North: Cubs right the ship after All-Star break

It was good to see the Cubs bounce back after the all-star break and take two of three from the Texas Rangers.

The series helped to quell the fears that some players claimed were fanned by the media, but longtime fans have a right to be nervous. They have been down many a long, dark road and come up empty.

After all, we're talking about a franchise where things haven't exactly gone right since 1908.

I challenged Joe Maddon in a recent column to right the ship, and it looks like he has. The Rangers (55-38) are in first place in the American League West, and the Cubs took it to them, so all is right again.

Now I'm hoping the Cubs won't go into coast mode until they've secured the division, because the season is far from over. Here's hoping it's smooth sailing from here on out.

My advice is: Keep your heads down, boys. Keep your heads down.

Mickelson thrills his fans:

I have to tip my cap to Phil Mickelson, who, at 46, almost pulled off a Jack Nicklaus-like miracle.

You might recall that Nicklaus at 46 won his 18th and final major, the Masters in 1986. The winner of The Open this past weekend at Royal Troon, Henrik Stenson, played brilliantly, but it was really about "Lefty," who was 0-62 and counting.

But some positives and negatives came out of Phil's outing at the tournament.

First the positives: Mickelson is a threat again and his name is back in the spotlight. He looked fresh and is playing with a sense of urgency.

Now the negatives. He is still Phil, a pro who had a 5-stroke lead at one point and couldn't hold it. He also had plenty of breaks, like hitting a playstick. If he hadn't, his ball would have gone off the green.

Mickelson played in contention all the way through, giving his legion of followers a thrill and finishing second for the 11th time.

Could The Open have been his last chance? Possibly.

I said a few weeks back that Phil's days of winning majors were over, so give him credit for coming so close.

It was a great tournament and a great try by Mickelson.

Oh, and congrats again to Stenson, who was really the second story of the tournament.

Program notes:

Follow me on Twitter @north2north and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.

• 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.