including junior transfer Mike White -- a former start

CLEVELAND -- Jason Kipnis was raised on Chicagos North Side, and like so many other kids, he grew up idolizing Ryne Sandberg, watching Sammy Sosa smash home runs and listening to Harry Caray.He bled Cubs blue.And he never once blamed Steve Bartman -- they went to the same high school, by the way.We have a joke, the Indians second baseman said, referring to the infamous fan vilified in Chicago for a failed attempt to catch a postseason foul ball. The only thing Im mad at Bartman for is missing an easy flyball.Kipnis finds himself in a unique situation in his first World Series, facing the team that helped shape his life. The Cubs are in his DNA. Theyre the team he learned to love, the one that taught him the game and the one that often broke his heart. But while Kipnis family and friends intend to remain true to their Cubbies over the next week, his loyalties are not divided.Theres zero conflict at all, he said Tuesday on the eve of Game 1. Lets be clear about that.Kipnis, though, said watching the Cubs wrap up their first NL pennant since 1945 on TV was emotional. Some of his friends were at Wrigley Field on Saturday night and when the last out was recorded, part of Kipnis was there, too.I didnt know how to handle it, he said. I didnt know if I was happy, mad, sad. I was emotional. I was choked up, I was like, `Oh, no what does this mean right now? But its nothing more than excitement for the games.He was 11 in that magical summer of 1998 when Sosa and Mark McGwire seemed to belt a home run in every at-bat. Baseball was bulked up and booming and Kipnis was under its spell.As he reminisced during an interview session, the two-time All-Star seemed to remember every swing.Thats when I was really watching baseball closely and turning into a baseball fan, said Kipnis, who is dealing with a sprained left ankle sustained in Clevelands ALCS celebration. In the `98 season, it was `Hey, Sammys up, get to a TV every time. And on WGN there were always recaps of the games. Thats pretty much what I grew up on.He was in high school when Bartman, innocently sitting in a front row seat down the left-field field lane, became an unintentional celebrity in Game 6 of the NL Championship. The slight man, wearing a Cubs cap and headphones so he could listen to the game on the radio, reached out and tried to catch a foul ball in the eighth inning as Cubs outfielder Moises Alou tried to close in.The Cubs derailed from there, blowing a big lead and losing and then dropping Game 7.The Curse had a new chapter.Kipnis lived close to Bartman and very vividly remembers seeing police staked out around his house to prevent any zealous fans from getting at him. There are Cubs fans to this day who hold a grudge toward Bartman. He has remained in hiding.He didnt deserve that, Kipnis said. He never asked for all the stuff that probably happened to him afterward. I dont think he deserved any of that. He was probably actually a pretty loyal fan and he wanted a ball, and its just the way events turns that turned him into this scapegoat.Kipnis wishes those Chicago fans who havent been able to let go would finally forgive Bartman and turn an ugly moment into something special.I would love to see him throw out a first pitch, he said. Everyone would go nuts.Despite his Second City roots, Kipnis knows hell be treated like a complete stranger -- and sworn enemy -- when the Series shifts to Wrigley for Game 3. Hes taking solace that there will be a few welcomed faces in the crowd.But the Friendly Confines wont be very friendly.He wouldnt have it any other way.If theyre Cubs fans, theyll boo as they should if youre a baseball fan, he said. But Ill have enough there that youll hopefully hear a couple cheers.Kipnis knows what a championship would mean to fans for both teams, who have gone a combined 174 seasons without celebrating a World Series title.They have the only drought that could make our drought look small, he said. Theyve got us by 40 years. Both franchises have been yearning for this championship, but its pretty neat one of them will come to an end.And Kipnis isnt torn over which one he hopes continues.Theres not one part of me that doesnt wish this curse would keep going, he said.---This version corrects to NL pennant instead of AL pennant in the seventh paragraph. Cheap Air Max 1 Free Shipping . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. Cheap Air Max 1 Mens . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. http://www.cheapairmax1.net/ . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. Air Max 1 Mens Sale . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. Discount Air Max 1 . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. Western Kentucky knows it will be tough trying to follow up a 12-win season that clinched Conference USA, a second straight bowl victory and No. 24 final ranking.Especially since the Hilltoppers must replace key personnel such as career passing leader Brandon Doughty and tight end Tyler Higbee, both of whom are now in NFL training camps. But WKU has plenty of talent left for coach Jeff Brohm on both sides of the ball to expect continued success.Our team understands that this is a new team, said Brohm, who agreed to a four-year contraction extension in February. We lost some key players and some people out there might think that (because of) the fact that we lost them, were not going to be as near as good. Its up to guys to prove that they were a big part of that success. ... I like the nucleus of this team.WKU returns seven offensive starters from a high-octane squad that averaged 50 points per game while going unbeaten in league play. Five are on an offensive line that helped running back Anthony Wales rush for 1,091 yards over the final nine contests, and they should provide ample protection for Doughtys successor in the pocket.Senior receiver Taywan Taylor -- who set single-season school records with 1,467 yards and 17 touchdowns on 86 catches -- and fellow wideout Nicholas Norris (63 receptions, 971 yards) are also back along with tailback DAndre Ferby, who rushed for 650 yards and 11 TDs.The Hilltoppers may look different offensively this season, but tackle Forrest Lamp likes their continued capability to pile up yards and points.Its fun and we get to do a bunch of different things, Lamp said. We pass it, run it and have trick plays. Theres nothing more fun than blocking for a couple of seconds and seeing (wide receiver) Taywan (Taylor) run down the fieeld and catch the ball wide open off a flea-flicker.ddddddddddddThough WKU returns just four defensive starters, it has plenty of depth with nearly two dozen players who participated in at least three games last season. The `Toppers also added Louisville graduate transfers Keith Brown and Nick Dawson-Brents, beefing up a unit that might have to carry the load while the offense retools.The ability to prove consistency and the fact that we can do it for more than one year is going to be important, Brohm said. But the bullseye will be on our chest and we understand that we have a challenging schedule.QB BATTLESeveral players are competing to fill the big void left by Doughtys departure and Brohm will take as much time needed to examine a group including junior transfer Mike White -- a former starter at South Florida -- graduate transfer Tyler Ferguson, sophomore Drew Eckels and freshman Steven Duncan. Senior Nelson Fishback is recovering from a torn pectoral muscle.ALLENS RECOVERYThe NCAA granted running back Leon Allen a medical hardship waiver for another season of eligibility, but theres no timetable for the seniors return from a serious knee injury sustained in last years second game. He rushed for 1,542 yards and 13 TDs in 2014.KEY GAMESWKU faces two SEC teams in three weeks when it travels to defending national champion Alabama on Sept. 10 and hosts Vanderbilt on Sept. 24. The `Toppers also travel to face East division favorite Middle Tennessee (Oct. 15) and perennial contender Marshall (Nov. 26).PREDICTIONSeven wins and another bowl appearance are within reach for Hilltoppers.SEASON OPENERThe Hilltoppers host Rice on Sept. 1. ' ' '