at the...
Exhilarting Electric Scooters - A Thrilling Ride for All!
Get that adrenaline pumping with an electric motor scooter. Take a joy ride and find out first hand how much fun electric scooters can be.
Looking for some new excitement in your life? Want to find it cheap? Imagine the adrenalin rush you’re...
Motocross Helmets -- Not Just for Motocross!
Motocross helmets came out of the sport of Motocross -- a sport wherein motorcycles raced on artificial loose dirt circuits. Such circuits were constructed with many corners and steep bumps from which riders launch themselves high into the air....
Strength Training Guidelines for Endurance Athletes
You can make great strides in your sport performance in the weight room. Because strength training can break down a lot of muscle tissue I recommend weight work be done in the foundation or base period. This does not mean you will not continue to...
Wayne Gretzky Hockey Jerseys Are Available From All His Former Teams
Wayne Gretzky went from a talented kid that took his first strides on the rink his dad made for him in the backyard, to one of the greatest athletes in the history of professional sports. Notice that I said any sport, not only one of the greatest in...
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Cubs back in the chase (is it for real??)
Cubs back in the chase (is it for real??)
Just when most everyone (including myself) was ready to put the proverbial nail in the Chicago Cubs coffin, looks as though they are back in the NL Wild Card race to stay. After soundly thumping the Pittsburgh Pirates once again at Wrigley on Friday Afternoon, they currently sit 4 ½ games behind Atlanta and look ready to pounce despite a rash of injuries to their starting rotation and offensive lineup.
I must give credit to the much maligned Dusty Baker for keeping this team together when it appeared they were likely candidates to fold up like a tent. Also, much praise goes out to the guys who filled in on Kerry Wood and Mark Prior while they were on the disabled list, Glendon Rusch and Sergio Mitre. Baker has plenty reason to be optimistic. "We feel very good and confident that we finally got our pitching staff back that we were starting with," Baker said. "When you can put a guy like Rusch in the bullpen and Sergio, it builds everything. Now it's kind of the glue putting the pieces of the puzzle together. I feel a whole lot better having those guys back. It's like having your whole army back."
Now comes the hard part for Chicago; they begin a critical stretch of 16 games in 16 days. After finishing up the Pirate series, they head to Cincinnati and then face the NL Central leading Cardinals. When they finish up this stretch at home vs. Arizona and San Francisco, we’ll all have a better idea of where the Cubs stand as contenders or simply another tease to the long suffering faithful.
This team still has issues, namely in the bullpen and
in the outfield, where centerfielder Corey Patterson was recently optioned to Triple A Iowa, and Jerry Hairston Jr. looks like the current incumbent and lead-off man. In leftfield, the Jason Dubois/Todd Hollandsworth experiment failed to produce the results the team was hoping for. Cubs GM Jim Hendry will be looking to add another bat, after coming up short in pursuit of Preston Wilson and Mark Kotsay. A package deal with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Aubrey Huff and reliever Dannys Baez remains a possibility; which would help sure up the bullpen as well, with the demoted Patterson and a couple minor leaguers dealt to Tampa in return. The Cubs also hope to have shortstop Nomar Garciaparra back in the lineup within the next month, which would help ease the burden on Derrick Lee and Aramis Ramirez. Baker has remained quiet on commenting on team needs in the trade market. "I can't say that," Baker said. "It'd be like me asking you what does your company need, a cameraman or a reporter. That's a good question, but a question I can't answer. I have to go out and tell these guys to give us all you've got. We talk about that in private."
Whether the Cubbies acquire offensive help or not, as long as they have Wood and Prior healthy at the same time for the rest of the season, you can’t help but believe they will remain right in the middle of the hunt in a very crowded chase for the NL Wild Card.
About the Author
John Onan (ego74) is sports writer/moderator at the online players union (www.theopu.com) and football contributor at www.realfootball365.com
he can be reached at nay7201@mail.com
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