Apparently the White Sox GM has finally landed Ken Griffey Jr., the Reds' outfielder he has long coveted and tried to acquire in 2005 and several times since. No word yet on who the Sox are giving up in the deal, which makes it difficult to assess, but that's what we're here for.
Speculation is that Griffey will play center, Nick Swisher will go to first and Paul Konerko will go to the bench or split time with Swisher and DH Jim Thome. I've got no problem with the slumping Konerko taking a seat, but having 38-year-old Griffey play center is a big mistake. He was brilliant there ... in Seattle. But that was a long time (and many injuries) ago. There's a good reason he hasn't played center for the Reds since 2006. He can't.
And while he may be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Griffey's flame is starting to fade. In his quest to reach 600 career home runs earlier this year, he had more at bats between homers than he has ever had in his career. And Cincy's home park is nearly as homer-friendly as U.S. Cellular. Griffey still has one of the sweetest swings in baseball. Sadly, it's just as fluid and smooth a stroke on a swing-and-a-miss as when he connects.
It appears Williams has added another streaky power hitter who doesn't run particularly well. If he wanted one of those from the Reds, younger Adam Dunne, who is also on the market, was probably the better choice.
Something tells me this is just the precursor to another deal that might ease that first base-DH logjam and bring the Sox some bullpen help.
If you think you get more out of players who have a chip on their shoulder you might want to pass this little nugget to your guys next week when training camp opens.
Caught ESPN's NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. last weekend on the radio giving his preview of the Mid-American Conference. Guess what?
Apparently this Bears' quarterback competition between Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton really is a tossup. (Can't you feel the tension building?)
On Wednesday, Grossman literally won a coin flip that determined who got to work with the first team on the first day of practice. The two QBs will now alternate days working with the first team.
Reports didn't say who flipped the coin, but given their track record of catching the ball, I'm guessing it wasn't a Bears' wide receiver. Unless, of course, he was instructed to let it fall to the ground.
Given the team's quarterback history, maybe the coin flip isn't such a bad way to go. In fact, coach Lovie Smith might want to try doing it weekly to determine his starter.
First reaction to hearing Michelle Wie had been disqualified Saturday for not signing her scorecard in the LPGA Tournament in Springfield, Ill.?
Maybe she thought she was exempt, like she has been several times in that other pro tournament in Illinois in the Quad Cities (John Deere Classic) , thought the smart alec in me.
But then I read that Wie hadn't signed her card for Friday's round. Somehow, LPGA officials didn't DQ her until after she had played her round on Saturday. (She would have been in second place had it stood).
So who was more delinquent? Wie for not properly signing the card or LPGA officials for not disqualifying her before she played that round Saturday. They said they weren't informed until after she started her round on Saturday.
Don't imagine there would have been financial reasons. You know, like a lot of people drawn to the event on Saturday to see, among others, a player like, I don't know, Wie?
Nah!
Of course, there were only two of the tour's top 10 money winners at the event.
Two "major metropolitan newspapers" for a city that hopes to host a future Olympics can't be bothered or can't afford to send anyone across the pond to cover one -- and arguably, the most important -- of golf's four majors.
I may strain a shoulder patting myself on the back, but on March 4th I wrote the following. In light of recent headlines, I'd say it bears (or vikes, bucs or ravens, depending on who you read) repeating:
I'll believe it when I see it. Next fall when the Packers line up for their opener and Brett Favre isn't under center for the 254th straight time.
FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer broke the story and the Packers have confirmed on their website that the veteran QB is retiring.
I find a quote in Glazer's story from Favre's agent, Bus Cook, a bit curious:
"Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either," Cook said.
Translation?
Show me the money.
After leading the Packers and a bunch of no-name receivers to the NFC Central title, a three-loss regular season record and an unexpected run to the NFC title game, Favre couldn't be angling to negotiate a contract extension could he? In the name of Brian Urlacher, I hope not, but I remain unconvinced.
The British Open teed off today minus the man, who is back home in Orlando recovering from knee surgery.
It's safe to say Tiger Woods is missed, but the old fellows who run The Royal and Ancient, which stages THE CHAMPIONSHIP, should consider themselves lucky. So, too, should TNT television executives.
Why?
Because somebody turned back the clock.
Look, as I write this, Greg Norman is tied for second after shooting an opening round of even par 70, one stroke behind a trio of players that includes Rocco Mediate, who Woods out-dueled on one leg at last month's U.S. Open.
Greg Norman !?!?!
He's 53, which puts him in my group, also known as Generation Dirt (as in old as ...)
It's a little early for this talk, but remember Jack Nicklaus winning his last Masters in 1986 at age 46? Or when he made another run at the Masters at age 58 in 1998, only to finish sixth?
Fresh off the honeymoon with new bride Chrissy Evert, here's hoping Norman doesn't tire and manages to stay in contention. It would make this major much more memorable than "the one they played without Tiger."
"I've got to keep my expectations low. I haven't played a lot of golf," Norman told TNT. "But it's a lot like riding a bike. But sometimes getting back on the bike you get a little wobbly."
1) Arizona's Bob Melvin fruitopia thing for Taco Bell.
2) Lou Piniella's staged rant with the ump, who obliges by throwing him out (sorry I've forgotten the product).
An awful lot of people paid an awful lot of money to leave early from tonight's All-Star game,didn't they. It's the top of the 14th and there's plenty of good seats available. Unless, of course, they reopened the beer stands and all those people are standing in line.
Major League Baseball officials are considering limited use of instant replay in the near future. In tonight's All-Star game, second base umpire Tom Hallion helped make a strong case for the need for it.
Twice the ball beat a runner to the bag at second and both times replays clearly showed the runner beat the tag to the bag. On both occasions, Hallion called the runner out.
And on the bang-bang play where an AL runner was thrown out in the bottom of the 11th? From one angle in particular, it was pretty obvious the runner's foot touched the plate before the tag, even though the ball got there first.
One of MLB's goals is to keep the interruption of play to a minimum when and if instant replay is used. Good luck with that.
The game is tied in the ninth, both managers are running low on position players and pitchers. Do you think Bud Selig is getting nervous?
After all, it matters, right?
Yankee manager Joe Girardi warming up Mariano Rivera in the bullpen.
George Steinbrenner is in the house. Girardi better be careful, considering his team's place in the standings, he might not want to give George any ideas about what job he's best suited for at Yankee Stadium, even if George has turned the reins over to his kid.
Discuss. Who's more overrated, Papelbon or those classy New Yawk fans who are often tabbed as some of the most knowledgeable in baseball.
Give me the guy from Bahston.
It takes Fox until the sixth inning to inform us that Giants' stud pitcher Tim Lincecum was taken to the hospital before the game with flu-like symptons?
Yo, Josh Groban, pick up that tempo on "God Bless America" will ya? We haven't got all night.
As a Cincinnati Reds fan I don't have much to cheer for tonight with only one player, Edinson Volquez, on the roster.
That left me to look forward to the introduction of living Hall of Famers who were on hand for the pre-game festivities at Yankee Stadium. Problem was, only Tony Perez from the Big Red Machine that swept those damn Yankees in the 1976 World Series was on hand.
No Joe Morgan at second base alongside Ryne Sandberg. No Johnny Bench behind the plate with Gary Carter. What gives? I'll have to find out, but Morgan's absence is especially disappointing since he was on hand the night before for the ESPN-televised Home Run Derby.
Suspend the bum from the Hall for the rest of the season and replace him with my all-time favorite Red, No. 28, Vada Pinson.
Rick Armstrong The dean of the Beacon News sports staff, Armstrong covers the boys basketball and Northern Illinois University beats along with general sports coverage.
Jim Owczarski A graduate of North Central College, Owczarski covers the high school football beat in the fall and the local golf beat year around. He also serves as the Beacon News’ main sports features/enterprise writer. He has won several national writing awards and has a weekly column that runs on Sundays.
Mike Knapp A sports writer at the Beacon News for over eight years, Knapp is the Kane County Cougars beat writer.
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About this Archive
This page is a archive of entries in the Rick's Rants category from July 2008.
Rick Armstrong 
Jim Owczarski 
Mike Knapp 