3 Games Up!

BIG Z!

Awesome performance! How is he not seen as the best out there? He has been absolutely on fire in July! 3 wins, 2.30 era and a 0.91 whip! That's serious.

Plus the offense is coming out of a slump. Soriano is great, I get frustrated with him being the lead-off guy sometimes, but when he plays, they score. Rammy is playing much better in the last week and Lee is looking good, too. Heck, Fukudome even drove in 2 today!

Somehow ESPN decided this story didn't deserve anymore than a middle of the show highlight and dismiss it. It seems a little bigger than that, doesn't it?

Next best thing to Zambrano about tonight's game? DVR. I can now record every baseball game that's on TV, skip commercials and finish watching at the same time the game is over. Ran a couple of errands, got home around 8:15 and caught up with the game as it was ending at 9:40. DVR, man's best friend? Kidding, Bleu.

espn article about Tuesday nights game.... Couldn't say it better myself Gene Wojciechowski.

"Meanwhile, Zambrano was, well, Zambrano. The guy might be the most compelling pitcher in the big leagues. Who else do you know who pitches eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts, singles home a run and breaks a bat over his left knee after botching a sacrifice bunt? In 21 innings this season, Zambrano has given up exactly one run against the Brewers."

Baseball Talk

The Cubs beat the Brewers last night! Derrek Lee, whom I recently traded for in Fantasy baseball for Chipper Jones, who just went on the DL, drove in the winning run on an opposite field double in the ninth and they added another run for the final score of 6-4. This puts the Cubs 2 games ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central race and also may turn the tide of momentum that has recently been heavily in the Brew Crew's favor.

Tonight Carlos Zambrano faces Ben Sheets in the most important game of the year since last night. Big Z has thrown 13 innings while allowing 1 earned run in 2 starts this year against Milwaukee, but has a no decision in both due to bullpen implosions. Sheets has gone 11.1 innings in 2 starts against the Cubs, giving up 3 earned runs with a win on April 29th when he gave up the 3 runs in 6 innings. Coincidentally, both were the opening day starters for their clubs on March 31st when neither allowed a run, while each went into the 7th, but the bullpens gave up a combined 7 runs with the Brewers winning in 10 innings. So it seems that the team to get into the opponents bullpen has the distinct advantage.

Teixeira an Angel

In other news, the Braves trade Mark Texiera to the Angels for first baseman Casey Kohman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek. Marek has a 3.66 era in 34 relief appearances with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, ex-employer of myself and rival of the Tulsa Drillers. Tex has a lower avg than Kotchman, but has hit 8 more hrs and driven in 24 more runs in an almost identical offense, stat wise. I think the trade may help out come post-season, but may not mean much short term as the adjustment factor will probably take a little for Mark. Luckily the Angels are the only Division leader that has successfully pulled away from the other teams they are competing with.

later

Bleus Quirks

First off, Bleu has an ear infection right now and hates the medicine he is taking.

Bleu Quirks

1) If Bleu is riding in a vehicle and turns down our street he will absolutely lose it until you roll the window down low enough or open a door for him to jump out and run home. He has even done this while the vehicle is in motion, up to 20 mphs!

2) Bleu has been run over 3 times suffering a broken leg, several broken ribs, punctured lung , and a completely freaked out dad on each occasion.

3) Bleu got kicked out of the Petco grooming salon for being "crazy." I took his sister, Lola and him in one time and expected a day off, when less than an hour later the groomer called me begging me to come pick him up. I've since taken him back once and they had written notes about him saying, "Don't take this dog he is crazy!"

4) Bleu is completely co-dependent on his sister. Turns out if you put them in the same kennel at Petco and let them cuddle he's not so bad. Bleu just needs to know where Lola is at all times.

5) Bleu loves to eat healthy. I've never known a dog who loved fruits and vegetables so much. He eats salad, grapes, corn, potatoes, strawberries are his favorite! It's very funny.

6) Bleu is the biggest Momma's boy ever! He may love me and know that I'm always going to be there, but there is nothing in the world better than getting to curl up next to Rachel in the bed, its really the number one thing he looks forward to. I wake up and by the time I'm in the shower he's on the bed. He would follow his Mom and Sister into a burning building without giving it a thought.

The Coolest Guy You'll Never Meet

Ladies and Gentlmen, your 1979 NL MVP.

Keith is a class act.

6 quirky things about me

I have been 'tagged' by my wife and this means I must tell 6 quirky things about myself. As this is only the second thing I have ever put on here, its not a bad way to start.

1) I dvr Charlie Rose every night and watch it for lunch the next day.

2) I enjoy historical documentaries and reading but I prefer to keep those things quiet, but I guess that is no longer the case.

3) I cannot stop reading a book once I've started. No matter how horrible it might be and I may even despise myself for reading it, I just can't leave it before its done.

4) I have been told I am the most pessimistic person in the world, although I talk myself into believing that the Cubs and Razorbacks always have a chance.

5) For some reason all my favorite professional sports teams are from Chicago. Its completely coincidental, but true. I used to love Walter Payton so the Bears are my NFL team, same thing with the Bulls and Michael Jordan. I used to watch Harry Caray everyday on WGN bc he was more enjoyable than Don Sutton and The TBS Braves announcers and that has developed into a slightly perverse obsession of mine, I'm pretty sure its not mentally or physically healthy the way I keep up with them. Honestly days during the summer are judged by whether or not the Cubs win.

6) This is definitely the most embarassing thing about me that only my wife and I know until now. Aside from my family and college/lifelong friends, the longest active relationship I have is a 6 year long term of athletes foot. My right foot has had a slight case for that long. If it gets bad I treat it but never to completion. I just enjoy having something to pick at; thats another thing I'm very fidgity, which leads to fingernail and cuticle picking and when I run out of those to pick at I dive into the athlete's foot.

So there, judge me, laugh, cry because now you all know.