Pass the Cigars
Castro's Six RBIs Create Offensive Revolution

Mark J. Rebilas/US PRESSWIRE

There was no crisis last night when Starlin Castro launched a three-run missile into the stands in his first at-bat. The rookie set a MLB record with six RBIs in his debut, and Mike Fontenot and Marlon Byrd also homered in a 14-7 Cubs win. On the downside, Carlos Silva is looking more and more like the guy whose ERA over the past five years is 5.73. Does this mean Carlos Zambrano might come out of the bullpen soon? We'll see. But hey, let's not end on a down note. Welcome to the bigs, Starlin!

ESPN Chicago: Castro homers, drives in six to carry Cubs past Reds [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Starlin sterling in Cubs debut
Daily Herald: Castro's powerful arrival lights fire under Cubs
MLB: Castro makes history as Cubs roll [+ video]

Point/Counterpoint
'Castro Move Good!' 'No, Castro Move Bad!'
Wow. We haven't seen an opening like Castro's since "Citizen Kane." (Orson Welles jokes always kill.) But Castro will likely come down to earth, and we'll have to decide whether promoting him was the right move. ESPN has looked at both sides, and the opinion is decidedly mixed. ESPN's Rob Neyer is on the con side of the ledger, saying the Cubs are "panicking." But locally, ESPN Chicago says the move is the right one, saying "Castro is ready to contribute, if not star." After this first game, that assessment looks pretty accurate.

ESPN: For Cubs, a revolution at short
ESPN Chicago: No reason to delay on Castro call-up

Crash and Burn
Former Phenoms Flail, Fail
Over the years, the Cubs have had would-be phenoms who turned out to be, umm, unphenomenal. Chicago Now takes a look at some of them, including names like Felix Pie (currently on the DL for Baltimore), Juan Cruz (just released by Oakland), and someone named Luis Montanez (swatting an impressive .114 with the Orioles). Then there's Ben Christensen, who we hope is living a life of complete squalor and misery. Here's why.

That's All She Wrote: How some Cubs prospects have fared

The Blame Game
Don't Point Finger at Lou for Cubs' Woes
Sorry to be Capt. Bringdown, but even with last night's rout, the Cubs are still 14-16. (Also, there's no Santa Claus, Bambi's mother died, and Michael Jordan was a jerk.) But Fox Sports says you shouldn't blame Lou for the Cubs' woes. After all, two of the team's top hitters — Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee — are absolutely flailing. Ted Lilly has an ERA of 5.29. The team's "ace" pitched himself out of the rotation and into the bullpen. So don't blame Lou. Instead, should you blame Hendry? Hmm.

Fox Sports: Piniella can't work miracles with flawed Cubs

Kick out the Jams
What It's Really Like to be a Cubs Fan
Remember when the Cubs weren't the only team bathing in its own misery? The Red Sox and the White Sox were right there too, and the Phillies were also pretty sorry. (And let's not forget Cleveland.) Well, three of those four have won the World Series in the past few years, leaving the Cubs feeling like these dudes in this collection of videos compiled by Tales from Aisle 424. Good to know we're not the only ones partial to this type of humor.

Tales from Aisle 424: What it's like to be a Cubs fan

Today's Report by Joel Reese

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