Wednesday, April 27
George Knue at 4:26 p.m.
The unbelievers: Sports Illustrated blogger Mark Bechtel says the White Sox are the worst team to root for. His list also includes the Clippers, the Atlanta Hawks, the Devil Rays and the Browns. But Bechtel, who calls himself an Indians fan, says the Sox are the worst.
Then, in explaining his choice, he disses the team for its fast start. Scoreboard, Mark, scoreboard. The Sox have the best record in baseball and just because the experts didn’t think they were that good before the season started, that doesn’t mean they aren’t.
Also, for your information, you can e-mail SI here.
Being a Cub fan: Tom from Elk Grove Village sent this message to Cubs reporter Paul Sullivan today after Sully filed his most recent “Ask Paul” Q&A:
“Paul, do I sense a change among Cub fans? Could it be that the inept play and poor managing has alienated some of the fan base? Could it be that back-to-back collapses in ’03 and ’04 have finally taken their toll? For the last 20 years I was a rabid fan, but I was at both the Bartman game in ’03 and two games of the Reds series last October and witnessing those games changed something in me. I have little desire to watch the team this year. Am I alone?”
Tom, we hear you. And we don’t think you’re alone.
Before 2003, Cub fans could all have had this Bobby McFerrin piece as their theme song — “Don’t worry, be happy.” The team was generally hopeless, but it was baseball, it was summertime, Wrigley Field was a great place to spend an afternoon, and once every 10 years or so, the team was actually good.
But in 2003, something happened. People really started believing it was possible. Five outs from the World Series — followed by the most crushing disappointment any recent generation of Cub fans has ever felt.
In 2004, hope was rampant. But it was an ugly, ugly season, punctuated by bitterness, injuries, recriminations and tons of bad mojo. Now, it’s 2005 — and it’s like 2004 all over again. Injuries, blown saves, runners left on all the time, players getting tossed … any hope broken by the dawning, sad realization that this team just isn’t very good.
Cub fans, no longer McFerrin-like, are angry with the team, Dusty Baker, Jim Hendry, Tribune Company, fate, you name it. You can read it on Cubs message boards like the one on our site; you can read it in the kinds of questions being sent to Paul Sullivan. You can even sense it in the ballpark with the ready booing.
In Chicago, that kind of anger has usually been reserved for White Sox supporters who love their team without reservation but hate losing even more. Yes, Tom, something has changed. Cub fans are starting to act like Sox fans.
Tuesday, April 26
Rahula Strohl at 3:10 p.m.
Shameless pandering: ESPN cruelly played upon my emotions today, playing three consecutive half-hour retrospectives of the Bulls’ titles in 1996, ’97 and ’98 this afternoon. I will admit that I was wiping away tears at the end of it, remembering exactly where I was when each game happened.
What I noticed was in the Bulls-Hawks Eastern Conference Semifinals in 1997, Dikembe Mutombo did his little finger wag after a block in the one game the Hawks won, Game 2 in Chicago. In the series-clinching Game 5, before Michael Jordan went to ice his knees in the waning minutes of a 15-point victory, he dunked on Mutombo and did the finger wag in his face.
That’s what made those Bulls so much fun to watch. Teams and players that don’t show their human side (see: New England Patriots) have a tough time capturing the whole nation. Those Bulls didn’t let pre-game silliness distract them, but it wouldn’t escape them. This year’s version is showing the same swagger.
Tyson Chandler, the No. 2 pick in the 2001 NBA draft, wagged his finger at Kwame Brown, the No. 1 pick in 2001, when he rejected Brown’s shot. Andres Nocioni, dubbed by Washington guard Gilbert Arenas as a “dirty” player, went for 25 points and a rookie-record 18 rebounds. Arenas was held to nine points, all in the third quarter. Don’t think for a minute the stories behind those events didn’t have anything to do with the game going the way it did.
If this continues, be prepared for some entertaining basketball — on and off the court.
George Knue at 11:30 a.m.
Dusty and Yale, Day 2: Dusty Baker was asked Monday about the New York Post item on an acquaintance he made on his recent trip to Yale. And he got a little testy.
The Tribune, Sun-Times, Daily Herald, and Daily Southtown all had headlines today. And the gist of it is that Baker said he didn’t say anything inappropriate — he just wanted to help students get jobs in baseball.
Monday, April 25
George Knue at 1:30 p.m.
There was some reaction to the Cedric Benson item — here’s what a couple of Bear fans have to say:
From Joe da Bearsfan: Cedric Benson’s missteps in college were relatively inconsequential and minor, easily written off. However, his own words since being drafted leave questions about his frame of mind and character. As a lifelong Bears fan, I hope that it was only youthful indiscretion and immaturity leading to his commentary, but that does not answer the question he has left us about his character. Not that there haven’t been a few real characters that have been very successful in the NFL. . .
From JC Fredbeck: Hey give Cedric a break he has gone through a lot lately and that last thing that he wants to be is another Ricky Williams – he has emotion off the field and he will on and that means intensity – something Curtis Enis and A trolly Thomas never had.
Good points. Just wish Cedric had expressed some enthusiasm for the Bears or even for football — instead of his lack of appreciation for everything that led up to his being drafted.
Adam Caldarelli at 1:30 p.m.
Item! Not normally the domain of Midwestern flyover rubes, nonetheless Cubs manager Dusty Baker was featured on the New York Post’s gossip pages today.
After speaking at Yale on sports business, Baker, according to Page Six, promised a young woman a job in baseball and then gave her his cell phone number.
“Remind me you’re the cute one [when you call],” Baker was quoted.
It’s all innocent we’re sure. Dusty probably was wondering if she could close out the ninth inning.
George Knue at 11:35 a.m.
What’s up with that? Watched Cedric Benson interviewed on TV shortly after the Bears made him their No. 1 pick in the NFL draft Saturday and had one thought: What in the world are you thinking? Shortly after being made a millionaire by the Bears, Benson is talking about how hard the draft process was for him, how he didn’t appreciate the way he was treated.
He didn’t sound much better during a press conference with the media later.
Let’s see, in return for answering some questions about you kicking down an apartment door, you get paid millions of dollars to play football. What’s hard about that?
Hello, Cedric, anybody home? You are the No. 4 pick in the draft, coming to a team that has a long history of great running backs and a fan base that wants to think you’re the next coming. And you go on TV and make all of them start to wonder whether Jerry Angelo understands this draft thing.
Any fan wants to believe, but this is not a good start, not a good start at all.
Friday, April 22
George Knue at 4:46 p.m.
Nomar, injuries, and more from Boston: Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan reacted to Nomar Garciaparra’s injury the other night with a column that celebrated the shortstop’s early years in Boston and questioned just what it is that has caused the spate of injuries that have turned early promise into an uncertain future.
In Ryan’s words: “When he was with the Red Sox, who was bold enough to link our fair shortstop, a noted workout guy, with the dreaded S-word? But he did go from, like, standard athlete issue normal to ultra-buffed in one winter, and he has been — there is no other way to say it — systematically breaking down for the past six years, so you can’t help wondering just what he’s been putting into his body other than Wheaties and sirloin steaks.”
Garciaparra even appeared shirtless on a cover of Sports Illustrated in 2001 showing off his new body.
Ryan went on to wonder what Nomar’s legacy would be, going from Hall of Fame certainty to who knows where. And then he ends it this way: “I hope I’m wrong, but I fear the good times are over for Nomah.”
When he arrived in Chicago, there was a lot of hope that he’d be the special kind of player that every team hopes to acquire. But his Achilles’ tendon was injured when he got here, he then hurt his wrist and finally his groin. Just like Ryan says, there is only uncertainty, for Nomar and now the Cubs.
George Knue at 1:12 p.m.
Drafting: Looking around the Web to see whom people think will be the newest Bear Saturday:
• The Tribune’s Terry Bannon says it’s USC receiver Mike Williams, while John Mullin thinks the Bears will use the fourth pick on Texas running back Cedric Benson. Trib pro football expert Don Pierson agrees with Mullin.
And Pierson’s not alone.
• The Daily Herald’s Bob LeGere, the Daily Southtown’s Gene Chamberlain, and the Sun-Times’ Mike Mulligan are all on the Benson bandwagon.
•: ESPN’s John Clayton says it’s Benson, too. In that same story, Clayton’s compatriot Len Pasquarelli says he’s a Rex Grossman fan and that even if the Bears had a chance to draft one of the top quarterbacks–Utah’s Alex Smith and Cal’s Aaron Rodgers–he doesn’t think they should. Well, duh. Another ESPN guy, the ubiquitous Mel Kiper Jr., says the Bears get Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards.
• Sports Illustrated’s Dr. Z, Paul Zimmerman, guesses it’s Auburn back Carnell Williams; another SI guy, Don Banks, picks Benson. Got to love this line from Zimmerman: “What did GM and personnel director Jerry Angelo tell me? Nothing. He hasn’t talked to me in 20 years, ever since his Giants days. Bears writers tell me he doesn’t talk to anybody. Maybe someone can figure out a different method of communication.”
• NFL.com’s Vic Carucci and Pat Kirwan both go for Benson. <a href=But Pat Richards goes for Edwards.
• CBSSportsline’s Dennis Dodd, Clark Judge and Pete Prisco all say Benson.
• The Sporting News figures it’s Ronnie Brown, William’s Auburn backfield mate, in its correspondent’s mock draft ? but says it’s Benson on in a mock draft on Fox Sports.com.
• Around the NFC North: The Detroit Free Press’s Curt Sylvester goes for Benson. No other paper is saying, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Sid Hartman writes that Benson is a big favorite of Viking owner Red McCombs. Minnesota picks seventh because of the Randy Moss trade.
Looks like almost all the money is on Benson. But we’re with Terry Bannon and Don Pierson. Mike Williams feels like a better option, especially after reading Jay Mariotti trash Benson earlier this week.
Thursday, April 21
Greg Gugger at 9:37 a.m.
Dark clouds: This morning on WMVP-AM 1000, Bruce Levine reported that the best case scenario for Nomar Garciaparra would be four to six weeks out of the lineup. The worst case—out for the year.
Even the best case doesn’t sound good. Levine also reported that the MRI was to be taken at 9 a.m. today and results would be available shortly after.
Wednesday, April 20
Rahula Strohl at 3:00 p.m.
Tiger uppercut: The White Sox beat the Twins, which is all well and good, but now they play the team that has really been standing between them and a division title — the Tigers. Last year, the Sox were 8-11 against the Tigers, a team that finished 11 games behind the Sox. The Sox finished nine behind the Twins. Figure a 14-5 or 13-6 record against Detroit, which is where the Sox should have been, and the deficit to Minnesota is cut to three or four games.
Worse than that, in 2003, when Detroit was a near-record-setting 43-119, the Sox accounted for almost a quarter of those wins, including getting swept in one three-game series by scores of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2. The Sox finished four behind the Twins that year. I just listed three games they should have won.
The reason the Twins and Braves have had long-standing success with payrolls similar to the Sox is because they don’t lose games to teams they should beat. Especially division rivals. If the Sox want to change their image of the past few years, a good start is not letting Detroit slip through their fingers early in the season.
George Knue at 2:42 p.m.
The new guard for Illinois: Deron Williams made it official Tuesday — the Illini point guard is headed to the NBA. His all-around skills and leadership will be missed — and here’s a reminiscence from the Decatur Herald-Review’s Mark Tupper that explains why.
Who takes his place, and that of senior Illini guard Luther Head? Dee Brown could be back at point guard if he doesn’t choose the NBA route as well, and incoming freshman Chester Frazier is a point guard.
But the shooting provided by Williams and Head may be tougher to replace. Richard McBride and Calvin Brock are two candidates, but McBride, considered a big-time shooter when he came to Illinois, didn’t perform that well this past season, and Brock was a redshirt freshman who didn’t play at all.
Another incoming freshman, Jamar Smith of Peoria Richwoods, may fill the bill from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-3-inch marksman was named the Peoria Journal Star’s 2005 Class AA Player of the Year after going from nobody as a freshman to somebody as a senior thanks to a workout regimen that included up to 800 jump shots a day.
After getting off to a slow start as a senior because of injuries, Smith came on at the end, hitting 10 of 11 treys in a regional final victory over Pekin.
Illinois fans will like what Illinois coach Bruce Weber said of Smith to the Journal Star: “In this day and age where everybody wants to dunk, Jamar brings an old-school mentality to the game of being able to shoot a nice jump shot, come off screens and play the mid-range game. We think he will fit in quite nicely here.”
George Knue at 2:18 p.m.
Going, going gone? The Sun-Times had a story today that talked about how Thillens Stadium on the city’s North Side likely won’t be open this summer because the foundation that runs the place is running out of cash.
To some Chicago sports fans, most of them younger, this will merit a yawn. But to others, it has the flavor of a city sports institution going the way of other institutions, like Comiskey Park or Riverview.
Thillens Stadium is a 2,200-seat ballpark with two diamonds located at Devon and Kedzie Avenues. Opened in 1938, the stadium has played host to innumerable baseball and softball games over the years, many of them charity affairs.
Hundreds of thousands of players from throughout the area played on the field, and Hall-of-Famer Jack Brickhouse broadcast Little League games for WGN-TV from there in the early 1950s. In fact, a Little League game from Thillens was the first place WGN tried the now standard center-field camera.
In a 1991 Tribune story, the late Mel G. Thillens, the man who got the ball rolling way back when, said this about the park: “People are always telling me about playing ball there and how they enjoyed it and how those were the best years of their life. That’s always music to our ears.”
Mel passed away two years later, but his ballpark endured until now. The future is uncertain, but for lots of Chicagoans, the past is still a fond, fond memory.
Tuesday, April 19
George Knue at 3:23 p.m.
Around the Web: Here’s a look at what the other town’s
papers are saying about the Twins-Sox and Cubs-Reds games Monday night …
This one in the Minneapolis Star Tribune termed Monday’s loss as “the most disappointing of the early season” and said Torrii Hunter was booed by “bitter White Sox fans, remembering his collision with Chicago catcher Jamie Burke last year.” The St. Paul Pioneer Press wrote about how the Sox were trying to be like the Twins but that “Chicago smartball morphed quickly into the same old dumbbell-and-vitamins style” during the Sox victory.
The Cincinnati Post reported that Derrek Lee’s homer Monday night was the third longest in the history of the Great American Ball Park at 482 feet.
George Knue at 3:23 p.m.
Road trip: The Cubs’ Midwest League Class A affiliate, the Chiefs, are a lot closer to Chicago these days — in Peoria instead of Lansing. For those Cub fans interested in making the trip, it’s about 170 miles and three hours away from Wrigley.
Would it be worth it? Well, the Chiefs are 3-8 so far, but some of their prospects are interesting. After Monday’s game, Corey Patterson’s brother Eric, a shortstop, was hitting .482 and has scored 25 runs; he has 11 walks so far this season.
Outfielders Luis Montanez, the Cubs’ No. 1 pick in 2000, was hitting .308, and Ryan Harvey, the Cubs’ top choice in 2003, checked in at .289. Harvey had three, 400-foot homers to go with a single in a 10-5 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Monday; he set a team record with 13 total bases. Another big hitter is infielder Alberto Garcia at .364.
Pitching-wise, starter Sean Gallagher, a right-hander, hasn’t given up an earned run in two starts. He’s pitched 10 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts and one walk.
The Chiefs have an 8-game homestand starting April 28 and follow that up with four games at Kane County beginning May 6.
Friday, April 15
Rahula Strohl at 12:06 a.m.
History lesson: At the turn of midnight, we are now officially enjoying one of the most important dates in U.S. civil rights history. Unfortunately, it gets glossed over in classes or ridiculed because it’s “just sports.” On this date in 1947, Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier.
The “Gentleman’s Agreement” (one of the most laughable monikers in sports history) was spearheaded by Cubs player/manager (actually, at the time, White Stockings) Cap Anson. For nearly 60 years it was a stain on our national pastime before one of the most overlooked American heroes acted as brave as any human can be expected to act.
Robinson not only meant as much to the Civil Rights Movement as any bus boycott, Supreme Court decision or bill signing, his action was the cause for all that followed. The sight of a black man succeeding in a white man’s world, along with white teammates putting their arms around him and saying, “This is my teammate,” started the ball rolling.
Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. The Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision desegregating schools was seven years later. The Birmingham Bus Boycott was a year after that. Lyndon Johnson didn’t sign the Civil Rights Bill until 1964. Who knows how many years all of those would have been delayed had someone other than Robinson broken the barrier.
So watch Juan Uribe, Jermaine Dye, Damaso Marte, Carlos Zambrano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Corey Patterson and Neifi Perez play Friday. Watch Dusty Baker manage and Gene Clines, Gary Matthews, Harold Baines, Tim Raines and Joey Cora coach. Appreciate that none of them were even allowed in the stadium 58 years ago.
Thursday, April 14
Greg Gugger at 2:17 p.m.
There’s still hope: Losing Eddy Curry is a big loss for the Bulls, but let’s not throw in the towel on winning a playoff series.
The Bulls have gone 6-3 since Curry has been benched with heart problems. True, it will be difficult to advance to the second round, but it’s not as if the Bulls can’t function without Curry. They are still a solid team.
The Bulls have been resilient this year and this is just one more obstacle for them to overcome.
In case you were wondering, that photo is Eddy Curry watching the Bulls in a private box at the United Center.
Tuesday, April 12
Greg Gugger at 9:01 p.m.
Deal with it: Dusty Baker’s cardiologist has to be very happy that Baker isn’t managing in New York with all the media attention there.
The season isn’t two weeks old and Baker is already whining about the media. I thought the Cubs and Dusty Baker were just going to play baseball this year and stop all this nonsense. But Baker didn’t like it when reporters talked to Jerry Hairston about not starting at second base Monday.
It’s a legitimate question. I received about 20 e-mails from fans while doing From the Cubicle during Monday’s game asking why the heck Neifi Perez was starting at second. And judging by the anti-Dusty Baker e-mail that has been popping in our inbox much more frequently, his act is losing its luster on many levels.
This isn’t San Francisco, Dusty. So quit pouting about what’s in the paper, on TV or said on the radio. You are the manager of the Chicago Cubs and everything you do is going to go under a microscope. And on the flip side, you will be king of Chicago if the Cubs win it all.
George Knue at 12:24 p.m.
It’s early: The Cubs may not be in mid-season form, but their fans are. After taking the daily tour of the Cubs message board here on ChicagoSports.com, it’s a wonder we don’t have multiple reports of Cub fans throwing themselves in front of buses.
Is there any group of fans anywhere more prone to wild swings of emotion than Cubs fans?
Here’s a sample from Ourtime1, a veteran poster over there who is far from the worst offender: “And, I know it’s early, but we’re 3-4 against the D-backs, Brewers, Pads…and Nomar is swinging like Madonna…and, for all I know, Mark Prior, who was to be our savior, has an elbow resembling last week’s pasta.”
It is early in the season. The Cubs have played seven games–and have actually won three. They aren’t out of anything yet. That doesn’t mean there isn’t cause for concern every time you think about things like the bullpen or Prior’s health or Maddux’s age or Corey Patterson leading off or Todd Walker getting hurt or who’s in left field …
Now I’m doing it.
Bottom line: When the Cubs have been good, it’s been because of pitching, both starters and relievers. Two years ago, the Cubs had arguably the best pitching this team has had in a century–and they got close. Last year, the pitching was not as good, but still good enough–until the last week of the season. This year, we’ll see. And there’s still a lot to see.
Meanwhile, here’s some advice for Cub fans like John Irving (Hotel New Hampshire?): Keep passing the open windows.
Rahula Strohl at 9:46 a.m.
Worst…highlight…ever: The theme of Monday’s Cubs’ loss to San Diego was Jeromy Burnitz having one of the worst days a position player could have. Two full-count strikeouts (he swung at ball four on both of those) with the tying run in scoring position and a 1-0 final where the only run got on base by a Burnitz error.
So what does SportsCenter show? Burnitz’s error on Brian Giles’ drive and Ryan Klesko hitting two foul balls, one of which Michael Barrett dropped and the other of which almost bowled over Brewers reliever Scott Linebrink. That was it. They didn’t show the double that Klesko hit in that at-bat, moving Giles to third. They didn’t show the grounder that Neifi Perez fielded and decided not to risk the big inning and go to first rather than the plate. They didn’t show either of Burnitz’s strikeouts. I don’t know television that well, but I’m pretty sure that’s bad television.
Wednesday, April 6
Adam Caldarelli at 1:21 p.m.
Out of bounds: If there’s a bigger homer in this town than Tom Dore? I mean besides Hawk Harrelson?
During Tuesday’s Bulls-Heat game, Dore refused to acknowledge Andres Nocioni did anything wrong after the goon job he pulled on Dwyane Wade.
It was a move worthy of the Hanson Brothers, more suitable for some darkened, smoke-filled minor-league gym, where I imagine they throw coins and heated cigarette lighters at players.
Heat coach Stan Van Gundy correctly called the foul “an absolute punk play.”
I scribbled a partial transcript of the play-by-play call from my couch last night.
But first, a little background. The Bulls were getting thoroughly whupped by the Shaq-less Heat, when late in the fourth quarter Nocioni found himself guarding Wade in the corner. Wade gave a fake that Nocioni bought. But instead of settling for getting faked out of the gym, Nocioni came down hard on top of Wade and then gave him a crack across the back as he pushed him to the ground. Udonis Haslem raced over and shoved Nocioni into the front-row seats.
It was quite obvious what happened yet Dore was determined to find Wade at fault.
Dore: “Noce was upset with Wade. He came after him after that shot. Then after that, Haslem attacked Nocioni.”
Red Kerr: “He thought [Wade] pushed him.”
Dore: “Yeah, he thought [Wade] grabbed him and then Haslem came over and knocked…. (the replay rolls) Let’s see if we can see what Noce got upset with. The hard foul and then there was the little push by Wade. And then Haslem came over and nailed him.”
A little push? Wade’s move was more like, “Get the heck off of me.” Nocioni had just taken a flying karate chop at him. What do you expect Wade to do?
Finally over yet another replay, Dore cryptically says, “Yeah” and then silence.
It makes you wonder what would have happened to “Noce” had Shaq been in there.
To Nocioni’s credit, he admitted after the game he was wrong.
But Van Gundy still was steamed: “If you’re going to be a tough guy, then, you know what, flagrant foul Alonzo Mourning and let’s see how tough you are,” Van Gundy said. “You’re a forward and you’re going to come out and take on a guard just because you can’t guard him. I thought it was an absolute punk move.
“And I think when you have role players like that just taking free shots at the best players in this league, it should be cracked down on very, very, very hard.”
Rahula Strohl at 12:04 p.m.
Fond farewell: Reggie Miller (who a friend of mine calls “the Ferengi”) was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Monday night and was rather amusing. Sure, I dislike him for the two-handed shove he gave Michael in Game 5 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals and nothing pleased me more than watching Scottie take a bow in Indiana mocking Miller’s similar show a few days earlier in Chicago in 1994. But he still made the game more fun to watch and he’s a great interview.
The highlight was when he said he’d miss the fond comments from fans at Madison Square Garden. “I’m gonna miss, ‘Reggie, you suck!’ ” Miller said to Stewart. “But I don’t know what I’m sucking.”
Also of note was when Stewart brought up high schoolers in the NBA, he and Miller mentioned LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Amare Stoudemire and Dwight Howard. No mention of Miller’s teammate, Jermaine O’Neal, who was suspended for 15 games for his involvement in the Pacers-Pistons brawl and is on the injured list for the rest of the season.
The last word: Saw all manner of talk on the columnists-yelling-at-each-other shows yesterday (and read in the paper, for that matter) that North Carolina may have won the game, but the Heels can’t be as proud of their performance as the Illini. There was also the “Did the best team win?” debate.
The answer is yes. How else do we measure who the better team is than by who won? The same folks who complain that NCAA football doesn’t play it out on the field are complaining that the best team didn’t win the basketball title. Perhaps they would rather the No. 1 team in the AP poll at the end of the season receive the title?
Furthermore, both teams can be proud of their performances. It was a great game worth every ounce of emotional energy invested in it. It’s unbecoming of the “great team” moniker given all year to the Illini to make excuses for them now that they’re No. 2 for the first time since Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, April 5
Greg Gugger at 6:54 p.m.
Who gave Jerry the phone? An entertaining interview by WMVP-AM 1000 hosts Marc Silverman and Carmen DeFalco with Jerry Reinsdorf was keeping my mind off traffic Monday.
It was a bit surprising when Reinsdorf called Scott Boras a liar. Asked for details, Reinsdorf said the agent told the Sox that Alex Fernandez wanted to test the free agent market after the 1996 season and that the Sox shouldn’t make an offer until he was a free agent. After Fernandez signed with the Marlins, the pitcher complained that the Sox didn’t do everything they could to keep him. Reinsdorf inferred that the Sox would have made an offer beforehand if not for Boras’ lie.
Then they talked about steroids, the contracts of Ozzie Guillen and Scott Skiles, Eddy Curry’s health and other topics. During the course of the interview, Reinsdorf’s tone changed and he began to get irritated. At one point he compared talking to Silverman and DeFalco to being on ’60 Minutes.’
Reinsdorf mentioned that he believed that they would just chat about Opening Day.
Then shortly after, Mike Wallace (sorry, Siverman and DeFalco) thanked Reinsdorf for coming on the radio. Kaboom! The Bulls and Sox owner blew a fuse. He accused Silverman and DeFalco of doing the interview “under false pretenses,” and said that they “won’t get another bite at the apple.”
The irony is that it was a really good interview and I sort of enjoyed the Sox owner. But Reinsdorf left me driving down Armitage Avenue thinking about what a child he is.
Monday, April 4
George Knue at 1 p.m.
Terrell talk: Talk about going from the outhouse to the penthouse — the Boston Herald is reporting today that David Terrell is expected to sign with the New England Patriots. Let’s see, from the Bears (and we don’t need to remind you how bad they were last fall) to the Super Bowl champions. And Terrell will be reunited with a former Michigan teammate, Pats’ QB Tom Brady.
