Some Baseball

With the White Sox edging out a 1-0 pitchers' duel against the Twins, the playoff picture is finally set for the 2008 MLB postseason. Jim Thome delivered the decisive blow with a towering homer to deep center field. Starting pitcher John Danks pitched a gem with eight shutout innings. He then handed it off to Bobby Jenks who went 1-2-3 to close it out and make the Chicago White Sox the 2008 AL Central Division Champions. Just a week ago, the White Sox had a 2 1/2 game lead over the Twins and effectively needed one win in Minnesota to wrap things up. Instead, they proceeded to go on a 5-game losing streak which would make them fall into second and stare elimination right in the face. But that would not be the end for the White Sox. They became the first team in baseball history to close out the season by winning three games against three different teams, completing their unlikely path to the postseason. Ozzie and the men in black must now turn their attention to the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that beat them 6 of 10 this season.

Enough about that team from the other side of town, what I really want to talk about is the fact that my Chicago Cubs are in the postseason back-to-back years for the first time since 1908. Oh, yeah, that's also the last time they won the World Series. It's like they say, anybody can have a bad century. The past is the past, and in the present it would be hard to argue that the Cubs are not the best team in the National League. So what makes this team's chances better than the 99 before them? It all starts at home. The Cubs have often had a reputation of being road warriors, but this year the Cubs won 55 games at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. The Cubs will have home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs, and that alone gives them a great chance to make it to the World Series for the first time since 1945. What's that? They got swept last year? Yeah, they did. The 2007 team had the worst record of all 8 playoff teams that year, and got to the playoffs by marching through a very weak NL Central Division. This year, the division was much improved, and not only did the Cubs win again, they won decisively.

Here are the top 5 improvements to the 2008 team:

5. Offseason acquisitions- In the offseason, Jim Hendry made spectacular moves in signing the Cubs' first Japanese player Kosuke Fukudome, and a great role player in Reed Johnson. Both players significantly improved the hitting and defense of the team. Also, draft pick Jeff Samardzija has been a key in middle relief.

4. Jim Edmonds- they were further complimented by the addition of Jim Edmonds. As a Cardinal, Edmonds was one of the most hated, and feared, players by Cub fans, but after being let go by St. Louis and having a poor run in San Diego, Edmonds found himself a free agent. Jim added some valuable veteran leadership to the bench, and came through in several clutch situations throughout the season, including a game winning home run against St. Louis.

3. Geovany Soto- With rookie of the year candidate Geovany Soto as the backstop for an excellent pitching staff, the Cubs fill a huge hole that they had last season. Soto has shown the poise of a veteran behind the plate and been a monster with the bat.

2. Rich Harden- The Cubs' rotation was solid to start the year, but many critics said that one more great starter could really make a difference between a good rotation and a great one. Hendry fixed that hole when he pulled of a six-player deal that would send Rich Harden to the north side. Since being traded he is 10-2 with a 2.07 ERA

1. Rotation/Closer shake-up- The most significant change from last year involved two players who had already been on the roster for several years. The decision to move Ryan Dempster out of his closer role to the starting rotation was a contriversial one, but he ended up winning 17 games and has an ERA under 3. Along with that move came the transitition of long-time Cub Kerry Wood into the closer role. While Kerry has developed a reputation for dramatics, he finished the regular season with 34 saves and a 3.26 ERA.

There is no doubt that this is the best chance for a Cubs championship any of us (under 100 years old) have ever seen. So what stands in their way? Here are the top 5 concerns for Cub fans.

5. Kosuke Fukudome- Kosuke, who had been a hit machine early in the year, really struggled towards the end. This puts Lou in the tough position of deciding whether to keep him in the line-up, or use one of the talented utility players on his bench in his place. If Kosuke can hit like he did earlier in the year, it could be the difference in getting the run production the Cubs need.

4. Streaky Hitting- The Cubs must avoid going on a cold streak with their bats. The team batting avg. is highest in decades, but overall they went through many slumps and hot streaks. Let's hope the bats are hot in October.

3. Middle Relief- In many ways, Marmol has become the premiere set-up man in the NL. However, he has shown that the pressure can sometimes get to him. Marmol, Howry, Wuertz, Cotts, and the rest of the gang must be able to bridge the gap between the starters and Kerry Wood. Otherwise, it could be a short postseason for the Cubbies.

2. Injuries- Alfonso Soriano has already served two stints on the DL this year, and Cubs can not afford to lose him in the playoffs. Also, starting pitchers Rich Harden and Carlos Zambrano have appeared fragile at times during the regular season. It is imperitive that the rotation remain intact if the Cubs are going to win the World Series.

1. History- The players must put out of their minds everything that has happened in the last 53 years since Billy Sianis claimed that he cursed the Cubs because they wouldn't let his goat inside the ballpark. Curses do not really exist, but players' psyches do, and I can't help but believe that the 2003 players let things crawl inside of their heads after Steve Bartman inadvertently disallowed Moises Alou to attempt catch a foul pop up.

If the Cubs can manage to not let any of these things hurt them, there is nothing stopping them from becoming World Champions.

What's on Wednesday?
Of course, it is a playoff baseball triple-header on TBS.
2CT Milwaukee Brewers (Gallardo 0-0) at Philadelphia Phillies (Hamels 14-10)
5:30CT Los Angeles Dodgers (Derek Lowe 14-11) at CHICAGO CUBS (Dempster 17-6)
9CT Boston Red Sox (Lester 12-6) at Los Angeles Angels (Lackey 12-5)

Survivor returns

Last Thursday, TV's longest running reality competition show returned with a two-hour season premiere. The 17th installment, Survivor: Gabon, takes us to one of earth's last untouched regions. This African nation is commonly referred to as earth's last Eden for its pristine tropical landscapes. Jeff Probst, fresh off his Emmy win for reality host, welcomed 18 Americans to this mysterious land, and at the end of 39 days one will win $1 million and be crowned Ultimate Survivor.

In order to divide the castaways into two tribes, they did a schoolyard pick. The two eldest members, Bob, a physics teacher, and Gillian, a nurse, were selected as captains. After the selection was complete, it seemed that the Kota tribe had a strength advantage, which is huge in the early rounds of "Survivor." This proved to be the case as the Kota tribe destroyed the Fang tribe in the first challenge, winning Kota a large bag of corn and beans. Kota continued to show their prowess with another convincing victory in the first immunity challenge, sending Fang to tribal council.

At the first tribal council, Fang was clearly frustrated. The losing streak resulted in fighting and petty squabbles. Probst tried to get the tribe back on the right track by asking them to choose a leader, and when G.C., a maintenance supervisor from Oregon, was chosen, it seemed as though there may still be hope for Fang. Michelle, a music producer from California, had been projecting a very bad attitude and distancing herself from the group, and this behavior resulted in her being the first person voted out of "Survivor: Gabon."

Regrouped and in much higher spirits, the Fang tribe looked ready to take on Kota at the next challenge. Fang battled very closely, but in the end it was Kota that again would win reward and immunity. As a result, Dan, a lawyer from Boston, was sent to Exile Island. When a tribe member is sent to exile, they are cut off from the tribe, but on the island is a hidden immunity idol that a player could use to protect themselves from elimination. Dan was not able to figure out the clue that was given to him, and the idol wasn't found.

Later that night, Fang went to their second tribal council. With the Fang tribe now realizing that they needed to cut some dead weight if they were going to compete in the challenges, it was Gillian, a grandmother from California, which got the axe and became the second person voted out of Gabon.

From the onset it appeared that Kota had the advantage, and that resulted in their dominance through the first episode. The Fang tribe must regroup and try to act as a team, or they will be picked off one by one. Survivor is on every Thursday at 8/7c on CBS.

- Meet the cast here!

What's On? How I Met Your Mother at 8:30/7:30c on CBS

Emmy news and HIMYM Returns!

History was made last night as Mad Men took home top honors as best drama at the Emmys. It became the first basic cable show to ever win the award. 30 Rock was the big winner on the comedy side, where broadcast television is still king...for now. Other winners included The Daily Show for best variety show and Jeff Probst of Survivor for the first ever reality competition host award. For more on the Emmys, check out the article below at starpulse.com.

http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/09/22/low_rated_mad_men_and_30_rock_win_top_em

What's On?
Tonight CBS comedy Monday is all-new with one of the best line-ups on broadcast television. First at 8/7c it's the second season of The Big Bang Theory. In the finale, Penny finally agreed to go on a date with Leonard. Will it work out? Then at 8:30/7:30c, my favorite show How I Met Your Mother returns for a fourth season. The last episode closed by Ted proposing to his girlfriend Stella. What will her response be, and is Barney in love with Robin? At 9/8c broadcast television's most watched comedy returns with Two and a Half Men. Lastly, the new show Worst Week premieres at 9:30/8:30c and features Kurtwood Smith, Red Foreman from That 70's Show. If the actual show is as funny as the promos and sneak peaks, this could be a good one. CSI:Miami is a rerun. It all starts tonight at 8/7c on CBS.

One week from All-new Thursday TV

Because movies come out on Fridays, Thursdays became the high-demand night for advertising time on television. Through the years, this prompted the networks to put their best shows on Thursday night. This season is no different, as the big networks break out their best next neek for all-new episodes. The 9/8c timeslot is so jampacked that DVRs will be working overtime all across the country.

Thursday night lineups for the big three

CBS
8/7c Survivor: Gabon
9/8c CSI:
10/9c The Eleventh Hour

NBC
8/7c My Name is Earl
8:30/7:30c 30 Rock
9/8c The Office
9:30/8:30 SNL specials
10/9c ER

ABC
8/7c Ugly Betty
9/8c Grey's Anatomy
10/9c Life on Mars

If you've never watched Survivor, or it has been a while, maybe it's time to come back and check it out. This fall, Jeff Probst takes 18 castaways to the mysterious country of Gabon. The land has been nicknamed "Earth's last Eden" for its largely untouched, tropical landscape. The hidden immunity idol and the deep psychological nature of the game have made Survivor the most exciting reality competition show on TV.

OK, so you're not into Survivor? Well you're in luck because you won't have to turn the dial far to find three of TV's best comedies back-to-back-to-back. Starting at 8/7c Jason Lee returns as Earl Hickey on My Name is Earl. The new season has been dubbed "back to the list," since Earl had gotten away from doing his list last season because of being in jail. After getting out of jail, Earl was hit by a car and sent into a coma. Now that he has recovered, Earl is ready to earn some good karma by tackling his list once again. Seth Green guest stars. Then, at 8:30/7:30c, 30 Rock starts its third season. 30 Rock is easily the best show on tv that no one ever watches. The show won best comedy Emmy last year after being only the #102 watched show on TV. Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin star in this show about the behind-the-scenes work at a late night comedy show. This is a very funny show and I strongly urge anyone who loves to laugh to watch. Last but definitely not least is The Office, regarded by many as the best sitcom on TV. Steve Carell returns as the incredulous Michael Scott for another year of workplace shenanigans.

For more about either of the new shows coming out, The Eleventh Hour and Life on Mars, check out my post about new fall shows from back in July.

Of course, established ratings winners CSI: and Grey's Anatomy return Thursdays this fall. For more on the new era of CSI:, see my post from ealier this month.

What's On?
Catch up on how the last seasons of My Name is Earl and The Office wraped up with reairings of their season finales tonight starting at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

House returns

Hugh Laurie brings us another season of the sadistic, maniacal, and brilliant Dr. Gregory House when House M.D. kicks off its fifth season tonight at a new time, Tuesdays 8/7c on FOX. House is one of the best characters on television, and Laurie has earned two golden globes and a sag award for the role. The flawed characters are always the most intriguing, and there aren't many that are more flawed than House. In the closing two-part episode of last season, Wilson's fiance Amber died after it was revealed she had a rare desease and that it was too late to save her. Sneak peaks reveal that in the new season opener, Wilson is considering resigning from his post as head oncologist at the Princeton Medical Center. Wilson has been an important character over the first four seasons of House, and in many ways he has been responsible for protecting House from himself. The writing on House is drama at its finest, creating a level of intensity rarely seen on television. I am excited to see what the new season has to bring.

What's On?
All-new House M.D. at 8/7c on FOX, two hours of World Series of Poker on ESPN

The Big Bang Theory all new this fall, on before HIMYM

The Big Bang Theory comes back this fall after an excellent freshman run. BBT is the story of two UCLA grad students, Leonard and Sheldon, and their friends Howard and Raj. Things get interesting for Leonard when the blonde bombshell Penny (Kaley Cuoco of 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter) moves in across the hall. Leonard of course has a crush on Penny, but she is way out of his league. Leonard settles for being friends with Penny, but his feelings don't change. In the final episode of season one, Penny had broken up with her controlling boyfriend. When Leonard finally sums up the courage to ask Penny on a date, she isn't sure what to say. After consulting Sheldon about the matter, Sheldon goes through an analogy using Schrodinger's cat to describe that the relationship could be viewed as either good or bad, and that it is only after trying that they will know the answer. This is just a slice of the geek humor that is executed so perfectly on this show. When Leonard comes to pick Penny up for their first date, Penny kisses him and reacts by saying, "The cat's alive!"

The Big Bang Theory's writing flawlessly captures the awkwardness of nerds and creates several very funny situations. Season 1 was just released on DVD. I highly recommend that people looking for a good laugh catch up and get ready for the second season, which premieres Monday September 22nd at 8/7c, right before my favorite show, How I Met Your Mother.

I recently made a post about the show Pushing Daisies, which will make a long-awaited return this October after a hiatus due to the WGA strike. I made a couple of mistakes in my posting, as were pointed out by the reader AJ. He also made a couple of good comments about the show. Here is what he had to say:

On Pushing Daisies, Chuck's dad died when Ned brought his mom back to life, not Digby. When Digby stayed alive longer than 1 minute it was either a bird or squirrel that died. As stated in the show, the individual that dies as a result of another staying alive longer than a minute is usually something in the area and of a similar size.

Routinely on the show are Chuck's Aunts (Swoosie Kurtz & Ellen Greene) who are former synchronize swimmers who took care of Chuck after her father died. They believe that Chuck is still dead.

Also, it should be said that Olive is played by Kristin Chenoweth!

Great review of the show! I will also echo the statement that this show is a unique and amazing experience.

Thanks for the help AJ! Pushing Daisies returns Wednesdays this October on ABC.

What's On?
The 2008 NFL Season is underway, and the Sunday Night Football Game of the Week features my Chicago Bears in Indianapolis at the brand new Lucas Oil Stadium against Peyton Manning and the Colts. SNF is on NBC every Sunday this fall at 8/7c.

Pilots: 90210, Raising the Bar

The Fall TV season is upon us, and several new shows will be looking to find their audience. Two heavily promoted shows made their debuts this week.

A new generation of 90120 has hit the silver screen after months of hype. The two hour season premiere actually didn't air in the Chicagoland area at its normal time because of the Cubs-Astros game. It instead was on from midnight to 2am, so many in the Chicago area probably have not yet seen it. Nationally the show did quite well, earning the CW their first ever win in the 18-45 demographic. So, did the show live up to the hype?

The new 90210 is the story of Harry Wilson moving his family from Kansas to his hometown of Beverly Hills, CA after taking the job as principal at his old stomping grounds, West Beverly Hills High. Of course, Harry isn't the center of attention. It is his daughter, Annie, and adopted son Dixon that are the main characters. In the two-hour season premiere, Annie and Dixon adapt to their new surroundings, make friends, and get a taste of the Beverly Hills life. The dialogue writing was at times poor and the acting in some spots may have suffered a bit because of it, but the overall story I thought was all you could ask for in a guilty pleasure show such as this. I never watched the original, so I can't really give any insight into what old fans might think of this new version. However, I feel that 90210 will be able to find its niche TV audience and have a good run.

TNT debuted the new courtroom drama, Raising the Bar, on Monday. Mark-Paul Gosselaar stars as Jerry Kellerman, a public defender in Manhattan. Know you've seen that guy before and you can't figure it out? It's Zack from Saved By the Bell. The pilot was a very compelling story about Kellerman trying to prove the inocence of a man who has been wrongfully identified in a rape case by a racist cop. Jane Kaczmarek (the mom from Malcolm in the Middle) plays the strict Judge Kessler, who is giving Kellerman very little leeway in her courtroom. When Kellerman realizes there is a good chace his defendant is going to be sent away for a crime he didn't commit, he blasts Kessler for not standing up for justice, and finds himself in a jail cell on contempt of court. Eventually, a friend of Kellerman's who works for the D.A.'s office smooth talks the Judge, and cooler heads prevail. Kellerman is let out of court, and his defendant is pled to a lesser charge and given time served. The main characters of Raising the Bar include people on both sides of the bench, making it decidedly different from most courtroom dramas. Usually, you are given one side to root for. Here, you get to see both public defenders and assistant district attourneys in their daily battle in the justice system. The acting of Gosselaar was very powerful, and the writing really pulled at your heartstrings. I am very impressed by this pilot, and am interested to see what else they have in store. Raising the Bar finds itself in a tough timeslot, as it will eventually be put up against CSI: Miami. However, it is a basic cable show, so it will not have to live up to the ratings standards of a big network. New episodes of Raising the Bar air every Monday at 10/9c on TNT.

What's On?
If you missed the premiere of the new 90210, they are reairing it tonight at 8/7c on the CW network.

A new era of CSI:

William Petersen, a Chicago native, has been starring as Gil Grissom on the CBS hit CSI: Crime Scene Investigation since it came on the air as a Friday night fledgling in 2000. Since then, it has climbed to the top tier of television and into the highly competitive Thursday 9/8c timeslot. CSI:'s new brand of crime mystery drama was the launch pad for dozens of other copy cat shows, including spin-offs CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. After 9 seasons, CSI: still remains in the top ten of the Nielsen Ratings, pulling in 17 million viewers per episode, and Grissom has been there every step of the way as a leader and mentor for the criminalists at the LVPD. That era will come to an end this season when William Petersen leaves the show. Until now the main cast was left largely intact. With Jorja Fox (Sarah Sidle) leaving the show last season and Gary Dourdan's character, Warrick Brown, being shot in the last episode, this really feels like a dividing point for CSI:. While CSI: started as a purely story driven show, we have really gotten to know the CSIs throughout the first eight seasons. However, CBS knew this day was coming, so they found a replacement that would both keep old fans happy and catch the interests of new viewers. Academy Award nominee and Emmy winner Lawrence Fischburne will join the cast of CSI: in its ninth episode of the new season. Fishburne brings a dynamic and experienced acting style to one of television's most watched shows. According to the AP, his character is a pathologist who focuses on why people commit acts of violence, and carries a genetic marker that has been linked to serial killers. I think someday people will ask, "What do you like better, William Petersen CSI or Lawrence Fishburne CSI?" It will be like asking Colonel Henry vs. Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H or Dick York vs. Dick Sargent on Bewitched. Petersen and his character Grissom will be sorely missed for the beautiful mind and caring personality he brought to the team, but I am also excited to see what the new era has to bring. CSI: returns Thursdays this fall on CBS October 2nd.

What's On?
A new season of Bones premieres on FOX at 8/7c.

Pushing Daisies: a truly unique TV experience

The last episode of the ABC show Pushing Daisies was all the way back on December 12, 2007. When the Writers' Guild of America strike ended production, like many other shows, Pushing Daisies was put into a sort of tv limbo. Thankfully, ABC renewed this truly unique tv experience for a second season, and it is set to come back Wednesday Oct 1st at 8/7c. This whimsical story will probably need some explaining, and may sound very odd if you have never heard of the show. But believe me, check it out and you will not be disappointed.

Pushing Daisies is the story of Ned, the pie maker. When Ned was young, he found out he had the power to bring dead things back to life. His power is governed by three rules: 1) Touch something dead, and it comes back to life, 2) Touch it again, and it dies, 3) If he does not retouch it within one minute, something else will die. Did you follow that? Well, anyways, the only other person in the world who knows about Ned's power is P.I. Emerson Cod. Ned helps Cod solve mysteries by bringing dead bodies at the morgue back to life and asking them a few questions. But they only have one minute, and that isn't always enough time to find out the whole story. When Ned finds out that his childhood sweetheart has died, he goes to her funeral. Even though he knows the ramifications, he decides to bring her back to life. Now, his darling Charlotte "Chuck" Charles is back to life, but the irony of the situation is he cannot touch her or she will die. Ned cannot bring himself to retouch her, and the funeral director dies. Luckily, it turns out the funeral director was a crook and had been stealing from dead people and their families for years. Olive Snook is Ned's waitress at his pie shop, and is secretly in love with him. However, she keeps her feelings to herself. In the last episode, it was revealed to Chuck that Ned had accidentally "killed" her father decades ago, when he brought his dog back to life and did not retouch it. Because of this, Chuck ran away. Will he be able to make it up to her?

There are so many other facets to this show that would not be able to fit into one posting, but that is pretty much the jist of it right there. The show is sort of genre bending in that the death motif has a clear dark comedy aspect to it, but it is still very dramatic. The post-production really does a good job to set the mood of a scene. The colors are so bright and vivid one moment, and then dull and dark the next. One thing is certain, in a world of cookie cutter sitcoms and miscellanious crime dramas, Pushing Daisies clearly brought something entirely different to the table. I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Pushing Daisies headlines a set of sophomore run shows Wednesdays this fall starting Oct 1st on ABC, along with Private Practice, and Dirty Sexy Money.

What's On?
Tonight ESPN's coverage of the 39th annual World Series of Poker Main Event begins and will continue every Tuesday night at 8/7c until November 11th. Norman Chad and Lon McEachern are back to call all the action and see who will win the $9.1 million grand prize.