thoughts & things

ok, i've started my blackhawks playoff beard. am i going to be shaving next week?

the large sigh you heard was the brass on the south side exhaling after CHRIS SALE'S mri came back with just tenderness but no muscle or tendon tears. the SOX have no chance at .500 without sale pitching every 5th day.

full disclosure....i loathe the cubs and everything associated with them but i truly believe that catcher WELLINGTON CASTILLO is going to blossom into an all-star over the next few years. he has to learn the strike zone when he's at bat but he already calls a good game on the defensive side.

even the most die hard cub fan realizes they only have 4 real ball players on the team and 21 players who won't be in the majors in another five years. and after the sell-off begins in july, they'll dump the  SHARK or TRAVIS WOOD and it'll get even worse.  they truly suck. happy birthday wrigley field will be the highlight of their year.

as usual, MLB gave the cubs a sweetheart schedule to start the year but the month of may will change things drastically. instead of philadelphia, cincinnati & arizona, the flubs will face the cardinals 7 times, the brewers 6 and the white sox 4, not to mention two more against the yankees. ouch.

are the blackhawks doomed or was it just an anomaly that they lost the first two games?  they were better in game three but they still have to win in st. louis to advance.

and what about the bulls? i was at the game easter night and they had zero energy save for five minutes at the start of the second half.  you don't lead by 12 at home and give it up during the playoffs.  let's see what happens in game two.

more later