Even though the Cubs experienced a rough go last evening, they have won seven of the last ten, and enter the weekend series against the Mets with a chance to end the first half on a rare, but welcomed, positive note.
Then again, they could get swept. Either way, the second half of this season is going to be very interesting for a team trying to stay out of the gutter. I am hard pressed to remember a last-place team whose fans were this engaged in the goings-on so far along. It is a tribute to the passion or the sick and twisted love of failure.
Well, I fall into both categories. So, with that out of the way, let’s go rambling …
- Time for a nickname to be established. The leader in the clubhouse seems to be the “The ‘Riz.”
- I guess I am okay with that, but it seems too obvious. Or “obvi” as your 20-something-year-old girlfriend likes to say. If you are only so lucky.
- Seriously though, with the knowledge and intellect on this site, we can do better. Throw them at me. Make your mark. Leave your line in the sand. Give me the best nickname you can create! Let’s hear them below.
- First half awards:
- – Best Pitcher – Ryan Dempster
- – Best Hitter – Starlin Castro/Bryan LaHair
- – Biggest Surprise – Alfonso Soriano
- Yes, Soriano. Not one of you can tell me you had more faith in Sori than LaHair. Many expected this out of LaHair. Maybe not an All-Star Game appearance, but a productive three months.
- Soriano is on pace to hit 30 homers with 90 RBI’s. Not one of us expected that. Not one. If you did, give me the link below.
- And thanks to all of this, we might be able trade him to the American League. Crazier things have happened.
- As time goes on this Travis Wood trade is looking better and better. Might be time for some of you to publicize how they like their crow.
- Yes, I enjoy being right 100% of the time.
- To clarify, the bullet point directly above is totally and utterly sarcastic. There were just a lot of strong words uttered or written about that trade, and it is working out okay.
- I really liked Sean Marshall, but he is a career left-handed specialist. We got three players back, one who is a possible #4 starter. Not too shabby.
- Speaking of trading away pitchers … Cashner is back on the DL. There has been a lot of talk about this lately. I respect all opinions, but I said at the time, and still do, I will never, EVER, have a problem trading away a young pitcher with arm trouble.
- Sveum has got to continually find a way to get Campana in games. Five games a week, minimum. Kid is second in the league in steals and has appeared in only 58 games.
- He trails Dee Gordon by five bases and has played in 20 fewer games.
- I ask all of you, why keep Garza? I think the Cubs should trade him. I really do. If you disagree, let me hear why.
- Trading Garza or not trading Garza is one of just a slew of storylines that will develop and be discussed in the coming days and weeks. Some of what happens the next month may go a long way to shaping this team’s future.
There is a lot to be discussed, and I look forward to it all, so talk, chat, chit-chat, go 101, be a trader or an insider …
And until next time …
Stay Classy Cubs Fans!!