North: Take stock of Bears, Cubs and White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are playing below .500 baseball and it's easy to why.
Players such as pitcher Jeff Samardzija (4-4 with 4.84 ERA), designated hitter Adam LaRoche (.236 BA with 8 HR, 24 RBI) and left fielder Melky Cabrera (.240 BA with 1 HR, 21 RBI) just haven't panned out.
My favorite story of the weekend was center fielder Adam Eaton being upset with interim manager Mark Parent, who was filling in for Robin Ventura, who was attending his daughter's graduation.
Parent chose not to start Eaton against Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer, who has a 2.00 ERA and 7-4 record. Apparently the hard-nosed Eaton took offense.
Sometimes it's better to stay low-key, but at least Eaton wanted to play. While the center fielder had a decent season hitting .300 in 2014, he should check the current stats because he's not living up to his long-term contract, which is worth a potential $43.5 million. Eaton is only hitting .245 with 3 HR, 11 RBI and a .296 on-base percentage.
The White Sox are 27th in attendance and, according to Chicagolandradioandmedia.com, they are not drawing an audience on the radio.
The Sox might be only 6 ½ back and playing hard, but the chemistry just isn't there and the arrow seems to be pointing down.
Cubs turning a corner:
The Chicago Cubs now had a young and aggressive team with a veteran manager in Joe Maddon. In a ballpark that's under construction, the Cubs are still averaging 32,000 at home.
President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, who has taking plenty of criticism in the past from the fans and media - including myself - is poised to compete with a young squad and the next five years look promising.
While the Sox sign relics, or more experienced players to be polite, the Cubs continue to load their roster with young potential all-stars. With the ballpark starting to shape up, and the team in third right behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cubs fan have the arrow pointing up.
Bears expectations are high
The Bears media is upbeat, which you should be at this point about this team.
There is plenty of time to analyze and assess the players and where they will finish the season. But with the new coaching staff and some new ideas, the Bears are expected to improve from their 5-11 record and last place finish in the NFC North division, and I'm sure they will.
Hopefully, general manager Ryan Pace has learned it's more about character after signing and then releasing defensive end Ray McDonald following a domestic violence arrest.
New coach John Fox brings a much-needed stability to the team, and I think a competent head coach will boost them in the standings.
Still, I still don't see a first-place finish on the horizon.
With training camp starting next month, a lot can change.
Program notes:
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