Like every other scenario for the 2010 Cubs this plan has flaws

Nolan who is the oldest player on Minnesota scored his first goal in the first period for the Wild’s 12th first period goal in 22 games this season “He’s been a leader by example It’s every day in practice,” Richards said. The glaring statistic that jumped out at Islanders coach Scott Gordon was that his team got shutout in six power play opportunities. “I thought that we had some great chances that we just didn’t cash in on,” Gordon who has his captain Doug Weight out of the lineup said. This night however belonged to the grizzled veteran Nolan who showed his tremendous heart.

“This game is the way it is sometimes,” Islanders goalie Martin Biron whose team had a 2-1 lead after two periods said. You let some opportunities slip, and you lose these types of games. When it comes to boxing, Jewish world champions are a bit like London buses. Between 1910 and 1940, there were no fewer than 26 Jewish world champions in the eight weight divisions that existed at that time.Names like Benny Leonard, Jack 'Kid' Berg, Ted 'Kid' Lewis, 'Slapsie' Maxie Rosenbloom and Battling Levinsky remain legends of the sport to this day. But since American Mike Rossman lost his world light-heavyweight crown in 1979, there has not been a single Jewish world champion. I was lucky enough to interview the great man when he came to London not long before his death to be honoured by the International Boxing Hall of Fame.‘’When I was young, the Jewish people were so deprived that they had to fight to live,’’ he told me ‘’Today, the guys who box just live to fight. It’s as simple as that.’’I’ve never forgotten those words and somehow they ring true when I look at the backgrounds of Foreman and Salita.

Both boxers come from deprived backgrounds – Foreman in Belarus; Salita in Odessa.The roots of Ross’s generation were similar – his own father emigrated to the US from Brest-Litovsk, which is now in Belarus, while Leonard’s background was Manhattan’s Jewish ghetto and Berg and Lewis were products of London’s rough-and-tough East End.Perhaps the only difference between the two generations is that while Ross and Co grew away from their religious roots, both Foreman and Salita seem to have found them.Foreman is studying to become a rabbi, while Salita is a staunch follower of Orthodox Judaism who won't fight on the Sabbath.So if anyone reckons he hasn’t a prayer of toppling Khan in what is being billed as a classic ‘Muslim v Jew’ confrontation, perhaps they should think again.. When a team identifies a weakness in their lineup, whether offensive or defensive, there are three avenues through which the club can attempt to augment their efficiency at that position.First and most common, the club can look to the free-agent and trade markets to find a suitable upgrade.Second, they can replace from within, by promoting a highly-touted prospect.Third, they can platoon two players to fill the gap, or slide a player from one defensive position to another, thereby improving their expected output simply by optimizing the usage of their current roster.In the case of the 2010 Cubs, the most glaring deficiency among the projected everyday regulars is in center field. Kosuke Fukudome, the 2009 incumbent, will slide back to right in 2010, a necessary move in light of his abysmal year in center.That leaves general manager Jim Hendry to find a suitable fix for both Fukudome's vacated spot, and for the murky situation at middle infield. So far, reports in the Chicago sports media have suggested Hendry is targeting (among others) Mets second baseman Luis Castillo , and Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson .Both of them fit, in certain respects, but both also have serious flaws: Granderson can't hit left-handed pitching and doesn't get on base with any special aptitude.Castillo, aside from his advancing age, hits for no power whatsoever and plays below-average defense at second base.Although those are logical rumors, and although the alternative I am about to suggest is somewhat radical, there is another way, and one that could land the Cubs in better position to win both in 2010 and beyond.The proposal includes several steps. First, the Cubs would trade third-base prospect Josh Vitters, second baseman Mike Fontenot and a minor league pitcher to the Florida Marlins for their slugging second baseman, Dan Uggla. I know, I know, I have made this proposal more than once already, and have been much-maligned for it.But Uggla, who has hit more home runs in his first four seasons than any other middle infielder in history, will cost only about $7.5 million for whichever team pries him away from the stingy Marlins, and is under organizational control through 2011.Further, he fills one of Chicago's biggest lineup needs, a fifth hitter with power and patience to protect the big boppers, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez.Uggla would play second in 2010, then slide to either first or third in 2011, depending upon whether Ramirez opts out of his current deal after next season.More centrally, however, Ryan Theriot (the team's current shortstop) would move to the outfield, making room for star prospect Starlin Castro.Anyone who questions the wisdom of such a move need only review game tapes of the past few seasons to note that Theriot (primarily out of necessity, with Soriano, Fukudome and Jim Edmonds manning the outfield behind him) has become a deft fly-hawk. To add a layer of security, Hendry would do well to sign Marlon Byrd, with whom he already reportedly has had discussions.Byrd could take center if struggles by Castro forced Theriot to resume his place at short, and in the meantime, having Byrd's right-handed bat around could help offset Fukudome's woes against southpaw pitching.Like every other scenario for the 2010 Cubs, this plan has flaws.