Connect the Dots

I've taken a little time off from the heartburn currently known as Chicago sports, and instead have found a national issue that needed a little more attention.

Boston slugger David Ortiz has admitted that he was recently hospitalized for an irregular heartbeat. He has since been sent home by the former playoff contenders for further tests. While Papi's absence and the subsequent repercussions have been reported thoroughly by the Eastern Seaboard Programming Network, no one has really looked into what might be causing the problem.

I was mulling this over when I accidentally pulled up a Web page on human growth hormone (HGH). It was quite an interesting read, and I thought I could share some of the highlights with you:

The side effects of HGH can vary based on a person's dosage and length of use. Long term abuse, the kind we might see in, say, a professional athlete looking to gain and maintain an edge, can lead to possibly deadly side effects, including heart palpitations aka an irregular heartbeat.

This is merely a coincidence though, as we cannot possibly suggest that a slugger who went from hitting 20 home runs in 2002 to 47 in 2005. A 27 home run difference in 3 years has been done before, and in fact it pales in comparison to some other sluggers of the modern era. Mark McGwire's production jumped by 31 HRs between the '95 and '98 seasons. Slammin' Sammy Sosa increased his home run production by 30 from '97 to '98. And who can forget the great Brady Anderson, who was able to crush 50 HRs in '96 after hitting just 16 in 1995.

Among those still playing, Jason Giambi jumped from 20 HRs in '97 to 43 in the 2000 season. Gary Sheffield found his swing again in 2000, jumping 23 HRs from the '97 season. And then there is the greatest home run hitter of our time, Barry Bonds, who went from 39 dingers in 1999 to a record 73 in 2001.

Besides, Ortiz has already stated that dehydration and sleeplessness caused by stress are the reasons for his current health issues. It is interesting to read the other side effects of an abundance of growth hormone though…

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is also a possible side effect of growth hormone abuse. Hypoglycemia can produce a variety of symptoms including heart palpitations, anxiety and excessive sweating.

Additionally, excessive growth hormone can lead to a shut down of the pituitary gland. This often overlooked and ever important gland controls the body's water regulation among other things.

RCS would like to wish Big Papi the speediest of recoveries, because a person's health is nothing to joke about, regardless of what the problems are or how they came about.

Thursday Notes

- Raise your hand if you had to turn off the Sox game early last night. Don't worry, you're not alone. Something about watching Jose Contreras tossed around like a plastic sex-doll is just not very appealing.

- The Cubs found a diamond in the rough yesterday in the form of Ryan O'Malley. RCS can only imagine Baker's delight knowing he has yet another young arm to overuse and career to wreck.

- Sophomore Evan Sharply has officially been named the backup QB at Notre Dame. Head coach Charlie Weiss is not dismissing froshies Zach Frazer and Demetrius Jones, though. Supposedly either one can overtake Sharply by showing some improved "mental skills." Is this a knock on the Sharp one, or a backhanded compliment to the young ones?

- The Chicago Fire routed Kansas City 3-0 in MLS action last night. We're not really sure what else to say…

Random Notes and MAJOR PREDICTIONS!!!

What a week!!

The White Sox returned to form for the first time since the All Star break, going a combined 5-1 vs. the Yankees and Tigers. RCS realizes that everyone knows this already, we just like the way it looks on paper.

The Cubs season is still over, but they have had some terrific games. The Z-Man returned to form against the Astros this week, and Rich Hill is beginning to take the next step in what could be a pretty damn good career. But here's a thought:

Is it worth it to have your ace constantly throwing 100+ pitches in games that don't really matter?

Yes, he is a Cy Young contender, but is this personal award worth more than a possible playoff run in the next year or two? RCS isn't a huge fan of pitch counts and honestly, we feel pitchers are becoming bigger babies every day, but you have to take Z-Man in context. This is a guy who was forced to be the staff workhorse for multiple years. He's also logged extra innings this year in the disaster formerly known as the World Baseball Classic. Yes, he's a beast, but it has to eventually take a toll.

On another note, RCS refuses to comment on any Bears QB controversy or competition until after the 3rd preseason game. We are happy to see that Thomas Jones is back practicing again, though.

Now for some Major Predictions that are sure to upset people from both coasts…

1. The Boston Red Sox are finished. They will not make the playoffs, and the entire country will be forced to suffer through an entire winter of bitching by people with goofy accents. RCS can't wait for the first hour-long segment on what the Red Sox need to do in the offseason, courtesy of the Booyah Network.

2. USC's football team will not win the Pac 10 this year. There is also a very real chance they lose their first 2 games this year. No, we're not kidding.

3. Dusty Baker will coach the Cubs next year. There is no way the Tribune suits would let a lame duck manager make decisions that could harm the clubs future. It just doesn't make sense.

4. The Blackhawks' season will begin, and no one will care…

The RCS Curse??

While it may be a little early to jump to conclusions, one cannot help but notice that as soon as RCS gives props to Carlos Zambrano, the Z-Man goes out and gets lit up by a minor league squad. And no, I'm not kidding, the Pirates really are a minor league team these days, with the exception of Jason Bay, who RCS thinks would like pretty good in black or even blue stripes...

Huge series begins tonight on the South Side of town, with the Evil Empire (read: Yankees) in town for a set. Not to mention that the division-leading Tigers (read: extreme over-achievers) will be coming in right behind them for the weekend. These next six games are the most important the Sox will have the rest of the season. This is their opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the season, whether it be for a playoff run, or a spiral into mediocrity.

And just in case we're on to something, RCS wants to give props to Chien-Ming Wang and the rest of the Yankees for really coming together at the right time. They look damn good.

And we're back in 3, 2, 1.....

It's been a while, friends, and I do apologize for my absence. I have to keep this semi-brief, as I'm forced to blog from work while no one is looking. All thanks to crappy Comcast internet service. I'm saving a special blog all about Comcast and their crappy service for a lull in the sporting world. But now, without further ado:

• You've probably realized that RCS has added a new member to its ranks. He's a Cubs fan and specializes in Notre Dame football. He'll also be providing updates on various sports-related events from across the Pond in London starting within the next month. And, as you've noticed, he's a big fan of YouTube.

• For anyone that doesn't think ND football belongs on a Chicago sports blog: too bad, you're stuck with it.

• The White Sox have become a team fighting for their playoff lives, and RCS is definitely not thinking as positive as a month ago…

• Brandon McCarthy needs to be moved to the rotation. He's well-rested, and will pump some new life into the Sox rotation. If every other team in the league wants him for their rotation, maybe they should give him a shot since they've been able to acquire some new arms in the pen to take his place.

• Did the Sox need to make a big move at the deadline? No, probably not. Would a big move have added some new life to the team? Very possible, although it's tough to balance current team chemistry and the need for a jolt.

• The bottom line: the pitching staff as a whole needs to step it up. They are and always will be the backbone of the team. It's time for them to start acting like it.

• The Cubs have officially given up on the season, which is probably the smart thing to do at 20 games below .500.

• Trading away Greg Maddux was a great move. Cubs receive a quality shortstop (at least in the field) and all they had to give up was a old bad pitcher. Now, we know Maddux isn't bad per say, but he hasn't been very good since the month of May. And let's be honest, he's not getting any younger…

• Things are on the rise at Clark and Addison, the young pitchers just need a little time to mature. And holy crap, Carlos Zambrano has become possibly the best arm in the majors. At the very least, I'm sure he's the most intimidating – honestly, what batter will want to crowd the plate with the Z-man staring you down. He'll brush one across your eyebrows at 95mph, and then freeze you with a hooking slide-ball across the outside corner. Scary.

• And while I'm not a fan of showing up batters and fist pumping and yelling on the mound, it is nice to see someone on the North Side excited about playing the game.