Tribune Predicts its Bias for 2008

Sunday's Tribune includes a story in which "predictions" are detailed for 2008. Each baseball beat writer takes a stab at predicting the future. Or are they revealing their biases?

From Tribune beat-Sox reporter Mark Gonzales:

A demanding schedule that features 15 of their first 22 games against American League postseason contenders Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, and the New York Yankees will put heat on the franchise to get off to a fast start, and avoid the slow start that crippled them in 2007. An aging roster will force Ken Williams to make one of his most controversial trades in his tenure as general manager. Otherwise, they could be looking at a 100-loss season.

Our Indefatiguable Schoolmarm thinks Gonzo needs to spend some time reading the newsroom copy of Strunk & White — as well as any newspaper's coverage of the 2007 baseball season, since the White Sox, far from pretty in 2007, were nonetheless in first place on April 25.

Now here's the "prediction" from Cubs beat reporter Paul Sullivan:

Hoping to end a 100-year championship drought, the Cubs will head into September with a six-game lead in the Central Division--before a downward spiral that will conjure up memories of 1969. Still, they will manage to stumble into the postseason with an extra-inning win in the final game in Milwaukee, as road-tripping Cubs fans tear up the Miller Park turf in a riotous celebration. The Cubs will then sweep San Diego in the first round and shock the New York Mets in six games to earn their first World Series appearance since 1945. But Detroit Tigers owner Michael Illitch will bring a goat into his luxury box for Games 1 and 2 at Comerica Park. Ron Santo will strangle the goat, but it's too late. The die is cast and the Cubs go down meekly in five games.

Ah, the goat mythology again. Looks like Sam Zell is going to have to clean out the newsroom to get any fresh ink on the page. Amazing that the Tribune has the Sox losing 100 games, the Cubs in the World Series, when a relatively slim 13 wins separated the two teams in 2006, slim given this was the worst Sox season in two decades, while the Cubs may have played in the weakest division in history. And both teams had the same number of playoff victories.

-- Thanks to Brett Balantini for this post, with a nod to Lone Ranger