The CCO, Live from Wrigleyville

Whether or not they are real, baseball games are about to begin and that is what matters. In the coming weeks, fans will have a better idea of who is playing where and if there will be any surprises to the Opening Day roster.

With actual baseball about to be played, it is about time to ramble on down to Mesa.

Welcome to Open Forum Fridays. Just like the good ole USA, majority rules at the good ole CCO. Each Friday pressing topics will be written about and then decided by the CCO. Whether it's one topic, five topics or as it is this week, four topics.

We ask that you begin your comment or post with your answer on the topics for the day ... then feel free to explain how you came to your conclusion. The forum will be open until 5:00pm CST ... one hour after the forum closes, the majority's decision will be posted.

The Battles of Spring

Spring Training is heating up, and soon so will the competition on the field. Not only will the Cubs be playing other teams, but also they will be battling their teammates for starting jobs and playing time.

The match-ups listed below are my thoughts, with a winner and a loser. Please let us all know your thoughts below. Hey folks, it's "Open Forum Friday!"

It's official: Today is the last Friday without baseball for almost eight months. It just feels great to write that down. With pitchers and catchers reporting next week and Z already in Mesa working hard, it is time to start rambling on down the road.

Here it goes:

Baseball teams cannot win the pennant during the winter, but they sure can lose it. The Hot Stove is followed closely by those in as well as interested in the game. Signing and trades are analyzed and broken down by hundreds of pundits, and fans are sent into a tizzy, either positive or negative, based on the action or inaction of their favorite club.

In recent years, the off-season strategies of the Chicago Cubs are questionable, at best. Let's take a look at the past 6 winters, beginning with the end of the 2004 season.

It's cold. Really cold. It's this time of year that makes me yearn for the dog days of summer. Remember August 2? The Cubs were in first place. That seems like a long time ago.

Though it was a long time ago, the long, cold and irritating winter has made many a fan forget the reality that is connected to the 2010 Cubs. What is that reality? They are barely an above-average team. Lou claims this team will improve by 10 games. How?

The 25th annual Cubs Convention was a huge success and Lou says this team can be 10-wins better than last year. I have thoughts and feelings. Some make sense, some don't, but if you watch MTV's smash hit "Jersey Shore," more will make sense.

Without further ado ...

As Harry used to say, hello again everybody. For a multitude of reasons, I have been away from the CCO for almost three months. I apologize for missing the last few CCO Radio installments of the season and for not being around to share my witty, intelligent and groundbreaking thoughts with you. Some of you might use other adjectives to describe me, but for the sake of avoiding an argument, lets just go with what I said. Plus, you know I am right.

... Or Rambling from atop the National League Central. The second-half Cubs have been a different team than the fans were saddled with the first three plus months of the season, and I think it is safe to say Cubs fans everywhere are happy about that. So hopefully this rambling will be one with a positive attitude ... almost.

Many uncertainties remain with four games to go until the All-Star break. However, the Cubs and their fans hope one major question will be answered ... soon.

Will Aramis Ramirez be able to produce at the level he has for years coming off of a dislocated shoulder? Or will Ramirez be tossed into a shuffle of dizzying disappointments for the 2009 Cubs?

Rambling without a clue about this Cubs team

It has been awhile since I have shared my inner-most thoughts and general stream of consciousness about the Cubs. So, here we go.