Beutelin Board

Sunday, July 5, 2009

MY 2008 IN REVIEW

Here's a brief and sporadic pictorial of my 2008. It's hit and miss, and purposefully non-conclusive. If someone feels a key happening was left out, it'll be alright...

Downtown with Meg.

Drive to Peoria and Bradley game with Joey.

Drive to Bloomington to see Walk Hard.

Eat at Gray's for first time since moving back.

Mustache March.

Fly to Albuquerque.

Drove to Arch Madness.

Wrigley Opening Day with Dad.

First of many Indians' Opening Nights with Meg.

Earthquake in Indiana.

Drive to Wrigley with Joey.

Mighty Flood of June.

Hanging it up at Grainger.

Reunion show with Jason.

Cubs trade for Rich Harden.

Tractor pulls are cool, right?

Meg and I drive to Peoria. See Ryno for first time.

Olympics.

Jamie, Jackie, and I drive back to Illinois.

Cubs game in Cincy with Meg.

Bears over Colts in Lucas Oil opener.

Full circle. Indians finale.

Welcome To Autumn party.

Finally a trip to Smokey Bones.

Ping-pong with Savannah.

A real neat guy gets President.

Candles and Carols with Megan. 19 degrees that night.

Drive to Nashville with Megan for no reason.

Christmas Eve.

The waning moments. I thought it'd never end.

Monday, June 29, 2009

2008 In Review

Time for my year-end lists... The entries might not be in any particular order within the categories.

TOP BOOK READ
Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey

MOVIES IN THEATER
Semi Pro
Leatherheads
U2 3D
Four Christmases
Madagascar II

DINING EXPERIENCES
The Cheesecake Factory (2.13)
Pipers Cafe and Grand Manor (4.16)
Fujiyama (5.31)
Pappadeaux (9.6)
The Polo Club (12.24)

SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS
Attend Cubs Opening Day with Dad (3.31)
Bulls win draft lottery (5.20)
Cubs trade for Rich Harden (7.8)
See Ryne Sandberg in person at Chiefs' game (8.2)
Bears ruin Lucas Oil Stadium opener (9.7)

SONGS OF THE YEAR
"Kingdom of Comfort" - Deliriou5?
"Equally Skilled" - Jon Foreman"
"Missing Something" - Autovaughn
"Falling For You" - Leeland
"Yours" (with new verse) - Steven Curtis Chapman

ALBUMS RELEASED
Kingdom of Comfort - Delirou5?
Viva la Vida - Coldplay
Day & Age - The Killers
Jon Foreman - Spring and Summer
Opposite Way - Leeland

MOST LISTENED-TO CDs DURING THE YEAR
Kingdom of Comfort - Delirou5?
Viva la Vida - Coldplay
Opposite Way - Leeland
Sam's Town - The Killers
Never Going Back to OK - The Afters

TOP RANDOM PEOPLE I TALKED TO THROUGH MY JOB
Frank Caliendo
Dan Patrick
Eric Gordon
Helio Castronevez
Marty Brennaman

MUST-HAVE PRODUCT DISCOVERY
ACT Restoring Mouth Wash

VERSE OF THE YEAR
1 Peter 5:10

LYRIC
"Don't let anyone say that it's just a game / For I've seen other teams and it's never the same / When you're born in Chicago you're blessed and you're healed / The first time you walk in to Wrigley Field." - Eddie Vedder ("All The Way")

"I will be patient as the Lord / Punishes me for the wrongs I've done against Him / After that He'll take my case / Bringing me to light and to justice / For all I have suffered / And both of His hands are equally skilled at ruining evil / Equally skilled / At judging the judges / Equally skilled / At administering justice..." - Jon Foreman ("Equally Skilled")

"I've walked the valley of death's shadow / So deep and dark that I could barely breathe / I've had to let go of more than I could bear / And questioned everything that I believe / But still even here / in this great darkness / A comfort and hope come breaking through / As I can say in life or death / God we belong to you." - Steven Curtis Chapman ("Yours" [Maria version])

"You could stay awhile longer / We could stay up and talk about last summer / We could go down to the water / Watch the sunset going under... / You've got nothing I could ever hold against you / I got fatal flaws to call my own / Please don't go, please don't leave me alone / A mirror is so much harder to hold / I met a man who's looking for perfection / Sad he never met a girl who's good enough / His eyes are getting old, like they'd love to love again / Such a lonely man, such a lonely man..." - Jon Foreman ("A Mirror Is Harder To Hold")

QUOTE
"The people who want to make money get paid for what they know. ...if you don't embrace the rate of change by growing your brain, you're going to be left standing on a dusty road with no money in your pocket. You are going to have to be a reader to win. You will be lower income if you're not a reader, if you just used to be a reader...I don't care if you got your Master's degree."-- Dave Ramsey.

MOST DREADED PHRASE OF THE YEAR
"In the new environment..."

OTHER MAIN HIGHLIGHTS
New Year's Eve prayer with Megan at church.
Driving to Bloomington late at night in the snow with Megan.
Walking into Wrigley Field for the first time with Dad.
Playing a reuninon show with Jason.
Sitting on our corner hill--watching a lightning show and listening to the Cubs with Dad.

HUGE DISAPPOINTMENTS
Cubs swept in playoffs.
Chris one-on-one.
Flooding at the station on June 7th.
Election day.
Scrape up Dad's family van in downtown parking garage.
(Busted water pipe at transmitter on December 7th.)
(Kyle Orton hurt; Bears' season derailed.)
(My PEX review at Grainger.)

Saturday, November 1, 2008

LORD HELP US ALL (PRE-ELECTION THOUGHTS)

I keep expecting to wake up from this bad dream. Surely I don’t actually live in a country that is considering putting Barack Obama in the White House. I keep waiting for someone to tell me that this was all just a social experiment, and that the real Presidential candidates will be unveiled soon.

I am waiting for Barack to finally admit that yes, even he realizes he’s horribly inadequate for the job—and that this whole thing was just a study being performed by someone who wanted to see how the nation would react to a complete hack candidate for President.

Because this can’t be real.

I am in awe at the number of people refusing to open their eyes to what a dangerous man this is.

Here’s the thing I find the funniest of all: The sheep-like mentality of the Obama followers. I was raised in a sheltered home, I’ll admit. When I went off to grad school, I found that those of us who were conservative were looked down upon and made to feel inferior because we were still “clinging” to the core values with which we were raised. Those in the learning community who had “broken free” and had taught themselves how to think for themselves naturally ended up on the other side of the fence.

Because it was impossible to actually be a bright mind, and still be a conservative. You can’t be enlightened. You can’t be a forward thinker. You can’t truly decide for yourself, and still end up holding to the same strong values with which you were raised.

Those who were still practicing conservatives were simpletons, naïve, couldn’t think for themselves, and were just spoon-fed.

So…imagine my surprise to see just how willfully and blindly all of those brilliant minds are bowing down at the feet of the most unqualified candidate in history. If there’s one quality that can be found common amongst Obama supporters, it is their refusal to actually think about the situation. Simply put, his name isn’t Bush, and that’s good enough for them.

And so the herd falls in line behind Obama. No matter how unelectable he proves himself to be. No matter how many scary and dangerous realities emerge about this guy. No matter how many scarring things he says about the American people. No matter how many radical ideas he spews. No matter how many times he flat out lies about his past… No matter how many times he flip flops and contradicts himself. He’s not Bush and that’s reason enough for these people to turn their country over to him.

Suddenly all these people who had supposedly taught themselves to think outside the box, are just closing their eyes and running mindlessly into the popular crowd.

And as McCain said of Obama in the second debate; that’s not only naïve, that’s downright dangerous.

And so the tables have turned.

A few years ago if you had told me that the most liberal member of the Senate…with just days in office under his belt, with an extremely shady background and no leadership experience would even have a prayer of getting elected here, I would say Lord help us all.

And that’s what I’m saying now. If you are a believer in fasting and prayer, and are not doing both in earnest at this time, that is irresponsible in my mind. At first I just didn’t like the guy because he was grossly liberal. But now when I consider the vulnerable state in which a guy with ideas like his might put our country, my dislike turns to genuine concern. This is historic stuff. Dangerous doesn’t even begin to do this guy justice.

You might hate George W. Bush (and most everyone does by now), but if there’s one thing that can be said for him to this day…our enemies know where he stands. The same could be said for John McCain. Barack? Now that’s a crapshoot. That’s a big guessing game. This is not the day and age for such a risk. Anything but.

I am not a good political mind. I've never claimed to be. But when someone else gives voice to what I wish I could say eloquently, I can recognize that. I am good at that. So I will be quoting several people here.

Derek and I were chatting online one night about how perplexed we both were that this guy even had a shot. Otherwise clear-thinking people…even well-intentioned Christian people—some people I look up to, just refusing to be rational about this man. This was his theory:

“… do you believe that Obama supporters have a 'faith' in Barack that far surpasses the normal support of candidates we've seen in our lifetimes? Here's my thought: there's several groups of people (particularly those in higher education, African-Americans, and guilt-ridden white people) who have anticipated a viable black candidate for a long time. There's also a group of people (particularly college students and younger Democrats who came of age under Bush) who want desperately to be a part of the generation who affects major change.

These forces have combined to turn the candidacy of Obama into a Messiah-like coronation that borders on cultish. And Obama is smart. He knows how to talk to them. There's a synergism to it all that bothers me.”

And I couldn’t agree more. There’s something at work here. Here’s a young politician who has risen to power quickly on the strength of a couple powerful speeches. He has incredible power over people. He claims to be a Christian but has very questionable character and practices. He’s a smooth talker. He says a lot of nothing. A lot of pie in the sky ideas. And people are falling all over themselves for him.

How many more scenes do you want to see of people downright weeping at his events? Thousands of Germans bowing down before him? A children’s choir singing songs of worship to him? A youth group’s creepy chantings about a better day with Barack? How many more of these chilling scenes do people need to see before they come to their senses? There’s something fishy going on here. He’s got a grip on people, and it’s anything but healthy.

At the Saddleback forum he stuttered, he stammered, he refused to answer questions directly because it cut against him politically.

And the fact that Obama survived the Reverend Wright fiasco says it all. The media made a MUCH bigger deal about Sarah Palin’s wardrobe than the maniac who fed Obama’s spiritual brain for 20 years. The fact that I live in a country that is willing to turn a blind eye to a guy who sat under that kind of “ministry” is enough to make me want to puke.

And as Derek emailed to me: “True or false: Friends of Barack Obama's late mother, who Obama claims shaped his political philosophy, say that she harbored Communist sympathies… True or false: Obama's father was a Muslim, his mother an atheist/agnostic, and his sister is married to a Buddhist.” (The answer to Derek’s “true or false” game is always true, by the way…)

Oh but there is one. I have found one person willing to think this through. One of the biggest democrats I met at Baylor recently wrote this on his facebook page: “(I fear) the coming defenseless, socialist, abortion-on-demand society.” Another day he wrote, “(I refuse) to be complicit as a taxpayer in a taxpayer funded abortion procedure, which would be the case if Obama wins and passes the Freedom of Choice Act.”

This guys gets it.

Another guy I knew at Baylor wrote: “I have never heard someone talk so well and much and never say anything at all.”

And you know what I fear on a personal level? The return of this stinkin’ “Fairness” Doctrine. As someone who makes my living in radio, the Fairness Doctrine would flat out destroy my radio station. There’s a reason why people like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin are insanely popular. And there’s a reason why Al Franken was exposed for the hack he is and went off the air. Because conservative talk radio works. Obama and Pelosi could easily destroy the large amount of momentum that our radio station has right now with their attempt at “fairness.” Makes me sick This country could turn into something very very ugly. Something that doesn’t even resemble itself.

Oh my Obama complaints are many. I thought initially I would try to document all the reasons this guy is completely unelectable. But the list has grown so extensively in recent days that I’m just exhausted. But the sing-songy condescending tone of voice he uses...his absolute inability to speak off teleprompter... I heard someone say that Obama's a piece of art and not an actual presidential candidate. Well put.

Even if ONE of these (well-documented) character issues is even close to being accurate, that should be enough said. The fact that there are dozens and that they keep piling on, well... You tell me.

The truth is, the media hand-picked this guy. They picked him over Hillary and they got their wish. Now they’ve already decided he’s beaten McCain, and I’ve already seen that it’s crushing the spirits of some conservatives.

If these poll projections keep people from the voting booth, that is brutal. The media would have you to think it is a done deal. It is anything but. And I’m sure the exit polls will show an Obama landslide early Tuesday as well. Just like they did for John Kerry in 2004. Let not your heart be troubled. Vote. A thousand times I say, vote. The media has decided this race. The American people have not. Yet.

With all that said, I’ll leave you with this paragraph I found:

“Obama/Biden is a very dangerous choice for our country...he is a very attractive candidate and a lot of people have fallen for the hype...his stances are obviously VERY liberal which isn't the most awful thing in the world, but it when it comes to moral issues, he seems to be light years away from where I am...I could never vote for someone like that. He is a big government guy, which I have never been a fan of, and he is all about raising taxes, which is not the answer to most economical issues...including our current economic state. I hope people are educated enough to know the candidates for who they really are and not how good of a show they can put on. 75k people in a stadium is a pretty amazing thing for a politician...but it absolutely does not mean that he is the right person to lead our country during some of its toughest times. At the end of the day, God knows and His plan will come to pass...I am not one to over-spiritualize anything, but we need God's will for this election...now more than ever.”

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Oh...and because I couldn't have said it any better myself, please see this email exchange between two of my friends from undergrad:

"Am I the only one befuddled by what I'm seeing around me? Has there ever been a groundswell of stupidity in the history of our country that could even come close to rivaling this one? I have grown weary of the sentiments expressed (in an Obama video), but I am perhaps more exasperated by the otherwise sane people I know that each day add to those already lined up with palm branches ready. Colin Powell? Christian leaders, including Anderson University's current Spiritual Emphasis Week speaker? Some of my very good, and otherwise analytically sound friends?

The hope and joy in these peoples' eyes are the marks of those who believe themselves to be, in some way, on the cusp of redemption. I believe there is no more fundamental common denominator in the human experience than the longing for redemption; it spans cultures and historical epochs. It drives people to do things both good and bad, and has been wielded as a weapon more than 'religion' or perhaps even 'fear'. Barack Obama, and any human for that matter, is completely incapable of providing the kind of significant redemption each of us is searching for. To believe otherwise is not simply an abandonment of logic, but also the stubborn expression of infantile faith in something far more fanciful than the Creator of the universe being born in a manger to a virgin...

Are any of you feeling even a tenth of the frustration I am right now?"

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And the reply...

"I agree with your assessment and frustration. To the best of my knowledge, America has never had a candidate with the ability to turn the minds of so many to such mush and who has such control over so many. If that is cult-like language, so be it. Here's what worries me if Obama gets elected. If he screws up, will it even be acknowledged? Are the viewpoints of people like us going to be marginalized by the voices we'll be hearing? Will a "fairness doctrine" be re-enacted since many liberal opinion voices can't fairly succeed in an arena that requires large numbers of viewers and/or listeners? One of the New Mexico senators brought it up just today. The reaction to Obama has turned NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN into the closest thing I've ever seen to state TV in America. We thought the media was biased in the past. As it turns out, we hadn't seen anything. In my most worried moments, I wonder what happens if such a doctrine silences some dissenting voices, while the pro-left voices shape the conversation for a next political generation..."

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Count Me Out

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Count me out of the group of Cub fans who thought this season was going to be handed to them. Count me out of the group who thought that September would simply be a victory lap. Count me out of those who weren't greatly concerned about some aspects of this team--even when they were 35 games over. Count me out of the guys who got all excited when the Cubs had built up an eye-popping record at the end of a home game-heavy first couple of months.

I've always prided myself in being an even-keel Cub fan. And I think that has come particularly in handy this year. Sure those gaudy records atop the MLB standings all season long have been nice. But not comfortable. Never comfortable.

And while you're at it, count me out of the woe-is-us Cub fan crowd. No I don't believe in curses. No I don't believe in wait 'til next year. And no I don't believe in "this is our year." I just like Cubs baseball. It's that simple. Some people stop following their baseball teams once they're eliminated or if they're not having a winning season. Those aren't baseball fans. Baseball fans care 162 times. They don't take a day off. Even meaningless games in September. When the Cubs were a 60-win team...I listened/watched to the end. If the Cubs were to clinch the division early this year, I'll watch the meaningless games before the playoffs begin.

Count me out of the group waiting for the other shoe to drop. The national media is talking of this antsy, paranoid Cub fan--apparently half-covering his eyes, afraid to look. Who is this guy? I just like to watch the games and root for them. Count me out of those who think a choke is waiting to happen. And count me out of those wondering how they'll let us down this year. I'm only in my 20s. I don't know a hundred years of suffering. I don't even know decades of suffering for that matter. I don't know Leon Durham. I don't know 1969. I know no goat. All I know is that Dad raised me to enjoy Cubs baseball. All I know is a franchise that hasn't won it all, but has been reasonably successful since I've been alive. A playoff appearance this season would mean three in the last six years. I know a lot of teams who would take that in a second. So no...I'm not apprehensive about what's around the corner. If they lose, they lose. But this is the '08 team. Its own roster. What does Steve Bartman have to do with Ryan Theriot? How does Geovany's Soto success or failure relate at all to Alex Gonzalez? It doesn't. This is this group. This season.

A Reds' TV announcer said the other that this run to the playoffs might not be the cakewalk that all Cub fans thought it would be. Is the guy insane? (Well...I know he is because earlier he had called the fans who had taken the time to travel to Cincinnati for the weekend "fairweather fans." I know this...if there's one fan base in the entire scope of sport that can NEVER be called fairweather, it would be Cub fans.) But anyway...any Cub fan I talked to who actually knew anything about baseball knew this thing might come down to the final week.

Anyone who actually glanced at this September schedule knew that--the Cubs had no choice but to get out to that outrageous start! September was FULL of games on the road against teams with winning records. So no, I didn't get ahead of myself when the Cubs went out and did what they absolutely had to do...win almost all of their home games early. I've been dreading the September series at Shea Stadium all year. I'm the guy who's said you better have at least a three game lead over Milwaukee heading to Miller park the final weekend of the season. Just to be safe.

But also...with the Cubs' recent slide and offensive woes...how is it a surprise? This is a team that has flirted with the best record all season long--without guys having good seasons. Carlos Zambrano has been hurt. Twice. Alfonso Soriano has been hurt. Twice. And his numbers are way down this year. Aramis Ramirez' production is not nearly what it should be. Derrek Lee is going for the world record in hitting into double plays and only has 19 HRs. Jim Edmonds is hitting in the .230s. Kosuke Fukudome is so bad he can't even stay in the lineup. Anybody who is just now starting to get concerned about the holes in this roster hasn't been paying much attention.

So...provided that the Cubs make it to the playoffs, I won't be surprised at anything. I do think they're better than in 2007, so hopefully they don't get swept again. When they got swept out of the playoffs 3-0 by Arizona last year everyone was beside themselves. How could they choke like that?!?!? Really? Choke? That was only an 85-win team last year! They had a lot of three game losings streaks during the course of the year. In fact, the Marlins (the 66-90 Marlins, by the way) swept them in the final week of the season--games the Cubs felt like they had to win!!! So why wouldn't the division-winning Diamondbacks be able to do the same?

Someone remarked to me the other day--discussing the Cubs good season so far. "I just hope they don't choke in the playoffs." I was like...well good teams beat good teams every year in the playoffs. Baseball is a weird game. The playoffs are always a crapshoot. Every year there are seven good teams that get sent packing from the postseason. Who's to say? It's baseball. Anyone can beat anyone. The Mariners even beat the Angels this year. It's baseball. Especially in a best of five.

You just want to get to the postseason. That's the tough part. Just get there. After that, you gotta hope the ball bounces your way a few times here and there. But once you reset those records at 0-0, nothing's guaranteed. I'll take my chances with Ryan Dempster and Geovany soto and Mark DeRosa and Carlos Marmol. But win or lose, this group has accomplished a ton of special things during the course of a grueling baseball season.

Monday, July 14, 2008

ALL STAR BREAK THOUGHTS

I have seldomly looked forward to an All-Star game so much as I am this year. As I wrote to a friend the other day, I am really enjoying this baseball season. I'm fascinated by the Josh Hamilton story and the Chipper Jones chase. Edinson Volquez' ungodly low ERA. The Rich Harden trade. The Rays, A's, and Marlins overachieving. And much more. It's been just a joy to be a baseball fan so far this year.

What about this...what if Josh Hamilton led off for the AL and the NL pitcher was Edinson Volquez? That would be fitting. Either way...I'm rooting for Josh Hamilton in the HR derby and expect big things from him. The avenues he's had recently to share his testimony have been amazing.

People wondered if the Rich Harden move was reactionary. Not a chance. Anyone who thinks that those few days (between the Sabathia move and the Cubs' trade) were enough to put together something that monumental doesn't know much about the way it works. The Cubs have coveted Harden for a long time now, and have been scouting him for weeks. It just all came together last Tuesday.

And me? I've been clamoring for a true number two starter for a long time. The day they signed Lilly...I said he wasn't a legitimate number two. He's a perfect three or four. Then the next signing was Jason Marquis and I realize they DID plan on using Lilly as the two behind Zambrano. Last year he went out and won 15 games and proved me wrong. And still...this year the way the rotation was constructed...I wanted a number two starter. I've said it since day one. The Cubs have done all this without the benefit of an imposing starting rotation. And now they have one. I didn't want to go toward the playoffs with the rotation as it was.

Harden has long been one of my favorite non-Cubs. But people say this is the second coming of the Mark Prior fiasco. Hey I welcome that!! To have a second chance at a Mark Prior-type talent is a dream. And he's that kind of pitcher. Every year I would follow his success because I knew he had a chance to be truly great. I would always put him on my fantasy team at the beginning of the season thinking "this" was the year he would put it all together. And he still hasn't. But to think that he's a Cub is still very exciting. And you absolutely have to make that trade. Harden's arm may fall off tomorrow. And I still make that trade. You have to. The Cubs may or may not win it all, but if you have any bullets remaining at the end, something's wrong.

And they STILL didn't have to give up anything. About a week and a half before the trade, I asked Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus (before he went on the air with us) if the Cubs had a chance at Harden. "Oh heavens no," he replied quickly. "Billy's going to ask the world for him." So in my mind when I did hear the Cubs were pursuing him, I thought the Cubs would have to package Felix Pie, Rich Hill, Donnie Veal, and Ronny Cedeno to even get Billy talking! When in reality, the Cubs kept ALL their top prospects!!! Even Tyler Colvin, Jeff Samardzija, AND Josh Vitters. Unbelievable.

Eric Patterson? A guy with decent speed and no position. He wasn't going to contribute for a long long time. Sean Gallagher? He probably could've been a good one but he wasn't going to be a difference maker this year. Josh Donaldson? Draft a couple more good hitting catchers next year. And Matt Murton? A one-tool player. And the fact that "Billy" threw in Chad Gaudin is almost too much to take at this point.

What do I want from here? A left handed power hitter? Another front line starter? No. I want two things. I want one more setup guy. And I want a proven playoff role player. I know the Cub bullpen has been good, but if you can go out and get a Brian Fuentes or Scott Downs, you have to. That bullpen needs to be a little deeper I think. A month ago the Cub bullpen was the strength of the team. Now? Marmol is lost out there. Howry still hasn't got it right. Wuertz just got sent down. Cotts hasn't been consistent yet this year. Hart's been up and down between Iowa and Chicago. Scott Eyre is on the DL, and Wood is always one pitch from being there. Jose Ascanio isn't the answer, and John Lieber wasn't brought here for short relief. Chad Gaudin will help. But get me another guaranteed eighth inning guy who can also close in an emergeny before you start talking playoffs.

And the proven role player? I don't think the Cubs need to make a big splash for a center fielder or some such. If they do add another hitter, find someone who has done if before in October. Why? Because Soriano and Ramirez went oh for everything last October. This year feels different, sure. But if you're going to add anything on offense, find someone who is consistent but not flashy. Who has been to the postseason and performed well. Because if the big hitters start to gag on it again this Fall, I want to know there's someone else there to pick them up.

This is as vested as I've ever been in the result of the All Star game. I still haven't decided how I feel about the event deciding home field advantage in the World Series, but since it is that way...it's high time for the NL to end the drought. As I've said many times, I've never been a "this is our year" kind of Cub fan. But then again they've never had the best record in the majors at the All Star break in my life. So while I'm not convinced that this is our year, I sure wouldn't mind the National League winning the All-Star game in case the Cubs do get to the World Series. As differently as they play at Wrigley, I sure would feel a lot better--if they get that far--about starting the Fall Classic there.

And so that's why I don't want Kosuke Fukudome playing in my All Star game. That's everything that's wrong with the All Star voting. A bunch of simpletons voting for a .280 hitter with 7 HRs and 30 RBIs. And yet...in a potentially very important starting lineup...there he is. No thanks. He's not an All Star. Neither is Marmol. Six weeks ago he was. Six weeks ago he was by far the most important player on the Cubs team. Now? I don't want him even sniffing that mound at Yankee Stadium Tuesday night.

Anyway, here's to a 9-5 National League win.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Rose or Beasley?

As you might imagine, I’ve been asked that a couple (dozen) times the last month or so. And at the risk of sounding entirely clichéd, it’s a good problem to have. I’ll admit I only half paid attention to the NBA draft lottery. But that didn’t stop be from still picturing Michael Beasley in a Bull uniform even before they won the thing.

During the actual college basketball regular season, Michael Beasley stood above them all. Dick Vitale proudly and loudly proclaimed him the best player in college basketball hands down—no small feat considering Beasley forced Dickie V to glance outside the ACC for a brief moment.

And I loved watching him play. I found him to be must-see television. I would try to make it a point to tune in every time I saw that K-State was going to be on. The guy went off for 44 points against Baylor in the Ferrell Center (but Baylor still won). I won’t soon forget that performance. And it’s not like Baylor has a lack of interior presence. But he scored in every which way that night.

They told me he was 6’10. I couldn’t believe how smooth he was. Even when the ball was knocked away from him, his ability to keep his composure was uncanny. He would collect the ball, and somehow get up a respectable shot amidst the chaos. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a college player with the ability to get a ball up on the rim with a good chance to go in with the kind of ease with which Beasley did regularly. Then he would step out and drain a three the next possession.

His length was evident. He was a superb rebounder. His numbers screamed prototypical power forward. But his play goes beyond that. He can be at the top of the paint, suddenly lean in, and seemingly have a gimme short-shot. And he could handle the ball.

All the mock drafts had Beasley at the top. The Miami Heat would take him once they won the lottery. And I was sold. He was the next great big man in the NBA. A pure scorer and a dominant rebounder.

Now he’s measuring out at 6’7. What? He’s not a thundering 6’10 inside presence? You mean he’s two inches shorter than the Bulls’ small forward (Luol Deng)?

For how long have we been saying that the Bulls just need that one legitimate inside scoring presence? It’s been the missing piece every since John Paxson assembled this group! They’ve got all the other parts. Including a big crop of above-average perimeter players.

You don’t need Derrick Rose! You can find a great guard rotation out of what you have. Seriously. The last thing the Bulls need is another guard. What’s wrong with Kirk Hinrich, Chris Duhon, Thabo Sefalosha, Larry Hughes, Ben Gordon, JamesOn Curry and company? You’re going to throw another guard into that mix when you’ve needed a big man so desperately? And now that big man has fallen right into your lap in the form of a lucky ping pong ball.

Beasley is the perfect answer to many a Bulls fan’s prayers for the better part of a decade. Like I said, he’s must-see TV. He’s a star in the making. He looks like a star. He talks like one. He walks like one. Seriously…watch him walk up and down the court. He’s a star. He’s got great swagger.

And is the fact that Derrick Rose is a Chicago kid and wants to play at the UC reason enough to cram another guard with good potential on to the roster?

I’ve heard that Derrick Rose is “Jason Kidd with a jump shot.” What’s Jason Kidd ever won? I’ve heard that Derrick Rose is the next Chris Paul. The next Deron Williams. I like both those guys fine enough, but what championships do they have?

Then again…they say Michael Beasley projects as a Carmelo Anthony type in the NBA. When put in those terms, he becomes slightly less impressive. Carmelo won at Syracuse. He hasn’t come across as much of a winner ever since.

So back to Rose…they say you need one of “that kind” of dynamic point guard to win in today’s NBA. That’s funny…can you name the point guards on the two teams in the NBA finals?? They were distant role players at best. Especially the one on the winning team.

And then there’s Kirk Hinrich. Kirk is my second favorite Bull in history (next to Hersey Hawkins out of Bradley). I’m a huge fan. I have a Kirk Hinrich bobblehead. I have a Kirk Hinrich j-shirt. I think he’s a terrific representative of Bulls’ basketball and an overachieving player.

That said, he had a perfectly horrific season last year. He had a huge game against the Pacers one night. Other than that he did next to nothing right.

But two years ago he was fantastic. I still think he’s a special player. He’s the captain, and I think if the Bulls do return to glory, Hinrich needs to be a big part of that. I shudder to think of Hinrich in another uniform.

So yeah, that does factor in to my opinion. Drafting Rose removes Kirk from the quarterback position, and I don’t like that at all. Not even a little.

I guess you could move Kirk over to shooting guard. He’s always been kind of a combo guard anyway. And when he gets his confidence, he can be a reliable shooter. He’s a scrappy defender as well. Then you could bring Larry Hughes and Thabo off the bench and cancel Ben Gordon from your plans.

That would work. They say Rose is a good finisher. That’s something the Bulls need from the guard position. When I saw Memphis play last year I found Rose to be what I call an intentional dribbler. He doesn’t waste bounces. Even I can admit that Hinrich falls into patterns of aimless dribbling a little too often.

So maybe he could bring some purpose to the offense.

Because the Bulls’ roster was so impressive on paper that everyone picked them to win the East last year. And yes, it is an imposing roster on paper. But it translated into a miserable season. So maybe a true point guard with good size who can bring some direction to the offense is exactly what was missing all along.

Still…how in the world do you pass up Michael Beasley?

Beasley will have an immediate offensive impact and likely win rookie of the year. But Rose? Combine him with an already-established roster and you could be on the threshold of some major winnings.

Seems like Pax has made up his mind. And I don’t think its Mr. Beasley. Rose seems like the wise choice. Beasley seems like the very un-Bull-like home run.

So please Pax, do the mature thing and draft Derrick Rose. And if you screw up and draft Michael Beasley, I’ll be the first to jump for joy.