Raise your hand if you were bothered by Starlin Castro’s benching by Mike Quade.

(Looks into crowd)

Now, raise your hand if you saw this coming.

(Looks into crowd)

Didn’t see that many hands go up this time.

We were wary from the beginning of an interim manager, especially Quade after the way he stepped onto the scene with his ill-advised line-up shuffle. As a follow up, the interim manager of the Chicago Cubs has benched the team’s best hitter to prove a point.

That point?

The Cubs have cornered the market on stupid.

The reasoning behind Castro’s sit-down would be fair enough for most veterans as Quade called for the rookie’s benching after Castro forgot how many outs there were during his seventh inning at-bat in Sunday’s 18-5 loss to the New York Mets.

Quade told the Trib: “Every so often it’s better for a player to observe than participate. I thought he really should watch a game or so and sit with some very smart people on my staff and kind of keep an eye on things and maybe reflect a little bit. He’s had so much thrown at him, but I think sometimes step back, take a look at things, give a guy a couple days … lapses of concentration and stuff, maybe he can reflect on.”

There is no defense for Castro’s gaffe, but Quade has had better opportunities to make his presence felt in the clubhouse with a benching.

Look no further than Quade’s debut as manager on Aug. 16 against the Washington Nationals when Alfonso Soriano’s lack of hustle outside the batter’s box turned what could have been an inside-the-park home run into a triple. It would have been the proper time for the rookie manager to show the team’s highest-paid position player who exactly the boss was by pulling him out of the game.

The Cubs have condoned worse, and Quade has been along for the ride. Of all the indiscretions, why is Castro’s the one worth benching?

When Milton Bradley famously forgot how many outs there were in the Cubs’ June 12 loss to the Minnesota Twins, Bradley wasn’t sent to his room to think about what he had done. In fact, Bradley played the next two games of the series.

Kevin Gregg was instrumental in the Cubs’ 2009 meltdown, but it wasn’t until August when he blew three save chances and was tagged with three losses one for Lou Piniella to finally pull the plug. And while Cubs fans wanted to blow their brains out with each blown save, not once did Gregg get a chance to “clear his mind.”

Does every missed sign, failed sacrifice bunt attempt or inability to hit a spot with a pitch cost someone playing time?

If that was the case, then why was Ryan Theriot gifted every chance possible despite his follies at the plate, in the field and on the bases en route to becoming a one-man blooper reel?

At this point, I do not care if Quade makes a name for himself or not. I just know that in a dismal season such as this, the lone bright spots will come in the form of players like Castro. If the Cubs want to continue developing their young shortstop, the best move would have been to put him back in the line-up for Monday’s game against the Houston Astros.

The great thing about baseball is that when you eff up royally one one day, the next day usually presents itself with an opportunity to atone for an error. Quade deprived Castro of this opportunity — and for what? To mark his territory as alpha dog?

Here’s hoping Quade sends himself to his bedroom without dessert once he makes a rookie mistake as a manager.

The Chicago Bears are one of two NFL teams this preseason to go winless, with the other being the Indianapolis Colts.

Unfortunately for the Monsters of the Midway, Peyton Manning isn’t lining up under center.

With the practice games out of the way, the Bears’ real test comes with its Sept. 12 date against the Detroit Lions on Opening Day. However, it seems as if the Bears have more issues now than they did when camp opened up.

QUESTION: Will the Bears’ offense be better under Mike Martz?

Mike Martz’s offense will be only as successful as the Bears’ defense allows it to be. He had three quarterbacks throw for 4,000 yards in the four seasons in which his job was solely to be the team’s offensive coordinator. Kurt Warner’s ascent to becoming a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback began with a 41-touchdown, 4,300-yard Super Bowl winning season. The Rams led the league in scoring that year, but their defense allowed the fourth fewest points in the league.

Fast forward to 2006 where Martz, now in Detroit, coaches Jon Kitna to a 4,200-yard season and watches Roy Williams and Mike Furrey each have 1,000-yard receiving years. Yet, it was all for naught as the Lions won only three games as its defense ranked 30th as it allowed 398 points. Kitna followed a strong 2006 showing with a second 4,000 more yards of passing, all while turning Shaun McDonald (943 yards, six touchdowns) into a household name. Unfortunately, the eye-popping numbers weren’t enough for the Lions who finished 7-9 as their defense surrendered 444 points and finished with a dead last ranking of the 32 NFL squads.

There’s an old adage that says, “You can’t win if you don’t score.” As an addendum, I’d like to say, “You can’t win if your defense plays dead.” With that said, you’re not going to win any games if your defense gives up an average of 26 points per game over a two-year span — so we’ll back off Martz if that’s the case this season.

The 2010 season is one for Martz to reinvent himself and reclaim the genius label that was given to him early in his coordinating career. Martz hasn’t been a part of a winning team since 2003 when the Rams went 12-4 before bowing out to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC playoffs. Since then, Martz-affiliated teams are 34-49. A year of strong offensive numbers, coupled with the Bears’ first playoff season since their Super Bowl run in 2006 could move Martz from the doghouse to the penthouse.

QUESTION: Will the real Jay Cutler please stand up?

It might be a miracle for Jay Cutler to stand after taking 10 sacks in what amounts to a little more than four quarters of play this preseason.

And as important as Cutler’s cannon will be to the Bears’ success, his legs are the wild card. Where former Chicago signal callers would crumble under the pressure as statues in the Bears backfield, Cutler has shown the ability to create as he improvises and buys time with his scrambling ability.

Some of it has come by way of designed bootlegs and rollouts, but for the most part Cutler has been running to save his life.

While Martz’s season is all about reinvention, Cutler’s is about revival. Much of the shine has worn off since being acquired for Kyle Orton and a bevy of draft picks. Now that he has an offensive coordinator whose playbook has been successful on this side of the 2000s, Cutler is expected to flourish.

Then again, it’s hard to throw for 4,000 yards when you’re on your backside. And unfortunately for the Bears, Cutler has spent a lot of time picking himself up this preseason.

Cutler’s right arm, teamed with a Martz offensive package should make for some entertaining displays of aerial assault. With a porous pass protection scheme, Cutler will need to hit speedsters Johnny Knox, Devin Aromashodu and Devin Hester with big plays on the outside early and often. It will be the only way to slow down defensive pass rushers and blitzers, while making defensive coordinators adjust on the fly to combat the Bears’ deep patterns.

If the Bears’ three-headed speed demon can get separation and make catches in the open field, Cutler should have no problem bouncing back from a sack or two — hopefully not 10.

QUESTION: Will the Bears be able to stop anybody?

If not for Julius Peppers, the clear answer would be no. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris would all have their presence negated if not for Peppers, who demands double teams on a down-by-down basis. Had the Bears not signed Peppers this offseason, Chicago’s other top three defenders would be subjected to the attention that now goes in Peppers’ direction.

Upon looking at the Bears’ upcoming schedule, the first thing defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli should take notice of is who is under center for his opponents. Up-and-coming Matthew Stafford played very well against the Bears last season, while Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning are considered to be among the league’s elite quarterbacks.

And that’s just the first four weeks. Chicago wraps up its season facing Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Mark Sanchez and Rodgers. Sprinkle in some Chad Henne, Kevin Kolb and a homecoming for former Chicago prep star Donovan McNabb and it wouldn’t be a shock if the Bears’ pass defense have some sleepless nights in the near future.

After watching Colt McCoy’s 13-for-13 performance for the Cleveland Browns in the preseason finale, the aforementioned QBs who will see the Bears once the games count in the standings probably can’t wait to take the field and win a coin toss.

QUESTION: Will the Bears be better in 2010.

Last year, the Bears finished with a 7-9 record, so technically a 9-7 or 8-8 mark would be an improvement. However, it would be a disappointment after an offseason of upheaval and a summer camp full of optimism.

Truth be told, it might take Favre, Rodgers and Stafford falling off a cliff for the Bears to be contenders in the NFC North.

The rush offense should be good as a healthy Matt Forte and newcomer Chester Taylor have been bright spots for what has been a rather gloomy offensive unit. If the Bears struggle to protect Cutler in passing situations, expect Mike Tice’s offensive line to attempt to bruise their way forward with the running game. It might be the only way to keep hungry pass-rushers honest.

But if defenses stymie the Bears’ running attack, the offensive line fails to protect its quarterback and Cutler throws the pigskin to opposing defenses, then the offense will sputter.

Defensively, the Bears haven’t shown any improvement. Part of it is the scheme that calls for defenders to fall back into deep zones while pass catchers cut through the middle of the field and thrive with big plays on routes that run underneath the coverage.

The other part has been the lack of pass rush from anyone not wearing 90 on their jersey. Harris, Israel Idonije, Mark Anderson and Anthony Adams must break through opposing defensive lines and make their presence known by harassing opposing pass throwers and ball carriers.

It’s a make-or-break year for Lovie Smith. Two seasons ago, the team was 9-7 and on the cusp of a playoff berth. Last year, the Bears finished 7-9. An 8-8 season won’t cut it in 2010.

Jerry Angelo is on the hot seat as well after cutting the team’s top two picks of the 2009 draft as the roster was trimmed to 53. And despite losing high-level draft picks for Jay Cutler and Gaines Adams, the Bears haven’t done much with the rest of their draftees, so much so the team might as well bypass the draft in 2011 — or at least let a trained chimp make selections.

A season on the hot seat usually brings out desperate measures for teams, but for the Bears, it just might not be enough in 2010.

Saluki football opened a new era Thursday with a 70-7 victory against Quincy at the sparkling Saluki Stadium in front of 15,276 Salukimaniacs.

It was a banner night as the curtain opened on the crown jewel of the Saluki Way construction project.

Fans attending the school’s first sell-out in about two decades were treated to a glimpse of what could be coming throughout the college football season. Southern Illinois won’t score 70 points per game, but it should have the firepower to be among the highest scoring offenses in the FCS.

Following in the footsteps of Brandon Jacobs, Arkee Whitlock, Larry Warner, Deji Karim and others in the cavalcade of great SIU running backs, Lucien Walker scored the first two touchdowns in the history of Southern’s new digs. Walker, a converted fullback, got 12 touches and rushed for 114 yards and a total of three touchdowns. Junior transfer Shariff Harris added a pair of scores, while Steve Strother and Anton Wilkins each added a pair of rushing TDs.

Quarterback Chris Dieker completed 11 of 15 passes for 148 yards to go along with a pair of touchdowns. Paul McIntosh added a TD throw as a total of seven Salukis tallied touchdowns.

The only thing that could steal the thunder of SIU’s opening night romp was the new stadium itself — and it almost did.

Last year’s home opener against Southwest Baptist drew 8,358. Then again, McAndrew Stadium’s rusted squeaky bleachers couldn’t hold a candle to what Saluki Stadium provided. The atmosphere was like no other Saluki sporting event I had ever been to in my time in southern Illinois.

Once upon a time, Saluki football coaches steered prospects away from the home of the Dawgs. Visually, McAndrew was as appealing as a young lass wearing an outfit two sizes too small. I remember once talking to a Saluki signee who told me he had never visited the stadium once in any of his official or unofficial visits.

The feeling of shame that surrounded McAndrew has been replaced with a feel-good vibe that provided a festive attitude throughout the stadium. I had never seen SIU fans more excited about the game  than the postgame festivities.

And the good news for Saluki Nation is that there will be much more to be excited about as the season goes on. Anticipation is already building for next week’s showdown with Illinois in Champaign, not to mention the squad’s Oct. 9 date with archrival Northern Iowa.

The Salukis are a championship contender (again) with Dale Lennon at the helm. Following on the path laid out by predecessor Jerry Kill, Lennon’s SIU teams went 20-5 in his first two years winning back-to-back MVFC championships while taking the conference’s top coach honors in each of those seasons.

A constant for Lennon has been his signal caller as Dieker enters his third season as SIU’s starting quarterback. After beating out Joe Allaria for the starting gig three years ago, the strong-armed senior has led the maroon-and-white to a 15-4 record. Dieker has 26 touchdowns and 15 interceptions under his belt, but should see his production take a significant leap forward after spending quality time at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy.

A healthy Jeff Evans could lighten Dieker’s load in 2010, as could a steady running game. With Richard White probably redshirted this season dude to another injury, Walker, Strother and the rest of the SIU running game will be in charge of carrying the rock.

In the end, the Salukis will go only as far as Dieker goes under the tutelage of quarterback’s coach Randy Hedberg and new offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer — a three-time NAIA Coach of the Year.

Concerns about losing quality linebackers Brandin Jordan and Chauncey Mixon are eased with the return of The Valley’s most talented defensive backfield as cornerback Korey Lindsey and safety Mike McElroy are not just ballhawks, but are also dangerous in the open field when they get the ball in their hands.

The Salukis also possess a potent kicker in Kyle Dougherty as the special teams unit is no slouch under Lennon. The senior has connected on 73 percent of his field goal attempts in his three-year career and 76 percent of his kicks last year. The lone special teams question mark is freshman punter Austin Pucylowski, who is untested at the collegiate level.

It all adds up to what should be another stellar season of Saluki football.

Help is on the way for the Chicago White Sox’s sporadic offense in the form of Manny Ramirez.

The enigmatic slugger will join the Southsiders in Cleveland in the midst of a three-game set against the Indians. Manager Ozzie Guillen and the rest of the Pale Hose brass is hoping Ramirez’s bat ignites what — at times — can be a stagnant offense.

While his presence in the middle of the order could be a stabilizing force, the acquisition of the imposing power threat is about to set off an odd domino effect.

Ozzie’s first dilemma is placing Ramirez in the line-up. Trying to figure out where to put a hitter with 554 career home runs seems easy enough, and it’s not as if the name “Manny Ramirez” will be hard enough to write. ManRam probably slots best in the third spot of the order, in front of Paul Konerko, who is batting .315 with a .971 OPS in the White Sox’s clean-up slot.

Ramirez owns a career .312/.411/.600/1.011 slash line in 1,264 plate appearances as a No. 3 hitter.

The move would likely shift Alex Rios down to the five-hole. Rios is batting .281 in the third spot in the order, but the White Sox could use his speed (17 stolen bases) to set up more run-scoring opportunities for the bottom third of the order. Also dropping in the order would be Carlos Quentin, who could see a little bit of the pressure ease off his shoulders with three big thumpers ahead of him in the line-up.

As for the biggest fish for the White Sox to fry is the corresponding roster move, and to make things more interesting, the deadline to set up the team’s potential playoff roster is approaching rapidly.

Guillen and GM Kenny Williams could decide to cut either Andruw Jones or Mark Kotsay, who have spent much of the year splitting ABs at DH — and not really doing a good job at it, either.

However, it would be a risky proposition for the Southsiders to cut either. In a nutshell, Williams and Guillen would either be choosing between Kotsay’s role as Konerko’s back-up at first base and Jones’ strong outfield defense in late-inning situations replacing Quentin.

Defensive play is critical in a team’s success as run prevention is almost as important as run scoring as we head into the portion of the schedule where the marathon turns into a sprint. Though, if it were that critical, Juan Pierre wouldn’t be playing left field in late-inning, high-leverage situations.

If hitting prowess is a tie-breaker, then the edge clearly goes to Kotsay, which is saying a lot considering Kotsay has been swinging a bat with holes in it for much of the year. After hitting .217 through July 31, the lefty swinger owns a .317/.348/.540/.888 slash line. Respectable, considering Kotsay hit one home run and drove in eight RBIs in 120 at bats in June and July before knocking two homers and driving in 10 ribbies in 63 at bats through yesterday’s action.

Jones’ offensive numbers have been in free-fall since a monster 2006 season where he posted a 41-homer, 129-RBI campaign in a walk year with the Atlanta Braves. Three years and 742 at bats later, Jones has put up a total of 38 home runs and 99 RBIs. Andruw has shown a slight improvement in a small August sample size (.273 batting average, .991 OPS in 39 plate appearances) but it hardly makes up for his atrocious .205/.313/.452/.765 line through July 31.

In the end, adding Ramirez is much like buying a Hummer with 26-inch rims moments after getting your driver’s license. It’s expensive, with poor gas mileage — and honestly, difficult to navigate at times — but it just might pay for itself when prom night comes around ditsy cheerleaders are choosing between the guy with the H2 or the one driving his mom’s mini-van.

It’s not as if Manny is a stranger to working hard while the boss is watching. When one last big contract was at stake, Ramirez hit .396 and drove in 53 RBIs in 53 games with the 2008 Dodgers after being dumped in Hollywood by the Boston Red Sox. We would later learn his torrid run through National League pitching was chemically aided, but that’s neither here nor there.

Will Ramirez singlehandedly lead the White Sox past the Minnesota Twins and their four-game lead with one month to play?

Only if he can pitch the seventh, eighth or ninth.

Edwin Jackson’s resurgence with the Chicago White Sox is making the brass over at 35th & Shields look like a group of geniuses.

Jackson’s acquisition was a much-maligned move, especially when rumors of a failed deal to peddle the righty to the Washington Nationals in exchange for power-hitting Adam Dunn circulated. Yet, the fact that nothing came of said rumors could be the best thing to happen to the White Sox.

Moving youngster Daniel Hudson in exchange for Jackson has been a wash in what appears to be one of those rare balanced deals that has benefited both teams. The former highly touted White Sox prospect is 3-1 with a 1.72 earned run average. His success correlates with a decrease in hits and walks allowed to opposing hitters as his WHIP has dropped from 1.787 to 0.873.

Hudson’s rise is only trumped by Jackson’s revival.

Add Jackson to a cavalcade of starters to experience a revival under pitching coach Don Cooper. Jackson is 2-0 with a 0.96 ERA with outstanding peripherals.  His WHIP has dropped from 1.496 to 1.071. At this pace, his 7.4 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, 2.3 BB/9, 4.88 K/BB and 10.72 K/9 ratios would all be career bests.

This kind of career resuscitation would make Esteban Loaiza blush.

We’re talking about four runs (three earned) over 28 innings. Jackson had allowed at least four runs in each of his five starts prior to coming to Chicago and in 12 of his 21 starts with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Meanwhile, remember when Dunn was going to be the answer to the designated hitter woes that are currently plaguing Ozzie Guillen’s everyday line-up?

Since August 4th, Dunn has posted a .192/.294/.438/.732 slash line — hardly what Guillen and general manager Kenny Williams are seeking in a replacement for Mark Kotsay and Andruw Jones. The Nationals slugger is currently engulfed in a 6-for-44 slump in which he has gone homerless streak of 14 games and 56 plate appearances.

As for Kotsay, he’s posted a .327/.365/.592/.957 line in 14 games since August 14.

Off in the distance, I think I hear Hawk Harrelson saying you could chalk up another one for the good guys.

Carlos Zambrano is in the midst of a stellar stretch of pitching.

He has tossed 24 sharp innings over his last four starts, compiling a 2.25 earned run average and picking up a pair of wins in the process. In the 12 starts since his Opening Day debacle, Big Z has posted a respectable 3.72 ERA.

So, why does it seem as if everyone is suddenly willing to dump such a productive player?

I hate to say I told you so. Remember when we said the only thing crazier than Zambrano himself was the concept of making him a middle reliever? Or when we analyzed his career numbers and realized he’s the kind of pitcher who gets stronger as the season goes on? With his bullpen struggles a thing of the past, Zambrano is back in his comfort zone — mowing down hitters and eating up innings.

In a perfect world, the present provides the perfect opportunity to trade him. That is, of course, until you realize how valuable he could be to the 2011 team. Unlike a certain general manager, I completely understand the buy low, sell high concept. Yet, I find myself having issue with the need to trade Big Z this instant.

What a healthy Zambrano provides is a power arm who excels at eating innings and inducing groundball outs, a much-needed quality for a starting pitcher who makes his home at Clark and Addison. From 2003 to 2008, Big Z averaged 32 starts and 211 innings per season. In 2009, his six-year run in which he made at least 30 starts and threw 200 innings was snapped. However, Zambrano still was able to gut out 28 starts in a pedestrian 9-win campaign.

In a world where Cubs fans have been treated to the likes of Rich Harden’s five-inning stints of dominance, El Toro’s durability should stand out as one of his few redeeming qualities. Not to say an $18 million inning’s eater is something to brag about, but Kerry Wood and Mark Prior would be writing Hall of Fame speeches at this moment if success in simulated games counted for anything.

At this rate, the best thing for the Cubs to do with Zambrano would be to keep him. He might be the best thing going for the Northsiders on the mound when 2011 rolls around.

The only other established starter returning next season is Ryan Dempster, who has been the team’s most reliable regular season arm. It’s a shame I can’t erase that one postseason start in which he wet the bed in front of a nationally televised audience at Wrigley Field, because if I could, I’d have a lot more positive things to say about Dempster’s time in the rotation.

Locked down for the next two years, Dempster isn’t going anywhere.

Ted Lilly is a reliable arm the Cubs should consider keeping handcuffing hitters at an alarming rate since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-0 record, 1.83 ERA, 0.699 WHIP and 5.6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The law of averages suggest Carlos Silva won’t likely have a repeat performance of his 9-3 start. In fact, the law of Cubbie averages suggests Silva is due to come crashing back to Earth in March 2011 with a torn rotator cuff and an elbow ligament made of Jell-O once his deal with the devil expires. Silva should be considered nothing more than a back-of-the-rotation guy next season.

Tom Gorzelanny was a feel good story until he started pitching as if he realized he was Tom Gorzelanny. Over his last six starts, Gorzelanny has been hit hard (.288 batting average against) to go along with a 4.89 ERA. A far cry from his first six starts where he posted a 2.83 ERA while holding hitters to a .235 batting average.

The question Cubs management must ask themselves is whether they’ll get the Gorzelanny who resembles the guy who won 14 games for a dismal Pittsburgh Pirates team in 2007 or the guy who won 13 games over the next two seasons.

Randy Wells is to the Cubs what Rex Grossman was to the Bears. Bad Randy has had nine starts in which he has allowed at least five runs. Good Randy has had 10 starts in which he has pitched at least seven innings and allowed three runs or less. Relying on him in any capacity beyond being a fifth starter would be sillier than expecting Ryan Theriot to reach the height requirement for a rollercoaster at Six Flags Great America.

Sean Marshall could return to the rotation — or stay in the bullpen where he has been one of the team’s most reliable arms. That decision is up to Dusty Baker Lou Piniella Alan Trammell Mike Quade whoever takes over the team in 2011.

Until Andrew Cashner develops two pitches to go with his fastball, he’s likely to be relegated to bullpen duties. If he can’t come up with a second pitch, he might be sent back to the farm to hone his craft.

Ditto for Thomas Diamond.

Unless the Cubs can play the Washington Nationals 20 times per year, then Casey Coleman is on the outside looking in.

We’ve heard a lot about Jay Jackson, but obviously not enough to get promoted to the big club.

The Cubs had a Chris Carpenter recently promoted to Triple A. Unfortunately, it’s not the one you’re thinking about.

Cliff Lee isn’t coming, which is unfortunate because the Cubs have the money in the bank thanks to ticket sales, the TV deal and merchandising — not to mention the $25 million coming off the books from Lilly and Derrek Lee’s expired deals. Lilly could return, but if you’re a competitive NL West team, you have to consider keeping Theodore in his home state. Carl Pavano is having a career resurgence and would likely thrive with a return to the National League, but lest we forget what happened the last time he got a huge contract.

The names Erik Bedard, Jon Garland and Jake Westbrook are intriguing, but don’t make me want to take a second look.

Of all the reclamation projects that stand out, the only one worth a risk is former NL Cy Young award winner Brandon Webb.

So, why are we so willing to trade away a guy who has been good for eating 200 innings and making 30 starts over the course of what is now a 10-year career?

Oh, that’s right. Because he’s a little bit crazy.

Deal with it.

To say the Chicago White Sox are getting minimum production from the designated hitter position would be a grand understatement.

The designated hitter’s slot has been the least productive spot in what has been a streaky White Sox order. The .237 batting average and .308 on-base percentage rank lowest on the squad. The .401 slugging percentage ranks only ahead of the .343 SLG posted by the team’s left fielders.

At this point, the White Sox would be better served sending Carlos Zambrano, Micah Owings and Dan Haren to the plate instead of Mark Kotsay and Andruw Jones.

Better yet, how about Manny Ramirez?

Beyond my belief that the crazies should be corralled and forced to breed with one another in an area enclosed by an electric fence in Wyoming, is a feeling that crazy Manny and crazy Ozzie would work well with one another on the field — and possibly on some sort of reality show.

The combination of being mentally checked out and physically deteriorating could be wiped away if Ramirez was moved from Los Angeles to Chicago. Despite having only eight home runs and 39 runs batted in, Ramirez’s presence alone in the middle of the order would pay dividends immediately for the White Sox.

Surely, Kenny Williams would be interested in adding such a piece. Right? Of course, he would. In fact, the White Sox will claim him once the Dodgers put him on waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal. And why not?

Ramirez can still hit. A .312/.404/.508 slash line is nothing to scoff at, even if it comes over a span of 223 plate appearances and without the power numbers one would normally associate with the soon-to-be-outcasted outfielder. And luckily for the Southsiders, Ramirez won’t be a liability in the field because he won’t have to go anywhere near the green pastures of U.S. Cellular Field, which would significantly save his oft-injured legs.

While the White Sox are 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins, the Los Angeles Dodgers are 12 games out of first place in the National League West and at this point presumably desperate to distance themselves from their fading star’s antics. In turn, what’s to say Ramirez wouldn’t turn it around as a member of the White Sox.

Ozzie’s loose clubhouse, combined with a renewed spark of interest that comes with being in a pennant race could be just the type of medicine the imposing slugger would need to get his juices flowing again. And we’ve all seen Manny do that before.

His .299/.398/.529/.881 line before being dealt by the Boston Red Sox in 2008 was just just a prelude to the .396 batting average, .489 on-base percentage and a .729 slugging clip in 229 plate appearances he posted with the Dodgers. Those numbers are beyond eye-popping and for fans of an American League contender, your mouths should be salivating right now.

And if that doesn’t entice your palate, how about Ramirez’s .285/.394/.544/.937 line with 29 home runs and 79 ribbies in 111 playoff games. Or the fact that he’s a .322 hitter with 190 home runs in 770 career games after August 1. Maybe White Sox fans could warm up to his career .331 average against the Twins, .308 average against the Tigers or the .338 average and 1.049 OPS in 59 games at U.S. Cellular Field.

White Sox fans nervous about that type of acquisition would likely point toward Ramirez’s sketchy past. To those fans, I would suggest to not think about it in that way. For it would be like asking any woman about her sexual past, knowing that no matter what number she gave you, it would be unacceptable.

Think of the potential acquisition of Manny as a wham-bam-thank-you-Ram one-night stand.

Every manager to put on the Chicago Cubs uniform and post up at the top step has his brain cramps.

For Mike Quade, we didn’t have to wait long.

Sure, the untrained eye will tell you Mike Quade Era got off to a good start Monday with a 9-1 win against the Washington Nationals. However, the curse of having an interim manager reared its ugly head in the nation’s capital.

Quade said Monday he would treat the season’s remaining games as an audition for the full-time gig that will come when this 162-game kick to the nuts comes to an end in early October. And he’s already done that to an extent. In what might have been a hat tip to Lou Piniella, who shuffled his line-ups countless times this season in search of a a combination that was able to scratch across hits and push home some runs but to minimal success, Quade drew up a revamped line-up in his debut as Cubs manager.

Some of the shifting was met with praise, such as Blake DeWitt’s insertion into the lead-off spot, Tyler Colvin’s removal from the top of the order and into a run-producing slot and the dropping of Alfonso Soriano to the seventh slot.

DeWitt has posted an on-base percentage of .400 in 80 plate appearances since joining the Cubs, making him the optimal choice to be placed in the top spot. The move paid dividends immediately as he went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two driven in.   If DeWitt keeps it up, it won’t be long until Cubs fans forget about Ryan Theriot’s .320 OBP as a Cub in 2010.

As for Soriano, he went 2-for-5 in the seventh spot with a triple that could have possibly been an inside-the-park home run had he hustled out of the box for a change. Soriano drove in a pair of runs as his solid, yet unspectacular, season continued.

On the downside, I wasn’t a fan of moving Geovany Soto back to the eighth slot. It makes me wonder if Soto whizzed in Quade’s cereal because there might not be a tougher spot in the order to hit than in front of the pitcher and Soto’s numbers tell me he should be in a better spot in the order. Soto (.286/.404/.515/.919) should be featured in the middle of the order, preferably swapped with first baseman Xavier Nady despite his recent turnaround at the plate.

Speaking of first base, that’s where Colvin wasn’t on Monday — even though that’s where everyone expected him to be starting with the series against the Washington Nationals. If Quade really wanted to audition for 2011, it would behoove him to see whether or not a young, cost-controlled player such as Colvin can handle the full-time responsibility of playing first base.

Even if Colvin was a disastrous failure at first, what else is there to lose if you’re managing the Cubs. The team hasn’t been in playoff contention in a calendar year. The Cubs are also closer to the cellar-dwelling Pirates than the front-running Reds. Hell, even respectability seems to be out of reach at this point. We already know Nady can handle first, what’s the worst thing that can happen upon letting Colvin get an opportunity?

This is the same team that trotted out Kevin Gregg as a closer time and time again. The same organization that kept Ed Lynch on the payroll for years after being axed as general manager. The same franchise that traded Dickie Noles for a player to be named later — who happened to be Dickie Noles.

Free Tyler Colvin, already.

For all his flaws as we reached the tail end of his career, Piniella knew what he was doing in his final season. Sweet Lou kept Colvin in the No. 1 spot not because saw Colvin and his .310 OBP transcending the lead-off spot, but because he wanted to get Colvin as many at-bats as possible. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know Colvin’s future will likely be at a middle-of-the-order hitter, and Lou knew that. So, why not try to get as many ABs for a kid still in the developmental stages?

It’s only the first of many potential conflicts between yours truly and the Quade regime.

Will he find spot starts for youngsters to give a guy like Ryan Dempster an extra day between starts? Can he solidify Carlos Zambrano’s role in the rotation? Should he rest his two best bullpen arms (Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall) in order to see if anyone else can handle high-drama, late-inning situations? How many different line-ups can one man draw up?

Nothing should be interesting about a team that currently is slated to pick sixth in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, but then again, it’s the Cubs.

Surely, this was not the way Lou Piniella envisioned his managerial finale.

After 48 years of being a Major League Baseball player, manager and general manager, Piniella took off the uniform for the last time after the Atlanta Braves routed the Chicago Cubs 16-5 sending the outgoing manager with a reminder what winning baseball looks like.

Thankfully, Piniella’s career won’t be judged by one lackluster August afternoon.

Yesterday, we saw a grown man cry when Piniella held his final press conference at Wrigley Field.

Were they tears of sorrow as he reflected on a career in which he spent nearly half a century in Major League Baseball.

Or were they tears of joy because he no longer will be forced to write up a line-up card with Darwin Barney leading off, Jeff Baker playing right field or Koyie Hill behind the plate.

In any case, Sweet Lou is off to his sun-soaked Florida home where he’ll spend his time in his mother’s presence in her final days. What’s almost as sad as the circumstances of Piniella’s departure is knowing there are Cubs fans applauding this decision as if Tom Trebelhorn or Bruce Kimm was walking away.

It’s not like Piniella won more than 1,800 games, managed four different teams to 90-win seasons in three different decades, won three Manager of the Year awards (one of which was with the Cubs) or won 116 games with a Seattle Mariners club led by an upstart rookie named Ichiro, a 38-year-old Edgar Martinez and a pitching staff spearheaded by Jamie Moyer and Aaron Sele.

In 2007, Piniella inherited a mess of a roster and took a Cubs team that opened with Cesar Izturis and Michael Barrett as everyday players and Bobby Howry and Scott Eyre as shutdown late-inning guys, whipped them into shape, won 88 games and a National League Central Division championship.

One year later, the Cubs blazed through the National League, put their collective cleats to the throat of the Cardinals, Brewers and anyone else that stood in their path and won 97 games and another NL Central title.

Neither playoff appearance ended with a World Series. Neither season even produced a playoff victory.

In fact, since last holding first place on Aug. 5, 2009, Piniella’s Cubs went 77-102 over the next 179 games. And really, it’s not his fault. Look, Piniella should be applauded for taking that team into first place for any time span considering he was dealt a hand in which he relied on Kevin Gregg to be its closer and Milton Bradley to be its middle-of-the-order lefty thumper.

So maybe Lou didn’t deserve a better fate than having his last game as a manager end by being on the short end of a 16-5 blowout. Given a bad roster, Piniella shuffled the line-up, bullpen, rotation and everything possible in order to spark a moribund team and did so to no avail.

It was as if he was sent into a modern-day battlefield and Jim Hendry sent him out with a musket.

They might not feel it today, tomorrow or even by October, but Cubs fans will miss Lou Piniella. And if they don’t, it will confirm how brain-dead this franchise’s fan base has become. It’s not like Piniella stabbed Mark Prior’s shoulder, took an aluminum bat to the small of Kerry Wood’s back and swung a steel chair at Mark DeRosa’s forehead.

He managed three straight squads to winning records from 2007 to 2009. No Cubs manager had done that since Leo Durocher went 430-379  from 1967-71. Before Durocher’s reign, the Cubs had six seasons of at least 90 losses over a 10 year period.

In a nutshell, the Cubs went 38 years between having a manager good enough to navigate through three consecutive winning seasons.

So, I guess I’ll see you in 2048, right?

The St. Louis Cardinals have a problem. And it has nothing to do with the offense, defense or pitching staff. Nor does it have anything to do with their chase of the Cincinnati Reds.

So, what’s wrong with the Cardinals?

Well, it’s the boozing.

Don’t laugh. I’m being serious.

The Cardinals organization has a problem with the sauce. And no, this isn’t an excuse to make Tony LaRussa a punch line. Far from it.

It’s apparent to me, and anyone else with a pulse who has paid attention to the Cardinals over the last 10 or so years, that there is a serious substance abuse problem in the organization. Casual fans can point at LaRussa’s DUI. Or Josh Hancock’s tragic late-night car accident. Or the suspicious events that surrounded Daryle Kile’s death.

Now, you can point at the recent DUI-related arrest of announcer Dan McLaughlin as a talking point. (And if you want another talking point, check out the mug shot.)

The Cardinals banned booze from their clubhouse, which is a step in the right direction. However, it is clear that the organization needs to take another significant stride toward fixing a true clubhouse cancer. You can talk about chemistry all you want, there won’t be most chemistry to be had when it hits a significant piece.

Say, Albert Pujols?

Will it take an alcohol-related incident to the franchise’s most recognizable face for change to happen? Unfortunately, that’s what seems to happen sometimes. And that’s sad.

Steroid abuse is one thing — and it might be the one thing that people outside of St. Louis will always remember about LaRussa and his time with the Cardinals. It almost gives off the impression that maybe substance abuse and a blind eye go hand-in-hand under that regime.

If that’s the case, then it’s a shame.