Cubs May Not Need Hitter After All

Rumblings after Wednesday's game coming from the often-rumbling Lou Piniella centered around changes in the lineup.

But as Carrie Muskat reported, the Cubs kept the status quo in place, particularly Alfonso Soriano at the top of the lineup, despite a sub-.300 on-base percentage.

Of course, the storyline from Thursday's 6-5 win is that Soriano had the game-winning hit as Chicago's bats came alive.

But while much of the focus will be on the rejuvenated offense, the questions surrounding ownership transfer may be the real barrier to the Cubs bringing in a bat. Tip of the hat to Carrie Muskat again.

The two questions here: do the Cubs have their finances set enough to add payroll? And does Carrie Muskat ever sleep?