Chitown Sports Update

• No news, really, from either major league baseball team. We're starting to hear a name here and there that the teams might be interested in, like Jon Garland and Adam LaRoche on the north side, and of course Adam Dunn on the south side, if Paul Konerko decides to go to Arizona to finish his career. But nothing concrete.




• The Bulls appear to be improving, beating the Golden State Warriors soundly at home, then handling the Washington Wizards, also at home. Now they go on their circus trip, 7 road games in a row. Three will be in Texas, then it's on to Los Angeles and other west coast teams. This trip has been the downfall of many Bulls' teams, and was even hard for the team back in the Jordan days. But this is a new team. It will be interesting to see how they handle it. I heard one beat reporter say that he thought if they came back 2-5, they'd have to consider it a decent trip.




• The Black Hawks have looked like anything but defending Stanley Cup champs, but I think they're finally getting healthy. Dave Boland gets back soon (maybe he has already returned!) and Marion Hossa should be back soon. They too depart on their own extended road trip while the circus is in town.




• The Bears are 6-3 after beating the Vikings at home yesterday. That isn't at all bad. Certainly better than most expected. They're 3-0 in the division, tied by record for the top spot, but owning the tie breaker with Green Bay. Currently that puts them in first place in the NFC North.




• Earlier in the year I read that the Bears' offensive line would need about half the season to really get comfortable with the new scheme and with each other. They've played better the last couple weeks in victories over the Buffalo Bills and now the Vikings. And they go to Miami, on a short week, with Miami down to their third string QB, and their right tackle and their leading rusher listed as doubtful for Thursday night's game.

That's it for today, I think.

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Bulls and Cubs...

The Chicago Bulls lost their opener to a pretty good Oklahoma City team, then beat the Pistons with a strong 4th quarter, and played really well against the Trailblazers. This without Carlos Boozer, who has apparently gotten his cast off and his return is at least within sighting distance.

There's talk again about a deal for Carmelo Anthony. The names being bandied about are Luol Deng (who dropped 40 on the T-Blazers) and Taj Gibson (a valuable bench front court player who has been a starter with Boozer on the shelf). I'm assuming a draft pick, or picks, would be part of the deal. I've also heard James Johnson's name mentioned.

There are guys out there, unsigned as yet, who might be able to come in and play for this team if the Bulls move too many guys (read: 3 instead of 2). But Johnson's been looking better this year, and Gibson is the sort of blue collar player that winning teams need. (Hinrich was this sort, too, in my opinion...) It would thin the Bulls' bench and rotation a lot to make this deal, but I'd still do it. The NBA is a superstar-driven league, and Anthony is pretty close to a superstar. In my eyes, he is one, but I've read others' opinions that he is NOT in that upper tier. (I have him in my top 10, in the second tier of 5 players somewhere after Bryant, James, Wade, Howard and Durant.) A starting five of Rose, Brewer/Bogans, Anthony, Boozer and Noah is as good as any in the league, including Miami, because of the types of players that are in that five, in my opinion.

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The Cubs part ways with Ryno, as he has declined to return as manager of triple A Iowa. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the discussion has hinged on whether Lance Berkman would be a good target for the team as a place-holder first baseman. I'm okay with that as long as the contract isn't for more than 2 years and isn't much more than 10 million total. Next year Fukudome and maybe Ramirez come off the books, along with Carlos Silva (whose contract matched Milton Bradley's contract in length) and probably one or two others.

Unfortunately, Alfonso Soriano will be around for four more years at a cost of about 72 million. Think they're going to be able to move him with that contract hanging from around his neck? I seriously doubt it, even to an AL team needing a DH. I heard it suggested on sports radio that they have him take grounders at first, to see if he can manage the position. I don't know if he'd be able to. I've seen others suggest that he might get a line drive in the face because he seems to lack focus during games in the field, and that he'd be a total butcher in the field. To that I reply that this guy was a middle infielder for most of his career, and though he wasn't a good one, he just MIGHT be able to handle the easier position of first base with less problems than he handled 2nd and short. Also, it opens left field for one of two actual Cubs' prospects: Brett Jackson and Brandon Guyer.

I'm not saying hand the guy the position right away, but if it were me, I'd give him some innings there next spring. I'd tell him to make sure he works out at first this winter. If he could be adequate there for a year or even two, it would sure help. First, they wouldn't have to spend any money to acquire a first baseman through free agency, since there are none coming up through the system who would be ready in 2011, and second, they can find out what they have in those two young outfielders. Puts them that much ahead for 2012, when they might be able to actually sign some bigger names. Plus, if Soriano can actually handle 1st base, wouldn't that make him a more attractive trade target for another team, be it NL or AL?

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