June 5, 2014: On Target

Time to check in on our baseball teams.  I actually caught the end of the Cubs game yesterday, after returning from a family trip to Target.  There’s always some competition to watching 162 Cubs games each year, especially in the summer.  And no, the first game of the Stanley Cup finals did not stand in the way, since I did not watch one minute of that game, just as the NBA finals will prove no competition.  Instead the main competition is Target; well, it was a 50-50 outcome yesterday, which I can live with.  I was very happy with the outcome as actually, both the Cubs and Sox have been playing watchable baseball recently, and that’s a good thing.

Going back to my blog of May 17th, the Cubs sat at 13-27, and the Sox sat at 21-22.  Since then the Cubs are 9-7 and the Sox are 10-8, both teams playing slightly better than .500 ball.  The Cubs had a much bigger hole to dig out of.  They continue to sit at .500 (15-15) in all games decided by more than 2 runs, while they went 4-2 in games decided by 2 runs or less, bringing that record to a still woeful 7-19.  At 22-34, the Cubs are still 12 games under .500, but are showing signs.  Their starting pitching has held up.  Why not try to keep some of these guys instead of continuing to dump.  As discussed, I’m all for signing Samardzija, and I also think we should keep Wood and Hammel.  Actually, Arrieta is not so bad either.  Am I actually saying to keep 4 of the 5 current Cubs starters?  I’ll say 3.  That’s a lot better than I thought.  That means looking forward, if we were to keep these guys, which is a BIG if, we have 3 slots in the rotation filled.  With a big FA signing to fill the 1 slot, and the calling up of a prospect to fill the 5 slot, the rotation is set.  Now that wouldn’t be the best rotation in the world, but I would be satisfied with that scenario heading into the future.  As I said, I don’t think the Cubs are that far off.

There’s still the offense to worry about, but there should be reinforcements coming in the form of Baez and Bryant.  Let’s hope they’re not another Jackson and Vitters.  Everyone will have their rookie struggles (unless your name is Jose Abreu), but if they can prove to be great MLB players, even good MLB players, that’s an improvement to the offense.  With Almora not far behind, the Cubs offense begins to take shape.  As I said, I don’t think the Cubs are that far off.
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A quick look at the Sox shows an above .500 record.  In the past 19 days, they have went from one game below to one game over the .500 mark.  This may be a .500 ball club.  I did predict 75 wins for this team, which was more than most people thought, and they are projecting even a little better than that.  How good has Abreu been?  Besides the ankle problems, there is nothing else wrong with this kid’s game.  He has been a beast, and not only the best rookie in the majors, but one of the best players period.  With Sale being one of the best pitchers in the majors, the Sox have some pretty good cornerstones.  As far as the offense goes, the Sox are currently in good shape.  They need to be, as the pitching is the biggest concern there.  Last night, Danks threw a great game.  Although they needed that game last night, most nights they just need quality starts from their rotation.  If they can get those, and the bullpen can avoid being horrible, this Sox team may actually push for the playoffs THIS year.  Yeah, that’s hard to say for me, but it’s true.

With the MLB draft tonight, and the Sox and Cubs slotted are the 3 and 4 pick respectively, another piece of the future will be added.  I see bright futures for BOTH of these teams.  The Sox have a much better chance THIS year, while the Cubs (in my opinion, not the opinion of most) project to be in the mix next year.  That’s typical for the Cubs, wait until next year, but this time, it’s actually more than just the words.  Playing better than .500 ball is pretty good nowadays.  With the 6 playoff spots in each league, this puts you in the discussion.  This summer may not be that bleak after all…