In the midst of an important three game series, one which Brandon Phillips (aka my new favorite player) got off to a nice start by referring to the Cardinals as “a bunch of little bitches,” tensions have run high as the game last night started off with a bench clearing brawl. Of course, right in the middle of it was the lead little bitch, Chris Carpenter, who seems to have made a habit this year of complaining and/or taking offense to every little situation that comes up, and who was perhaps the subject of Phillips’ comment. Of course things calmed down without much of a fight with the highlight being Scott Rolen getting Carpenter in a bear hug as he played peacemaker, as one can only assume Rolen was hoping for an opportunity to lay LaRussa out after his less than acrimonious departure from St. Louis. And there were of course the postgame comments where Carpenter complained and cried like he is so prone to do, but in the end it was much ado about nothing as most baseball brawls tend to be.

As for the game itself, the Cardinals won for the second time in the series as they go for the sweep Wednesday night. If only by percentage points ,the squad from St. Louis has taken their much accustomed spot atop the division. Considered the preseason favorites they have largely underachieved for the year, giving the upstart Reds a chance to compete for the first time in years. No LaRussa led team will ever go down without a fight so until further notice the Cardinals are still the favorite to win the division and will be playoff dangerous with Carpenter and Wainwright at the top of the rotation.

Of course this is of little help or concern to a Cubs fan, who can only take solace in the induction of Andre “Hawk” Dawson to the Hall of Fame this summer. I had planned to write an ode to the Hawk of sorts leading up to the induction ceremony but alas I am lazy so he’s only getting a few paragraphs several weeks after the fact.

Many, especially your uber statisticians who live and die by OBP, will endlessly debate his credentials for the hall, which explains why it took him nine years to finally get the necessary votes. I could argue his stats, his status as a five tool player that is as rare as it is impressive, the ability to play through the unbelievable pain of failing knees, and a man who had the utmost respect of pitchers across the game. One of the most feared hitters of the 80’s, over 400 homeruns and 300 steals, a club that includes only the likes of Willie May, as well as the steroid fueled Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez, Dawson played the game the right way and never made any excuses. Much has been made of his signing the blank check to play for the Cubs, proving to be a steal for the Cubs but also providing the extension of his career that got him to the HOF.

Dawson’s move to the Cubs also provided a certain 8 year old boy a childhood hero. My first memories of sports in general are of Dawson’s 49 home run, 137 RBI year of 1987, his first as a Cub and a year that garnered him the MVP award on a last place team. There is often little to cheer for as a Cubs fan but for a few years Dawson changed all of that. For the most part you only have one childhood hero, and watching him get inducted was a special event for this Cubs fan who had very little else to cheer for this summer.

With around 2,800 hits and 1,500 RBI’s and of course the questionable OBP, Dawson may have feallen short of some of the shoo-in milestones, but ask any pitcher from the 80’s who they least wanted to face and Dawson would be on that list. Ask any baserunner who they would be least likely to challenge on the basepaths and it would have been Dawson. He won 8 gold gloves, the first several in CF before moving to RF when he came to Chicago. Rob Neyer can ramble on about OBP all he wants, but this was not a lead-off hitter, this was a power-hitter, one who was asked to drive in runs, not take walks. It’s hard to hold someone to the standard of a stat that no one paid attention to during his era. I didn’t start this to argue Dawson’s credentials but I just couldn’t help myself. I am obviously biased but no one will ever convince me that he is not a worthy member of the hall.

And with that it’s on to football. The Cubs still have two months to put the finishing touches on a thoroughly embarrassing year, so for me it’s time to move my focus to the Bears. In the NFL anything can happen and I have high hopes for the Mike Martz/Jay Cutler tandem and the rejuvenation of the Bears defense with the return of Urlacher and the signing of Peppers. With Favre’s inevitable return the Bears will probably be picked third in the NFC North (potentially the toughest division in football this year) by most pundits, but they certainly have the talent to challenge for the division. A lot will rest on Cutlers shoulders, but a return of the vaunted Bears defense will go a long way to a return to respectability.

For my part, as a resident of St. Louis, the Sunday Ticket (how is this not a monopoly? I’m not sure. More on that and other random NFL thoughts to come later) has already been purchased and I’m ready to go. The only decision left is what jersey my one year old son will be sporting for the upcoming year.

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This is not a division in which the Rays should be competing. In fact, some talk has gone on in baseball this year to the notion of “floating divisions.” This was basically an idea that was started with the thought in mind that teams in the AL East are so far outspent by the Yankees and Red Sox that they never have a chance at the playoffs. This idea of floating divisions would move a team like the Rays (or the Blue Jays and Orioles) into a different division from year to year, based on a variety of competitive factors, with the idea being that this would give them a chance to compete for a postseason spot.

This argument has, at least temporarily, been put to rest by the Rays this year. In 2008 when they won the division and went to the World Series they were considered a fluke, a bit of a surprise that likely wouldn’t happen again. And yes, management will struggle to keep this team together in the years to come. But they were solid in 2009, and in 2010 they boast the best record in baseball thus far and are certainly no fluke. The Rays have basically provided the model for all small market teams out there (yes, I’m staring right at you Kansas City. Stop making excuses, get the right guys in your front office and make the necessary investments in your scouting and farm system). It may be easier said than done, and I won’t deny that it takes some luck, but the Rays, much like the A’s of ten years ago and the Twins in recent years, are showing that it certainly can be done.

The Rays have assembled arguably the best rotation in all of baseball, and a line-up that could go up against anyone this side of the Yankees and Phillies. Whether through the draft (David Price, BJ Upton, Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, James Shields, Wade Davis), or via trade (Ben Zobrist, Matt Garza) Tampa has shrewdly compiled a team that sports the best winning percentage in all of baseball and doesn’t appear to be letting up. Some pundits have gone so far as to say that they haven’t even started playing as well as they are capable. And they have done it in a cost effective manner and with a template (focus on the farm system and player development) to which any team, regardless of market size, should be paying attention.

Simply spending money doesn’t guarantee success. I could (and did) write an entire article on the Cubs inability to compete despite trailing only the Yankees and Red Sox in team payroll. Yes, a hard salary cap would certainly help to even the playing field so that a team like the Rays being successful wouldn’t be such a huge surprise. And yes, it would certainly be in the best interests of the smaller market teams if that ever happened. That said, my hope is that there is no salary cap until after Albert Pujols is making $40M per year playing first for the Red Sox so that I can stop having to watch him kill the Cubs as a member of the Cardinals. The Rays be damned, I would sign a deal with the devil to get Pujols out of St. Louis. But I digress.

With the current economic playing field as it is, it will certainly be a challenge for the Rays to keep their current roster in place long-term. It’s the hope here that the quality of baseball that is being played in Tampa Bay will result in more fan support and the capability to keep the majority of these guys in place. It’s the kind of story that gives fans in Pittsburgh and Kansas City hope. And hope is what any fan base needs. Just ask Cub fans.

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So now I sit here, two weeks into the season and already past the point of optimism, wondering what happened in Chicago. I’m only a day removed from learning that Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs $90M prize ace, has been moved to the bullpen. Has any other opening day starter in the history of the game been demoted to the bullpen before the end of April? The offense has managed to produce the lowest runs per dollar spent of any team in the majors. I didn’t actually calculate this stat, but you don’t have to watch many Cub games to realize that production isn’t matching paychecks. As I write this, we have made it to the 7th inning without scoring a run, well on the way to the second shutout in the last three games. Terrible. And yet here I am, listening to Pat Hughes over the airwaves and praying for a turnaround. It seems as though I’ve been here before.

To make matters worse, I live in St. Louis. I have no problem with this town. Unfortunately, the Cardinals make their home here. Not only are they our arch rival, they are the exact opposite of the Cubs in terms of team history. The Cardinals have won ten World Series title, only four years removed from the most recent. I don’t think I need to get into the Cubs history in the World Series. It’s hard enough to ignore your team’s historic ineptitude. Living in the shadow of Busch Stadium makes matters that much worse.

This year is of no help. The best player in baseball for nearly ten years running calls St. Louis home, and judging by how old he may or may not be, could continue to be for another five years or more. They’ve broken out of their “small market” mindset and signed Holliday to the richest contract of this past offseason. And the starting rotation is quite possibly the best in baseball, especially at the top with Carpenter and Wainwright. In short, it is shaping up to be a long year. Four games out might as well be forty the way the two teams are playing. Two weeks ago I scoffed at a few ESPN commentators who predicted the Cubs would finish fifth in the NL Central. Now it seems they may have somehow overestimated this squad.

The $100M line-up hasn’t hit since 2008. Our $19M leftfielder has set the bar so low that if he hit 20 home runs and had a .250 average we’d somehow deem that a success. The bullpen is atrocious. And now our manager, one of the best the game has ever seen, has apparently lost it. Not only have we panicked and mailed in the season by moving Big Z to the bullpen, we’ve risked a complete implosion from a player that has never been the picture of emotional maturity. A player we still owe more than just a few million over the next few years. Seems like a poorly thought out risk of a team that has panicked. And of a team that is screwed. I certainly hope I’m wrong. I hope that come July there is still a playoff race to discuss and I can look back at this and laugh. I hope.

At least my childhood hero, Andre Dawson, will be headed for his long-awaited, rightful place in Cooperstown this summer. That will take some of the sting out of another disappointing season. I can remember the glory of the summer of ’87 when Dawson arrived and had one of the most amazing pre-steroids season of any Cub ever. A season we finished in last place.

If you were one of the three people who have read this far waiting for a prediction on the season, here it is. The Cardinals will win the NL Central (before losing to the Phillies who will in turn lose to the Rays in a rematch of the 2007 series), the Cubs will finish last, and I will seriously ponder becoming a Royals fan. If you need me I will be drinking.

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2. Chris Sheridan

3. John Hollinger

4. Eric Karabell

5. John Clayton

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After watching the USA beat Canada last night, I was trying to think of a top five most patriotic athletic performances. Then I started thinking of top five musical performances at patriotic sporting events. I’m not sure what this list actually comprises, but it’s worth watching.

5. Mariah Carey sings Michael Jordan tribute. Because Jordan is the epitome of the American Dream? I love reaching.

4. What’s more American than the Super Bowl Shuffle? Arrogance, freedom, and dominance all wrapped into a bad 80s rap.

3. The NFL and September 11th

2. Ray Charles sings “America, The Beautiful” before the Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran “No Mas” fight. Talk about motivation.

1. Marvin Gaye sings the national anthem at the 1983 NBA All-Star game. Watch it. Enough said.

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9. The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy – Bill Simmons

8. Hate Mail From Cheerleaders and Other Adventures from the Life of Reilly – Rick Reilly

7. Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life – Tony Dungy

6. I’m Back for More Cash: A Tony Kornheiser Collection (Because You Can’t Take Two Hundred Newspapers into the Bathroom) – Tony Kornheiser

5. The Blind Side: Evolution Of A Game – Michael Lewis

4. What It Takes To Be #1: Vince Lombardi On Leadership – Vince Lombardi Jr.

3. Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big – Jose Canseco

2. Education Of A Coach – David Halberstam

1. When The Game Was Ours – Jackie MacMullan

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Luke & Chad are back talking about the week eight of the NFL season. They discuss the Power Rankings, a new segment “What the Hell is Going on Here?”,  then Luke orders Chad to “JUSTIFY THIS PICK!” and all others for next week.

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Luke & Chad are back talking about the incredible NFL season we’ve had so far. They discuss the elite of the league, the up and downs of the middle of the road teams, fighting for a wild card, and the bottom of the barrel teams who should probably be in the UFL or CFL.

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• Not wanting to uproot his family
• Being comfortable in southern California
• His desire to try and help his current team (the Padres)
• Wanting to stay in the National League
• Having no interest in playing in/for Chicago

While any of these reasons may seem like a plausible decision, some more valid than others.  Let’s see if we can get to the root of this speculation and shed some light on his actual motivation.

Not wanting to uproot his family:  FALSE

For Peavy to believe that he is going to remain a Padre is wishful thinking. The Padres are the ones actively trying to move him. Plus, there is an unofficial list of teams that he would like to go to.  It’s difficult to believe that he wouldn’t be prepared to uproot his family if the right offer came along.

Being comfortable in southern California: Most likely TRUE

It has been speculated that he enjoys life in sunny southern Cali, and his family is comfortable there too.  Translation: He would like to be traded to a team in Southern California, such as the league-leading Dodgers. He may even consider the Angels, provided he is willing to move over to the American League, but more on that later.

His desire to try and help his current team: FALSE

Even during their current nine game winning streak, the Padres are only one game .500, and remain 7.5 games out of first place. Their flight to the playoffs left long ago and is ran out of fuel before it got to the San Diego Zoo. In addition, the Padres are currently trying to cut their payroll. Staying is only complicating this situation, and it is obvious the Padres will eventually find a suitable trade partner. They have slowly and steadily been lowering his trade price tag in hopes to accelerate the deal.

Wanting to stay in the National League: TRUE

This seems to be the leading candidate in the poll of why Peavy rejected this trade. The real question is “Why?”  Is it because he likes to step to the plate and get his at-bats?  Obviously not. He is hitless on the year and has a batting average of .178 for his career. Does he feel more comfortable with his knowledge of the hitters, having already proven his abilities by earning an NL Cy Young award?  Can it be that he is not a fan of the difference in rules between the two leagues? More to the point, and to put it bluntly, he doesn’t want to have to face the designated hitter each day he toes the rubber. Possibly because he has been known to be A LOT less effective beyond the seventh inning, where he will be more often lifted for a pinch hitter due to common circumstances of the National League. I feel it is more likely that he would rather not face a hitter that is only paid to swing the bat, as opposed to facing a pitcher at the plate twice a game and then a player coming off the bench after that pitcher has been pinch hit for.

Having no interest in playing in/for Chicago:  Possible

The White Sox do have a very outspoken manager in Ozzie Guillen. The White Sox have had their struggles so far this season. They also have very young and inexperienced players at some key positions, and seem to have some problems with their rotation. On the other hand, he could help the White Sox rotation a lot by adding himself atop that group, as well as adding veteran leadership. By trying to acquire a player of Peavy’s stature, it proves that the White Sox are trying to make a run at the playoffs, and should make them even more appealing. The White Sox did actually win the division last year, as opposed to the Padres who spent the same year trying to rebuild. If there is disinterest in moving to White Sox, it’s more likely on a personal, rather than professional level. The Chicago Cubs were interested in acquiring Peavey this offseason, and there were no such talks of Peavy rejecting the trade. Peavy therefore cannot be too afraid of the Windy City. The Cubs could still be future players in the Peavy sweepstakes and would probably be on the short list of teams that Peavy would play for.

After breaking down the possible options of why Jake Peavy activated his no trade clause, I think I see things a little more clearly. Maybe, just maybe, Peavy fears his numbers and production will fade as he goes up against the high priced talent of the designated hitter. Each time he goes out and tries to earn his paycheck, Peavy will have to decide if he is truly a top talent who can not only compete, but shut down the best in the game. If so, it is time to rest the no trade clause and let the best step to the plate.

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Of the three major sports, the NBA seems to have the strongest hand in the poker game with sports agents. In 1995, the NBA instituted a rookie salary scale, setting firm amounts as to how much each player will get paid the first four years of his contract, and this is outlined in each collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that is signed. In this agreement, the first two years of a contract are guaranteed, with the remaining two available as team options. This translates to: if a player is a keeper, the team gets him for four years extremely cheap. If the player is a bust, he can be cut after only sacrificing two years worth of salary.  The NBA also has maximum salaries, meaning that the CBA outlines how much a player can make at any given year. Players incur a higher ceiling for maximum salaries the longer they stay in the league, and even more by staying with a particular team. All contracts are also guaranteed when signed, meaning that if a player signs a contract worth X dollars, at the end of the contract, they will have X dollars. The only provision around this is signing non-guaranteed portions of a contract, or to have team or player options in a clause. The NBA does have flaws, but has outlined a pristine framework for eliminating most of the headache that agents can cause.

The NFL would receive an ‘N’ for ‘Needs Improvement’ as the grade for the current NFL relationship with agents. The NFL has no notion of a rookie salary scale, and the prominence of this issue cannot be overstated. We have come to a point in the NFL that rookies, before playing their first professional snap, are the highest paid players at their respective position. Does it make sense for Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford to make salaries equivalent to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning? Of course not, yet each year more and more guaranteed dollars are paid to a rookie who may not be talented enough to play in the league after their contract expires. The NFL does not fully guarantee contracts, and when a major contract is announced, you typically hear the amount in the fashion of X total dollars, with Y guaranteed. This is beneficial, as an under performing player can be released at any point in the contract, obtaining only the guaranteed dollars specified, as opposed to the entire figure that was signed. Though agents still rip dynasties apart in free agency and bankrupt teams on draft days, the NFL has a solution that is imperfect yet sustainable.

Major League Baseball… do I really even want to get into it? No salary cap exists, and is replaced by the notion of a luxury tax. This tax is defined as an amount a team must pay for surpassing a specified payroll figure. The team will then pay the tax to the league, which then disperses the money evenly (in theory) to the rest of the league. While this seems like an abomination, there has been no correlation to teams winning championships due to overspending. In fact, only twice has a major market team with an excessive payroll won the World Series title. Agents play a renowned role in free agency, often robbing small and mid market teams for the seemingly endless riches of the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Angels, and Dodgers. Baseball does have a deep-rooted minor league system, and upon being drafted, a player’s rights are held by that team for six years. This does not prevent agents from ruining yet another professional sport’s draft. Agents have weaseled their way into the draft, and even prevented certain players from being drafted. They do this by saying a player will only sign with a team after receiving a contract worth a certain dollar amount. This prohibits small and mid market teams from signing what should be the building blocks of the franchise, and instead makes the rich that much richer.

Agents are only as powerful as leagues allow. The NBA is run as a dictatorship, and it is working to date. The NBA could revise how guaranteed dollars are handled, and could possibly standardize salary scales for every class of player to improve the financial situation. I’m not trying to promote Communism, but such a scale would effectively remove agents from the entire negotiating process. The NFL first and foremost must install a rookie salary cap. The current standard leaves unproven rookies with unreal expectations, veterans with disgruntled contracts, and agents with heavy wallets. The league could also use a better arbitration process, as overperforming players could be adequately compensated for his play. The MLB needs a complete overhaul of the current situation. It should borrow the good from the NBA and NFL, and minimize the bad. Professional sports leagues will only flourish on their own with a rookie salary scale, non-fully guaranteed contracts, and a hard salary cap. Settling for less than these pillars will establish leagues that provide a way for agents to slither through a crack and dismantle from the inside out. Agents are ancillary to the game, and have proven to be nothing more than infectious as more power is given to them. With proventive maintenance and care, we should build our immune system to make it strong enough to keep them out for good.

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