the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. CHICAGO -- In terms of storylines, it doesnt get more delicious th

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Patrick Reed occupied the eighth and final spot in the Ryder Cup standings going into the final qualifying event, which brought him the attention no one wants. He was the guy on the bubble, and most of the chatter was negative.Even more aggravating to Reed was that it was his own fault.The American had developed the consistency he needed. Over the last 20 months, he had 22 finishes in the top 10 around the world, with five runner-ups. Missing during that stretch was winning, and thats all that matters to Reed.Because at the end of the day, a lot of top 10s ... its great, but its going to make you be on that bubble, Reed said. Ive had it feels like 100 top 10s this year. And Ive just kind of stayed there on that No. 6, 7, 8, 9 on the Ryder Cup. And it takes something like a win to be able to solidify yourself.The timing couldnt be better for Reed. The moment couldnt be better for his confidence.He didnt flinch in the final round at The Barclays until he could afford a few mistakes. Reed went from a two-shot deficit early in the round to a three-shot lead with three holes to play, and he hung in from there for a 1-under 70 and a one-shot victory over Sean OHair and Emiliano Grillo.Top 10s are great for making a living, Reed said. But at the end of the day, every time we play golf tournaments, we dont play for top 10s. Were going there to try to get a W and try to get hardware, try to get a trophy.The crystal trophy was on the table, and Reed glanced at it every now and then.It was his fifth victory on the PGA Tour, and even though he faced one of the strongest and deepest fields of the year, Reed still favors one of his early victories as the most significant. That was two years ago in a World Golf Championship, when winning was still new to him.Probably the biggest difference between this week and that week was I had another guy in black and red in the group in front of me, Reed said with a smile.That guy was Tiger Woods, whom Reed grew up idolizing to the point that he prefers to wear black trousers and a red shirt in the final group. That day at Doral, Woods played in the group ahead and Reed didnt blink. Woods was starting to cope with back issues -- he would have the first of three back surgeries a month later -- though Reed didnt give anyone much of a chance.The victory at Bethpage required a little more work.He trailed Rickie Fowler early, and even when he caught him with a birdie on the seventh hole, Reed felt another tournament slipping away.Reed couldnt help but think about all the missed chances in the opening hour -- four putts from 10 feet or in that failed to drop, including an 8-foot eagle attempt. He wondered if this was one of those stretches that had kept him from winning since the 2015 opener at Kapalua.Thats when his caddie, brother-in-law Kessler Karain, stepped in and told him to quit worrying about it and keep hitting good shots.It was kind of creeping back in, just going through my mind on events earlier this year when I had these kind of stretches, Reed said. To get over that hump and put the pedal down ... I felt like that just set the tone for me and let me run with it.Two tough par saves gave him the lead. A birdie on No. 12 stretched it two shots, and no one got closer until Reed made bogey on the final hole.He was no longer on the bubble, moving to No. 4 in the Ryder Cup to qualify easily. He went up to No. 9 in the world, a little closer to that boast that he felt like a top 5 player when he won at Doral. And he is No. 1 in the FedEx Cup.Thats significant because Reed now is assured of being among the five players who only have to win the Tour Championship at East Lake to capture the FedEx Cup and claim the $10 million bonus, the richest payoff in golf.And hell be at Hazeltine when the Ryder Cup begins Sept. 30.It was at the Ryder Cup two years ago when Reed first showed his pugnacious side. He placed his finger over his lips for a shush sign that riled up Scottish gallery at Gleneagles and earned him a small measure of respect for his moxie. Reed was one of the bright spots for the Americans, and hes eager to play before a home crowd.What does he have planned for a Minnesota crowd?If I tell you, he said with a grin, then it wont be a surprise. Fergie Jenkins Jersey Large . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Custom Cubs Jersey China .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/custom-david-ross-jersey-large-110n.html . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Cheap Custom Cubs Jersey . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. David Ross Jersey Large . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. CHICAGO -- In terms of storylines, it doesnt get more delicious than this. The cursed versus the formerly cursed. Theo Epstein present versus Theo Epstein past. Wrigley Field versus Fenway Park. Chicago Cubs versus Boston Red Sox.Maybe its just a sportswriters perspective, but the possibility seems too good to be true. Obviously, the key debate around a Chicago-Boston series would be which David has had the better final season: Ross or Ortiz? (Hey, Ross has 14 more defensive runs saved!)By run differential, these are the two best teamms in their respective leagues and in the majors overall.dddddddddddd The Cubs have led the big leagues in that category all season, but since the All-Star break, it has been the Red Sox who have been more dominant than anyone else. On top of all the soap opera-friendly narratives, its a fascinating baseball matchup of baseballs best run-scoring team (Boston) against the best run-prevention team (Chicago). ' ' '