Best of the best of the best: Top Bloggers

I was tagged to complete a mission of unparalleled importance: to pick out 5 great bloggers that exist on this planet. It was a tough. I sweated the small stuff; did not follow Steven Covey's 7 rules of being a blogger; and I found little solace in watching the Cubs implode today...(Fight in the dugout and club house between ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano and catcher Michael Barrett.)

But here are my favorites, and I hope they continue on their trek to find enlightenment (or attention, hehe) in tapping the keys of life in communication.

• Gustavo Sosa - I met Gustavo via Yahoo 360! He's a Uruguayian ( I think that's right) engineer with talent to vascillate between very happy and very pensive. He makes me laugh and think. He is bilingual, something I'm not, and does have an addiction to supermodels. (Being male, I can relate.) Stop by his site, he does have some odd thoughts!

• Another Maria - A very cool design to a blog. She writes from the gut. Loves music. Shares her interests. And I think would be cool to just hang out with, and I am far, far different from her, age (34) being the biggest divide. I think she'll do well at anything she puts her mind to.
• Everyday Weekender - A sports/hobby blog, with some twists. Has great information on his doings. Knows about a wide array of things. Has clarity in his thoughts, which makes it a great blog. You can tell he is living a life!
• 
  Just a Girl in Short Shorts Talking about Whatever - She's an ex-lawyer, so that tells alot. Posts a ton more than any of the normal bloggers. Opinionated, well yeah, and has plenty to share about society, causes and celebs stupid adventures.
• A Quiet Symphony - Now, this girl can write. She's an X-file fan.She makes me read things twice because her thoughts are very deep and word choice makes you think.

I think all blogs can use some good publicity - because we are sharing our day, doings and deeper thoughts that get lost in our driving thru traffic, running errands and get the kids days.Now, back to baseball posts!!!

A Cubs Analysis (January 2007): Was I in the ballpark?

With the Cubs, the predictions are almost more important than the season itself. Looking from a sunny bleacher, the grass is always greener before the season (if it is warm and she's wearing a bikini) than it is in September, usually. After 99 years since the last 'dynasty' of the Cubs, and when the Wright Flier and Teddy's Big Stick still were relevant topics, we are thinking: this is our year.

Lou Pinella will entertain the media. Managing in the fishbowl of Chicago, Lou's current mellow nature will turn back into Fighting Lou. Once he sees Jacque Jones airmail a cut off or Ramirez take a snooze on a pop up, he'll have plenty to say, and the media will too. Luckily, he can fall back on his New York experiences to adroitly handle Chicago scribes, whose only real talent is to gossip about how much money someone makes, a player's girlfriend or whether throwing at a player constitutes domestic violence on the field.

The Cubs will improve by 20 games. Starting at 66 wins, this should not be impossible. Derrek Lee at 2004 statistics: .280(.360), 32HR, 110RBI, Ramirez at: .290 (.360), 35HR, 110RBI and Soriano at:.285(.330), 40HR, 95RBI, 25SB and Michael Barrett at: .275(.350), 15HR, 70 RBI provides plenty of right hand pop. Jacque Jones is the sole left hand man and will not cut it. Ryan Theriot should be the starter at 2B. He's got more plate patience than DeRosa, he's faster and younger. Pinella will see this, I hope, and insert him as either #1 or #2 hitter with successful output of: .275 (.345), 5 HR, 45RBIs, 35SBs. DeRosa, hot prospect Felix Pie and Angel Pagan, will support Murton in the outfield. Izturis and Cedeno will somehow get .260 (.310), 5 HR, 45 RBIs and 15 SBs between them. 800 Runs scored.

But what about pitching and fielding??? Zambrano is an ace. Likely, if not abused like a 'Dusty' doll, will get 200 IP, sub 2.75 ERA and 17-20 wins. Ted Lilly is a 4.30 ERA in the American League. Can he improve against weaker lineups? I believe so to the tune of 15 Wins and 3.75ERA. That leaves 5 pitchers for 3 starting spots. Rich Hill. Jason Marquis. Wade Miller. Sean Marshall. Mark Prior. I don't expect better than 30 wins from the back end. That's 65 Wins.

Piniella in 1990 ran a three-headed monster out to win ballgames from the bullpen: Rob Dibble, Randy Myers, Norm Charlton. (Forgotten is Tim Layana.) Pinnella will use Neal Cotts, Scott Eyre, Bob Howry, Kerry Wood and Dempster to form a five-headed Dragon to battle through. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood are likely relievers playing starters with all their injuries. Somehow Lou will get 21 wins - blackjack! - like he did in 1990 without one 16-game winner on a 91-win team. The Cubs will allow 750 Runs. 86 Wins!!! Yeah!!! (If Bill James formula works…)

Cubs will trade Mark Prior, after a nice two-month run of pitching, in late July for an thirty-something outfielder from California. (Garrett Anderson???) It's totally possible, I mean, whoever the Cubs draft, and destine great expectations for, is soon hurt, ineffective or disillusioned. Prior has issues that someone drinking beer with him could only know. Going after an older player, with a high salary, assuming he's not hot, or getting hot, or is soon retiring, is a maneuver the Cubs make at least thrice (not twice) a decade. At this moment, I know nothing about Anderson, except he's 35 in June, which makes him eligible for the Cubs Care for Old Outfielders Plan. And Prior will go back to 2003 form and win 15 games for a decade in LA-LA Land where 6' blondes appear in bad action movies. El Paso!!!

If Lou gets to manage for four or five years, expect a playoff. Or maybe it is 1969 all over again. With Alfonso Soriano being here until he's well past his prime, the Cubs better get it now…in 2007! But given they spent 300 million this off season, even at 100 wins, that's 3 million per win. If only 75 wins, it 4 million per Cubs victory. Wow. Absolutely…wow!!!