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The closest Chicago baseball will come to the World Series this season is the White Sox-Astros weekend series that began Friday (June 14) in Houston. As you may recall (or maybe not), the teams met in the 2005 Fall Classic with the Sox claiming the championship. That might seem like a long time to Sox fans — until they think of the Cubs (a subject that generally tends to be in the back — if not front — of the fans’ minds) and recall the Cubs have not been in a World Series since 1945 and not won one since 1908. Ah, consolation prizes.
Pia Pakarinen serves as a consolation prize for Bruins fans.
* Speaking of long-ago titles, June 14 also marked the 15-year anniversary of Michael Jordan hitting the game-winning basket for the Bulls against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City to complete the Bulls’ second three-peat. It was a wonderful way for MJ, who had 45 points in the Game 6 triumph, to end his career. Well, until he un-retired and ended up playing with the Washington Wizards. The comeback diminished his legacy in the view of some, but not his bank account.
* Speaking of impressive performances, left-hander Chris Sale struck out 14 Astros but lost 2-1 Friday on two unearned runs. Perhaps not the way he wanted to lower his earned-run average or the team’s standing in the American League Central, where the Sox are in last place.
* Speaking of last place, the battle in the National League Central for the cellar should be one of the summer’s highlight (lowlights?) as the Cubs — the current occupants — and the Brewers battle it out. Or down and out, as the case may be. FOr sox fans, there’s the South Side Not-Much-Hitmen and the Minnesota Twins in the struggle to avoid the bottom. On the bright (???) side, NFL training camps open next month.
In tribute to Andrew Shaw (what an excuse), it’s Miss Canada 2013 Riza Santos.
* Speaking of the Cubs, third baseman Ian Stewart is appealing his 10-game unpaid suspension that they gave him for tweeting his displeasure with the organization. He must be forgetting that’s the same organization that gave him a $2 million contract that he accepted for the 2013. Of course, he no doubt did not envision spending most of the season with the Cubs who play in Des Moines rather than in Wrigley Field.
* Speaking of suspensions, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ian Kennedy was banished for 10 games for hitting two Los Angeles Dodgers near their head with pitches, the second one against opposing pitcher Zach Greinke and leading to a bench-clearing brawl Tuesday. Kennedy is appealing the suspension. “I think they’re trying to set an example,” Kennedy said. If commissioner Bud Selig really wanted to set an example, he would have suspended Kennedy for far longer.
* New Bears coach Marc Trestman says his football team can learn from hockey’s Blackhawks. Well, maybe if the Bears have to play on ice someday.
* We would be remiss not the mention the NBA with that best-of-seven seme 3ries tied 2-2 between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurts. Let the record show that in a series that is tied after four games, the winner of Game 5 has a 100 percent certainly of leading the series 3-2. Not to be confused with the Stanley Cup finals after one game. Let the record show that the team that wins the first game and follows that with a Game 2 triumph generally has a better chance to win and definitely has a 2-0 series lead. And, yes, a lack of math skills is what drove some of us into journalism/writing/whatever this is.
OK, so no Miss Finland material for a day or so. Well, the idea behind that creative concept (meaning said concept came from someone imaginative who does not toil for elliottharris.com) was a sort of homage to the Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, who is from Finland. So today we feature the 2011 Miss Finland, Pia Pakarinen.
In the name of equal time (and because Adrew Shaw, a Canadian, had the winning goal in triple overtime in Game 1, we will be glad to provide a Miss Canada video, too, featuring the 2013 winner Riza Santos.
And here we go with our daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the ever-diligent editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com and the reality that they have no clue what “gratuitous” — as well as numerous other words — means):
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