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Posted by Diane Yamazaki at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Our friend (Cubs play-by-play man) Len Kasper stopped by the show today, to talk about the 2nd Annual Len and Bob's Bash. This is a concert hosted by Len and broadcasting partner Bob Brenly.

Last year, Len and Bob teamed up to do a few cover songs (Bob on guitar, Len on vocals), and Len has promised a repeat performance. They brought the house down with their version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues."

There will be actual professional musicians performing, as well.

The event is January 17th at the House of Blues, and it will benefit Cubs Charities. Visit http://www.hob.com for more information.

As seeing that Len was already here, and it wouldn't cost us anything, we decided to ask him some baseball questions too.

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I guarantee that when Carlos Marmol entered the game last night, no one was throwing their shoe at the TV in disgust. Yet this morning, it's as if Lou Piniella went ahead and pinch hit for Derek Lee with Buddy Lee, the tiny dungarees mascot.

Yanking Carlos Zambrano cost the Cubs last night, but does that make it a bad decision on Piniella's part? That depends on how you judge a decision. If you judge a decision solely on its outcome, then sure, it was a bad one. But if you judge a decision on how it was reached, on the information used to make it, and on the amount of thought given to its future ramifications, then it wasn't such a bad one.

Say Piniella left Zambrano in the game. He lasts the entire inning, but labors, throwing another 25 pitches. That's a pitch count of 110. The Cubs then lose the next 2 games and face elimination in Game 4. Well that's a must win, so you gotta ride Zambrano out. He goes 8 or 9 and throws another 125 pitches. Cubs win the series and Zambrano struggles in the NLCS. They end up losing and critics say it's because Zambrano was so overworked and Piniella didn't utilize his "great bullpen."

Don't even doubt that's what every sports column in Chicago would be charging. That's exactly what they'd be saying.

And I'm not saying they'd be wrong.

Point is, Piniella was damned if he took Zambrano out, and damned if he left him in. The only way any decision he makes during these playoffs is guaranteed to be a good one, is if the Cubs win the World Series. And we can't brand any decision he makes a bad one, until (or unless) the Cubs are eliminated.

What do you think?

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Congratulations are in order to "SlickRick76," for he is the champion of the WGN Morning News Bracket Challenge. His Slickness won the championship by just 4 points, edging out "GregOdenIs30," "redgoof'," and "U Got Owned By an 8th Grader" (which I apparently did, finishing 27th out of 185).

SlickRick76 guaranteed his victory weeks ago, writing to me on Myspace:

"Looking forward to taking this tournament home," and
"You're going down." Apollo Creed

He was absolutely right, and for his achievements, he gets . . . nothing more than 2 mentions on the show, and his name in print here.

http://www.myspace.com/pattomasulo

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You know it's the day after an election, when Paul is not only visiting the cafeteria, but WRITING ABOUT IT. Forget the skim milik you Austrian Adonis, I have a half of bottle of Chianti left over from a cooking segment last week. Come on back to the sports office and we'll polish it off- it'll be the most either of us have done all day.

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)