The Cubs staggered back to Wrigley Field for a homestand that began Friday, heavy damage having been sustained throughout a 1-6 road trip that included five one-run losses.
The White Sox, meanwhile, hit the road after having rebounded — a little? — from a 10-game losing streak by winning three games in a row and their first series of the season, though they dumped Thursday’s finale against the Twins in dispiriting fashion.
In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we wanted to know if the Sox had given fans hope for a turnaround and if the Cubs had soured fans on their potential.
“No,” @RonaldVoigt4 commented about the Sox, “because the core players remain the core problems.”
“My pessimism mostly stems from the front office and management’s passivity and risk aversion,” @cubsaccount wrote of the North Siders. “They needed to thread a needle to be good this year, and [manager David] Ross is out there trying to mash the same bent, frayed thread through an ever-narrowing eye.”
Last, we asked about your plans for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. On to the polls:
Poll No. 1: Has the White Sox’ brief winning streak given you hope for a turnaround?
It’s time for this week’s “Polling Place.” Let us hear from you! Selected comments will appear in Saturday's paper.
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) May 4, 2023
Q1: Has the White Sox’ brief winning streak given you hope for a turnaround?
Upshot: Clearly, it’s going to take a few more series wins — in a row — before anyone takes this team seriously. But, hey, Eloy Jimenez is starting to poke long balls over the fence. Closer Liam Hendriks is coming back before long. The American League Central isn’t exactly a murderer’s row. What say you, people? “I’m going to see some summer movies,” @JBIRD1268 offered.
Poll No. 2: Has the Cubs’ brutal road trip soured you on their potential?
Q2: Has the Cubs’ brutal road trip soured you on their potential?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) May 4, 2023
Upshot: The voting on this Cubs question is a bit more hopeful than it is on the Sox one, which isn’t saying much. But — and this might sound familiar — the National League Central isn’t exactly a murderers’ row. “Still have hope for a 100-loss season,” @SmokingBaby81 lobbed in. We’ll just go ahead and mark Baby as a Sox fan.
Poll No. 3: Do you have plans for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby?
Q3: Do you have plans for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) May 4, 2023
Upshot: The Run for the Roses doesn’t seem to be such a big deal here, does it? “Rich people stuff,” according to @MyaVoice1. And as @ESPNLisle so eloquently put it, “I would rather dump my mint julep on the ground and eat the cup whole than have to pretend to care about horse racing.” But for one out of 10, hey, party on!