North: A crazy time for Chicago Cubs, White Sox and Bulls
As we approach the All-Star Game break, the Cubs are settling in, and fans should slow down their chirping a bit with Joe Maddon admitting that "we have to firm things up."
The Cubs are a free-swinging team and come October they will face top-flight pitching. Are they the favorites right now? Yes, but they are no cinch for October.
• On the South Side of town, the White Sox hit 7 solo home runs in a 10-8 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. That boggles the mind, and it has to drive the club crazy and leave them scratching their heads.
• Derrick Rose reminds me of my relatives attending a family party. Everyone else has gone home, but there's one person who stays too long even as you flash the lights like it's last call! Well, that was Rose.
Good luck, pal - you overstayed your welcome and now you're the New York Knicks' problem.
• Can we please knock off the talk of pitchers in the Home Run Derby? If talking about pitchers isn't proof of the lack of excitement for the event, then nothing is. San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner apparently wants in, but what's next?
• The NBA Draft has become the "who are these guys?" event. After Australian-born star Ben Simmons was taken first by the Philadelphia 76ers, the casual fan was lost on the remaining selections, but so were many of the analysts.
If you look at drafts from 25 years ago and compare them to now, you'll see the name recognition decline drastically.
Even for the casual college basketball fan, it used to be that the first 15 guys taken were pretty well-known. In my opinion, the 2016 NBA draft was one deep!
• I'm happy the Cincinnati Reds finally let Pete Rose into their Hall of Fame. My radio partner, Andy Furman, who broadcasts and lives in the Cincinnati area, said it was a money grab. They milked the weekend, honoring the 1976 World Series Championship team on Friday, inducting Rose into their Hall of Fame on Saturday, and then retired his number on Sunday.
Nice gesture but like one TV commentator said, it was about time.
• A week later I'm still amazed the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA title. It has been a huge story.
Now NBA free agency begins on Friday. Are the Bulls at least making a call about acquiring Kevin Durant? I sure hope so.
Program notes:
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• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.