Both of Chicago's baseball teams and its much balleyhooed football team have acquired quality players but have misused them recently.  Here are the players and ways they are being missused.

The Chicago Cubs have missused Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley

First and foremost, both players were signed to massive contracts, both in years and dollars, unneccessarily.  The Cubs reportedly outbid the second highest team for Soriano by $40 million, and Bradley was given a 3-year contract despite playing on 7 teams in 9 seasons.  Both of these are inexcusible errors on the part of GM Jim Hendry.  In addition, manager Lou Piniella waited far too long to pull Soriano out of the leadoff spot.  Piniella and Soriano were indeed the only Chicago residents heading into 2009 who believed Soriano was the best canididate for leading off for the Cubs.  When the calender turned June and Soriano's On-Base Percentage had yet to turn into anything close to respectable, why was he still there? 

The Chicago Bears have missussed Devin Hester

First, I fully endorse the idea of using Hester as a wide reciever.  A player that fast and talented is too good to not have the ball in his hands.  However, expecting Hester to learn the WR position at this stage of his career requires patience, and frankly, Hester clearly lacks the, umm intelect, to make this work.  But that's even the worst of the Bear's crimes.  They have now decided to put Danieal Manning back as the kick returner full time!  Hester, through his first two seasons, was almost inarguably on pace to become the greatest kick returner of all times.  The Bears are asking Hester to stop doing something he was great at, and putting him in a position where he's barely mediocre!  What's next, Tom Brady on the punt block team?  It was obvious last season that Hester was having trouble handling both duties when for the first time in his career he failed to score a touchdown on a kick or punt return.  Hester should be a part time WR, learning a maximum of 10 or so routes and a couple "gadget plays."  The rest of his time should be spent practicing what he's actually good at.

The Chicago White Sox have missused Alexis Rios

I love the Sox's acquistion of Alex Rios, a supreme defender in CF and bona fide threat for power and speed.  He's a tremendous upgrade over what the White Sox had previously used in CF this season: DeWane Wise, Brian Anderson, Jerry Owens, and Scott Podsednik.  So why has Rios sat on the bench 3 times in the last week while Podsednik continues to play?  It's rather bizarre.  Rios, RF Jermaine Dye, and LF Carlos Quentin are all better baseball players than Scott Podsednik, a decent leadoff man who is a liability in the field and on the basepaths (despite his plus speed, Podsednik is notorious for baserunning blunders).  It makes no sense to set a better baseball player on the bench just because Podsednik is an experienced leadoff hitter.  By putting Rios in CF and in the leadoff spot every day, the White Sox add more power, speed, better defense, and smarter play to the lineup, keep Dye's and Quentin's power bats in the lineup.  Podsednik should be used to give the other three OFs a periodical rest, not the other way around.

Dear Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and its Voters,

Since former player Ken Caminiti stated in 1994 that over half baseball's plaeyrs were using steroids, HGH, or other performance enhancing drugs, it has slowly leaked out through investigative reporting, testing, or player's admission that Caminiti may have been right in his estimation.  I didn't believe Caminiti at the time.  Surely, there couldn't be that many bad guys in the game I grew up watching and playing.  And loving.

Steroids have ruined the fun in this prestigous game known as baseball.  I used to marvel at the level of talent I saw from Barry Bonds and wouldn't dare get up to go to the bathroom when Mark McGuire came up to bat.   I jumped on the Red Sox bandwagon and cheered gleefully in 2004 when they came back from a 3-0 series defecit to down the Yankees in 7 games.  I now learn that that team's top two players, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were cheating all the while.  When Bonds became the game's all time home run king, I was embarrassed to be a baseball fan, and embarrassed that I once rooted for him.  "At least," I thought, "Alex Rodriguez is on pace to break the record, and the Home Run King will once again be a clean player."  Turns out A-Rod is a cheater too.

I remember when Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's Iron Man record.  I watched him parade around the warning track at Camden Yards shaking hands with the fans.  It brought a tear to my youthful eye.  God help me if I ever find out Ol' Cal cheated.

Major League Baseball players have become a disgrace.  It makes me wonder, Are there any All-Star players who didn't enhance their performances illegally? 

The one pristine (we think) place left in baseball is located in Cooperstown, New York.  As far as I know, there aren't any players in the Hall of Fame who took drugs to enhance their performance.  What do you say we keep it this way?  While it's true that the Fame's walls contain the likes of Gaylord Perry and other "ball doctors" and cheaters, it is also true that two wrongs don't make a right.  In hindsight, it was not a good idea to put Perry into the Hall of Fame.  Putting Bonds in because there are already cheaters there doesn't correct for an earlier mistake, and just because voters had it wrong in the 1970's and 80's, doesn't mean they should be forced to continue to be wrong from here forth. 

There are players such as Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb in the HOF who never played against black or Latin players, so presumably, their career stats are inflated by playing against inferior competition.  They had no control over that.  Today's players made conscious decisions to put steroids into their body.  They deny it.  Don't believe them.

Even though MLB had no testing policy prior to 2004, in 1990 the federal govornment passed legislation that made possession of steroids without a prescription a punishable crime in all 50 states.  Therefore, every single one of baseball's juicers committed a felony.  Let's not poison a good thing.

Just because so many players cheated, doesn't mean we can't punish them all, even if it means punishing a few that were innocent.  Any player connected to steroids or even suspected of taking them should be left off the ballot.  It might turn out that 10 or 20 players who were totally clean end up never getting admission.  It would be a disgrace, yes, but it's for the greater good for the greater number.  If even one steroid cheat is inducted, it spites every single Hall of Famer going back to the beginning who never cheated.  Think of a heroic soldier returning from Iraq and wearing his Medal of Honor.  How would he feel if Walmart sold them for $9.99 and everybody walked around wearing them?  The Hall of Fame loses its greatness in exclussivity by becoming more inclusive.  I don't want that to happen, neither should you.

It's also true that some players, Bonds included, have never actually failed a drug test.  So what?  There is enough analogical evidence that these players were guilty anyway, and there is precedence in baseball to punish players even in spite of "proven" innocence.  The first commisioner of baeball, Kennesaw Mountain Landis, banned all 8 members of the "Chicago Black Sox" even though they were all acquitted of charges by the judicial system.    Landis ruled baseball with tough love, Bud Selig should step up and do the same.

First, I'll give credit to Kenny Williams, perhaps the best General Manager in Chicago sports history, and surely the best in Chicago's baseball history.  Williams, in his short tenure as GM of the Chicago White Sox, has made bold trades, acquiring pitchers Jose Contreras, John Denks, David Wells, Bartolo Colon (the first time, in 2003) and Gavin Floyd, in addition to hitters Scott Podsednik, Jim Thome, and Carlos Quentin.  He's been successful in the international market, nabbing Tadahito Iguchi and Alexei Ramirez, along with 19 year old Cuban sensation Dayan Viciedo.  His "under the radar" free agent signings have been superb, inking Jermaine Dye, Bobby Jenks, Esteban Loaiza, and A.J. Pierzynski.  His recent drafts look promising, drafting Aaron Poreda and Gordon Beckham in the two most recent first rounds.  And, to boot, he's hired quality coaches.  Oh yeah, and he's won two division titles and a World Freakin' Series, too. 

Williams' bravado is something to marvel at.  In 2008 he quipped that the Tigers' trade for star IF Miguel Cabrera would only "put the Tigers in a better position to compete with the White Sox."  This came after a season in which the White Sox won a paltry 72 games and the Tigers netted 88 wins.  Amazingly, Chicago won the division while Detroit struggled and finished last place.  

Williams does not know how to give up, and it could be to his own fault.  I was of the opinion that in the midst of that dismal 2007 72-win season, Williams would be wise to trade Mark Buehrle, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the season.  Williams could have acquired a top prospect for Buehrle, as well as Jermaine Dye, who also had an expiring deal.  To the surprise of many, Williams instead signed both to contract extensions.  Although the team ended up winning the division the following season, making Williams look again like a genius, they failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs.  Now, Williams has an aging, one dimensional team that can't win a ballgame unless it hits plenty of home runs.  The White Sox have older, injury prone, slow footed sluggers.  Their pitching is barely mediocre, despite having a stellar bullpen. 

The White Sox desperately need to rebuild.  Or at least reshuffled the proverbial deck.

They need some youth injected into their lineup, and they need players who are more prone to higher on base percentages.  They need more pitching depth, and they need more speed.

The White Sox need younger, better players.  Yet, it was recently made public that Kenny Williams nearly pulled off what would have been the most surprising trade in all of baseball.  Jake Peavy, the San Diego Padre Ace and former Cy Young Award winner, nixed a trade that would have brought him to Chicago last week.  The deal reportedly had young pitchers Poreda and Clayton Richard going to San Diego.  This baffled me. 


It's difficult to doubt such a successful executive,
but trading for Jake Peavy would be a mistake.

In a season where it couldn't be more obvious to me that trading veteran players for prospects would make the most sense, Williams attempted to go the opposite direction.  He almost mortgaged the future for another injury prone star (several baseball scouts agree that Peavy has awful pitching mechanics).  He almost acquired a fly-ball pitcher to throw in home run friendly US Cellular Field.  He almost made a huge mistake.

Whatifsports.com, a website specializing in hypothetical sports scenarios, recently ran a simulation in which the remainder of the White Sox season was simulated on a computer 10,000 times.  The conclusion was that they would likely finish 14-10 as opposed to 10-14 in Peavy's spot in the rotation.  Whatifsports.com estimates the chances of the White Sox making the playoffs goes from 6.9% to 11.4% with Jake Peavy in the rotation.  That is completely unacceptable. 

It was only a few short months ago when Williams considered Poreda untouchable.  It was noted in local newspapers that when teams called the White Sox to talk trade, Williams promptly hung up the phone whenever Poreda's name came up.  Poreda has struck out 49 hitters in 46 1/3 innings thus far in AA, yielding a 2.33 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.  Not even Jake Peavy should be enough to change Williams' mind.

The White Sox 2009 season is a lost cause.  They won't make the playoffs with or without another pitcher of Jake Peavy's caliber (one rumor is that Williams recently inquired about Arizona's Brandon Webb).  They won't win anything of any significance this season and they shouldn't worry about giving up young talent to improve by a few games. 


Top Prospects Tyler Flowers (C, left) Brandon Flowers (1B,
right) are two reasons the White Sox have a bright future. 

Despite the Sox' struggles this year, the glass is half full for the upcoming future.  Williams has some young talent to work with, like Beckham, Denks, Floyd, Poreda, Viciedo, Ramirez, Quentin, and Jenks.  He has two first round picks this year and two second round picks.  He's likely to have another high pick next season if they don't finish the season strong in 2009.  By trading some veterans like Dye, Thome, and Octavio Dotel at the deadline, Williams can only add to the mix. 

The White Sox will be a better team in 2011 without Jake Peavy, and since they likely won't make the playoffs in 2009 anyway, it's for the better.  For once in Kenny William's career, I hope he plays the conservative card.

With recent talk surrounding the possibility of former number one overall pick Michael Vick returning to the NFL in 2009 after his prison sentence is up, I have heard speculation from various sources on many different teams and situations that might present themselves to Vick.  Will the Raiders come calling?  Will it be the Cowboys?  Would Denver, after blowing it with the Jay Cutler situation, take a gamble?  How about the Vikings, who are so desperate for a quarterback they would consider making Brett Favre an offer to come out of retirement-after he just had shoulder surgery. 

I have heard the rumblings about whether or not Vick, a convicted felon, should be allowed into the NFL.  And believe me, PETA has let their viewpoints be loud and clear. 

But, there is one fact I have yet to hear discussed concerning Vick's (possible) return. 

Michael Vick is a bad football player.

I think I could make a forthcoming argument that Vick is the greatest individual athlete in pro football history.  The guy can throw a perfect spiral 70+ yards-with EITHER hand (it's true.  I can't find the source for this but I remember seeing an ESPN clip where he threw fly patterns to Peerless Price with both his left and right hand).  In addition, Vick reportedly ran a 4.25 second 40-yard dash at the NFL rookie scouting combine.  Make no bones about it:  Vick is a World Class athlete. 

It must be something in his head, or something in his decision making process.  We know he has the arm strength, but his career 53% completion percentage is nary an impressive thing.  His career best was 20 touchdown passes in 2006-well below the average of your typical "franchise quarterback."  In spite of his blazing speed, he's been sacked just shy of 10% of his career dropbacks.  Bernie Kosar was sacked in only 7.5% of his career dropbacks.


For some reason I cannot explain, Vick's
physical tools have not translated to the
football field.

I could see a team taking a flyer on him as publicity stunt (big name player, former number one overall pick), but with that comes the drama of hiring a convicted felon, and having PETA protest all your games.  Maybe a team is desperate for a backup QB, but surely there are better players (and people) available.  The thing is; I wouldn't want Vick on my football team, and it's not because he killed dogs.  He's just not good at playing football.

A recent USA Today article created the NBA's All-Kurt Rambis Team, a team of current NBA players who contribute something to the game that doesn't appear in the box score.  Rambis, a power forward known for his geeky glasses, also made a name for himself simply by becoming "an over-achieving underdog and  ultimate team player" according to his Wikipedia page. 


Superman was a hussle machine

Inspired by the article, here is MLB's version of the Rambis Team:

OF:  Aaron Rowand, Giants.  Some White Sox fans believe his absense is the reason the team hasn't been the same since winning the World Series in 2005.  He endeared himself to Phillies fans in 2006 when he broke his nose diving for a ball against the fence.  He made the catch.

OF: Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks.  When I think of hussling baseball players, the first guy who comes to mind is Byrnes.  He only has one gear; it's called "Balls Out."

OF:  Darin Erstad, Astros.  His fire shows in his play, even at this stage of his career.  He's a former college football player, and he exhibits the same kind of play on the diamond as well.

3B:  Scott Rolen, Blue Jays.  His work ethic coming back from injuries shows in his game.  He plays younger than his age.

SS:  Orlando Cabrera, A's.  Since 2004, Cabrera has played on three different teams and all three of them have won their division.  He's missed the playoffs only once since then.

2B:  David Eckstein, Padres.  Eckstein was called "the definition of 'clutch'" by his former manager, Tony LaRussa.  Nicknamed "The X Factor," he's as gritty a ballplayer as they come.

1B:  Todd Helton, Rockies.  The ultimate quiet leader, Helton's "business approach" to his job leads by example.

C:  Jason Varitek, Red Sox.  The captain on this team is another coach on the field. 

SP:  Carlos Zambrano, Cubs.  One thing's for sure; Zambrano always exhibits passion on the mound.  However, there is a mixture of opinion on whether his attitude helps or hurts him.

SP:  Matt Garza, Devil Rays.  Garza's mound presense exudes confidence.  A good word to describe him:  Gamer.

RP:  Todd Coffey, Brewers.  His trademark sprint from the bullpen to the mound before every appearance is inspiring to fans and teammates alike. 

RP:  Julian Tavarez, Nationals.  On the mound, Tavarez looks like a warrior.  His demeanor and "effectively wild" game appear to make opposing hitters nervous.