It's the mid-season break during the 3 day All-Star game break and it's a chance for baseball players and managers to get away from the game and re-charge for the 2nd half of the season.  While the Chicago Cubs are certainly not out of it in their division, I feel more confident about their cross-town rivals having better success.

The Chicago White Sox have good starting pitching and 3 hittters who could drive in 100 rbi's this year. Paul Konerko finished the first half on fire, having a career game in which he hit 3 home runs, including a grand-slam, and knocked in 7 runs batted in against Cleveland.  Jim Thome has 50 rbi's and Jermaine Dye, one of the most underrated hitters in the American League, has a good shot at reaching 100.  Scott Posednik, the lead-off man, finds a way to get on base, and Alexis Ramirez seems like a good fit batting 2nd.  The team started hitting the ball better in the last 10 games.  If ChiSox can keep it up, they have a good chance of catching the Tigers, who lead by 3 games. 

Continue reading "White Sox Have A Shot To Repeat"

Put a fork in them, the Cubs are done.  The only reason the Cubs are "close" to contending, is that the Division they play in is weak.  If the Cards were having a good season, the "race" would be over. If the Cubs were having a "good" season, there would be a race to talk about. 

You can't win getting 6 hits, 5 hits, having your 3-4-5 hitters go 1 for 12...this is essentially what is happening.  The pitching for the most part has been very good. The Bullpen needs help.  The Cubs lost on a walkoff 3 run HR by Jayson Werth in the last of 13th inning, and fell 4-1.  One mistake did it. But the Cubs have no margin for error. Last season, the team would have won a game like this. The club was tops in about every offensive category.  Led the league in runs scored.  This season, they have trouble getting a single.  Derrick Lee has been carrying this club.  He leads the team in Home runs, and runs batted in.  He has good numbers.  The problem is no one is even close to him in the lineup.

Continue reading "Cubs Are Done"

The Chicago Cubs, winners of 11 of 14 games since the All-Star break, have gotten back into the NL Central Race.  They play very well at home, witness winning 3 out of 4 versus the Astros.  The Cubs have swung the bats well and even look like a major league team out there.  When guys like Fukodome and Theriot are contributing, that is a good sign.

Soriano has come around, and even Milton Bradley has added a couple of home runs.  Now, if Bradley can find his hitting touch, that would be an added bonus.  In the Cubs first game vs. the Astros, Soriano hit a walkoff grand slam to break a 1-1 tie.  That was an exciting moment and showed why the Cubs have been patient with him.  He can do some great things, in a tough moment.  There are not too many players who can do what he does.  Since moving him down to the 6th spot in the lineup, he has gotten hot and helped the team.

Continue reading "Cubs Back In Race"