Chicago Cubs SS Starlin Castro: A "Star" Is Born

Normally, when a 21 year-old stencils his name in urine on his neighbor's vinyl siding and is cited by the local police, people write it off as kids being "too young to know any better."

Similarly, when you've recently turned 21—classifying you as the youngest player in the Majors—and you're hitting .418 through the season's first three weeks, I guess you're also "too young to know any better."

As much as the Cubs' starting pitching this season has been as infuriating as an octogenarian breaking your cruise control on the Kennedy, Castro has been absolutely incredible.

In the Cubs' recent trip to Colorado, a state conducive to hitting and "coexisting", Castro flourished by amassing seven hits in the series' final two games.

In fact, the fresh-faced infielder who was born in 1990 already has six three-hit games on the young season.

In case you're not a Cubs historian, that's the most in the first 15 games of the year since Clarence Birdseye's advent of a process for frozen food in 1925. That's right, the last time someone was making as much music as Castro in the batters box through the first three weeks, George Gershwin was writing 'Rhapsody in Blue'.

Ever since Quade inserted the north side's newest "Star" into the lead-off spot, he has accepted the invitation graciously by going 18-32 with eight runs, two doubles and two triples.

I could sit here and spew stats at you until you're Cubbie blue in the face, but that is besides the point. The fact of the matter is, No. 13 is the April MVP of the National League (like anybody cares).

Even more impressively, Castro has a knack for providing clutch hits and seeing-eye singles in pivotal moments of the game. It's not like Sammy Sosa cranking moonshots when the Cubs are either up by a touchdown or down by a decade on the stadium scoreboard.

As of this season, he has been impervious to pressure and it has rewarded him by placing his name amongst the top five in the NL in runs.

The fact that he was barely recognizable in Wrigleyville last season is now a thing of the past. Now, Starlin is going to have to fend off more hangers-on with his boyish jive-talk than Tahj Mowry after Smart Guy blew up.

By no means am I predicting that Castro will continue his dominance into a .400 season or an MVP campaign, but when the player on your team with boatloads of potential is making the most out of his opportunities, it is refreshing. And for a Cub fan, it's unusual.

As for Pick of the Day, The Pulse Man likes the Pacers and the near dozen-point cushion they are being allotted in the Madhouse. By no means are either of us rooting for Psycho T, but a cover wouldn't be the end of the world.

Pick of the Day: Pacers (+11) @ Bulls- PACERS

Record:(64-52-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

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