And so it continues...

Same old, same old for the Cubs recently. Let's run it down...

1. The team again failed to look like a championship team in a recent road trip, but followed it up with some excellent play at home, with a great showing on national TV last night. I really would like to see them do some damage on the road for once. Besides that, I would like them to cut down on some of the poor play they exhibit on the road.
2. Soriano is the center of hair-pulling Cub fans determined to make a case that the team would be better off without him and trotting out his mega-contract as an example of Cub management failures. I'll admit, the guy looks like a fool sometimes, but it isn't that often and his spectacular successes often make up for it. He is what he is. The contract is sunk. He provides some needed punch and a strong arm. Should Sweet Lou have pulled him at the end of some games for defensive reasons? Maybe. I think I would have, but I'll let Lou make his own decisions. I'm not ready to turn on him yet.
3. Kid K is plunking batters. This was endearing when he led the league in hit batsmen and was an up-and-coming starting pitcher. As the closer, not so much. However, I still think he is learning and he has the goods to make this situation work. I'm not willing to turn it over to Marmol, who struggles at times with location as well. Marmol certainly made me nervous in the 8th yesterday.
4. The State is still trying to get its grubby little hands on Wridley Field. TribCo is moving on with life, but still listening. Jim Thompson declined to discuss the mechanics of any new proposal. No surprise there. Why should the public be advised about what its government is doing? Jimbo also noted that Wrigley is the third largest tourist attraction in the state and that he is "determined to do everything that [he] can to make sure that the Cubs stay at Wrigley Field, no matter who the new owner might be. And if ISFA is not the way to go, there are other ways, and we're working on some of those other ways." Sounds ominous, no? He fails to accept that a new and committed owner is the best panacea for this and taking away the field from that potential owner will really make this complicated.
5. Jim Edmonds is still a headache for Cub fans. I know I was in favor of this move (I still think it was a good thing to try), but Edmonds does not appear to be working out. He isn't hitting, but his defense has been good. Unfortunately, Johnson is a fine fielder too. A good glove isn't enough. Not to mention that he does nothing to warm up tot he fans. The Cubs claim there is no timetable, but they have to be considering options at this point. Sutcliffe laid it all out during the broadcast last night. If Edmonds doesn't come up with something clutch soon, he won't last much longer.

More sobering news came from Venezuela where former-Cub Geremi Gonzalez was struck and killed by lightning.