West Side!!

What? You were expecting this pic weren't you? Too predictable.

Anyways, yesterday marked the beginning of every local Cub fans' least favorite road trip...the dreaded West Coast Swing. Nothing ruins a good Cubs game like a 9 PM start time (yes, I am actually 200 years old). On this trip, the Cubs have 3 against the increasingly embarrassing SD Padres and 4 against the mildly annoying Dodgers. As the trip begins, the biggest question facing this "Best Record in Baseball" Cubs team is whether to hold their Championship Parade on Michigan Avenue or on Clark.

Wait. That's not right. Sorry.

The actual big question is whether this team can bottle up their unbelievable success at home and take it with them on the road. Unfortunately, EVERY sportswriter in the country knows this, so there have been roughly 500,000 articles written about it already. Here at FOTG, we are nothing if not on the cutting-edge so instead of jumping on the pile, we will forge out on our own with a new segment.


Bronx or Bust!

With the All-Star game quickly approaching, everyone is asking who on the Cubs deserves a spot on the NL roster. Shockingly enough, even with their stellar play during the first two months, not every Cub is what we would consider "All-Star Worthy." So, in order to simplify this difficult decision, we've created this handy, dandy ranking of each Cubs chances of making it to the Bronx this July.

25-21 "Why Don't You Plan A Trip With the Family" Division

#25 Bob Dean Howry 62 | P
Pros: Traditionally a slow starter, Bobby Dean has turned it on of late, surrendering 0 ER in his last 9 appearances.
Cons: He was a frequent crapper of beds before that: 18.9 IP, 15 ER, 5 HR.
In or Out? Waaaaaaaaay Out.
You will only see BDH in the Bronx this year if he buys his own ticket.

#24 Jason Marquis 21 | P
Pros: He's not quite shitty enough to be removed from the rotation.
Cons: He's not quite good enough to stay in the rotation.
In or Out? I hope that question is rhetorical.

#23 Michael Wuertz 43 | P
Pros: He's not Bobby Howry.
Cons: He's not Carlos Marmol.
In or Out? Out.
Maybe he can use the time off to remember where the plate is located.

#22 Micah Hoffpauir 6 | 1B
Pros: Promising young player who would be starter if it wasn't for that D-Lee character stealing all his ABs year after year. Selfish bastard.
Cons: He shares a first name with Micah Owings who I just grabbed for my fantasy team and then watched him promptly got lit up in his next start. Just saying.
In or Out? Out.
Mark it down, when Lee retires the Cubs WILL give this guy a shot. Then they will go in a different direction. Basically, no one trusts a guy named Micah.

#21 Ted Lilly 30 | P
Pros: His given name is Theodore Roosevelt Lilly. Seriously.
Cons: President Roosevelt once said "I have as much desire to annex San Domingo as a gorged Boa Constrictor might have to swallow a porcupine wrong end to!" That's how I feel about watching Lilly pitch. Zing! Thank you Wikipedia!
In or Out? He's 5th in HR Allowed in the National League with 12. What do you think?

Go Cubs.