The BP Cup spilleth over with apathy and disappointment

So game 1 of the Crosstown Classic is in the books with the Sox beating the Cubs 10-5 at Wrigley. This is the first year that the winner of the 6-game series between the city rivals will take home the BP Cup, and also the first year that the majority of fans could care less about the games.
I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the Blackhawks glorious run at winning the Stanley Cup. Thanks to the Hawks the city was able to unite and cheer and feel a sense of joy and pride that it hasn't felt in a long time, and won't feel again until they begin their quest to repeat, or the Bulls manage to land LeBron.
No, most of the angst and lack of emotion over the series is because both teams have been equally bad all year. The win against the Cubs gave the Sox their second 3-game winning streak of the year. That's right, their SECOND 3-game winning streak. They have woefully underachieved in almost every aspect of the game and routinely fail to play with any kind of consistency or urgency.
The Cubs, on the other hand, are an enigma that even their skipper can't seem to solve. First it was the Carlos Zambrano fiasco, then they can't score any runs even though they led the NL in team batting and now Piniella is lashing out at Steve Stone (didn't we see this movie before) for saying he should play Tyler Colvin more often. They've called up Starlin Castro and shuffeled around the bullpen and batting order but still can't seem to get going.
It wouldn't be so bad if either team was close to .500 on the season (the Sox are 6 games under and the Cubs are 7) or showed any significant signs of coming to life. Just when you think one of them might pull their heads from their backsides they get beat up by Pittsburgh or destroyed by Cleveland (both are a combined 27 games below the break even point).
It's only a matter of time before the Sox cut ties with Paulie or A.J. or Big Bobby and the Cubs trade D-Lee or Tiger Ted. It will be a sad day on both sides of town once the decision makers decide that the season is over and they swap out their tradable parts for something newer and unproven.
As for the BP Cup... For as much as I hate it being given to the winner of the 6-game series (wouldn't it make more sense to find a sponsor with actual Chicago ties?), isn't it fitting that the corporation sponsoring the trophy is further away from solving their own problems than the two teams competing for it are to winning the World Series?

Hype you can believe in

Stephen Strasburg made his much anticipated and well-hyped Major League debut Tuesday night for the Washington Senators, and he was nothing short of amazing. He gave up 4 hits, 2 runs and struck out 14 (a franchise record) while walking none in 7 innings of work. His fastball never dipped below 97mph on the guns and he even hit triple digits a couple times. He had effortless command of all his pitches and showed he could throw each one for a strike whenever he wanted.
Think back to the game when Kerry Wood struck out 20 Houston Astros. Remember how devastating his curve ball and slider were? Strasburg's breaking pitches had the same vicious bite and was critical in him being as dominant as he was. Throw in his 2-seamer with incredible movement and a 4-seam fastball that can reach 100mph, and you have a lethal combination that could make him one of the top pitchers in baseball.
Look, I know he dominated the Pirates, a franchise that has not had a winning season since 1992 (Strasburg was 4 years old) so to say he could be one of the best pitchers in baseball could be premature. But if you watched the game like I did then you saw first hand how disgusting he can be. From overpowering hitters with an explosive fastball that can reach 100mph, then dropping a curve ball at 84mph with more downward movement than an inexpensive casual lady of the night, Strasburg has the mechanics and repertoire to dominate any lineup he faces. Hopefully he will stay healthy throughout his career to wow the fans and humiliate his opposition with his arsenal of pitches.