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Derarek Lee is the latest Chicago Cub to be sent packing in return for a few young pitching prospects, and even though I’ve grown to love and respect Derrek Lee as a Cub I think it’s time to say goodbye. He’s had his best and worst seasons in Chicago and really showed his love for the game every time he stepped onto the field. Now Lee has the chance to see another postseason with the Braves while the Cubs go through a transition period; and who knows how long that could take. The veteran 1st baseman deserves to get to as many postseasons as he can before deciding to retire and the Braves are going to be able to give him that. For once Jim Hendry did the right thing, and I don’t say that very often.My favorite Derrek Lee memory that I’ll never forget was sitting in the stands of Wrigley during a Cubs White Sox game. Lee came up to bat as a pinch hitter and slammed a ball into the right field bleachers for a walk off grand slam. That is one thing we’re all going to miss. On a lighter note let’s hope the loss of Derrek Lee brings the Cubs closer to a younger and more sturdy ballclub. So goodbye Derrek Lee you’ve played some of the best baseball Chicago has seen in a long time and we appreciated every minute of it.

The first half of the baseball season is over; and what do the Cubs have to show for it? A 39-50 record along with being 9 1/2 games out of 1st place in the National League Central. The organization for this team needs to do some major damage control and do it quickly. Our “big guys” Lee and Ramirez aren’t producing anything extraordinary. Lee’s batting average is at .233 and Ramirez is even worse with a .207. For two key players to have this low an impact on the offense is killing the Cubs. The two of them need to get hot and they need to do it now! Besides Lee and Ramirez you’ve got problems such as Carlos Zambrano being a nutcase and questionable for the rest of the season. Soriano is well…Soriano. Your best starting pitcher is Carlos Silva, a pity trade used just to get Milton Bradley out of Chicago for good.On top of all this, the biggest problem for the 2010 Chicago Cubs has to be fundamental baseball. The entire team needs to get their act together and make an attempt to cut the 9 1/2 games back down. Better fielding, better hitting, and better attitudes are what the Cubs need. Without any of those Wrigley Field is going to be very empty come the fall.

FINALLY!!!! After 49 long years Lord Stanley has made his home in Chicago thanks to a huge overtime win by the Blackhawks Earlier this year many people found it hard to believe the cup would come to Chicago but the boys never lost faith. It’s a nice feeling having a championship that everyone in the city can be proud of.  We’ll all be going wild tomorrow morning celebrating at the parade with the team when we can finally lay our eyes on the Stanley Cup. The only unfortunate thing Chicago is faced with now is that hockey season is over and we’re forced to watch mediocre baseball.

Really???? They’re actually promoting this thing???? The Crosstown Classic is rolling into the friendly confines this weekend but I find it very difficult to be excited. The rivalry should be the last thing either team should be worrying about at this point in the season. The only thing anyone is going to see will be a battle of the mediocrity. Both teams are in 3rd for their divisions and have records nowhere near impressive. Another common theme with Chicago baseball these days is pitching. The Cubs ace; Carlos Silva a man who was obtained for the simple fact that Milton Bradley had to go. Silva is now 7-0 for the season with a 3.12 ERA blasting away any other pitchers on the mound for the Cubs. As for the Sox Freddie Garcia is their top dog on the mound with a 5-3 record and a 4.94 ERA. The only thing that’s going to come of the Crosstown Classic is drunk hostile fans who know both their teams suck but still feel the need to harass each other for principle, and possibly a couple of arrests. I think it’s safe to say that after the Hawks win the Stanley Cup this week Chicago doesn’t have much else to look forward to considering both baseball teams are big flops this season.

Being a Chicago Cubs fan you get your fair share of exposure to bandwagon fans. Yes, people don’t like them because they feel like to be a fan you have to be there for the good and the bad, but are bandwagon fans necessarily a bad thing? When the Chicago Cubs were a couple outs away from ending years upon years of heartbreak there were plenty of people at Wrigley Field who were bandwagon fans. The thing about those fans is that once the team starts doing well, the cheers and support from everyone in the city, even bandwagon fans can give them a boost of confidence. How can you argue with that? Another fantastic example of bandwagon fans helping instead of hurting is with the Blackhawks. Last year and even more so this year everyone in Chicago is calling themselves a Blackhawks fan even if they don’t watch hockey. Is it hurting the team? Not at all! The team is heading into the Stanley Cup and the boost of moral has partly come from the fans; even the ones who hide in the shadows during bad times. So my question is who do bandwagon fans really hurt? Not the team that’s obvious, every major league sports franchise wants all the fans they can get including bandwagon fans The only people who bandwagon fans hurt are other fans. A point I’d like to make though is this, weren’t we all bandwagon fans in the beginning? Weather your a Cub fan, a Hawks fan, or an Indiana Pacers fan everyone has to start somewhere.

The Chicago Blackhawks celebrating after beating San Jose 4-2, Blackhawks lead the series 2-0

Yes I said it! I’ve been holding back about saying anything involving the Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup but I can’t take it any longer. After a few false alarms late in the regular season and being able to conquer both the Predators and Canucks things are really looking up. The Hawks now have a 2-0 lead over the first seeded San Jose Sharks and I’m extremely confident if not 100% sure the Chicago Blackhawks will come out victorious in the end. The team has been able to over come injuries no problem thanks to other players stepping up when it was needed most. They also had no problem coming back from losing the 1st game against both the Predators and Canucks to take home those series. Many people were worried going into HP Pavilion and taking on the number one seeded team but they seem to be having a problem facing our guys like Toews, Keith, Byfuglien and Ladd just to name a few. On top of all the road wins, and playing like superstars, the most important thing that will get the Blackhawks a Stanley Cup is goaltender Antti Niemi. The goaltending position was a topic of discussion until the end of the regular season and when Coach Q decided to stick with Niemi a lot of people doubted the rookie. Obviously they are eating their words. Niemi has been the key to bringing home wins and will continue to be in bringing Sir Stanley to Chicago. With all the confidence in the world from winning 7 straight road games and being 2-0 against San Jose I think the stars will align for the Chicago Blackhawks and they’ll achieve their “one goal”.

Chicago Cubs' Carlos Zambrano, claps in the bullpen in right field during the fifth inning against the Brewers

Lou Pinella made a controversial move this week by moving Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen. Many Cub fans are torn by the decision for a couple reasons. The first being that Zambrano has a 91 million dollar contract with the Cubs, which may just make him the highest paid bullpen pitcher in the MLB right now. The second reason is that Zambrano is the face of the Chicago Cubs. He receives all the important starts, he had a no hitter last season, and when he’s in the groove his pitching is amazing. Reality check here though, Carlos Zambrano isn’t performing to the best of his ability, he shouldn’t be the face of the organization, and yes he still has a 91 million dollar contract. Personally I think the Zambrano move is a great idea because he hasn’t been the pitcher we know he can be for a couple years. In 2009 Zambrano only had 9 wins but countless melt downs. The starting rotation for the Cubs hasn’t really been the problem either this season. The bullpen has given up more games than starting pitching and a lack of offense has been a hurdle as well. Now that Ted Lilly is back in the rotation Lou Pinella doesn’t necessarily need Zambrano. Lou has even said before that the players who perform will be the ones with the most playing time. It may be harsh but Zambrano’s performance isn’t anywhere near the other pitchers. Ryan Dempster, Carlos Silva, and even Tom Gorzelanny have all given solid innings so far this season. So from me to Lou Pinella, thumbs up to the Zambrano move. I also have to wonder if this will effect Big Z’s no trade clause. If he is offered a position by another team will he waive his no trade clause because of this move? I guess only time will tell. As for now, until one of the starting pitchers has a melt down even close to one of Big Z’s, the bullpen is Carlos Zambrano’s new hang out.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to view Wrigley Field from a different perspective than most people do. I was able to experience a Cubs game through the media’s perspective. One of the things I found out is there are two different types of Wrigley Field. You have the quiet serene Wrigley Field early in the morning where the team is out for batting practice, Lou Pinella is doing interviews for the Media were he jokes around, and the only people in the park are the ones with permission. Then about two hours before game time the gates open and a loud fan filled ball park comes to life. Both are beautiful in their own way; a quiet pretty view with the sound of baseballs hitting wooden bats and passionate fans cheering “Lets Go Cubbies”. Another view many don’t have the opportunity to see is the underground city in Wrigley field were players come and go while the media swarms around to conduct interviews. The press box is another off limit area to most at the park but with my media badge I was able to take in the view from the top. The view was nice, you’re able to take in all that Wrigley has to offer but I still prefer to sit among my fellow Cub fans and watch the game from the seats. One important rule I learned is that there is no cheering allowed in the press box. I’m not so sure why because everyone likes to see the home team win. When you’re covering the Cubs from the media’s perspective I would think it would make your job more exciting to cheer them on. Either way it was a nice experience to run into Bob Brenly in the hall and watch the legendary Ron Santo wait in line for lunch.  Everything inside that ballpark makes it what it is today, a historical landmark and a venue that everyone has heard of. The only thing missing now is a World Series.