Blackhawks Even Do Well Online

Not only do the Blackhawks lead the division, but they also won an award for the "best brand use of Twitter" today. Chicago was honored in the Third Annual Mashable Open Web Awards, an international voting competition that covers major innovations in web technology and achievements in social media.

Who knew the Blackhawks' success carries into the Twitter world? The players do not handle this part of the organization, but it is fitting that the young Hawks' team would do well in the online media world. I doubt some of the older teams in the league care about their Twitter accounts, but for players like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, this could be a very flattering victory for them.

Who needs the Stanley Cup when you got the Twitter award?! Okay, that might be a stretch, but it gives Chicago fans another reason to enjoy Blackhawks hockey.

Your Random Cubs Post: Sammy Sosa vs. Alfonso Soriano

It's Sunday.  I should be solely focused on football, beer and grilled meats.  However, last night's Yankees-Angels classic ALCS late-night, extra-inning showdown got me to thinking about the Cubs.

Specifically, Alfonso Soriano.  It all started from a Twitter post from sports blog(ger) Souvenir City (@SouvenirCity for those of you keeping up on the Twittersphere.) that read, "Why would you ever throw Vlad or Soriano a strike? Aren't they Sammy Sosa but 8 years later? #ishouldbeanadvancescout" during the Yanks-Angels game.

It was the reference to Soriano that got me thinking, "@SouvenirCity #Cubs fans in 2002: "Remember when Sosa was a 30-30 guy?" Cubs fans in 2009: "Remember when Soriano was a 30-30 guy?" Hmmmm..."

It's like in Ace Ventura realizes Finkle is Einhorn and Einhorn is Finkle.  Without that whole kissing a dude thing.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella has pined for a slugger in the middle of the order in the past and will do so again this season.  However, Piniella will get his wish -- kind of -- when Soriano is placed in the sixth spot in the order once the 2010 campaign begins.  In his first two seasons with the Cubs, Sori has hit 62 home runs and posted an OPS of .887.  Most of that has come out of the No. 1 spot in the order.  After a hot start in April, Soriano cooled considerably in the lead-off role before being bumped to the sixth spot where he looks to have found a home.  He hit .268 as the team's No. 6 hitter (.214 everywhere else in the order) with a .319 BAbip (Batting Average of balls put in play) (.277 everywhere else).

Early in his career, Sosa was a top-of-the-order guy.  Then he came to Chicago and was moved to the middle.  Even though he hit 355 home runs from 1993 to 1998, Sosa was also a threat on the basepaths swiping 150 bags -- including a pair of 30-30 years.

But after his 66 home run season in 1998, Sosa only stole 17 bases from 1999 to 2007.

Early in his career, Sosa Soriano was a top-of-the-order guy.  Then he came to Chicago and led off for two more years before being was moved to the middle.  Even though he hit 355 205 home runs from 1993 to 19982001 to 2006, Sosa was also a threat on the basepaths swiping 150 208 bags -- including a pair of 30-30 years three 30-30 years and one 40-40 campaign.

See the similarities?  Just a bit of selective editing and a couple of strikethroughs show that Sammy Sosa is Alfonso Soriano.  This is where things get interesting for Cubs fans.

After Soriano's epic 40-40 year, he signed an eight-year, $136 million free-agent contract with the Cubs.  Since signing that contract, he has only stolen 47 bases.  That's only six more than he stole in the entire 2006 campaign.

Like Sosa, Soriano put up some eye-popping numbers in the power and speed departments over a six year period.  Slammin' Sammy put his numbers up from ages 24 to 29.  Soriano did so between ages 25-30.

And unless his legs can completely heal after season-ending surgery, Cubs fans should no longer expect Soriano to steal upward of 20 bases -- let alone the 41 he swiped in 2006.  However, the much-maligned left fielder can still be a productive member of the Cubs line-up as he still has five years and $90 million remaining on his deal.

In the six seasons with the Cubs after Sosa decided he no longer felt the need to wear out the basepaths, Sammy hit 301 home runs and drove in 730 runs from 1999 to 2003 before being shipped off to Baltimore.  For better or worse, Sosa transformed his game as he focused on the power part of his game as he posted OPSes of 1.002, 1.040, 1.174, .993, .911 and .849.


While it would be wrong to expect Soriano to average 50 home runs and 121 ribbies like Sosa did in the six years after he forgot the art of the stolen base, he could still find a way to earn what's left on his deal by doing his fair share of heavy lifting in the middle of the order.

The average No. 6 hitter in the National League posted a .259/.333/.423/.756 line in 2009 while averaging 19 home runs and 78 RBIs.  Soriano hit 20 dingers and had 55 ribs in 117 games in 2009.  A healthy 2010 could bump those numbers.  Adjust Soriano's small sample size in the sixth spot over a 161 game season (via baseball-reference.com) and he hits 23 home runs and drives in 86 runs.  And with a little luck at the plate and on the trainer's table, a 30-100 season for Soriano wouldn't be too far-fetched.

Despite his flaws at the dish and in the outfield, Soriano has proven to be a tireless worker in the regular season and off-season as well.  After a disappointing year, nothing would make Cubs fans embrace Soriano quicker than driving in Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez.

Still, it leaves the Cubs with a big hole to fill in the fifth spot of the order.  And that, my friends, should be GM Jim Hendry's No. 1 priority ... along with finding a top-of-the-order guy for the big boppers to drive in.  Here's hoping he doesn't sign a guy who hasn't hit more than 22 homers or driven in more than 76 runs expecting him to hit 40 and bring in 100 like he did before the 2009 season.

Terrell Owens Wants To Get BALCO'd Up With Rodney Harrison's Help

And you thought Milton Bradley was a distraction.  Not too long after not catching a damn ball, and catching flak because of it, Terrell Owens went to the Twittersphere and launched an onslaught against analyst Rodney Harrison.

The most humorous, in my humble opinion, is the one above.  If anything, though, the next two carry the most punch.

 

 

In baseball, it seems as if there is no worse crime than getting supplemental help from steroids.  In football, it's clearly a joke.  If a baseball player were to do this, there would be an full-blown investigation on everything and anything that goes through and into said player's system.

And another thing -- baseball people consider steroid usage as cheating the game.  A lot of football folks feel that T.O. cheats teh game with the way he has treated his teammates (see: Quarterbacks) in his time in the NFL.

So, which is more punishable in the fan's court?

Boston Is The Sports City Of The 2000s, I Can Live With That. But Dallas? The 90s. Eh.

Sometimes I wish BFeldt found time out of his busy schedule to write a post here once in a while, because he makes some great points via his Twitter account.  In today's tweet, @BFeldt questions ESPN's search skills in finding the sports city of this decade.

"Boston wins best sports decade because of hair? Give me a break ESPN, how hard did you look for that advantage"

Answer: They looked down the hall, waved at Peter Gammons and penned up something real quickly.

So, who deserves it?  Well, I'll leave the door for Mr. Feldt to return to TBDS and let him throw down his two cents.  I'm more bothered why Chicago didn't get the sports city of the 1990s.

The argument for champion Dallas?

The Cowboys captured three Super Bowls, the Stars took the Cup in 1999 and the Rangers even won three division titles. But the Mavs were mostly a bad joke.

The argument for Chicago?

I thought you'd never ask.

The six championships by the Chicago Bulls trump the city of Dallas' accomplishments all by themselves.  In the two seasons in which they didn't have the G.O.A.T. full-time, they still made the playoffs.  Let's add some individual numbers with Michael Jordan's five MVPs and countless points scored, rebounds grabbed, steals snatched and assists dished.

In 1993 the White Sox won the AL West and the Cubs won the Wild Card in 1998.  However, individual accomplishments drove fans (and media attention) to the ballpark.  Sammy Sosa hit 332 homers in the 1990s, including 66 in '98 to win the MVP and help save baseball.  Frank Thomas hit at least .305 in every year except one in the decade and hit 301 jacks in the decade.  If not for The Big Hurt and his efforts, there would not be a team on the South Side.  The Blackhawks made 8 playoff appearances in the 90s, including a Stanley Cup appearance.

The biggest joke of the decade in Chicago was the mismanagement of the Bears, who still found a way to make three playoff appearances in spite of the McCaskey family and Dave Wannstedt.

Apparently, the Cowboys, Lakers, Dodgers, Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots don't get enough coverage on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNNews, ESPNClassic or ESPN The Ocho.  I guess that's why they've launched a hyperlocal site for Boston and will do so for Dallas and Los Angeles before the year is up.

Oh, Missy You Tease

Well, I'm hooked. All signs point to a new recruit coming in, but who knows what it could be.

Pat Summitt or Geno Auriema as an assistant? Candace Parker forgoing the WNBA for one more year of eligibility at Southern Illinois?

Too bad former coach Dana Eikenberg isn't on Twitter. It seems like she has fallen off the face of the earth since Mario Moccia announced her resignation once upon an April afternoon.

(via @SIUCoachTiber)

Good Morning And Welcome To Twitter

Welcome to the Twittersphere, Chris Lowery.

Yeah, I made up the word Twittersphere. When it gets big, I want credit for it.

To be honest, I didn't think Coach Lowery would be jumping on board. I had mentioned it in a conversation we had a few weeks ago and he mentioned he wouldn't want to do it if someone else had to do it for him (see Kiffin, Lane).

What's next for Coach Lowery? A spot on The Big Dead Sidebar? Only if he wants it.
...

In more coaching stuff floating around the web, AOL's Fanhouse names Lowery as an up-and-comer in its Top-25 coaches poll. Former Saluki head coaches Matt Painter (14) and Bruce Weber (19) are in the "solid as a rock" catergory. "The System" still stands strong.

As a Carolina homer, I won't argue against Roy Williams at the top spot ... and as someone who respects what Tom Izzo has done in his coaching career, I have no beef with that either.

Never have been a fan of Bob Huggins (West Virginia) or Bruce Pearl (Tennessee) and am wondering where Dana Altman ranks on the list for averaging 23 wins the last 10 years or so.

...

In other Twitter news:

• Shaq wants Kobe to win title No. 4
  
• SIU coach Missy Tiber wants you to holler at a player if you see 'em in the streets (in much better terminology, obviously)
• Tony LaRussa is suing Twitter (via Leitch)

...

Think that's enough for you good folks this morning.