Crosstown Letdown

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jun 22, 2007 1:23PM

We don't know about you, but we just cannot get that excited for this weekend's Cubs-White Sox series that begins this afternoon at the Cell. The Sox have lost 20 of their last 28 games since the two last met, while the Cubs haven't played much better. The "lovable losers" haven't been so lovable of late, with their manager being suspended for bumbing an ump during an on-field tirade, the now exiles Michael Barrett getting into fights with Carlos Zambrano and Rich Hill, and Derrek Lee's upcoming suspension after charging the Padres' Chris Young. Overall, there's just not a lot to be positive about when it comes to Chicago baseball this year.

Given the state of Chicago baseball, it won't be surprising to see the white flags being raised on both sides of town. Perhaps it was a bit of a surprise that the Cubs pulled the trigger first, sending embattled Michael Barrett to the Padres for a backup catcher and minor league prospect. But then again, he had become so much of a distraction after his run-ins with the pitchers they really had no choice. Couldn't they have at least kept him through this weekend to see if he and A.J. Pierzynski might get into it again?

Rumors have beel flying about which Sox players will be dealt first, and to where. Will this weekend be the last start in Sox pinstripes for Mark Buehrle? We'd still love to see the Sox hammer out a long term deal with their ace, but given his demand for a five year deal and Jerry Reinsdorf's three year deal limit for pitchers, it doesn't look too likely. He'll probably end up with the Mets or Dodgers for the remainder of the season before moving to his hometown Cardinals as a free agent. Jermaine Dye and Tadahito Iguchi are also eligible for free agency come season's end and may be traded soon. As these guys start headed elsewhere, the memory of the 2005 World Series fades further away, and the rebuilding officially begins.

So what's there to look forward to this weekend? Well, if your team wins the series than perhaps the season isn't a total loss...

Photo by William Davidson/Chicago-L.org