Random Notes from a Crank

There's an extensive article in The New York Times about carbon-capture technologies that are being backed my large conglomerates. It's titled, "Can We Engineer Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis?"

The short answer is No. But you can mash the link and read for the various opinions on these ventures. 

Here's a noteworthy statement about these moves: 

“This is a new wave of denial, deception and delay,” said Lili Fuhr, director of the fossil economy program at the Center for International Environmental Law. “You have the fossil fuel industry trying to say we can engineer our way out of this without any major changes to business as usual.”

I discovered that Hulu now has the MLB Network. I'm watching baseball like a drunk on a bender since I haven't had the network since we switched from DirectTV many years ago. 

Of course, I still can't get Marquee Network to watch the Cubs because of Ricketts working with the evil Sinclair Broadcast Group to create the Marquee Network. If I ever switch allegiances to a National League ball club, it'll probably be the Brewers. They were one of my favorite AL ball clubs back when they were in the American League.

Or I guess I could just more closely follow AL teams I like: the Royals and the Twins.

It's hard to switch from the Cubs for me though because I've been so emotionally and intellectually attached to them for so long.

Being a Cubs fan brings with a certain mindset, what one might consider a positive fatalism. You have hope, but you're realistic. The mindset fits with me being a highly skeptical agnostic.

Based on this article in The Washington Post, "Cancun, Cabo, or Puerto Vallarta: Which Mexico Resort Is Best for You," if we go to Mexico again, I'm thinking Vallarta is place to be.

Stay Positive: Cubs Jerseys and Numbers

There have been many mediocre away jerseys for the Cubs over the years, but this year's version, which might be last year's version for all I know, is probably the best looking away jersey for the Cubs that I can think of. It's basic, but it's aesthetically pleasing. 

The only sports jersey I own is throwback late 80s Cubs Andre Dawson jersey. 

For a long time my son's number for baseball has been 5. He joined a new travel team this summer, and 5 was taken, so he switched to 2, which is football number the past few years. When numbers were picked out this season for Middle School baseball, both 2 and 5 were taken by 8th graders who get the first pick (my son is a 7th grader), so he went with 10.

10 is Ron Santo's number. 

I love the old school Cub logo on that left sleeve. They need to go back to that emblem. 

Stay Positive: Pitches and Pitchers

I have three more chapters to read in Tyler Kepner's K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches, and I am really enjoying it. It is well researched and interesting. 

The book had made me appreciate the genius of Mike Mussina even more. That guy was always experimenting and trying to get better. I was pleased Greg Maddux was featured in the chapter about the sinker/two-seam fastball because he had one of the best two-seam fastballs in baseball history. He was a master. 

The chapter on the curveball provides studies that posit the curveball does not create arm trouble. Rather, improperly throwing a curveball and picking all year round can cause arm troubles. 

And there are people who argue that sliders cause arm trouble, not curveballs. 

It is my hypothesis that many pitchers could very long careers by pitching a heady mix of these three pitches with emphasis on the first two: 

• Sinker/Two-Seam Fastball,
• Changeup, and 
• Cutter. 

I am intrigued about the knuckleball, however. Knuckleball pitchers are such a ragtag, giving, and unique club of human beings. For most folks, they think they have to totally commit to the pitch. 

When Mussina pitched, he used a knuckle-curve. I don't know how the hell to pitch that.

On Friday afternoon Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs pitched a complete game shutout versus the Cardinals. He only threw 81 pitches. 63 of them were strikes.  

What Hendricks did to the Cardinals is what I believe some people call "a Maddux": when a pitcher throws a complete game with fewer than 100 pitches.I think Maddux did it 13 times. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I live in east central Illinois, and from time to time I see people who have "Salt Life" emblems on their vehicles. Certainly this "Salt Life" journey they are on is aspirational because we're landlocked as Hell. Sure, the person driving the car may vacation at places where there's an ocean, but the only saltwater one is going to find around here is a saltwater pool. 

John McCain had a pretty damn good line of criticism about MoscowDon and his ilk: "To refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain 'the last best hope of Earth' for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past. We live in a land made of ideals, not blood and soil... We have the moral obligation to continue in our just cause, and we would bring more than shame on ourselves if we don't." Of course, MoscowDon might understand what McCain is talking about: all those complicated sounding words and phrases that he doesn't like, understand, or connect to like "leadership," "spurious nationalism," "attachment," "tired dogma," "moral obligation," "just cause," and "shame." Read about it here from The Washington Post: "'It Won't Be Pretty': Trump Promises to 'Fight Back" against McCain." 

But then the Senator goes along with Trump's asinine tax plan. Jesus H. Christ. 

Game 3 of the National League Championship Series is really difficult to watch for this fan. The Cubs are not hitting worth a damn, and the bullpen is stinking.

Random Notes from a Crank

I'm a fan of reading historical accounts, and the book I just finished reading described one of the more interesting ploys that led to an attack. In Michael McDonnell's Masters of Empire: Great Lakes Indians and the Making of America, he details how Ojibwe warriors attacked Fort Michilimackinac in 176@ during the second Euro-Indian War (the first was the "French and Indian War"). The Objiwe warriors played lacrosse as a distraction and then got into the fort. Here's McDonnell's description: "Under the cover of a game of baggataway, or lacrosse, the Ojibwe waited until Etherington and Leslye came outside the gates of the fort to watch. On a signal, they flipped the ball into the fort and rushed after it, just as a group of them seized Etherington and Leslye. Inside the fort, the Ojibwe collected hatchets and 'Spears' from 'a number of their Women' who had 'concealed them under their Blankets.' They killed at least sixteen soldiers and a trader named Tracey in the initial attack." 

After I got done with that book, I quickly picked up Tom Verducci's The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building The Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse. It's one hell of a book that fellow Cubs fans and many baseball fans should read. The author's recounting of Game 7 mad me almost as nervous as I was when I was watching the damn thing. Well worth any baseball fan's reading time. 

The firing of Bill O'Reilly is something behold. This column in the Washington Post opines that that this episode is the start of something good for working women: "'Be Brave': Bill O'Reilly's Downfall Teaches a Wonderful Lesson to Working Women." I don't know if I'm as sanguine about workplace harassment changing.

Scouting the 2017 Chicago Cubs

I know. I know. They just won the whole thing a few days ago. But I can't help myself. 

As a devoted Cubs fan, I'm scouting what the team will possibly look like next season. 

Catchers
Willson Contreras
Miguel Montero
Kyle Schwarber-?

Analysis: Ross is retiring, so Montero, a veteran and someone who has put up good numbers over the years, will split time with Contreras. The big question is which guy will catch Lester. I doubt Schwarber will play much at catcher, if at all, after coming back from a major knee injury

Infielders
Anthony Rizzo-1B
Javier Baez-2B, also plays SS, 3B, and 1B
Addison Russell-SS, can also play 2B
Kris Bryant-3B, can also play all OF positions
Ben Zobrist-2B, SS, and 3B, also plays LF and RF
Tommy La Stella-2B and 3B

Analysis: Going from the right side to the left, the best defensive lineup is Rizzo, Baez, Russell, and Bryant. It'll be interesting if they resign Kawasaki, a role player. La Stella provides solid depth here. It's a strong defensive and offensive infield. 

Outfielders
Albert Almora Jr.-CF, LF, or RF
Ben Zobrist-LF or RF
Jason Heyward-RF or CF
Jorge Soler-RF or LF
Kyle Schwarber, LF
Matt Szczur

Analysis: There are real questions here with Fowler likely to sign elsewhere. Coghlan is a free agent. The Cubs traded for him mid-season, so they obviously like his makeup. But he's bench material amongst this group. To me, Szczur played well enough to earn regular pinch-hitting and defensive substitution duties. 

Do the Cubs make the decision to have Almora play centerfield or move Heyward there, so Zobrist can play RF and Schwarber can play LF? Unfortunately, the odd man out seems to be Soler, a guy I see as a really promising hitter. He has tremendous power but needs to stay healthy. Regardless, there's depth here even without Fowler resigning, but the big question is, "Who plays centerfield?" 

But if you think about the lineup without Fowler, the other important question is "Who bats leadoff?" Almora had a .308 OBP this season, but those numbers came in limited playing time. Heyward's OBP was not good. So if the Cubs invest leadoff duties in Almora and he falters, the options aren't good. They could put Schwarber as their leadoff hitter, which is an unconventional move but Maddonesque. I like Schwarber in the 2 hole though because you have Bryant batting third and Rizzo batting fourth. Finding who will be the leadoff hitter is crucial for next season. 

The elephant in the room is Heyward's hitting. They have to work on his quirky swing this off-season. As commentators talked about during the playoffs (and I think it was Smoltz), he has a consistent habit of squeezing the bat before he starts his swing, which makes him late on fastballs. For a guy that physically talented, he should be hitting for a much better average and much more power. I know I got tired of him flying or grounding out with runners on base this season. 

Starting Pitchers
Jon Lester
Jake Arrieta
Kyle Hendricks
John Lackey
Jason Hammel

Analysis: This is a solid rotation. If anyone falters, I could see Montgomery working as a starting pitcher. That's what he was doing for Seattle when the Cubs traded for him. 

Relievers
Carl Edwards Jr. 
Justin Grimm
Mike Montgomery
Hector Rondon
Pedro Strop
Rob Zastryzny

Analysis: Big questions here. Chapman and Travis Wood are free agents. I'd like to see the Cubs resign both. The former is going to be expensive. The other two true closers out there on the market are Jansen and Melancon. Both are filthy. If the Cubs don't land Chapman, I could see them going after either of those dudes. Or they could go back to Rondon as closer. He did well when he was the closer this season, so that's a possibility. 

Edwards has emerged as a strong reliever, and it's clear Maddon has confidence in Montgomery. Grimm had his ups and down this season, and when Strop is on, he's a solid reliever. One guy who did well for them was Zastryzny, a lefty. I expect he'll be on the opening day roster next season. 

So we'll see whether the Cubs land one of the big-time closers and whether they resign Wood.   

Random Notes from a Crank

At the Friendly Atheist, there's a short article about how a group of humanists, agnostics, and atheists at the U of Wisconsin do an annual "Graveyard of the Gods." Check out "In Madison, 'Graveyard of the Gods' Asks Students when Their Theology Will Become Mythology." 

Also religiously related is The Atlantic's interesting article on Pastafarians: "The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster." I like the critique of organized religion they're doing, but in some cases, it's actually becoming like a religion. 

Over at the Daily Stoic, Stephen Hanselman gives out some good advice about Election Day: "A Stoic Remedy for Election 2016: Choices, Character, and the Common Good." 

My beloved Cubs won the World Series last night. My years of torment are finally over. 

And some people are likely to be gettin' it on: "Brace Yourself for a Chicago Cubs Baby Boom Next August." 

Random Notes from a Crank

If you're not watching Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, you're missing something. It's too bad the show is only on once a week. 

Here's a greatest hits from the first six weeks of the show posted on sheknows.com: "8 Times Samantha Bee Has Positively Owned Late Night."  

The other day my daughter and I were watching the program, and she said, "I want to be like her," meaning she wants to be someone who does investigative reporting and calls out people on their bullshit. 

This is the same young lady who volunteered to enter a speech contest and won second without any help from her parents. If she does it again next year, I'm going to make sure I consult on the speech. Next time we'll be gunning for first. 

Seth Meyers had a nice piece on the nonsense of trickle-down economics happening in Kansas. Those policies are as dumb as a box of dildos. Literally. 




"Why Donald Trump Is Wrong about Manufacturing Jobs and China" from The New Yorker is an interesting read. I wrote about reshoring in 2012 and 2013. I'd still like to see more jobs come back to the U.S.A. One move both Trump and Sanders have made is tapping into resentment about "free trade." In fact, Trump talks like a protectionist, which among other Trump-based matters, is roiling the GOP establishment.

Unfortunately, Sports Illustrated has predicted that the Cubs will be in the World Series this season. That's bad news because SI is notorious for being horrible at predictions. 

Random Notes from a Crank

While I side with the folks who think the Washington D.C. national football league team should change its stupid mascot (a more appropriate mascot would be "Lobbyists," "Super PACs, "Corporate Shills," or "Dark Money"), I also tend to agree with Jerry Seinfeld's recent comments on the Collin Cowherd show. Strangely enough, I saw a number of solid comedians ~ Seinfeld, Rock, and George Wallace ~ on my college campus when I was an undergrad. But that was back in the early 90s. 

Monday's post on Bleed Cubbie Blue is a fair evaluation of the Cubs after a third of the season in the books. With Javier Baez now on the DL because of dumb face-first slides, we certainly aren't going to see him anytime soon, so there's been some wild speculation that they might bring up Kyle Schwarber, who is raking at AA right now, to play DH when they play interleague games. I doubt that happens though. 

This has to be one of the best headlines I've seen in a while. It's about an "amphibious" pitcher. I bet he likes water.

Random Notes from a Crank

One method the Cubs' owners might get around having trouble with the ridiculous rooftop owners is purchasing the rooftop businesses. 

While I'm still skeptical the Cubs will make the playoffs, they sure are more interesting to watch this season. The past few seasons were brutal. They weren't fun to watch. 

I'm currently in the midst of reading Bill Pennington's Billy Martin: Baseball's Flawed Genius. When Martin was manager of the Twins, he pulled off a triple steal. I wonder if Joe Maddon has ever thought about doing that. 

The past few years I've gotten into a routine of reading a trio of biographies during late spring/early summer, and the Billy Martin book is the last of the trio. Madison's Gift and a biography of Thomas Hart Benton preceded the Martin biography. 

Here's Benton's controversial Persephone. I viewed this painting when I visited the Nelson-Atkins Museum when I lived in Kansas City. 

If you're a fan of wolves like me, you'll enjoy this video about the wolves in Yellowstone and how their introduction to the park helped improve forests, increased the songbird population, attracted beavers, helped the rivers, and in general improved biodiversity.

Random Notes from a Crank

When Mrs. Nasty and I were in Cancun, we ventured out of the hotel premises and checked out the Mayan ruins of Tulum. When compared to Chichen Itza, one of the largest Mayan sites in the middle of the jungle, Tulum is a much smaller site, but it certainly was interesting. After our tour, we ventured back to the shopping and eating area outside the site, and in that area, there's a Quiznos, a Subway, and a Starbucks. If you know anything about Tulum, it's the ruins of a city during the last gasps of the Mayan civilization after they had used up the environment around them and finally crafted a smaller city by the coast. For all the deep thinkers out there, you can ponder about mass-market chains being close to the last vestiges of a dead civilization and what that all means. 

Mrs. Nasty and I were also talking about how we need to go on some family vacations starting next summer. With my daughter's annual dance competition, we go to some manner of resort during the summer, but we want to start seeing some sites. Here are some early ideas for future summer travels:

• Washington D.C./Virginia area (Mount Vernon, Monticello, Revolutionary War and Civil War sites
• Great Smoky Mountains
• Lake of the Ozarks
• Redwood National and State Parks
• Seattle
• Kansas City 

My son's baseball practices started yesterday. I'm working as an assistant coach again. Once again I'm living vicariously through my kids. 

My poor Cubs have lost two games in a row to the damn Cardinals. I hate the Cardinals.

I've thought of supporting a St. Louis ball club though because I've contemplated purchasing a St. Louis Browns hat. "First in Shoes. First in Booze. And Last in the American League." 

That cap would complement my Baltimore Orioles hat I have because that's what the St. Louis Browns became. 

Music Friday: "Go Cubs Go"

I'm sad to hear about the passing of Ernie Banks. 

On a more positive note, I offer "Go Cubs Go."

Random Notes from a Crank

After the Cubs acquired Jon Lester shortly after my last post, Bovada moved the Cubs' odds of winning the World Series to 12-to-1. To me and probably others, moving from 50-to-1 odds to 12-to-1 seems like the folks at Bovada are drunk on Cubs-brand Kool-Aid. "The Chicago Cubs Still Have a Lot of Work to Do" takes a more realistic approach about what went down at the MLB Owners' Meeting this week. And Rob Neyer has a realistic evaluation of where the Cubs with "Even with Lester, Cubs Won't Contend in '15." 

If Ross gets signed, Castillo will get moved for sure. From what I saw of Baez last season, I was impressed with the power and frustrated with the lack of plate discipline, strikeouts, and batting average. The first of that series caused the other two. Whatever happened to hitters shortening their strokes when they have two strikes? Just make some solid contact without jumping out of your shoes. 

As I've noted before, I'm fond of Existential Comics, and this week's strip takes on the absurdity of Candyland. The main characters are Camus and Sartre. As Camus opines, "The contrast between the meaningless, fixed nature of the game and the narratives we tell ourselves as we are playing causes the feeling of the absurd." Exactly.

Random Notes from a Crank

I picked up the well received Sex Criminals the other day. It's an interesting, freaky story so far. The problem is this: Where do you store a R-rated comic book volume (vol. 1 collects issues 1-5) when you have kids? I just can't put it in the stack of comic volumes I have downstairs, which include various old and new versions of Daredevil, Fraction's Hawkeye, Gaiman's The Sandman, Fraction's The Immortal Iron Fist, Neurocomic, and Wood's Star Wars series. I found a hiding spot for the volume though, so it's all good. For a sound review of the series, check out Laura Hudson's "The Man Behind the Comic Book That Finally Got Sex Right" on WIRED. 

And now I'm thinking of checking out The Wicked + The Divine. 12 mythological gods come back every 90 years to inhabit the bodies of humans and then die in 2 years? I might be in. 

The Heisman ceremony is this Saturday. I hope Cooper wins and ends the tyranny of QBs winning the award, but I'm sure Mariota will take home the trophy. 

In the Monday Night Football game, here are the stats from Julio Jones's night: 11 receptions for 259 yards. Roll Tide. 

The MLB winter meetings are being held right now, and a great deal of attention is on which team Jon Lester will sign with. Apparently it's down to the Red Sox and the Cubs. Regardless of whether they sign Lester, the Cubs made some good moves by resigning Jason Hammel and trading for Miguel Montero, a much-need left-handed bat in the lineup. 

Best Hitters of the 90s

As I was watching the Giants-Cubs game tonight, the announcers talked about how during the current homestand at Wrigley, the Cubs are celebrating the 90s and will be wearing the ugly blue alternate 1994 jerseys that reminded people more of the baseball uniforms of the Cuban National Team rather than the Chicago Cubs. 

One of the announcers, Len or Jim I can't remember, mentioned that Mark Grace was the hits leader of the 90s. 

So I did some investigating and found a Sporcle quiz on the top twenty hitters of that decade. Don't read on just yet if you want to take the quiz.

Random Notes from a Crank

As simple pleasures go, one of the best is lying on a couch and reading a good book with the windows open. 

I could think of some other pleasures, but I'll refrain from "going blue" in this post. I sort of went there but then didn't. Or did I? Or did you? 

The book I'm reading now is Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. It's a solid biography. Franklin is one of the most interesting founding fathers. The part I'm reading now makes me dislike John Adams even more than I already did. Franklin said it well when he described Adams this way: "He means well for his country, is always an honest man, often a wise one, but sometimes and in some things, absolutely out of his senses." 

Sometimes I have cravings for butter beans and lima beans. I ate some butter beans on Monday. I need to make some dishes that use them to spread the gospel of these humble and healthy beans. They're full of fiber that lowers cholesterol. They're a good source of protein, and they don't have a lot of fat. 

Right now I am also on a beets kick. There are good reasons for eating those roots. 

Oh, and also artichokes, which are also good for you. 

It'll be interesting if any other Cubs get dealt at the trade deadline. They just moved Barney to the Dodgers for a player-to-be-named-later, but we'll see if Russell, Wright, Ruggiano, and Bonifacio are traded. 

Evaluating the As-Cubs Trade

The good folks at Fangraphs provide a sound analysis of the recent As-Cubs trade. For that article, check out "The A's and Cubs Blockbuster Trade." 

From this Cubs fan perspective, I like the deal because from the looks of it, Addison Russell could be a great player and might make an impact at the MLB level fairly soon. 

The acquisition of Dan Straily and Billy McKinney doesn't impress, however. I would have liked to have seen Chicago acquire a stronger starting pitcher than Straily, but we'll see what happens with his career. What makes me hopeful about him is that his career WHIP is 1.25. His strikeout rate per 9 innings is a pedestrian 7.4, however. 

As for McKinney, he's so young that it's difficult to tell how he'll turn out as a MLB player. He could just be a Matt Murton type (a guy I always liked who didn't get enough playing time under Baker in my opinion) or someone who finally progresses well over the years like Josh Donaldson, who the Cubs traded not that long ago. 

I would like to see the Cubs have more strong pitching prospects in the system. However, in an offensively starved MLB, I like that fact that many of the Cubs' strongest prospects are position players: Javier Baez (SS, 3B, or OF), Kris Bryant (3B or OF), Arismendy Alcantara (2B), Albert Almora (OF), Jorge Soler (OF), and Kyle Schwarber (Catcher or OF). 

The key, of course, is that a number of them need to pan out. 

Stay Positive: Visiting Wrigley Field

On Saturday we drove up early to watch the Nationals take on the Cubs in the 12:05 game, the first part of a scheduled double header. 

I haven't watched a game at Wrigley in a long time. I think the last time I went was when Mrs. Nasty and I were newlyweds, and at the end of July we will have been married 15 years. 

Anyway, the tickets were my Father's Day present, and I appreciate them. 

Our upper deck seats were great, Aisle 429 row 9 seats 7-10. We had three foul balls come our way. In the first inning two came right below us, and in the second, the guy right sitting right in front of my son caught a foul ball. 

Having seen the ball park pre-Rickets era, I have to say I'm fine with most of the changes. 

Where there was once just a massive sidewalk around Waveland and Addison is now some Captain Morgan bar that was doing a brisk business. Such changes were likely to happen. 

Wrigley Field needs a large jumbotron somewhere. 

The atmosphere, as usual, was great. Wrigley is a beautiful ball park. My kids and wife enjoyed the game, and we stimulated the economy by buying various Cubs paraphernalia. 

But I have two things to bitch about. 

Where the @#$% are the Old Style vendors? The mighty conglomerate of Anheuser-Busch has limited distribution of the fine, hearty lager from Wisconsin. Jesus, they have beer dudes hawking Goose Island crap in opposition to Bud Light hegemony, and I can't get a Old Style? 

Then again, beers were 8 bucks, so maybe I was better off with sipping on my daughter's lemonade from time to time. 

So here's the second point I have to complain about. The Cubs outfield is HORRIBLE. Or if you want to put it another way, you can use a deep Southern accent and say the outfielders we have are "turrible." 

What the Cubs have right now is a collection of outfielders that could be described as the "castoffs of other clubs" or the "isle of misfit outfielders."

Here are the players the Cubs are running out there on a regular basis: 

• Justin Ruggiano: 104 at bats, 15 runs, 25 hits, 2 HRs, 10 RBI, .240 average, .333 OBP, .718 OPS
• Junior Lake: 231 at bats, 27 runs, 54 hits, 9 HRs, 25 RBI, .234 average, .263 OBP, .675 OPS
• Chris Coghlan: 99 at bats, 10 runs, 20 hits, 2 HRs, 4 RBI, .202 average, .282 OBP, .615 OPS
• Nate Schierholtz: 245 at bats, 22 runs, 49 hits, 3 HRs, 27 RBI, .200 average, .253 OBP, .551 OPS 
• Ryan Sweeney: 104 at bats, 8 runs, 21 hits, 0 HRs, 8 RBI, .202 average, .242 OBP, .484 OPS

As much as I hope Lake learns how to shorten his swing with two strikes and other players somehow become solid contributors, I'm not confident in such outcomes. Those counting and percentage stats are jaw-droppingly bad. Just really bad. 

Kris Bryant or Javier Baez need to learn how to play outfield. Soon.

Random Notes from a Crank

I discovered today that Bob Mould has a new album coming out next week. I'm looking forward to it. From what I have gathered, Mould has been touring recently to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his highly regarded solo album, Workbook, that was his first solo album after he left Husker Du. 

I've gotten into this new series Fargo, especially Malvo, who is Billy Bob Thornton's character in the series. It's a series full of darkness, duplicity, and dark humor. 

Yes, I just rolled with alliteration via three d-words. Deal with it.

The other day, my son's rookie league baseball team destroyed the opposing team 15 to 1. It was nice to watch some offensive production. I haven't gotten to watch a lot of that this season with the current Cubs squad. The team is more interesting than last season's train wreck though. 

If you're a parent, Hanna Rosin's "Hey! Parents, Leave Those Kids Alone" in The Atlantic is worth a read. 

Future of the Cubs

With Nate Schierholtz and Kevin Gregg still on the team, I doubt the Cubs are done trading players for prospects. We've witnessed trades of Scott Feldman, Matt Garza, and Alfonso Soriano so far. While a similar fire sale should have happened years ago, like any Cubs fan, I'm looking toward the future.

Hey, it's all I've ever had. I was born after 1907.

Let's take a look at options for the future with estimated times of arrival (in parentheses) based from the MLB webpage that details the top twenty prospects of the Cubs. You have to click on the "20 by Team" tab.

Catcher: Castillo
1B: Rizzo
2B: Barney, Castro, or Gioskar Amaya ('16)
SS: Castro, Javier Baez ('14), Arismendy Alcantara ('14), or Junior Lake
3B: Mike Olt ('13), Josh Vitters ('13), Javier Baez, Kris Bryant (?), Christian Villanueva ('14), or Junior Lake
OF: David DeJesus, Brett Jackson ('13), Matt Szczur ('14)
OF: Junior Lake, Albert Almora ('15)
OF: Nate Schierholtz, Cole Gillespie, Mike Olt, Ja-Hoon Ha ('14), Jorge Soler ('15) 
Starter: Jeff Samardzija
Starter: Travis Wood
Starter: Edwin Jackson
Starter: Carlos Villanueva, Justin Grimm (AAA), Jake Arrieta (AAA), Arodys Vizcaino ('14), Dillon Maples ('16)
Starter: Chris Rusin, Pierce Johnson ('15), C. J. Edwards ('16)

Looking at all that above, I would think the ball club might try to acquire a starters in other trades or via free agency this off season. Junior Lake, who is currently playing out of his mind, is really an infielder, but he's playing in the outfield out of need. 

It'll be interesting what they do this season with the platoon of Ransom and Valbuena at third base. While both are okay, I suspect we'll see Olt or Vitters this season. If Schierhotz and DeJesus get traded before the deadline, you're looking at an outfield of Lake, Jackson, and Gillespie unless Olt or Vitters can play in the outfield. Olt has played a couple of games as a right fielder as a major leaguer. That might make some sense once (if and when) Kris Bryant is ready.