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I was watching some of last night's game between the White Sox and Nationals while working on this column. Hawk Harrelson went on a comedic "get off my lawn" rant against sabermetrics in the 3rd inning. You could almost hear Steve Stone wretch, but he collected himself to declare (correctly, IMO) that sabermetrics weren't the only answer, but should be part of the solution. But Hawk knows all you need is "guys who want to win baseball games". Hawk also mentioned that Bud Selig has "done an unbelievable job of tweaking this game." That about says it all.
I honestly feel sad for Sox' fans.
From Comcast SportsNet
- Word to the wise... CSN is going to more and more auto-start videos. Some start with ads, others don't. I'm not going to mark them individually anymore, so assume a link has a video starting when you click.
- Theo Epstein is confident the Cubs are on the right path.
- Will there be any free agents let by the time the Cubs have (more) money to spend from the (eventual, right?) Wrigley renovations?
- Carlos Marmol understands why he got booed at Wrigley. He was also able to quiet the boos, if only for a night (by the way - this link has Carlos talking. Whatever you think of his pitching abilities, it's nice to see the guy be able to smile for a day).
- Matt Garza is "on track" for a mid-May return, but at least Darwin Barney is close to returning.
- Edwin Jackson's stats sure don't look great, but the Cubs see the hurler making adjustments.
From Cubs Den
- Should the Cubs consider dealing super prospect Javier Baez?
- Here's a photo breakdown of fellow prospect Jeimer Candelario's swing.
From Cubs.com
- Brent Lillibridge is embracing life on the north side of town. It'd be nice if Brent would embrace getting a base hit once in a while.
- Wrigley should be renovated without losing the history.
From ESPNChicago.com
- Starlin Castro is striving to return to form.
- On the other side of the infield, Anthony Rizzo is also trying to break a slump.
- When will the Cubs start writing a new script?
- (Insider article) Jim Bowden lists Matt Garza and Alfonso Soriano among the ten players most likely to be traded. He suggests the Cubs should just trade Garza midseason and then sign him again in the offseason. He also listed the Cubs among the teams who might try to acquire Chase Headley.
- (no registration) The Cubs' bullpen is embroiled in a gum controversy. Yes, you read that correctly.
From the Chicago Sun-Times (can read a paragraph, register to read the rest)
- As renovation discussions drag on, you can probably expect the on-field budget to suffer.
From the Daily Herald (registry required for all)
- Alberto Gonzalez and Brent Lillibridge are filling in at second base while the team waits for Darwin Barney to return.
Today's food for thought
- How do you feel about a see-through brain?