Here is the first post from our other new copywriter, Ariel Sandler. Ariel and Brent will be providing much of the content going forward, but still I’ll sneak in an occasional post. Enjoy…

Football, football, football.

That’s all Chicago sports fans have on their minds these days:

Can the Bears overcome a full season without Brian Urlacher? Will Jay Cutler do what the likes of Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman and others couldn’t? Is Johnny Knox a real person or reality show alter-ego?

And understandably so.

2009 was yet another disappointing baseball season in the Windy City. Mental mistakes and lackadaisical plays led White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen to question his team’s effort and GM Kenny Williams to deem his team “underachievers.”

Don’t even get me started on my Cubbies. A season full of hope quickly soured to angst and anger. The baseball gods did everything in their powers – even delaying the final crosstown matchup until September- but to no avail.

At least Jake Peavy ended up in Chicago…

But before I dive head-first into the football deep-end, a post-season baseball tournament remains. And who doesn’t love playing prognosticator?

Now that this year’s guests have all but arrived (Atlanta and Detroit, you are out. Colorado and Minnesota, you can stay), let’s begin:

American League Divisional Series

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins

Well wouldn’t you know it…just when I had written the Twinkies off, both literally and figuratively, they go and win four straight games to close out the season and force game no. 163. And the little team that could – did it again! Who needs home run slugger Justin Morneau when you have the best player in the world not named Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, on your team? Or when lesser known players like Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel combine for 59 homers? What is there to say other then, Thank you, Minnesota,” for once again proving a team doesn’t need barrels of cash to field a winner. Speaking of which…

The recession-proof Yankees are back on top, sporting a $200 million payroll and the league’s best record. Unlike the Cubs, New York’s offseason acquisitions worked out swimmingly. Mark Teixeira, the other switch-hitter, leads the American League in RBI and the golden arm, CC Sabathia leads the AL in victories.

It’s your classic David vs. Goliath. Only this time, Goliath snatches the slingshot out of the air and suddenly whips it right back in David’s face. Minnesota’s emotional high may net them a win against the Bronx Bombers, but I say Yanks in four.

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Thought about starting with a joke concerning the Angels name, but let’s be honest – that joke’s not funny anymore. So stop.

The Boston Red Sox seem to have underachieved all season. Or maybe that’s just because I have a number of their players on my failed fantasy baseball squad. But that lineup is stacked. Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez? That reads like an all-star team. And only one of them has been accused of steroids.

Out West, the Angels continue to be who we thought they’d be. A winning team. They have played inspired ball all season and do so in a style many teams (paging Jim Hendry) underrate: speed and defense. But let’s not kid ourselves –name the Angels’ home run and wins leader.

(Still waiting).

If you said Kendry Morales and Joe Saunders – find something better to do with your time. The Angels will fight and hang around…until Papi lays the hammer down and continues his power resurgence. Sox in five.

National League Divisional Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

I must decide: am I more excited for Manny Ramirez vs. Albert Pujols or Joe Torre vs. Tony LaRussa? “Wow…that ball must have gone 500 feet!” Or “What a pitching change! Look at that double-switch countermove!” Decisions, decisions.

Either way, this should be a good one. Both squads have received tremendous boosts from players not named Manny or Albert. The series may come down to which “role players” (Dodgers’ Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier or Cardinals’ Matt Holliday and Ryan Ludwick) step up.

As much as it hurts to say, I’ll take two of the top three National League earned run leaders, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Cards in five.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are back! This team just doesn’t go away anymore…ever. Troy Tulowitzki is ridiculous. Todd Helton is timeless. And Jason Marquis is winning games. This team survived the Wild Card cluster and almost caught the Dodgers.

The Philadelphia Phillies remain a conundrum. They are better on the road than at home. They just demoted their closer, Brad Lidge, a guy who was perfect in saves a season ago. But they have four guys – Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley – with over 30 home runs. Add two feared pitchers, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, and you should be set. Phillies in four.

American League Championship Series

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

Yanks and Sox. Sox and Yanks. Can you believe these teams haven’t met in the playoffs since 2004? Interestingly enough – the 2009 matchup will play very much like that series five years ago – only this time:

…with the Sox up 3-2 and mere outs away from a four-game sweep, Johnny Damon does his best 2004 impersonation (sans Jesus beard) and hits a two-run shot off Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th as “the Yankees win!…theeee Yankeeeesss win!” Hilarity ensues.

Sabathia and Burnett dominate games five and six, setting up the finale in new Yankee Stadium.
Madonna sings the National Anthem. Kate Hudson throws out the first pitch. And suddenly, Alex Rodriguez (you didn’t think I forgot about him?), realizes, “Hey, it’s good to be me,” and goes off. A four-hit night concludes with a three-run 8th inning blast for a 6-4 win.

And just like that – it’s Alex Rodriguez’s world. We’re just living in it.

National League Championship Series

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Over on the senior circuit, the Cardinals and Phillies attempt similar fireworks. But that’s like any Seinfeld-cast member starring in a new show (although I guess Elaine wins). Pitchers absolutely dominate this series. They split the first four after a number of solo shots. Once again, Carpenter and Wainwright, prove the difference. Cardinals take the champs in six.

But not before Brad Lidge plunks Pujols in the shoulder – sending everyone, except for LaRussa, into a frenzy. Can he play in the Series? Why didn’t he simply hit the destroy button as the ball approached? Ladies and gentleman, your fireworks.

World Series

New York Yankees vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Calm down, Cardinals fans. Pujols is in the lineup. He is “The Machine,” remember? And he delivers, too. St. Louis grabs the lead after Yankee skipper Joe Girardi inexplicably pitches to Pujols with two men on base in the 8th inning and up 3-2. Pujols places one in the gap for a double and the Cardinals take a 1-0 lead.

The Steinbrenner’s throw a fit.

Girardi regroups, as do the Yankees, and take the next three games. The Cardinals send Chris Carpenter back to the mound in game five and he wins again – making him a ridiculous 6-0 in the playoffs.

The Steinbrenner’s throw another fit.

Sabathia takes the mound in game six and dominates. Couple that with two Teixeira home runs over the short porch in right and the Yankees storm the mound.

So there you have it. Your 2009 MLB postseason. The Yankees prove you have to spend money to make money. So the economy listens. And the recession lifts.

A guy can dream, can’t he?

So I just barely missed the trade deadline blog by about 5 weeks. Many, many apologies, but it’s been really busy around here lately. So, I’ll do my best to get up to speed on all the big baseball moves of the last month.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Cliff Lee from the Indians and so far the results have been mixed. Lee has gone 5-1 with an ERA under 2. He’s good. The Phillies were set the tone for the July trade deadline and as they tried and tried to land Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, they stumbled into this little deal that netted them last year’s AL Cy Young winner, a right handed bench hitter that can play every outfield position, and they did all of this without giving up any of their top prospects. In the street we call that armed robbery with intent to do bodily harm. In Cleveland they call it business as usual. The Phillies now boast a playoff rotation of Lee, World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, rookie star J.A. Happ and potentially Pedro Martinez or Jamie Moyer depending on need. It was strong statement and the Phils have been rolling ever since.

Jake Peavy was the National League’s Cy Young winner in 2007 and after a winter that saw the White Sox try to deal for him, a spring that saw him spend most of his time on the DL, Chicago GM Kenny Williams finally got his man, as Peavy agreed to waive his no trade clause and join the White Sox for their playoff push. The Good Guys have fallen further behind the Tigers in the AL Central, and the Minnesota Twins led by Joe Mauer aren’t far behind them. Speaking of Joe Mauer, I made a tiny wager with a few friends that Joe wouldn’t hit .390 this year, and for about a week there, I thought I was going to have to flee the country. Hey Joe, do me a favor and keep it around .370 will you? Peavy might not start again this season, but gives the White Sox 4 legitimate starters heading into next season. Should be fun to watch.

Alex Rios came to the White Sox as well in the biggest salary dump in MLB history. Rios and his 60 million plus remaining on his contract head to Chicago. The White Sox in return will send the Blue Jays a fruit basket and a thank you note. Rios has all the tools: he’s an above average outfielder, he can hit for power, average and steal bases, but he hasn’t really been able to put together a full season since signing his contract. We’ll see if a change of scenery will make a difference for him.

Victor Martinez also “left” Cleveland to join Boston, where the switch hitting catcher will provide a power presence behind the plate, at first base and DH. His value to a team like the Red Sox is really immeasurable, and he should help them as the chase the Yankees to the playoffs this year and next as well. Plus, his knowledge of handshakes in unparalleled in Major League Baseball.

Matt Holliday was perhaps the quietest and most important of all offensive player moves , as he went from ghost town Oakland to one of baseball’s best cities; St. Louis. Now I would argue that I could hit behind Albert Pujols and be an everyday major leaguer, but Holliday is hitting over .400 since his acquisition and the Cardinals have rocketed into first place in the division, so I’d say St. Louis made out pretty well here….Observe Matt Holliday in the AL. And now in the NL.

Who else, who else??? Scott Rolen went from Toronto to Cincinnati for a package of prospects. Scott is 35 years old, a heck of a baseball player and simply not worth a box of crackerjacks to the Cincinnati Reds at this juncture. Bizarre move by Cincinnati.

Jarrod Washburn went from Seattle to Detroit to shore up their rotation as they look to get back into the playoffs.

Finally, my childhood hero, Jim Thome went to the Dodgers to provide lefthanded power off the bench. Thome has entered the Karl Malone or Ray Bourque stage of his career where he’s ready to start chasing a championship. And I don’t blame him one bit. My only hope is that if the Phillies and Dodgers don’t meet again in the playoffs and save me from the uncomfortable situation of wishing prfound failure upon someone that I like so much.

And I think that about brings us up to speed in baseball. It was about the busiest deadline in recent memory and with the playoffs just around the corner, we’ll see which of these transactions works out best as the season wraps up.

Item of the week is any of these. Pick one up and celebrate a little vintage style as your team marches into the playoffs.

Back with more football previews sometime next week. Enjoy the long weekend.