NEU » Cubs beat the Tigers in the 1908 World Se

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss the city of Glendale, J.P. Arencibia, Wimbledon Champion Marion Bartoli and the NHL All-Star team selections. Bruce Arthur, National Post : My thumb is down to the city council in Glendale, Arizona, probably in perpetuity. They had no good options in choosing whether to keep the Phoenix Coyotes or let them go, but good Lord, the way they did it, voting to heavily subsidize ownership, backing down on an out clause after five years when ownership has one, the way one councilor, Sammy Chavira, compared the new owners to firefighters rushing to face a blaze, the way they werent sure what they had just voted on - it was a municipal disgrace. But then, in Glendale, thats basically the tradition. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is down to J.P. Arencibia, and not because he went out of his way to publicly call out broadcasters Gregg Zaun and Dirk Hayhurst, in something of a Rogers/Blue Jays family spat, because he has no real defence here. He is having a rather dreadful season with the Jays. He strikes out too often, hits too little, and in important categories like on base percentage is among the worst hitters in baseball. And his fielding hasnt been any better. So in the end this was nothing more than a loud ill-timed immature squabble that will go away once and only if Arencibia starts playing better baseball. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to Wimbledon champion, Marion Bartoli. The British parliament outlawed the paddle in 1987, but someone must have forgotten to tell the twitchy Frenchwoman. Bartoli who went all Tom Browns School Days on Sabine Lisicki - 6-1, 6-4 - in the unlikeliest final of the open era. Bartoli is all tics and mannerisms. Really, she could make a double espresso nervous. But she also was full of power, poise and great two-handed returns from both sides, never dropping a set on the way to her first slam at age 28. She is an improbable but deserving winner. Dave Hodge, TSN: Thumbs down, obviously, to the NHL All-Star team that includes Alex Ovechkin twice, as the best left winger and the best right winger in the league. But this embarrassing glitch in the voting process is actually a good thing, because it will necessitate a change that is long overdue. Hopefully, it will be the following change: the NHL All-Star team should include one goalie, two defencemen and three forwards, and the forwards can come from any position. These days, a forward is a forward first and foremost, never mind left, right or centre. And in days past, the fact that Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux were never first All-Star teammates was just plain wrong. Jordan 13 China Wholesale . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Cheap Air Jordan Retro 13 . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. http://www.cheapairjordan13.com/ . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. Wholesale Jordan Retro 13 . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. Jordan 13 Cheap China . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. CHICAGO -- The party will have to wait for another day, and thats just fine with the Chicago Cubs.They are looking for a lot more than a division crown anyway.This is just the first step, manager Joe Maddon said. I mean, we have much larger baseball fish to fry in our skillet.Chicago wasted its first chance to clinch the NL Central title when pinch-hitter Scooter Gennett delivered a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh inning Thursday night, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-4 victory.The Cubs (93-53) were hoping to begin a 10-game homestand with a boozy celebration of their first division title since 2008. But Keon Broxton homered and Orlando Arcia drove in two runs for Milwaukee, making Chicago wait for the result of St. Louis game at San Francisco to find out if its season-long dominance of the Central was complete.The crowd of 41,362 cheered loudly when Hunter Pences two-run homer in the first inning against the Cardinals was shown on the video board in left field. But it looked as if most of the Cubs were headed home rather than staying together to see the end of the West Coast game.Whatever happens in San Francisco is what happens in San Francisco and well take care of tomorrow tomorrow, right fielder Jason Heyward said, just like we always do.Jorge Soler hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, who had won three of four. Mike Montgomery pitched six solid innings and helped himself with a tying single in the fourth for his first career hit.Justin Grimm (1-1) replaced Montgomery in the seventh and the Brewers put runners on first and third with one out. Gennett, batting for Jimmy Nelson (8-14), blooped an 0-2 curveball into the corner in left for a 5-3 Milwaukee lead.I was just trying to put the ball in play, Gennett said. Hes a guy who throws a lot of curveballs so its important not to get too big or try to do too much. Its really just, get a good pitch to hit and put it in play.The Cubs got one back on Heywards RBII double in the eighth, but Tyler Thornburg threw a called third strike past pinch-hitter Willson Contreras with runners at the corners to end the inning.ddddddddddddThornburg also worked the ninth for his 10th save in 15 chances.It was just a flat-out good ballgame, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. Obviously with where theyre at, there was great energy in the park tonight.Nelson won for only the second time in his last 11 starts as Milwaukee (66-81) improved to 4-4 on an 11-game trip. The right-hander allowed eight hits, struck out seven and walked two.Even with the loss, its only a matter of time before Chicago clinches the division. But the NL Central crown is not how this group of Cubs will be judged, not this year. After running roughshod over the rest of the majors for most of the season, Anthony Rizzo and Co. are trying to end the franchises famous championship drought, going all the way back to when the Cubs beat the Tigers in the 1908 World Series.Weve got a lot ahead of us. We really do, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said before the loss. It kind of all boils down to how you perform in October.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: RHP Michael Blazek (right forearm strain) threw a simulated game. Counsell would like to get Blazek into some games before the end of the season, but he said theres no rush. The goal with Mike is just to go into the offseason healthy, Counsell said.Cubs: RHP Pedro Strop, who tweaked his right groin while working his way back from arthroscopic left knee surgery, threw a bullpen and said it went well. Hes getting close, Maddon said. Its not far off.UP NEXTCubs RHP John Lackey (9-8, 3.35 ERA) is scheduled to face RHP Chase Anderson (8-11, 4.53) in the second game of the four-game set on Friday afternoon.---Follow Jay Cohen at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap ' ' '