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Monday meanderings: The City of Chicago and the Cubs have reached an apparent agreement on updating Wrigley Field. Part of the deal calls for increasing night games from about 30 to 40. Meaning the Cubs still will have more day games than other teams. Also meaning they still will be able to point to day games as the reason they are unable to win their first World Series title since 1908.
There always is room around here for April Rose. Credit: Brian B. Hayes
* Part of the Cubs deal provides for video scoreboards at Wrigley. Just guessing that during rain delays, they won’t be showing Cubs World Series highlights.
* Speaking of storied tradtions, if nothing else, Sunday’s final round of the Masters golf tournament showed you don’t to have Tiger Woods atop the leaderboard to make for an interesting finish. Woods was lurking close enough to be in the picture but not be the focus. For the television viewer who is not a golf enthusiast (yes, that would include the person crafting typing these words), it was well worth watching. Especially if the alternative was to follow the Cubs on TV.
* Did any viewers who watched the final few hours of the Masters expect a bolt of lightning to punctuate the closing holes the way it did in “Caddyshack” — or was I the only one?
* Speaking of the Cubs, their loss to the San Francisco Giants 10-7 in 10 innings was a wild one. As in five wild pitches in one inning to tie a big-league record. Edwin Jackson and Michael Bowden were responsible for the errant tosses. Shawn Camp was responsible for a blown save — of a game in which Carlos Marmol could have been the winnibg pitcher — when he allowed a ninth-inning home run to tie the game. Camp balked in the go-ahead run in the 10th. If it’s any consolation to Cubs fans (and the guess here is that it is not), the Cincinnati Reds bullpen blew a late lead and the Reds lost at Pittsburgh, while the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen blew a late lead and the Cards lost to visiting Milwaukee in 10 innings. Which should signal the National League Central should be an interesting race this season. Of course, the Cubs first have to figure out a way to be part of that race.
* Speaking of bullpens, the White Sox’s took care of two scoreless innings to back Jake Peavy’s 11-strikeout, seven-inning effort for a 3-1 victory against the host Cleveland Indians. It was the Sox’s first road victory in six tries. Something says the Sox might have to do just a bit better away from home if they want to challenge for the American League Central title.
* Speaking of intriguing TV viewing (and we were several sentences ago), the Chicago Bulls made a game of it against the Miami Heat but ultimately lost 105-93 to LeBron James and Co. The fact that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau did not have any player log more than 35 minutes — other than Carlos Boozer with 39 — on the court says he actually might be giving some thought to the postseason. Or maybe merely to Monday’s game at Orlando, which should provide a better chance for a victory.
* Speaking of the Bulls, it appears they will finish with the No. 6 seed and open the postseason against the Indiana Pacers. Meaning also the Bulls wouldn’t face Miami again — theoretically, OK? — until the conference finals.
* Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins (you may recall he once coached the Bulls) reportedly has told the team he will not return for next season. Let the record show that this is his third season with the Sixers. In his coaching career, he never has lasted longer than three seasons with a team. If nothing else, Collins should have more free time to watch his son Chris Collins in his first season as a college coach at Northwestern.
Here we go with some video of a non-gratuitous nature (well, as far as the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com, it’s non-gratuitous):
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