North: Cubs and Hawk Harrelson both on top of their game
If Pittsburgh Pirates or St. Louis Cardinal fans are looking for a silver lining, you're out of luck because there doesn't look like there is one.
Going into Monday, both teams were 8 games behind the Cubs in the National League Central Division. At 27-9, the Cubs are running away from the competition.
Of course, it's very early, and the Cubs have to keep their competitive juices flowing, but a losing streak can put the Pirates or the Cardinals even farther back.
I work a national stage on Fox Sports radio and the buzz about the Cubs is more about the run differential, but in Chicago it's more about the early domination in the standings.
I don't see complacency as an issue with Joe Maddon's team, which won't be going through the motions. Their youthful exuberance, along with their the love of being in the spotlight and their talent, has created the perfect storm.
Yep, the Cubs have gotten very good while the Cards and Pirates are slipping.
Hawk has great insight:
Knowing that this season may be the last hurrah for Ken "Hawk: Harrelson has made me focus even more on the games when he's broadcasting.
While Jason Benetti is an up-and-comer and has sounded very good in his first season as the television announcer for White Sox home games, Hawk put on a clinic during Sunday's game at Yankee stadium.
In the sixth inning the White Sox were up and the talented reliever Dellin Betances was pitching for the Yankees. Dan Plesac was doing the game with Hawk and mentioned that Betances was virtually unhittable on Saturday.
Hawk replied that it was actually an advantage the Sox had faced him the day before.
Guess what? The Sox had three straight hits and the White Sox scored a run and should have scored more.
To me, that was Hawk at his finest. His ballplayer instincts surfaced and he was right.
Then, with two outs, Alex Avila was up and Plesac commented that the Sox got three hits off fastballs after the pitcher set them up with sliders. With an 0-2 count on Avila, Plesac said the same thing could happen, but Hawk said this was different because it was Avila who had the two strikes on him.
Well, he was right again - strike 3 to Avila!
Hawk is fresh and on his game and still very pertinent. Not half bad, not half bad at all!
Program notes:
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