In the midst of one of the Cubs' most forgettable seasons in recent memory, the call up of top prospect Anthony Rizzo has helped reinvigorate the Cubs fan base.The early promise he's shown has fans and the Cubs front office imagining a day in the not-so-far future when the team's fortune may change.His short tenure with the big league club in Chicago has demonstrated Theo Epstein and Cubs' management have handled his development well thus far, and his on-field performance has highlighted some unexpected strengths and a few areas of concern moving forward.Begin Slideshow
Several weeks have passed, and not much seems to have changed for the Cubs. They still find themselves staring up at the rest of the NL Central, and with the exception of a few call-ups, haven't made any significant roster changes.While operations may appear static, we may just be seeing the calm before the storm in the North Side; despite not having made any major moves yet, their position as a "seller" hasn't changed, making them one of the most interesting teams to watch going into the All-Star break.Amid all the trade speculation, several story lines have emerged, specifically centered ...
With the worst record in the MLB at 24-48 and no expectation of a turnaround, 2012 may seem like the kind of year Cubs fans want to ignore, if not totally erase from their memory.The true fans will fight conventional wisdom and continue to tune in to their TVs and fill the seats in Wrigley. After all, "fan" is short for fanatic, and nothing demonstrates "extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal" quite like ceasing to live and die with next year's team.There are, in addition to the inexplicable forces of fandom, reasons to continue watching the remainder of the 2012 Cubs campaign. Here are the ...
It's difficult to stay patient with a rebuilding project. It is painful to watch a franchise disassemble, selling off former fan favorites and riding on the hope that newly-acquired prospects will blossom into stars. It takes a methodical, long-term approach, with patience, and some luck to effectively rebuild. It appears the Cubs are on the right course so far, and they are benefiting from some of their biggest assets playing well.Begin Slideshow
With the Cubs currently tied for the worst record in the majors at 15-32, the expectation is that newly minted President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein will be making some major moves to accelerate the Cubs' rebuilding process.Epstein will have at his disposal a middle-of-the-road farm system, some aging veteran trade bait and a flexible payroll to help turn things around.Begin Slideshow
