One Good Turn...
Cubs Pound 18 Hits, Romp over Angels 12-1

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Who is this team again? One day after getting waxed 12-0, the Cubs returned the favor and bested the AL's Angels by 11 runs. Derrek Lee had four RBIs, Geovany Soto hit a homer, and every Cub that batted had a hit. Even better, Carlos Zambrano was as dominating as he's been in a while, striking out seven over seven innings and allowing only one run. We keep thinking every win is going to get the ball rolling — maybe this is the one?

ESPN Chicago: Cubs bounce back from rout with one of their own [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: After lopsided win, Big Z thinks big
Chicago Sun-Times: Cubs do unto others
Daily Herald: Inconsistent Cubs blast Angels with 18-hit effort
MLB: Big hits back Big Z in Cubs' win over Halos [+ video]

Facing Reality
However You Cut It, Cubs Just Aren't Good
Yes, the Cubs had a nice win yesterday. But the Sun-Times' Rick Morrissey says it's time to face the ugly truth: Despite Lou Piniella's best efforts, this team simply isn't very good. And even though Piniella has pushed just about button he can, the season has been weighed down by straight-up bad play. "At some point, it's up to the players to perform," Morrissey writes. "Short of consulting his players' biorhythm charts, [Piniella] has tried everything. His team remains a mess." We're naively hoping things change, but Morrissey might be right.

Chicago Sun-Times: Can't pin this on Piniella, Cubs just aren't very good

Facing the Facts
Why the Cubs Are Where They Are
The title of this Desipio article says it all: "Why They Suck." It's not exactly uplifting, but it is a fun read that spells out why each Cub suc... ummm, has shortcomings. For instance, it notes that Geovany Soto has a mere 18 RBIs, and Ryan Theriot's slugging percentage is an underwhelming .302. But it's not all hate — in the Tyler Colvin write up, it notes: "There's not a lot not to like about Colvin... But one thing has to change. In 112 at bats he's struck out a whopping 35 times. That's 31 percent of the time." Yes, that does kind of suck.

Desipio: Why they suck

Home Alone
Cubs' Broadcaster to Scale Back Travel
We unabashedly love Ron Santo. He might not be the textbook radio color man, but he brings an undeniable passion to the game. (Who can forget the anguish in his voice when Brant Brown dropped the ball in 1998?) In an era filled with indistinguishable big-radio-voice announcers, Ronny always stands out. So we're disappointed to read that he's not only avoiding the team's trip to his hometown of Seattle this week, but diabetes is forcing him to limit his travel next year. "Health is the main thing," he said. "And I want to be around." Amen, Ronny.

Chicago Breaking Sports: Ron Santo to cut back on travel
Daily Herald: Santo figures to cut back on road trips

Keeping Score
A Peek at How the Scoreboard Works
Ever wonder how the Wrigley Field scoreboard works? Chicago Baseball Stories has a story that explains some of it: A guy named Rick Fuhs sits in the press box and manages a control board that's about as archaic as Jay Leno's monologues. It's so old school that the original builder, 94-year-old Kurt Hubertz, occasionally brings in replacement parts from his garage. It may not be dazzling, but it's tough to imagine Wrigley Field without the 1937 scoreboard, one of the defining elements of the Friendly Confines.

Chicago Baseball Stories: Scoreboard builder visits Wrigley Field

Ryan Dempster treated 75 people through the USO to yesterday's game... Aramis Ramirez will likely start in Wednesday's game against the Mariners... Jeff Samardzija is 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA over his last 10 games at Triple-A Iowa.

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