Opinion

The announcement today that Mike Quade would return as Cubs manager and be given a two year contract with a team option for a third year, is not all that surprising. But it is disappointing.

While the reports are saying that Quade has had the interim label removed from his title, in essence any coach or manager in every sport is interim. They are all hired to be fired. Heck, truth be told, as humans we are all interim.

A.J. Burnett has the fate of the New York Yankees in his enigmatic hands when he takes the hill tonight in the Bronx.

However, this time he may accomplish what he sets out to do.

Burnett is not your ordinary pitcher. He possesses above average pitches for everything he throws, especially his fastball-curveball combination. Scouts would genuinely tell you that Burnett has the best curve in the majors, which is a testament to his raw ability.

Just taking a glance at Cliff Lee on television from time to time, you likely wouldn’t find yourself to be overly impressed.

He will never throw harder than 93 with his fastball. He doesn’t do anything funky with his motion. He is very deliberate and has a plan of attack for the hitters.

In some ways, he could be classified as boring.

This was going to be the topic of the 10/25 Monday Mania, but after thinking about what I wanted to say during my first class today, I decided that so much information and thinking that goes into this topic that it truly deserved its own article.

Which leaves me without a topic of debate for Monday Mania, but in the wide world of sports, something always presents itself.

Anyway, "Onward and upward," as the Romans said.

There's no way you can take away from what Cliff Lee did last night.

Trust me, I'd love to. I wish I could say it had something to do with his "magic" hat, a pact with Satan, or some potent HGH cocktail guzzled before first pitch, but I just can't.

This just in: Cliff Lee is good. I mean really good.

Cliff Lee could pull a Ron Burgundy right now: "Hey everyone, come see how good I look!"

Sometimes when you are getting ready to stare fate in the face, you may not be ready for the outcome.  Especially if you've seen it before.

Enter the New York Yankees.

As we start another offseason of Dodger baseball, this one seems to have a much bigger impact on the landscape of the franchise than most.

With the McCourt’s fighting over the control of the team, free agency questions looming, and deciding on weather to hold on to or cut ties with some of the young faces that have helped mold the franchise. And all this while the Dodgers are breaking in a new manager, Don Mattingly.

When Josh Hamilton grounded out to end Game 1 on Friday night, a game where the Texas Rangers let a 5-0 lead slip away in their own ballpark to the dreaded New York Yankees, eventually losing the game 6-5, I sent the following message to my friend via Facebook chat:

"Series over."

"Yup," he replied.

Because there was no way the Rangers were going to be able to recover from a loss like that in a seven-game series. 

After last night's performance, there is no way the Texas Rangers can let Cliff Lee walk as a free agent.

Even winning the World Series this season would not be worth it to the franchise if Lee walks, goes to a rival playoff team like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox or even their division rival Los Angeles Angels*.

It took a stellar performance from Roy Oswalt to beat budding start Jonathan Sanchez. Oswalt went eight masterful innings giving up only one run and striking out nine and allowing only six base runners. What Giants fans should be upset about is manager Bruce Bochy’s decision to pitch Sanchez in game two instead of Matt Cain.