Cubs
Finally, something to talk about in Chicago. It has been a season of stagnation. Solid to exceptional pitching coupled with poor and at times utterly pathetic hitting, resulting in a 500 type ball club- not to mention the plethora of injuries. Now, basically healthy, (except some DL swapping of starters Dempster and Lilly which should not take too long and Soto for another month) the Cubs have started to play well. Moreover, Kevin Hart and Koyie Hill have stepped in nicely for Soto and Dempster/Lilly, and Randy Wells has been sensational which has led to him going from a stand-in starter to a permanent member of the rotation. Offensively, the Cubs have averaged 5.6 runs per game since the All Star Break, more than enough run support which has led them to a 7-2 post break record. Ramirez has returned and is seeming to hit a groove, and Bradley and Soriano are finally showings signs of having some value. With the productivity of Lee, Ramirez, Bradley, and Soriano, the consistency of guys like Theriot and hopefully Fukudome, and a reliable bench of Johnson and Fox (can he please start somehow?) this team was bound to get hot. With the rotation and bullpen as solid as you can ask for, this team will win the NL central if this recent hitting surge stays reasonably consistent. All the talk of the Cards getting Matt Holliday becomes mute if you look at Bradley, Soriano, and Ramirez as additions to the Cubs since Ramirez was hurt and Bradley/Soriano have played like single A minor leaguers up to this point. So, I know it's too early to pop champaigne bottles, but it looks like the Cubs may have finally decided to take a trip to Starbucks.
Bulls
According to Sam Smith, head blogger for bulls.com, the Bulls have finalized their roster for the onset of the 2009/2010 season. They will likely carry 13 players (Aaron Gray has not officially re-signed): Guards- Derrick Rose (PG), Kirk Hinrich (PG), John Salmons (SG), Jannero Pargo (SG), and Lindsey Hunter; Forwards- Luol Deng (SF), Tyrus Thomas (PF), James Johnson and Taj Gibson; Centers- Joakim Noah, Brad Miller, Anthony Roberson, and Aaron Gray. To me, given that Hunter/Gray/Roberson will not play much, and Gibson will have to work really hard to earn minutes, they have a 9 player rotation with a starting lineup of: PG- Rose, SG- Salmons, SF- Deng, PF- Thomas, C- Noah, key bench players Hinrich and Miller, with James Johnson and Jannero Pargo as members of the rotation who could increase their role with quality play. The Boozer trade seems dead unless it happens mid-season. The logic was probably centered around the fact that Boozer will be a free agent again next year, so why throw all your hope into an injury-prone guy, giving up Tyrus and probably Kirk when you have the potential to be good without him and could get him without losing those players next year. All in all, it's not a horrible decision, but the Bulls will not be able to make noise in the East amongst powerhouses Boston, Orlando, and Cleveland, and could struggle against teams like Toronto, Atlanta, and Miami, teams that made offseason moves or have Dwayne Wade. Either way, this is a young team and I think we'll have to do what many fans are tired of: wait and see.
Finally a shot out to Mark Buerhle. I'm not a Sox guy, but the man threw a perfect game- respect. What a catch by Wise.
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