Reflections on the First Half

Things we know
- It's not gonna happen. Not in 2010 anyway
- Marlon Byrd has been a wonderful surprise, but he's not an All-Star
- Carlos Marmol is every bit the heart attack Kevin Gregg was, but with the bonus that we suspect he can get himself out of trouble as easily as he can get into it.

Things we suspect
- Predictions are bullsh*t
- Sure he Sox can make a run and get right back in the race. The Cubs can't
- This will be Lou Piniella's last year with the Cubs

So the first half of the season comes mercifully to a close. The team is a measly 11 games under .500. There have been some recent signs of life from the offense - Derrek Le not hitting into Double plays. Aramis hitting 4 hr in the last 6 games. But overall, getting 2-hit by the Vinny Pad pretty much sums up the first half of this season.

Two big cogs in the wheel of crappiness contributed to why Cubs are where they are:
A. Aramis and Derrek forgetting how to hit
B. Lou Piniella's staunch refusal to move them in the order to where they'll do less harm.

I'm all for patience and "letting them hit out of it" but when Derrek Lee didn't turn the corner at the end of May like he always does and Aramis didn't hit the piss out of the ball like he always does, it was time to move them down and put your best hitter (Byrd) and best power hitter (sigh...Soriano) at 3 and 4.

Would that move make this a .500 team? No. But at elast then you can honestly say you've done everything you can do.

Strap in Cubs fans, it's going to be a long 2 1/2 months, and an even longer century....