Chicago

I don’t care how comfortable Alfonso Soriano is in the leadoff spot—he has to be moved.

Soriano is a very dangerous leadoff hitter, but only when he makes contact with the ball, which nowadays is not very often. The Cubs' leadoff hitter needs to have a batting average near .291, which is Soriano’s current on-base percentage.

On Thursday, the Chicago Cubs offense dragged itself from the grave to score four runs on back-to-back home runs from Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto against their crosstown rival White Sox and eventually won on a walk-off single in the ninth inning.

On Friday, the offense took six innings off again, only to rally back from what started as a 7-0 deficit to the visiting Cleveland Indians. The Cubs scored four runs in the eighth inning before, in a moment of poetic injustice, longtime Cubs hero Kerry Wood was taken out of the yard by Lee to tie the game in the ninth inning.

This piece was originally published on June 4, 2009 when Sammy Sosa announced he would retire.

In a move that was typical of the strange ending of his baseball career, Sammy Sosa announced Wednesday that he'll announce his retirement sometime soon.

That's right, an announcement that he's going to make an announcement.

Sosa has seen an incredibly awkward fall from grace on Chicago's North Side, where he became one of the greatest power hitters in the history of the game.

On Sunday, in a move that can be described as nothing more than blaming the easiest target, the Chicago Cubs fired hitting coach Gerald Perry.

General Manager Jim Hendry threw around the cliche sound bites, saying that a "new voice" was needed and that the team's stars aren't performing to their historical abilities.

What Hendry didn't say was: "I paid $30 million for an overrated right fielder and, with a series of questionable moves, destroyed the chemistry on the best team in the National League."

But what was important was that he stuck to the cliches.

Two years ago, the Chicago Cubs made a bold decision. The one-time face of the franchise, the future of the starting rotation, the hope of the city of Chicago, Kerry Wood, was going to move to the bullpen.

The decision was partially made to give Wood a career. He had a longer laundry list of injuries and surgeries than he did pitching successes. But he always busted his tail to get back on the bump for the Cubs, so, out of respect for that, the team moved him into a role that would use his arm and shoulder more conservatively.

A couple of weeks ago, Kenny Williams put together a package of four players that was acceptable to the San Diego Padres in exchange for ace starter Jake Peavy.

Peavy used his no-trade clause. The old, "I'm flattered, but not coming," routine.

Now in the last few days, reports out of Houston are that the Sox have had a scout following the Astros and watching their ace, Roy Oswalt, because of an interest in him joining Chicago's South Siders.

When Alfonso Soriano was acquired by the Washington Nationals prior to the 2006 season, the club wanted to convert him from a second baseman to an outfielder. The Nats already had a second baseman in Jose Vidro, but Soriano wanted no part of the switch and sat out a few spring training games as a protest.

Eventually, Soriano gave in to the wishes of his manager (so as not to forfeit any salary) and made the All-Star Game as a left-fielder.

Did the Cubs call up Sacha Baron Cohen to start their game against the Pirates on Wednesday afternoon, or was that Carlos Zambrano going nuclear in the top of the seventh inning?

Even the well-mannered Milton Bradley was impressed, being quoted after the game referring to the tirade as "Bradley-like."

Talk about tact!

It all happened in the top of the seventh inning, an inning Zambrano started despite having thrown 107 pitches through six innings.

Peoria's got something cooking that might look nice at Wrigley some time soon.

The Chiefs have a young, not-yet 20-year-old kid at third base that was named the Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week last week and his knocking the cover off the ball.

Josh Vitters, the Cubs' top draft pick in 2007, is dominating Double-A ball right now, living up to his billing as the top prospect in the Cubs' organization.

Callers have almost jokingly proposed it on sports talk radio in Chicago the last couple weeks.

Apparently, Lou Piniella can't come up with anything better.

Rumors are swirling that, for the first time in years, the Cubs will put Alfonso Soriano at second base.

This move would open left field for Micah Hoffpaiur, getting his potent bat into the lineup on a more regular basis since first baseman Derrek Lee isn't going anywhere. Minor league bomber Jake Fox might see a promotion soon as well.