The Chicago Cubs Should Trade For Ichiro

The Chicago Cubs are clearly in a rebuild state right now. The Cubs lost 96 games last season, and Starlin Castro appeared to regress last  season. Despite that, the Cubs still were 12th overall in attendance at just under 3,000,000 fans. They need a name that will fill the seats again, and they CAN do this without some  big time mega contract that could wreck their  rebuild plans.

How?

Make a trade for Ichiro Suzuki with the New York Yankees.

In 2008, the Cubs had a Japanese Outfielder, a 30 year old MLB rookie named Kosuke Fukudome. He homered on Opening Day 2008 in a losing effort for the Cubs. He stayed with the Cubs until being traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2011. Fukudome was not as fast or as powerful as Ichiro was in his trendsetting MLB debut in 2001 with the Seattle Mariners.

The New York Yankees have two new outfielders in former Red Sox  Outfielder Jacoby Ellsburry  and Carlos Beltran. Curtis Granderson is now a New York Met. The Yankees could put Brett Gardner or Alfonso Soriano in the Outfield spot that is not filled.

A trade with the Cubs for Ichiro would also have to come with a new jersey number for him, as the number 31 is retired. However, the name would fill seats  and give Ichiro a full  time outfield job he has not had since his days with the Seattle Mariners.

The only drawback is the Cubs already have left handed Outfielders in Nate Schierholtz and Ryan Sweeney, and just traded lefty Brian Bogusevic for righty Justin Ruggiano.

The only question left is: Who would the Cubs trade for Ichiro?

How about Class A  pitcher Corey Black, who  the Cubs recieved from New York in the trade for Alfonso Soriano?

Get  it done, Cubs Front Office.

MLB Blockbuster Trade

The Texas Rangers and  the Detroit Tigers have agreed in principle on a HUGE trade. Second Baseman Ian Kinsler will be traded for First Baseman/Designated Hitter Prince Fielder. 
Prince Fielder will have a shot at a legitimate 60 homerun season, while the Detroit Tigers get Ian Kinsler, a legitimate leadoff hitter with some power and a good glove defensively.

Red Sox win Game Five 3-1

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester was dominant yet again as the Boston Red Sox beat the St Louis Cardinals 3-1. Game Six will be on Wednesday Night in Boston. Red Sox are leading three games to two in the World Series.

World Series Tied

Red Sox win 4 to 2 thanks to a three run homerun by Jonny Gomes in the sixth inning. The Cardinals had the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth inning when the runner at first was picked off to end the game.

The World Series is tied at two games a piece.

Crazy Ending to Game Three Of The World Series

Cardinals win 5-4 over the Boston Red Sox on a crazy Obstruction call. I have never seen any game end like that, no less a World Series game. Cardinals now lead the World Series two games to one.

World Series Game Two Recap

David Ortiz gave the Red Sox another go ahead homerun, but a Red Sox throwing error in the seventh inning gave the Cardinals a 3 to 2 lead and eventual 4 to 2 win, tying the World Series at a game a piece.

Quick World Series Game One Recap

Dominant Red Sox pitching from Jon Lester shut down the Cardinals tonight. David Ortiz was denied a Grand Slam on a spectacular catch by Carlos Beltran, but hit another ball that was a no doubt homerun. 8-1 Red Sox roll in Game One.

What If...?

The Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs are both undefeated, but they won't stay there by the end of the season. They play each other November 17th and December 1st. If they both lose and finish with an identical record of 15-1, who would get home field advantage in the playoffs?

My Thursday Night Week Two Pick

The Jets are coming off a win at Tampa Bay. The Patriots are coming off a win against the Bills. The Geno Smith puzzle will be solved by the Patriots. Rex Ryan and Bill Bellichick going at it is always entertaining, at least in theory.

PATRIOTS OVER JETS

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Week One NFL Predictions

Week 1
THU, SEP 5	TIME (ET)
Baltimore at Denver	8:30 PM
SUN, SEP 8	TIME (ET)
New England at Buffalo	1:00 PM
Cincinnati at Chicago	1:00 PM
Miami at Cleveland	1:00 PM
Atlanta at New Orleans	1:00 PM
Tampa Bay at NY Jets	1:00 PM
Tennessee at Pittsburgh	1:00 PM
Minnesota at Detroit	1:00 PM
Oakland at Indianapolis	1:00 PM
Seattle at Carolina	1:00 PM
Kansas City at Jacksonville	1:00 PM
Arizona at St. Louis	4:25 PM
Green Bay at San Francisco	4:25 PM
NY Giants at Dallas	8:30 PM
MON, SEP 9	TIME (ET)
Philadelphia at Washington	7:00 PM
Houston at San Diego	10:15 PM

BALTIMORE AT DENVER: The NFL Is back! Peyton Manning and his new favorite target Wes Welker take on the defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have lost Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Anquan Boldin, and Paul Kruger, but they have the Super Bowl MVP, Joe Flacco. The Ravens now also have Elvis Dumervil from Denver. They hope Dumervil will help fill in a glaring hole at Linebacker. Von Miller won't be playing in this game due to a suspension.

BRONCOS OVER RAVENS

NEW ENGLAND AT BUFFALO: Tom Brady and the Patriots match up well against rookie QB E.J. Manuel and the Bills. Tom Brady may have lost Wes Welker, but Danny Amendola is going to be a suitable replacement. Tom Brady makes his recievers better. I'm expecting a Patriots blowout.

PATRIOTS OVER BILLS

MIAMI AT CLEVELAND: The Browns have Paul Kruger now, but need to see improvement from Brandon Weeden at Quarterback. His 14 Touchdowns and 17 interceptions weren't too bad for a rookie, although a 27 year old Rookie QB. Miami has former Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill, and he did not fare much better last season. 12 Touchdowns, 13 interceptions. This could go either way, but I pick:

DOLPHINS OVER BROWNS

ATLANTA AT NEW ORLEANS: Talk about a Shootout in the Superdome. This could be the best game of the entire week. Saints QB Drew Brees and Falcons QB Matt Ryan both have chips on their shoulder. Falcons lost in heartbreaking fashion in the NFC Championship game to San Francisco. Tony Gonzalez is back for one final season, and Atlanta will be happy to have him back.  Drew Brees threw for over 5,000 yards passing the last two seasons. This should be a lot of fun.

SAINTS OVER FALCONS

TAMPA BAY AT NEW YORK JETS: Darelle Revis was traded this offseason from the Jets to the Bucs. Rookie QB Geno Smith gets the start for the Jets. I pick the Bucs to win and start a long season for Jets fans.

BUCS OVER JETS

TENNEESSEE AT PITTSBURGH: The Titans have Jake Locker at Quarterback. They are hoping for a big season from him. The Steelers lost Linebacker James Harrison to the Bengals via Free Agency. Will Tennesee be ready for Dick LaBeau and the massive pressure he brings?

STEELERS OVER TITANS

MINNESOTA AT DETROIT: Lions WR Calvin Johnson broke the NFL Record for most recieving yards last season with 1,964 yards recieving last season. Vikings RB Adrian Peterson ran for 2,097 yards last season. This game should be fun.

LIONS OVER VIKINGS

INDIANAPOLIS AT OAKLAND: Colts QB Andrew Luck led his team to the postseason in his rookie year. Raiders rookie QB Terelle Pryor is hoping for similar results.
COLTS OVER RAIDERS

SEATTLE AT CAROLINA:
Carolina QB Cam Newton vs Seattle QB Russell Wilson. Wilson went 8-0 at home last season! I do think Seattle starts 1-0 this season.
SEAHAWKS OVER PANTHERS

KANSAS CITY AT JACKSONVILLE: Kansas City has a new Head Coach in Andy Reid, and a new QB in Alex Smith. I think they will start off the year 1-0.
CHIEFS OVER JAGUARS

ARIZONA AT ST LOUIS: The Cardinals have a new QB in Carson Palmer. They still have Larry Fitzgerald, although the lack of a true number may hurt somewhat. Sam Bradford of the Rams is still a good QB, but the Rams are still rebuilding.
CARDINALS OVER RAMS

GREEN BAY AT SAN FRANCISCO: Aaron Rodgers vs Colin Kaepernick. "Kaepernicking" took the NFL by storm, and San Farncisco was one big play away from title number six. Aaron Rodgers has a new weapon at running back, Eddie Lacy of Alabama. This will help the Packers offense. Rodgers won't have to throw as often. The 49ers have Anquan Boldin now. He is a real weapon in  the passing game.
49ERS OVER PACKERS

GIANTS AT COWBOYS: Eli Manning and the Giants take on Tony Romo and the Cowboys. Dallas made a foolish decision in signing Romo to such a crazy extension. Dez Bryant is going to have a big season this year I think. The running game will do well in DeMarco Murray stays healthy. The Giants will have the better season in New York, but I think they start 0-1.
COWBOYS OVER GIANTS

REDSKINS AT EAGLES: Robert Griffin III will get to test his knee, and Chip Kelly will get to test if his Oregon Offense can work in the NFL. I think it can. Michael Vick is still a dangerous scrambler. Redskins defense will have to keep him contained. I don't think Robert Griffin III will be running as much this season.
EAGLES OVER REDSKINS

HOUSTON AT SAN DIEGO: The Houston Texans were in the playoffs last season, while San Diego and QB Phillip Rivers regressed. I think the Texans take the first step to the Super Bowl this season.
TEXANS OVER CHARGERS

Vickie Guerrero Fired From Raw

Vickie Guererro was one of the best heels (people the crowd enjoys booing) in the entire WWE. I was at Monday Night Raw in Austin Texas on December 20, 2010 and THIS HAPPENED:
(Fun starts at 5:40)


WWE has always had heels in charge of Raw. From Vince McMahon, to John Laurenitis, to Vickie Guererro. The WWE has done a great job putting these people in positions to get noticed by the crowd. Vickie will be back, I am sure of it. She is great at what she does. To parrot Michael Cole, "I love Vickie."

Yasiel Puig is no all Star.

Yasiel Puig is no all Star. Sorry. Some guy who hits dinky singles and steals second is no All Star. He's been in the Big Leagues for only one month. He's going to get figured out. Would ESPN be talking about Puig if he played for a small market team like the Houston Astros? No way.

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Cubs Win Game One 3-1

Starlin Castro singled in the first inning, and Anthony Rizzo crushed a  mammoth two run homerun to give the Cubs a lead they would never relinquish. as they won 3-1 over the Pirates.



Carlos Marmol was his usual wild self. He got one batter out, then walked a batter and surrendered a run as manager Dale Sweum pulled him for Japanese Closer Kyuji Fujikawa, who got his first Major League Save.

The Cubs and Pirates were off yesterday, and do battle again today.

The Chicago Cubs are undefeated!

2013 MLB On Fox Schedule

2013 MLB ON FOX REGULAR SEASON BROADCAST SCHEDULE

(Note: Schedule subject to change, times refer to on-air)

April 6 (3:30 p.m. ET) — NYY vs. DET, STL vs. SF, LAA vs. TEX

April 13 (12:30 p.m. ET) — TB vs. BOS, SF vs. CHC, ATL vs. WAS

April 20 (2:30 p.m. ET) — MIN vs. CWS, DET vs. LAA, WAS vs. NYM

April 27 (12:30 p.m. ET) — ATL vs. DET, PHI vs. NYM, CIN vs. WAS

May 4 (3:30 p.m. ET) — BAL vs. LAA, STL vs. MIL, WAS vs. PIT

May 18 (3:30 p.m. ET) — TB vs. BAL, CWS vs. LAA, CIN vs. PHI

May 25 (7 p.m. ET) — MIA vs. CWS, OAK vs. HOU, STL vs. LAD, ATL vs. NYM, PHI vs. WAS

June 1 (7 p.m. ET) — WAS vs. ATL, ARI vs. CHC, BOS vs. NYY, CIN vs. PIT, SF vs. STL

June 8 (7 p.m. ET) — LAA vs. BOS, STL vs. CIN, SD vs. COL, HOU vs. KC, PHI vs. MIL

June 15 (7 p.m. ET) — WAS vs. CLE, CWS vs. HOU, NYY vs. LAA, DET vs. MIN, SEA vs. OAK

June 22 (7 p.m. ET) — CIN vs. ARI, MIN vs. CLE, BOS vs. DET, LAD vs. SD, TEX vs. STL

June 29 (7 p.m. ET) — NYY vs. BAL, MIL vs. PIT, CHC vs. SEA, DET vs. TB, CIN vs. TEX

July 6 (7 p.m. ET) — NYM vs. MIL, ATL vs. PHI, LAD vs. SF, CWS vs. TB, HOU vs. TEX

July 13 (7 p.m. ET) — STL vs. CHC, TEX vs. DET, COL vs. LAD, WAS vs. MIA, NYM vs. PIT

July 16 (7:30 p.m. ET) — 2013 MLB All-Star Game from Citi Field in Flushing, NY

July 20 (3:30 p.m. ET) — NYY vs. BOS, ATL vs. CWS, PIT vs. CIN

July 27 (2:30 p.m. ET) — STL vs. ATL, LAA vs. OAK, NYM vs. WAS

Aug. 3 (3:30 p.m. ET) — LAD vs. CHC, TEX vs. OAK, ATL vs. PHI

Aug. 10 (3:30 p.m. ET) — MIN vs. CWS, TB vs. LAD, BAL vs. SF

Aug. 17 (3:30 p.m. ET) — NYY vs. BOS, SF vs. MIA, ARI vs. PIT

Aug. 24 (3:30 p.m. ET) — OAK vs. BAL, BOS vs. LAD, DET vs. NYM

Sept. 7 (12:30 p.m. ET) — MIL vs. CHC, LAD vs. CIN, BOS vs. NYY

Sept. 14 (12:30 p.m. ET) — NYY vs. BOS, CIN vs. MIL, OAK vs. TEX

Sept. 21 (12:30 p.m. ET) — TBD

Sept. 28 (12:30 p.m. ET) — TBD

Miami Heat Streak Over

The Bulls beat the Heat last night ending their 27 game win streak.