thinking baseball, already

I know it's December, but baseball season is almost here

     I am a little bummed tonight.
     Starlin Castro has been traded.  To the Yankees.
     Normally I don't talk a lot of sports....mainly because I don't know that much about teams outside Chicago.
     But I liked Starlin.  Jackie liked Starlin.  We all liked Starlin.
     Yes, he had some problems last year.  But he was moved to second base, learned that position fairly well, rebounded with the bat and was an all star caliber player at the end of the season.
     He was one of those kids the Cubs were going to build around.  Now he's gone.
     I know baseball is a game of money.  Players don't stay loyal to a team.  Teams don't stay loyal to a player.  And management is not going to take a poll on which players to keep and which to trade.
      I know Starlin could have been an All Star second baseman for the Cubs, again.   He can hit, hit with power, field the position fairly well.  He was learning, and developing, and is fairly young.
     But they needed pitching.  And it was him or Baez, so they opted for keeping the younger, maybe less expensive, player.
     New York media and fans can be brutal.  I hope Starlin has the strength to put up with the boos the first time he strikes out or drops a ball.  If he can put that behind him, he will do well in the Big Apple.
     When you follow a team, you feel like you know the players.  I've watched Castro for what, six years?  He has had his ups and downs, but he was a darn good player who did whatever you asked of him.
     Good luck, knock 'em silly, Starlin!