Fan News

The Captain Obvious Award of the Week - Mark Teixeria
It is no secret that Mark Teixeira can rake, but his numbers in the last two weeks have been crazy.
.407 BA, 8 HR, 13 runs, 20 RBI

While Big Tex will be owned in every league, several guys on the right side of streaky should be available in most leagues.

There is a small obstacle: Angels manager Mike Scioscia. He is a singles, contact-hitting, bunt-them-over-and-win-3-2 type of manager. Rodriguez is a free-swinging, slugging infielder with 30 home runs and 150 strikeout potential.

On May 21, former major league baseball star Willie Mays Aikens testified at a U.S. House Judiciary Hearing about the harsh drug sentencing laws that put him behind bars for 14 years.

In 1994, Aikens was sentenced to nearly 21 years for crack cocaine distribution, bribery and gun charges. He was released last June after his sentence was reduced because of the U.S. Sentencing Commission's recent adjustment to the crack cocaine sentencing guidelines.

This is what personally annoys me more than anything about the Cubs.  Since they started their run as National League Central champs in 2007, there has been no consistency in the starting rotation.

Now, the rotation has been good overall, but not as good as it should be, IMO.

In 2007, the Cubs had three starters that could have been considered the staff ace, if you will.  Ted Lilly, Rich Hill, and supposed ace Carlos Zambrano were all really neck and neck for this title.

Ted Lilly

15-8, 3.83 ERA, 207 IP, 174 K, in 34 starts

All the talk is what happens when Jeremy Bonderman is deemed ready to return to the starting rotation, which could come as early as next week, or as late as the middle of the month.

We speak about it as if it is a certainty he will return to the rotation, thus bumping either rookie Rick Porcello (doubtful), struggling lefty Dontrelle Willis (maybe) or struggling righty Armando Galarraga (possible) from the rotation. That’s a debate for another time. I have a different idea for you to bat around:

In August 2006 at Massachusetts General Hospital after a car crash, the doctors diagnosed Jon Lester with lymphoma, a curable form of cancer.

In December of the same year ESPN reported that his cancer had been cured and he can return to baseball the very next season.

His return to the field was against the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field where hit pitched six solid innings and allowed five hits and two runs.

I happened across an item in the Feb. 3, 1915 edition of The New York Times, about a trade rumor during the winter meetings, which were being held in a New York City hotel.

Here's an excerpt: “As usual, the air was full of rumors of trades. The one rumor which seemed to carry the most weight was that the new owners of the Yankees had come to an agreement with Owner Joseph J. Lannin of the Boston Red Sox for a trade which would involve the transfer of one of the Boston left-handed pitchers to the Yankees.

Wrapping up what has been a very enjoyable series for me to write as a die-hard Cubs fan, I put together my list of top Cubs closers.

I have learned a lot about some Cubs I did not know prior to this, and I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I have.

If this is your first read of the series, and you are a Cubs fan, I encourage you to read the previous seven of the series.

Folks, it's time for Theo Epstein and the Red Sox to make a move.

The team is stuck in neutral, and plenty of question marks stand out.

Boston's starting pitching has struggled at times and is ranked 26th in the majors with a 5.36 ERA. Jon Lester is struggling mightily. He was supposed to be one of the aces for the Sox.