My favorite story
More Top Picks Dewalt 20v Max 7 1 4 Inch Single Bevel Sliding Compound Dcs361b
Because baseball is about bonds that tie fathers and sons, no story was more touching than Cornelius Floyd (below) being wheeled into Wrigley Field on June 29 on a stretcher — tubes attached and a doctor and nurse at his side — to watch son Cliff play one final time for his hometown team, the Cubs. “I’d like to hit a home run for him. Bottom of ninth to win the game,” Cliff said. Instead he was left in the on-deck circle as Aramis Ramirez won the game. A short time later Cornelius Floyd died of kidney and heart failure.
Most reader response I got
In spring training, fans were irate about a story from Baseball Prospectus that projected the White Sox to finish 72-90. “That’s a good sign for us because usually they’re wrong about everything regarding our dealings,” GM Ken Williams said. The White Sox final record: 72-90.
Best game I covered
It was the strangest too. It came on Sept. 19 against the Reds in Wrigley Field and put the Cubs ahead of the Brewers in the Central Division for good. How did the Cubs win? On Matt Murton’s fielder’s choice — to the left fielder. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen that,” said Ryan Theriot, who scored the winning run. “There’s no bigger game than this,” manager Lou Piniella said.
My play of the year
Even though no one actually saw it, this “play” turned around the Cubs’ season. It came in the clubhouse in early June — on Carlos Zambrano’s 26th birthday — when Zambrano pummeled teammate Michael Barrett after the two argued in the dugout. Barrett wound up in the hospital and eventually in San Diego; Zambrano wound up being humbled and $120 million richer; and the Cubs somehow “found” themselves united on the way to a playoff season.
Best interview
Ozzie Guillen’s foothold (or, perhaps, foot-in-the-mouth-hold) on this category is being threatened seriously by Piniella. But Piniella has yet to be sent to sensitivity training.
Most telling off-field moment
It was in Cleveland not long after the All-Star break and by then, the White Sox bullpen had put together a 3-13 record and 7.52 ERA in its last 58 games. Just before game time on an otherwise indistinguishable Tuesday, Williams made a surprise visit to the clubhouse, flying from Chicago just to meet the media and say: “For whatever reason, it’s not happening. And I’ll own up to that. I put it together, I’ll own up to it.”
Road trip I won’t forget
Sorry, these only seemed like road trips because “home” was simply a quick layover. The Sox played day/night doubleheaders against the Twins and Red Sox. Total game time spent away from home: 13 hours and 15 minutes. Total score: Opposition 53, White Sox 18. And then there was the Cubs-Cardinals “home” series in August. Over the last three days of the series, they spent 5 hours 53 minutes playing and 5 hours 25 minutes sitting out rain delays.
Wish I had seen
Mark Buehrle’s no-hitter and Jim Thome’s 500th home run.
If I was a fly on wall
What exactly was the exchange between Lou Piniella and boss Jim Hendry behind closed doors on the night of June 2? That’s the day Piniella embarrassed himself by being ejected, one day after the Zambrano-Barrett fight and at the moment the Cubs had lost six straight games and 10 of 12. Do you think maybe some X-rated words were exchanged as the two wondered what they had gotten themselves into, Hendry by hiring Piniella and Piniella by agreeing to manage in such a sad-sack situation?
To-do list
Keep October open for just one Cubs-White Sox World Series in our lifetime.
Second-guessing
Picking the White Sox to win the AL Central? Oops. But at least the Cubs did win the NL Central as predicted.
Story line for ’08
More Top Picks Best Flexible Seating For Classrooms
In 1933, Chicago hosted the Century of Progress exposition. Exactly what will we be calling what the Cubs have done for (to) the city at what will be 100 years in 2008, The Century of Regression?
Best quote I got
“Someone asked me if I was going to tell him. He knows my name is Scott, he called me that the other night. I think it’s kind of cool, actually. It’s something to talk about.”
— Cubs reliever Scott Eyre, who was called “Stevie Ire” even late in the season by Piniella.