The NL Central is far and away the biggest surprise in all of baseball. Some will say the Devil Rays, but it’s not like nobody saw it coming. They were the pre-season darlings of Baseball Prospectus, whose article was featured in the pre-season edition of Sports Illustrated. Nobody, and I mean nobody, expected that at the all star break, the three teams with the best records in the NL would reside in the Central Division. (Like in the NFL, the West has disappointed immensely, but that’s neither here nor there.) Those three teams, the Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals, are the subjects of this blog and will be addressed in team-by-team format.

The St. Louis Cardinals-
This team is a little bit strange. They win, and do it pretty often, but how is unclear. They don’t score all that many runs, tied for twelfth in all of baseball (with the equally surprising Tigers) in runs scored with 415. They aren’t all that good preventing at runs either, ranking fifteenth in the league with 339 runs allowed. If you haven’t figured it out yet, their run differential is merely +16.

Offense- Their offense is built around the best hitter on the planet, but as good as he is, he is only one man. His supporting cast of Troy Glaus, Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel is nice, but the latter two have never maintained success over a full season, and the former is just a shell of his former self. Ludwick’s underlying stats show that he is a good player, but although his power is real, his average is probably going to drop and he strikes out once every four at bats. Ankiel is similar in the way that his power is very real, but he probably won’t hit any higher than .270 or get on base at a higher clip than .340. Troy Glaus’s skill set is a very known one. He has some power left, walks a lot and strikes out a bit more often, and that’s about it. All three are decent, but not good enough to be your second, third and fourth best hitters. Yadier Molina will hit for average, make consistent contact and take some walks, but hits for no power. No other offensive players warrant a mention.

Starting pitching- Their pitching staff, kind of like their offense, is made up of reclamation projects and rejects, but with Dave Duncan at the helm, have done quite well. Wainwright is undoubtedly been their best starter and is the only starter to not fit into the above criteria. His peripherals point to a slight regression, but outside of his BABIP, he hasn’t been overly lucky. Kyle Lohse, who foolishly rejected a real juicy deal from Philadelphia, has made the most of his time in St. Louis with Dave Duncan. He, like Wainwright, has been a bit lucky in the BABIP department, but make no mistake about it, he is a better pitcher this season. He has reduced his fly ball rate drastically and has become a successful ground ball pitcher. Braden looper appears to be exactly what he has been this year, a decent back of the rotation starter who’s ERA will be in the mid four’s. Todd Wellemyer, another Duncan re-invention, is nothing more than your typical number four or five starter. His current ERA is respectable, but it will regress as more balls in play fall for hits, and they will. In fact, his regression has already begun. Since his outstanding May(2.19 ERA), he has been atrocious, posting a 5.02 ERA in June and a 10.8 ERA in July. Joel Piniero, their fifth starter, has no business being a starter for a contending team. He should be nothing more than an insurance policy for your staff or a long man in the pen.

Bullpen- Their bullpen, already rocked by the ineffectiveness of former stud closer Jason Isringhausen, is merely average. Ryan Franklin has been all right, but he is due to give up a few more home runs and a lot more hits. He doesn’t have closer stuff and his weak 6.1 k/9 shows it. Kyle McLellan is their best reliever and I fully expect him to become their closer when Franklin loses the job, which he will, or at least should. Chris Perez has good stuff and is their third or fourth best pen arm, but he is way too wild and shouldn’t be used in high leverage situations just yet.
Overall, the Cardinals have a nice team with a bunch of solid players and a few good ones, but not enough really good ones. This team may hang in ther due to the same luck that has gotten them this far, but I doubt it and expect them to fall out of the running over the next month or so.

The Milwaukee Brewers-
The Brewers, just like the Cardinals, don’t have overly impressive numbers. They rank fifteenth in runs cored and fourteenth in runs allowed. Their run differential is only +11. A plus for them is that they have played a slightly tougher schedule, but with that being said, they still have outperformed their Pythagorean by four games. Obviously, what makes this team an immediate contender is the acquisition of CC Sabathia. But what should worry Brewer’s fans is that A) Ben Sheets can fall apart at any given time and B) Without Sabathia the team was merely mediocre when considering run differential, a very telling stat,

Offense- Everybody knows about the offensive studs on this team, but not enough people are aware of just how top heavy the unit is. Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and Prince Fielder are all huge talents and make up a fearsome trio, and JJ Hardy can get hot for stretches, but nobody else on the team is a viable offensive weapon. Weeks will hit some home runs and steal some bases, but not even his great walk rate can make up for his terrible average, which is very, very real. He strikes out way too much and makes too little solid contact to be a leadoff hitter. I imagine his .134 line drive rate ranks among the worst in the league among regulars; it’s downright embarrassing. But Weeks isn’t the only Brewer among the worst when it comes to hitting line drives. Mike Cameron, who has managed to strikeout more than once per game, is barely better than Weeks and has a .151 line drive rate which is the primary reason for his awful .227 average. Jason Kendall gives his team a decent average and takes his walks, but he hits for almost no power and is not the defender he once was. Bill Hall, Russell Branyon, Craig Counsell and Gabe Kapler are the others with significant AB totals, and to they stink would be an extreme understatement.

Starting Pitching- Before the very recent acquisition of CC Sabathia, their rotation, featuring ace Ben Sheets and youngster Manny Parr, was just as top heavy as the offense. Ben Sheets is an ace and Manny Parra looks like a future ace, but Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush and Carlos Villenueva/Seth McClung have been awful and have no business being in a major league rotation. None have an ERA lower tyhan 4.18, and three own ERA’s 4.71 or higher. The Brewers obviously suffered a huge setback when they lost Yovanni Gallardo, but it’s pretty safe to say that if they still had Gallardo they would not have gone after Sabathia, rather after a better back of the rotation starter like Gil Meche, AJ Burnett or Randy Wolf. But now that they have Sabathia, they are on front of the rotation ace up on the Chicago Cubs. Manny Parra and Ryan Dempster, at least for this season, are a push. Carlos Zambrano is as good as either Sheets or Sabathia, but no other pitcher on the Cubs’ staff ranks with either 1A or 1B of the Brewers. The Brewers are now in unknown territory. They have a relatively injury prone ace.

Bullpen- The soft underbelly of this team is the bullpen, and that can not be debated. This unit has blown leads that nobody could have dreamed would be blown, and have done it in magnificent fashion. Soloman Torres, their best bullpen arm, is uncharacteristically having a strong first half and may end up having a good season, but if he is your closer, you are in big trouble. Brian Shouse and Mitch Stetter have pitched well, but the rest of their pen, Mota, Riske and Gagne, is awful. Stetter, who gives up way too many fly balls when you consider that he plays in Miller pArk, is due for some really rough outings. His low home run rate is not sustainable. Shouse is better and gives up very few fly balls, but his BABIP is unusually low and he is also due to regress a bit. That being said, Shouse should be somewhat reliable down the stretch. Still, the Brewers currently have two reliable relievers, and until they get more, their will be many tough plane rides home for this team.

The Chicago Cubs-
As you can tell from my name, I am clearly a Cubs fan, but make no mistake about it, I am objective a Cubs fan as you will find and I think I have been fair to both teams in my assessments, and the same goes for the coming one. Statistically, this team is the cream of the crop in the NL. They rank second in all of baseball in runs scored, ninth in runs allowed and first in run differential, fourteen runs higher than the next best team, their AL counterparts from the South Side.

Offense- This team is pretty stacked offensively. Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto and Mark Derosa(yes, Mark Derosa) are among the best at their positions. The first four need no introduction, but DeRosa doesn’t get the publicity he deserves. He has the fifth highest OPS among all second baseman and does everything well offensively. He can also play almost all defensive positions semi-adequately. Anyhow, what makes this offense so good is that it has almost no easy outs. The five aforementioned guys are obviously very good, and Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Theriot and the rejuvenated Jim Edmonds are very good complementary players and fill their rolls very, very well. The bench is also very deep, with pinch hitter deluxe Daryl Ward, Ronny Cedeno and Reed Johnson all very capable of doing damage. What’s more is that none of the starters seem to be overly luck and should be able to maintain their current levels of production over the duration of the season. Lee’s power should regress a bit, but his average should rise. Edmonds seems to have his stroke back and has pretty good peripheral stats. Soto is legitimate and always seems to be making great contact, and his numbers confirm that. Theriot has improved his batting eye and with the extra rest Piniella has given him seems to have stepped up his game. Soriano has been just outstanding when healthy and despite what Cubs fans will tell you, they are not better without him. That is absurd. This offense is stacked and shouldn’t let up.

Starting Pitching- This is where the Cubs don’t rate among the elite. The staff as a whole is solid and above average, but as presently constructed is likely no World Series Champion material. Carlos Zambrano is a stud, and a very good option at the front of the rotation. The problem is who fills in as the number two behind him. Ryan Dempster has performed number two, but he still doesn’t feel like one. The main reasons for his improvement are his slightly improved control, solid strikeout rate and low fly ball/ high ground ball rates. He has been a bit fortunate in the BABIP department, but even with the appropriate regression his numbers would still be respectable, if and only if he can continue limiting fly balls and inducing ground balls. Lilly’s overall numbers aren’t great, but he has been his old self since April, when he posted a 6.46 ERA. He is a solid third starter. The loss of Rich Hill has really hampered this team. He was counted on to improve into a decent second starter but instead finds himself pitching in rookie ball. It’s doubtful he makes it back up at any time this season. Sean Marshall and Jason Marquis are both fifth starter types and shouldn’t be counted on to win. Jim Hendry needs to make a move to bolster the front end of the rotation. Zambrano is undoubtedly among the NL’s best, but in a playoff series, Dempster and Lilly don’t scare anybody. Their offense could be enough to make up for the lack of another first tier starter, but offenses aren’t as powerful in the playoffs. Jim Hendry must go out and get a very strong starter, someone like Erik Bedard or Rich Harden. The minor league system isn’t nearly as loaded as that of the Brewers’, but Hendry needs to find a way to bring in a reliable playoff starter. Greg Maddux, Gil Meche and Randy Wolf won’t cut it, and neither will Steve Trachsel.

Bullpen- This is where the Cubs have a real edge over the Cardinals and Brewers. Kerry Wood is only in his first year as a closer, but relieving seems to suit his body type well and has arguably been the NL’s best closer. Carlos Marmol has hit a rough patch as of late and has given up a number of home runs, but with his extremely high fly ball percentage, that should have been expected. He was extremely lucky in the HR department last season and is not benefitting from the same fortune this year. That being said, his stuff is electric and when he keeps the ball down, he is among the best setup men in the game. Bob Howry isn’t as good as he used to be but he has historically been much better in the second half and his numbers at this point are better than they were last year. He is a solid third arm out of the pen. Behind him are Neal Cotts, Michael Wuertz and Jon Lieber. Lieber is a very capable long man and serves as insurance for the rotation. Wuertz hasn’t come in and locked down the opposition like he did last season, but he is walking less hitters and giving up less fly balls and home runs, so his lower k rate is easier to stomach. His BABIP is low when you consider his line drive rate, but he is a good arm out of the pen. Neal Cotts is a decent lefty who walks too many batters but is striking out more than one batter per inning and has been giving up more home runs and hits than his peripheral stats say he should. He is only going to get better.

All in all, my home team bias aside, I feel that the Cubs have the best oerall team in the division. They feature the best, most complete and established offense in the division and have a great bullpen to go with a slightly above average rotation. Milwaukee has the better pitching staff, but I don’t think that will be enough to beat out the Cubs for the crown. If they acquire another bullpen arm, preferably a closer, that could change.

With all of the good feelings flying around the North Side, the biggest Cubs related news should not be focused on Alfonso Soriano, but with the way things are being run on Clark and Addision, it is difficult to find anything in which Alfonso Soriano is not it's epicenter. The Cubs are off to a superb, if not almost unprecedented start to the season, owners of the top spot in the central and tied with the Diamondbacks with the third best record in all of baseball. Gone under the radar are Aramis Ramirez's superb start, Carlos Zambrano's unbelievable start and Derrek Lee's return to stardom. Ryan Theriot's hot start and Mark Derosa's excellent play have also not been given proper attention. Why? Because Alfonso Soriano and his extreme highs and lows have not just grabbed the headlines, but have surely given Lou Piniella many sleepless nights and have now necessitated stadium ejections for excessive jeering in the left field bleachers.

This morning, on ESPN 1000, an old interview with baseball insider Buster Olney was replayed in  which he "revealed" that a ninth inning replacement of Alfonso Soriano might put him down for the next two weeks. It's not that Soriano's over the top sensitivity is a secret or anything, it's just that it is strange to actually hear those sentiments from any baseball insider with knowledge of the situation. Judging from what Cubs players and management have said about Soriano, it seems like Soriano is as sensitive as Lou Piniella is subtle, which needless to say is not in the least bit. What makes all of this tough to stomach is that Soriano is no spring chicken. He is a veteran and is completely set in his ways. He will never be consistent, will not learn how to work the count and wait for his pitch and to top it all off, has already peaked, and that peak most likely was reached before he came to the Cubs. From the looks of things, the Cubs are now stick with five and a half more injury riddled seasons from a player who in a year or two will most likely have worn out his welcome.
So all this begs the question: Is Alfonso Soriano and all of the accompanying baggage worth it?

    With the recent all around struggles that have suddenly befallen the Cubs, a few problems with the current roster have stood out more than others. For starters, there's the leadoff man, or lack thereof. Personally, with the current roster, I have no problem with Alfonso Soriano leading things off. However, that has less to do with Soriano's skills than the lack of a real leadoff man on the present day Cubs. The alternatives to Soriano are Reed Johnson, Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome. Mark Derosa has the OB skills to do it, but Piniella will never put a guy that slow atop the lineup. Reed Johnson, as long as he is as good as he was early on, is a solid option, it's just that he already has reverted to Reed Johnson-fourth outfielder. Ryan Theriot has the speed to pile up stolen bases and his recent run of CS's are nothing to get worked up about, but his track record says he doesn't have the OB skills to leadoff. That being said, he has been much more selective so far and his walk rate has been much better as well, so even if his average drops, and it most likely will, he could still be a legitimate leadoff option. The last option, Fukudome, would be underutilized in the leadoff spot. Sure he could h get on base and even steal a few, but his super bat control and doubles power would be better suited in the two, five or six spot. As is, the only player I would consider using at the leadoff spot outside of Soriano is Theriot. But seeing as I doubt Theriot can keep up his current pace all season long, the best thing for the Cubs to do is to try and bring in Brian Roberts again, who not only would immediately be the Cubs best leadoff hitter, he would also give them that lefty bat they have been looking for.
    If the Cubs do not succeed in bringing in Brian Roberts, i would like to see the lineup built like this, even if Theriot reverts to his 2007 form, although i believe he will fall somewhere in between where he ended off last year and where he is now, with a line of .290/.355/.390:
- Ryan Theriot, Kosuke Fukudome, Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, Mark Derosa, Felix Pie, Pitcher.
     With Brian Roberts, things would be a little more clouded, seeing as Mark Derosa will kind of be the odd man out. Either way, here is the w/Roberts lineup.
- Brian Roberts, Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Kosuke Fukudome, Geovany Soto, Felix Pie, Pitcher.
    The last position player mentioned, Felix Pie, has also been the subject of debate as of late. He has been struggling, but has gold glove ability in center field and is very toolsy offensively. Personally, I feel like Lou needs to give him at least 4 starts a week and allow him to work things out, kind of like the Sox did with Brian Anderson two years back. If he doesn't work out, his numbers won't end up being all that much worse than Reed's and at least he'll end up playing great defense. If he does work out, that would just be gravy for this already stacked lineup.

    On to the pitching. Carlos Zambrano has been outstanding, Ryan Dempster has been very good and Ted Lilly has bounced back from a rocky start. On the other hand, Jason Marquis has been, well... Jason Marquis, which is a nice way of saying bad. Last season, at least he started off hot before going back to being the Godawful pitcher he is, but this season, it looks like he has other things on his mind, perhaps paying back the Cubs for benching him in the postseason(Thats not serious). Rich Hill is back in the minors and as I write this, his replacement, Jon Lieber, is being beat around like a donkey. Hopefully, Hill resonds to this demotion like he did his last one, by pitching lights out for the remainder of the season. I know it's just one start, but Lieber looked like horse s@#$ and the sooner Hill comes back the better. In his first rehab start, Hill only allowed one walk, so hopefully his control issues are behind him. He did allow 7 hits,  but his biggest issue is his control, so it's nice to see his walks down. The bottom line is that even if Hill comes back and posts numbers similar to those of last season, the Cubs will need another starter to take over for Marquis whenever Lou deems that necessary.

    The other pitching issue lingers in the bullpen. By now everybody knows about Carlos Marmol, Kerry Wood and the speculation that Marmol may supplant Wood in the near future. While Wood's shakiness has been a real issue and will continue to be, the real problem in the pen is the (quality) depth, which coming into the season looked like a real strong point. Michael Wuertz had a tremendous 07 campaign and after a shaky first half Bob Howry joined in on the fun too, but so far both have been pretty bad, although the former has been much, much better than the latter. Wuertz has better stuff than Howry, so his chances of rebounding are much better, although Howry does have a track record of starting slow, and thats putting it nicely. The good news is that when Hill comes back, Lieber will head back to the pen, where has been great so far and should add some depth to the pen. However, for the Cubs to succeed, they will need for Howry and Wuertz to turn things around quickly.

Jime Hendry has done it again. Fresh off an offseason in which he assured the Cubs of having the most frustrating leadoff man in the game for the next seven years, Hendry, for one reason or another, decided to be for the Tigers what Dave Littlefield has been for the Cubs, a fan. Hendry has just pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Jacque Jones, who in having his worst season as a pro finished with an acceptable line of .285/.335/.400, and put together a second half to the tune of .332/.374/.458, to the Tigers for Omar Infante, who couldnt beat out Brandon Inge(.241/.304.394) for the job at 3b. Infante's career best average, OBP and SLG% are .277/.325/.449. He has played just 407 games over the last four years.
Jacque Jones, despite having his worst year in 07, is making just 5 million this year and the Cubs should have waited until the market for outfielders thinned out and the demand for Jones would have increased. I feel that Hendry, fresh off of a first round sweep, made this move just to make a move. I understand that Jones was maybe the most frustrating Cub of 07 and hit only five home runs, but if the Cubs fail to get their hands on a premier outfielder by opening day, Jime Hendry will rue the day he traded Jacque Jones.

While writing my respnse to a comment, i realized that not only is Hendry giving up Jones for a lesser player, but he is giving up Jones to acquire a player who will in no way shape or form help bolster the team. Infante presumabbly was brough in to be some sort of utility guy, not a starter, and mainly sub in at SS and 2B. The Cubs already have themselves one of the most durable infielders in the game, Mark Derosa. Derosa played 1B,2B and 3B last season(not to mention LF) and did a great job at all three. Theriot, who i believe can be one of the best 2B/SS bench guys in the game, can do everything Infante does, except Theriot does it better. In watching Ryan play every day last year it was pretty clear that a) He wasnt good enough defensively to be a starting SS and b) He coudlnt handle the wear and tear of a full time gig at SS. If relegated to bench status, Theriot would perform at a higher level with all of the rest he would get and would provide some rest here and there for Derosa. Also, if the Cubs were to acquire Kaz Matsui(and his injury history) and play him at SS, i would feel much safer with Theriot behind him than i would with Infante.

The Cubs have been, and still are the most inept franchise in pro sports over the last century. The Cubs, regardless of which players are on the fiels, seem to get a laugh out of kicking their own fans in the stones on an annual basis. But this past season was different. The Cubs have always sucked, make no mistake about it, but they have never sucked with such little effort like they did just a few weeks ago against an Arizona team that got demolished by the Rockies. Maybe the sale of the Cubs will trigger a chain of events that somehow leads to the world series, or maybe it wont, but if Cubs management wants to put an end to the drought, here is what they need to do before next year starts, position by position.

Very rarely does a team completely need to clean house and virtually rebuild from nothing, and this Cubs team is no exception. They have a bunch of very good players who are locks to play at their respective positions, and these are the locks:

1B- Derrek Lee- Despite putting up fairly respectable numbers, he had a dissapoining season for a guy with his power potential. Nevertheless, he will be at first on opening day.
2B- Mark Derosa- Although he will be remembered for his double play ball against Arizona in the DS, he did have a pretty solid year.
3B- Aramis Ramirez- Mr. Clutch, like the rest of the Cubs, forgot how to swing the bat in offseason, but is still a top 5 third baseman.
C- Geovany Soto- Yes, he is young, but from the looks of things, the Cubs will put all their eggs in the Soto basket after being named MVP of his AAA league.
LF- Alfonso Soriano- No matter how bad this guy plays, Lou Piniella seems to see things in Soriano that nobody else sees. He stinks, but with his fat contract, he will be stinking as the starting left fielder for the Cubs for a very long time.
SP- Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Rich Hill- The only really good thing the Cubs have is a strong top of the rotation. HIll will only get better, Lilly will be steady and Zambrano will be Zambrano.
RP- Carlos Marmol, Bob Howry, Michael Weurtz, Kevin Hart- Those four guys were really good last year, but aside from them, i dont feel comortable with anybody else in the bullpen, and neither should Cubs' management.

These are the needs for the Cubs:

SS- I kind of got sucked into the Ryan Theriot lovefest, but as the season winded down, it was clear that this guy is not the answer at SS. His OBP% is bad, his fielding is decent and he seemed to wear down badly as the season went on.
RF/CF- The Cubs dont have a viable starter at either of these positions. It would be foolish to enter the 08 season banking on Felix Pie and Jacque Jones, especially consider the fat free agent class of outfielders that will be out there this offseason.
SP- The back end of the rotation is up in the air. Rumor is that Steve Trachsel might be resigned to be the fourth or fifth starter. The minute that happens, the season is over. Jason Marquis was what we expected, but his terrible second half killed the Cubs. If the Cubs can find a taker, pull the trigger get Marquis, and his 7 million per, out of town and I thought Sean Marshall did a decent job and is one of the better fifth starters in the game, but Lou doesnt seem to have faith in him. Why, i have no idea. Mark Prior is also due for a comeback, but management knows better to rely on him, but if he shows flashes of the old Prior, he needs to be in the rotation. At this point he is an insurance policy.
RP- Ryan Dempster needs to be traded. He is terribly inconsistent and doesnt have closer stuff. If the Cubs could get a decent bench player for him, do it. Will Ohman and Scott Eyre need to go to, and maybe they can take Lou's lefty-lefty matchup lovefest with him too. Righties CAN get lefties out.

Some Possible Replacements:

SS- The free agent class at SS is very shallow. There are no good shortsops in the group. Eckstein, Uribe and Vizquel are all below average, and there is some Cuban kid that nobody knows about as well. The other option might be Ronny Cedeno, who had a great year at AAA. If the Cubs cant get a replacement for Theriot, I would give Cedeno a shot. His defense is much better than Theriot's, and he has much more upside.
RF/CF- The free agent class is chock full of outfielders. The Cubs need to end up with at least one of the following players: Milton Bradley, Mike Cameron, Torii Hunter, Kenny Lofton, Aaron Rowand, Jose Guillen or Bobby Abreu. I like Bradley. He will probably be on the cheaper side and he is better than advertised. Lofton still has another season left in the tank and would be great influence on the Felix Pie, who has similar tools to those of Lofton. Jose Guillen wouldnt be a bad option either. Odds are thet Hunter, Jones and Rowand will be too pricey for the Cubs, and they arent all that much better than those other guys. The Cubs really need to tap into the outfelders market, bigtime.
SP- Not much doing here in free agency. Like i said before, i wouldnt mind having Marshall take the mound every fifth day. I dont wanna see either Trachsel or Marquis at the fourth spot, and a possible replacement could end up being Prior or somebody from their Minor Leagues. They could try and sign either Josh Fogg, Jason Jennings or the new steroids man, Mr. Byrd from Cleveland. Something nees to be done at the four spot, fast.
RP- Free agency is not the way to go for relief pitching. They are too unpredictable and there is no way they wanna end up with another money eating nobody like Scott Eyre. Looks like the Minor Leagues is the way to go here. That or either trading for another cheap, youngster, perhaps danglig a guy like Jacque Jones as trade bait.

The Cubs have some serious work to do, lets get after it and do something for a change.

For all the people that wonder why baseball is in such bad shape rightnow, take a look at the headlines. Dusty Baker, a guy that shouldnt be in radio booth, let alone a dugout, is now the manager of the hapless Cincinatti Reds. I for one thought that the Reds were headed in the right direction under their interim manager. They had a record slightly above .500 after they switched managers and they reward the new coach by replacing him with a tooth pick munching, cliche spewing poor excuse for a baseball coach? From what i have heard, Cincinatti Reds fans are livid about the hiring, and rightfully so. In his first public address since signing the deal, the BS bonanza has already begun. After watching him refuse to play young players for years on the north side, he had the audacity to say that he cant wait to work with the young pitchers and position players that Cincinatti has to offer. I extended my deepest condolences to Reds fans for the hiring of Baker. The Reds have a large number of stud prospetcs, headlined by Homer Bailey, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. In my opinion, i think that Baker will cement his position on my all time baseball #### lists if, and most likely when, he stunts the development of those aforementioned up and comers and benches them in favor of has beens like Neifi Perez and Randall Simon, some of his favorites from back in Chicago who are sure to be on the Reds' roster come 2008.
Its a real shame that on a team brimming with young talent will be run by a guy like Baker. Just a year removed from a coach of the year performance, while coaching perhaps the youngest teams in baseball, Joe Girardi is still available. Hopefully, some team that will be searching for a coaching replacement, such as the Yankees or Cardinals, will wisen up and not make the same mistake that the Cubs and now the Reds have made, that being chosing an old, washed up manager without much fire left in the tank, as opposed to going with a young, passionatemanager that has proven himself capable in even the most bleek of situations.

Disclaimer: I personally do not put much stock in who is the manager o####iven baseball club. In my opinion, the most important positon, aside from those on the field itself, is manned by the general manager. Logically, who has more power when determening the success of a team: The guy that brings in the players, or the guy that tells the players to play. Billy Beane has got it right. A manager really isnt necessary, its just that in a game that is laden with old fashioned baseball dudes, a decision to go without a manager would be blasted from here to Khazakstan.
Still, if i had to pick a manager, i would lean(heavily) towards taking Joe Girardi over Dusty Baker, the king of the double switch.

This is just gonna be a pure rant. Some nutjob called up the MJH(A hell of a show by McNeil, Jurkovic and Teinowitz) show in Chicago and exploded on the radio, and i cant tell you how right he is. The Chicago Cubs suck, their culture sucks and everything else about them sucks. There is something about the Cubs that changes people, for the worse. Lou Piniella, one of baseballs most notorious hotheads, blows up once. And then after his team gets swept in one of the most disgusting playoff performances in baseball history, Piniella shrugs it off and says "This is just the beginning," which is just a different, more elegant way to say "wait till next year." Kiss my #### Lou Piniella. The guy's brain has turned into oatmeal. No manager in all of baseball could botch a double switch like Lou does.
Jim Hendry is a whole different animal. With the Cubs in the thick of a playoff race and on the verge of their first post-bartman playoff appearance, he acquires Steve Trachsel. Steve #### Trachsel. Is Jim Hendry retarded? Bring back a guy that blows like Trachs does for a playoff race? His cracked out minor league scouts and developers havent churned out a good position player in the last decade. Every decent offensive player on that team didnt originate with the Cubs. Jim Hendry can go to hell.
Now to the players. Carlos Zambrano is a freakin nutjob. He drives the Cubs best offensive catcher in the last 15 years out of town. After Barrett was shipped out Zambrano played great and it started to look like Barrett was the problem. Uhh.... no. Zambrano went back to the BB Era(Before Barrett) and pitched like a schoolgirl when the Cubs needed him most. But at least this kid showed up in the playoffs. The same cant be said for pussied like Derrek Lee, Ryan theriot, Mark Derosa, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, just to name a few. Geovany Soto, a chubby rookie in the playoffs for the first time did more damage than Lee, Soriano and Ramirez combined. Thats pathetic.
Derrek Lee sucked. Not just in the playoffs, but in the entire second half. then, after the Cubs go through one of their patented losing streaks, he gets upset at the fans for booping Zambrano. Derrek Lee should eat horseshit. Aramis Ramirez couldnt get one #### hit in the entire series. He gets an extension in the offseason and rewards the team with that??? The guy blows, and losing some weight couldnt hurt either. Same goes for that stupid looking mustache.
This brings me to the most frustrating player since Corey Patterson burst onto the scene, Alfonso soriano. I hope on the first play next season, a fly ball gets hit to him and when does that retarded hop skip to catch the ball, he comes down with a broken ankle. I would sever my own pinkie toe if Jim Hendry got rid of this guy. He looks like he hasnt played baseball ever before. Go back to Japan you douchebag.
I am sick of Cubs fans slobbering over that David Eckstein look alike Ryan Theriot. I myself fell in love with him but i have learned better now. How a guy with a .270 BA and 330 OPP becomes a god in Cubs lore is beyond me.
If i see Jacque Jones laugh after striking out again, i a m gonna tick that very bat in his hand you know where. If there is one thing hendry can do, beside for ridding the Cubs of Soriano, it is getting rid of this ####. Seven million for 5 home runs????
The only guy that i wont beat up on is Soto. The Cubs recent failure has shed some light on what the Cubs really are. I figured them out. They never win because they dont want to win. If you want to win, you dont swing at 50 foot curveballs. You dont go 0-12 in your biggest playoff appearance of your career. You dont yell at the fans for booing. You go out and win some #### games. If the Cubs cant win games, then so be it. Go ahead and gimme another 100 years of losing. I dont give a #### anymore. I wanna clean house. Just give away the players, i dont care.

Cubs and Diamondbacks fans really endured hell on earth having to listen to Stockton for three straight games and have suffered in a way that nobody should ever have to. Some of his nuggets of wisdom:

1) Michael Weurtz, appeared in 73 games for the DALLAS COWBOYS, just second behind Bob Howry.

2) He called Aramis Ramirez, by the name Rodrigo Ramirez.

3) He referred to a one time Arizona bullpen arm as Julio Jorge.

4) Alfonso Soriano will now be known as Adolpho Soriano.

5) He claimed that Derrek Lee had great numbers this season while toiling for the Houston Astros.

6) Angel Pagan has transformed into a peanut, now known as Angel Pec`an.

This is just a small sample size of the endless blunders and mispronunciations made by #### Stockton. I firmly believe that he is losing his mind and needs to get into a hospital, probably the Alzheimers ward, ASAP. This guys hould never be given a microphon ever again. 

With just a week left in the baseball season, unlike in the AL where three teams have already clinched, the NL playoff picture is still very cloudy. The largest division lead can be found in the Central, where the Cubs are 3 1/2 games ahead of the floundering Milwaukee Brewers. In the East, the Phillies are just 2 1/2 games behind the Mets and in the West the Diamondbacks are also just 2 1/2 games ahead of the Padres, who have just lost Milton Bradley to injury in one of the most bizarre series of events i have ever seen on a playoff diamond. Yet, with six or seven games left for most teams, an awful lot can happen between now and season's end. Well, here we go. Here is a look at any teams within either four games of their division leader or two games of the wild card leader.

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs have been as hot as any team in baseball over the last ten games and have exorcised some of their demons over that span. The last few seasons for the Cubs were marked with late season collapses at the hands of the Central's bottom feeders, the Reds and the Pirates. The Cubs have also been heavily hit this season by a massive power outage, somewhat surprising with a lineup littered with power hitters up and down the lineup. Lastly, the Cubs, primarily a right handed hitting team, has struggled mightily against lefties for the most part. In the last ten games, the Cubs faced the Reds and Pirates and not only beat the Reds, but they swept the PIrates, who marched out three straight lefties, highlighted by young stud Tom Gorzelanny. The Cubs totaled thirty runs in the three games aginst Pittsburgh and most importantly, Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez found their powerstroke, combining for eight homeruns, three apiece for Soriano and Ramirez and two for Lee.

Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers look defeated. If the Brewers fail to make the playoffs, which looks quite probable at this point, the season will be looked back at as a season of missed oppurtunities. Throughout the first 4-5 months of the season, no team stepped up to take a firm grasp of the division, rather settling to win on nights that the other teams won and losing on nights that the other teams lost. The Brewers biggest issues this season were the inability to win on the road and the collapse of a bullpen which was unhittable for the first half of the season. To get an idea of how bad the pen has been, here are some before and after numbers for the three main cogs in the Brewer pen, Fransisco Cordero, Derrick Turnbow and Scott Linebrink. Turnbow, after pitching forth a solid 3.49 in the first half, has had an ERA of 5.28 since the break, an increase of nearly two full runs. Linebrink, although in the midst of a very good september, had an awful July and August(He only spent the latter part of July with the Brewers). His July ERA was 7.59 and his August ERA was 5.40, which for any of you non-baseball folk, is absolutely dreadful. Cordero has really only had two bad months this season, June and July, but those coincided with the Cubs two month stretch of playing the best baseball in the majors. He faltered when needed most and it cost his team. The Brewers have three left against the Cardinals and four against San Diego. Needless to say, the remaining games will be tough.

New York Mets: Despite winning their third consecutive game yesterday, the Mets have only won four of their last ten games durnig a stretch when every win or less are hugely magnified. Since their sweep at the hands of the Phillies, the Mets' starting pitchers have been terrible. They have allowed less than four runs only once over that span, but not to worry, relief is in sight. Like i said, not only have they won three straight games, but they finish the season with two more games against Washington, one against St. Louis, and three more against Florida. Still, if Jose Reyes, the catalyst for the offense and the team's greatest source of energy, doesnt rebound quickly from a well below average second half, the Mets will struggle in the playoffs. On the bright side, David Wright is having an MVP-type season, Carlos Delgado has heated up as of late and Carlos beltran has been slugging .600 in the second half. All that being said, the Mets have not been as hot as they were in the first half because their pitching, bullpen and starters included, have not been as good since the break. John Manie and El Duque have regressed as of late and Oliver Perez, while still pitching well, has also taken a step back. Pelfrey and Glavine have done whats expected, but when playoff time comes, do they have a lockdown guy on their staff?

Philadelphia Phillies: Is this the year the Phillies actually do more than just come close to a playoff birth? The Phillies, an all offense-no pitching team, easily have the best lineup in the national league. Their numbers are a bit skewed thanks to playing in a pocket sized ballpark, but make no mistake about it, they can mash with the best of 'em. The pitching staff is dreadful. The Phillies only have one starter(qualifying) with an ERA UNDER 5.00. That is ridiculous. When your #2 picther is twenty one years older than your #1 starter, you know your staff stinks. The Phillies will probably have to finish with a worst-case-scenario 5-1 record if they hope to either take the division or get the wild card. With three games against Washington and another three against Atlanta, the Phillies will have to be on top of their game.

Arizona Diamondbacks: The Seattle Mariners of the National League, the Snakes, are a statistical anomoly. Everybody knows about their poor run differential, poor team average and mediocre pitching staff. Everybody besides the D-Backs that is. They seem to have no idea that they aren't supposed to be good and their play is the play of a confident, experienced team, not of a young, inexperienced one. They will, barring a massive collapse, make the playoffs and will, if things work out, be able to trot out Brandon Webb for two games in the first series if necessary. The scary thing for the Diamondbacks is that they lack punch in the lineup and dont have much behind Webb. If they can get to their bullpen with the lead they will be fine, but if they find themselves behind the eight ball early in games, they will struggle to score enough to pick up some comeback victories. The Diamondbacks finish the season with six straight road games, three against Pittsburgh and three against Colorado. If they can take four of those games, they should ensure themselves of hime field advantage for at least the opening playoff series.

San Diego: The Padres are probably the scariest team in the NL in a playoff series. The possibility of facing Peavy twice in a series is downright intimidatig. Chris Young is no scrub either, although he has been just an average pitcher since the start of August, compiling a 4.32 ERA since the break. The problem is that they are only one loss and one Phillies victory from the second slot in the Wild Card Standings. The other issue for the Padres is that they finish the season with four games against Milwaukee in Milwaukee, where the Brewers simpply dont lose. If the Padres end up getting into the playoffs, they will be tough to beat, but getting there will be the tough part for the Friars.

Colorado Rockies: As of now the Rockies are four games behind the division leading Diamondbacks, but just 1.5 games out of the WIld Card lead, so clearly their best shot is to overtake the Phillies and Padres for the Wild Card crown. The Rockies, one of the hottest teams in all of baseball at the time of writing, will have their work cut out for them. The Rockies will face both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, three games apiece. The nice thing is that the tougher series, against Arizona, will be at home, while the series against the Dodgers will be at Los Angeles. The Rockies will be playing the most important games in the franchise's short existence and will need to play lights out baseball ti reach the postseason.

All of the aforementioned teams are decent, but none of them really blow you away, unlike the playoff teams in the American League, who on paper, clearly have an advantage over any of the NL teams. But the NL is the NL and although the league isnt as top heavy as the AL is, there is more parity and every game will carry heavy playoff implications for all of the involved teams.

My Picks: Cubs, Mets, Diamondbacks and Phillies, with the Diamondbacks grabbing homefield throughout and the Mets getting the second seed.

The way things are shaping up, baseball looks to be exciting no matter what division/team you are a fan of. Of course there are the ususal bottom feeders that are out of contention, like the Royals, Rays, Orioles, Rangers, Pirates, Reds, Giants and Nats, but even some of them are playnig good baseball. THe Royals and Nats have played pretty well as of late and the Rays at least have an exciting offense thats worth watching.

NL East: A three team race. All three can hit but pitching is a concern for all of them as well.

- Currently the Mets occupy the top spot, but both the Phillies and the Braves have their eyes set on the division crown. The Mets are awaiting Pedro's return and they sorely need him. El Duque, Perez, Glavine and Maine are solid but they dont really scare anybody. Maine was knocked around last start against the Cubs and Perez was recently pummeled as well. El Duque has been good but will his health hold up? Glavine is steady but with an ERA north of 4 he is simply average.
- The Braves made the big deadline splash with the acquisition of Texiera and are in the midst of a big series with the Metropolitans. The Braves have beat up on the Mets all season long and look to continue doing so this week. The offense is there for the Braves but the pitching staff leaves much to be desired. Smoltzy is a stud and Tim Hudson is solid but Chuck James, Buddy Carlisle and JoJo Reyes/ Kyle Davies are not too strong and might be what holds the Braves back from reaching the playoffs. That, the inconsistency of Wickman as a closer and the recent struggles of Rafael Soriano will all be tough to vercome for the Braves
- The Phillies are the wild card. They have very inconsistent starting pitching and their bullpen is shoddy, but their offense is incredible. Everyone knows about Howard, Utley, Burrell and Howard, but guys like Rowand and Victorino have been huge for the Phills.If the Phillies are within striking distance when Utley and Victorino come off the DL they may be able to pull it off.


NL Central: The pre-season prediction for the Central was right on. THis is by far the worst division in baseball. It wont come down to who is going to win more games, but who is going to lose less. Theoretically those are the same thing, but you get the point.

- At the time of writing, the Brewers just completed a game in which the Rockies shellacked them to the tune of 19-4. What makes it worse for the Brewers is that their hot-shot rookie, Yovanni Gallardo, was beat up badly. Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart continue to be the foundation for a high scoring offense, but the pitching staff is in bad shape right now. Claudio Vargas, Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush and Chris Capuano have all recently looked like back of the rotation starters and have been killing the Brewers chances. The Bullpen, which was very strong up until the All Star break has faltered as of late and Fransisco Cordero has even blown a save at home.

- Things are only a shade better for the Cubs. Soriano has gone down with a torn quad and wont be bcak till Labor Day at the earliest. The offense has been terrible but their pitching has still been pretty strong. Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Rich Hill have been very strong Sean Marshall and Jason Marquis have performed like fourth and fifth starters, which they are. The bullpen has been strong overall and the recent demotion of Will OHman will send a message to the remaining members of the 'pen: Perform or get on the bus to AAA. If the Cubs can start hitting for some power and manage to put up some runs for their pitchers they should be able to take the division from the faltering Brewers. A bit of hometown bias here, but the Cubs do look like the better team.


NL East: A very strong division. Arizona, Los Angeles, San Diego and Colorado are within 4 games of eachother. Arizona, San Diego and Los Angeles are all teams built on pitching while the Rockies are an offensive juggernaut that needs to compensate for it's pitching or lack thereof.

- The Diamondbacks have really impressed me. They have one stud pitcher in Brandon Webb and a bunch of other starters with decent stuff yet they continue to shut other teams down. They dont have any real studs on offense but they dont have many easy outs either. Their bullpen is strong and the team overall is really clicking. Arizona is a team that at first glance doesnt scare you but they seem to outperform their numbers. They do just enough to beat you and are a team you dont want to face.

- The Padres are all pitching and no offense. Their offense is really hit or miss and when it misses, its really ugly. Good news is that they have the two best pitchers in tha NL 1-2 in their rotation. Chris Young and Jake Peavy are downright scary. The prospects of facing Young and Peavy three out of five games in a five game is intimidating but the problem will be getting to the playoffs. Does their offense have enough punch to get them through to the playoffs? Can Adrian Gozalez, Mike Cameron and co. step up their game?

- The Dodgers are not looking good right now. The losers of eight of their last ten games really need to turn things around if they hope to be around come September. They failed to acquire the big bat at the deadline and that will cost them dearly. They still have a strong pitching staff and bullpen but their offense is on par with the Padres' but sadly their pitching staff hasnt. They really shouldnt have let Betemit leave. He could have provided them with some serious power. The team will really need to turn up theigame if they wantna be around come postseason.

- The Rockies. This team has some serious offensive firepower. With the other four teams in the division built on starting pitching, the Rockies sem like a weird fit in the West. However strong their offense is, their overall pitching, bullpen included, is not too good outside of Jeff Francis, Manny Corpas and the recently hot Aaron Cook. THeir lack of pitching and their inability to win on the road will cost them a playoff spot down the road. If they would have traded Helton for some pitching help and given either big Joe Koshansky or Ian Stewart a chance at first i think they would be better off.

All things considered, the NL looks to offer some very exciting baseball over the next two months. I cant wait to see how teams respond to the turbulence that comes with the end of summer.

Alfonso Soriano thus far has been perhaps the biggest free agent bust of this past offseason. That is saying a lot, considering he was signed in the same offseason as guys like Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt. Among all major league outfielders, he is ninth in runs scored, sixth in doubles, sixteenth in triples, nineteenth in home runs, fifty-fifth RBI, seventieth in walks, eighth in strikeouts, and fifteenth in stolen bases.

For a player with one of the five richest contracts in baseball history he has severely underperformed. Not only are his numbers way off pace with his career numbers, but he has often dogged it on the field and seems overly interested in his own numbers. For a player with his prodigious speed and talent, he too often fails to cut off balls in the gap and only seems to be on top of his game when he has an oppurtunity to add an outfield assist on to his stst sheet. I have yet to see him lay down a bunt. With speed like Soriano has he should be able to have a minimum of 10 infield hits every season. He swings at anything and everything in his zip code and when he doesnt hit a home run he hits lazy fly balls to. He cant hit in the clutch and for all of the talk about his power he only has 18 home runs, of which only 3 have come since June 25th. For some reason he cant hit at Wrigley Field and it is no excuse that the wind often blows in. He crushed the ball at RFK last season, a park that is known as one of the toughest hitters park in all of baseball. Even when he does crush home runs, they are largely innefective. Fourteen if his eighteen knocks have been solo shots.

With Soriano out for the next 2-4 weeks, it appears the Cubs will hand over the title of leadoff man to Ryan Theriot, a more prototypical leadoff man. Theriot fits the bill for the Cubs. He is a passionate little infielder that lays it all out on the field night in and night out. He wont offer you the power that Soriano does, but he drives in runs in runs at the same rate as Soriano does and he scores run at the same rate. So even with his lack of power, he scores and drives in runs just as well as Soriano does. He is a better base stealer than Soriano. He is just a hair slower than Soriano but he has better technique and reads pitchers better. He has one more SB than Soriano but one less CS. The numbers would tilt in Theriot's favor even more if he didnt have 105 less AB's. Theriot has a more favorable groundball:fly-ball ratio and is a vastly superior bunter. Theriot has put down 8 sac bunts, Soriano 0.

Soriano can possibly attribute his early Chicago struggles to the day games and a new stadium and hopefully with more time he can come around, but at this point Soriano has not done enough to deserve the leadoff spot.

P.S. Just a little Nugget of Cubs Wisdom, or lack thereof: Last June, Carlops Zambrano's agents approached the Cubs about a 4 year, 38 million dollar extension. With the early reports stating that Zambrano will make around 20 million dollars a season over a minimum of 4-5 years, it looks like the Cubs really blew a huge oppurtunity. Considering they gave Marquis 7 million per over 3 years and Lilly 10 million per over four, their decision on Zambrano really makes you think what the hell are the guys running your favorite team thinking?

Throughout the course of the 162 game season, it is inevitable that certain little known, unheralded players play the role of the unsung hero. These players seem to always pitch the big game, get hits consistently in the latter parts of games and always seem to be in the thick of game changing rallies. Regardless of a team's success rate, a few of these guys emerge on every team. Whether it is the Royals or the Red Sox, every team has a few.

My team, the Cubs, have had a few:

Ryan Theriot- His numbers are not great by any means. He bats a solid .283, has minimal pop and can steal a few bases, yet he can always be found crossing home plate whenever the Cubs need a big run. He is a pest in the form of a David Eckstein just with more speed.

Sean Marshall- At a time where pitching is at a premium and fans/organizations are infatuated with their young pitchers, Cubs fans have taken Marshall for granted. In twelve starts he has only given up more than two runs twice. His record is only 5-4 but his ERA is a sterling 3.10. The kid has bailed out Jim Hendry after he foolishly banked on Wade Miller to round out the rotation. Not only has Marshall been good, he has outperformed every pitcher on the roster and has a better ERA than none other than Carlos Zambrano. He has been steady and can be counted on for 6 innings of two run ball every fifth day.

Mark Derosa- Hendry was ridiculed for giving Derosa a three year deal after what was looked at as a fluke season in Texas. Derosa has outperformed his contract in a big way. He has hit for solid average, power and has driven in big runs at big times. He also has been a huge hit in the clubhouse and is always good for an intersting interview, not just a bunch of cliches.

These are the Cubs' unsung guys, who are your team's?

I am a big-time football fan. But with the usual emptiness that follows the end of the football season, the one thing i felt good about was not having to listen to Dicky Stockton for the next 7-8 months. Then, when i turn on Saturday's nationally televised game i get a very unpleasant surprise. Freakin' Dicky Stockton is calling the game. Gimme a break. I even considered watching the game on but muting the TV and listening to the radio call. The fact that i consider Ron Santo an upgrade to Dicky Stockton speaks volumes about Stockton's shortcomings in the booth. I love Pat Hughes on the radio, but Ran Santo is rediculous. When anything semi-exciting happens Santo yells like he has fallen out of the booth.

Anyhow, here are just a few nuggets of Stockton's wisdom:
1) Now in the game playnig right field for the Cubs, Angel Pecan(Pgan is the right spelling). I know the Cubs outfield has not been as productive as Lou would like, but i dont think anybody expected him to march out a freakin peanut to play right.
2) Then, when calling a 3 run shot by Soriano, Stockton proclamis: What a shot off the bat of Adolpho Soriano. Everybody in the baseball world knows enough about Alfonso Soriano to not address him by the name of a certain #### facist.
3) After a nice play in the fiedl by DERREK Lee, Stockton goes on to speak about Lee's success last season as a member of the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers. Stockton is a joke. How do you mistake Derrek Lee for Carlos Lee. They have the same last name but come on Dicky... do your pre-game homework. This one is a bit understandable, but still...

I cringed having to call him Dicky, but his proper name gets bleepd out.

I took one look at the headlines and my heart skipped a beat. Mark Cuban has finally placed a bid for my beloved Cubbies. One can only dream of the havoc Cuban could wreak in a sport with no salary cap. Cuban as the owner of the Cubs.... you might as well start producing the A-Rod jerseys. Wouldn't he look great in blue? In all seriousness, the rumor is that his lack of local roots and loquacious ways are going to be held against him when his bid is in consideration. A bigger load of BS would be really hard to come by. This is the Chicago Cubs we are talking about. With a fan base that blames it's futility on a freakin' goat, what would be more fitting than a guy like Cuban sitting pretty on top? Mark Cuban is a good owner. Despite his antics, he knows how to bring in talented players and keep a team competitive. He would spend through the roof AND bring in the best of the best when it comes to his employees in the scouting department. The point is that Mark Cuban is a guy that expects exellence from the product that he produces on the court/field and i am sure the first thought that crosses his mind every morning is winning-related. Mark Cuban would also fit in very well with Lou Piniella. Lou is a guy that likes to get things done. From what has been said, Lou has pretty much gave Jim Hendry a list of things he wants done, such as ridding the Cubs of Jacque Jones, Cesar Izturis, demoting Matt Murton and trading Michael Barrett. Trading Barrett and sending Murton down were easy because there wasn't much of a loss financially. But if Cuban was around, i believe that the minute Lou told him to get rid of Jones, Cuban would have cut the cords on him. I think Cuban would be an owner on the level of Art Moreno, perhaps not as classy.

The Cubs need Mark Cuban. Simple as that.

**New Info: I was just listening to the radio and an expert just broght up a point that bodes very well for Cuban if in fact he is the high bidder. The Chicago Tribune has a responsibility to it's shareholders to sell the Chicago Cubs to the highest bidder. If Cuban is the high bidder and Bud Selig, along with many of the other owner in the MLB, nix the deal in favor of a local owner that is not willing to pay as much as Cuban is, Cuban and the Chicago Tribune can take Selig and Major League Baseball to court and force baseball to fork the Cubs over to Cuban. And between me and you, i would take Cuban/ Chicago Tribune(An enormous media conglomorate)'s lawyers over Major League Baseball's lawyers any day of the week.
Yet another twist in the sale of the Cubs.

After the Cubs got off to a poor start, many Cubs fans were calling Lou Piniella senile, stupid, old fashion and claiming that his better days were behind him. In order to illustrate exactly what Lou Piniella has done since claiming the job of Cub's skipper, lets take a look at the opening day roster and compare it to what the Cubs are trotting out at the all-star break.

Piniella's lineup card read:
1)Alfonso Soriano, CF
2)Murton, LF
3)Lee, 1B
4)Ramirez, 3B
5)Jones, RF
6)Barrett, C
7)Derosa, 2B
8)Izturis, SS

Of the 8 position players that started on opening day, only Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez are playing the position that they started the season at OR getting regular AB's with the Cubs.

1)Alfonso Soriano, after his horrendous start, was moved to left field, a more comfortable position for Soriano, and he proceeded to play like his old self, knocking out HR's and stealing bases.

2) Matt Murton is now playing in AAA Iowa. He was below average in the field and proved to be an #### on the basepaths. Lou has no patience for players that dont play the game right and Matt Murton was sent down to figure out how to play right. The Cubs are still high on Murton but he wont be back up untill he learns to play Lou-style.

3)Lee is still at first base.

4)Ramirez is still at third base.

5)Jacque Jones's struggles have been well documented. Not only has he not been productive but he was making dumb decisions at the plate, in the field and on the basepaths and Lou benched his butt. It doesnt look like Jacque is going anywhere and he looks like he has got the message. In some recent AB's he was more selective with his swings, walked a few times and hustled on the basepaths. He may very well be a big part of the Cubs in the second half.

6) Barrett, after showing his instability on and off the field was shipped to San Diego where he has not done much for the Padres. Since Barrett left the Cubs on June 20th, the Cubs are 12-5. The Padres however, are 8-9 since the trade. But in the games Barrett has started for the Padres, they are 2-8.WOW.
He provides some offense, but his difficiencies on defense can overwhelm a team. The Cubs catchers since have been horrendous at the dish, but Geovanny Soto is being called up and he is a capable hitter with above average plate defense and a very strong arm.

7)Derosa has been a bargain. Despite not having one position, he has been outstanding with the stick.He is on pace to bat .291, hit 13 Home Runs and knock in 91 RBI. Nice move Jim Hendry.

8)Cesar doesnt get to leave the bench much. Since June 22nd, he has started five games and is on the way out of town. Teams have been calling about the once highly regarded prospect and Hendry is gonna make sure he leaves and paves the way for either Ronny Cedeno, Eric Patterson or another pitcher.

The lineup that Lou Pinielle marches out is much more consistent. Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, MArk Derosa, Cliff Floyd, Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot are pretty much the regulars. As i said before, it looks like Soto will come up and relieve Rob Bowen and Koyie Hill of their catching duties and will hopefully improve on their collective .195 BA.
Lou Piniella has brought up scrappy, high basebal IQ'd players likie Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot and showed the bench/door to boneheads like Jacque Jones, Cesar Izturis, Matt Murton, Michael Barrett and he has put Scott Eyre in his doghouse.

Lou has also done a good job with the bullpen too. He has created a pretty consistent group and he relies mainly on Ryan Dempster, stud Carlos Marmol, the oddly shaped Will Ohman, slowly declining Bob Howry and silent assasin Michael Weurtz. Bill Petrick will soon join that group and Sott Eyre will eventually be relegated to strictly mop-up time in games with huge leads/defecits.

I cant sing enough of the praises of Sweet Lou Piniella. THe only thing he could work on is his interview skills. He studders non-stop and is known to pause for days at a time. Then again, his interviews are always humorous and give the local radio personalities something to laugh about.

GO CUBS!