Region

Cubs closer Ryan Dempster loaded the bases in the top of the ninth before throwing a wild pitch to give the Pirates a 6-5 lead and Freddy Bynum struck out with runners on to end the game as the Cubs secured their hold on last place in the N.L. Central.

On a station that's the home of the White Sox, WSCR's Mike Murphy is a beacon calling out to Cubs fans to air their woes. While he sometimes gets hot under the collar on the air, it's that same passion that drives him to strong opinions on Dusty Baker and his beloved Cubs.

White Sox fans who have been pining for the collapse of the Detroit Tigers all summer are finally seeing their wishes come true. Detroit has dropped 17 of 26 games in a tough stretch that has included the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and White Sox.

Goodwill Industries has led the charge of Midwestern thrift stores and charitable organizations that will refuse to accept donations that might include a Sammy Sosa jersey or T-shirt. Crates of the No. 21 merchandise have been piling up in resale outlets and donation warehouses for more than a year.

It all started when news broke Saturday that Phil Nevin took it upon himself to get traded from the lowly Chicago Cubs by calling the Minnesota Twins manager and begging to play for him. Two hours later, a deal was done.

A man once told me there are two ways to tell if someone has a gambling problem: One, they bet on preseason NFL football. Two, they bet on the WNBA. That logic is totally false. The definition of a gambling problem is when you can't pick a winner. And if you have that problem, Pete has the solution … the monthly picks. Let's gamble!

This is the first in a series of 43 (or however many teams there are now) NBA Previews exclusively from The Heckler's NBA beat writer Alan Goldsher. We start at the bottom with the lowly Atlanta Hawks, whom unfortunately no longer have Dominique Wilkins.