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This is an edited and updated reprint of a piece I wrote in May regarding a move I think would make sense for the Chicago Cubs. In light of Rich Harden's starts leading up to his loss on Friday, I believe the discussion is worth re-visiting.
Two years ago, the Chicago Cubs made a bold decision. The one-time face of the franchise, the future of the starting rotation, the hope of the city of Chicago, Kerry Wood, was going to move to the bullpen.
The decision was partially made to give Wood a career. He had a longer laundry list of injuries and ...
Click here for the photo gallery of Friday's game
Every time that I think I've seen the worst of the 2009 Chicago Cubs, they seem take their awful play to whole new lows. Friday, they took it even further in an 8-3 loss to the Cardinals; an embarrassing effort in the opener of what may be the most important series of the year to date.
And no, it's not hyperbole. As I'd pointed out at the beginning of the homestand, this is all hands on deck, with the Cubs needing to turn this into a winning homestand by any means necessary. A ...
In January, this writer assessed the Chicago Cubs in a Fix this Team post on a CBS Sportsline blog. He advised the Cubs that it was time to tear down an aging team with a porous defense and build for the future with trades for young pitching and an emphasis on versatility, youth and defense.
Move over-priced old guys Ramirez, Lee, and Soriano. Throw in Fukudome. Pick up Wiggington and Hinske as Free Agents. Keep DeRosa. Ignore Milton Bradley. Jason Marquis was only available not traded. Leave Daryle Ward off the roster. Start Joey Gathright in CF.
Save some cash and build ...
Pirates great, Roberto Clemente once said, "You can never break out of a slump if you don't swing the bat." That's true. Think about it. If you don't swing, you will never break out. Tell that to the Cubs.
The first issue for the Cubs is their outfield. An outfield that makes over $30 million all together per year, should not have only 78 RBI all together in July. Especially if two of those outfielders are supposed to be "power" hitters.
An infamous member of this outfield, Alfonso Soriano, is slumping. It's as simple as that. But he has been slumping since May. ...
Before I go any further, let me say that Lou Piniella is not the main reason why the Cubs are 41-42.
That said, at some point a manager must be held accountable for his teams struggles.
Coming into the season the Cubs were once again heavy favorites to win the National League Central, and many saw them as the favorite to represent the National League in the World Series. While the Cubs have endured plenty of injuries, they still find themselves in almost every game.
Despite leading the National League in quality starts, the Cubs are fading quickly in the National League Central. ...
Just when you think the Cubs’ season can’t get any worse, it did.
Geovany Soto will now be on the DL due to a left oblique strain he suffered during batting practice Wednesday. Soto will be the 13th person that the Cubs have had to put on the DL this season.
There are now questions about who will be the backup to Koyie Hill, who started Friday and will start most of the games while Soto is out.
Jake Fox is currently the backup, but Lou said they are looking outside the organization to add depth at the position. Mark Johnson is the ...
The Cubs have been very disappointing in the first half of the season. They start today 41-41, when in reality, they should be six or seven games above .500.
Luckily, they are not too far away from that. Any day now, they could go on a six game winning streak and be right back in the thick of things.
There are a numerous things that the Cubs need to do to win consistently over the next 80 games. If the Cubs can achieve at least the majority of them, they should find themselves a top the National League ...
On Monday, the Cubs reactivated Aramis Ramirez, Reed Johnson, and Angel Guzman from the DL. Since then, the team has put two other players on the DL.
Ryan Dempster was the latest of 12 Cubs thus far this season to be bitten by injury. Dempster broke his big toe jumping over the rail of the dugout. Now, Geovanny Soto is heading to the DL after straining his oblique in batting practice.
It seemed like a turnaround was imminent on Monday. The Cubs had just taken three of four games against Milwaukee and got three players back from injury. They had ...
"The rivalry between the Cubs and Cardinals is probably the oldest and best in baseball, no matter how the Red Sox and Yankees spit and spite at each other. That's a tabloid-fueled soap opera about money and ego and sound bites. That's a pair of bratty high-priced supermodels trying to trip each other in their stilettos on the runway. The Cards-Cubs epic is about roots and geography and territorial rights. It's entwined in the Midwestern blood and therefore refreshing and honest and even heroic."
-Buzz Bissinger, from 3 Nights in August
The Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is one of the most intense in baseball, ...
The Cardinals and Cubs meet at Wrigley this weekend for a huge four-game series, culminating with a day-night doubleheader on Sunday before the All-Star Break. It’s hard to expect a series as intense as the infamous (for Cards fans at least) five-game series in September 2003.
But with the Cubs bouncing back and forth between “awful” and “showing life” and the Cards in first place, with the weather warm, it’s going to be a heated weekend with fans attempting to set beer-drinking records. With their $134 million payroll, the Cubs aren’t getting a whole lot for that right now, and this ...
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