With rumors of Derek Lee leaving swirling around in the air like an STD at a Wauconda High School keg party, it is time to weigh the implications of Lee's possible departure from Chicago. D. Lee has been a consistent run producer on the cubs' post-Bartman depression teams (he was on the 2002 WS Champion Florida Marlins team that beat the Cubs in the NLCS)that has played out more realistically like a menacing case of postpartom depression. But his shortcomings in the heart of the Cubs order this season have forced Cubs management to contemplate moving the stalwart first baseman and his robust salary to the land run by Jermaine Dupri and Ludacris...Hot-lanta.
The Cubs owe it to Lee to let him go to a contender for a couple last shots at another ring in the twilight of his career. Besides the two incidents of Derek trying to go Irish Billy Collins on Chris Young and finding himself in a Ryan Leaf-esque screaming match with Carlos "suelto" Zambrano in the dugout earlier this summer, Derek has been a pretty calming influence amidst the Ringling Circus that is Cubs baseball. By this point, Derek is sick of taking his kids to the Haunted Trails amusement park in Burbank and would rather huff an entire bottle of Rustoleum than finish (no pun intended) the season with the current Cub squad. Give the guy a break, he would rather be Will Smith's stunt double than the Cubs first baseman at this point in time, so let him ride out of town with his skullcandy headphones gently soothing the John Legend, Get Lifted CD into his ears.
By moving Lee to Atlanta, it would move Tyler Colvin over into his natural position at first base rather than roaming left field aimlessly like some unidentifiable shepherd in a nativity scene. With that happening, the Cubs would then have established one of the youngest infields in the National League with Aramis Ramirez standing in as the only infielder able to rent a mid-size economy car from Enterprise until Colvin turns 25 September 5. So, if it is possible to rebuild and move towards a youth movement with the 3rd highest payroll in professional baseball, getting rid of Derek Lee would be a formidable start. With Chipper Jones suffering a season ending injury and seeing his role on the Braves being reduced to "producing children out of wedlock on east coast road trips", the Braves could use a veteran run-producer like Lee in the middle of their lineup to give them a chance to capture the ML east pennant. With all that being said, don't be surprised if you hear a slightly altered version of the "free carl lee!" chant you heard from a collection of Alabama Civil Rights activists in a A Time To Kill echoing around the bleacher seats in the next few days.
As for pick of the day, thanks to Clay Bucholz shutout of the Angels last night, Pulse Man moved to 2 games above .500 at 11-9. Tonight, aside from betting against Nickelback frontman Chad Krueger to be asked to sing the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley, or achieving any level of decency for his life's entirety, he likes his hometown go-go White Sox and Gavin Floyd to steal one from the Twinkies in the Twin Cities. So, the bet is on the White Sox at an astounding (+138) at Target (pronounced tar-zhay) Field.
Pick of the Day: White Sox@ Twins- WHITE SOX (+138)
Record:(11-9-0)
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