Former Cub Ramirez still doesn't get it
Aramis Ramirez always said he never wanted to leave the Cubs.
Not even when he knew they had no chance to win, which tells you all you need to know about Aramis Ramirez.
Yet, he's always got advice for everyone, including the critics, who have over the years referred to Ramirez as — among other things — a dog, a terrible defensive player, and a hitter who was never better than when the Cubs were hopelessly out of the race or he was in a contract year.
One frequent critic was Cubs broadcaster Bob Brenly, never shy about pointing it out when Ramirez failed to hustle on the bases, play his position with passion or show up when times were tough.
Now with the Brewers, Ramirez was asked over the weekend by reporters in Arizona if he intended to clear the air with Brenly.
Replied Ramirez: “No, I don't care. He's a broadcaster. He should just worry about calling the game. He's not a coach, he's not a manager. He should just call the game. The coaches, the manager, the GM, they should take care of that other stuff.”
Ramirez did make one true statement. Brenly is a broadcaster. He's a color commentator, which means he's paid to analyze the game and, well, you know, comment on what he sees.
So when he saw Ramirez dogging it, he broadcast that message to Cubs fans watching the game.
As for the rest of it, Ramirez probably doesn't know Brenly was a major-league player, coach and manager, a manager — by the way — who won a World Series.
Ramirez — who has no rings but does possess a sparkling postseason batting average of .194 — also failed to mention that the coaches, managers and GMs who were supposed to keep Ramirez in line with the Cubs never did, instead paying Ramirez more money and enabling him at every turn.
So, yeah, it makes sense that Ramirez liked the Cubs' system the way it was, and he had good reason to want to stay.
Times have since changed, and perhaps it will be different under Theo Epstein and Dale Sveum.
As for Brenly, he never would have put up with Ramirez as a player, coach or manager, but since he's employed now to comment on the games, that's as much as he could do about it.
And he did it well.
But Ramirez has never done anything wrong on a baseball field that he's aware of so he can't possibly understand how anyone could find fault with his game.
Maybe they will in Milwaukee — or maybe they'll just find Ramirez a sizable mirror.
Ivan Boldirev-ing
It may seem odd that the Blackhawks signed Dan Carcillo to a two-year extension while he's out for the season with a knee injury, but the truth is Carcillo is a cheap version of the kind of player the Hawks need more of next season.
He can skate, has some skill and is willing to bang and stick up for his teammates. Hawks need about three more of that variety.
Wins totals
The wisest of guys aren't too optimistic about Chicago baseball in 2012, with both teams listed at 74 victories in the over-under on wins totals.
As for their respective divisions, the White Sox have a much bigger theoretical margin to erase with Detroit listed at 92, followed by Kansas City (80), Cleveland (78) and Minnesota (73).
The NL Central is led by Cincinnati (87), Milwaukee (84) and St. Louis (84). Pittsburgh (73) is still Pittsburgh, and Houston is worst in baseball (63).
The rest of the National League: Philadelphia (93), San Francisco (87), Arizona (86), Atlanta (86), Miami (84), Washington (83), Los Angeles (81), Colorado (81), San Diego (73) and New York (71).
American League: New York (93), Los Angeles (92), Texas (91), Boston (90), Tampa (86), Toronto (81), Seattle (72), Oakland (71) and Baltimore (69).
Adam Dunn
The over-under on Adam Dunn home runs is a shockingly-low 18. Dunn had only 11 homers in 2011, but he averaged 40 homers the previous seven years.
Starlin Castro
The over-under on Starlin Castro hits is 183, after Castro led the league with 207 last season.
Shaka Smart
Illini fans should know that Virginia Commonwealth forces 17.9 turnovers per game and a turnover on 27 percent of opponent possessions, leading the NCAA in both categories this season.
The stat
If my math is right, and there's never any certainty there, during the 13 years Peyton Manning started every game for Indianapolis, the Bears employed 17 different starting QBs (1998-2010).
And finally …
Pitt senior guard Ashton Gibbs, on missing the NCAA and NIT tourneys and playing in the College Basketball Invitational: “It's basketball at the end of the day. That's what we came to college for is to play basketball.”
brozner@dailyherald.com
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