Heilman Sent Packing Again

The Seattle Mariners sent starter and or reliever Aaron Heilman to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for infielder Ronny Cedeno and starter Garrett Olson.

Olson was recently acquired by the Cubbies, who had sent outfielder Felix Pie to the Orioles in exchange for the left handed starting pitcher.

Heilman, initially expected to compete for a spot in the Mariners starting rotation, will now battle the likes of Sean Marshall for the fifth spot in Chicago's starting five.

Olson was considered to be a key component in the on again - off again Jake Peavey trade rumors that have dominated Chicago and San Diego newspaper headlines this offseason.

Harden Packs Bags, Heads to Windy City

Anything you can do, I can do better. This sentiment running rampant in the NL Central Division as the Cubs picked up A's ace Rich Harden in a six player deal.

The trade comes only a few days after the Brewers picked up linebacker CC Sabathia in a trade with the Cleveland Indians.

Chicago also picked up Chad Gaudin while jettisoning right hander Sean Gallagher and outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson.

Reason #27 Why Ozzie Guillen Rocks

Now that we've had a little time to let Ozzie's latest spout settle in, its time to praise the man.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ozzie's latest antics, here's a recap:
Quotes From ESPN:
"We've got a $100 million payroll and they don't show it on the field," Guillen said. "If this keeps up, bring on the Double-A kids. They're killing me. They're killing my family, my coaching staff and the White Sox fans. I hope they care the way we care. I'm tired of seeing this [expletive] every day."
In the day and age of "politically correctness", Ozzie Guillen brings a breath of fresh air to the baseball diamond. Too often are major leaguers (NBA, NFL, NHL included) treated with kid gloves. Endorsement deals often leave players concerned over potential injuries that could derail their marketing careers. Rather than run out a ground ball or dive head first into the warning track to save a run, a good portion of ballers tend to half-ass it.
As Ozzie puts it, maybe the White Sox need to bring up a Double A Kid, someone who will inject life into a listless lineup.
''You see this since April,'' Guillen said. ''I keep giving people a chance to succeed. A pat on the back. I wish I played for a manager like that. I swear to God I wish I could have played for a [expletive] manager like that. Every time you fail and keep putting guys out there who fail day-in and day-out, that's easy to play."
Good point #2, which also reinforces our last statement, detailing players being treated with kid gloves. Players need to realize that gone are the days where everyone gets a free cup of soda after the game, and everyone is a winner in our book. Playing for a Major League Franchise is an honor, not a right. The amount of hard work and effort these guys had to put in their game to get to the level they're at right now is indescribable, but now that hard work is nothing but a memory for far too many players.

Ozzie is right. Nothing more, nothing less.

We as fans, sportswriters, bloggers, casual channel changers, need to celebrate what Ozzie is saying. Now, he's not often the best choice or has most conventional means for relaying a message, but he's right. We as a sports nation need to hold these players up to task. Boo the guys who don't run out of the box, boo the guy who dogs a ball in the outfield. But most importantly, celebrate the ones that don't.