Alfonso Soriano

The Philadelphia Phillies still need a corner outfielder and Alfonso Soriano is not the answer.

While it tends to be quite difficult to root against the long shot, the underdog and the Cinderella story, sometimes the plug gets pulled on the dream and there's nothing left to be said.

In a move that was predicted by many, the Chicago Cubs have let go of their hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. While they remain arguably the worst offense and worst team in baseball, moves like these will tend to happen. Stepping into the interim role will be 35-year-old James Rowson, the Cubs minor league hitting coordinator, according to Doug Padilla of ESPN.com.

Theo Epstein’s introduction as President of the Chicago Cubs was impressive.  You won’t see a sports executive as glib and articulate as the 38 year-old Epstein. When it comes to “winning the press conference,” few have won as convincingly as he did.  Some six months later, what stands out most from that October morning is Epstein’s proclamation that “every opportunity to win is sacred.” 

Going into each season we wonder. We wonder what rookies will step up and make a name for themselves. We wonder which teams will fall flat on their faces and even which teams will shock the world.

We rarely wonder which of the players on our team is going to take a nosedive in terms of production. We try not to wonder which of our favorite players may just be entering "stiffdom". That's why I'm here.

Last week I wrote about my hope for the 2011 Cubs. For the first time in a long time, I look at the Cubs organization and see reasons to be optimistic about their short and long-term future.

This article is also available at theperspective.yardbarker.com

The Chicago Cubs have spent the past few years treading water in the middle of Major League Baseball.  They haven't been going on tears, but they also haven't been at the bottom of the league.

Although this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is something that is very frustrating for Cubs fans who want to get some sort of identity out of a team that refuses to give itself one.

At the age of 28 years and 41 days, Jon Daniels became the youngest GM in baseball history on October 4, 2005, succeeding John Hart.

Daniels took over a team that was restocking the roster from the outside via free agency. After turning that around completely by rebuilding through the draft he's turned around the Rangers win-loss column as well. He led the Rangers to their first World Series appearance last year in his fifth season at the helm.

Chicago is spinning with excitement for next off-season, and they haven't even been eliminated yet. Albert Pujols will become a free agent after the conclusion of this season, and some clubs have the rival right in their cross hairs. The Cardinals were unable to strike a deal with their current face of the organization and will now have to compete for his work. Pujols was reportedly seeking a 10-year, 300-million dollar contract and the Cardinals were unwilling to match it. Should the Cubs do what the Cardinals didn't?

Of course, we all know it has been awhile since the Chicago Cubs tasted a World Series victory, although many fans just refer to it as "Back in '08." Just to make sure you're caught up, Henry Ford produced his first Model T the same year the Cubs last won, in 1908.

What can the Cubs do to end of of the most scrutinized and devastating losing streaks in sports history? Well, there are many, but here are the five most important steps the Cubs need to take to grasp a World Series title in 2011.