Poll: Cubs 4th Most Popular Team, White Sox 16th
The Chicago Cubs might have the second worst record in baseball and be 12 games back in the NL Central, but there's one metric that has them near the top of the league, and that's popularity.
Watch CBS News
The Chicago Cubs might have the second worst record in baseball and be 12 games back in the NL Central, but there's one metric that has them near the top of the league, and that's popularity.
There's been a lot of discussion about Jose Bautista on the station of late, as I've countered what I perceive to be bitter, often lazy skepticism about his turnaround.
The All-Star break gives Chicago baseball fans a three-day break from the dismal seasons for the White Sox and Cubs. It also gives us a chance to take a closer look at two of the overpaid sluggers in Chicago.
The Cubs' lone representative in Sunday's MLB Futures game was Matt Szczur, an outfielder playing for the team's Single-A affiliate. Szczur is one of a few Cubs draft picks who appears to be showing promise, highlighting an organizational weakness.
Over the past few weeks, conversations about the Chicago Cubs have been more about trades and becoming competitive for future than they have been about this season. And that's not something the team is surprised to see.
Admit it Chicago, you've probably never relished the All Star break as much as this year. Mind you, I said the break and not the All Star game itself. The game is a joke but that's a story for another day. What I'm talking about is having a few days away from the terrible season we are witnessing on both sides of town.
Entering the All-Star break with the second-worst record in the majors, the Chicago Cubs are looking forward to the time off. Andrew McCutchen homered and drove in five runs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cubs 9-1 on Sunday.
At this point in the season, it's pretty clear that the Chicago Cubs aren't going to be competing the NL Central. But, in preparing to compete in the division over the next few season, the team needs to evaluate which players can be traded for prospects.
Ryan Dempster won for the first time in five starts despite arguing with manager Mike Quade after he was lifted after five innings, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Saturday.
Regardless of any trades the Chicago Cubs make this season, the organization will likely have a few holes to fill going into 2012 as a result of expiring contracts.
