MLB: The Best Cubbies Blog

2008-11-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hey, the Cubs go green! The team was inducted into the Environmental Hall of Fame, and you can read about it online here instead of wasting paper. :)

2008-10-30T10:45:00.001-07:00

Get out there and vote next Tuesday, November 4th, Cubbie fans!

2008-10-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

Catch the election fever! Vote here for the 2008 MLB Awards.

2008-07-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this ad for Chevy?

I have to admit, it makes me laugh every time. It's like if my grandpa was trying to rap.

One time it's good to be punked...

2008-02-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this isn't about the Cubs, but this prank played on Philles pitcher Kyle Kendrick is absolutely priceless.

Chicago Cubs giving something to cheer about

2007-08-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it. I'd almost written off Jacque Jones as being any good to the Cubs. But did you see him Friday? Holy smokes! He finally earned his salary, if nothing else. What a season this has been...

When will Piniella learn?

2007-06-01T12:49:00.001-07:00

Seriously? Piniella goes AGAIN with Scott Eyre in the 11th inning? With an ERA now of 8.16 this year, how long will it take before we find someone who can perform? I'm just sitting back and waiting for my Chicago Cubs to resurface.

Go Cubs!

2007-03-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

Your not going to hear Piniella complaining about the Cubs performance against the Milwaukee Brewers. Way to go Jay Fox! If the Cubs keep playing that kind of baseball all season I want tickets!

2007-01-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

So the Chicago Cubs signed Will Ohman to a two-year contract--one down, two more to go. Carlos Zambrano and Mark Prior are up next for slaary arbitration...

Looking to Make a Change

2006-12-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Cubs are coming off their worst season, 66-96, since 2002 when they went 67-95, and they realize that they had to make some changes. They got rid of Dusty Baker and signed Lou Piniella, and beefed up their bats with the signing of Alfonso Soriano to an eight year deal. And during the winter meetings general manager Jim Hendry finalized a 4-year $40 million deal with left handed pitcher Ted Lilly from the hospital after Hendry had an angioplasty. Talk about getting the job done no matter what.

Chicago Fan Agrees with New Yorker?

2006-11-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

I don’t make a habit of turning to New York for commentary on my Chicago Cubs, but you never know what will show up when you go a-Googling. In this case, Tim Marchman of the New York Sun said several hopeful things about the off-season moves the Cubs have been making. He was particularly encouraging about the re-signing of third-baseman Aramis Ramirez for five more years and of Kerry Wood to pitch as a reliever rather than a starter. Most of all, he liked the replacement of Dusty Baker with Lou Piniella (not that Marchman is at all fond of Piniella, he just despises Baker).

What can I say? I agree that Ramirez and Wood are good to hang onto. I’m not going to rag on Dusty Baker, but I do think Lou Piniella will kick things up a notch. For the sake of long-suffering Chicago Cubs fans, a couple of notches would be nice.

Halloween Gross Out

2006-10-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

"The 31 Scariest Moments in Sports History" was on line on sacbee.com, the e-version of the Sacramento Bee. It was somehow related to Halloween, but as the article points out, scary stuff happens all year round in sports.

Top of the list was Joe Theisman's leg getting broken for the whole nation to see -- again and again -- and there were brawls and beanings, one biting, and a political killing (Israeli athletes murdered at the Munich Olympics).

Thanks to morbid curiousity, I read the whole thing. By the time I got to #31, I was starting to think I should never buy a ticket to another game of any sort. I wasn't tricked into reading it, but it was definitely not a treat!

crazy days...

2006-10-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

Man, I have been so busy everything is such a blurr, I feel disoriented. I'll try to keep up with my blogs better but no promises.

Got Your World Series Tickets?

2006-10-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

I hope the Tigers’ fans haven’t grabbed them all. Some of us need to be there screaming for the National League pennant winners, even if it (still) isn't our beloved Chicago Cubs.

Well, enough of this—I need to get out on the internet highway and see if anybody (say, somebody over in the Big Apple) has World Series tickets for sale. I noticed a suite available at Comerica Park opening night for $30,000 and change, but I don’t need 18 tickets, just a couple.

Chicago Cubs-Clean up in the Windy City!

2006-10-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Or at least that's what the Chicago Cubs are doing. Management is taking the blame for the disappointing season and the fans seem to agree. Although, i have to say, how much of that blame are Dusty Baker and Andy MacPhail actually responsible for? They worked with what they had and what they had were injured players. Maybe replacing those players for ones that can do their jobs will help the Cubs game and help ticket sells, just a thought.

Cubs Start Cleaning House

2006-10-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Yet another disappointing season for the Chicago Cubs. And it seems like the Cubs organization is starting to do some house cleaning. Manager Dusty Baker was dismissed in a new conference today, one day after Cubs president Andy MacPhail resigned. Speculation is that the Cubs are going to pick up Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi who is expected to be fired on Tuesday. Sounds to me like we're replacing one losing manager with another losing manager.

Cubs give fans their money's worth!

2006-08-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Been away for awhile, and it’s good to be back, especially to come back to a double-your-money’s-worth treat: an 18-inning game for the price of 9 innings. Of course, what made it great was how close we came to going down for the count in the 9^th inning, then staying alive when Matt Murton, behind Brad Lidge in the count 0-2, got the hit that tied the game.

I guess the Cubs were pretty tired after 5 and a half hours of baseball, but they held it together to sweep the series!

Snap Out of it Cubs!

2006-05-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

This current slump has taken its toll on the Chicago Cubs, but they’ll survive. A lot of Cubs fans have been wondering if this season will be the end of manager Dusty Baker and the speculation is valid. He’s going to have to change some things during the rest of the season and play it smart once Mark Prior and Derrek Lee get off the disabled list.

Pitching is Good, but it Could be Great

2006-05-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Greg Maddux is off to the best start of his career but losing first-baseman Derrek Lee has hurt the Chicago Cubs more than I thought it would have. Things might look up when the Cubs play the Washington Nationals next week because we may see the return of Kerry Wood, who was the 1998 National League Rookie of the Year. With Maddux and Wood on the roster we might see some big wins for the team. We really need them right now.

Cubbies suffering from May-fever.

2006-05-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

The Cubs are depending on Greg Maddux to pull them out of their current slump. The Chicago Cubs have been on a six game losing streak and we do not want to be swept again like we were by the Arizona Diamondbacks last week. What has gone wrong lately?

Ramirez Struts his Stuff

2006-04-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs found some buried treasure in their series winning victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Aramis Ramirez drove in three with a homer and had two runs in three trips to the plate. He is a player to watch this season.

While the cat is away the mice will play!

2006-03-19T16:50:00.000-08:00

Geovany Soto of the Chicago Cubs enjoyed the World Baseball Classic a little more than most. Since two of our catchers were away at the event, Soto got the chance to shine and soak up the spotlight. Soto is hoping he will be able to rise above back up status and get into the rotation because of this opportunity. I really hope everything works out for him.

If we spend money we’ll win. Right?

2006-02-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Cubs seem to be loosening their belt a little this year. They have just finished their last arbitration case with Carlos Zambrano signing a one year deal for $6.5 million. The crazy part is that he was asking for $7.2 million. I am in the wrong line of work!

A Super Bowl with No Bears

2006-01-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

This Chicago Cubs fan wishes he had tickets to the Super bowl. Detroit is right around the corner from Chicago and it looks like it will be a good game even though the Chicago Bears didn’t make it. I’d like to see the Seahawks win because this will be their first ever appearance in the big game.

Chicago…Come Together?

2005-10-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry Cubs fans, but I have to talk about your sister team here for a little bit. Forget the curse of the Bambino, what about the curse of the Black Sox, almost 90 years without a championship and 46 years since they’ve even been in the World Series. Now I know you’re not supposed to cross enemy lines with teams in the same town, but this could be an amazing series that deserve all of Chicago’s support. This is going to be a series to watch with both teams having good pitching and knowing how to win games when it comes down to the wire. So put your hands together for your fellow Windy City ball club, if for no other reason than to see the Houston Astros lose it.

The End of a Disappointing Season

2005-10-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

When asked to describe in one word this last season for the Chicago Cubs, manager Dusty Baker answered, “Anguish.”

“It was filled with ups and downs and a constant struggle,” Baker said. “There was never a point where you felt you were in control for a long extended period of time.”

And it’s easy to see why that would have happened. By taking just a short look at their injured this past season, it’s a wonder that they were even able to finish the season. Nomar Garciaparra was out for most of the season with a torn groin, third baseman Aramis Ramirez hurt his quadriceps, and pitchers Kerry Woods and Mark Prior were out for much of the season with arm problems. Plus Greg Maddux was not his usual reliable self with a record of 13-15, ending two streaks, seasons with 15 wins or more and winning seasons. The Cubs will be restructuring for next season, hopefully they will be able to catch a break.

Going for Win #14

2005-09-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Greg Maddux kept his hopes alive for extending his 17 season long streak of 15 wins or more. He looks to add another win, making 14, on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over his career, Maddux has pitched very well against the Pirates with a 2.52 ERA. He’s going against a young and very promising pitcher Zach Duke who has a 1.94 ERA out of 10 starts this season. But if Maddux has taught us one thing over these past 17 seasons, it is that he comes through when his team needs him. Look for a low exciting game, despite the fact that neither of these teams are playoff bound.

Maddux Not Up to His Standards

2005-09-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Greg Maddux has been recognized as one of the most dominating pitchers in the MLB, and a streak of his may finally come to an end this season. For a remarkable 17 seasons in a row, Maddux (12-13 this season) has one at least 15 games. With only 3 starts remaining this season, Maddux must win out. Maddux is downplaying the importance of this streak to him, but when you’re an aging player and something like this happens, you must wonder if it may be time to hang it up. Hopefully this is a down year for both Maddux and the Cubs, and they will bounce back next year.

An Off Day

2005-06-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

With the absence of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior the Cubs looked to good ol’ Greg Maddux to lead the way, but Maddux hit a brick wall yesterday against the Florida Marlins. The Marlins spanked Maddux for 7 runs in just 3 2/3 innings that he pitched. It was far too many runs to early for the Cubs to catch up and ended up dropping the contest 15-5. The Marlins took the series 2-1 as the Cubs try and figure out a way to solve their pitching woes.

Three Cheers

2005-06-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Three cheers Derrek Lee.

Hip-Hip hooray, Hip-Hip hooray, Hip-Hip hooray

Lee went a perfect 5-for-5 against the Dodgers in 9-5 victory last night. The good news doesn’t stop there. Lee blasted a 3-run home run, which puts him at a tie with A-Rod for most home runs (17). On top of the that Lee has the league leading batting average with a .380. Plus the Cubbies have now won 6 strait and it seems like the bats have finally come out of the closet with 13 hits.

8 out of 10

2005-06-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Give it up to Carlos Zambrano, Michael Wuertz, and Ryan Dempster who all came together to allow a one hitter against the Dodgers in a 2-1 win. The Cubs have won 8 out of their last 10 games, and 5 of those wins were the last five games. The Cubs are staying alive despite the amount of injuries that have plagued the team this year. I can only imagine what will happen when everyone is healthy.

Much Needed

2005-05-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

Right handed Pitcher Sergio Mitre was far from decent today against the Rockies. His first outing against the Astros was far better. Mitre gave up six runs and nine hits today, but the Cubs still got the win. You can thank the sleeping bats of the Cubs line up.

Derek Lee is always a presence and kept the Cubs in the game early on, but it was Jeromy Burnitz and Aramis Ramirez who decided to bring the bats to the game today. Ramirez needed this game to get out of his funk and so did Burnitz, hopefully this will be a turning point for the injured plagued Cubs.

Out of Reach

2005-05-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

Young gun Carlos Zambrano struggled in today’s outing against the Colorado Rockies. Zambrano gave up three runs off of five hits over seven innings of pitching. The Cubs ended up dropping this contest 5-2. The Cubs are now 8 ½ games behind the Cardinals in the NL West.

Not Looking Good

2005-05-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

I just don’t know what to expect at this point from the Cubs. The roster seems to get depleted every week. First it was Nomar, then it was Walker, and now it is Corey Patterson.

Patterson will not participate in tonights game due to a sore left wrist. In his place will be Jerry Hairston Jr. and in Jr.’s place will be second baseman Enrique Wilson

A Bright Spot

2005-05-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

The biggest bright spot for the Cubs right now is first baseman Derrek Lee. In a season that seems to be plagued by injuries, Derrick Lee steps up for his team. It is still early in the season but the Cubs are 6 games back form the Cards in the NL West.

Hopefully when certain people return and when Ramirez finds his swing things will just pick up, but Kudos for Lee who self improved over the off-season on his lower body movement while at the plate. Lee seems to be hitting in perfect rhythm now.

Is Woods a Closer?

2005-05-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

from MLB.com

Answer:
It's not out of the question. Wood's first choice is to stay in the rotation. He's one of the most competitive players around, and when he's on, he's a winner. One of my favorite days was his 20-strikeout game on May 6, 1998. Entering this season, Wood had 41 double-digit strikeout games in his 164 big league starts, and he had worked at least six innings 127 times.

But if Wood continues to have problems with his arm -- he's on the 15-day DL with a muscle strain in his right shoulder -- then he may have to consider another role, possibly reliever and possibly closer. The Cubs know this. He's spending part of his rehab time now analyzing his mechanics with pitching coach Larry Rothschild to see if they can avoid any more arm problems. Never say never.

All About the Pitching

2005-05-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

from Foxsports.com

RHP Ryan Dempster may be only a temporary solution at closer. RHP Joe Borowski, who was Chicago's closer before suffering a shoulder injury last year, is making progress in his minor league rehab assignment and was to work back-to-back games for the first time this week. Dempster, who put together several quality starts recently, is throwing a better slider these days.

Lights, camera, action...

2005-04-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

The Cubs finally get there first night home game. Tonight at Wrigley Field the Cubs open a three game series against division rivals the Cincinnati Reds. Both teams are at .500 with 9-9 records.

The Cubs will start Mark Prior who is 2-0 and beat the Reds earlier this month on the 19th of April. Prior has not given up a single earned run in his two starts and has struck out 12 batters over a 13 inning stretch.

The last time the Cubs met the Reds they split a two-game series over at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, but now it is time for the Reds to come to our neck of the woods.

Walker on DL

2005-04-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

from MLB.com

The Chicago Cubs today placed infielder Todd Walker on the 15-day disabled list with a moderate to severe medial collateral ligament sprain of the left knee. In addition, infielder Mike Fontenot was recalled from Iowa (AAA).

Walker -- who hit .381 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI in his first six games -- sustained the injury yesterday in a collision with Milwaukee's Carlos Lee.

Fontenot has batted .308 with a solo homer in his first four games for the Triple-A affiliate. The left-handed hitter was acquired by the Cubs February 2 with infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston and minor league pitcher David Crouthers in exchange for outfielder Sammy Sosa.

Things to Know

2005-03-31T12:52:00.000-08:00

from Foxsports.com

RHP Mark Prior doesn't plan on altering his delivery on his breaking pitches to avoid aggravating his elbow. He was sidelined this spring with inflammation, which might have been caused by the finish on his delivery. He should be ready for the second week of the season. . . .

With RHP Joe Borowski out (non-displaced fracture in right wrist), RHP LaTroy Hawkins is the closer again. Hawkins had no problems getting ahead of hitters last year. The problem is he doesn't have an out pitch and has been experimenting with his repertoire this spring. . . .

LHP Glendon Rusch will be needed more in the pen than the rotation, and he will be expected to duplicate last year's swingman role. Without Rusch, Mike Remlinger would be the only lefthander in the Cubs' pen. Both Rusch and RHP Ryan Dempster have been stretched out this spring.

It's that time Again

2005-03-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow Cub fans. So it was brought to my attention that spring training started… I knew that… I have been paying close attention to our Cubbies. I’ve just been away on my spring break, but now I am back and I have some updates for you guys.

We will start with the pitching; Kerry Wood is just Kerry Wood. Wood looked to be at his best against the Giants. Prior is back and healthy, Maddux is in his own league and Zambrano just gets better and better. All the Cubs need is that fifth starter in the rotation, which could be Ryan Dempster or Glendon Rusch. We should know within a couple of weeks.

At the other end of the pitching spectrum, Joe Borowski has proven how serious he is to get his job back as the closer. He came back to camp lean and 15 pounds lighter. It’s been said that he has spent 6 to 7 hours everyday rehabilitating. This rotation and bullpen well be exciting to watch this year and could quite possibly be the best in the NL.

Without Alou and Sosa...

2005-02-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

We all know Nomar Garciaparra, and I am sure we are more than happy to have him as a Cub. The problem now is that Sosa and Alou are gone, and the Cubs are left weakened offensively.

Unless Nomar can produce his 20 home runs like he used and also a 100 RBIs season like he has done before, then I think we will be in good shape with Ramirez in the clean-up spot. On top of that we have Lee who can pick up some of the slack as well, since he belted 32 homers last season.

I think Nomar will contribute greatly the coming season. At first I was a little worried about his ankle, but he is healthy now. And then I worried if he really wanted to play for the Cubs, then I read something he said and I think he understands now.

"It's exciting, just going around the city. It's 'Cubs, Cubs, you're a part of the Cubs.' No one is bigger than the team here. We're a part of something great here, and we know where we belong." - Garciaparra

Bye Sosa, Ramirez & Zambrano Stay

2005-02-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

So it is official, Sammy Sosa is no longer a Cub. After 13 seasons there will be someone else rather than Sammy playing right field. As a fan, I am big on loyalty for a team. So yes I my self disapprove of the trade, but if Baker feels it needed to be done then it needed to be done.

The good news is that we attained the services of Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Zambrano for this coming season.

Ramirez will get paid $8.95 million dollars this season, and for good reason too. Ramirez who 26 year-of-age, belted 36 homeruns last season surpassing Cubs third baseman Ron Santo’s 33 homeruns in 1965. On top of that, Ramirez maintained a .316 batting average and had 103 runs batted in.

Zambrano singed a deal worth $3.76 million dollars for next year, the interesting thing for Zambrano situation, is that a player needs six seasons before he could choose to be a free agent. Meaning the Cubs don’t have to worry about loosing him for the next three seasons. The right-hander pitcher had 16 wins with a sick 2.75 ERA.

Sosa on the Trading Block

2005-02-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

In a trade that is supposed to be underway, Sammy Sosa would be dealt to the Baltimore Orioles for Jerry Hairston Jr. and two minor-leaguers, second baseman Mike Fontenot and pitcher Dave Crouthers.

Sosa will be in Baltimore on Tuesday for a physical.

If and when Sosa passes his physical the only road block in the way for the Cubs to get rid of Sosa (which is a bad move in my opinion) is for the approval from Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.

Why Baker? What does baseball come to when it isn’t about the game anymore?

There Goes My Hero

2005-01-15T11:19:00.000-08:00

This is a great day for baseball. This a great day for the Chicago Cubs. Ryne Sandberg was elected, to what I feel is one of the greatest honor's of all time, the Major Leauge Baseball Hall of Fame.

I can remember going up as a kid watching the big Ryno play. I myself played played for several years. Went to college to play even. But my only dream was to one day play on some type of level that would resemble "Baby Ruth".

Another name given to Ryno was "Kid Natural" which is probably my favorite of them. Ryno is the reason why I wanted to play second base. As I am sure he was the reason for many kids of my generation to play ball.

It is nice to see some one finally get what they deserve. I can't think of any other ball player who was more dedicaded to the game, who plays the game not becuase he was getting paid and not for the fame, but for the love of game.

Seeing him out on the field is probably 1/3 of my childhood. I never saw any one else play the game the way he did, and Ryno did it with out any flashy moves nor did he need the media to get his message across. His actions spoke louder than words, and that was all I needed. Ryno has always been a Hall of Famer in my book. Thanks for everything Ryno.

Here are some of his accomplishments:
- .285 career batting average
- 9 Golden Gloves
- A National MVP
- 282 career homeruns
- 1,061 career RBIs
- before retiring in 1997, he held the all-time record among second basemen with 277 home runs that was until this past year.(Jeff Kent holds it now)

Roster questions abound

2004-12-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

Why did the Cubs leave Andrew Sisco and Luke Hagerty unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft and not trade them this summer or beforehand when they knew they couldn't keep them? -- David B., New York, N.Y.

First, the Cubs didn't know for sure that they'd lose them in the draft. Second, teams can't protect every player. As much as the Cubs like Sisco and Hagerty, two left-handed pitchers, they needed to keep open roster spots for holes on the big league team. Third, the teams that drafted Sisco and Hagerty now have to keep the two pitchers on their big league rosters all season. If not, they are returned to the Cubs.

Do you know how serious the Cubs are about signing Carlos Beltran? Since the Cubs did not offer Moises Alou arbitration, that leaves a void in left. Did they talk to his agent at the Winter Meetings? -- Mitch J., Dallas, Texas

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry did talk to Beltran's agent, Scott Boras, over the weekend in Anaheim. However, the Cubs cannot make a push for Beltran as long as they have Sammy Sosa under contract. Sosa is owed $17 million in 2005, and the team faces pay increases for six players (see next question about arbitration-eligible guys).

Unless the Cubs can deal Sosa, they are not likely to be players in the Beltran sweepstakes. Jason Dubois could be the Opening Day starter in left for the Cubs.

I haven't heard much about dealings with Aramis Ramirez, Corey Patterson, Carlos Zambrano, Michael Barrett and Kyle Farnsworth. What are the chances of them being in a Cubs uniform next year? -- Daryl E., Garner, Iowa

We've addressed this before in the mailbag, but I continue to get this question, so I'll answer it again. All of them are expected back. They are arbitration eligible, which means they have more than three years but less than six years of Major League service, the point where a player can become a free agent. (See Oct. 25 mailbag for more info on how arbitration works).

Why are the Cubs so reluctant to start Todd Hollandsworth in the outfield? It seems to me they should (and maybe they are) seriously looking to replace Sosa and start Hollandsworth. He filled in beautifully last year after the "sneeze heard round' the world." -- Chris G., Downers Grove, Ill.

Hollandsworth could be back with the Cubs. The risk is whether his right leg will hold up if he fouls a ball off his shin. He suffered a stress fracture in his leg in June, and admits now that he tried to come back too soon. The Cubs brass like Hollandsworth and he's running, working out, and hitting in a cage.

It seems like every time that Kyle Farnsworth goes to the mound, commentators and coaches are talking about what great potential he has to be a closer. What I was wondering is why don't they just let Farnsworth close? I think he's capable of doing it because when "Farns" is really rollin', hitters don't have a chance of catching up to the fastball or hitting the slider. -- Benjamin W., Bloomington, Ill.

Farnsworth has the stuff and there are times he looks like Goose Gossage. But he's been inconsistent and the team isn't sure it wants to rely on him in such a critical role. It takes a certain type of player to handle the extreme ups and downs of being a closer. Manager Dusty Baker likes to put players in situations where they will succeed because that builds confidence, which makes the ballplayer more effective. Farnsworth has not converted his last 12 save opportunities, and hasn't converted one since July 14, 2002.

I see the Cubs signed catcher Henry Blanco. I understand he caught Greg Maddux at Atlanta in the 2002-2003 season. I was wondering why Maddux needs a personal catcher. Wouldn't Michael Barrett do a fine job catching Maddux? -- Chris P. Portage, Ind.

Maddux denies choosing a personal catcher, and says it's the manager's decision. It just seems to work out that he develops a good relationship with one guy, and often it's the backup. The reason he was matched up with Paul Bako in 2004 was that the two had some history and the Cubs wanted Maddux as comfortable as possible.

I'm aware that the Cubs officially signed their first draft choice, Grant Johnson, last year. He's not seen on any minor league rosters nor on the Cubs' roster. Where is he and when will we be able to see him in a Cubs uniform? -- Brian G., Normal, Ill.

Johnson most likely will start the season at Class A Peoria. There is an outside chance he could begin the year at Class A Daytona.

When was the last time the Cubs had three straight winning seasons? -- Stephen S., Acworth, Georgia

The Cubs had winning records for six consecutive seasons from 1967-72.

Is Hendry considering any moves that will make the team more speedy? By my count, Patterson is the only one with any speed, and perhaps Derrek Lee. It seems that the lineup is going to be another powerful one with a severe lack of speed and people willing to play small ball. -- Barry G., Oberlin, Ohio

Nomar Garciaparra and Todd Walker should improve the lineup because both are more versatile hitters than Derrek Lee or Sammy Sosa, and could contribute in the "small ball" department. Yes, Patterson is the fastest on the team.

Baker wants Vince Coleman in Spring Training camp to teach the players to be smarter on the basepaths. As for adding speed, you'll have to see who else the Cubs pick up in terms of bench players.

Garciaparra to stay with Cubs

2004-12-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

As a Cub fan I would have to say this is very, very, very good news. Nomar Rules!

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
The Chicago Cubs reached an agreement Tuesday on a one-year contract with free agent Nomar Garciaparra, and were still optimistic they could sign the other half of the middle infield, second baseman Todd Walker.

Tuesday was the last date for teams to offer their declared free agents arbitration. If the Cubs refused to make an offer, they would lose the right to re-sign or negotiate with the player until May 1. It effectively ends a player's relationship with his 2004 team.

Once offered arbitration, players have until Dec. 19 to accept or reject salary arbitration. If the player accepts arbitration, he will return to the team for at least one year. If he rejects arbitration, the team can continue negotiations until Jan. 8. Perhaps more importantly, by offering arbitration, a club receives draft pick compensation if the player is signed by another team.

Garciaparra made $11.5 million in 2004, and the Cubs wanted to sign the shortstop for less with incentives.

Acquired July 31 in a four-team deal, Garciaparra batted .297 in 43 games for the Cubs with four homers and 20 RBIs. He missed the first 57 games with the Boston Red Sox because of an Achilles problem, and needs to show he's healthy to gain a long-term deal for 2006 and beyond. A healthy Garciaparra batted .301 with 28 homers and 105 RBIs in 2003.

The Cubs did not announce decisions yet on free agents Todd Hollandsworth, Paul Bako, Matt Clement, Tom Goodwin, Ramon Martinez, Mike DiFelice, Ben Grieve and Kent Mercker.

Go Cubs!

Cubs retain all coaches except Kim

2004-10-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs announced Monday they have retained all of their coaches for 2005 except third base coach Wendell Kim, and that Gary "Sarge" Matthews and Gene Clines have switched duties.

Matthews will now be the first base coach and be responsible for outfielders and baserunning, while Clines will take over as the hitting coach.

"It's like everything we try to do -- we try to make progress, we try to do what's in the best interest of the ballclub," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Monday. "We felt we had to do things differently.

"We appreciate Wendell's efforts and the things he brought to the table, but we felt at this time it was time to make a change," Hendry said.

Kim, 54, was in his second season as the Cubs' third base coach, and picked up the nickname "Wavin' Wendell" for his aggressive baserunning decisions. In a game between the Cubs and White Sox on June 22, 2003, he shouldered the blame, saying he made a mistake sending catcher Damian Miller home in the seventh inning. The Cubs lost, 7-6.

"That's the most thankless job and the hardest job in baseball is the third base coach," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said the next day. "You make four or five great calls and nobody says anything, but you make a couple bad calls and that's what they remember."

Kim and Baker were also together in San Francisco, beginning in 1989.

Cubs, Sosa at Odds

2004-10-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- Sammy Sosa says he left Wrigley Field after the seventh inning. However, ballpark surveillance tapes showed he actually exited 15 minutes after the game started.

The Cubs are considering disciplinary action against Sosa, who left without permission from the season finale on Sunday.

"What he did was wrong and inexcusable," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Monday. "It's not acceptable."

Sosa reported to Wrigley Field at 12:10 p.m. for Sunday's 1:20 p.m. game against Atlanta. He was not in the starting lineup, never changed into his uniform and was never on the bench.

"I felt that even if he wasn't playing that he obviously should have been here," Hendry said. "He also should have dressed in uniform, the same as all the other players."

Cubs manager Dusty Baker was upset that Sosa left early.

"I didn't know he was going to leave," Baker said. "I didn't give him permission. I saw him about 12:50 (p.m.) when I was going to the field and he was packing his stuff up like a lot of guys were. Jim's got to take some action."

Sosa had told reporters after Saturday's game that he would talk on Sunday. When approached before the season finale, Sosa refused interview requests.

"I'm always the guy they are going to blame," Sosa told the Chicago Sun-Times. "They blame me for not going to the World Series last year. They blame me for not going to the playoffs this year. I"m tired of it."

Sosa also told the Sun-Times he left during the seventh inning. A team official said they checked the security video and timed Sosa's departure at 1:35 p.m. The Cubs most likely would've still been in the first inning of the game.

Sosa has one year left on his contract with the Cubs, which will pay him $17 million. There is a club option for 2006 of $18 million.

This season, Sosa finished with a .253 average, his lowest since 1997, and with 35 home runs and 80 RBIs. He has hit at least 35 home runs in 10 seasons.

Sosa, who turns 36 on Nov. 12, told the Sun-Times he was upset at Baker's comments before Sunday's game in which the manager said he wanted the slugger to come back next year in "tip top shape mentally and physically." Sosa missed a month this season because of sneeze-induced back spasms, and also was bothered by bursitis in his hip and a sore shoulder.

"No one has ever questioned my mental or physical preparation at any level," Sosa told the Sun-Times. "They always find something to blame me for."

Earlier this season, Sosa was not happy when Baker made suggestions regarding his batting stance. On Aug. 18, Sosa called the manager and told him he was willing to be dropped lower in the order, and was moved to fifth for the first time in 10 years. Sosa eventually dropped another notch to sixth.

He also left Wrigley during another game in early September. He missed the Sept. 6 game before because of bursitis in his right hip and exited the next day during the Cubs' 7-6, 12-inning loss to Montreal. He was supposed to be available to pinch-hit.

Next Year is Coming!

The Hunt For October

2004-09-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Cubs went over to Florida for an afternoon double header. The Cubs were in great position to take the lead in the wild card race, instead they split the double header and patiently wait for the Stros' and Giants series to begin.

Cubs out slugged the Marlins in the first game, with the final score being 5-1. With the help of Mark Pior(6-4) the Cubs were able to get and hold on to an early lead. In 7 2/3 innings Pior gave up 5 hits, 1 run, and run walk, and had 9 strikeouts.

It was a total reverse of roles in the next game as Clement dropped his 6th of his last 10 starts. Which are not the best of stats, but the Cubs will be the Cubs and the NL wild card is in their plans. The hunt for October is far from over.

!Go Cubs!
Ryan Sandberg RULES!

In Cubs We Trust

2004-09-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

Cubs fan everywhere, there is no need to fret. In this crazy 162 game season, there is going to be your ups and downs much similar to a roller coaster ride. Plenty of games let to decide the wild card race.

And looking at this lineup, I notice a very heavy hitting offensive. Did I mention we lead the league with 200 home runs. That might be a nice number to have but all we need to do is put the ball in play.

Just listen to what Dusty has to say:
"A lot of guys are trying to do too much. We've got to stay within ourselves and do what we're capable of doing."

No Need to Grieve

2004-09-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

Sammy Sosa is hurt and newly acquired Ben Grieve(RF) was called in to action last night, but then Grieve was injured and then Tom Goodwin came in to replace him in their 9-1 victory over the Expos on Monday. Good news is that Grieve will be back, and Sammy is day to day and getting better. The Cubs play the Expos again tonight at Wrigley field and Clement(9-12) will take the mound for the Cubs, while Kim(3-5) will take the mound for the Expos. Game time is at 7:05 p.m.CT

On a side note am tired of the so called fans who boo at Sosa. Have people not forgot what Sammy Sosa has done for this team. Mark Grace left, did he get booed? I find it ironic that Mr. Cub will leave to play for Arizona and people are fine about that, but when Sammy has a bad streak or some injury that prevents him from doing what he does best, to the best of his ability. Sammy is a great asset to this organization fans should not forget that.

Go Cubs

Wood to Take on Expos

2004-09-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

The Expos (72-60) are in Montreal (56-76) for three more games after last night's loss. Kerry Wood takes the mound against Tony Armas Jr. of the Expos. Neither pitcher has had much luck with his respective opponent in the past, with only one win logged for each of them against his opposing team.

Look for Cubs newbie Ben Grieve (traded from the Brewers) to be manning the outfield tonight. Michael Barrett has been hitting nicely, so watch for him as well.

All-in-all, our performance isn't where it needs to be right now, being blanked by the expos. Come on!?

Zambrano Returns

2004-08-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

From MLB.com

Carlos Zambrano is back.

The Chicago Cubs right-hander will return from his five-game suspension to start on Wednesday night in the second game of this important three-game series against the San Diego Padres. Wednesday's game is one of the four night games added to the Cubs' schedule.

Zambrano is happy to be back at Wrigley Field. The right-hander is 6-1 with a 1.99 ERA at his home, sweet home.

Expect Aramis Ramirez back in the Cubs lineup. The third baseman did not start on Tuesday in order to give his sore groin a day to heal. Ramirez is the team's RBI leader with 71 and is batting .326 despite being hurt.

The Cubs lead San Diego by one game in the National League Wild Card Standings.

"Every game is important, and you have to win as many as possible," said Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, who hit a pair of homers in Tuesday's 8-6 loss to San Diego. "It's a race -- no doubt about it."

The Central Division-leading St. Louis Cardinals won on Tuesday and now have a 12 1/2 game lead over Chicago. The National League team that finished the farthest out in divisional play and still won the Wild Card was the 1998 Cubs, who ended that season 12 1/2 games behind Houston.

Alou to Tour Japan

2004-08-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Moises Alou will be one of 28 Major League players to tour Japan in November as part of All-Star Series 2004, a series of eight games between All-Stars from the Major Leagues and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. This is a big honor and a great opportunity for Alou. I'm sure we all wish him the best of luck touring Japan!

The Rockies just suffered a home sweep at the hands of the Cubs - who's next? Oh! San Francisco. Matt Clement will start tonight, I'm sure you'll all be watching, or at least there in spirit.

GO CUBS!!!

Kerry Wood to Start Tonight

2004-08-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

From MLB.com

Kerry Wood will kick off the Chicago Cubs' two-city road trip on Tuesday night, starting against the Colorado Rockies.

Wood is 2-1 since coming off the disabled list July 11, and suffered his first loss in his last start against Milwaukee. In that game, he did notch his 40th career double-digit strikeout game.

The Cubs take to the road with new shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. He's ready.

"We were on a two-week road trip with Boston, so I have enough clothes -- Mom, I have clean underwear," Garciaparra said. "That's the life of a ballplayer."

The Cubs, reloaded with the five-time All-Star, will focus on the National League West for the next 12 games, playing Colorado, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles.

"What we need to do now is focus on the Wild Card," slugger Sammy Sosa said. "Every game counts and we need to win. That's the only way we're going to make the playoffs."

Hmm.

Maddux Brings Down Brewers

2004-07-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

From MLB.com:

Greg Maddux made quick work of the Brewers Tuesday, tossing 79 pitches and allowing one run in six innings for his 299th career win. Sammy Sosa's 21st homer charged the Cubs' offense.

Congratulations will soon be due to Greg Maddux on his 300th win! Hell, 299 ain't bad. Let's hope he can take that 300 in style, like he took #299 - 7-1. The Cubs play 2 more games in Milwaukee before heading home to host the Phillies. We're a full 10 games back from St. Louis' lead of the NL Central - looks like we've got our work cut out! Though we are holding steady in 2nd, 1st would be oh so sweet.

Look for Kerry Wood to pitch tonight, his 4th start since coming off the disabled list. The game will be a rematch of July 18th's game - Wood vs. Capuano. Milwaukee won that one, so Wood will be fighting especially hard for a win.

Enjoy tonight's game, and GO CUBS!!!

Cubs/Cards in last series for Season

2004-07-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

The Cubs are looking to fend off a sweep this afternoon against our rivals, the Cardinals, as we face them for the last time this season tonight. We fell 4-5 last night, and as I write the Cubs are up 8-6 in the top of the sixth. Looks promising...let's not let them carry it away this time, Cubs!!!

It's kind of bittersweet updating this thing from work and watching the box scores...can't watch the game, just the numbers. Oh well, at least it's a moderate distraction from the boredom that otherwise ensues. Meh.

Go Cubs

2004-07-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting my new Chicago Cubs blog!!! This site will be dedicated to news and my opinions on the Chicago Cubs and all things baseball. I welcome any comments, questions, or whatever else you might have to say, so feel free to post!

Not too much is happening right now since it's the All-Star break, so I'll give a little update on where the Cubs stand right now. We're currently 2nd in NL Central at .540 - not a bad position, with players coming back from injuries after the break, too. We're coming off a 1-2 series against the Cardinals, and we'll be hosting Milwaukee starting Thursday for a 4-day series.

In other news, be sure to watch Sammy Sosa knock 'em home tonight in the Home Run Derby! GOOD LUCK SAMMY!!!

Well, that's all for now, so....

GO CUBS!!!