$136 Million for What?

There was quite a stir in the baseball world in the past few days. Alfonso Soriano signed an 8-year, $136 million deal with the Cubs. Now, before everyone gets all excited about how the Cubs are going to snap their now 99-year World Series drought, let's just step back and think about this. When was the last time a team signed a big name free agent, while having only 1 decent starting pitcher, and turned around from a miserable season to win a World Series? Remember how many World Series rings A-Rod picked up in Texas? Sure, the Cubs will have a lineup to fear with Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, Jones, etc** (**=If they are all healthy enough during the season for all of them to be in the lineup together for more than 50 games), but my concern is who will be hitting 9th. Carlos Zambrano has been dominant, and I won't take that away from them, but the rest of their rotation SUCKS. Are Sean Marshall and Rich Hill pitchers you'd like in your rotation to lead you to a World Series? "But dude, once we get Wood and Prior back its over!!!!1111" Uh...yeah. Well the last time those guys had good, healthy seasons it was 2003. A lot can change in that time. Prior has become absolutely hittable, and he was terrible in his limited work last season. Kerry Wood's career is over, but the Cubs still feel like paying him out of the kindness of their hearts I guess. I guess if claiming he'll be back some day gets female bartenders and bottom of the totem pole accountants that like to drink Old Style and stare at bartenders to come to games, then he's worth his pay. So congrats, Cubs. You're the Baltimore Orioles of the National League.

Tournment Time...
Conference Leaders (ties broken by BCS rank)
ACC: Georgia Tech (16)
Big 12: Texas (13)
Big East: West Virginia (7)
Big Ten: Ohio State (1)
C-USA: Houston (NR)
MAC: Ohio (NR)
Mountain West: BYU (23)
Pac-10: USC (3)
SEC: Florida (4)
Sun Belt: Middle Tennessee State (NR)
WAC: Boise State (11)

At-Large Teams: Michigan (2), Notre Dame (5), Arkansas (6), Wisconsin (8), Louisville (9)

First Round Matchups
#1 Ohio State vs. #16 Middle Tennessee State
#8 Wisconsin vs. #9 Louisville
#4 Florida vs. #13 BYU
#5 Notre Dame vs. #12 Georgia Tech
#3 USC vs. #14 Houston
#6 Arkansas vs. #11 Texas
#7 West Virginia vs. #10 Boise State
#2 Michigan vs. #15 Ohio