The Cubs are holding on by the hairs on their chinney chin chin. And that is very tenuous considering they’re about to lose a division to a Cardinals team that should at most be fighting for a wild card spot. Instead the Cubs are fighting for the wildcard spot and I suggest by the end of the week the Cubs will be out of the race. Any race. They keep talking like Maddon will be here next year and he probably shouldn’t be. We’re sick of high hopes and bad hitting coaches. Let me tell it has nothing to do with the hitting coaches they just cannot hit and the best thing they’ve done since winning the World Series in 2016 was trading for Castellanos. But when that guy does something spectacular the Cubs find a way to lose. If I was him I’d almost run for the hills. It’s one thing to come from a crappy team to a team that is going to choke away the Season.

For the second year the Cubs are looking at the Wildcard. They’re in second place with better teams more likely to pass them and possibly knock the Cubs out of the playoffs altogether. If that happens there needs to be some huge tangible changes. There have been talk of changes and it’s always been at the field manager level but what about the ones in charge of putting players on the field? We still don’t have a lead off hitter and the worse bullpen in baseball. Talk of the playoffs was always like it is destiny. Just give the Cubs the regular season championship for winning one of the worse divisions in baseball. But this might be the last time we see them in the playoffs at this rate. They can’t hit. The starting pitching is giving up tons of runs. It’s time to let the circus leave town. Here’s to hoping the Rickets family is right behind them.

Castellanos needs to remain a Cub. He's hit at least 8 homers since he's been here on a team that is contending. From a team that wasn't in Detroit. The Cubs still won't make the world Series with him but when one man goes he's next one up. No one misses Addison Russell. Castellanos is making people do just that. As bad as our minor leagues is now Rome might be burning soon.

Look out Cub fans things are falling. And what is that going to look like? Remember when you used to play video games and you stack your line up only to see your best hitters ground out every time? The big words for the Cubs is potential and they're about to run out of that. Fans like me are starting to long for the lovable loser days because when this franchise sees success you should take it with a grain of salt because given enough time they'll be back to lovable losers. Once the NL North division was one of the best divisions in baseball. You look at all the other divisions the leaders are all well over 20 plus more wins over losses. The Cubs are fighting off a bad Brewers team and a bad Cardinals team which it looks like they might be knocked out early. It's been said none of the teams in the division will will 95 games  this season. WhatWdoes that tell you. Granted  rest of baseball has better records but I can't say more talented. The Cubs might make the playoffs for the fifth straight year but it's become such a circus on the Northside that fans are starting to get sick of it like an upset stomach after drinking too much. I'm going to make a crazy statement and say Maddon doesn't finish out the season with the team if they keep giving up double digits runs on the road. The worse road team in baseball. Enjoy 2016 and we'll keep reliving it for years like the 85 Bears. And remember none of us might be around if there's another World Series.

So much for the mantra the Cubs will pick things up after the all star break. The offense is stagnant and broadcasters have said that no one will reach 95 wins this season. Changes need to be made up and down in management and it’s scary to say that Joe Maddon might be amongst the changes. A manager can only work with what he has been given  and what is missing is numerous and have been mentioned here before: Bullpen. Lead off hitter. Get rid of Addison Russell for a bag of baseballs if need be. Demoting him only means he’ll be back this season. The Cubs are imploding within the division with the exception of the St. Louis Cardinals who have managed to find themselves at the top of the division. That certainly isn’t because they’ve gone on some magical run but because the rest of the dumpster fire of a division is doing nothing to try to win it. The Cubs still have some very young and talented players so there is no need to blow things and start over. Maybe a mid season trade can give them a boost. But it might be a bunch of trades to right the ship. God forbid if the Cubs did let Maddon go (Epstein needs to go with him), likely they’ll go after a younger manager probably a current bench coach. I’m sorry to say if only a few of them go and not the entire front office we’ll be saying the same things next year.

All eyes on the Atlantic League, a minor league that has started using “robotic umpires.” Now there are not actually any robots on the field in fact there are still umpires to n the field. The robot is currently for calling balls and strikes. A strange thing Is that the on field umpire can overrule the robot. Players have said they don’t have any problems with it beyond there being a delay between the pitch reaching the catchers glove and the call. So a called third strike may not get to the field before the player is halfway down to first base on a 3-2 count. Players have said they like it because the robot calls strikes in different parts of the zone that an umpire usually calls a ball. There is even an idea of stealing first base. I’m not going to consider player feelings on this one. That’s just dumb. That’s just MLB over thinking things if they’re even considering this. There was already talk of putting a runner on second base to start an inning in extras. I didn’t quibble with the pitch clock or other moves coming next season; such as a relief pitcher facing three batters and the reconfigurations of the trade deadline. But messing with the fundamentals of the great game is just bad magic.

There is talk of the state building a casino in Chicago. There are a ton of hotels going up in downtown just need to build a hotel around a casino like they  do in Vegas. Where would you build one in the city? What kind of element would it bring in? I was in favor of one years ago like my college days when I said marijuana should be legalized. With age we all know things change. I’m against legalization of marijuana because of the low paying jobs that drug test to keep “certain people” out. A dedicated casino would bring in revenue surely but unless you build on Lake Michigan with crazy security it’ll turn into a strip club culture with ridiculous amount of crime. So let’s keep it safe and reputable with a hotel around it that way only the people staying at the hotel can participate. That last part I kind of just threw in because I’m not sure how much that will matter or affect the hotels revenue by being selective in that way. But with the building boom that already has begun it’s just a matter of adjusting (which is not as easy as it sounds). Imagine how many jobs can be created by this from construction to the people working the tables. And a centralized location for gambling which former Governor Quinn was against it because of Illinois history with organized crime. Indiana has been doing it for years and I haven’t heard of anything crazy going on there. Matter of fact they are the reason why this needs to happen in Chicago. Once again not a dedicated one but a hotel.