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The Chicago Cubs went down fighting Thursday night (Sept. 6) against the host Washington Nationals. Well, not so much between the lines in a 9-2 loss, as Washington swept the four-game series. But, ye, you were expecting something more?
Cubs bench coach Jamie Quirk might have been upset when the Nationals stole a couple of bases in the fifth inning and voiced his displeasure toward Nationals third-base coach Bo Porter.
Any day for Summer Rae is OK with the photo-selection department around here.
Porter went over to the Cubs dugout. More words, People being restrained. Bullpens emptying. An inning later, a pitch apparently aimed at Washington rookie Bryce Harper. People being restrained. Bullpens and benches emptying. A few fists flying. Cubs catcher Steve Clevenger and pitcher Manuel Corpas and Nationals pitcher Michael Gonzalez ejected.
“All that stuff that happened, that was instigated by Quirk screaming out at Porter,” plate umpire Jerry Layne said. “And the obscenities that he screamed out I just felt was inappropriate, and that’s what caused everything. The reason he was ejected was he was the cause.”
* Speaking of fighting, here’s a boxing analogy for you: Not being particularly savvy (and simultaneously not particularly interested in watching the Cubs lose yet again to the Nationals), your humble correspondent tuned in the Democratic National Convention and took in various speeches, including the one by President Barack Obama. If the political conventions were a boxing match, the ref would have stepped in and called it a TKO for PBO. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming. Thank you.
* Speaking of baseball, the Chicago Baseball Museum will host a public symposium in tribute of the Bill Veeckfamily — “One Family, Two Teams: The Impact of the Veecks on Chicago Baseball” — on Sept. 20 at the Chicago History Museum. Tickets ($150) are available at a href=_”http://chicagobaseballmuseum.org/CBM-Veeck-Family-Symposium-Event-2012.php” target=_blank” chicagobaseballmuseum.org. Among the scheduled speakers are former Chicago Sun-Times columnist Ron Rapoport (with whom your humble correspondent once had the honor of sharing a page in the sports section), historian Timuel Black, author Paul Dickson, former White Sox general manager Roland Hemond, former White Sox third baseman Eric Soderholm and filmmaker Tom Weinberg. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served starting at 5:30 p.m. More information is available from Taylar Proctor at (217) 356-6150 or tproctor@chicagobaseballmuseum.org. This is the 75th anniversary of changes Bill Veeck (the elder) made at Wrigley Field that still exist today.
* Coolstandings.com calculates the White Sox (74-62) as having a 68 percent likelihood of being in the postseason with a 62.3 percent chance of winning the America League Central. With the statistical-calculation department working feverishly and overtime to crunch some numbers, it has been determined the Cubs (51-86) will have to go 12-13 in their remaining games to avoid 100 losses this season. Play about .500 ball doesn’t sound like much — until you realize the Cubs have a .372 winning percentage for 2012.
* Speaking of stats, Cubs rookie outfielder Brett Jackson went 1-for-3 Thursday to raise his average to .187. He walked once and struck out twice, giving him 47 strikeouts in 91 at-bats. Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney has 49 in 457 at-bats.
* Speaking of strikeouts, Cubs rookie third baseman Josh Vitters struck out as a pinch-hitter to lower his average to .075. If general manager Jed Hoyer is trying to give Vitters some valuable experience, the plan isn’t working. Not with Vitters on the bench. Or in the lineup. Some day someone will look back at all this and laugh. Mainly because there is no crying in baseball.
* Speaking of struggles, Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher says he will be ready for the season opener Sunday (Sept. 9) at Soldier Field against the Indianapolis Colts. Urlacher, who has been bothered by knee injury, admits to being a bit rusty and needing more reps in practice. Coach Lovie Smith says the team will limit those reps to keep him fresh for games. If this is not the recipe for trouble for the Bears defense, it sure seems like at least the ingredients.
* Speaking of the NFL, it appears there will be no football forecasting by Danielle Moinet this season. Mainly because she is a busy young woman in the wonderful world of wrestling where she is known as Summer Rae. Last season, this site was able to run her picks and pics. So it will take some creativity to figure out a way to include any this season (OK, not all that complicated — as if there needs to be any justification for running her picture other than we want to).
Yes, the Dallas Cowboys won their season opener. It came on the road against the New York Giants on Wednesday. Which means all of western civilization (and probably others as well) are waiting for first home game for the Cowboys so the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders can perform. IN the meantime, here is some video to pass the time until that day arrives:
Alana Campos, Playboy's September Playmate, was a welcome addition to 'Sports & Torts.'
Another edition of “Sports & Torts” with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris is available on podcast at talkzone.com. The Sept. 6 program (“Sports & Torts” is live Thursdays at noon Chicago time) features September Playboy Playmate Alana Campos and football greats Randy White and Dwight Stephenson.
For reasons that make little sense to the co-hosts, Alana appeared via phone from Boise, Idaho, rather than be in studio in suburban Chicago. As a consolation prize of sorts, there is a photo of Brazil native Alana to go with this mention of “Sports & Torts.” And more photos to accompany the interview. In case you missed the interview and would like to partake (or even if you caught the interview and would like an encore), you can link to it by clicking here.
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