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Sports Quote of the Day:
"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do." ~ Henry Ford, Automobile Magnet
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Rangers-Blackhawks Preview.
By TOM CASTRO (STATS Senior Editor)
The Chicago Blackhawks' league-best offensive attack has been stymied somewhat over the past four games. That's proved to be no obstacle to the club continuing to pile up points.
The Blackhawks look to extend their 10-game overall point streak and nine-game run of earning at least a point at home when they face the inconsistent New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
Chicago (29-7-9) easily leads the NHL with 167 goals, but it's scored two or fewer in three of the last four games. The Blackhawks still managed to go 1-0-2 in those three to leave them at 6-0-4 in the past 10.
They dropped a tough matchup with fellow Western Conference power San Jose on Sunday, 3-2 in a shootout at home. Coach Joel Quenneville wasn't happy even though his team earned a point, as it couldn't hold a 2-1 lead in the third period and didn't score in the tiebreaker.
Chicago was outshot 42-35 overall and 33-24 after the first 20 minutes in suffering its fifth shootout home loss.
''We've lost a few (shootouts) in a row here and I think it could be a little bit uncomfortable, or a lack of confidence, but we've got to work our way through it,'' Quenneville said.
''We've left a lot of points on the board.
''We could have put ourself in a better spot than we're at. That's been a sour spot recently.''
Corey Crawford made 40 saves and Niklas Hjalmarsson and Michal Rozsival scored for the Blackhawks, but Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp failed to convert in the tiebreaker.
Chicago still did enough to avoid its first regulation loss since Dec. 14, its only one in the past 15 games. The Blackhawks are 15-2-6 at home on the season and 11-1-4 in their last 16 at the United Center.
''Any win in here is special,'' Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. ''It's a hard place to play. They play fast. They play hard, and any win in this building is huge.''
It's yielded little success for New York lately, as the Rangers (21-20-3) have gone 1-2-2 with a tie in their last six visits. They fell 4-3 on March 9, 2012 at Chicago in the teams' most recent meeting.
The club's inconsistency continued Monday in a 4-3 shootout loss at home to Columbus.
New York is 6-3-2 in its last 11, not winning more than two in a row or losing more than two straight in that span.
The Rangers got two power-play goals from former Blue Jacket Rick Nash and battled back from a 3-1 deficit after two periods, but they didn't score in the tiebreaker.
''It would've been nice to get that other point,'' Nash said. ''We've got to come out a lot better, and we can't keep making mistakes that end up in the back of our net.''
The Rangers went 2 for 6 on the power play and have gone 3 for 9 in the past two games.
Newly acquired Rangers enforcer and former Blackhawk Daniel Carcillo could make his debut with New York on Wednesday. Obtained from Los Angeles on Saturday for a seventh-round draft pick, Carcillo played the 2011-12 and '12-'13 seasons with Chicago, recording four goals, 10 assists, 93 penalty minutes and a plus-11 rating.
Toews has three goals and 16 assists in his last 14 contests, while Sharp has nine goals and three assists in his past seven. Both were named to Hockey Canada's Olympic team on Tuesday.
Leading scorer Patrick Kane has recorded one total assist in his previous four.
The Blackhawks have won two straight and three of four in the series overall.
Behind the numbers: NHL attendance surpassing NBA.
By Nina Falcone
Our 2013-2014 Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks' growth in popularity has been a hot topic the last few seasons, especially since their 2013 Stanley Cup victory.
The team's recent on-ice successes and ability to connect with fans off the ice has transformed Chicago into a hockey town. Between earning two Stanley Cups in four seasons and hosting events such as the Blackhawks Convention during the offseason, the Blackhawks have a strong, loyal group of fans cheering them on as they cruise through the season.
Sunday's game against the Sharks marked the Blackhawks' 250th consecutive sellout throughout the regular season and postseason. And despite the cold, harsh weather conditions in Chicago, fans still packed the United Center.
But the NHL isn't just seeing increased numbers in the Windy City; the numbers as a whole are up throughout North American markets.
According to the latest attendance records, the NHL is averaging more sellout crowds than the NBA.
Throughout the 2013-14 season, 15 NHL markets have averaged at least 100 percent capacity in their home stands: The Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Minnesota Wild, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets.
The Red Wings lead the charts at a 118.5 percent capacity, an average of 23,780 fans per game, while the Blackhawks take second at a 109.2 percent capacity, averaging 21,528 fans per game.
The NBA, on the other hand, has only eight markets averaging at least 100 percent capacity this season: The Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.
The Bulls come in at No. 1 at 104.6 percent capacity, averaging 21,876 fans per game inside the United Center.
Chicago is a prime example of the growth in popularity within the NHL. The team's winning traditions the last few seasons and off-ice interactions have given this city a new appreciation for their hometown team.
The numbers around the entire league have grown tremendously just since the lockout, averaging six additional sellout markets compared to the 2010-11 season.
Between the game's increased speed and talent, addition of outdoor games and upcoming Olympic exposure, it appears the league's popularity will continue on the rise.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Marshall: He and Jeffery are the NFL's best, 'humbly' of course.
By John Mullin
Chicago Bears Brandon Marshall (L) and Alshon Jeffery (R) #17.
Marshall allowed that “numbers don’t lie” so Calvin Johnson had to be considered the top wide receiver in the NFL. Sort of. Marshall put Jeffery ahead of himself in discussing wide receivers, briefly and only to a point.
“I say this humbly, if I had to build an organization, the first receiver I’m going to pick is myself,” Marshall said. “I have that much confidence in myself.”
Without alluding directly to problems with his hip that affected him at times last season, Marshall predicted his best season ever in 2014 because of health and receivers coach Mike Groh.
And Jeffery. Host Mark Kriegel challenged Marshall on whether there was a better NFL receiver tandem than Jeffery and Marshall. Easy (humble) answer.
“I say this humbly: I don’t think so,” Marshall said. “We work so hard and we have great coaches around us. Coach Groh does an amazing job coming over from Alabama, from a college team to the pro league and really making a tremendous transition. He’s really pushing us every single day, he’s putting us in uncomfortable situations to make us better.
“You would think as a nine-year pro that ‘you got it’ – I don’t, and I love that about coach that he can bring out more. Honestly I really believe with the year under Groh that I’m going to have a better year next year – my best year ever.”
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Paxson: Bulls faced reality with Luol Deng's contract situation. By Mark Strotman
In a perfect world, the Chicago Bulls would have kept Luol Deng this year to play alongside a healthy Derrick Rose as the team fought for a seventh NBA championship.
In that scenario, the Bulls would have given Deng a contract extension to keep him with Rose and Joakim Noah as part of an experienced core capable of competing with any team in the league. But in this era of free agency and a new collective bargaining agreement, the perfect scenario is almost never the one that plays out — both on the court and financially — for the majority of franchises.
Thus was the case in Chicago, where the Bulls front office was forced to make the difficult decision early Tuesday morning to trade forward Deng — who had been with the club the last nine years — to Cleveland for Andrew Bynum’s contract and three draft picks.
“(Luol) has gone above and beyond anything we could have imagined, and we appreciate that and respect that,” John Paxson said Tuesday afternoon at the United Center. “I want to convey from our organization to Lu, publicly, what he’s meant to us and how difficult a decision to move him this has been.”
The wheels started turning the night Rose suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee on Nov. 22 in Portland. To that point, the Bulls’ core remained intact and Rose, though struggling by his standards, was working the rust off and appeared to be rounding into form after missing the entire 2012-13 season recovering from a torn ACL.
But Rose’s second significant knee injury forced the front office to take a step back and assess the franchise’s future past this season.
“When Derrick had the injury against Portland, and we learned that surgery was going to keep him out the remainder of the year, at that time our focus had to broaden,” Paxson said. “We had to look a little bit more about the future and a little less about today, which is always a difficult thing to do in this business because you want to win. We made decisions the last few years to build the best basketball team that we possibly could. But the reality was this year that Derrick’s injury did force us to look at things in a broader perspective.”
That meant looking at Deng. The 6-foot-9 South Sudan native was in the midst of a career-best season, helping keep the Bulls afloat in Rose’s absence. But he was also playing out the last year of the six-year, $71 million deal he signed in 2008, and was set for unrestricted free agency at season’s end. The Bulls had intentions of keeping Deng if the price was right, but it proved fruitless.
The two sides failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension this past offseason, and after Rose’s injury and another round of extensions talks that went nowhere — Y! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Bulls offered Deng a three-year deal worth $30 million last week — the Bulls were faced with the reality that Deng’s future in Chicago was limited to the end of his current contract.
“It was an offer that we felt was competitive and very reasonable in a lot of ways, and the one thing that we were balancing and weighing was the fact that it would continue to build with this team: keep Luol but have the resources to continue to build with this team,” Paxson said of the Bulls’ offer to Deng. “And that offer we made was rejected, which is absolutely Lu’s prerogative and his right to do so. Players don’t very often have the chance to become free agents in this league, and you never want a player to take a contract or a deal that they’re not comfortable with, so the fact that he didn’t take it, we understand that completely.”
Paxson was also transparent on the Bulls’ mistreatment of Deng during last year’s playoffs, when Deng suffered complications from a spinal tap performed to see if he had meningitis.
“We did not handle that as well as he could have or should have. And we spoke to Lu and we didn’t understand the gravity of it in that moment, and that’s on us,” Paxson said. “But over the summer, we talked to Lu and apologized. That’s something that we dropped the ball on and we hopefully learn from. In terms of injuries, I think we’ve been really supportive of how he’s gone about things.
The trade ends an impressive run in Chicago for Deng, where he took a bottom-feeder franchise attempting to turn things around post-MJ and, with the help of Rose, Noah and others, turned them into one of the premier teams in the NBA. Deng sits fourth on the all-time scoring list in Chicago, behind Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Bob Love.
“I want to make it clear how difficult it was to do, if anything because of the respect and admiration we have for Lu, and what he’s meant to our organization,” Paxson said. “He’s been a true gentleman and a wonderful player.”
Bulls knock off Suns in first game without Deng.
By Mark Strotman
The post-Luol Deng era got off to an impressive start Tuesday night in Chicago, as the Bulls knocked off the Phoenix Suns, 92-87, at the United Center.
Earlier in the day the Bulls announced they had traded forward Luol Deng in exchange for Andrew Bynum’s contract and three draft picks. The move will save the franchise more than $20 million – they waived Bynum’s contract and are now under the luxury tax threshold – but was expected to hurt the current team in the short-term. And while the Bulls undoubtedly are worse off without the nine-year veteran Deng, it didn’t show on this night.
Kirk Hinrich (nine points, three assists, two blocks) hit a clutch 3-pointer with two minutes to play and the Bulls forced the Suns into back-to-back turnovers in the final minute to hang on in the win. The Suns, who came into tonight averaging 103 points, shot just 40 percent in the loss, while Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson powered a Carlos Boozer-less frontcourt in the victory.
Taj Gibson (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Jimmy Butler (13 points, five rebounds, four steals) got the Bulls going in the first quarter, scoring a combined 17 of the Bulls’ 27 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the quarter. Goran Dragic (21 points, two assists) paced the Suns with seven points in the quarter while Gerald Green, starting in place of Eric Bledsoe, tallied five points. Chicago played a crisp quarter throughout, committing just one turnover and one personal foul, while the Suns matched the effort with their usual up-tempo pace.
Even without their leading scorer in Deng, the Bulls kept pace with the Suns on offense in the rest of the first half. Thibodeau’s group shot better than 47 percent from the field, behind 11 first-half points from Noah (14 points, 16 rebounds, six assists) and 10 from Butler. DJ Augustin (13 points, nine assists) keyed the offense in the second quarter, scoring eight points and handing out four assists in the stanza.
After the Suns used a 16-4 run to take a 46-42 lead, buckets from Butler, Noah and a 3-pointer from Hinrich – two of which were assisted by Augustin – gave the Bulls a 7-0 run to close the half and take a 49-46 lead. Much of that run came with Hinrich and Augustin both on the court, something Thibodeau said before the game he’d like to utilize more following the Deng deal. The Bulls also held a steep 26-15 advantage on the boards, thanks to Noah’s 11 rebounds in the half. He also had nine points, three assists and a block in 16 efficient minutes.
Green got hot from deep, hitting a pair of 3-pointers to lead the Suns with 12 points before halftime.
Four minutes into the third quarter, Mike Dunleavy took a spill coming off a screen near the baseline and came up writhing in pain, holding his right elbow. He was able to walk off the court and made his way to the Bulls’ locker room shortly after. He returned to the bench later in the period and played most of the fourth quarter. Tony Snell (12 points, four rebounds) entered the game in Dunleavy’s place and knocked down a long two-pointer on the first possession down to give the Bulls a 53-48 lead. It was part of an 8-2 run to start the quarter that saw the Bulls lead by as many as nine points.
Dragic kept the Suns in it with a nine-point quarter of his own, but the Bulls’ stifling defense held Phoenix to 30 percent shooting in the quarter to extend the lead to 70-63 entering the fourth quarter.
Snell gave the Bulls some breathing room again in the fourth quarter with a pair of 3-pointers that extended the lead to 78-65 in the opening minutes, while the Suns’ cold shooting persisted. Later in the quarter Noah, who finished with six assists, found cutters on back-to-back possessions to push the lead back out to 12, 82-70.
A Channing Frye 3-pointer – the Suns were just 6-for-23 from beyond the arc – and Dragic layup brought the Suns within four, 84-80, with less than four minutes to play.
Augustin and Miles Plumlee (11 points, seven rebounds, two blocks) traded free throws, and Hinrich’s 3-pointer with two minutes to play extended the lead to seven and put the game out of reach.
Bill James on Baseball in 2015 (in 2001).
By Rob Neyer
I could spend an entire year reading Bill James's old books, some of them now more than 30 years old, and just riffing on those. I could easily do that. Of course I've read every word already. But that's a lot of words, and I've forgotten most of them. For example, I completely forgot an essay in The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (2001) titled "Baseball 2015" in which he offered predictions for that far-off year.
Well, it's damn near 2015, and Beyond the Box Score's Scott Lindholm has been checking Bill's predictions:
- That baseball will eventually solve or contain the problem of economics corroding competitive balance.
- That baseball will eventually gain control of the problem of the ever-lengthening games.
- That the hundred-year trend of using more and more pitchers will end, and complete games (for the first time ever) will soon become more common, rather than less.
- That the trend toward more strikeouts and more homers from the top of the order to the bottom will also end soon.
Last week, Lindholm demonstrated that Baseball has at least contained the competitive-balance problem. It's hard to say if Baseball actually did much in the pursuit of this worthy goal. Revenue-sharing and the luxury tax have undoubtedly played a role. But so have standard television deals, along with intelligent people running the lower-revenue franchises. But over the last decade or so, a number of teams have proved you don't have to outspend your opponents to win. And Baseball fares quite well on this score, relative to the other big sports. And before you think it was inevitable, I promise that it's exceedingly non-difficult to find columns in the late '90s predicting the demise of small-market franchises, and the rise of SUPER LEAGUES consisting of just the New Yorks and Chicagos and Southern Californias of the world. Which, thankfully, did not happen and won't anytime soon.
In 2000, major-league games averaged more than three hours for the first time ever. That seems to have triggered some real action -- i.e. Sandy Alderson got involved -- and the average fell to around 2:50 for a few seasons. Then it stabilized at around 2:55 for a few years ... but now we've been above three hours for the last few years.
Bill suggested limiting pitching changes, or at least mid-inning changes. But that obviously hasn't happened, and the increase in pitching changes has contributed to the increase in game times.
Another suggestion James made with even less chance of adoption is to reduce the time between innings to 90 seconds from 2 minutes. Before you start laughing uncontrollably, consider the ramifications -- this could decrease game times by around 9 minutes for a typical 9-inning game. This sounds like a lot of missed advertising potential, but the problem every professional sport that isn't football faces is excess inventory -- too many games, too much ad time, and not enough demand. If you don't believe me, compare the caliber of advertiser during a typical NFL game (sold nationally) vs. a baseball game (typically sold locally). It's possible reducing ad time inventory could increase its value and make such a move revenue-neutral--that's how scarcity works in the real world.
FanGraphs added Pace to show how quickly pitchers work and in 2013 it ranged from R.A. Dickey (17.9 seconds) to David Price (25.8 seconds) between pitches among qualifying starters--about a 50% variance. If baseball were to enforce a strict 20-second maximum between pitches and shaved the time between innings by 30 seconds, the average game could be played in around 2 hours, assuming 300 total pitches per game. In fact, if the 20-second clock was adopted, they could even keep the extra 30 seconds of advertising and still be right at the 2-hour mark. In the short term it might impact ancillary revenues like concessions and souvenirs, but as fans adapted to the quicker game these things would correct themselves in short order.
There are a lot of really, really smart people working at Major League Baseball. They've thought of just about everything. But just like everywhere else, inertia's an immensely strong force. There are two minutes between half-innings because there have been two minutes between half-innings (and also, quite possibly, because that really is the most profitable format). Umpires aren't allowed to enforce the 20-second rule between pitches because they haven't already enforced it; they don't want to do it, and the pitchers don't want them to do it. So it's not done.
Which doesn't mean it won't be done. We're going to see ever more pitching changes, and something will be done to balance that time. Oh, and the new video-review system is going to add significant time to the average game, which will also need to be balanced. I don't know if we'll ever get below three hours again; that would almost certainly require shorter commercial breaks. But don't be surprised if other significant measures are taken to shorten the games and speed up the action (which is at least as important).
It looks like Bill was just wrong about complete games becoming more common. Granted, he was talking about 2015 (and beyond, I suppose). The trend-line on this one seems inexorable, and it's difficult to see anything changing. In fact, I would love to know why Bill thought this would happen. Let me grab the book and see if he explained ... Well, sort of:
The hundred-year trend toward more and more pitchers in a game will eventually run its course. In fact, it may already have run its course, because it doesn't make any sense. In order to gain a small, almost miniscule, platoon advantage, managers are using so many pitchers that they are creating an artificial shortage of pitching. Eventually it will occur to them that this doesn't work.
Maybe. We haven't seen any signs of this, though.
For one thing, sometimes it does work. It works often enough that if rosters went 26 deep instead of 25, managers would just use that extra spot on an eighth (or ninth!) relief pitcher.
In fact, they're essentially already doing that. Thanks to liberalized roster rules, most teams essentially have nine- or ten-man bullpens, with a couple of the relievers parked in the minors, ready to hop on a plane and meet the big club when duty calls.
But often it doesn't work. Bill was (and is) right: Often, the tiny platoon advantage isn't worth the roster spot. And here's My Single Semi-Original Thought of the Day ...
The problem isn't that teams carry seven relief pitchers. The problem is that every team carries seven relief pitchers. Wouldn't it make more sense to carry seven if you've got seven good ones ... but to carry six if you've got only six good ones? Or to carry six if you need to platoon at two positions?
The problem isn't that teams carry seven relief pitchers. The problem is that every team carries seven relief pitchers. Wouldn't it make more sense to carry seven if you've got seven good ones ... but to carry six if you've got only six good ones? Or to carry six if you need to platoon at two positions?
It seems to me that teams are letting strategy drive the roster, when it would make a lot more sense for the roster to drive the strategy.
Or maybe not. I suppose it's highly unlikely that I'm smarter than all those bright men who run the baseball teams.
Anyway, there's one more prediction -- fewer strikeouts and homers from the top of the order -- that Lindholm's not yet explored. I've got my own ideas about that one. But I'll wait for Lindholm's pretty graphs.
By Will Gray
According to oddsmakers, world No. 1 Tiger Woods is in for a big year in 2014.
With the first tournament of the calendar year already in the books, online sports book Bovada released betting lines for each of the four 2014 majors and, not surprisingly, Woods is a prohibitive favorite to win each one. In fact, he's listed at just 3/2 odds to break out of a nearly six-year majorless drought and hoist trophy No. 15 at some point this year.
In addition to topping the current world rankings, Woods has experienced success at each of the four venues in 2014: he's left Augusta National with a new green jacket four times, while he won the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in 2006 and claimed the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla. While he hasn't won at Pinehurst No. 2, site of this year's U.S. Open, he did finish third there in 1999 and second in 2005.
Here's a sampling of some of the current odds, as well as a few prop bets on individual players (all odds courtesy Bovada):
2014 Masters
Tiger Woods 5/1
Rory McIlroy 10/1
Phil Mickelson 12/1
Adam Scott 14/1
Henrik Stenson 14/1
Justin Rose 22/1
Jason Day 25/1
2014 U.S. Open
Tiger Woods 6/1
Rory McIlroy 14/1
Adam Scott 16/1
Phil Mickelson 18/1
Justin Rose 20/1
Henrik Stenson 22/1
2014 Open Championship
Tiger Woods 11/2
Phil Mickelson 14/1
Adam Scott 16/1
Rory McIlroy 18/1
Henrik Stenson 20/1
Justin Rose 22/1
Lee Westwood 25/1
2014 PGA Championship
Tiger Woods 5/1
Adam Scott 14/1
Rory McIlroy 14/1
Phil Mickelson 16/1
Henrik Stenson 22/1
Justin Rose 22/1
Tiger Woods: Total Majors in 2014
None 1/2
Exactly One 7/4
Exactly Two 8/1
Exactly Three 40/1
All Four 100/1
Rory McIlroy: Total Majors in 2014
None 1/5
Exactly One 7/2
Exactly Two 14/1
Exactly Three 80/1
All Four 150/1
Phil Mickelson: Total Majors in 2014
None 1/6
Exactly One 4/1
Exactly Two 20/1
Exactly Three 100/1
All Four 250/1
Odds to win any major in 2014
Tiger Woods 3/2
Rory McIlroy 3/1
Phil Mickelson 7/2
Adam Scott 7/2
Henrik Stenson 5/1
Justin Rose 11/2
Jason Day 8/1
Brandt Snedeker 8/1
Dustin Johnson 9/1
Jason Dufner 10/1
Sergio Garcia 10/1
Charl Schwartzel 10/1
Lee Westwood 10/1
Matt Kuchar 10/1
Sprint Cup driver roster for Preseason Thunder.
NASCAR Staff Report
Preseason Thunder gets underway on Thursday with the first of two days of testing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers at Daytona International Speedway.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Penske Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Michael Waltrip Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing are among the organizations participating in the two days of Sprint Cup testing.
Tony Stewart will not be testing for Stewart-Haas Racing in the No. 14 Chevrolet as he continues to recover from a broken right leg. Mark Martin will test the car for him at Daytona.
Brian Vickers will also not be at Preseason Thunder. Vickers had his 2013 season cut short when a blood clot was found in his right leg. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver's No. 55 Toyota will be tested by team co-owner Michael Waltrip. Jeff Burton will test the No. 56 Toyota for MWR.
Justin Allgaier and Bobby Labonte will be testing for Phoenix Racing. Labonte will be driving for Phoenix Racing in the Daytona 500.
Ryan Truex and Alex Bowman will be testing for BK Racing. The organization recently parted ways with David Reutimann.
Among the organizations to not take part in Preseason Thunder: JTG Daugherty Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Front Row Motorsports and Phil Parsons Racing.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series will have their sessions on Saturday and Sunday and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have its sessions on Monday and Tuesday.
Below is the full roster of drivers participating in the two days of Sprint Cup Series testing.
| NSCS DAYTONA TEST JANUARY 9-10, 2014 | ||
| Car # | Team | Driver |
| 1 | Ganassi | Jamie McMurray |
| 2 | Penske | Brad Keselowski |
| 3 | RCR | Austin Dillon |
| 4 | SHR | Kevin Harvick |
| 5 | HMS | Kasey Kahne |
| 7 | TBR | Michael Annett |
| 9 | RPM | Marcos Ambrose |
| 10 | SHR | Danica Patrick |
| 11 | JGR | Denny Hamlin |
| 13 | Germain | Casey Mears |
| 14 | SHR | Mark Martin |
| 15 | MWR | Clint Bowyer |
| 16 | RFR | Greg Biffle |
| 17 | RFR | Ricky Stenhouse |
| 18 | JGR | Kyle Busch |
| 20 | JGR | Matt Kenseth |
| 21 | WBR | Trevor Bayne |
| 22 | Penske | Joey Logano |
| 24 | HMS | Jeff Gordon |
| 26 | Swan | Cole Whitt |
| 27 | RCR | Paul Menard |
| 30 | Swan | Parker Kligerman |
| 31 | RCR | Ryan Newman |
| 32 | FAS | Reed Sorenson |
| 33 | RCR | Brian Scott |
| 40 | Hillman | Landon Cassill |
| 41 | SHR | Kurt Busch |
| 42 | Ganassi | Kyle Larson |
| 43 | RPM | Aric Almirola |
| 48 | HMS | Jimmie Johnson |
| 51 | Phoenix | Justin Allgaier |
| 52 | Phoenix | Bobby Labonte |
| 55 | MWR | Michael Waltrip |
| 56 | MWR | Jeff Burton |
| 83 | BKR | Alex Bowman |
| 87 | Nemco | Joe Nemechek |
| 88 | HMS | Dale Earnhardt, Jr |
| 93 | BKR | Ryan Truex |
| 95 | Leavine | Michael McDowell |
| 99 | RFR | Carl Edwards |
| 152 in 2013 | B Keselowski | Brian Keselowski |
| 47 | JTG - not testing | |
| 78 | Furniture Row - not testing | |
| 34, 35, 36, 38 | Front Row - not testing | |
| 98 | Phil Parsons - not testing | |
Event times released for 2014 Sprint Cup schedule.
NASCAR.com
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series officially gets underway with the 56th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. The season will once again culminate with the final race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will consist of 36 points races as well as two additional weekends featuring non-points events. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races can be seen on either FOX (first 13 events), TNT (next six events) or ESPN/ABC (final 17 events). All races are broadcast by either Motor Racing Network, Performance Racing Network or Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network; all races will also air on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel 90.
Two events will see significant start time changes: the spring race at Texas Motor Speedway will shift to Sunday, April 6 and begin at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. The Kansas Speedway spring event on Saturday, May 10 will be under the lights for the first time, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
The Sprint Unlimited, which takes place on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET, and two Daytona 500 qualifying races, which will take place in primetime for the first time at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 20, will once again highlight the non-points races at the start of the season. Both events will air on FOX Sports 1. The third non-points event will be the annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which will also be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 on Saturday night, May 17.
Start times for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will remain the same, with five of the first seven races beginning at 2 p.m. ET and the last three races beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The Bank of America 500 from Charlotte Motor Speedway is the only night race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and will air on ABC on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET. All remaining Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races will air on ESPN.
The full telecast schedule is below, and subject to change:
* designates a non-points race
All times listed are Eastern
| Date | Race/Facility | Net. | TV Start | Start | Radio |
| 15-Feb | *DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (SPRINT UNLIMITED) | FS1 | 8:00PM | 8:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 16-Feb | *DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (DAYTONA 500 QUALIFYING) | FOX | 1:00PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 20-Feb | *DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (DUELS) | FS1 | 6:30PM | 7:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 23-Feb | DAYTONA 500 | FOX | 12:00PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 2-Mar | PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY | FOX | 2:30PM | 3:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 9-Mar | LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY | FOX | 2:30PM | 3:00PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 16-Mar | BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY | FOX | 12:30PM | 1:00PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 23-Mar | AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY | FOX | 2:30PM | 3:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 30-Mar | MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY | FOX | 12:30PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 6-Apr | TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY | FOX | 2:30PM | 3:00PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 12-Apr | DARLINGTON RACEWAY | FOX | 6:00PM | 6:30PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 26-Apr | RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY | FOX | 6:30PM | 7:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 4-May | TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY | FOX | 12:30PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 10-May | KANSAS SPEEDWAY | FOX | 7:00PM | 7:30PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 17-May | *CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (NASCAR SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE) | FS1 | 7:00PM | TBD | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 25-May | CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY | FOX | 5:30PM | 6:00PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 1-Jun | DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY | FOX | 12:30PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 8-Jun | POCONO RACEWAY | TNT | 12:00PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 15-Jun | MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY | TNT | 12:00PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 22-Jun | SONOMA RACEWAY | TNT | 2:00PM | 3:00PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 28-Jun | KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY | TNT | 6:30PM | 7:30PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 5-Jul | DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY | TNT | 6:30PM | 7:30PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 13-Jul | NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY | TNT | 12:00PM | 1:00PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 27-Jul | INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 12:00PM | 1:00PM | IMS/SIRIUSXM |
| 3-Aug | POCONO RACEWAY | ESPN | 12:00PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 10-Aug | WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL | ESPN | 12:00PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 17-Aug | MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 12:00PM | 1:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 23-Aug | BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY | ABC | 7:00PM | 7:30PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 31-Aug | ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 7:00PM | 7:30PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 6-Sep | RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY | ABC | 7:00PM | 7:30PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 14-Sep | CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 1:00PM | 2:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 21-Sep | NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 1:00PM | 2:00PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 28-Sep | DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 1:00PM | 2:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 5-Oct | KANSAS SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 1:00PM | 2:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 11-Oct | CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY | ABC | 7:00PM | 7:30PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 19-Oct | TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY | ESPN | 1:00PM | 2:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 26-Oct | MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 1:00PM | 1:30PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 2-Nov | TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 2:00PM | 3:00PM | PRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 9-Nov | PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY | ESPN | 2:00PM | 3:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
| 16-Nov | HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY | ESPN | 2:00PM | 3:00PM | MRN/SIRIUSXM |
Projecting the USA World Cup XI: January Edition.
By Ives Galarcep
The World Cup is just five months away and while Brazil's stadiums may not be fully constructed, most of the 32 teams heading to Brazil already have a good sense of what their lineups will look like. Injuries and the rare sudden emergence of a breakout star can shake things up a bit, but projecting starting lineups for June’s World Cup isn’t too difficult for most teams.
The U.S. national team starting lineup is a fairly simple group to figure out for the most part, though there are some question marks that will be answered in the coming months. The fullback positions remain the biggest question marks, though Geoff Cameron is starting to ease fears about right back with his steady play for Stoke City. Left back isn’t without options, but what coach Jurgen Klinsmann must figure out is whether he can count on DaMarcus Beasley to do the job in a World Cup group that features some extremely tough wingers, including Cristiano Ronaldo.
While Klinsmann sorts out his wide options, the spine of the team seems pretty straightforward, though the drop off from starter to backup is considerable at a few spots.
Another interesting aspect of projecting the starting USA lineup in Brazil is what roles long-time stars Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan will play. Both have been penciled in as key starters for so long that it’s tough to imagine either not carrying an important role, but with growing competition in the attack, neither is safe from losing their job if they don’t head into the summer on good form.
That is still five months away. For now, here is a look at what the USA starting lineup for the World Cup looks like as we head into the new year:
GOALKEEPER- Tim Howard
Not much to discuss here. Howard is enjoying a standout year, while Brad Guzan remains the No. 2. Guzan has shown he is capable of stepping in when needed, but an in-form Howard gives the U.S. one of the world’s best goalkeepers.
RIGHT BACK- Geoff Cameron
With his form at right back for Stoke City improving at a steady rate, Cameron is looking more and more like the clear-cut pick. That said, don’t rule out a Steve Cherundolo resurgence if he can stay healthy and play regularly during the next five months at Hannover 96.
CENTER BACK- Matt Besler
Fresh off an MLS Cup title, Besler enters 2014 confident and arguably the best center back in the national team pool. Clarence Goodson is probably Klinsmann’s first choice off the bench as a backup center back, though if Cherundolo does return, then Cameron becomes Besler’s backup.
CENTER BACK- Omar Gonzalez
The LA Galaxy defender has formed a solid partnership with Besler, and the two will have a chance to continue building that connection in this month’s national team camp. He still needs to cut out the penchant for mistakes that plagued him in 2013
LEFT BACK- DaMarcus Beasley
The veteran defender enjoyed a good 2013, but he will need to keep playing at a high level to hold off Fabian Johnson as Klinsmann’s top left back option. If anything does happen to Beasley, Johnson would make the most sense to slide in, especially given the number of wing midfield options who can step in and replace Johnson higher up the field.
RIGHT MIDFIELD- Landon Donovan
As much as we have grown accustomed to seeing Donovan’s name in the lineup at World Cups, a starting role in Brazil isn’t a foregone conclusion. We will project him here now, but with Aron Johannsson improving dramatically and Alejandro Bedoya and Graham Zusi both looking very good, Donovan could find himself out of the lineup if he isn’t sharp come June.
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD- Michael Bradley
The first field player you pencil into the U.S. starting lineup, Bradley is as clear-cut a choice as there is, even with his inconsistent playing time at AS Roma. As we saw in Costa Rica, replacing Bradley is pretty much impossible, but if he weren’t available, Klinsmann would likely turn to someone like Mix Diskerud or Sacha Kljestan to help provide a more attack-minded element to the central midfield.
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD- Jermaine Jones
A regular when healthy, Jones is at a turning point in his club career after recently stating his desire to leave Schalke 04. He needs to be playing regularly in the coming months to ensure his place in the starting lineup, whether that means a move elsewhere in Europe or potentially a move to MLS. If Jones is unavailable, Kyle Beckerman showed in 2013 that he can step in and play the defensive midfield role well.
LEFT MIDFIELD- Fabian Johnson
Johnson has shown some very good glimpses playing on the left wing in the U.S. attack, but with options being thin at left back, he might wind up having to play as a defender. If he can stay on the left wing he can help provide important service, but if he isn’t available we could see Donovan getting a look on the left wing. Bedoya has also been used on the left flank as well.
ATTACKING MIDFIELD- Clint Dempsey
Whether playing as a forward or underneath a loan striker in a 4-2-3-1, Dempsey is likely to be the person pulling the strings in the middle of the U.S. attack. His form in the second half of 2013 was troubling, but a full vacation followed by a loan to Fulham should help him regain his sharpness heading into 2014. If Dempsey can’t fill this role, then Donovan makes the most sense as the alternative in a playmaking role.
FORWARD- Jozy Altidore
He might be struggling at Sunderland, and Johannsson might be lighting up the scoreboard in the Netherlands, but Altidore remains the projected starter and after the way he lit it up last summer, it’s tough to argue. If his form takes a hit, and his Sunderland woes continue, Klinsmann could consider benching him for Johannsson, but the more likely scenario would be Klinsmann pairing Johannsson with Altidore and moving Fabian Johnson to the left back role.
Florida State No. 1 in final AP Poll after beating Auburn in BCS championship game.
By Ben Glicksman
Florida State (14-0) capped an undefeated campaign with a 34-31 victory over Auburn in the BCS title game, officially bringing an end to the 2013 college football season. With all of the results in the books, it’s time to see how the rankings shook out. The final AP Poll was released early on Tuesday morning — and it certainly included a few surprises.
The Seminoles finished No. 1, followed by Auburn, Michigan State, South Carolina and Missouri, in succession.
The full poll is listed below, with first-place votes in parentheses.
1. Florida State (60)
2. Auburn
3. Michigan State
4. South Carolina
5. Missouri
6. Oklahoma
7. Alabama
8. Clemson
9. Oregon
10. UCF
11. Stanford
12. Ohio State
13. Baylor
14. LSU
15. Louisville
16. UCLA
17. Oklahoma State
18. Texas A&M
19. USC
20. Notre Dame
21. Arizona State
22. Wisconsin
23. Duke
24. Vanderbilt
25. Washington
A few closing thoughts:
• Florida State captured its third AP national title. That ties the Seminoles for the ninth-most titles of all-time, with Florida and Texas.
• Clemson (11-2) may have knocked off Ohio State in the Orange Bowl, but it still couldn’t finish as the top-ranked program in its own state. South Carolina (11-2), which dispatched Wisconsin 34-24 in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day, came in at No. 4. The Tigers finished at No. 8. The final rankings will likely come as welcome news to Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier, who hasn’t been afraid to take a few jabs at Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.
• Despite clinching the school’s highest-ever AP Poll finish, UCF (12-1), which defeated Baylor 52-42 in the Fiesta Bowl, seems ranked a bit low at No. 10. Quarterback Blake Bortles and company’s sole loss came to South Carolina on Sept. 28. The American Athletic Conference champs beat Louisville 38-35 on Oct. 18.
Florida State caps off its undefeated season with a wild BCS title win and NCAA record for most points scored.
By Sam Cooper
Jimbo Fisher and Florida State celebrate a national title. (USA Today Sports)
Florida State finished off its undefeated 2013 season in dramatic fashion, scoring on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds to go to seal a 34-31 BCS National Championship win.
It wasn’t easy. Things were dicey for the Seminoles for most of the first half, especially when they were down 21-3 late in the second quarter and in desperate need of a spark. It didn’t look like it would come as Auburn forced the Seminoles to punt, but Jimbo Fisher reached into his bag of tricks and called for a fake punt from their own 40-yard line. The ball was snapped to the upback and pitched to Karlos Williams who ran 7 yards for a first down. The successful fake fired up the Seminoles and Winston subsequently led the offense on a drive that culminated in a Devonta Freeman 3-yard touchdown run. The score cut the Auburn lead to 21-10 and gave the Seminoles the momentum going into the second half.
In the second half, the Seminoles used a field goal, a Kermit Whitfield 100-yard kickoff return and two Jameis Winston touchdown passes – including the game-winner to Benjamin – to complete the comeback.
Winston, who threw for 237 yards, performed like a worthy Heisman winner down the stretch after a shaky first half. Winston threw to his most reliable target, junior Rashad Greene, nine times for 147 yards. Devonta Freeman reeled off a couple big runs. And in the third quarter, the Seminoles defense pitched a shutout before a timely P.J. Williams interception set up the first of three Florida State touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
A big question coming into Monday night’s game was how the Seminoles would handle adversity in a season in which they beat their opponents by an average of 41.2 points per game. Overcoming a 21-3 deficit against Auburn’s top-ranked rushing offense certainly silenced those critics.
The win clinched a perfect 14-0 campaign -- the fifth undefeated season in Florida State history. Sure the Seminoles didn’t play the most challenging schedule, but when the time came to rise up and beat the best, Winston and company rose to the occasion. They did so against then-third ranked Clemson on Oct. 19. They did so against then-seventh ranked Miami on Nov. 2. And they did so in the ACC title game against Duke.
The BCS title game was only the second time all season that the Seminoles were held to fewer than 40 points. Despite that, they set an NCAA record for most total points in a season with 723.
It hasn't all sunk in yet, but down the line, we may look back at this Florida State team as one of the best of the past 25 years.
2014 NCAA Basketball Top 25.
By The Associated Press
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 5, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week's ranking:
Record Pts Prv
1. Arizona (60) 15-0 1,620 1
2. Syracuse (5) 14-0 1,550 2
3. Ohio St. 15-0 1,470 3
4. Wisconsin 15-0 1,427 4
5. Michigan St. 13-1 1,378 5
6. Wichita St. 15-0 1,203 8
7. Baylor 12-1 1,169 9
8. Villanova 13-1 1,141 11
9. Iowa St. 13-0 1,076 13
10. Florida 11-2 1,052 12
11. Oklahoma St. 12-2 934 6
12. Louisville 13-2 825 14
13. San Diego St. 12-1 823 21
14. Kentucky 10-3 808 15
15. Colorado 13-2 752 20
16. Duke 11-3 745 7
17. Oregon 13-1 715 10
18. Kansas 9-4 367 16
19. UMass 12-1 364 23
20. Iowa 12-3 261 22
21. Missouri 12-1 247 25
22. Gonzaga 14-2 241 24
23. Illinois 13-2 178 -
24. Memphis 10-3 126 18
25. Kansas St. 11-3 112 -
Others receiving votes: Cincinnati 103, Creighton 82, North Carolina 79, UCLA 79, Pittsburgh 44, Harvard 41, UConn 41, Saint Louis 19, Oklahoma 15, Michigan 11, George Washington 9, SMU 9, Notre Dame 3, Xavier 3, Toledo 2, Arkansas 1.The Maddux Timeline: Not unanimous, but still a no-doubt Hall of Famer.
By Patrick Mooney and Tony Andracki
There are the PED witch-hunts and way too many Twitter catfights between bloggers and mainstream media. It’s old school vs. new school, know-it-when-I-see-it gut feelings vs. know-it-all statistical analysis. But by Tuesday morning, Maddux had gone 149-for-149 on the ballots accumulated for Baseball Think Factory’s online exit polling.
And then MLB.com released its staff picks, with Dodgers beat writer Ken Gurnick only checking Jack Morris, setting off a firestorm in one corner of cyberspace, writing: “As for those who played during the period of PED use, I won't vote for any of them.”
So the Baseball Writers’ Association of America won’t make it a perfect game for Maddux. But when the 2014 class is revealed Wednesday on MLB Network, it will be another exclamation point to a career no one could have seen coming in 1984, when the Cubs used a second-round pick on a slender teenager from Las Vegas.
The Maddux Timeline
1984: Drafted 31st overall out of Valley High School, one pick ahead of future Red Sox manager John Farrell and 21 spots behind Mark McGwire, who will struggle to get the 5 percent needed to stay on the Hall of Fame ballot.
1985: Adjusted to his first full year in pro ball by going 13-9 with a 3.19 ERA for Class-A Peoria. He would earn roughly $153 million in his career, according to the salary database at Baseball-Reference.com.
1986: Jumped from Double-A Pittsfield to Triple-A Iowa and made his big-league debut at age 20 that September.
1987: Struggled to make an impact with the Cubs, going 6-14 with a 5.61 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 30 games (27 starts).
1988: Kicked off the dominant stretch of his career by accounting for 249 innings, nine complete games and three shutouts. At age 22, he earned the first of his eight All-Star selections and went 18-8 with a 3.18 ERA.
1989: Finished third in the National League’s Cy Young vote after going 19-12 with a 2.95 ERA and seven complete games. But that didn’t translate to the NLCS, where he put up a 13.50 ERA in two starts as the Giants won the pennant.
1990: Won the first of 13 straight Gold Gloves.
1991: Led the league in innings (263) and starts (37), anchoring the Cubs rotation with a 15-11 record, 3.35 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.
1992: Captured his first Cy Young Award, notching 20 victories on a 78-win team and putting up a 2.18 ERA and 9.2 WAR.
Dec. 9, 1992: Signed with the Braves, a free-agent decision that would change the trajectory of two franchises.
1993: Notched his 100th career victory during another Cy Young season, leading the league in ERA (2.36), innings (267), starts (36), complete games (8) and WHIP (1.05). But the Braves lost to the Phillies in the NLCS.
1994: Won his third straight Cy Young and finished fifth in the MVP voting in a strike-shortened season. His 1.56 ERA ranked as the third-best mark since 1919.
1995: Won his fourth straight Cy Young and finished third in the MVP voting with another sub-2.00 ERA (1.63) and an almost unthinkable strikeout-to-walk ratio (209+:23).
1995 World Series: Earned a ring after going 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts for the Braves. Tom Glavine – who starred alongside Maddux (and McGwire) in that classic “Chicks Dig The Long Ball” Nike commercial and will likely be part of the 2014 Hall of Fame class – beat the Indians in Games 2 and 6.
1996 World Series: Won Game 2 and posted a 1.72 ERA but the Braves couldn’t stop a Yankees franchise building a dynasty.
1997: Became baseball's highest-paid player after signing a five-year, $57.5 million deal to stay with the Braves.
1998 NLDS: Beat Kerry Wood and the Cubs in a deciding Game 3 at Wrigley Field.
1999 World Series: Lost to Derek Jeter and the Yankees again. Maddux wouldn’t appear on the game’s biggest stage again, finishing at 2-3 with a career 2.09 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in five World Series starts.
Sept. 2-28, 2000: Rattled off 40.1 scoreless innings, the best mark of his career.
Aug. 12, 2001: Set a major-league record by going 70.1 consecutive innings without a walk.
2003: Became the first pitcher to win 15-plus games in 16 consecutive seasons.
March 23, 2004: Signed with the Cubs as a free agent.
Aug. 7, 2004: Became the 22nd player in major-league history to win 300 games.
July 26, 2005: Notched his 3,000th strikeout, becoming just the 13th player in major-league history to hit that magic number.
July 31, 2006: Traded from the Cubs to the Dodgers for Cesar Izturis.
2006: Became the first pitcher to make at least 25 starts in 20 straight seasons, breaking a tie with Glavine, Cy Young and Warren Spahn.
December 2006: Signed a one-year deal with the Padres.
November 2007: Signed another one-year deal with the Padres and set a major-league record by winning his 17th Gold Glove.
Aug. 19, 2008: Traded from the Padres to the Dodgers for Eduardo Perez and Michael Watt.
December 2008: Retired with 355 wins, 3,371 strikeouts, 5,008.1 innings, four Cy Youngs and 18 Gold Gloves on his Hall of Fame resume.
2009: Watched 31 - the number he shared with Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins - get retired at Wrigley Field.
January 2010: Hired as a special assistant to Cubs general manager Jim Hendry.
August 2011: Reevaluated his role inside the organization after the Cubs fired his good friend Hendry, ultimately deciding to leave again.
November 2011: Hired as a special assistant for the Rangers front office, where he works with his brother Mike, the Texas pitching coach.
July 27, 2014: Induction ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y.
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