The Greatest World Series That No One Knew About

The Fall Classic is finally living up to its name.

At the beginning of this season's World Series, I would have taken the Rangers in six games. Nelson Cruz was on fire (still is), they had the superior lineup and bullpen, and they had the experience of losing in the final stanza last season. The Rangers are hungrier, I thought. They'll gain the upper hand eventually.

Six games have come and gone and no one has walked away with trophy yet. Here we stand on October 28, 2011, counting down the hours to every true sports fan's dream.

Game 7.

Peoria's been ablaze in red this October, from the leaves on the trees, to the red Cardinal jerseys, to the angry expressions of sour Cubs fans, praying that the Redbirds fall. Central Illinois (and I can only assume a good portion of Texas) has been locked into this World Series.

The rest of America is not.

Moments in time

To say the World Series has seen drama would be severely underselling the point. To say it has been spectacular still might not be enough. Game 1 was won on a go-ahead pinch hit single (the first time that's happened in 16 years) by a player who was not on the Opening Day roster. Game 2 saw a missed cutoff throw enable a ninth-inning comeback. Game 3 might've cemented Albert Pujols' status as the greatest hitter of the post-steroid era and top five in major league history. Games 4 and 5 saw the Rangers get clutch pitching and hitting performances to win.

Then last night, David Freese became a folk hero.

Note: Can you believe Joe Buck stole the "we'll see you tomorrow night" phrase? Come on, Joe, have some respect. Kirby Puckett is a Hall of Famer and a legend in Minnesota. At least be creative.

This World Series has had it all: the rise of unknown players (Allen Craig and Derek Holland); a career resurrected (Mike Napoli); bullpen follies (pick up the phone, Tony); and finally, the walk-off home run.

To put it in perspective, only three times prior had their been a walkoff home run in Game 6 of the World Series (trivia prize if you can name the guy who hit each bomb):

-1975, Boston vs. Cincinnati
-1991, Minnesota vs. Atlanta
-1993, Toronto vs. Philadelphia

Now we're set for Game 7 of arguably the best World Series in the last decade. So why isn't anyone watching?

Where have all the viewers gone?

The year's TV ratings for the World Series have been eye-popping—in a bad way. The average ratings for the first six games checked in at 9.5 percent of American households that watched the game. (Game 7, as is the norm, saw a bump up to 14.7, still paling in comparison to the 2001 Game 7 rating of 23.5.)Average number of viewers for this Series? 15 million.
The Nielsen ratings for the 2004 World Series averaged 15.9 for four games. That translates to an average of 25.4 million people that saw the Boston Red Sox win their first championship in 86 years. (Note: This is back when "Two And a Half Men was still innocently funny.) No World Series since then has had a ratings/share above either of those numbers. Next highest is 2001 (Yankees vs. Diamondbacks), and third is 2008 (Yankees vs. Phillies).

Hmmm...wait, there's the answer to our ratings mystery!

The Red Sox and Yankees aren't playing.

Between 1984 (when Nielsen began their ratings system) and 2002, no World Series game had a rating below 10. Before 1996, only one game had a rating below 15. The World Series was interesting. Baseball was interesting, and America wanted to see the glory of the Fall Classic. But oversaturation of the East Coast Giants and the disillusionment of performance-enhancing drugs has taken the luster out of America's game.

To be fair, had Boston or New York made the final round, more people would be paying attention, but not too many more.

A can't-miss affair

Baseball's grandest stage reminds us how quickly the game can create heroes and villains. Reggie Jackson became Mr. October, while Bill Buckner became a city's pariah. Paul Konerko earned Chicago's undying respect, Byung-Hyun Kim became a national joke, and Albert Pujols most likely garnered himself a contract extension.

Tonight, a winner will rise. Another mortal baseball player will become immortal in the minds and hearts of fans everywhere. Tomorrow, we go back to our regular lives and the ever-grating monotony of football season.

Tonight is Game 7. Make sure you tune in before this instant classic fades into memory.

Cards and Rangers fans alike: see you in the cheap seats.

JS

...And the Five Worst Rivalries in Sports

Chinese wisdom, specifically the theory of "yin yang", tells us that for everything, there is an opposite.

For every light, there is a darkness. For every good, an evil. For our purposes, we shall say that for every great rivalry, there is a lousy one.

Not all feuds can be great. Some take time to develop and ferment, like a fine...grape juice. Others start with a flash and somehow keep their fire until flaming out, supernova-style. But other rivalries have lost their luster after years of passionate meetings, while others are media-driven and cannot be called rivalries at all. As I listed the five best rivalries in American sports today, here's a count of the five worst rivalries in the United States.

Honorable Mention:

Roger Federer - Rafael Nadal

This will forever be one of the great rivalries in tennis, up their with McEnroe/Borg/Connors and Evert/Navratilova. It was a classic battle: upstart Nadal vs. the established superstar Federer, and while der Meister destroyed all other comers, he could never quite seem to beat the southpaw Nadal, most notably on the clay surface of Roland Garros.

But the sun seems to have set on what some have called the greatest rivalry in the history of professional tennis. Roger Federer has not won a major championship since last season's Australian Open and his ranking has dropped significantly. He lost to Nadal once again at this year's French Open, and both men have been surpassed during Novak Djokovic's astounding run to the top. It would be heinous to categorize this great feud with the worst rivalries in sports today, but it does look as if the Roger-Rafa rivalry has seen it's last match. It was fun while it lasted.

5. San Francisco Giants - Los Angeles Dodgers

This was one of the most storied rivalries in Major League Baseball, dating back to the days when both teams played in New York. The Bums of Brooklyn may have chased the Yankees for glory through the 1940s and early-'50s, but it was the New York (Baseball) Giants that ended the Dodgers 1951 season with the legendary "Shot Heard 'Round the World".

The Dodgers-Giants intracoastal rivalry stayed true through the twilight years of the 20th century, but lately things have turned sour. The Giants fell hard after winning the World Series last season, and the Dodgers, even with a multitude of young talent, haven't been able to get over the hump since 2008. With the Diamondbacks making their surprising run this season and a parking lot fight between fans turning dangerous early this season (see video below), the Giants and the "Dah-jahs" rivalry hasn't been able to live up to their past standards.

Let's hope these two teams can reignite their future matchups. In the meantime, let's hope the Giants can keep their logo.

 4. Minnesota - Michigan (college football)

The oldest named rivalry in college football—isn't. Big Blue has taken home the "Little Brown Jug" 20 times since 1986, and Minnesota hasn't won the game since 2005, with most of the margins in that span exceeding 10 points. Minnesota football has been on a downward spiral in the last few years, and even with the hiring of successful coach Jerry Kill, that trend will take some time to reverse.

Ohio State/Michigan would have taken this spot had Ohio State not been victimized by their own infidelities toward transparency. Minnesota football has just been bad. Hopefully, the Golden Gophers can translate their budding basketball success to the football field and challenge the Wolverines once again.

3. Notre Dame - Southern California (college football)

Unlike the annual Notre Dame/Navy game (which will be on the longer list of best current rivalries), this contest has also been lopsided in recent years, thanks to Notre Dame's overwhelming mediocrity.

To be fair, I've hated Notre Dame for a long time now (more due to obnoxious fans at my high school than anything), but the Golden Domers haven't made it any easier for me to jump back on the train. Bob Davie had the last decent run of success before handing the reins to Ty Willingham (who many believe wasn't given a fair shake), Charlie Weis and now Brian Kelly. Weis' teams were fairly successful, but had the ignominy of: being the first team to lose to Navy in 43 years (2007); the first team to lose to an eight-loss team (Syracuse, 2008); and another loss to unranked Navy in 2009.

Notre Dame finally beat USC in Los Angeles last year, Kelly's first season as coach. Prior to that, they had not beaten the Trojans since 2001. Notre Dame is showing some promise under Kelly, but it will take some time for the Fighting Irish to reestablish themselves as top dog. Still, this rivalry will always have one of the coolest trophies ever: the Jeweled Shillelagh.

(credit to Wikipedia user Jakesthesnake)

2. Chicago Cubs - St. Louis Cardinals

Let me start by saying this: CubssuckCubssuckCubssuckCubssuckCubssuck(STOP!)

Whew. Now that's done, I'll elaborate: the Cubs are really bad.

This probably the most historic rivalry in the National League. The Cubs and Cards have always been geographical rivals, and have played in the same division since the leagues were split in 1969. The Cardinals are the most successful team in the senior circuit, but the Cubs have always played them tough. Lately, the Bruins haven't had a lot of success against the Redbirds on the Bat. By the numbers:

-Since 2000, the Cardinals and Cubs have faced off 194 times. The Cards have won 111 of those games.

-In the same time frame, St. Louis has gone to the playoffs eight times, with a record of 12-25 (including the 2011 World Series), 10 postseason series wins and a World Series victory. The Cubs have gone to the playoffs three times with a record of 3-10 and one postseason victory.

I was going to add that the President of the United States made the choice to be a White Sox fan even as the South Siders were having about the same lean years as the Cubs, but that's not a real statistic. Suffice it to say that the Cubbies have not measured up well against their rivals on Route 66. Things might well turn over: Albert Pujols is on the clock if the Cards don't beat the Rangers in the World Series, and new Cubs owner Tom Ricketts has shown he's willing to win by hiring former Red Sox boy genius GM Theo Epstein. Any Cubs surge would make this a worthy rivalry of Sunday Night Baseball, unlike our top worst rivalry...

First pitch at the '08 All-Star Game...in St. Louis. Prez does it like that.

1. New York Yankees - Boston Red Sox

Two great teams. Two franchises close in proximity. Two rabid fan bases, even when you discount the bandwagoners. Two areas that have never liked each other since this nation was founded. So why, oh why does this qualify as the worst rivalry in American sports today?

Oversaturation.

There are many things I love. Butter, steak, Five Guys burgers, Zebra Cakes. But give me too much in quick succession and I'll get absolutely sick of it (Exhibit A: John Cena). The Red Sox - Yankees clash has been shoved down our throats by ESPN so much in the last ten or 15 years that the majority of baseball fans outside of the North-Atlantic Coast are disgusted by the Sunday Night Baseball yearly lineup, which I'd guarantee has Yanks-BoSox 75 percent of the schedule. It doesn't help that ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut make it easy for the sports network to focus their attention on this clash.

It's not that the teams are bad, or that the games aren't fun to watch. It's solely the repeated exposure. Please, ESPN, read this and schedule some other games. Take New York vs. Boston away from national television for an entire season even. Maybe then, I won't gag each time I see Kevin Youkilis' giant chin in high definition.

Until next time, see you in the cheap seats.

JS

Bravehearts, Vol. 1: Red-White Scrimmage Review

Where were the motorcycles? Where was the individual entrance music? Where was the hoopla?

Maybe someone finally figured out that wasn't a very good title for the basketball season opener.

Whatever the case, this year's Red-White Scrimmage was decidedly more low-key than last year's inaugural Hoopla on the Hilltop. And considering the men's team turned in a 4-14 conference season, perhaps that was a good thing.

It was the first chance for Bradley basketball fans to see their teams in action. While the women's squad has had the majority of buzz lately due to recent spring success, many fans were anxious to see the new-look men's team under freshman coach Geno Ford.

What were they treated to last night? Here's the rundown.

Women's scrimmage

I'm not sure which squad was supposed to employ the "run-and-gun" offense, but I definitely didn't hear about Paula Buscher using it. The women's scrimmage was a stream of quick rebound, outlet passes and running up and down the floor. The white team scored three or four baskets in a row via fast breaks about midway through the first half. When they did get into the halfcourt offense, the order was breaking down the zone defense employed on both ends of the floor, which led to quick passes to the post for layups or kickouts to the arc for three-pointers.

Obviously, you need the right team to run this offense and judging from last night, it will be a work-in-progress for Buscher's squad. Hanna Muegge, Kelsey Budd and Catie O'Leary can all run the point, and Budd especially will be a handful for opposing teams with her tenacious one-on-one defense, good passing and ability to stretch the floor with the jump shot. Newcomer Michelle Young will most likely come off the bench, but she's quick as they come and can drive the lane without going out of control. O'Leary will take some of the scoring pressure off Katie Yohn; the Wisconsin transfer will make it rain from the outside.

It will be interesting to see how the Braves fare against a fast one-on-one defense or a matchup zone, but the women's scrimmage was heartening. Paula Buscher has really had her team playing good basketball the last few years, and it looks as if this year will be more of the same. With Ashleen Bracey finally gone from Illinois State, BU might have the chance to post a victory or two against their archrival.

Surprise of the Night: Lauren Niemiera. "Wheezy" has never gotten a ton of playing time, which is odd considering her height at the guard position (Six-foot even). But she has good skills, can pass well and has a good midrange jumper.

Areas to Improve: Pivot players. Leah Kassing had a good night. She screened well, stayed off the floor and hit her close-in shots. But Latasha Hollingshed and Alyson Spinas-Valainis looked out of sync. Tasha has been dealing with a bad wheel since last season and spent most of the time outside of games in a walking boot, and ASV looks to still be adjusting to the speed of the college game. Both players need to find their gear in time for the season.

Men's scrimmage

Everyone was expecting big things from the new coach's offensive scheme, but I'm pretty sure no one was thinking "I want to see Anthony Thompson shoot from the outside". Granted, it was part of a three-point shooting contest, but the big man hit two of five to help the men's team defeat the women 7-5. "Sticks Did WHAT?" t-shirts are rumored to be going on sale soon.

In the scrimmage, there didn't seem to be the "Seven Seconds or Less"-type offense everyone was expecting. What was present was an element Bradley has been lacking since 2006: balance. Jim Les' guard-heavy lineup is gone, replaced by a 2-2-1 or 2-3 system when Taylor Brown comes back from his suspension (note to TB: stop smoking that green).

Without Dodie Dunson and Andrew Warren, the main focus will be on Dyricus Simms-Edwards to run things on the floor and in the locker room. He's the leader of the team and will be the main outside scoring threat. Walt Lemon's speed and hops will be on display as well; no sign of whether he's improved his jumper.

In the frontcourt, Nate Wells and Anthony Thompson should grab some boards, though the rail-thin duo will get knocked around somewhat. Wells has four years to hit the weight room, but "Sticks'" time is now and he showed some propensity to bang bodies last night. The scoring down low will come from Jordan Prosser, who'll have to contend with getting fouled. A lot.

Defense is where the Braves should shine. Walk-on senior Charonn Woods had a couple of steals in transition, the defense was quick to the ball and collapsed in the paint well, which led to some easy runouts and flashy dunks. If the D looks as good in the non-conference schedule, the Braves could be the surprise of the MVC season.

Surprise of the Night: Shayok Shayok. Don't worry, I watched the scrimmage and I was saving him for last. The kid from Canada (Africa?) is going to be the coolest player on the team. He already has the coolest name (doesn't it sound like a Mortal Kombat character?), is a tweener who can shoot, pass and drive, and uses his wingspan on defense. Say it with me: this boy is going to be a PROBLEM.

Areas to Improve: Outside shooting. Manny's gone and Will Egolf's out for the season, which greatly diminishes the Braves' percentage from beyond 15 feet. DSE can shoot the jumper along with TB, but Brown will take some time to get into the swing of things. Milos Knezevic and Shayok will have to step up.

Entertainment

Last year, the Hoopla affair, which was marked by motorcycle jackets, offbeat player entrances, (Hanna Muegge ran in like a cat, loved it), a dance show by the women's team and big-time audience contests. One kid hit a shot for a free semester's worth of books and two other people walked away with LCD-screen TVs. This year, however, was a bit more muted. The music track didn't come up for the opening video and there wasn't as much team stunts, but the three-point contest was a nice touch.

The audience didn't fare nearly as well this year. The BWW "Blazin' Fan" didn't come close to hitting even a three and the student shooting for free books hit the backboard on his halfcourt attempt. I guess the ringers didn't come out last night.

Surprise of the Night: Anthony Thompson's three-point shooting. Sticks only hit two of five, but that's 40 percent, better than a lot of NBA players' career averages. Yes, I'm joking.

Areas to Improve: Blazin' Fan of the Game. I'm sorry I have to hate on this dude, but he couldn't figure out that he had to sink a trey before he could shoot from halfcourt. Come on, man, haven't you been to a game before?

Overall, the Red-White Scrimmage was promising. The men have nowhere to go but up, and I think the women have a chance to turn a lot of heads within the conference. First non-conference games are in a couple of weeks.

Clock's officially ticking down to March. Until then, see you in the cheap seats.

JS

The Top Five Rivalries in the Game Today...

I've talked about how I realize that sports is a business many times in the space, and I've talked about how I hate that fact. I wish sports was completely pure and free of external complications of contracts, agents and dollars. But spectator sports are what they are because of spectators, and we spectators don't come to watch a game. We come to watch drama play out. We pack buildings and stadiums to watch an age-old drama unfold: the idea of "our good versus their evil."

Nowhere is this more present than in rivalry games. Sometimes they are defined by physical proximity.  Sometimes they are defined by one side having what the other side wants. Sometimes, they're sparked in one fiery instant of passion.

No matter the case, rivalries take sports to another level. It takes athletes from a "both teams played hard"-mentality to the level of "we didn't want to just beat them, we wanted to humiliate them"-mindset. The fans get into it, the players get into it, the announcers get into it. That's when sports become more than sports.

So who claims the greatest rivalry right now? It's tough, since in the age of ESPN almost everyone who plays each other can claim to be a rival, but some bragging rights games just have more significance than others. These are my best current rivalries in U.S. sports.

Honorable Mention: Florida State-Florida, Ohio State-Michigan, Ravens-Steelers, White Sox-Tigers, Reds-Cardinals, Lakers-Mavericks.

5. The Rock-John Cena

This wouldn't have made the list if it wasn't for Dwayne Johnson. Anyone who's ever watched professional wrestling knows The Rock's skill on the microphone. He's a legend among fans for his charisma, wrestling ability and knack for dissing other wrestlers before (and during) matches.

This rivalry was built back in 2006, when John Cena had an interview to promote his movie "12 Rounds". In the interview, Cena dissed The Rock for saying he was never going to leave the WWE and then going "Hollywood". In the years following, Cena has become a polarizing figure for wrestling fans in the so-called "PG era": newer, younger fans rally around his image and merchandise, while older wrestling fans (veterans of the "Attitude" era") decry him for his limited moveset and constant holding of one of the major WWE championships.

The buzz has been going for years on a Rock-Cena match, and finally, Vince McMahon brought The Rock back and granted the fans' wish. Rock cost Cena the championship at Wrestlemania and the next night, the two men set a match for next year's Wrestlemania. In the meantime, the Rock delivered some epic promos, including this doozy below (NSFW):

Sports entertainment or not, this is going to be a great buildup to a hopefully great match. Tip for fans: order this year's Survivor Series for an appetizer.

4. Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao

I know I've already covered this in "The Fight That Never Comes". Still, it's worth mentioning because of the hype that has been built not by promoters or the fighters themselves, but by the people. Everyone who loves boxing wants this fight, and I don't think they care if they get it in 2012 or 2022. I'll say again: "Money" controlled his fight with Victor Ortiz before the controversial knockout and he's never been a patsy in the ring. Fight fans can say all they want about Manny cleaning him up, this will be a great fight—if it ever happens.

3. Tampa Bay Rays-Boston Red Sox

Oh no, you thought I was going to say Red Sox-Yankees, didn't you? Well, too bad. That rivalry's going on the next list (trust me, anyone who hates seeing Derek Jeter on Sunday Night Baseball all summer is going to love that list). This is a much fresher and much more interesting rivalry for baseball.

The (Devil) Rays were once a floundering team who looked as if they'd never move past "expansion" status. Then they changed their name, their uniforms, stopped picking up veterans at the end of their careers and acquired some talented draft picks. It was only a matter of time before they began barking with the big boys in the AL East, and the bully on the block happened to be the BoSox. It started with a James Shields haymaker that came sooooo close to knocking out CoCo Crisp in 2008 and most recently, the Rays landed the shot that knocked Boston out of the playoffs. If that weren't enough, the Rays came back from nine games back in the standings to push out the Carmines.

These teams are incredibly talented on both sides of the ball and are perennial favorites for the AL East crown and the American League Wild Card. I'm excited to watch these squads go at it. Unlike the perpetual Yankees-Red Sox yawners jammed down our throats.

2. New York Jets-New England Patriots

I didn't give New York vs. New England any play in Major League Baseball, but NYC and Boston will never been anything but adversaries. Since the colonial days when the nation's capital hopped between them, the two cities have never seen eye-to-eye. Now they have another great rivalry to clash over. Last year, the Patriots humiliated the Jets (along with nearly everyone else) on their march to the playoffs and it seemed natural they'd do it again in the divisional playoffs.

And then Mark Skywalker and Bart "Lando Calrissian" Scott defeated the Evil Empire in a shocking win. Wes Welker's "foot-in-mouth" pregame interview was trumped by Scott's "CAN'T WAIT!" spot. Never mind all the smack talk: this is a solid rivalry and one that should be that way for years to come.

All I can say about this one...

And now, the top rivalry in U.S. professional sports today....

1. Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat

Damn you, David Stern. Damn you, NBA owners. Damn you, NBA players' union. How can you let the NBA season slide away and take this budding donnybrook away from us? All the elements of a classic NBA rivalry are here in this one: high flyers against tough defenders; pedigreed champs versus up-and-comers; the glitz and glamor of South Beach versus the tough and gritty kids from Madison Street.

The Bulls were the surprise of the East last year and the Heat was everyone's favorite dartboard target, so it was natural that they should have some great games. I don't think anyone expected the three regular season classics that we were left with last year (three games decided by a total margin of eight points), not to mention the Heat's responding victory in the conference finals. The upstart Bulls were humbled by Miami in the Conference Finals, which still reminds me of the Detroit-Chicago tangles of the late-'80s. With Miami's loss to the Mavericks in the championship, both teams would have been hungry for redemption in the spring. Hopefully this lockout ends and we'll have a chance to see D-Rose and Co. lock horns with Wade, LBJ and that other dude.

Coming soon: The Five Worst Sports Rivalries.

Oh, yeah. Red Sox-Yankees is definitely making that list.

See you in the cheap seats.

JS

"Robin" the Hood: White Sox Grasping at Straws?

It's easy to forget how close the White Sox were to dynasty status in the early '90s.

The youth movement of the mid- to late-1980s was maturing in the form of Ozzie Guillen, Frank Thomas, Alex Fernandez and Wilson Alvarez, not to mention Robin Ventura. The new Comiskey Park (a shrewd move by Jerry Reinsdorf) had kept the Sox from moving to sunny Florida. The American League was wide open; there was no great team holding all the cards.

The Sox went to the ALCS on the strength of Frank Thomas' MVP season (.317, 41 homers, 128 RBI, 54 strikeouts), and though they lost to the eventual champion Blue Jays in six games, the foundation seemed to be in place.

The next year was it. The Big Hurt posted otherworldly stats (.353, 38, 101, 34 doubles, .729 slugging percentage, 109 walks in 113 games) and the Sox were leading the division. 1994 was going to put the White Sox on top of the baseball world.

Then, the strike killed the season.

The White Sox have never really been the same since 1994. They've never had consecutive seasons of being a hungry, contending team, a "team to watch" like the Rays of the last few years.

Now with Ozzie Guillen having taken his talents—I won't even finish that thought—the Sox needed a fresh face at the helm for the 2010s. So naturally they chose Robin Ventura.

Wait. Robin Ventura?

Come again?

Robin Ventura was secretly my favorite player growing up. Big Frank was the guy I wanted to be like, sure. A power hitting first baseman with a great eye at the plate, it's what every kid dreams of. But Robin was left-handed (like me) and wore #23 on my other favorite team during the Jordan Era. There's not much more he could have done to get me to like him.

In August, the Sox hired Ventura to be a scout in the minor league system. I thought, Great, Robbie's back. He'll be great as a scout.

As. A. Scout.

I did not think Kenny and the brass would hire Robin to be the new White Sox manager. Not for one second. A guy with no experience? A volunteer high school hitting coach?

I've detailed in my past writings that White Sox fans are a scrutinizing bunch. We love our former players, especially the ones who contributed, but we'll be skeptical until the wins come in. Robin is going to be under the microscope from jump street and with Kenny unlikely to make any big moves this offseason, he'll have the same team that underachieved HARD last year.

Tough situation to throw a first-year guy into, don't you think?

The Return of Bat Man?

The idea has been bandied about among the masses that Frank Thomas could come in and be the new Sox hitting coach. Personally, I love it. There is absolutely no chance that a man with Big Frank's hitting pedigree could tell hitters the wrong thing to do. Imagine Frank going just a month with Gordon Beckham, imagine it. We'd have the Beckham of 2009 back.

Besides, as Lee Pikelny pointed out, they could start putting out "Bat Man and Robin" t-shirts again. Who wouldn't want to buy those?

Unfortunately, Frank coming to the Sox dugout isn't going to happen anytime soon. Not because he has no coaching experience (they just hired Robin Ventura, for goodness' sake), but because he's been cutting his teeth as a broadcaster for the past few seasons. Any Sox fan has seen Frank on Comcast SportsNet telecast in pre- and post-game segments, and he's said that he wouldn't mind getting into the broadcast booth soon.

As much as I'd like to see Frank teach Alex Rios how to hit a baseball, it won't happen for a long while. Kenny's not that smart.

The road ahead

The Sox aren't in a tailspin after last season, but things are unorganized. The manager's green, the GM's in the unusual position of not knowing his next five moves, and the division's getting stronger. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Sox hanging out in the cellar the next five years or so.

However, there are bright spots. The pitching staff is still young and hasn't hit their ceiling yet. There is potential up and down the lineup (maddening and frustrating potential), and Brent Lillibridge is the new Pablo Ozuna. Another losing season within two years is guaranteed, but who knows? Adam Dunn could discover the Orb of Cyttorak and become the offensive juggernaut he was supposed to be this season. If the pitching maxes out, the Sox could be like the 2010 Giants.

No one could have dreamed that we'd all be saying Robin Ventura is our new manager a month ago. Now, that's all we can do: dream.

It's supposed to be one of the coldest winters in recent memory, Chicago. Better start dreaming of spring training now.

See you in the cheap seats.

JS