As long as people are getting in a huff about Sam Fuld based on a small sample size, how about the numbers Hak Ju Lee has put up in high A ball for Tampa Bay?  

 .425 BA, .521 OBP, 1.259 OPS, 31 Total Bases in 50 Plate Appearances 

Obviously, like Fuld, these numbers will come down, but I think Cub fans will rue the day Hak Ju Lee was included in a trade for a pitcher in his prime when the Cubs are two to three years from being a good team.  Yes, because the division sucks there's a chance they could contend this year, but that is no way to build a team.  You build a team by making it as strong as it can be for as long as it can be and hopefully, you get a few good young players from your organization that don't cost you a fortune.  

Dollar per win, Garza will not be worth the players given up plus the money paid him.  And even if he goes 18-0 the rest of the way, it probably won't matter.  With 40% of the starters on the DL and Dempster in free fall, I don't see the Cubs contending even in this rotten division.  

Give me your young, strong and cheap!  Give me a future to look forward to!  As Jerry Rubin said - "Don't trust anyone over 30."

I had a scary thought while watching the Blackhawks stink up Philadelphia Friday night...  

My memory of Chicago sports goes back to around 1964 or 1965.  I remember Kenny Hubbs dying and the Lou Brock trade, but the '65 season is when I started following Chicago sports teams other than the Cubs.  So I don't remember the '61 Hawks Cup win or the '63 Bears championship.  

Here's where my scary thought comes in: Had the Bulls not ended up with Michael Jordan, there's a very good chance that the Super Bowl champ Bears would be the only Chicago championship I would remember after 45 years of following four teams.  I know, a Chicago baseball team won a World Series a few years back but it didn't do a whole lot for me.  And the Bulls did start in 1966 so a year is saved there.  And I won't even bring up the DePaul teams of the late 70s to mid-80s.

So, minus Jordan, with 46 seasons for the Cubs, 45 for the Hawks and Bears and 44 for the Bulls, we'd be talking one championship in my 180 total seasons of being a Chicago sports fan.  As it is, seven championships in 180 seasons is nothing to write home about.

Anyway, I hope the Hawks can win this thing.  At least then I'll have seen three of my four favorite teams win a championship.  These Chicago championship dry spells defy all odds.  I really don't know what has kept me sane. Certainly not coming up with thoughts like the one I had tonight.

Aramis Ramirez received two pleasant surprises this week.  First, he found out there's something called The Hank Aaron Award.  Then he found out that he'd won it! Yes, fans, The Hank Aaron Award, an all but secret honor which goes to "the best offensive performer" in each league has gone to Cub third baseman Aramis Ramirez.  Well done, sir.  Or should I say, "Well done, Cub fans."  Because, like Fukudome's election to the NL All-Star team, the Aaron Award goes to the player who gets the most fan votes.  And anytime you open up voting to the fans, Cubdom, no doubt used to the Chicago mantra of "vote early and often" will come out in droves.

American League winner?  You betcha.  A member of Boston's Red Sox.  Kevin Youkilis to be exact.  

So really what we have here are awards for the most loyal fans with a player's name attached.  Personally, I'm all for doing away with fan voting period.  it's silly, really. Not that there aren't injustices when the players and writers get the vote, but at least they each get only one vote.  I sat behind a pin-headed kid at a game last year who never even looked at the field.  He spent the entire seven innings he was there poking a pen through all the Cubs on the All-Star ballot.  He must have given them each 200 votes.

So enough with the meaningless honors from fans.  Although, before we do away with them completely I would like to nominate Neal Cotts for The Lefty Grove Award and DWard for the Babe Ruth Award.  Get those votes in!