By Sarah Spain

If Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson had known his team would hit the jackpot in the NBA Draft Lottery Tuesday night, he may have elected to be there in person. Instead, a surprised Paxson spoke to reporters via conference call about the unlikely, but welcome dilemma he and the Bulls now face.

“I certainly understand this was pure luck.” Paxson said. “Now it’s our job to make the most of it.”

Luck is right. Chicago had just a 1.7% chance of landing the top spot and fans of the team certainly didn’t think they had much of a shot considering the luck they’ve had this season. The Bulls went through two coaches—neither of whom will return next season. They went from being projected Eastern Conference winners to hopeful playoff qualifiers to draft lottery participants. They didn’t act quickly enough—or offer enough money—to get the new head coach they desired, Mike D’Antoni. (I betcha the draft has D’Antoni re-thinking that Knicks deal now).

Now, with their lineup in flux and no head coach, the future is in the Bulls’ own hands. Chicago will without a doubt take Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose with the first pick. Let’s take a quick look at how these two guys could help get the Bulls back to the promised land (or at least past the first round of the playoffs).

Michael Beasley averaged 26.5 points and an NCAA-leading 12.5 boards in his one and only collegiate season. He can put the ball in the basket. Sounds simple enough, but that’s what it comes down to with this kid. He can score from anywhere and shoots the lights out for a guy his size (6’9”, 235). Bulls fans calling for Beasley already have visions of vintage Scottie Pippen dunking in their heads.

The Bulls are already a strong rebounding team, but their big men provide little in the way of scoring. Joakim Noah showed marked improvement as the season wore on, but the guy’s never gonna be a true scorer—his shot is uglier than his lid. Tyrus Thomas can jump out of the gym and on a good night he’ll make a double-double look pedestrian, but he’s inconsistent and has attitude problems. Speaking of attitude, I’m a big fan of Beasley’s exuberance and lightheartedness, but the thought of Noah and Beasley on the same team brings to mind Vaseline-swabbed toilet seats and the ol’ sugar-in-the-salt-shaker trick.

When it comes down to it, this Chicago team has had a surplus at guard and a hole in the middle for years. Beasley might finally be the guy to step in and take the pressure off perimeter guys like Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich and Larry Hughes. Which of the aforementioned players would still be around to play with Beasley? That’s anyone’s guess at this point.

The fate of Chicago’s current guards may very well be decided by the selection of a possible future guard, Derrick Rose. Rose is a hometown Chicago boy who some think will turn out to be the most athletic point guard the game has ever seen. Hyperbole? Maybe, but this kid can straight out ball. Rose has been called a quicker Deron Williams or Jason Kidd with a better vertical and a jump shot. Analysts think the upside on Rose is absolutely through the roof—as in, Hall of Famer—and this kid hasn’t even put on an NBA uniform yet.

Drafting Rose would allow the Bulls management to trade away some of their extra guards and get a proven big man. A package deal with parts like Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes or Thomas just might bring in the frontcourt talent the team needs. I’m thinking names like Camby and Okafor. (A girl can dream, can’t she?) With Rose, the Bulls can get the next great point guard AND trade away for a solid big man. And with Rose—the high school hero come home—they can put butts in the seats of the United Center again.

So who’s it gonna be?

Beasley is an incredibly versatile player who could change a team overnight. He’s got a big personality and the kind of marketability most of the ho-hum Bulls could only dream of. He’s a big man in a city that boasts broad shoulders but hasn’t had any to carry the load in recent years. Beasley is, in a word, Beastly.

BUT, John Paxson should trust his gut on this one. The Bulls should draft the hometown kid with sick handles and dazzling speed. A good leader with a head for the game who’s gonna take over Chicago just as Chris Paul has taken over New Orleans.  Rose is the kind of point guard that comes along so rarely that to pass him up might land you on the short list with the guy who picked Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan. If Paxson and the Bulls want to come out of the draft smelling of success, they should pick the Rose.

Thanks to FSN Wisconsin and TSB Milwaukee Brewers expert Trenni Kusnierek for passing along to me this inspirational and emotional story from yesterday’s Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Here are some excerpts from and the link to Mike White’s in depth feature story on John Challis which will likely leave you with watery eyes.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08125/878966-85.stm

By Paul M. Banks

Dutchie Caray, widow of baseball broadcasting legend Harry Caray, recently made headlines for blasting an advertisement that featured an impersonator of her late husband.
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2008/04/29/att_0429.html

The ad ran constantly during March Madness, and even though I hated the spot as much as she did, I refrained from asking her about the situation. When I caught up to her at the grand opening of Little Cubs Field in Freeport, Illinois she was in an extremely jovial and gregarious mood. I figured “why do anything to possibly change that?” On this day she had the same friendliness and zest for living that her late husband was known for. This was a special day for Caray: she arrived in a limo to cut the ribbon on Little Cubs Field, throw out the ceremonial first ball and lead a group singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” I spoke with her about this little park that features the commemorative logo of her late husband on the gift shop behind home plate; the same image that appears on a rooftop across the street from the original Wrigley Field.   

Her initial thoughts of the park……

DC: “I think I read some things about it earlier when they started it. It sounded like a really neat idea. I have a place in Palm Springs and they have a little replica of Wrigley Field out there. But that is for bigger kids and this is just so nice for these little kids. I just can’t believe how excited they must be to be able to play on such a nice field.”

PMB: Isn’t the story of how Little Cubs Field was built astounding? The story of all these people working for free, donating materials from their business:

DC: “It’s an amazing feat, just goes to show you what people can do if they put their minds to doing something.”

PMB: it’s a great place not just for Cubs fans, but baseball fans in general…..

D.C. “It almost is a shame that they didn’t build it a little bigger, the walls weren’t out further so the bigger kids could play in it. But this is really a great start for little kids to be able to play here. They have their own field that the big kids can’t play on.”

 

PMB: And the Ron Santo flag is authentic, taken from the big park….

DC: “Yeah, I think they’re {also} waiting for Ryne Sandberg, Ernie Banks and who’s the last one?

PMB: Billy Williams

DC: Yes, Billy Williams, my good friend Billy Williams.”

PMB: What would the Cubs players think/say if they came here…

DC: “I think they’d be kind of thrilled; a lot of the ballplayers have little children. They’d be really excited if their children had a place like this to play. I don’t know that they would come out. You know how ball players are today. With their million dollar salaries they just do what they want.

PMB: Do you think this would have been possible without the Cubs’ granting that access to Denny Garkey?, would he have been able to get the job done without the behind the scenes tour of Wrigley?

DC: “I think we would gotten the job done somehow one way or another. How could you refuse somebody the opportunity to do something like this? It’s just such a neat thing for these little kids.”

 

On what Harry would think if he was alive to see the park today…

DC: “Harry was such a baseball fan. I’m sure he would think it’s a neat place for these little kids. The big kids can’t play here. They (little kids) should be very well attuned to baseball by the time they graduate from here. They’ll have a good time here.

Her overall impression of the park…

DC: “For such a little place, I think it’s adorable. It’s a great thing for little kids to come out and play on a nice field like this. It kind of blows me away. It’s real neat. The scoreboard is unbelievable. They brought me out a little earlier today and it’s just an unbelievable thing to see.”

 

Caray and company singing “Take Me out to the ball game”

By Paul M. Banks

When Denny Garkey built his little league park to replicate Wrigley Field, he paid attention to every detail. In Freeport, IL he brought to life a little league baseball field that recreated every aspect of his own field of dreams. Coincidentally, the opening day occurred with weather as dreadful as the Chicago Cubs’ home opener a month earlier. Wind, overcast skies, scattered showers, and unseasonable cold accompanied the field’s first game. Little Cubs Field officially endorsed by the Cubs, opened on Monday night. Harry Caray’s widow, Dutchie and Peoria Chiefs owner Pete Vonachen cut the ceremonial ribbon. The rain stayed away and baseball was played. In the middle of the third inning, Dutchie led the crowd of fans, media, businesspeople, and other well-wishers braving the cold elements in the singing of “Take me out to the ballgame.” The baseball anthem will be sung at every game played at Little Cubs Field. “It’s amazing, it really is. It just goes to show you what people can do if they really put their mind to doing something. Getting together and accomplishing something like this, it’s just a gorgeous little field,” said Caray. The field features bricks (and soon ivy) from the actual Wrigley Field. The Ron Santo flag on the left field foul pole once flew in the big park on Chicago’s North side. In center field stands a scoreboard with a working clock that looks exactly like the one at 1060 W. Addison. The scoreboard shows the Cubs defeating the New York Mets 21-0 in the ninth inning. The White Sox are also beating a New York team, the Yankees, but by a more modest score of 8-3 in the 7th.  “It’s going to be a great tourist attraction,” said Chicago Cubs head usher Darrell Windle.

Garkey built a park that would cost over $600,000 for a final cost of just $140,000 due to all the volunteers who donated their time, materials and labor to the cause of youth baseball. “Some of them are not even baseball fans, but they love the idea and they love the spirit of what it’s about. A thousand volunteers, worked on it in one way or another,” said Garkey. Pete Vonachen is the owner of the Chicago Cubs’ single A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs. Their home stadium is named after him. I spoke with Vonachen before the game started. “The important thing is this is baseball for kids; you got to cultivate the kids,” Vonachen said. And more Wrigley Field details will be added to Little Cubs Field in the future. They plan to build outfield bleachers once a corporate sponsor is found, and “rooftops” with the “Eamus Catuli” sign across the street. “For such a little place, it’s adorable and it’s such a great thing for little kids to be able to come out and play on such a nice field like this, it kind of blows me away,” Caray said.

Later this week I will be posting my exclusives with Caray and Vonachen as well as an in-depth discussion on how the park was built with Denny Garkey.

By Sarah Spain

Check out this list of the ten most colorful athlete arrests that Sarah wrote at the Love of Sports last week. Its pretty difficult to narrow it down to just ten…You could find 10 from just the “Cincinnaughty Bengals” and “Portland Jail Blazers” alone. 

http://theloveofsports.com/index.php/site/comments/top_10_most_embarrassing_arrests/

 

Soxman’s fantasy baseball team continues to surge climbing into third place with a record of 21-15 on the young season.

My hitting continues to balance while several of my pitchers struggled this week. 
 

Sizzlers-
 
Ryan Braun
Braun can thank the four game series against the Cardinals for his sizzling status this week.  He homered twice in Sunday’s win hitting .538 in the series, raising his season average up to .281.  With four homers in May already after hitting only three in April, it appears as though the elite youngster is back to making fantasy owners happy.
 
Tadahito Iguchi
 “Gooch” went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored Sunday against the Rockies. He also stole his sixth base. He’s hitting .390 over his last five games and his average rose to .266 after hitting .209 at the end of April. 
 
Carlos Quentin
 Quentin is making Kenny Williams look like a genius thus far. He’s hitting .471 over his last four games.  He is currently leading the American League in home runs and OPS.  He went towards the end of the draft in my league and could very well be this year’s biggest fantasy surprise.
 
J.D. Drew
 Drew was another player whose horrible 2007 lowered him to the bottom of most draft boards.  Those who took a chance on him are being rewarded.  He’s on a six game hitting streak in which he’s hitting .333.  His powers are down somewhat, but he is hitting over .280 thus far.
 
Mariano Rivera
It’s not Joba time yet in New York!  Rivera has been spectacular on the season thus far.  He has ten saves and is yet to allow an earned run in 15 innings of work this season.
 
 
 
Scott Rolen
 He’s been a monster since coming off the DL.  In 50 Abs on the season, he’s hitting .320, 2 HR and 8 RBI.
 
 

Fizzlers-
 
Eric Gagne
Eric “Gag me” is more like it.  If ever there were a case of a performance drop for a player being named in the Mitchell report…He’s 1-2, 6.89 ERA, 17 K, 1.85 WHIP with 9 SV in 15.2 IP.   His closer spot in Milwaukee is in flux.
 
Ty Wigginton
 He’s batting only .192 since returning from a broken thumb and has shown no power yet at all.  You might consider reserving him until he heats up.
 
Gil Meche

 I was high on him being a sleeper as the “ace” of the Royals going into the season, and I cut him Sunday.  After losing to the Orioles, his ERA sky-rocketed to 6.31.
 
Rookie Watch-
 
 
Joey Votto
 He is creating Rookie of the Year buzz and strengthened his case compliments of the Cubs this past week clobbering three bombs in one game! 
 
Travis Buck
 He’s been sent to the minors to reclaim his swing.  I also parted ways with him on Sunday. The buck stopped at his .154 batting average.
 

Sleeper-
 
Ryan Ludwick
 Someone not named Pujols is on fire in St. Louis.  Ryan Ludwick his hitting .347, 8 HR, 24 RBI on the year.  Grab Him!
 
DL Watch-
 
Joe Borowski
 He’s getting close to a rehab assignment and will go right back into the closer’s role when he’s activated from the DL.  He’s worth a gamble if you need saves.
 
 

By the Soxman, Batboy, and ”Bruce Wayne Parker”
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With Paul M. Banks on assignment covering the Spygate saga in our nation’s capital, the Soxman makes a signal to the pen for the “Big Guy.”  Batboy sits in this week.
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Also, in a rare appearance, the alter ego of Soxman also logs-in from vacationing in Las Vegas to add his 50 cents (damn inflation) on the White Sox.  To protect his secret identity, we’ll just call him Bruce Wayne Parker.Â

How is it possible for a super hero to have a conversation with his alter ego?  Well, Soxman is an insane southsider after all, so anything is possible.
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Besides, it takes two men to fill Paul’s shoes.
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(SM) All right guys, let’s get right down to business.  We are once again under .500 and sitting in third place in the Central at 18-19.  Yet, we are still only three games out of first.  How is this possible?
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(BP) Well Soxman, you sometimes need to look in the mirror at yourself to find your identity.  I don’t think the Sox have found their team identity yet.  The Sox have dropped to 7th in the majors with a team ERA of 3.81.  They have the 2nd worst batting average in the American League (only Cleveland is worse).  Yet, as I sit in a casino in Vegas, the Sox are still the odds-on favorite to win the division.

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(BB) Two words as to how this is possible: Bobby Jenks.  Big guys always come through.  A 2.51 ERA, saving seven games and winning two, means Jenks played a key role in at least half of the Sox wins.
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(SM) Vegas eh?  Thanks for the invite.  I hope you are the big winner baby!  Well, I still believe we can turn this around.  Who are we going to need more from if we are going to take over the Central?  I think we are going to need to see more from our veteran sluggers.  Want proof?  Look at the batting averages of three key players the last 7 games:  Nick Swisher (.179), Paul Konerko (.200), Jim Thome (.208). As Trent (Vince Vaughn) said in Swingers, these guys need to double-down and start hitting!
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(BP) Soxman, “you are money and you don’t even know it.”  For me it is Mark Buehrle.  Perhaps he’s pressing too hard, but the ace of your staff cannot statistically be the worst starter on your team.  He has allowed 14 earned runs over 11 1/3 innings in his last two starts.  He is 0-5 with a 5.26 ERA in his last six outings.  He appears to always be one or two pitches away from a good game and needs to turn this around quickly by avoiding the mental mistakes. He is not pitching like the 2005 Mark Buehrle and a big contract pitcher.
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(BB) Bobby Jenks.  The Sox are going to need every win they can muster.  Every situation where we have the lead in the ninth, I want to see #45 get the ball.  He’s one of the top three closers in the game and likely one of the only players next to Floyd, Javy, and Quentin who have a shot at the all-star team.Â

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(SM) Who has been the biggest surprise thus far in your opinion?  Batboy, you can’t say Bobby Jenks.  People might start to talk.  For me, it is Gavin Floyd.  I was critical of him going into the season and he has silenced me emerging as the ace of the staff.  A 3.32 ERA and holding opponents to a .192 bating average, best among the starters, is impressive to me.
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(BP) Well, as a fellow ladies man, I’ll have to tip my hat to Brian Anderson.  He took his focus off the ladies and onto the field, emerging as the number four outfielder on the Sox.  While I thought his ego was 50 points above his batting average last season, he seems to have been humbled by his own failure and is turning that into success. He’s hitting .333 his last 7 games and hit a critical homer over the weekend to beat Seattle.  He’s abandoned being one type of “player” to become another.  As I despise that type of “player,” I must say I’m proud of him.
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(BB) Why can’t I say Bobby Jenks?  Especially with the meltdowns of Izzy in St. Louis and Eric “Gag Me” in Milwaukee.  Bobby never fails to surprise me.  He handles a high stress job with “Sox Swagger.”  Well, if I can’t say Bobby Jenks, how about other big guys, Scott Linebrink and Carlos Quentin?  Linebrink has a 0.90 ERA over his last 9 appearances and Carlos Quentin leads the majors in homers and on-base percentage.  He could be comeback player of the year!
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(SM)  If the Sox swoon in May and June, do you think they will try to dump salaries and re-build?
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(BP) You never can tell.  As I’m still in a Vegas state of mind, I can only say that would be a gamble.  There are really not many players eligible for free agency next season.  I met a number of Sox fans poolside, and surprisingly they thought it was time to move Jim Thome.  They were fed up with what they referred to as an offensive logjam of “slow hitters” in the middle of the line-up.  IF THEY SWOON, you could see them move Joe Crede to a contender and perhaps Contreras if he stays hot.  They would then get a look at Lance Broadway and give third base to Josh Fields.
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(BB)  As long as they don’t trade one player (who I cannot name), I’ll be fine.  I wouldn’t be opposed to them moving Konerko if they could get 3-4 MLB ready prospects for him.  Perhaps his weight loss zapped his stroke?  See Soxman, thinner does not always mean better.  I just don’t know that as a 10-5 player, he’d approve a trade.
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(SM) It was a crazy week for the Sox.  The blow up doll non-issue, pink facial hair, Buehrle blows up with a baseball bat, and my alter ego in Vegas.  The Sox also see an old friend in Jon Garland this week.  Any thoughts?
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(BP) Yeah Vegas ruled Soxman, wish you were there.  Meeting Avril Lavigne at the Hard Rock was awesome.  Losing some cash on the Sox on Sunday was not.  Garland and the blow-up doll issue?  Well I think this quote from him covers both topics:  “I don’t think anything seen or heard in the clubhouse needs to be written about. And if you have a problem that’s going on in here, you don’t have to walk through the [clubhouse] doors. You don’t have to see it. You have to understand when you walk through those doors, you’re coming into our office.”   I agree Jon.  We miss you in Chicago.  The clubhouse rule is like the Vegas Rule.  What happens in Vegas (the clubhouse) Stays in Vegas (the clubhouse).Â
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It was great to see the Sox having fun with the facial hair thing.  Now they need to use that to build competitive chemistry.  I saw 80’s sensation Duran Duran Friday night at the Hard Rock. To use some of their songs, the AL Central is no ordinary world, our wild boys need to avoid the reflex of losing and be hungry like a wolf to win this thing. Â
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(BB) Boom!  Here Comes the Boom!  Bobby looked a little weird with the pink goatee, but it was for a good cause.  Heroes are all about doing things for a good cause.  Yeah I called Jenks a hero, got a problem with that Soxman?
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(SM) Well Batboy, I don’t have a problem…but you might.  LOL.  Well, let’s close out this week’s exchange like Paul would, talking about something with only a very loose affiliation to the Sox.  If you could compare Paul M. Banks to one person on the 2005 Sox, who would it be?
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(BP) Without a doubt Paul is Kenny Williams.  He’s egotistical, yet in a slightly brash way. He has an eye for talent and is not afraid to play hardball to get his way.  Finally, look at the SportsBank team: World Series talent if I ever saw it.
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(BB) Close?  Did someone say close?  YEAASS!  The bullpen door is open again! Paul is without a doubt Bobby Jenks.  Even though I look more like Bobby Jenks than he does, Paul’s got the mindset of a closer.   A big-league closer isn’t the easiest job in the world.  You have to have confidence and Paul overflows with it. That’s what the business of a closer is about.  He goes out there and tells himself each day, ‘There’s no one on this team that can beat me, not even cancer.’” His record speaks for itself.
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(SM) How did I know you would say that Batboy?  I think Paul is part Ozzie Guillen and part Jermaine Dye.  As a leader, he’s not afraid to argue bad calls and defend his team, as evident when someone attacked one of his writers last October.  However, as a friend and writer, he’s Jermaine Dye.  He quietly goes about his business and always puts up great numbers.  However, I WISH he were Jerry Reinsdorf so I could get that multi-million dollar contract.
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(SM) Well thanks for sitting in guys.  Bruce Wayne Parker, it was like talking to myself as your opinions are so close to mine.  I’m sure many people would be jealous that I got to meet the man behind the mask.  Batboy, thanks for laying down the boom.  You are a great sidekick.Â
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Tune in next week Sox fans when Paul returns with some “Banksian” comments on how we performed without him and reacts to the 2005 Sox staffers we compared him to.  Go Go White Sox!Â
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My ”meeting with Senator Specter and Matt Walsh” at the Hart office building in D.C. was less than amiable
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