http://www.imwritingsports.com Sports Columns from the fans perspective. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:06:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I still remember the first time I encountered Francisco Liriano's name.  I was doing some research for my old column at Pro Fantasy Sports, it was my job to know the up coming stars, and try to locate them before everyone else.  All I thought was that I had just ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/does-liriano-have-a-case/ Maybe its Manny’s fault, it’s not like he’s the most subtle person in the world. He’s done nothing to quell the grumblings and moans that have been omnipresent throughout his career due to his aloof nature on the field. Due to this, he’s managed to become a colossal figure; he’s ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/manny-deserves-better/ We just witnessed one of the greatest All-Star games of all time, it had the late inning rally, it had drama, it was packed with suspense from start to finish, yet, for some reason the detractors have come in full force to rally against the sport. Everyone always wants to ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/the-game-was-long-yet-perfect/ Matt Cain is the unluckiest pitcher in all of baseball. His tale is one of grief, disappointment, and failure, despite being one the most talented and hardest working pitchers in major league baseball. By all accounts, he is one of the most gifted young talents in all of baseball. ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/matt-cain-the-unluckiest-pitcher-alive/ Yesterday it was just a rumor that was starting to get some traction: The Cubs were after Rich Harden. The A’s were so sure they wouldn’t get any serious offers, that a club official went out of his way to announce that the oft-injured pitcher would not be dealt. Maybe it ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/will-harden-keep-the-cubs-on-top/ The Brewers have plugged their holes for the time being, so now, with the premier hurler off the block, what’s next for the other 29 teams in the league? No one is perfect, and by now everyone has pretty much decided if they are buying, selling, or standing pat. There’s ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/who-will-be-dealt-next/ Over the next few days you’re going to be inundated with articles proclaiming the Brewers a lock for the wild card now that they have acquired CC Sabathia from the Brewers. After acquiring the 2007 Cy Young winner without giving up anyone in their immediate plans for the future, on ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/cc-to-the-brewers-does-anyone-win/ We're looking for a couple contributers to help out over the next few months.  If you are interested drop us a line via the contact form at the top of the page and we'll provide you with a the details. http://www.imwritingsports.com/blog/writers/ The fireworks are over, but the metaphorical ones in the baseball world are just starting to ignite. This is the time of the year when clubs start to sit down over their spreadsheets and decide if it’s time to blow things up and start over, or if they should go ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/is-cc-worth-it-probably-not/ “The Cubs have failure and calamity sewn into the organization as tightly as the red stitching on a baseball. But for the home opener a certain level of irrational exuberance is tolerated, even encouraged. Loyalists are lining up outside the portals of Wrigley at 9:30 in the morning even though ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/the-cubs-just-might-do-it-this-year/ If you've recently stopped getting our feed in you're inbox, you may have to resubscribe. Apparently this has been an ongoing issue, but I assure you that all the kinks have been worked out. I apologize for any inconveniences this may cause. http://www.imwritingsports.com/blog/feed-issues/ Justin Upton has a ton of upside. He was the first pick in the star-studded 2005 draft and, prior to the season, you would have been hard pressed finding someone who would argue that he wasn’t its brightest prospect. We’re talking about some exclusive company here.  This is a class ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/upton-needs-to-go-back-down/ For the first time in NBA draft history, college freshmen were selected with the first three picks of the draft, and four more would be selected before the 15th pick, setting another record for the lottery. Only two really mattered, though: Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley. Yet, oddly enough, only ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/nba/the-bulls-shouldve-taken-beasley/ http://www.imwritingsports.com/videos/felix-hernandez-grand-slam/ http://www.imwritingsports.com/videos/umpire-gets-beaned/ The other day I was listening to the radio when two sports writers who were on the panel began discussing the Seattle Mariners, and of course, Ichiro Suzuki’s name came up. How couldn’t it, this man is the face of the franchise, and, as everyone would love for you ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/ichiro-cooperstown-yeah-right/ With the weather becoming warmer the easy going nature of the first two months of the season has all but evaporated. The early dismay, which was once easily shrugged off with a simple ‘it’s early’, is now beginning to fester itself into a big ball of anxiety. A few clubs ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/will-holliday-and-sabathia-be-dealt/ When I look at what Dusty Baker has accomplished in this game, sometimes I wonder if the bad wrap he gets is unwarranted. His teams win. He’s taken several of them to the playoffs, where he led the Giants to the World Series in 2002, and had the Cubs a ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/should-brandon-phillips-be-hitting-fourth/ Walk into any sports bar in American and utter the words ‘Milton Bradley’ and the first thing you’ll probably hear is, ‘he’s a jerk’, and that’s only if the crowd is on their best manners. Chances are you’ll be met with a much more colorful phrase, but what’s lost in ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/milton-bradley-baseballs-tortured-soul/ I like to imagine that I was a little bit more informed as a child growing up in a home with a sports crazed father. We’re talking about a man that will sit back and watch re-runs of a Cardinals game to see if he can pick up on a ... http://www.imwritingsports.com/baseball/2008-iws-all-stars/