Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman never has been shy about expressing his opinion when it comes to the Cubs or his hometown team.
“The Cubs have a chance to be improved. I don’t think they’re good enough to win the division,” Brennaman told us Wednesday from Arizona. “I think their defense is very suspect. They have a kid (Carlos Pena) at first base who is an all-or-nothing guy. He either hits the ball out of the ballpark or he makes an out. So to say that the Cubs are a ‘contender’ … that’s a stretch.
“They could fool everybody and have two or three guys have career years, and here you are come September and they are in the thick of it. But I don’t think on paper that they are a team that can play or can be reckoned with in the same way as the Reds and the Brewers.”
Sights seen: Veteran Bears punter Brad Maynard at HUB 51 on Saturday with a big crew celebrating his wife’s birthday. … The Coyotes hockey team spotted having dinner in a private dining room at Sunda.
Local attractions: David Haugh will interview Tom Ricketts on stage as part of “Chicago Live!” at the Chicago Theatre Downstairs, 6:30 pm, Thursday. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased through chicagolive.com, thechicagotheatre.com, Ticketmaster outlets and at the Chicago Theatre box office.
