Every time I get on Twitter, there are a few “who to follow” suggestions on the left-hand side of the page. Since I already follow plenty of people whom I don’t know, and will likely never meet in person, I tend to not look at these suggestions. But last week was different.

I don’t know why, but Twitter was of the opinion that I should follow @Athletics. I was intrigued by the suggestion, so I clicked onto their profile summary page and learned that they have just over 117,000 followers. Having no idea if that was a lot of followers for an MLB team, I decided to investigate.

It would not surprise me to learn that some website tracks this sort of thing already. But I wanted to do this for myself, and so I went to the official Twitter profile for all 30 MLB teams as of Friday, June 14. My findings are as follows:

Others can mine this data better than I ever could, but there are a few interesting things to be pointed out here:

The 30 teams of MLB have slightly more than seven-million followers between them. That might sound like a lot, but it’s not quite as many followers as @SimonCowell has. It’s also fewer followers than @CharlieSheen, @Shaq, or @ParisHilton have. Two European soccer clubs (@realmadrid and @FCBarcelona) each have more followers than all of MLB’s teams combined. And the current Twitter champion, @justinbieber, has just more than 40 million followers. In short, MLB’s teams are nothing special in the Twitterverse.

Twitter is clearly an East Coast thing, with the top three teams (@Yankees, @Phillies, and @RedSox) all located along the Eastern seaboard. The averages for the AL East and NL East are clearly ahead of those for the teams in baseball’s other divisions, as well.

The National League’s teams hold a slight numerical edge over their American League counterparts, but the addition of @Astros this season brought the AL’s average down significantly. In Chicago, @Cubs hold an advantage of 100,000 more followers than @WhiteSox. But before the North Siders’ fans get too excited, let’s acknowledge they are just slightly over the average for all MLB teams, and significantly behind their division rivals, @Cardinals. It pains me to say it, but there’s no getting around it, either.

The NL West is the strangest division of all numerically, with @SFGiants and @Dodgers among the top MLB franchises, and @Dbacks, @Rockies, and @Padres down near the bottom. The divisional average is respectable enough, but they are clearly the haves and have-nots when it comes to Twitter followers.

The NL Central has the highest floor (@Pirates), while the AL Central has the lowest ceiling (@Tigers).

Baseball’s other two-team markets each have one team that needs to do some work. If there’s a good reason why @Angels are trailing behind @Royals, I’d love to hear it.

Twitter and Florida baseball don’t go very well together. The state’s two teams (@RaysBaseball and @Marlins) have an average of just under 100,000 followers between them.

Looking beyond baseball, specifically in the Chicago market, the other sports appear to be doing a better job attracting followers:

• @ChicagoBears: 308,998
• @NHLBlackhawks: 371, 807
• @ChicagoBulls: 860,039

The findings that can be made from this are probably endless, and to any teams—or fans–that haven’t thought of stacking MLB’s teams up against each other, you’re welcome. Feel free to give me a follow, too. I need all the followers I can get.

For five years, Alex Nettey had trained, unpaid and often two to three times a day, toward one CrossFit goal: making the Games, an international competition that crowns the fittest man and woman on Earth. To get there, Nettey needed to finish third or higher at Regionals, a qualifying event held at one of 17 locations around the world. The 29-year-old Nettey had come as close as fourth in years past, missing his goal by a matter of seconds over the course of a weekend’s events.

This year again came down to a matter of seconds—six to be exact—but for once, time was on Nettey’s side. He took third in the competition and qualified for his first-ever CrossFit Games, which take place July 22-28 in Carson, California.

Exactly what Nettey will have to do at the Games is a mystery. CrossFit believes the best athletes should be balanced and prepared to handle any event, and in some cases don’t disclose the nature of a Games workout until minutes before it starts. Last year’s competition featured more than a dozen events that included a triathlon and an obstacle course. There were sprints measured for time, a broad jump for distance, cleans for weight, and several CrossFit benchmark workouts. This year’s events could look nothing like that.

Nettey has amped up his already intense training while juggling a full-time job. He’s also managed to squeeze in a little time to appreciate what it means to qualify.

When did it sink in that you finally accomplished this goal that you’ve been working toward since you started CrossFit?

I guess it was after the last workout when they called the three qualifiers over to do interviews. I was like, that’s Kyle Kasperbauer, who finished third in the Games last year. This is Justin Allen; he made it last year. These guys are going back, and here I am in the mix.

What did it feel like when you finally realized that you qualified?

I don’t know how you can wrap it up in one phrase. It was humbling, refreshing, exciting, motivating—all at the same time. Often we have these goals in life that we want: to climb a mountain or make a certain amount of money or move into a certain house, whatever it is. But to actually do it, after years and years of trying—you don’t know what that’s going to feel like. When you get there it’s hard to put into words. At the same time I felt proud, humbled, and excited about a new set of opportunities and challenges that will present themselves now.

You finished workout five (a circuit of a 315-pound deadlifts and 30” box jumps in a rep scheme of 21-15-9 for time) in 4:04, the fastest at your Regionals. Winning that event was one of the key factors that led to your qualification and something you had never done before. What happened there?

That was the surprise of the weekend for me. The five-minute-or-less workouts, the sprint workouts, are not my strength. I had a plan to break up the reps in the deadlifts. But I got to the deadlifts and did them all without stopping. I got into some zone. I finished the workout and was not tired at all. That’s happened a couple times in these thousands of workouts that I’ve done. I don’t know how you get there or how you do that again, but I wish could bottle that up and save it for when I need it.

How does your life change as you train for these games?

Training is going to take on a different mindset. I’m going against the absolute best of the best now. It’s already started to happen when I do certain workouts. In my head I’m thinking that I am a Games athlete now and there’s a certain standard that I let slide before that I can’t now. Mentally, I’m going to get a little more iron clad. I felt I was mentally tough before but now if I want to drop a bar in a workout, I’ll probably do a couple extra reps. I’m going to go heavier, go harder, do an extra workout when I feel like crap. So I’m really going to have to extend myself. If there’s another level mentally to reach, which I think there always is, that’s what I want to tap into consistently so I raise my bar as high as I can.

How are you going to prepare for the myriad of things they could throw at you in competition?

That’s the fun part in trying to figure it out. There should be something of everything. They do a good job of doing tests of 30 seconds long to two plus hours, as they did last year. I have to start adding odd things to my training: advanced gymnastic skills, strongman stuff, heavy loads, long distance running, swimming. That’s the tough part about this training is that you don’t even know what the hell you’re training for. It sucks. You want to prepare yourself the best you can and then they may throw something you’ve never done before, which they will and you’ll have to adapt. But it’s kind of cool because you get to apply your fitness. That’s a challenge I look forward to, but it would be nice to know some little idea of what I’m doing.

We’ve talked about your love of Baconaters before (especially a certain pleasure of dipping not only fries, but the sandwich, into a Frosty), is your nutrition going to change for the games? Are there no more Baconaters in your future?

I might have Baconaters in June, but when July hits I’ll cool off. That’s one thing I did for Regionals—I didn’t want to change too much. Leading up to it, I didn’t cut off my cheat meals completely; I try to keep it loose. I don’t want it to be some sort of complete 180 but more as organic and ordinary as it was when I was preparing. I was probably 80 percent good before Regionals, about 85 percent during it. Now I will be about 90-95 percent good.

How is training for the games going to affect your work?

I have to be really efficient. When I work, I have to really work. That’s tough because I have a lot of distractions and am thinking about a lot of stuff here. There’s a lot of mental back and forth as I’m learning to try and make this transition. Things are starting to get somewhat busier at work, too. I picked up a couple new listings and buyers. It’s a juggling act.

What are you hoping to accomplish at the Games this year?

The goal would be to do all the workouts, which would put me somewhere in the top-10, top-15 area. That’s the mission. I don’t want to go there and get 40 or 45 and just hang around. I want to be able to do something. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen as far as how I’m going to be able to push myself.

I’m not one to get in awe of celebrities or athletes, but I have to make sure mentally that I belong. Not go, “Oh wow, that’s Jason Khalipa, 2008 champion; that’s Rich Froning, two-time Games winner.” I’m a Games athlete; they’re a Games athlete. I belong here, I qualified, I’m just as good as these guys. I can’t let the moment overtake me otherwise I think my performance will fall off.

Now that you’ve accomplished making the Games, what are you looking to accomplish in the sport of CrossFit?

I want to be one of those athletes that make the Games year in and year out. There’s very few. But there are some across the board who consistently make it every year. That’s what I’m doing this for. I didn’t want to make it once and have my glory and retire or retreat to the woods. I got time. I’m not ancient yet. I want this to be a consistent thing, that’s when I think you’re a great CrossFitter—not making it one year and then missing frequently.

You’ve already started training for the Games and realigned your goals. Have you had a chance to appreciate what it means to accomplish this thing that you had been striving years and years toward?

When you have another round to go and have to jump on the wagon right away, I think I could easily overlook what just happened. I think the great part about this is that my support system has allowed me to enjoy this. They have showered me with so much support and congratulations—one of the members said I’m their hero and I was like wow, that’s pretty cool to hear somebody say that. Consistent congratulations, hugs and handshakes and posters—things like that from the community have been the biggest factor in allowing me to enjoy what has happened, take it in, and not just skip over it. Because I would’ve probably just jumped over it and moved to the next step. The community was a big part of it; I make no bones about it. It wasn’t just me. It was all the teammates on the team, it was Erin[a CrossFit Chicago member and competitor at Regionals], the coaches, Bryce [coach and former head programmer at the gym], Rudy [gym owner], and all the dozens of people that were able to come, the text messages I was getting all weekend. That’s what makes it special. It does help. If you did this by yourself it’d be brutal. They’ve allowed me to enjoy this as much as possible before I move on to the transition to the next stage.

June 14, 1998, Game 6 of the NBA Finals: the night Michael Jordan delivered his greatest single playoff performance. That might seem hard to believe for a man who scored an NBA playoff record 63 points in a game against the eventual champs, scored 35 points in the first half of a Finals game, or owns eight of the 19 post-merger 50-point playoff games including the lone one in the Finals, among other staggering achievements.

But Jordan’s final game as a Bull was, in my opinion, his greatest playoff game ever. The Bulls entered Game 6 up 3-2 but faced two key obstacles. They were on the road, in the so-loud-we-measure-the-decibels Delta Center. And Pippen was hobbled with a back injury; in Game 5 he had scored his Finals career-low six points. In other words, if you lose, you have to play a Game 7 in Utah with a probably ineffective Scottie Pippen and a supremely fired up Jazz team and crowd.

The Bulls would need to clinch in Game 6. Jordan was going it alone, as he had for much of the season. He’d played a full slate and then some: from October 1997 leading into Game 6, Jordan played the two-game McDonald’s Championship in France without Pippen and Rodman, played a full preseason schedule, played the first 35 games without Pip, and then played 20 playoff games.

He had also played 100-plus combined regular and postseason games in each of the past two seasons (1996 and 1997), plus preseason. By the time Game 6 rolled around, Jordan had notched well over 300 games in the past three seasons. He was 35. He would need to absolutely own Game 6 for the Bulls to win and hence avoid an even more difficult Game 7.

And yet Jordan managed to score 45 of his team’s 87 points along with their final six points, including the series-winning jumper which he set up with a steal. The only other Bull in double figures was Kukoc, with 15.

Add it all up: The circumstances + the results=MJ’s greatest playoff game.

Meanwhile, back in 2013, LeBron James and the Heat return to Miami trailing the Spurs three games to two. Like Jordan’s 1998 Bulls, the Heat will likely need a monster game from their MVP to win Game 6.

But unlike a standard amazing Jordan Finals game, the “standard amazing LeBron Finals game” will not suffice. Nice as it was, LeBron’s Game 5 Finals clincher a year ago (26-11-13) will not get the job done against San Antonio. He needs to remember that he is the player in this series most capable of scoring 40 points in a game, and then he needs to do it.

To win Game 6, the Heat need LeBron to mimic the 48 points (and final 25) he had in 2007’s Game 5 in Detroit. They need the 45 points (and 15 rebounds) he dropped on Boston in Game 6 last year, also on the road. They need Scoring LeBron. They need a 40-point game from a man whose Finals career high is 33 points, which he set last Thursday in Game 4.

That sort of detail is ultimately what I dislike about the ongoing LeBron vs. Jordan “debate.” I don’t mind the comparisons—LeBron is as worthy of it as any other player I’ve seen since Jordan. The best will always be compared to the best. I just ask that if we’re going to compare anyone to Jordan, let’s slow down and take a harder look at his actual accomplishments.

For instance, on the subject of LeBron’s Finals career high of 33 points, Jordan scored 33 or more points in a Finals game 19 times, including six 40+ point games and one 50+ point game.

And while LeBron is rightly celebrated for his all-around skills, Jordan was no slouch in that department either. He had nine Finals games with either 10+ rebounds or assists, compared to eight such games for James (including three triple-doubles).

Now take a look at the per game averages of Jordan and James when nabbing double figures in either rebounds or assists in the Finals:

JORDAN: 36.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 7-2 record.
JAMES: 23.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 4-3 record.

And here’s something else to consider as LeBron faces down an elimination Game 6 at home: His Finals scoring doesn’t simply fail to reach Jordan. Of the 18 players who have won a Finals MVP in the past 30 Finals, LeBron’s career high in points beats out only Moses Malone and Tony Parker.

Most points in an NBA Finals game by all Finals MVPs since 1983:

1. Jordan, 55
2. Shaq, 44
3t: Isiah/Wade, 43
5. Magic, 42
6t: Kareem/Kobe/Worthy, 40
9. Pierce, 38
10. Olajuwon, 35
11t: Billups/Bird/Nowitzki, 34
14t: Dumars/Duncan/LEBRON, 33
16: Moses Malone, 31
17. Parker, 30

Additionally, consider that since the NBA-ABA merger in 1977, players have scored 40+ points in a Finals game 22 times. Jordan did it six times. Shaq, five. LeBron has 11 career 40+ point playoff games with a career high of 49, but none in the Finals.

However, lesser scorers than LeBron did it at least once, guys like Magic, Isiah, James Worthy, and Russell Westbrook. Hell, even Dwyane Wade did it. Speaking of Wade, he’s come alive after a slow start in the first three games. In the fourth quarter of Game 5, he and Ray Allen were the only members of the Heat who could consistently get to the rim. And of course getting to the rim means points—either a basket or foul shots.

Unfortunately, this is another area where LeBron has failed in these Finals to live up to Jordan. LeBron averaged 7.0 free throw attempts per game in the regular season, and has averaged 7.4 in the playoffs. But he’s averaging only 3.8 in the Finals, down from 9.2 in last year’s Finals. He even had one game where he didn’t get to the line once.

Jordan lived at the line, especially in the playoffs. In his classic final game as a Bull, he shot horribly (15 of 35), but got to the line a game-high 15 times, making 12. Getting to the line often is crucial, and James’s percentages are critically bad.

Even without the Finals MVPs, the scoring titles, the steals titles, the Defensive Player of the Year, or two dunk championships, LeBron still needs to win two games plus four more titles as his team’s best player just to tie Jordan’s ring count.

I’m not saying it can’t be done. I’m just saying, if you’re climbing Mt. Everest, don’t say it’s an anthill.

Bulls fans really started to believe in Nate Robinson when he poured it on in the postseason, proving that when he’s hot, he can be as magical as any player in the NBA. Well, it turns out he’s even more magical than we thought, as he’s been spending the postseason working on his Kitty Pryde moves (while sporting a Saints hat, of course).

Maybe the Bulls should find the money for NateRob, who no longer has to worry about working through picks.

I’m not getting bent out of shape over Monday’s 2-0 Blackhawks loss to the Bruins. It was just a loss. No reason to panic, yet.

Yes, something smells really fishy about Marian Hossa and Ben Smith. If you were lucky enough to miss it, the story seeped out last night that the Blackhawks said they knew Hossa might not play, but then for some reason Smith wasn’t in the pregame skate.

Kind of odd, yes. Regardless of the replacement, Hossa was definitely missed, but that was not the reason the Blackhawks are two losses from the end.

By now, we should all be used to the power play being a joke. It’s awful and getting worse, almost to the point that the millions of unfunny jokes about declining the penalty might be making a bit of sense.

But that’s old news. We’ve written about it before and will say it again: Teams that are bad on the PP have won the Stanley Cup. It happens a lot, as the Blackhawks or Bruins are about to prove.

Monday’s game was just one loss. It was a bad one. There was a lot to complain about and worry about and fester about and call names about, but it was one bleepin’ loss.

This isn’t to minimize what happened. The Blackhawks were outplayed by a rolling Boston team, one getting major contributions from its stars (Partice Bergeron), its role players (Daniel Paille) and a likely playoff MVP run from its goalie (Tuukka Rask).

The penalty kill, which had been so strong, is starting to show cracks. Unless it was facing the Blackhawks power play, it wasn’t going to keep going at the rate it was.

Faceoffs, which we’ve been harping on all season, have come to really bite the Hawks. They are a puck-possession team, and a lot of that is built on winning faceoffs. Winning 16 of 56 faceoffs isn’t the way to go, especially when you’re without one of your best puck-winners in Hossa.

Speaking of, if Hossa’s not playing he’s gotta be really hurt. Really hurt. Without him, Joel Quenneville jumbled the lines to the point where they weren’t recognizable. Obviously that didn’t work, but given some more time the lines will start to make more sense. For all of that, a win Wednesday and everything’s hunky-dory. Back even. Yes, it’s possible.

The Corsi Ratings from Monday night (which measure shots for and against when a player’s on the ice) didn’t look awful. Jonathan Toews, though he isn’t scoring, is still an influential player. That’s good. In fact, there weren’t a lot of negatives for the Blackhawks, which shows that they’re still managing to control the puck despite losing so many draws. And there’s no way the Hawks continue to struggle on faceoffs the way they have.

Rask is playing out of his mind, but is due for an off-night. (You could say the same for Corey Crawford, who’s been the Blackhawks’ MVP, but we digress.) Paille isn’t going to keep scoring, and Bergeron can’t keep winning draws at the pace he has.

Maybe you think this is all grasping at straws, but it’s not. We know this team can come back. Every time it’s been knocked down it’s gotten up stronger and better. It’s very possible it could happen again Wednesday.

If it doesn’t, then you can start to worry.

I happened to tune in to the Cubs game last night just in time to miss all of the good stuff, and listen to Marmol throw a game away in near-record speed. Obviously, that’s Twitter gold. Here are some of our favorite instances of much-needed commiseration.

Bizarro Marmol RT @asigler13 @jonahkeri is there a name for a 9 pitch, 3 strikeout save? A Lee Smith perhaps?

— Jonah Keri (@jonahkeri) June 17, 2013

Alfonso Soriano on Carlos Marmol: “He used to be good” http://t.co/9ELL6ZE22w #mlb #hbt

— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) June 17, 2013

Dont know what its going to take for the cubs to get rid of Marmol. More blown saves than saves. Literally everyone in Chicago hates him

— Keb (@Keb_02) June 17, 2013

“@MRubio52: I do think Marmol is done. I do think he should be released. I also think he deserves to live. Call me crazy.” DEATH…by Iowa.

— Sean Bigness (@whitesoxman77) June 17, 2013

Marmol is a crisis actor RT @cwyers: Crazy thought: maybe the Cubs' bullpen is a false-flag operation [...]

— a rude gus (@LOLPhillies) June 17, 2013

"There are only certain people that can get those last three outs sometimes" -Dale Sveum after using Carlos "proven closer" Marmol yesterday

— Schoolhouse Balk (@SchoolhouseBalk) June 17, 2013

Mother of God, Carlos Marmol is the least deserving all time of the term "closer" #Cubs #KirkNieuwenhuisShouldNotWalkYouOff

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) June 16, 2013

*Removes prosthetic arm* And that's why you don't employ Carlos Marmol.

— Brian Schroeder (@Cosmis) June 16, 2013

There are two Original Six teams in the Stanley Cup Final. They have rabid fan bases, compelling players, gorgeous uniforms, and have combined to play two of the most dramatic games in recent Final history.

Regardless of whoever wins this series, the National Hockey League will have its sixth straight ideal champion. In 2008 the Red Wings, the most popular American team, won their 11th title. That was followed by Sidney Crosby and the Penguins coming of age in 2009. The next three titles were won by previously moribund franchises in big markets (Chicago in 2010, Boston in 2011, Los Angeles in 2012), permanently turning one-time dead hockey cities into hotbeds.

Now we have Hawks-Bruins, a series that must be incredibly enjoyable if you don’t cheer for one of the teams. The ratings have been huge and will only get bigger as the two venerable cities compete to become the first to win multiple Cups since the lockout.

Oh yeah, the fact I have to specify which lockout reminds me of one more thing: the NHL doesn’t deserve any of this. More accurately, most of the moves the league has made over the last two decades have been wrong. But here we are, two-sevenths of the way through a classic Final. If that doesn’t prove the whole blind squirrel and an acorn thing, I don’t know what does.

Take Saturday night’s Game 2 and tonight’s Game 3. Those games are not on NBC, but a network called NBC Sports Network. There’s some fine programming on there (and I’m pumped for all its English Premier League coverage), but it isn’t exactly mainstream. And it’s definitely not where two championship games of a big-four American sport belong. At the very least, move those games to the most basic of basic cable stations for the home markets. I’m pretty sure our friends at Comcast SportsNet Chicago would be more than willing to accommodate tonight’s game.

Television should be hockey’s friend. It’s a fast game with back-and-forth action and plenty of hitting, and would seem to be a perfect partner for the four-letter network. No, I don’t watch ESPN for hockey coverage anymore—that’d be like going to McDonald’s for salad—but the NHL should have found some way to stay on there, even if it meant taking a bit less money for its rights, or even selling a partial package of games. Like it or not, ESPN sets the agenda for the average sports fan, and all but ignores properties it doesn’t have. Do you think the NHL would get a bit more new fans if it was on the self-proclaimed worldwide leader?

The NHL has such an incredible game to sell but it’s failed to capitalize. It’s found ways to kill the momentum, ways I did and didn’t think possible. I knew that some people wouldn’t make an effort to find NBC Sports Network after a great Game 1. Kind of saw that coming. But I never thought the league could come within days of a labor-induced Armageddon. Again.

Frankly, the NHL is lucky it recovered from the 2004-05 stoppage that took away that season. To its credit, it responded with needed changes (shootout, changes to icing, better pace to the game) and came back with a better product. That it needed to wound itself in the process is another story, one that fits in with the Gary Bettman narrative.

The NHL has had some festering wounds during Bettman’s tenure, ones that are self-inflicted. In 1994, promptly after handing the Cup to the popular New York Rangers, Bettman killed the league’s mojo by locking out the players. Then, although few saw it, the 2004 Final with Calgary and Tampa Bay was actually thrilling, and sent the Cup to a new market. Of course, Bettman and his cronies locked out the players and killed the next season.

Though no lockout is looming after this season, Bettman and the league are still messing with a winning formula. Not only is the NHL splitting up the Blackhawks and Red Wings, but it’s realigning into a division-based playoff system, similar to what the league had before 1994.

I know a lot of people are happy about this new system, and I can see why. It means less travel for players on most teams, and it helps fans in most markets avoid staying up well past their bedtimes to watch their favorite teams. The cost of those gains, however, could also have been seen as prohibitive, as messing with a winning formula.

One of the great things about the Blackhawks’ playoff runs is all the different casts, characters, and villains they’ve had to topple. By my count, the Blackhawks have faced only two teams in the West multiple times (Detroit, Vancouver) and the playoff marches to the Final have never been predictable, as they’ve seen eight teams in the West.

Starting next year, and without their oldest rival, the Blackhawks will be in a new division. There’s no Detroit and, except for St. Louis, no real rivals to keep an 82-game season fresh. In fact, the division is the Hawks and Blues, plus a bunch of expansion and relocated teams. Not much for history, and not much for variety, as the Hawks and everybody else will only play teams in their division during the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Look, as I said, there are positives to the new scheme. But in the end it messes with a winning formula. Unfortunately, we shouldn’t be surprised the league would do this. That’s something the NHL does all the time.

With a two-hit shutout last month against the White Sox, Jeff Samardzija showed all of Chicago why he just might be the city’s best pitcher. While Chris Sale might have something to say about that, one thing is clear: The Cubs have another ace on their hands.

Not since Kerry Wood and Mark Prior has a homegrown pitcher generated such buzz around Wrigley Field. Samardzija has developed from a Notre Dame wide receiver with potential on the pitching mound, to perhaps the National League’s best strikeout artist. Through 14 starts this season, Samardzija boasts a 3.46 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 104 strikeouts in 91 IP. Put him on a better team, and his 3-7 record might be inverted.

But when your predecessors are Wood and Prior and your team hasn’t won a World Series in more than 100 years, the natural question is, When does the other shoe drop? Will this be yet another ace to have his career ravaged by injuries?

Before projecting how Samardzija’s career will play out, it’s important to consider something that is easily forgotten. Although his limited time as a starting pitcher makes him seem like a young player, Samardzija is already 28 years old. That’s just a year younger than Edwin Jackson. Even though his football days and time as a reliever have reduced his innings thrown over the years, hitting his stride at a late age likely means his peak years will be shorter than most great pitchers.

But there are exceptions, of course. Cliff Lee was a mediocre starter for the Cleveland Indians with a career 4.64 ERA before the 2009 season. Then, at 29 years old, he won the Cy Young award and has been dominant ever since. The Cubs will hope Samardzija can follow a similar path.

The key to Samdarzija’s current and future success is the aforementioned strikeout. His 10.29 K/9 is the best in the National League. A lot of those punchouts come the old-fashioned way—the fastball. His fastball has an average velocity of 94.9 mph, which is the best of any pitcher over 25 years old.

Samardzija’s other stellar pitch is his slider. According to FanGraphs, Samardzija has saved 6.3 runs this season with his slider, which is ninth in all of baseball and dramatically better than any other of his pitches.

Relying more on that slider has been one of the biggest changes for Samardzija this season. He throws it about 4% more often than last season. A similar increase in his frequency of cut fastballs shows that Samardzija is no longer just a fireballer. In fact, the right-hander has decreased his frequency of fastballs every season since joining the Cubs.

As a result, hitters have had a harder time figuring out Samardzija this season. After hitting .237 against him last season, opponents are at .224 in 2013. And the contact they do make has not been great. Samardzija’s home run rate has dropped by nearly 25% this season.

In terms of weaknesses, Samardzija has shown very few so far this season. Walks used to plague him early in his career, but he has kept them in check over the last two seasons. The wildness can rear its head at times, as evidenced by his seven wild pitches, but for the most part, he has been able to keep it in check.

With the pluses far outweighing the minuses in the 2013 season, the only real question is, Can Samardzija stay healthy. One of the reasons that the baseball insiders were so high on him in the first place was his makeup. Being a great athlete was something that was referenced in his initial scouting report from Baseball America. In other words, Samardzija should be able to avoid injuries that some out of shape or less athletic pitchers cannot.

Of course with pitchers, though, it all comes down to the arm. His mechanics were a question early in his career, but since last year have dramatically improved. () As can be seen here, his mechanics have undergone a transformation from 2008:

The one concern is his increased use of the slider. It’s been an ongoing debate as to whether pitchers who throw a high percentage of sliders are more prone to injuries, especially ones resulting in Tommy John surgery. As someone who throws the pitch about 21% of the time, Samardzija is not an immediate injury risk but may be more prone than some one who doesn’t throw the pitch at all.

While Samardzija is now in his second season as a full-time starter, the Cubs should still be careful with his workload. The fact of the matter is that his team is not going anywhere, and there’s no reason to push him too far. Up to this point, the organization has perhaps been too aggressive with Samardzija. He was promoted to the majors very quickly, and it could be argued that they should have let him develop into a starting pitcher rather than forcing him to the big leagues in the role of reliever. He might have peaked a little earlier.

Assuming he does stay healthy, the expectations are high for Samardzija. Keep in mind this was a player who drew comparisons to John Smoltz when he was drafted. Samardzija began his career as a starter much later than Smoltz, but they are both great athletes who could be workhorses with high strikeout counts. In terms of current players, Samardzija is very similar to Detroit Tigers starter Max Scherzer, who is also 28 years old. Both are high strikeout guys who seem to have found comfort with pitches other than their fastball, resulting in breakthroughs in their careers.

Sustaining that breakthrough is what will determine Samardzija’s legacy with the Cubs. Is he a flash in the pan who has just a good year or two, or is he that homegrown prospect that makes fans say his name before they even mention Wood and Prior? With the leap he’s taken this season, there’s no reason to think he won’t become one of the National League’s best starters over the next few seasons. And if that’s the case, he’ll be bringing some long-awaited hardware back to Wrigley—even if it’s just a Cy Young award.

SPONSOR’S NOTE: Got tickets to the Stanley Cup Final? Why the hell not? You’ve got a guy: Gold Coast Tickets.

A few weeks ago we asked: If you were marooned on a desert island, which Hawk would you bring for company? About 1,000 you ChicagoSiders responded. FINAL VOTE COUNT: Patrick Kane (404), Joanthan Toews (266), Patrick Sharp (208), and Hawk Harrelson (29).

Thanks to the Man of Steel, Henry Cavill is the latest to be officially sanctioned by the elders of Krypton to wear the red cape and big ‘S’ chest bling. But there have been plenty of pretenders to the tights, athletes who have either attempted to usurp the name for themselves, or have been dubbed “Superman” by the lazy committee who decides these things. I suppose one could argue that some of these guys are really just big Nietzsche plans, but I haven’t heard tell of Zarthustra making the rounds in the locker rooms.

So, now that we have a new Superman in theaters, and a sequel has already been ordered, maybe it’s time for some of these Bizarros to hang up their capes. Below follows a brief history of pro sports’ version of the Purple Superman:

1. Shaquille O’Neal

I feel  a little guilty stripping Shaq of the Superman nickname, if anyone has shown a complete devotion to it, it’s the big man. He has the ‘S’ tattoo on his left bicep, and at one point in his life he emblazoned nearly everything he owned with it, including his bed, as seen on MTV Cribs.

2. Dwight Howard

I feel absolutely no guilt about this one. Howard donned the blue and red for the slam dunk contest in 2008, officially souring Shaq on the young center, as seen in their very mature beef. Since then, Howard has gone on to be incapable of putting anything but a chip on his shoulders, never mind an entire planet, and he’s basically charisma’s kryptonite.

3. Sam Fuld

It was a nice catch, but come on. It’s Sam Fuld.

4. Ibrahima Sonko

No way Superman plays soccer. That’s more of a game for The Flash. And even if he did, he obviously wouldn’t have played for Reading.

5. Cam Newton

This, from NFLHumor.com, says it all.

Honorable mentions: Jimmie Johnson, John Cena, Dennis Hallman, and Patrick Kane, who unforgivably wore the Superman cape and Clark Kent glasses AT THE SAME TIME.