Thank God it's almost over...

Source: NBC Sports

It's been a miserable year, at least if you're a Cubs fan.

Going in, we all knew it would be bad. Many of the stars from the last 10 years such as Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee, Carlos Zambrano, Sammy Sosa are long gone, either retired or shipped off to other destinations. The division winning years  of 2007 and 2008, not to mention the 2003 season where where the Cubs were an Alex Gonzalez error and five outs away from their first World Series since 1945, are distant memories.

No, with the new regime of Theo Epstein and company, it was going to be a rebuilding year, and no promises were made. Sure, we still have Alfonso Soriano roaming left field at Wrigley Field, but he never lived up to the promises of the 8-year, $126 million contract he signed before the 2007 season that has him making $18 million a year now through 2014. That fact alone scared off any trade prospects unwilling to take on even part of that salary, even with him having 29 HR and 101 RBIs following Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Reds.

That has led to the Cubs not being able to draw 3 million fans to Wrigley Field for the first time since 2003, according to the Chicago Tribune. Besides a dreadful 58-90 mark with 13 games left (nine of them at home) that in a normal year would have left them in last place (see the Houston Astros, who won't even be around to beat up on as they move to the AL West), the Cubs kept the third highest average ticket price in the majors at $46.30, behind the Red Sox ($53.38) and the Yankees ($51.55).

Will things improve in 2013? The Cubs' youth movement showed some signs of life. 1B Anthony Rizzo, called up mid-season from AAA Iowa, has hit nearly for a nearly .300 average and 14 HR in just 73 games. SS Starlin Castro kept up his hot career, hitting about .280 after leading the NL in hits (207) last year. The rise earned him his big contract last month as he signed a 7-year, $60 million extension. And his double play partner, 2B Darwin Barney, has been consistent as well.

Is Epstein the genius everyone says he is? It's a game of wait and see as year 104 since the 1908 World Series champs ends without another title.

Houston, we have a problem...

With the Cubs in rebuilding mode for at least this year and most likely through at least 2014, we here at Wait Til Next Century say we are going to miss the Houston Astros when Houston moves to the American League West next season. The 'Stros have stunk just enough to keep a very bad Cubs team (currently riding a six-game losing streak, which is one of many such streaks this year) out of last place. Last night, they provided yet another example of how bad things have been at Minute Maid Park:

Three Blind Mice...

Here's something you don't see every day: the DJ at a ballpark getting ejected from a game by the umpire.  This happened last night at the Cubs' minor league affiliate in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Zambrano vs. Dempster

Ryan Dempster

With the Major League Baseball trade deadline upon us at 3 p.m. CDT today, we likely will see Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster heading out of Chicago, likely to the Dodgers.

Dempster has been good for a woeful Cubs team, going 5-5 in 16 starts (mainly because of little run support), but holding a 2.25 ERA, including a 33-inning scoreless streak earlier this month. Since becoming a starter in 2008, he has been consistently steady for an unsteady Cubs team, including winning 17 games in 2008 and 15 in 2010. However, he likely is out of Chicago, joining Geovany Soto, who went to the Rangers last night, and Reed Johnson and Paul Maholm going to the Braves, all for prospects.

Carlos Zambrano

Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 Radio this morning had an interesting question as they discussed Dempster's likely departure, and that is who was the better pitcher for the Cubs, Dempster or Carlos Zambrano.

Zambrano was pretty good during his 10 years at the Friendly Confines, winning 125 games before being traded to the Marlins after last season. He was known for his bouts of awesomeness, including a no-hitter against the Astros Sept. 14, 2008, in a game moved to Milwaukee's Miller Park due to Hurricane Ike hitting Houston. He won 16 games in 2004 and 2006 and 18 games for the NL Central title-winning Cubs in 2008. He also had a good bat for a pitcher.

However, he was also known for his temper and bouts of immaturity. He was suspended in 2010 after he had a tirade against then-teammate Derrek Lee, and last year, he was pretty much booted off the team in September after yet another meltdown. He was traded to the Marlins and equally fiery manager Ozzie Guillen, but that has not translated to success, going 5-9 so far this season. That has led to a demotion to the bullpen.

So here's the question: Who was the better pitcher for the Cubs: Ryan Dempster or Carlos Zambrano? Cast your votes now.

Cubs vs. Sox showdown

During what has been a long, torturous season for the Cubs, there have been few bright spots.

Sure, we saw Ryan Dempster have a 33-inning scoreless streak this past month. The Cubs also had a stretch where they won 15 of 20 games around the All Star break, a brief tease of respectability that ended with a sweep at the hands of the Cardinals last weekend by a combined score of 23-1, including a 12-0 loss last Saturday that saw the Cardinals score a team record 12 runs in the seventh inning.

Beyond that, the only bright spots, besides the promises from Theo Epstein for a brighter future, have been in commercials. We featured ex-Cubs Kerry Wood and Andre Dawson shilling State Farm Insurance recently. But there also have been these great spots by New Era with actor and Cubs fan Nick Offerman of "Parks and Recreation" and fellow actor and White Sox fan Craig Robinson ("The Office") squaring off.

Round 1 appeared in April at the beginning of the season.




Round 2, which premiered in May, had Robinson quizzing Offerman on how far he would go to end the Cubs' World Series drought.



Round 3, appearing for the first time a week or so, ago, have an ultimate staredown.




Unfortunately for the Cubs, the Sox got the better of them in the overall series, taking four of the six games they played, including sweeping the three at Wrigley Field in May. So continues the long season.

What's in the ivy at Wrigley Field?

Wait Til Next Century returns with one of the few highlights of this long Cubs season, Kerry Wood and a surprise guest in this State Farm commercial.

Proud to be an American

This weekend, we as Americans will celebrate the 234th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a moment that officially put this country on the map and began the dream that is America.

Over the year, sports have become part of that American landscape and over the years, they have played a major role in bringing this country together, no matter your political, religious or whatever leanings.

So here in chronological order, more or less, are some of those moments.

-- 1936: Adolf Hitler is on the march in Germany and the rest of Europe, and back in the U.S., racism still rears its ugly head. Jesse Owens goes to Berlin for the 1936 Olympics, which Hitler had intended to be a showcase for the "superior" white race. Instead, Owens kills that notion, winning the gold medal in the long jump, 200 meters and the 4x100-meter relay and the 100 meters:



-- April 25, 1976: This country is in a tailspin. The Vietnam War had just ended. The economy is on its way down, and the dissension among the ranks is high. During the Cubs' game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, two guys rush on the field, pull out an American flag and begin fumbling with a lighter. Cubs outfield Rick Monday, however, saves the day, by swiping the flag before flame hit cloth, drawing cheers from the crowd.



-- February 22, 1980: We're still in that tailspin, and this time, the odds are stacked even higher. The U.S. considers stopping the games in lieu of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in November 1979, and eventually leads to the U.S. boycotting the Summer Olympics in Moscow. But the Winter Games at Lake Placid, N.Y., went on, and the U.S. men's hockey team, essentially a bunch of college kids, went up in the semifinal against the mighty Soviet machine, who seemed to never lose. But they pulled off what has become known as the "Miracle on Ice," and brought this country together as hadn't been done in recent years.



-- January 21, 1991: The U.S. and other nations had just gone to war against Iraq, and patriotism is on the rise as Americans come out to support the troops. Sports leagues debate whether to cancel events, including the NHL with the All-Star Game at the Chicago Stadium. They decide to go through with the game, and it's a good thing, as Wayne Messmer and the fans produce one of the most spine-tingling, hair on the arm-raising moments I personally have experienced.



-- January 27, 1991: The NFL had had the same discussions as the NHL in debating whether to play Super Bowl XXV in Tampa. They ultimately decided to do it, and good thing, because it not only produced one of the better Super Bowls in history (The Giants beat the Bills 20-19 after Buffalo's Scott Norwood misses a game-winning kick as time expired), but it had this singing of the national anthem by Whitney Houston:



-- 1992: Ever since the U.S. men's basketball team got robbed at the 1972 Olympics in Munich in their gold medal game against the Soviet Union, we had floundered in subsequent Olympics. In 1992, we decided to finally allow our pros to play, much like other countries had been able to do. We send guys like Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley to Barcelona, and destroy everyone in our path, including poor Angola:



-- September 2001: On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists commandeered four planes, crashing them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania (some believe that plane was headed for the Capitol or White House in Washington). Sports stopped, with the NFL and college football postponing their games, and Major League Baseball stopping for a few days as well. When they did come back, there were tributes galore at every park, including this poem by Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck:



-- October 30, 2001: The Yankees have made it to the World Series, and President George W. Bush is called upon to throw the first pitch at Game 3 at Yankee Stadium. He throws a perfect strike from the mound, to the cheers of the crowd:

The good, the bad and the ugly

A lot to cover, so it's time for the good, bad and the ugly:

The good: Landon Donovan saves the day for the U.S. National Soccer Team at the World Cup Wednesday, kicking in the game winner against Algeria in stoppage time and helping the U.S. win Group C. They will face Ghana in the round of 16 on Saturday. To celebrate, here is the Spanish-language version call of the goal from Univision:




Also, in keeping up with the debate on the vuvuzelas at this year's World Cup, we get a preview of an upcoming World Cup in a site not previously mentioned:



Also among the good are the Good Guys in Black, the White Sox, who won their ninth straight win Thursday with a two-hit, 2-0 shutout of the Braves. I don't know what woke these guys up, but all of a sudden, they're 2.5 games behind leaders Minnesota going into this weekend's series with the Cubs at U.S. Cellular Field. Things are definitely looking up for the Southsiders.

The bad: We knew it was coming, because professionals sports is a business, whether we like it or not. On Thursday, it was announced that the Blackhawks had traded wingers Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Eager and defenseman Brent Sopel and prospect Akim Aliu to Atlanta for the 24th and 54th overall picks in Friday's NHL entry draft, center Marty Reasoner, prospect Jeremy Morin and minor leaguer Joey Crabb.

The culprit: the ole salary cap. The trade shaves about $4 million off of the books for the Hawks as they try to adjust to next season's cap of $59.4 million.

As much as it hurts to lose Byfuglien, who had 11 goals during the playoffs, the Blackhawks do get a noted player like Reasoner and a look to the future with Morin.

And finally,

The ugly: The Cubs are 8-12 in June after Thursday's 3-2 win over the Mariners in 13 innings, leaving them eight games below .500 for the season (32-40) and eight games behind first-place St. Louis.

While the pitching generally has been good (save for the 12 runs given up against the Angels at Wrigley Field last Saturday), the hitting has continued to stink, especially this last series in Seattle. They were shut out 2-0 on Tuesday, only scrounged one run on nine hits Wednesday in an 8-1 Seattle win, and only six hits in 13 innings but won 3-2 thanks to strong pitching performances from guys like Ted Lilly.

The Cubs aren't completely dead, but if they don't turn things around like the White Sox (who were looking at some changes as recently as three weeks ago) have in recent weeks, Jim Hendry will have to do some serious house cleaning that could possibly mean his job, too.

And the jury is still out: The Bulls are playing the waiting game, trading guard Kirk Hinrich, French prospect Kevin Seraphin and cash to the Wizards for maybe a second-round pick in next year's draft. That will have to be sorted on July 8, when the trade can become official by NBA rules.

Why do it? It's all about making room under the salary cap for luring LeBron James and another top free agent (Toronto's Chris Bosh? Miami's Dwyane Wade? Atlanta's Joe Johnson?) to the United Center. Washington will absorb Hinrich's $9 million salary for someone who likely will babysit for top draft choice John Wall until the Kentucky star is ready, while the Bulls will have loads of money to bring top talent to Chicago.

We'll see after July 1.

Another lost season on the diamond?

Lost in the euphoria that is the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup last week has been the apparently lost seasons of the Cubs and White Sox.

Both are languishing in third place after last night's wrap-up game of the annual Crosstown series at Wrigley Field, both the Cubs and Sox 7.5 games behind leaders Cincinnati and Minnesota, respectively. Both have had chances to improve things, but life on either side of town just kept getting stranger.

For the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano, getting rocked for six runs in 1 1/3 innings in Atlanta on Opening Day and subsequent poor performances led to the $91 million man getting demoted to the bullpen by manager Lou Pinella, where he continued to stink things up as closer Carlos Marmol's setup man, and returned to the starting rotation on June 4, allowing three runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings against Houston.

The starting rotation for the northsiders has been good to excellent, starting with Carlos Silva. Acquired in the offseason from Seattle, he was thought to be enough value to the Cubs in that they managed in the process to get rid of outfielder and all-around good guy (in his eyes) Milton Bradley after his disastrous 2009 season. But so far, he is 8-1 with a 2.89 ERA, losing his first game of the year on Saturday to the White Sox. Ted Lilly and Ryan Dempster also have been fairly solid, with Lilly posting a relatively small 2.90 ERA after this weekend.

It's the Cubs' bats that have been the question mark. Hitting hasn't the Cubs' strength in a while, even during the division winning 2007 and 2008 seasons. But even the quality hitters Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez have stunk up the joint. Ramirez, an All-Star as recently as 2008, has been particularly disappointing, hitting only .168 with five home runs before a thumb injury put him on the 15-day disabled list last week. Only new outfielder Marlon Byrd has been worth getting excited about, hitting .333 this year since coming over from Texas in the offseason.

This has led to a lot of disappointing losses, and the pitching staff struggling to keep the Cubs in games without a lot of run support. On Sunday night, for example, the Cubs still managed to beat the White Sox 1-0 despite only getting three hits, all after the seventh inning. The main reason the Cubs held on at all was because Lilly no-hit the Sox until the ninth inning, when outfielder Juan Pierre singled to end the no-no bid. There was also the real disappointment on Thursday, when the Cubs lost to Milwaukee 5-4 on a throwing error in the 10th inning from first baseman Xavier Nady.

For the White Sox, there's not a lot to write about. They're in the middle of the pack again, their World Series victory five years seemingly light years ago in light of the Blackhawks' recent title, which they celebrated Sunday night at Wrigley Field with both the Cubs Sox. They've showed signs of life recently, knocking out a four-game winning streak before Sunday night.

The main thing of interest here has been manager Ozzie Guillen, who has been speaking out on everything from the Blackhawks (saying the White Sox victory parade in 2005 was better) to apparently almost coming to blows with general manager Ken Williams, according to the Sun-Times over the White Sox drafting Gullien's son Ozney in the 22nd round of the draft last Tuesday (Guillen denies the almost altercation happened).

Either way, something's gotta change on both sides of town or we're just stuck waiting for the Bears or Bulls to do something to excite us again.

Could it be the managers? Sweet Lou Pinella could be counting the days before he decides to hang it up, which could mean any numbers of options for the Cubs, including bringing Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who is now managing the AAA Iowa Cubs in his fourth season of managing in the minors. Would the Sox fire Ozzie Guillen? If they're smart, they wouldn't do that.

It should come down to the men who have run and built these teams, GMs Jim Hendry and ken Williams. They're the ones who brought in these guys, and if anyone winds up leaving, it should be them.

Long suffering teased by a championship in another sports deserve as much. There's still plenty of time for either or both teams to turn things around, but something's going to have to give.

Hawks one win away from ending a long drought

Amazing what a change in scenery can do for a team, especially when that scenery is Home Sweet Chicago. 

The Blackhawks pulled themselves out of whatever funk they were in Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia with a solid 7-4 win over the Flyers in Game 5 Sunday night at the United Center. Dustin Byfuglien was the big star, netting two goals and two assists in the big win.

This win leaves the Hawks one win away from their first Stanley Cup since 1961. To put this in perspective, think about what it was like between then and now:

In 1961, John F. Kennedy was President, the first Catholic ever elected to the office. In 2010, Barack Obama is President, the first black man ever elected to the office.

In 1961, the NHL consisted of only six teams, concentrated primarily in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States (Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and New York Rangers). In 2010, there are 30 teams, including only six teams in the motherland of hockey, Canada, and teams in places that might see ice outdoors in a rare ice age (see Phoenix, Los Angeles, Anaheim, (Miami) Florida, and Tampa Bay, not to mention other nontraditional hockey towns like Dallas and (Raleigh, North) Carolina).

In 1961, the communist Soviet Union loomed large over American politics, including the Bay of Pigs fiasco in Cuba. In 2010, the U.S.S.R. is no more, having dissolved in 1991 into 15 republics, with Russia a largely democratic country (depending on who you talk to – we won’t argue that point here).

In 1961, the top movie of the year was the musical “West Side Story.” In 2010, the best picture Oscar went to “The Hurt Locker,” which told the story of an Army bomb squad in the Iraq War.

In 1961, Blackhawks goalie Glenn Hall made about $180 a game, working at a fast-food joint during the summer to make ends meet, according to the Edmonton Journal. In 2010, Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning made $10 million this season.

Finally, it had only been 53 years since the Cubs last won the World Series in 1961. By 2010, the streak had extended to 102 years and counting.

Speaking of the Cubs, they currently own the longest title drought in American team sports, with the last title coming in 1908. In the NFL, it is the now Arizona Cardinals, who last won the title as the Chicago Cardinals in 1947. In the NBA, it is the now Sacramento Kings, who last won the title as the Rochester Royals in 1951. And next in line for longest championship drought in the NHL if the Blackhawks manage to clinch the title are the Toronto Maple Leafs, who last won in 1964.

Game six and quite possibly the clincher for the Blackhawks comes on Wednesday night from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The game and hopefully the victory celebration will be on NBC.

Bulls get their man

The Bulls have their man.

No, I'm not talking about LeBron James. The Bulls and other teams can start pursuing King James and other free agents after July 1.

I'm talking about their new head coach, Tom Thibodeau, most recently an assistant with the Boston Celtics, apparently has agreed to be the Bulls' new head man.

One knock on this is that after the debacle that was Vinny Del Negro's tenure in Chicago, the Bulls would go after someone with head coaching experience. Thibodeau's only head coaching experience was in 1984 at Division III Salem (Mass.) State University, according to the Chicago Tribune. The rest of the time, after four years as an assistant at Harvard, has been as assistants in the NBA, including stops in Minnesota, San Antonio, Philadelphia, New York and Houston.

However, he does have coaching experience, like 25-plus years worth. This is unlike Del Negro, who came in with zero coaching experience, just some time in the Phoenix Suns' front office after retiring as a player. Plus, according to the Tribune, he comes highly regarded by his players.

He is expected to formally accept the job after the NBA finals are over At this point, the Celtics are down 1-0 to the Lakers, with Game 2 tomorrow night.

Other notes:

-- The Blackhawks sure stunk it up last night in Game 4 in Philadelphia, losing 5-3 to the Flyers to bring the series tied at 2-2 to the United Center tomorrow night. While Patrick Sharp finally scored, Antti Niemi got left out to dry in the first period as the Flyers put in three quick goals for the biggest lead in the series. Hopefully, they can come out out of this two-game tailspin (longest of the playoffs for the Hawks) back home in Chicago.
-- Carlos Zambrano returned to the Cubs' starting rotation in Houston last night, and had pretty much the same result as he did opening day in Atlanta. He got rocked in the first inning as the Cubs lost 3-1. While he did settle down and made it to the fifth inning, he was unable to do anything to lift the Cubs out of their doldrums. But then again, as good of a hitter he is, he can't do all of the hitting, too, leading to rumors the Northsiders could trade guys like Derrek Lee, a rumor he has denied.
-- Trades could be a-coming for the White Sox, too, if they don't start picking things up, manager Ozzie Guillen says. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski and pitchers J.J. Putz and Bobby Jenks have been mentioned as possible trade bait.

National League All-Star Ballot

Yesterday, we looked at my picks for the American League All-Star team.

Now is the senior circuit's picks, at least how they should be:

First base: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Prince Fielder of the Brewers puts up a pretty good fight with a .306 average and 20 home runs, as does the Rockies' Todd Helton with a .312 BA. But Pujols' .337 average and 30 home runs (as of July 2) are the closest we get to a gimme up on the National League side.

Second base: Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Solid choice (.301 BA, 17 HR) in a weak field.

Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
A bright spot for a team that has had its troubles.

Third base: David Wright, New York Mets
Ordinarily, the Cubs' Aramis Ramirez would have been the gimme pick here, especially with a .366 average. However, that came before he went on the disabled list on May 9, and he hasn't returned until this week. That leaves David Wright and his .340 average.

Catcher: Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants
A tough pick in an extremely weak field. Molina's only batting .259, but his 10 home runs and 46 RBIs puts him in.

Outfielders: Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks; Carlos Lee, Houston Astros; Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
All three are hitting over .300. Lee has been killer for some time, and shines as a testament to a bad trade by the White Sox. Ibanez's .312 average and 22 HR and Upton's .309 BA and 14 HR put them in.

Copyright 2009 - Wait Til Next Century.

Running laps around the Web...

-- A Cubs fan in Buffalo Grove, Ill., has taken drastic measures to turn around the Cubs' season, vowing to eat only 500 calories a day until the Cubs either win five games in a row or end their season. It might be a long rest of the summer.

-- A detailed look at the frustrations of following this year's Cubs (Warning: Strong language).

-- A more positive look at the Cubs' season: They are only 2.5 games out of first after last night's 9-5 win over the Brewers, the same distance they were on May 8 when Aramis Ramirez went on the disabled list with a dislocated shoulder.

-- Sports Illustrated takes a look at Aplington-Parkersburg High football coach Ed Thomas, who was gunned down last week while supervising his team's off-season workouts.

-- A debate on how the Blackhawks have done in the free agent market so far, especially in light of signing Marian Hossa to a 12-year deal.

-- Former Bulls and now Pistons guard Ben Gordon takes some parting shots at his former club.

-- The Bears apparently have given up chasing troubled ex-Giants WR Plaxico Burress.

Copyright 2009 - Wait Til Next Century.

Cubs starting to show signs of life

About this time last week, we were all starting to wonder if the Cubs had any heart left in them.

Sure, one of their biggest hitters, 3B Aramis Ramirez, has been out since May 9 with a dislocated shoulder, and likely won't be back until after the All-Star break. The Cubs also have dealt with a series of nagging injuries to Milton Bradley, Carlos Zambrano and others.

Good teams battle through these obstacles, though. And after their 4-1 loss to the White Sox Wednesday at Wrigley Field despite an unexpected day off thanks to the rain on Tuesday, that listlessness continued, and many, including yours truly, were beginning to wonder if we should write off the rest of the season.

However, starting Thursday, the Cubs showed that we can be a little fickle at times.

The Cubs fell behind 5-0 to the White Sox going into the bottom of the eighth inning, and it was starting to look like more of the same. But Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto hit back-to-back home runs, and Alfonso Soriano hit in the game-winning run in the ninth inning to win, 6-5.

The next day, the Cubs welcomed the Cleveland Indians and former teammates Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa, both of whom got warm welcomes from the Wrigley faithful. The Tribe went up 7-0 in the fourth inning, and it was starting to look like the same old Cubs we had come to expect during the last six weeks. But they chipped away, and got four in the seventh inning and another in the eighth inning to cut it to 7-6. Wood gets the call to put the game away in the ninth, but Lee comes through, hitting his second home run of the game to tie things up. In the tenth, after Soriano walks, he shows off some of the speed we had been wondering about and stole second before scoring on a bad-hop single by Ryan Theriot for the Cubs' win, 8-7.

Saturday was more of the same for Wood, who came in the bottom of the 13th inning to try to seal a 5-4 win for the Indians. But he missed again, giving up a game-tying single to Andres Blanco before throwing a wild pitch that saw Blanco score the winning run, giving the Cubs a 6-5 win. Sunday was more decisive, with the Cubs winning 6-2, leaving the Cubs at 34-31 with a four-game winning streak and only 2.5 games behind St. Louis, who took over first place from the Brewers over the weekend by feasting on Kansas City pitching, including an 12-5 win Sunday.

The point behind this weekend wrap-up. With no sense of bias and homerism, the Cubs are definitely still in contention, and never were really out of it during this slump. Granted, they have had a lot of help from the Brewers, Cardinals and Reds not keeping up their winning ways all that much, but the Cubs are still in this thing.

Copyright 2009 - Wait Til Next Century.

Can Pedro help the Cubs?

The Cubs are reportedly one of two teams, along with the Tampa Bay Rays, who are pursuing former All-Star pitcher Pedro Martinez.

The 37-year-old Martinez, who has been a free agent after his tenure with the Mets ended after last year, has been working out in his native Dominican Republic. According to ESPN, he is hoping to sign with a team that has a chance to win the pennant.

Whether the Cubs should sign him is a mixed bag, with arguments strong on both sides:

Martinez, during 17 seasons in the majors, is 214-99 in stints with the Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox and most recently, the Mets.

But he is 37 years old.

He has shown signs of life during his most recent stint in New York, winning 15 games during his first season there in 2005. He also showed he might still be able to be a productive pitcher during this spring's World Baseball Classic, throwing six scoreless inning of one-hit in two appearances for the Dominican Republic team.

But those last four years in New York were plagued with injuries. Though he won 15 games in 2005, his innings dropped significantly the next three years, including only 32 innings that saw three wins in 2007 and five wins last year in 109 innings.

He could be a sign that the Cubs are still trying to win something this season despite being 31-31 and four games out of first place after yesterday's 6-5 win over the crosstown White Sox.

But he hasn't pitched in the majors during the entire year.

He has a World Series title under his belt, having helped the Red Sox win their first one since 1918 in 2004. Out of the current Cubs players, only Derrek Lee (2003 with Florida), Ted Lilly (2000 with the Yankees), Aaron Miles (2006 with St. Louis), and Alfonso Soriano (2000 with the Yankees) have been on World Series champion teams.

But starting pitching is actually one of the strengths of this Cubs team. Hitting and the bullpen are areas that should be addressed.

However, starting pitcher Rich Harden has been plagued with a bad back for the better part of the year, and you can never have too much starting pitching.

Will the Cubs actually go forward and sign Pedro Martinez? Not the best player available, but he couldn't hurt and might actually still have some gas left in the tank. He just might be the final piece that could help the Cubs turn this season around.

Copyright 2009 - Wait Til Next Century.

Sammy Sosa juicing confirmed?

A New York Times article released Tuesday said that former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa was among 104 baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

Citing lawyers with knowledge of the test results, the article claims Sosa, who helped reignite interest in baseball during 1998's pursuit of the single season home run record with Mark McGwire, tested for an unspecified drug. He joins McGwire, current home run champ Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez as current or recent stars who have been linked for PEDs.

Assuming this is true, the revelation does serious damage to Sosa in two ways. One, the possibility of his being inducted into the Hall of Fame is seriously diminished, despite his being sixth on the all-time home run list with 609 dingers. McGwire, who finished with 583 home runs, including a then-record 70 in 1998, has been rejected in each of the three years he has been on the ballot. It also puts Sosa in danger of being charged with perjury following his denial of using PEDs in a Congressional hearing in 2005.

What does the article mean? Sosa has been linked to PEDs for some time during the last several years, especially after the 2003 season in which he served a seven-game suspension for using a corked bat, yet helped the Cubs come within five outs of making it to their first World Series since 1945. Whether this report confirms those suspicions remains to be seen. The sad thing is nobody is really shocked by the report, ranging from players to former Cubs broadcaster and current White Sox announcer Steve Stone.

The biggest problem with this report is that it is anonymous. No one is cited on the record as saying that Sosa did indeed test positive for the drugs. While this has been used in previous newspaper reports to great effect (see Watergate, for example), it does have some problem because of the possibility that, like an poster on an Internet forum, any person can say anything about anybody or anything and still remain anonymous, regardless of whether they are telling the truth or not. In this case, it might be best until Sosa is formally charged or confirmed that he did indeed test positive.

Regardless, the report is another black mark on what was supposed to be the rejuvenation era of baseball following the 1994 strike that cancelled the World Series that year. It also will continue to cast suspicion and doubt on who really is using PEDs and who is actually clean and doing things the way they're supposed to.

Copyright 2009 - Wait Til Next Century.

Cubs vs. Sox - The real challenge

Tuesday marks the first game of the three games of the Crosstown Classic between the Cubs and White Sox at Wrigley Field.

Now there is the matter of which is the better team. We can't rely too much on the current records. The Cubs are 30-30 after avoiding a sweep in this past weekend's home series against the Twins, while the Sox have fallen on hard times taking two of three from the Brewers in Milwaukee . While the season's not quite over, both teams have a lot of catching up if they're going to still be playing in October.

That leaves the intangibles, or the other things that we have to look at to determine which is the better team.

Uniforms
With a nod to Uni Watch, we look first at the aesthetics of the teams.

Both sport the pinstripes at home, the Cubs since 1957, the Sox since the last few games of 1990 in their current form. The Cubs have largely kept the same main logo since the 1950s, while the Sox have undergone several changes in that same time period, though they have largely kept their current logo and colors since just before moving into the new Comiskey Park in 1991.

Both look sharp at the current time.

PICK: Draw

Stadiums
This is where it has the potential to get ugly in the fight between Cubs and Sox fans.

One of the main strikes against the Sox is they have a corporate-sponsored name for their ballpark, U.S. Cellular Field. Granted, the name was taken in part to help fund $68 million in improvements to the ballpark.

However, they wouldn't have had to fund those improvements if they had built the place the right way the first time. When it opened in 1991, the then-new Comiskey Park was a concrete, soulless place with an upper deck that stretched 29 rows up and was so steep that it winded my very healthy Marine father as he climbed to the 25th row. Yes, it brought the pinwheel, exploding scoreboard from the old park, but it lacked any character or comfort until the renovations, which chopped nine rows from the upper deck and put in black arches over the top to make it more cozy.

Wrigley Field, on the other hand, is considered a cathedral of everything that is good in baseball. Yes, it has had some structure problems that have caught up with a park open since 1914, and men's urinals are troughs. But it still retains the old charm with more day games than most teams, the manual scoreboard and the marquee in a place that with few exceptions (like lights installed in 1988, the last team to do so), is much like it was in the 1940s.

Plus, I've never heard the Cell mentioned as a destination like Wrigley Field, which is kept in a neighborhood rather than fenced off from the outside world like Sox Park is.

PICK: Cubs

Managers
Here the teams are similar in that they both have fiery men as their leaders.

Cubs managers Lou Pinella is one of the bigger managerial names in baseball, having managed and won in just about every place he has gone. He spent time with the Yankees, Reds (winning the World Series in 1990), Mariners (first division title in team history in 1995), Devil Rays (nobody could help them at the time) and now the Cubs, whom he has led to division crowns in 2007 and 2008. He also has retained the same passion, taking on umpires and players in the same fashion as ever.

Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen is one of the more popular players to ever play for the Southsiders, and he was an interesting pick when he took over after the 2003 season. He has kept himself in the limelight, constantly baiting opposing players and his own players to keep them on their toes. In his first managerial job, he has kept up a winner, leading the Sox to a World Series title in 2005, his second year on the job.

Experience vs. a world title? Tough call.

PICK: Draw

History
Both teams have been around for what seems to be forever, the Cubs born in 1876 with the start of the National League, and the Sox in 1901 with the American League. Both have had fairly sad histories, going decades between championships and only winning five titles between them in their histories.

The Sox, while colorful, have been fairly quiet in their history in the World Series, making it to only five title matches in their history (1906, 1917, 1919, 1959 and 2005). The Cubs have been to 10 in their time (1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, and 1945), with both teams being dominant early in the 1900s.

That's where the similarities end. The Sox likely would have four titles to their credit if not for the Black Sox scandal of 1919, but they have been to two World Series since World War II and won one in the last 30 years (2005). The Cubs, on the other hand, have not been to a World Series since 1945 (the year World War II ended) and not won one since 1908 (when Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States).

PICK: White Sox

Who wins this year? That is why they play the game on the field. However, if the Cubs' bats can finally wake up and the bullpen can finally get somebody, we'll have to give this round to the Northsiders.

Copyright 2009 - Wait Til Next Century

Was bringing in Bradley a mistake?

Was the Cubs bringing in Milton Bradley over the last season a mistake?

More and more, it is starting to seem that way. The way this season has gone for him, and by extension for the Cubs, it is becoming more and more obvious that hiring Bradley as the new right fielder was the wrong move.

He wasn't exactly an angel prior to this season, during stints with the Dodgers, Indians, Athletics, and last year, the Rangers. In fact, it was his 2008 campaign in Arlington, where he batted .321 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs in 126 games, that encouraged Jim Hendry to give him $30 million to play right field much of the time.

But prior to that, he was known as being a hothead and injury-prone. In September 2007 with the Padres, he tore his ACL while arguing with an umpire. Last year with the Rangers, he went after a Royals TV announcer because he didn't like comments the broadcaster was making up about him.

But that could have been overlooked. Chicago is a very forgiving town when it comes to passionate and colorful players (see Dennis Rodman during the 1990s with the Bulls, and to a lesser degree, Carlos Zambrano now with the Cubs).

However, that is dependent on if the player is productive and helps the team win. Big Z, while not getting into fights with teammates (see Michael Barrett incident in June 2008) and destroying Gatorade coolers, is productive, including only giving up three hits in eight innings the other night in Houston (The Cubs lost, though, thanks to that shaky bullpen and no run support, again). Bradley has yet to produce, so far only batting .224 with five home runs in only 45 games.

Today's game against the Twins showed deficiencies in other areas. While he did manage to go 2 for 4 with two RBIs, he lost a fly ball in the sun, didn't catch a blooper that cost the Cubs a run, and made a base-running error.

The biggest gaffe, though, came in the eighth inning, when after catching a fly ball from Twins catcher Joe Mauer, tossed the ball into the right field bleachers despite the catch only making it two outs. He, of course, was booed lustily by the Cubbie faithful.

Do the Cubs cut their losses and let Bradley go, perhaps letting last year's big acquistion, Kosuke Fukudome, tend to right field?

If they're smart, Wrigley Field will be the latest one-year stop for Milton Bradley.

Copyright 2009 - Wait Til Next Century

Da Notebook - June 11, 2009

Cubs
-- The good news from Houston Wednesday night: Carlos Zambrano was his strong self, pitching eight innings and giving up only three hits and one run. The bad news: Outside of Geovany Soto's one-run home run in the second inning, the Cubs' bats go silent again as they lose to the Astros 2-1.
-- I've always said the Cubs sending Mark DeRosa to Cleveland during the off-season was a mistake. Considering the Cubs' lack of consistent hitting this year, it's proving to hang over the Northsiders in a bad way.
-- Current standings: 29-27, fourth place in NL Central, 2.5 games behind Milwaukee; fifth place in NL wild card, 1.5 games behind New York Mets.

White Sox
-- Pitcher John Danks had his best outing of the season Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field, allowing only two runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings, but Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander keeps the Sox batters under control as the Tigers win, 2-1.
-- In the same game, Paul Konerko hurt his thumb again, meaning he likely will miss some games.
-- Current standings: 27-33, third place in AL Central, 6.5 games behind Detroit; seventh place in AL wild card, 7.5 games behind New York Yankees.

Bears
-- Thanks to trading for QB Jay Cutler, Athlon Sports is picking the Bears to win the NFC North. Considering the Packers and Vikings are not all that competitive, and we won't bother with the Lions, this isn't all that awe-inspiring.
-- Do the Bears have adequate backup QBs for Cutler?

Copyright 2009 - Wait Til Next Century

Picking major leaguers of the future?

Yesterday was the first round of the 2009 edition of the Major League Baseball draft, and both the Cubs and White Sox went after long-term needs.

How effective the picks will be in the future is a little hard to predict since unlike football and basketball and to a lesser extent, hockey, baseball drafts tend to be more of the long-term investment variety.

First, the Cubs went with California outfielder Brett Jackson with the 31st pick of the draft. Only 20 years and a junior, he is the third position player taken by the Northsiders in the last four drafts. He also is a left-handed lead-off man who hit .326 with a .416 on-base percentage, .568 slugging percentage and 11 stolen bases in 14 attempts over 46 games during the last season. He also was ranked as the second-best overall athlete among college players by Baseball America.

The Sox also went with an outfield, selecting LSU OF Jared Mitchell with the 23rd pick in the first round. With Mitchell, who is only 20 years old, the Southsiders add speed and quickness, a hallmark of Ozzie Guillen's term as manager and something they will need as players like Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye get on in years and look to retirement.

Will either player help their new teams in the future? Only time will tell. As has been said before, the baseball draft does not often promise immediate results that football and basketball can.

Last year's number one for the Cubs, pitcher Andrew Cashner of Texas Christian University, is now pitching with the High-A Daytona Cubs in the Florida State League, though the Sox's top pick, Georgia OF Gordon Beckham, recently was called up to the big club as part of the team's "youth movement." The jury is still out on whether Beckham can handle big league pitching after only 59 games in the minors.

The status of the last few years' picks also prove hit or miss:

Cubs 2007: Cypress (Calif.) High 3B Josh Vitters, picked number three overall, is at Class A Peoria, but looking to possibly make a move up soon, says the Chicago Tribune.

White Sox 2007: P Aaron Poreda also was recently called up to the big club.

The previous years have been hit or miss. Cubs 2006 pick, OF Tyler Colvin, is at AA Tennessee, though likely to move up thanks to the Cubs' outfield troubles, while the Sox's 2004 pick, 3B Josh Fields, is sweating it out under Guillen's regime. Other Cubs top picks like P Kerry Woods (1995), P Mark Prior (2001) and OF Corey Patterson (1998), made some noise for a couple of years, but were ineffective after a short time and have since moved on.

With this year's class, we'll wait and see what happens.

Copyright 2009 - Wait Til Next Century