Starting Over
Is It Time for the Cubs to Blow It Up?

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

We can trot out all sorts of numbers that show how mediocre the Cubs' season is, but the biggest number is $146 million. That's the team's payroll, the National League's highest. So the Cubs can either keep trotting out the same team and hope Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee figure it out, or they can blow it up real good. The Sun-Times says it's time to prune what they can from the roster and put kids like Jay Jackson and Casey Coleman on the field. "This team has too many flaws and misfit pieces to seriously believe they're any kind of October threat," the paper says. Can't say we disagree, but we hope this team has one good run in them.

Chicago Sun-Times: Cubs must go in new direction to get out of the woods

So Bad, They're Good
The Neverending Stories of the Cubs
Even when the Cubs are bad, they're still interesting. That's equivalent to "She's got a great laugh" or "He's got excellent taste in accessories" on the list of damning with faint praise. Anyway, the Trib notes several things to watch over the next few weeks, including: Koyie Hill vs. Geovany Soto. Did you realize Hill is now the starting catcher, even though Soto's on-base percentage is .407? And what's next in the Piniella/Stone mano-a-mano? Never a dull moment....

Chicago Breaking Sports: Cubs not looking to make trades just yet

Regrets? I've Had a Few...
A Look Back at the Cubs Best (and Worst) Trades
An off-day presents the perfect chance to look at the Cubs' major moves over the last several years. Goat Riders of the Apocalypse rates the team's big trades, ranking them from the sublime (the Cubs get Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg for Ivan DeJesus) to the horrendous (the famous Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio). The blog extrapolates these moves to the present day and says the Cubs could trade pretty much anyone and be okay with it. "I don't feel I am watching certain greatness when I see Colvin, Castro, Cashner and Soto play," the blog says.

Goat Riders of the Apocalypse: The levels of regret...

Catch-22
ESPN, Trib Not High on the Cubs
Sometimes, it's good to know where you stand in the grand scheme of things. Other times, however, it's less good. In both ESPN and the Trib Power Rankings, the Cubs came in at number 22 out of the 30 teams majors, behind the Marlins, the Nationals, and — ack! — the White Sox. Worse, ESPN noted this stunning fact: Derrek Lee is hitting .206 with runners in scoring position, and he has a piddling three RBIs so far this month. Painful.

ESPN: Power rankings: Yanks overcome Rays at No. 1
Chicago Tribune: Yankees get the pitching, No. 1 spot

Tweet Emotion
Our Favorite Fake Cubs Twitter Accounts
Besides the dozens of groupies clamoring for our attention, one of the best things about working at the Cubs Fan Report is that we're allowed to say we're "working" while wasting time tweeting on Twitter. We especially enjoy the effort behind the fake Cubs Twitter accounts. Similar to the much-talked about @BPGlobalPR, you can count on sharp criticism and many funny one-liners. Here are our Top 5 favorites:
5) @RyanTheriNot
4) @TylerColvinsMom
3) @FakeJimHendry
2) @FakeSweetLou
1) @GhostHarryCaray

Honorable mention: @FakeLouPiniella, @fauxronsanto, @BoobBrenly
You can follow all fake Cubs Twitter accounts here.

Tonight's starter, Carlos Zambrano, is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his one appearance vs. the Oakland A's... The North Siders' 2009 first-round draft pick Brett Jackson hit for the cycle last night for the Daytona Cubs. He has 13 RBIs in his last seven games... The best "National Anthem" Wrigley Field has ever seen? It's in the running.

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