Life Changing Sports Injuries

Michelle LaHam, 22, former basketball player at Western Michigan University.

During the winter of 2003, Naperville North High School senior Michelle LaHam was debating whether she was going to be a Badger or a Bronco. She had received several offers to play college basketball from different universities but had narrowed her decision down to two: the University of Wisconsin and Western Michigan University. After committing to Western Michigan University, her parents were so proud and relieved that they wouldn’t have to pay for college, that they purchased her a brand new Ford Escape as a congratulatory gift. With Michelle’s dream becoming a reality, she had no idea that a serious injury would cut her basketball career short.


Brendan Camplin, 21, Cross Country & Track for the University of Iowa

At Batavia High School, Brendan Camplin was four-time all conference in track and conference runner-up in cross country during his senior year. Brendan spent all of his time in high school running and taking honors courses. School was always top priority in Brendan’s life and running was the only way he relieved stress. Brendan knew the only way he could keep himself balanced in college was to run at a competitive level. On a visit to the University of Iowa, a meeting with Coach Larry Wieczorek sealed the deal. Brendan was going to be a Hawkeye. Although Brendan said coming to the University of Iowa was the best decision he has ever made, he couldn’t predict the unfortunate incident that would lead to red shirting his freshmen year.


Matthew Abraham, 20, catcher, University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Matthew Abraham has been playing baseball since he was six-years-old. His father played at Iowa State University and influenced Matthew to start playing baseball at a young age. During his senior year at Naperville North High School, Matthew was All Conference, All-City and All-Area. He was also elected to play on the Illinois All Star team. In the spring of 2006, Matthew committed to the University of Wisconsin at Parkside. His life dream is to play for the MLB. When he began is college career he felt one step closer to making this dream a reality. Several sports related injuries during his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside have made achieving these dreams seem further and further away.


Each of these athletes has experienced a life changing sports injury. Aside from the obvious physical effects of sports injuries, these athletes often experience negative emotional turmoil. Through conducting several interviews, each of these athletes were kind enough to share their story with me. Stay tuned, tomorrow I will post their emotional stories.

A Sad Day For Henry Blanco

MLB.com sadly reported that Cubs catcher Henry Blanco's brother was found dead in Venezuela. Carlos Simon Blanco Sanchez was kidnapped Sunday and found shot Monday evening. Blanco had reportedly been in the negotiation process to save his brother's life. The kidnappers were asking for a reported $200 million.

Blanco is currently in Venezuela playing winter ball for the Margarita Bravos. My condolences to Henry Blanco and family for their loss.

The Chicago Cubs are scheduled to begin Spring training on February 25th in Mesa against the LA Dodgers.

Simple. To The Point.

I think the Chicago Cubs are the best team in the MLB.

Worst Holiday Gifts

As we approach the holiday season...
You all know the feeling. You have been eying that one present for weeks and now it's time to see what it really is. An iPod? A computer? Jewelry? A new North Face? We all have such high hopes going into the holiday season. We all have faith that our parents/grandparents/love interest will surprise us with the most thoughtful and/or creative gift. You try your best to crack that fake smile, as your family ooooo's and aaahhh's, and thank grandma for the sweater...

Below is my personal list of embarrassing/useless/worst Christmas gifts. What do you think? What is the worst/embarrassing gift you have ever received from a relative that you were forced to open in front of your entire family?


*SOCKS*

*FRUIT CAKES*










*HOLIDAY SWEATERS*









For girls...any type of *LINGERIE*, or anything that comes in a Victoria's Secret Box (This can be really embarrassing to open in front of dad and grandpa... )








*PICTURE FRAMES* ( I. Hate. Picture Frames. I see picture frames as kind of a filler gift; come on you can be more creative than that. )






*RE-GIFTS*( That are obviously re-gifts )



*CALENDERS*



*SNOW GLOBES* (I know everyone has gotten one of these)





Acceptable Gifts for Both:

*MONEY.* The gift that keeps on giving. Happy Holidays!

That All-Star Game...Do You Remember When?

When I was a child, the summers seemed to last forever. Long days and nights with friends, no school, no responsibilities. Oh how I miss those days. When I was a child, the highlight of my summer was softball season. From the time I was six, I would spend my summers at the softball diamond. I will never forget those days, I wish they never had to end. In particular, one moment from my favorite summer past time sticks out in my mind...

It was the summer of 1997. I was ten years old and had not a care in the world. My best friend Kelly and I were both members of the Wildcats softball team. I remember my excitement the first day when I found out we were going to be Wildcats. I even remember when my coach handed me the purple jersey.

Kelly and I were next door neighbors back on Yorkshire Lane. I will never forget how excited we were when we found out we would be playing on the same team. Kelly had a great arm, and I had a great eye for the ball. Together we would have made one amazing softball player.

Aside from getting our jerseys on the first day of practice, we both will never forget the 1997 All-Star game. Kelly and I both were excited to be selected to represent our team that year. As a child, the little things seem so important. We both can vividly recall that day....the day we both got two amazing hits off the fastest pitcher in the league.

Kelly and I knew that we would have to face Katherine Fisher, the fastest pitcher in the entire league. I will never forget how white our faces were before we stepped up to the plate. Kelly struck out her first time at bat. I assured her that the next time she was up she would smack the ball over the right fielders head. And she did.

It was the seventh inning, I was on deck and Kelly was batting. She looked really nervous as she moved back in the batters box. Ball, Ball, Strike, BOOM. The ball soared over the head of the girl in right field. Kelly rounded third and slid into home. Homerun! What a feeling. (I think she was more excited that she got to slide into home, which we all thought was so cool back then).

Now it was my turn. I shivered (Not sure why..) as I approached the plate on that 90 degree July day. My dad told me to choke up and get back in the box. He was standing behind the chain link fence. Ball,Strike, BOOM. A line shot into center field. Double. I was so proud of myself, I'll never forget that moment.

Although neither one of us play softball anymore, we are still proud of our accomplishment that day. I would say this is probably my proudest personal moment as a child. My dad still tells this story...just ask him about it.

49ers v. Cardinals LIVE BLOG!!

7:15 I am getting ready to start watching the 49ers/Cardinals game...countdown 15 minutes! I don't know a lot about either one of these teams, so it should be overall an interesting game! here we go!

7:30 it's not looking good for the 49ers, Cardinals are predicted to win this evening.
Team records: 5-3 AZ, 2-6 SF

7:42 Cardinals kick off, touchdown 49ers Rossum runs 104 yards, wow... before the clock even starts. Field goal good... 7-0 49ers.

7:50 Just couldn't make it to the end zone.. Field Goal.. Arizona 7-3 49ers

8:00 offense number 47 false start 5 yard penalty

8:10 49ers 2nd and 8, pass to Hill incomplete. 49ers are challenging the call of an incomplete pass. After the play was reviewed, the call stands. San Fran was charged with their first time out

8:15 FLAG: False start Arizona offense number 76, five yard penalty..

***END OF FIRST QUARTER**

8:22 TOUCHDOWN 49ERS caught by Morgan.. Flag thrown, Hill's 2nd touchdown toss of the year, the Cardinal defense is pretty weak this evening I'd say... Field goal good! 14-3

8:30 Warner's pass caught by Preston, unbelievable catch, perfect position catch. the Cardinals are getting real close to the end zone for the 2nd time tonight. TOUCHDOWN ARIZONA! Warner's pass complete to Bolden--Field goal good! 14-10 49ers, the Cardinals are coming back

8:45 pass escapes Hightower who was running for an extra yard, fumble was ruled to be recovered by the 49ers, the Cardinals will challenge the play... call rules in favor of Arizona, they are not charged with the TO.

8:55 Singletary is doing a great job coaching tonight...thoughts?? Flag called...false start, offense number 74 San Fran, five yard penalty The call is not challenged..Hill loses his helmet, 49ers get their first down

9:10 Davis flag for un-sportsman related conduct for removing his helmet 15 year penalty.. 21-13.

**HALFTIME***

9:30 Arizona is getting close to the end zone, 4th and one, Warner to Fitzgerald, touchdown Cardinals..making a come back from this game that was supposed to be an easy win for them.. it's getting real close now in the 3rd quarter. The field goal is good.. 21-20 49ers remain ahead

9:38 first down 49ers, pass incomplete to Davis...the 49ers only maintain a 1 point lead now, field goal is good... the score is now 24-20

9:53 FLAG, pass interference offense number 81, repeat 2nd down. Out of field goal range...Fans are not pleased in Arizona tonight, boos from the crowd

10:00 Sean Hill's pass is intercepted for a Cardinals TOUCHDOWN, Arizona takes the lead 26-24, Wilson number 24 is called off sides, five yard penalty...Arizona loses the lead, false hope too quickly!!

Great 49er defense tonight..

**END OF 3RD QUARTER**

10:12 24-23 it's getting to be a close game in the 4th quarter..Arizona needs to win this game, as they were predicted to.

10:21 first down for Arizona, Warners throw is caught by Boldin

10:23 flag is throw false start Arizona number 85, Warner throws to Fitzgerald incomplete

10:30 Wilson intercepted a pass thrown by Hill, FLAG defense number 90, five yard penalty.

10:32 FLAG, pass interference offense number 80, 1st down

10:33 TOUCHDOWN Boldin! Cardinals take the lead 29-24, looks like they are making their comeback with not much time to spare!

10:45 3:37 left of the game 2nd and 3rd 49ers, Hill's pass is no good, 3rd down, Sean Hill's pass is good to Jason Hill

10:50 Arizona pass interception , unnecessary roughness call on Arizona, 10 yard penalty, San Fran is a few yards shy of a first down, with one time out left, Arizona leads by five with two minutes remaining

11:00 1:15 left on the clock, 49ers last chance ... 1st and 10, Sean Hill's pass complete to Jason Hill, 2nd down J. Hill catches the ball again with two yards to go

11:02 20 seconds left, Arizona calls a time out...49ers are in the end zone, two seconds left, flag called runner "down by contact" clock reset to four seconds, third down .. 49ers fail to make it into the end zone

11:06 CARDINALS WIN! As predicted, although they had to struggle to win..the 49ers played a really good game with great defense. Arizona had to put up a fight, but in the end they ended up winning the game 29-24

BREAKING NEWS

Cubs catcher Geovanny Soto was named National League Rookie of the Year today. CONGRATS SOTO!!

Soto Lead Contender

On Monday November 10th, Cubs catcher Geovanny Soto will find out if he has won the National League Rookie of the Year for the 2008 season. I am really pulling for Soto and not just because I am a Cubs fan. Soto had an incredible season and he really showed leadership and drive. For such a young player, he really stepped up and delivered and should be proud of what he has accomplished.

During the 2008 season Soto hit .285, which included 23 homeruns, 35 doubles and 86 RBIs. Out of all Rookies, he led with the most RBIs. Soto also caught during the 2008 All-Star Game. Soto is still a younger player with a lot of room to grow. I am excited to see how he will perform in the coming seasons.

In October Soto was named Rookie of the Year by Sports News. He also received the Players Choice Top Freshmen of 2008 award.

I will really be pulling for Soto this weekend and I will make the big announcement Monday. Also on Monday night, I will be featuring a running blog game story. I will be watching football.. Yikes! (Sorry---I'm a baseball fan) and blogging the entire time.. should be fun! So tune in and check it out!

Enjoy the Weekend..and for those of you who are lucky enough to go to the Penn State Game... (I have to go out of town unfortunately) HAVE FUN, BE SAFE, AND GO HAWKS!

List of Cubs Free Agents

Over the weekend, MLB.com reported that several Cubs players have filed for free agency. These players include:

Ryan Dempster
Henry Blanco
Kerry Wood
Jim Edmonds
Chad Fox
Bob Howry
Jon Lieber
Daryle Ward

These players have less than two weeks to resign with the Chicago Cubs. Players may talk with other clubs but they can't discuss salary issues. In an interview with MLB.com, Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry said the Cubs will move forward with what they believe is the best for the Club. I will keep you posted with any updates.

BREAKING NEWS: PHILLIES WIN WORLD SERIES

In game five of the World Series, the Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Ray's tonight, 4-3. This was the first World Series win by the Phillies since 1980. Lefty pitcher Cole Hamel was named series MVP. This is the second World Series win for the Phillies in 125 years.

Blog more about the World Series soon, Congratulations to the Phillies!

Top Ten Most Publicized Athletes in the past 10 Years

The life of a professional athlete always receives a wide-range of media attention. From gold medal wins to Superbowls, athletic performance is always widely publicized. But when is media coverage too much? Often the private lives of athletes are splashed across the pages of the latest gossip publication. The athlete’s featured below are just as likely to make an appearance in US Weekly as they are to be featured on the front page of Sports Illustrated.



After searching popular celebrity gossip magazines and Web sites, these ten athletes were the most common to appear.

1) Tom Brady
2) Michael Phelps
3) Brett Farve
4) Tiger Woods
5) LeBron James
6) Venus/ Serena Williams
7) Kobe Bryant
8) Tony Romo
9) Manny Ramirez
10) Alex Rodriguez

My question to you all is:
How do you feel about the personal lives of professional athletes being publicized in the media? Does the media pay too much attention to who is dating whom, or what outfit they wore to the latest movie premiere? Are there any athletes that are missing off the list?

Cubs Announce GM Jim Hendry's 4-Year Extention

BREAKING CUBS NEWS:

This morning,ESPN.com and MLB.com reported that the Cubs have agreed to a four-year contract extension for general manager Jim Hendry.

According to ESPN.com, the move to extend his contract through the 2012 season is a direct result of the Cubs regular season performance. Following Hendry's promotion in 2002, the Cubs record is 537-513 and have won four of six seasons. Congratulations Hendry, here is to more good seasons.

Soto: Rookie of the Year

After a phenomenal season with the Chicago Cubs, catcher Geovanny Soto, who won Rookie of the Month in September, is in the running for NL Rookie of the 2008 season. Soto will find out on November 10th if he will receive this honor.

MLB.com reported that Geo is currently making his case to the Baseball Writers Association of America. Cubs fans stand by Soto and his remarkable season in Chicago.


Things are look quite prosperous for Soto, I think he has a good shot at winning Rookie of the Year. Soto is the leading rookie in RBIs and a .285 batting average. His biggest competitors are Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez and Los Angeles' Hiroki Kuroda. If we compare the stats of these players, Soto is the leading contender.


Edinson Volquez:

The Red's pitcher went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 33 games. He struck out 206 in over 196 innings. At the end of the 2008 season he was batting .232. He was traded from the Rangers in 2007.




Hiroki Kuroda:

Kuroda's pitching was strong as the Dodgers entered the postseason. During the regular season Kuroda went 9-10 with a 3.73 ERA. During the postseason he went 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA. Most of us can recall his brief pitch during game 3, which led to a brief fight on the field with the Phillies. Kuroda was fined after the fight,along with fellow teammate Manny Ramirez.






Geovanny Soto:

Soto's performance in the NL this year was impressive, he was ranked seven overall. Not only were his offensive skills impressive, he could actually hit the ball.During the 2008 season, Soto threw out 18 of 87 base runners.




Based on his performance in the 2008 season, I think Geo has a good chance at winning NL Rookie of the Year. Although LA's Kuroda did perform well in the postseason, the Dodgers lost to the Phillies. Soto carried the Cubs into the postseason, which was sadly cut short---we won't discuss this. Good luck Soto, I will keep you all posted if any new updates arrive.

Step it up Fukudome

It's no big secret to Cubs fans that Fukudome needs to improve his hitting going into the 2009 season. He is one of the best right fielders we have seen in some time, but it's not enough. When he started out with the Cubs last April, he was batting .326. Going into August his average had significantly dropped and he was left with an embarrassing .125 average. Things looked up slightly for Fukudome, he finished the 2008 year batting .257. Not GOOD, but it isn't .125.

The problem is, the guy is stuck in a four year, 48 million dollar contract. He needs to step up his performance in the batters box. Pitchers have figured the guy out. He can't hit the outside pitches. This off season, he needs to be sent to winter ball to learn how to hit low outside pitches.

Like I said, Fukudome is an excellent right fielder and has the potential to be a strong asset to the Cubs ball club. When he started out in Chicago, the amount of support he received was tremendous. He needs to gain back the respect of Cubs fans by showing he is working hard during the off season. Winter ball will be a good chance for Fukudome to show Lou and his team is working to improve his hitting.

He better step it up, or else I'm throwing away my Fukudome headband.

Cubs Off Season..Dodgers holding on...Manny, Manny, Manny...

After the Cubs early exit, there has been a lot of talk on how the Cubs plan to improve before heading into next season. Although it does seem a while off, there are several things the Cubs are considering.

What will be done for pitching come the upcoming 2009 season. Several of our pitchers, Dempster and Wood are both free agents and it is yet to be determined if they will be signed for long term contracts. We all know Dempster had an amazing season, especially at home. Well...let's not count his performance in game one. The Cubs are in search of more left handed hitters and also how to improve hitting, especially Fukudome.

Although the Cubs did make their exit, there has been a lot of talk about the team who removed the Cubs from the playoffs. The Dodgers who lost their first two games to the Phillies are now coming back. In tonight's game, the Dodgers won 7-2 in game 3.

Manny Ramirez. One of the hottest players in the MLB. There has been a lot of talk about Manny lately and his attitude. I figured we could continue this night talking about what happened during tonight's game.

In the third inning, Hiroki Kuroda's pitch flew past Shane Victorino's head. Victorino had a few choice words for Kuroda when he was on first. Both teams ran out to the field--and here comes Manny. Of course the media would choose to focus on Manny. I mean I'm not doubting that he did look like he was ready to fight in Victorino's defense, in a later interview on ESPN.com, Ramirez explained that he wasn't there to fight, he wanted to defend his team mate, but he's a lover, not a fighter. Did anyone else find this funny? If you didn't see it, I suggest you check out the game highlights.

Tomorrow is a big day for the Dodgers, this is their opportunity to tie with it up with the Phillies, or else face elimination. The dodgers, the hottest team in the MLB right now in my opinion have to win. They beat the Cubs. I am not going to argue for the Cubbie curse. The Dodgers are a fun team to watch and they have a really strong pitching staff. Kuroda had a great game tonight. He held the Phillies at two runs and pitched through the seventh inning.

My question to you all, Manny Ramirez. What are your thoughts? If the Dodgers do make it to the World Series, what do you expect from him?

---Talk tomorrow

They just can't come through when it counts...

I apologize for not posting for a while, I had to collect my thoughts on the upsetting news.The Chicago Cubs have been eliminated from the playoffs after being swept by the Dodgers.

Many people like to point the finger at the '100 Year Curse.'Plain and simple, when the Cubs are in a crisis, they just can't come through. EVER.

In game 1, the Cubs had everything in their favor. They had home field advantage and the best record in the NL. The Cubs showed fans all season long that they were a strong team. Our pitching was good. Our hitting was good. Our coaching was good. I just don't get it. Ryan Dempster who started in game 1, had a 17-6 record and a 2.96 ERA. He was our man at home, he kept his cool, we trusted him to keep the Cubs composed during game 1. All we saw was walk, walk, walk, grand slam, walk, walk, homerun. For those of your who saw the game..it wasn't pretty. For those of you who were lucky enough not to witness it...your lucky. I knew after the end of the first game that the Cubs weren't going to come back. I know that's a poor attitude to have, especially being a Cubs fan, but based on the past, I think it's fair to argue that game 1 was a sign that the Cubs were done.

Game 2, Zambrano's pitching wasn't the main reason for the Cubbie loss. The Cubs fielding was absolutely atrocious. There was actually a point in this game where I turned to my dad and said: I have seen little league games that are better than this.

Game 3, Rich Harden (who was resigned for the 2009 season today, congrats) was pulled in the 5th inning. Typically Harden has his ups and downs and we often have to rely on our bull pen to get us out. Well our bull pen didn't do much better than Harden. The Cubs hitting was poor through out the entire series.

The only teams I really care to watch (Cubs, W. Sox, Brewers) have all been eliminated. I will continue to blog Cubs news through out, although I will focus on the Dodgers, Phillies, Red Sox and Rays as the World Series approaches.

Game 1: Short and Sweet

Last night was brutal. I actually thought that Dempster would pull through for the Cubs last night. Dempster walked seven total last night and gave up a grand slam. The Dodgers defeated the Cubs 7-2.

As I had figured, Manny hit an homer off of Sean Marshall when he came in to replace Dempster. Dempster was pulled in the 4th inning, one of the shortest games of his career.The Cubs were up 2-0 until the fifth when James Loney hit a grand slam.

I really don't have many words to describe last nights game. I was hoping that Dempster could pull through but apparently he didn't have the stuff last night. Up tonight is Zambrano... and boy do we need him.

Another thing that was shocking about last night was that the Cubs usually perform very well at home. If were heading on the road to LA on Saturday.. I hope the Cubs can perform. It's kind of a bad sign that we are already losing at Wrigley. I just hope we can hold Manny....

Tonight, Zambrano will get his turn. I hope he can deliver.

Dempster. The Man.

Who has the best shot at being a star during the playoffs? Ryan Dempster.

There are a few reasons why I believe that Dempster can shine above the rest of the Cubs pitchers during the playoffs.I would first like to acknowledge that Harden, Zambrano and Dempster are all strong pitchers who show potential.

Zambrano: Inconsistent

Zambrano has had problems all year. When he pitched his recent no hitter, Cubs fans thought he was back and ready to bring us into the playoffs. The fact of the matter is, he hasn't been pitching well lately. One day he is on top, the next day his performance is well...disappointing.

Emotions. As we all know, big Z is an emotional player. It's is great to have competitive spirit and stand by your performance, but the guy is an emotional mess and it often affects his performance.

Harden: Inconsistent

Harden has also had arm problems this year. Harden is a strong player as well, but when players experience frequent arm problems, it's not a good sign for a strong performance. Typically Harden doesn't last too many innings, not a good sign.

Dempster: Our Man

Dempster is the man that Lou has chosen to lead our Cubbies this Wednesday against the Dodgers at Wrigley. Dempster has a calm and collective attitude even in sticky situations. He performs well at home and is even tempered. Oh, and he is healthy to play. He has pitched in playoff games before, he has experience.

Will talk Wednesday after game 1. GO CUBSSSSSSSSS! GOOOOO!

Memorable Moment of the Week

Each Sunday from now on I will feature a Cubs highlight blog.This weeks highlight, is the Cubs will play the Dodgers in game one on Wednesday.The Brewers defeated the Cubs 3-1 today and won the NL Wild Card. The Brewers will travel out east to play the Phillies in round one of the playoffs. Cubs are set to host the Dodgers.

This news gives Cubs fans something to celebrate. Returning to an earlier blog, Chicago performs solid at Wrigley and Ryan Dempster who will be starting on Wednesday has a very good record at home.

The inexperience of some of the players on the Dodgers end gives hope to Cubs fans that this is a positive match up. Although, manager Joe Torre has plenty of experience in the playoffs...he may be able to lead these players enough to win.

The Cubs do have strong bats, but have a majority of right-handed hitters that compose their line up. The down side is that the Dodgers have solid right-handed pitchers, who have stepped up their game.

Manny Ramirez is also having an impressive season and batting .396. He is a vital component of the Dodgers lineup. His batting average is the highest it has ever been in his entire major league career.

Who will be the best pitcher for the Cubs this playoff season?? Stay tuned, I'll have more for you tomorrow.

Cubs Memorable Moment of the Week

Starting this week, I will now be adding a new feature to A Girls Guide To Wrigley. This feature will contain my personal favorite Cubbie moment of the week and why I think it's so important.This new feature will be featured on Sundays, but I figured I would give a little preview tonight.

This weeks highlight: Cubs home advantage going into next week's NL division series. This great news followed Jason Marquis' grand slam.

The cubs perform better at home versus on the road.Having home field advantage will put the Cubs in a winning mind set. Plus, Cubs fans are excited that the first game will be in Chicago. The strong fan base in Chicago will hopefully push the Cubs to perform.

Many Cubs fans at the University of Iowa are so excited by this news that they are actually going back to Chicago to cheer on the Cubbies. Maybe I am thinking too far ahead but if the Cubs do make it to the World Series I definitely will want to go back to Chicago to support them.

Fellow Cubs fans: What are your thoughts? Is anyone going to head back to Chicago for the playoffs?

Last Day At Wrigley

Today was kind of an emotional day for me. The Cubs played their last home game today, defeating the St. Louis Cards 5-1.Their at home records is 55-26; the most wins the Cubs have had at home since 1935.

I hate when baseball season ends. Although the Cubbies still have another eight games to play, their regular season run at Wrigley is over for 2008. On the plus side, we clinched the NL Central on Saturday, in a close game, the Cubs won 5-4.

Things have been looking up for the Cubs lately, they have won their last 6 out of 8 games.An exciting day today for Ryan Dempster, who clenched his 17th win. He is now 17-6 with a 2.99 ERA.

Lou decided to give the regular starters a rest on Sunday after clinching on Saturday, which gave players such as Felix Pie and Casey McGehee a chance to come up. This was kind of funny because I was watching the game in bits and pieces and couldn't help but notice the starting players such as Soriano, kickin' back in the dugout. These boys need their rest, and we won, so all a plus.

I am getting really excited for the next week, although I am really sad that the regular season is ending. All I have to say is, thank god the cubs made the playoffs, or I don't know how much longer this lovely blog would survive! Go Cubs !

Zambrano Pitches No-Hitter.. I Need To Vent

Carlos Zambrano (14-5) pitched a no-hitter Sunday night against the Houston Astros in Milwaukee, CUBS WIN! 5-0.

First of all I would like to express my disappointment at my cable provider. One of the most exciting games of the year for the Cubbies and it wasn't on my tv!I flipped back and forth between every sports channel last night and was very disappointed that the Cubs game didn't air. Did anyone else in Iowa City have this problem? Maybe I should have gone to the bar to watch the game...??

I did get to see the highlights of last nights game, Zambrano falling to his knees as his team mates rushed the field was an exciting sight to see.

Zambrano has recently taken some time off to rest his tired arm. He made his return last night, the first no-hitter since Milt Pappas in 1972. The Cubs remain 7 1/2 games ahead of the brew crew.

Last nights win is a huge shock because of where the actual game took place.No one was expecting such a monumental game to come from such odd circumstances.

See you soon

Top 10 Sports Moments in the Last 10 Years

10)Tiger Woods winning the 2008 U.S. Open.

9)Brett Farve's ongoing "retirement." No longer a Packer after 15 years, Farve now plays for the New York Jets.

8)Chicago White Sox winning the 2005 World Series and the celebration that followed in Chicago. This is a personal top 10 for me, it was also funny to see a new group of bandwagon White Sox fans.

7) The ongoing Kobe Bryant rape incident, 2003-2004.

6)The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots and win Super Bowl 42.

5)The Boston Red Sox defeat the New York Yankees in the American League Central Series. The Red Sox came back to beat the Yankees,after being down 3-0.

4)The Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. Michael Phelps record breaking EIGHT gold medals wins.

3)Lance Armstrong.

2)Lifelong Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman reached for a foul ball during game six of the NL Championship series at Wrigley vs. the Florida Marlins. Many believe that Moises Alou could have caught the ball, and the Cubs may have had a shot at winning the game. This is now referred to as the "Bartman Incident."

1)The 1998 homerun chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, both players broke Roger Maris' record of 61 homeruns. McGwire won the chase with 70 homeruns, former Chicago Cub Sammy Sosa hit 66.





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Cubs vs. Cardinals Game 1

The St.Louis Cardinals defeated the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium. Brendan Ryan slid past Geovanny Soto in an attempted tag in the ninth, bringing the final score 4-3.

Game Highlights:

* Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez both hit RBI doubles in the first inning, Theriot also hit an RBI, allowing Ramirez to score.

* Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer off Dempster in the sixth, these were the only three runs Dempster gave up before making his exit in the seventh.

* Marmol catches a line shot hit by Ryan Ludwig in the eighth inning, and throws out Albert Pujols at first, double play.

*Marmol takes loss (2-4)

*Lou is less than happy with the Cubs performance last night.

The Cubs have performed well all season, but have lost their last 8 of 9 games. Luckily the Brewers lost to the Reds and the Cubs maintain a 4 1/2 game lead.

Congratulations Soto on your recent Rookie of the Month win.

The Cubs will battle the Cardinals again tonight at Busch Stadium.

Experience and Leadership

Lets Talk Playoffs—Round One.

Who should the Cubs face in round one of the playoffs? I’d say LA.

• The Dodgers record, 73-70, is the worst of the leaders in the National League. ALTHOUGH the dodgers recently bumped the Arizona D-backs out of first place, thankfully, the last thing the Cubs need is to face Randy Johnson

• Both the Cubs and the Dodgers perform better at home, which will be an advantage for the Cubs, who have a 51-24 record at home and home field advantage in the playoffs. The Dodgers have a 28-40 record on the road

• Experience. Although the Dodgers did acquire Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake, The Cubs have more veteran players, including my favorite Alfonso Soriano. Aramis Ramirez has the fourth highest record in the National League for runs batted in, Ryan Dempster is number five for NL wins and has a 2.99 ERA, Ryan Theriot has a .310 batting average, number eight in the NL.

• Leadership. Joe Torre does have World Series experience with the Yankees, but a first year coach for the Dodgers…will he know exactly how to lead his players? He has gotten them this far, but the playoffs are a different story.

I hate to say it but with out Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden, it will not matter who the Cubs face, they have no chance, okay, small chance.

I also hate to say that I DO like Manny Ramirez. Please forgive me. Dempster will start for the Cubs tomorrow night in St.Louis.

Big Win Saturday, Big Loss Sunday

What a weekend Cubs fans! After an exciting 14-9 win on Saturday, the Cubs fall short on Sunday, losing 4-3 to the Reds.

A quick catch up on the weekend highlights…

Saturday: A Great Piece of Hitting the Cubbies

Alfonso Soriano hits three homeruns, including a three-run homer in the sixth inning. Mark DeRosa also hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning. Jason Marquis also contributed to the high scoring game by the Cubs, with a lead-off homerun in the eight inning, his first of the season.

Marquis, who usually keeps his cool, (unlike an ill tempered Carlos Zambrano we all know and love) loaded the bases in the 4th and walked in a run, with a questionable call by umpire Brian Runge. What looked like a clear strike, Marquis walked Chris Dickerson and the Red’s third basemen Edwin Encarnacion scored, the first run of the game for the Reds. Marquis questioned the call and Chris Dickerson hesitated before taking first.

The Cubs defeat the Reds 14-9.

Sunday:

A hard loss on Sunday, Jolbert Cabrera hit a single to left in the ninth, bringing the final score 4-3.

The Cubs had a 2-1 lead in the seventh, following Ronny Cedeno’s double, which allowed Giovanni Soto to score.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a single off of Kerry Wood and walked Jay Bruce. Wood intentionally walked Javier Valentin and Chris Dickerson hit a two-run shot, which bounced off Cedeno’s glove in the ninth, tying the game. The RBI single by Cabrera followed, Reds win. After Saturday’s big win, this game was a tough loss. The Cubs still remain 4 games ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central, who lost to the Padres.

The Cubs next six games will be played on the road. Next game: Cubs vs. Cardinals, Tuesday at 7:15.

Who should the Cubs face in round one of the Playoffs? I'll be posting my insight later this evening.

On a Positive Note the Brewers Lost....

Last night's game against the Astros marked the fourth straight loss for the Chicago Cubs. With high hopes for a triumphant return by Zambrano on Tuesday night, fans were once again disappointed. The Cubs lost 9-7 in the 11th, following a two-run homer by Geoff Blum off Kerry Wood.

Here are my thoughts: Overall, an exciting (but still not a good) game. Let’s look at a few positives before we proceed to the obvious negatives of last night’s battle...

The Positives:

The game started off on a positive note, Soriano's solo homerun in the 1st inning. Homeruns also followed by DeRosa, Soto and Edmunds game tying homer in the 7th. Thanks for your hard work Jim, although the Cubs couldn't pull through in extras. At least our hitting is improving; the last 27 hits prior have all been singles. Watching the Astros run to the warning tracks, slam into the ivy and turn up empty handed was like a breath of fresh air.

The Brewers also lost in extra innings, Cubs are still 4.5 games up. (Phew!)

The Negatives:

Apparently big Z didn't get enough rest because he was replaced in the 6th by Howry who failed to perform much better. Zambrano gave up five hits and walked three, before reporting arm soreness. Doctors are examining Zambrano today, pray Cubs fans, the postseason approaches... Cubs fans biggest concern is will Zambrano be well enough to bring the Cubs into the postseason?

I will blog more extensively after tonight's game, which the Cubs are going to win.

My last question to you all is will we make it to 100? My answer is YES. The Cubs are doing better on the road the 2nd half. I'm thinking positive.

Three Day Weekend Ruined by Three Game Loss at Wrigley

Bleeding blue and red....An upsetting weekend for Cubs fans.

Cubs end a seven game winning streak, with three losses at home, the first three game losing streak since August of last year. Although the Cubs began the Phillies series with two wins, they finished with a 2-5 loss on Saturday and a 3-5 loss on Sunday, followed by a 3-0 loss to the Astros on Monday. Despite the devistating weekend, the Cubs are still at the top of the NL Central and lead the Brew Crew by 4.5 games, following a Brewer 4-2 loss to the Mets.

Carlos Zambrano in need of some serious R 'n R...

Here is why I am a little nervous...Zambrano was set to start against the Phillies on Sunday, but was scratched at the last minute to rest his arm. Get your rest now big Z, we need you come September and October. Last season, Zambrano took some brief time off to rest and returned in September rested and ready to go. With the playoffs a month away, Zambrano will need to be at the top of his game.

Next Game: Cubs v. Astros at Wrigley, Tuesday, 7:05 pm. Will talk more on Thursday, see you then.

This Is Who I am...

Greetings! And WELCOME to my first blog. Allow me to introduce myself and convince you to read my blog.

My name is Sarah and I am a senior journalism major at the University of Iowa. I am from the suburbs of Chicago and I grew up loving the Chicago Cubs.

A lot of girls out there enjoy following their favorite baseball teams but don't know every detail of the game. That's ok! I will provide the girl friendly version of the latest news on the Chicago Cubs and also some information you can use to impress your friends.

Play Ball!