Chicago Cubs will win 2015 World Series

I've lost my mind because I think I can see into the future, and that's not just because this bold prediction was in a popular movie. It's because I believe it to be true: The Chicago Cubs will win the World Series for the first time since 1908 next year. Yep, grab the nearest Billy Goat & plan your vacation for Illinois, because Chicago will be partying like it's 1908 again and it's all because of Theo Epstein, the guy who un-cursed the Red Sox, and Joe Maddon, the guy who turned a crappy team into an uncrappy one. Joe was hired last week and was the final piece to the curse breaking puzzle. But it's not just those two guys, it's because Chicago has future superstar players like 1st baseman Anthony Rizzo, shortstop Starlin Castro, pitcher Jake Arrieta and many more in the minors. Not only are the Cubbies are on the cusp of immortality, they also are the leading candidates to sign the top two pitchers available in the free agent market, Jon Lester and Max Scherzer, according to the New York Post. There you have it! The Cubs will be World Series Champs in '15. Enjoy the ride, Cubs fans!

Why Justin Smoak needed to go

This past week, Justin Smoak was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays from the Seattle Mariners. This is a good thing, because the Mariners do not need him any more as they now have Logan Morrison at first base. Smoak needed to go because he just was too inconsistent. For example, one week he would be great and then the next week he would be striking out every at bat. Also, it's never a good idea to trade one of the best pitchers in baseball (Cliff Lee) to a team within your own division (the Texas Rangers), as it will come back to bite you in the a$$ nine times out of ten. I do wish Justin the best of luck in his new uniform, though.

The Most Heartwarming Baseball Story I've ever heard

On Mother's Day, 2010, Oakland A's pitcher Dallas Braden threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays with his grandmother in attendance, as his mother died while Dallas was in high school. This story is the most heartwarming baseball story I have ever heard in my life. Yes, even more so than the Griffey's.

Player Profile: Chicago Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo

Anthony Rizzo was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on August 8, 1989. He actually battled Hodgkins' Lymphoma when he was younger, but has since beaten it. Rizzo was a top prospect for the Red Sox, but was traded to the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez in 2011. But, in 2012, the Padres traded Rizzo to the Cubs for pitcher Andrew Cashner. Rizzo is now an All-Star and Cashner gets injured every five weeks. It seems like a bonehead move, especially in hindsight. But if Cashner stays healthy, the trade may end up working out for both teams, especially since the Padres now have the offense to compete.

What went wrong with the 2010 Seattle Mariners?

How could a team like the 2010 Mariners with two Cy Young Winners, two surefire Hall of Fame hitters and a $130 million dollar payroll lose 101 games? I'll tell you three reasons why:

1. Cliff Lee didn't want to be here and sulked until he was traded to Texas for Justin Smoak in July

2. Ken Griffey Jr. retired mid season due to age and ineffectiveness

3. The 2010 Mariners (except for Ichiro, of course) couldn't hit. They scored only 513 times in '10. That's just pathetic.

Ichiro & the All-Time Hits Record

It's been said that no one will break Pete Rose's record of most career base hits of 4,256. Ichiro won't get there with his MLB stats, but if you combine his MLB career stats and Japanese career stats, it gets very interesting and very close. Ichiro was already 27 when he made his MLB debut in 2001 and now, as of 2014, he has 2,832 MLB hits and, if you add in his 1,200 career hits in Japan, he has up over 4,000 hits! It sure would've been interesting had Ichiro played his entire career in the States...

The 3 Most Hated Seattle Mariners of All-Time

The Seattle Mariners have had popular players in their history (Ken Griffey Jr., for example). But they have also had unpopular players. That's the topic I will be talking about this week. Here are the three most hated Mariners ever. DISCLAIMER: Heathcliff Slocumb is not on this list because I already mentioned him in a previous blog entry...

3. Chone Figgins

Why is Chone Figgins on this list? He was signed for 4 years and $30 million to be our second best hitter behind Ichiro. Figgins hit  .259 in 2010, .187 in 2011 and .184 in 2012 before he was released. YAY!!!

2. Bobby Ayala

Ayala pitched for the M's from 1994-1999 and pitched poorly. The only reason he was on the team for that long was because he was dating Manager Lou Piniella's daughter Annie.

1. Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez is not only hated in Seattle, he's also hated in Texas. He signed with the Rangers for $252 million and they went bankrupt! They traded him to the Yankees. He is a disgrace to the game of baseball.