All Goes Wells
Hurler Flirts with No-No, Wins 3-1

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Maybe yesterday's win against the Cincinnati Reds is a litmus test for your personality. If you're optimistic, you see the fact that the North Siders won (no small thing these days) and that Randy Wells, who was nothing short of brutal for a several-game span, had a no-hitter going into the seventh inning. If you're a Debbie Downer, you look at the fact that the Cubs stranded a jaw-dropping 17 men, which is only one runner below the NL record of 18. So which one are you?

ESPN Chicago: Cubs' Wells shuts down Reds as Soto delivers... [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Cubs beat Reds 3-1 despite stranding 17 runners
Chicago Sun-Times: Nothing comes easy in Cubs win
Daily Herald: Wells takes no-hitter into 7th, Cubs beat Reds 3-1
MLB: Cubs prevail as Wells' no-no bid falls short [+ video]

Adiós, Carlos?
Are the Cubs Trading Their Stud Closer?
We try not to give much credence to trade whispers, and this one seems fairly suspect. But the rumor of the Cubs trading Carlos Marmol to the Reds for Chris Heisey is at least interesting. Heisey is a young outfielder who led the minors in hits in 2009. An ESPN scouting report said he "doesn't have one outstanding tool" (that's what she said), but he's "at least a quality fourth outfielder with the potential for more." But do the Cubs need to trade Marmol, given that he's not making huge money? Like we said, suspect... but interesting.

Bleacher Report: MLB trade rumors...

Coming up Short
A Look at the Cubs' Shortstops, Current and Future
Starlin Castro got more hype than the Kardashians when he came up in early May, but he's just the tip of the iceberg at the shortstop position for the Cubs. Goat Riders of the Apocalypse checks out players at that position at all levels, and finds the team is pretty well-stocked. From Castro (who the blog predicts will be a Gold Glove-winner in 2012) down to promising Single-A starter Hak-Ju Lee, the team looks set. Well, that's a relief. Now about third base....

Goat Riders of the Apocalypse: Cubs by position — shortstop

Change Up
Time to Toy with the All-Star Game?
Baseball's All-Star game is always a blast, but it needs to change, says the Trib's Phil Rogers. MLB seems to want it both ways, Rogers says: The league wants the game to actually count, hence the outcome determines which league gets home-field advantage in the World Series. But by mandating that each team supply one All-Star, it dilutes the talent available to each manager. Pity the skipper, for instance, who gets to the end of his bench and sees a scrub like Justin Upton there. Or, you know, one of this year's Cubs.

Chicago Tribune: Time to stop mandating All-Star rep for each team

Sing a Song
The Most Memorable "National Anthem" Performances
Usually, sporting events start with "The Star-Spangled Banner," everyone cheers, and things get going. Sometimes, though, that song is a little more memorable. For starters, there's the unforgettable Whitney Houston version before the 1991 Super Bowl. Stirring, to be sure, but we're more partial to the funkified Marvin Gaye version. No discussion of these songs is complete without Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, but we'll close with the time Mo Cheeks rescued the young girl who forgot the words. Excuse us, we have something in our eye... Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Some believe the Cubs racked up 10 hits yesterday because Lou Piniella excused hitters from batting practice before the game... Former Cubs (and brothers) Eric and Corey Patterson played against each other in the Boston Red Sox (Eric) vs. Baltimore Orioles (Corey) series.

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