Chicago, arguably, is the most dismally unsuccessful baseball city known to man.
It has been represented by the Cubs franchise in the National League since the league’s founding in 1876, and by the White Sox in the American League since that organisation took wing in 1901. Between the two clubs, they have won a total of five World Series in 255 collective seasons.
The Cubs are best known for swinging and missing at the big prize a whopping 108 years since they last won in 1908.
At least the White Sox ended their championship drought at a mere 88 years when they scored a rare title in 2005.
But the Sox are really most famous for something else: the so-called Black Sox Scandal of 1919 when eight players on the team were banned from the game for life after they conspired with gamblers to tank the World Series.
But who in the Windy City cares about that long, dubious history of incompetence and shame now? One month into the new season, the Cubs and White Sox are each the class of their respective leagues.
More from the MLB:
Gregg Patton on Bryce Harper: With any sense, baseball will let Bryce Harper make it fun again
Gregg Patton on Chicago Cubs: Biggest curse on Chicago Cubs this season comes from favourites tag
The Cubs are no surprise. Having won 97 games last year behind a youthful core of rising stars, they entered this year as the consensus favourite to reach and, perhaps, even win the World Series.
The Sox, however, lead the league in how-did-that-happen? They are coming off three wretched seasons in which they averaged 71 wins and 91 losses. They spent this last off-season patching together a makeshift line-up, stopping just short of a complete overhaul.
Most notably, the Sox resisted trade offers and kept the most marketable player on the team, left-handed ace Chris Sale, keeping their one-two pitching punch of Sale and Jose Quintana intact. Closer David Robertson stayed put, as well.
The position players were a different story. Five new regulars, including slugging third baseman Todd Frazier from the Cincinnati Reds, were brought in to shake up the moribund offence.
Run production has improved. The Sox were last (15th) in the AL in runs scored a year ago, but have jumped to eighth in the early going this year.
Holdover first baseman Jose Abreu and Frazier have carried the load, with 19 and 18 runs batted in, respectively, through the team’s 19-10 start
It is stellar pitching, however, that defines the new Sox. The league-leading staff has a 2.93 earned run average. Cast-off Mat Latos, pitching for his sixth team in eight seasons, has made it through five starts with a 4-0 record and a 1.84 ERA.
The bullpen, in particular, has been remarkable, allowing just 18 runs in 81 innings.
The Cubs just look familiar, with an added element of domination. Reigning Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta has got, yes, better with a 6-0 mark and a 0.84 ERA.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo again is the production leader, with nine home runs, 27 RBI and his own brand of cereal, RizzOs.
The Cubs’ 21-6 start is a franchise record. They have scored the most runs in baseball (164) and given up the fewest (68), a record-setting, run-differential pace.
Fans actually are contemplating an all-Chicago World Series, which seems almost as far-fetched as an all-chocolate slice of the city’s signature, deep-dish pizza.
The only time the Cubs and White Sox ever met in a World Series was in 1906, won by the Sox. Since then, these two historically hollow teams have reached the postseason together only one time, in 2008. Neither survived the first round.
Now, though, the unimaginable has occurred. Chicago is baseball’s No 1 city.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
‘FSO Safer’ - a ticking bomb
The Safer has been moored off the Yemeni coast of Ras Issa since 1988.
The Houthis have been blockading UN efforts to inspect and maintain the vessel since 2015, when the war between the group and the Yemen government, backed by the Saudi-led coalition began.
Since then, a handful of people acting as a skeleton crew, have performed rudimentary maintenance work to keep the Safer intact.
The Safer is connected to a pipeline from the oil-rich city of Marib, and was once a hub for the storage and export of crude oil.
The Safer’s environmental and humanitarian impact may extend well beyond Yemen, experts believe, into the surrounding waters of Saudi Arabia, Djibouti and Eritrea, impacting marine-life and vital infrastructure like desalination plans and fishing ports.
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Olive Gaea
Started: 2021
Co-founders: Vivek Tripathi, Jessica Scopacasa
Based: Dubai
Licensed by: Dubai World Trade Centre
Industry: Climate-Tech, Sustainability
Funding: $1.1 million
Investors: Cornerstone Venture Partners and angel investors
Number of employees: 8
MORE ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
