SarroSports

9/17/08 2:38pm

Cubs fans have been down this road before, looking like the team to beat in the NL coming down the final  stretch of the 2008 season.  Unfortunately for cubs fans, this road leads to a dark and dreary place.  In 2003 the cubs needed only one win in games six or seven to advance to the world series. With stud aces Kerry Wood and Mark Prior taking the hill, all looked well for Chicago.  In game six, the cubs had a 3-0 lead with only five outs to go, when the lovable losers blew it again. This time with a little help from one of their fans.  We all know what Steve Bartman did, reaching over into the field of play taking a probable out from the grasp of left fielder Mosis Alou.  Add in an Alex Gonzalez error at short, and the Marlins were off to an eight run inning that cub fans will never forget.  Game seven didn’t go any better with the cubs jumping out to an early lead only to lose the game and the series.  Yes folks the cubs were five measly outs away from baseballs biggest stage, but couldn’t get the job done.  This year the cubs will be singing a different tune and the loudest singers are the guys in the bullpen. 

Power arms dominate games in the late innings and Lou Pinella has always wanted a bullpen that looks like the cubs in 2008.  No wonder why Pinella has always been obsessed with guys who can dial it up near 100 mph. Its a high probability for a strikeout and therefore no freak incidents such as Steve Bartman (currently in hiding, there’s a better chance of finding Whitey Bulger than Bartman in October) and eliminates any chance of errors (see Alex Gonzalez game 6).  Strangely enough there is a familiar face that is getting it done for the cubs, but this times its at the back end of the bullpen.  Kerry Wood, 2003 game 7 goat who gave up seven earned runs over 5 1/3 innings, is now the cubs closer.  Wood has 31 saves in 37 chances, striking out a whopping 77 batters in only 61 innings pitched.  Woods arsenal of pitchers include a high 90’s fastball and a nasty slider that can freeze hitters at the plate.  As if this wasn’t bad enough for opposing hitters, Wood brings along some friends who have been just as impressive.

When the Cubs drafted Carlos Marmol as an outfielder in 1999, they soon saw flaws in his game that eventually lead to a position switch behind the plate.  Not having much success their either, Marmol took his rocket arm to the mound and never looked back.  In 2008, Marmol has struck out 111 batters in 83.1 innings, while posting a 2.70 ERA.  These impressive numbers landed Marmol on his first all-star team.  Marmol’s success can be attributed to his three plus major league pitches.  His mid 90’s sinker, a fastball that touches 97, and a devastating slider considered one of the best in baseball.  Marmol owns the 8th inning and look to see plenty of him in the postseason.

As if shutdown relievers in the 8th and 9th innings went enough, the cubs make it tough for opposing hitters in the 7th inning as well.  Former Notre Dame football wide receiver Jeff Samardzija is lighting it up since being called up to the majors on July 26th.  His velocity on his fastball has increased every season as a professional baseball player and now consistently throws in the high 90’s.  He has an electric arm and the potential to rack up huge strike out totals.  Samardzija boasts a 2.31 era and looks to see action in big game situations after gaining the trust of cubs management. 

Having a dominant bullpen in the playoffs, shortens games and allows managers to match up well against opposing line-ups.  In 2002 the Angles power arms in their bullpen, were a huge part of the teams success and eventually the reason why they won the world series.  Throwing Scott Shields, K-rod, and Troy Percival late in games, allowed manager Mike Scocia to take out struggling starters early.  This also deflates the moral of opposing hitters, knowing that they only have six or seven innings to put runs on the board.  With all this said things are looking good for the cubs heading into the postseason.  Then again its the Cubs, anything could happen.

-Sarro     

9/10/08 3:29pm

Everything is bigger down in Texas and that includes 6′3″ Junior quarterback Colt McCoy, who leads his Longhorns into battle Saturday against the Razerbacks of Arkansas. While Texas was beating down their first two opponents by a combined score of 94-23, McCoy was putting up great individual numbers to go along with great decision making in the pocket. Through two games McCoy has completed 44-58 passes with seven touchdowns to only one interception. As if those numbers aren’t impressive enough, McCoy also leads his team in rushing (111yds) and second in rushing touchdowns. What McCoy did against Florida Atlantic was downright impressive, completing 24-29 passes for 222 yds and 3 touchdowns. That’s not all, the best stat of the day was his 103 yds rushing reaching the end-zone once on 12 carries. If this was the first time viewers have seen Colt McCoy play, they would be certain he would become a first round draft pick of some NFL team desperate of a quarterback that can makes plays and put points up on the board. Unfortunately things haven’t all gone so smooth for the New Mexico native who is depended upon to fill the shoes of national champion QB Vince Young.

There were big expectations of Colt McCoy on his arrival to Texas and he did nothing to disappoint, throwing a freshman record 29 TD passes in 2006. That included a big win over rival Oklahoma and impressive numbers against Oklahoma St and Texas Tech. With McCoy’s success during his freshman season brought high expectations for his sophomore campaign.

Heading into the 2007 season, Texas knew they had the weapons on offense to get them on top in the Big 12. McCoy had a quarterback’s best friend in Jamal Charles, who rushed for 1,619 yds joining Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, and Cedric Benson as the fourth running back in Longhornes history to pass 1,500 yds on the ground. McCoy had a big play receiver in Limas Sweed, until he got injured with season ending wrist surgery. With Sweed going down, so did McCoy’s numbers to a tune of 22 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Critiques started second guessing the once promising quarterback’s decision making and if he could lead the Longhornes back to a Big 12 title.

At the start of training camp, the Longhornes experimented with a two QB system that would have McCoy and sophmore John Chiles on the field at the same time. This may have been a direct shot a McCoy implying that he needed to play up to his potential. Two weeks into the 2008 season, all he has done is lead the nation in TD passes and the Longjhornes are 2-0. Skeptics may say that they beat two weaker teams, but McCoy did not perfrom well against lesser teams in 2007 often playing down to the competition. Throwing for 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions against TCU to go along with a 4 interception stinker against Kansas State, shows that McCoy did not excel against bad teams like hes capable of. This season McCoy has taken care of business and is poised for a big season. Next up is Arkansas and with that another chance for McCoy to prove he belongs with the other great quarterbacks in college football.

-Sarro

9/1/08 11:13pm

Heading into the final two months of the regular season, stability at the back end of the rotation was a big concern for the Boston Red Sox. With the Rays fourth and fifth starters performing more like pitchers that should be at the front end of the rotation, (Andy Sonnanstine 13-6 and Edwin Jackson 11-8) what the Sox were sending to the mound after their big three, just wasn’t cutting it. Recently demoted starter Clay Buchholz, had posted a record of 2-9 with an ERA nearing seven. Being a journalism major who is not very gifted in math, even I can see that if the Rays fifth starter had a record of an even .500 and the Sox fifth starter posting a record of 2-9 (Buchholz), that puts the Rays seven games ahead in the American League East. The good news is, baseball uses five starters and the Sox have gained ground with both Jon Lester and Dice K having great seasons. The bad news is, the Rays fifth starter doesn’t have a .500 record, Andy Sonnanstine is 13-6 with a 4.61 ERA. For all those who are counting, thats two more wins than Sox ace Josh Beckett. With all this said, Theo Epstein went out and got veteran starter Paul Byrd and expects Bartolo Colon to be back from the disabled list sometime next week.

Byrd has been in the big leagues for 13 years while playing for seven different teams, posting a career record of 106-92. Numbers that fit the role of a pitcher at the back end of the rotation of a big league team looking to make the playoffs. After giving up four runs in seven innings during Monday nights 7-4 win over the Orioles, the Sox finally looked confident behind someone not named Beckett, Dick K, or Lester. Byrd has been nothing but consistent since his arrival in Boston, posting a record of 3-1 and lasting at least six innings in all of his four starts. There has been no secret to his success, Byrd has been pounding the strike zone and mixing up his pitches which are barely throw hard enough to break a plain of glass. The 37 year old from Louisville Kentucky, keeps finding ways to get batters out while limiting the damage on the scoreboard.

If the Red Sox hang on to their lead in the wild card and make the post-season, They have acquired a pitcher that is no stranger to the atmosphere of playoff baseball. Byrd’s post-season record stands at 3-1 while pitching for Atlanta (2004), LA Angles (2005), and last year for the Indians who got sent home by the Red Sox in the ALCS. With his throwback delivery and bulldog mentality, Byrd just might be a big reason the Red Sox will have success the rest of the way in 2008.

-Sarro