Ok here is my personal way to see who truly believes in Fox, and who is just flinging poop around the room.  I believe there are more who are just using the trade as a reason to bash Hendry, and be negative about Lou.  Some others never need a reason to fling poop around, and its a life style for them.  I am curious to see how many takers of this there are. 

I will donate $10 to Derrek Lee's Project 3000 IF Jake Fox hits 25+ HR's next season for each person who is willing to donate $25 if Fox hits 24 or less.

If 10 people say they are in, then my bill is $100, each of them are in for $25

If 20 people say they are in, then my bill is $200, each of them are in for $25

and so on.

I wait the Foxes to respond.

All winnings are to be donated direct, none passing from person to person, do not misunderstand the entire thought here.

Al, I respect that this is your site, and if you feel that this is not acceptable, I apologize in advance, and you are welcome to delete if you feel the need.

Many times we have discussed Wrigley and its age, and Fenway is another that ranks along with Wrigley in age, but I was recently having a discussion with a friend and an interesting question came up.  I personally have no clue the answer, but what non professional stadium (i.e. college, minor league) that is active (sorry Roman Coliseum) is oldest?  I did locate this article which talks of the three oldest in NCAA dating back as far as 1895 (does that make Wrigley "young"?)

Does anyone know if there are older that are active?

from the artile

The NCAA deems Franklin Field (33rd Street at South Street, Philadelphia), which has staged University of Pennsylvania sports since 1895, as its oldest football stadium. The facility is believed to have hosted the most football games by any one collegiate team – No. 800 for Penn is slated Saturday versus Dartmouth – although the NCAA does not keep official records in this category.

Harvard Stadium (95 N. Harvard St., Allston, Mass), opened in 1903, is the oldest permanent concrete structure in the country.

The Yale Bowl (276 Derby Ave., West Haven, Conn) hosted its first tilt, against Harvard, on Nov. 21, 1914.

Together they represent three of the four oldest Division I stadiums in the country; Bobby Dodd Stadium at Georgia Tech opened in 1913.

I thought was an amazing trip thru time about Franklin Field from the same link

Mongo will be inducted into the NCAA HOF later this year (December 8th), and his alma mater University of Texas honored him during the Longhorns game this past weekens.  Some interesting notes about his college playing days.

McMichael will be the 15th Longhorns player to be selected to the hall. He was a four-year letterman from 1976-79, earning All-Southwest Conference honors twice. When he left Texas, he was the school’s all-time leader in career tackles (369) and sacks (30), and was a finalist for both the Lombardi and Outland Awards in 1979.

Mack Brown, current Texas Head Coach had a real nice write up about it back in April for those interested.

STEVE McMICHAEL
University of Texas
Defensive Tackle, 1976-79 Selected a unanimous first-team All-American, Steve McMichael led a Longhorn defense that allowed less than nine points per game in 1979.

A four-year letterman at Texas, McMichael was a member of the 1977 Southwest Conference Championship team. Twice selected All-Southwest Conference (1978-79), he graduated as the school's all-time leader in career tackles (369) and sacks (30). A finalist for the Lombardi and Outland Awards in 1979, McMichael claimed team and Hula Bowl MVP honors. During tenure at Texas, the Longhorns posted an impressive 34-12-1 record.

Drafted in the third round by the New England Patriots in the 1980 draft and picked up by the Chicago Bears as a free agent in 1981. He spent 13 seasons with the Bears, including six Central Division Championships and a victory in Super Bowl XX. McMichael retired as a five-time All-Pro selection and holds the Chicago Bears record for most consecutive games played (191).

Following his playing career, McMichael became a pro wrestler. He is currently the head coach of the Chicago Slaughter of the Continental Indoor Football League.

There are a lot of people who live and die by the stats and numeric rankings of players in various ways.  I understand what the numbers represent, and how to read them.  I understand why the numbers are a good foundation when looking at a player.

This never was my problem with those who wish to use them.   

The part of a players skill set, that cannot be ranked is what the numbers lack.  This is where you have to look past the numbers, and into the actual player himself.  I would bet each one of us played sports and some still are very active in sports.  Each of us have been around a person in our field of work, or while playing ball, who just had the confidence that allowed him/her to laugh at defeat (so to speak) while overcoming all the odds.  This is a perfect example of an intangible asset for that person. 

For those who want to say intangibles do not exist in sports, I will define intangible

Adj

• Incapable of being perceived by the senses.
• Incapable of being realized or defined.
• Incorporeal.

Noun.

• Something intangible, especially an asset that cannot be perceived by the senses. Often used in the plural: intangibles such as goodwill and dedication.
• Law Incorporeal property such as bank deposits, stocks, bonds, and promissory notes. Often used in the plural: a state tax on intangibles.

Or as another source defines it

Adj

• nonmaterial: lacking material qualities, and so not able to be touched or seen, et al intangbible benefits
• hard to be described: difficult to define or describe clearly, but nonetheless perceived et al an intangible quality of serenity in music

Noun

• Something unquantifiable: an unquantifiable quality or asset et al such intangibles as duty

So, it is not measurable, but exists based on definition alone.  An example is a radio advertisement is an intangible item.  Now, how does this relate to baseball or sports in general?  Well, what is something you cannot place a numberic value on, but exists and happens in a game, and can cause a difference in the end result?  Here is a list of intangibles that come to mind (feel free to add to it): 

• Second efforts
• Heart and Determination
• Work ethic
• Hustle
• Being "clutch"
• Ability to play thru pain
• Mental toughness
• Intelligence
• Ability to be mentally "in the game"
• Maturity / Immaturity
• Team chemistry
• Leadership
• Comfort
• Communication
• Hot/Cold Streaks

Each of these can change the outcome of the game; none of them can be measured in a manner that they can be placed in the spreadsheet and used to make a decision. 

The only way I know to measure heart is medically, which to my knowledge is not how it is used in a game situation. 

You cannot measure how a second effort can allow an error to become an out. 

Mental toughness is one I gripe about with Zambrano and Marmol, when they seem to look defeated and out of it mentally after a bad play or two behind them.  This does happen, does exist, and cannot be measured.

Each of these examples are similar to when a fan talks about the years of suffering he/she has been thru, which cannot be measured (legally, psychologically, or medically) from one person to the next.

Quite possible the perfect example of a player who used the intangibles above to excel above what the numbers would have said he could, is "Charlie Hustle" Pete Rose.  He played each pitch like it was the last, and the game was on the line.  That is commonly measured as "giving 110%" but cannot be measured on paper. 

These intangibles are why they play the games.  Each one of them can cause a great team to lose, or a decent team to win.  Sometimes a manager (and fans alike) needs to remember its ok to put the stat sheet down, stop trying to manage by match ups and probables alone.

Here is a quote from Gordon Wittenmyer in todays Sun Times

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Hoping someone can help....................................

Continue reading this post »

Than be without baseball.  I understand wearing your years of being a fan as a badge of honor.  I am proud to say I am a lifelong Cubs fan   As long as I can remember I have loved the Cubs and baseball as a whole.  I tell people Chicago Cubs baseball is my religion, since I did more praying at Wrigley than I did in Church (which is true, since we were not a religious family, and did not attend church on a reguilar basis).  I have endured the last six playoff losses that the Cubs have been kind enough to allow me to witness with hope, only to end in defeat. 

Do I consider this suffering, hell no.  I believe I am fortunate to have the Cubs, year in and year out.  I believe I am blessed that I have a team with tradition, history, and a large fanbase.  I am greatful that anywhere I go, I can find a Cubs fan, to strike up a conversation about the Cubs, and baseball itself.  These are riches that few fan bases can truly understand.

Suffering, in my opinion

* Would be living in Montreal as an Expo fan, and watching the team be moved to D.C. 

* When baseball went on strike and I was not able to go to Wrigley and watch them. 

* Watching the cost of a ticket at Wrigley continue to skyrocket, pricing out many of the average fan, who (God love ‘em) still stay true to their Cubbie Blue ways

No matter how few years a fan has been following the Cubs, they have heard all the stories, they have heard all the negatives, and the reasons not to, yet choose to do so.  For that reason, I will never look at a newer fan and belittle them for having less “time in the trenches” so to speak.  Why, because this person is my brother/sister in my extended family. 

Newer fans have more outlets to learn about the history than some of the elder fans who lived it.  That makes a big difference in the understanding process, and the feelings of the past.  Ron Santo is a perfect example.  

Fans both young and old always want to hear the words “Hall of Fame Inductee, Ron Santo” because of these resources to bridge the generations as much as anything.  Younger fans have listened to Santo on the radio, but have also seen old footage, read books, watched DVD’s (this is before Dad, Mom, Grandpa, etc has told a story about seeing Santo make an amazing play).

40 years ago, you could not pop in a DVD or log onto Wikipedia and learn about the 1910 Cubs, so the gap between the fans was different.  This is not to take anything away from a fan of 40 or 80 years ago, but to explain that I believe present fans understand more than they are credited for often.

I may not agree always, I may butt heads a time or three, but that is part of being in a family.  I would rather disagree and butt heads while talking about the Cubs, then “happily” talk about the stock market (for example).

GeoMak, Han, BLou, Clutche, and anyone else who has had a disagreement with me before, I may not always like your opinion or comments, but I respect you as members of my Cubbie Family.  The same goes to everyone else on BCB, and those who are future BCBers whose acquaintance I have yet to make.