Joy in Cubdom
There's much of that these days. My beloved Cubbies have the second best record in all of baseball since June 1st, and are now a scant 2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers (the Brewers are in first place?!). As bad as this team looked in the opening week of the season, things have certainly come together. The starting pitching has been solid. The bullpen has improved. For the first time in several seasons, watching this offense is actually bearable. Tonight, they even go for their second straight sweep of the Cardinals (last year's world series champs) in St. Louis.
Are there problems? Sure. An offensive upgrade at centerfield, shortstop, or catcher wouldn't hurt. Another solid starting pitcher would remove some uncertainty. But I actually feel some hope about this team--something that's been in scant supply since the debacle of Game 6 in 2003.
During the day, I get my Cubs fix at a few places: Northside Baseball has mostly intelligent, moderated discussion. The blog Bleed Cubbie Blue is also often intersting. For the podcast friendly, there's Bricks and Ivy Radio, usually entertaining. Unfortuantely, the actual Cubs.com site is NOT a great place for fan discussion, since most of the conversation there rarely rises above a 5th grade level.