The Bulls are done. The Blackhawks too. The Bears are months away from any action. That leaves the Cubs and Sox to share the sports spotlight in Chicago.
Haven’t been paying attention to the baseball rivals? Here are the production notes for each team’s main cast of players and how they’ve performed. —
CUBS CAST
director
Lou Piniella
Piniella oversees the Cubs’ big-budget production and has little to show for it so far. With a $100 million payroll, expectations are as high on the North Side as they have been in recent years. And like many stage shows, the team starts many games well but loses them in the end. That falls back on Piniella. It’s up to him to find the right combination in the bullpen to help the Cubs hold leads late in games.
lead actor
Aramis Ramirez
Not only has Ramirez been the team’s top power threat — 11 home runs — but one could argue he’s been the Cubs’ only power threat. Derrek Lee and Alfonso Soriano are hitting for high averages, but neither has more than four homers. Ramirez also has been solid defensively, committing just two errors.
scene-stealer
Derrek Lee
Lee’s pinch-hit grand slam against the White Sox on Saturday was a memorable cameo appearance to say the least. Having sat out five games with neck spasms, Lee gave the fans at Wrigley something to cheer about in his return.
newcomer
Jason Marquis
Marquis has settled into his role quickly and has become the team’s go-to pitcher. He already has five wins after going just 14-16 last season, and he’s been good with the bat too. He recently helped himself by going yard against the Sox.
understudy
Alfonso Soriano
Perhaps it’s the stage fright of Wrigley Field after signing a $136 million contract and dealing with the expectations that come with it, but Soriano has been lackluster. He has only nine RBIs and four home runs, but he’s hitting a respectable .284.
choreographer
Ryan Theriot
Did anyone expect him to be this good? Theriot leads the team in stolen bases with seven. And he gives Piniella defensive options since he can play both middle infield positions.
set design
Marquis
When Marquis is on the mound, things look a lot better for the Cubs. He’s 5-1 with a 2.76 ERA, and he’s thrown the team’s only complete game. He’s not earning a lot of strikeouts, but he’s stayed out of trouble for the most part.
SOX CAST
director
Ozzie Guillen
The Wizard of Oz has kept the Sox afloat despite the team’s struggles at the plate. The Sox have one of the lowest batting averages in baseball. Yet, Ozzie has kept the team in the AL Central race. The loose-lipped manager also has kept the heat off his players by getting himself in several mini-controversies.
lead actor
Jermaine Dye
Dye wins this category by default. One of the Sox’s best hitters last season, Dye has the most homers (10) and RBIs (25) this year for the Sox, but his below-average average (.229) is much like everyone else’s on the roster.
scene-stealer
A.J. Pierzynski
Who else would it have been? The always-in-the-headlines catcher stole the show when he hit a grand slam in the last game of the City Series on Sunday, helping the Sox avoid a sweep at Wrigley.
newcomer
Darin Erstad
The veteran pickup has been invaluable, especially since Scott Podsednik has been out with a strained abductor. He leads the team with 43 hits, and he’s among the team’s leaders with 21 RBIs.
understudy
Jim Thome
The Sox have missed Thome immensely. Now that he’s back from injury, Thome’s helping spark the dormant offense (he had a homer and five RBIs Wednesday night). It shouldn’t be long before he’s back in the starring role of the Sox’s offense.
choreographer
Erstad
Erstad has done a decent job of getting on base and leads the team with seven stolen bases.
set design
Jon Garland
Everyone remembers the no-hitter Mark Buehrle threw, but Garland’s been a bit better than his teammate. Garland has the lowest ERA of any Sox starter (3.18) and has allowed just four homers while compiling a 3-2 record.
