Peoria Pundit

Oooo …. do we have the beginning of a newspaper war?

This is what Journal Star reporter Dave Eminian said:

ON SECOND THOUGHT: The Quad City Steamwheelers, meanwhile, rescinded a trade that had been verbally agreed upon in which Peoria acquired fullback Jason Null in exchange for the Pirates spot in the af2’s waiver claim order.

Peoria was not expected to be a serious threat to beat the Steamwheelers in Sunday’s opener, but instead surprised the Quad City with a potent offense that kept the game within seven points well into the fourth quarter.

Quad City eventually won, 72-56, but on Monday backed out of the trade that would have upgraded the Pirates offense even more.

Then I found this little nugget on the Quad City Times:

– Steamwheelers coach Troy Biladeau said reports out of Peoria that he nixed a done deal to send the Pirates backup fullback Jason Null on Monday were erroneous. He said the trade was never made because Null, who didn’t dress last week, expressed a preference to remain with the Wheelers. “I’m not going to trade somebody who wants to be here,” said the coach. “It’s an entertaining newspaper to read,” he said of the Peoria Journal-Star.

I don’t think me meant that affectionately. Damn nice of the QCTimes to quote him on it.

By all means, guys, let’s fight it out. I newspaper way might be just the thing for boosting circulation.

And I definitely will be taking in a Pirates game or two this season.

Via Reason, commentary on a report that we’re not dicking around when it comes to gathering intelligence on the Taliban:

Ordinarily the CIA might bribe its informants with guns and cash, but the side effects of those options aren’t always welcome. And so, according to the Post, they’ve turned to “novel incentives and creative bargaining,” including “pocketknives and tools, medicine or surgeries for ailing family members, toys and school equipment, tooth extractions, travel visas, and, occasionally, pharmaceutical enhancements for aging patriarchs with slumping libidos.”

Yep. They are handing out Viagra in exchange for cooperation.

There are a hundred and one penis jokes I can insert here, but I have too much class for that.

… I’d already be rooting for some other team.

Seriously, though, what can I say? The Dodgers’ pitching was outstanding. The Cubs played like they were on Prozac.

Yeah, well, even I’m not that crazy. My Cubbies sucked rancid @$$ on Thursday. Christ. They stunk up the place. Kosuke Fukedome? At this point, I wouldn’t even let him get on the plane for Los Angeles. I think his general suckitude has infected the entire team. Buy him a one-way ticket back to whatever city in Japan he’s from.

Woo Hoo! Carlos Zambrano just no-hit the Houston Astros!

Cubs lead the division by 7 1/2 games. Their magic number is 8.

Caption: President Bush gestures toward the back of Misty May Treanor as he visits the practice of the U.S. beach volleyball team the 2008 Summer Olympic games in Beijing, China Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008. At right is Treanor’s teammate Kerri Walsh.

Note: If you’ve come to this page looking for news and opinion on Peoria-area media and politics, this isn’t the post you are looking for. Move along. Move along.

Read it and weep, Cubs haters:

One year ago, Geovany Soto was prepping for the All-Star Futures Game and Kosuke Fukudome was playing for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan.

On July 15, rookies Soto and Fukudome will both be starting for the National League All-Star team, and they’ll have plenty of company. The Cubs will have seven representatives for the first time in franchise history.

Outfielder Alfonso Soriano also was selected to the All-Star team as a starter by fan balloting, and he, Soto and Fukudome will be joined by third baseman Aramis Ramirez, and pitchers Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano on the NL team. Ramirez, Dempster and Wood were selected by player balloting, and Zambrano was tabbed for his third All-Star Game by NL manager Clint Hurdle.

And the All-Star seven doesn’t count manager Lou Piniella, who will be a coach for the NL team.

UPDATE: And this is what I said less than one year ago:

In 96 games for the Iowa Cubs, Geovany Soto has an on base percentage of .429 and a slugging percentage of .646. His on-base plus slugging percentage is a gaudy 1.074. He’s also hit 20 home runs.

According to this article, the Cubs want to wait until September before adding him to the roster. They would rather rely on Jason Kendall (in 20 games, a .410 OPA, .403 slugging, .313 average and NO home runs) because he can work with younger pitchers. They also want to keep using Koyie Hill, who’s batting a truly pathetic .159, because he seems to be able to handle catching for flaky ace Carlos Zambrano.

I cannot argue against Kendall anymore. He’s bat has started hitting the ball and he’s going to be contributing some runs during the next few weeks. But keeping Hill on the team with those anemic numbers is just inexcusable, even more so with the Cubs catcher of the future ready and willing to go.

And Soto was elected to the All-Star team. It seems the future is now.

So, I’m sitting at Whitey’s last night with a stinking Cardinals fan and The World’s Most Obnoxious Yankee’s Fan. We’re watching the Cub’s valiant come-back effort against the Orioles, and this skinny blond chick comes on and tries to sing the “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

We were less than impressed. Granted, she was hard to hear over the nonsensical blather spewing out of the Yankee fan’s mouth. But it was pretty evident that she had no business trying to sing. Naturally, she was there promoting her CD.

And ChiTrib columnist/blogger Eric Zorn  agrees with my conclusion:

Many “guest conductors” have merrily and memorably butchered “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th-inning stretch at Wrigley Field. But I’ve never heard a professional recording artist sing it as badly as Julianne Hough did Tuesday night.

So, THAT was her name. Apparently, she’s a dancer on one of those insipid TV shows where celebrities pretend that have talent. Anyway, Zorn posts a music clip for the masochists among my readers.

I am unsurprised that this week-voiced wonder has a recording contract. Thanks to video music, a singer’s looks are much more important these days than any real singing talent, especially for women. Janis Jopin wouldn’t be able to get past the first round on American Idol. A weak voice can always be altered electronically.

Some people don’t need such help:

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Via the Journal Star:

There was no extra-inning nail-bitter for the Limestone softball team Saturday. Mackenzie Camp pitched like it, anyway.

Camp pitched her third consecutive postseason shutout and the Rockets backed her with early runs in a 3-0 victory over Mattoon in the inaugural Class 3A state-championship game Saturday at EastSide Centre.

The state title is the first in a team sport for Limestone.

Sweet!

Well, he’s new to the Blog Peoria Project. The mighty Burl has decided to give the Blog Peoria Project a try and is now blogging here. I’ve been trying to find someone to report on local sports for the Peoria Blogosphere and Burl has the goods.