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So as we get set to welcome Aramis Ramirez back into the Cubs' lineup today, we are sitting just 2.5 games back of the St Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.
If you were reading the opinions of Cubs fans just over a week ago, you would think that we were 10 games back and there was no twilight, let alone sunlight, at the end of the tunnel.
So as we are ready to welcome back the most clutch hitter on the team, we can safely say that all was not as bad as it seemed.
Sure there were times when even the ...
I have been paying a lot of attention to Milton Bradley in the box scores lately.
His average has creeped up to .245, not a great number by any means, but better than the .208 he was at on June 9.
Since then, he has hit safely in 17 of 23 games. Starting June 10 and through June 21, he had a 10-game hitting streak. His average jumped to .248. He then went four games without a single hit.
The thing is, in those four games, he only had eight official at-bats in 13 plate appearances. His averaged dipped back down, ...
As we approach the All Star Break, it's time for teams to start dealing with the realities of their rosters.
Now is when the terms "buyer" and "seller" start to become real for general managers everywhere.
It's also the time of year when the young studs in the game start to stake their claim to the hallowed honor of being named Rookie of the Year.
We're now deep enough into the season that there's a body of work for many young players to use when considering candidates. Some batters, and some pitchers, have established themselves as quality major league contributors.
Just one season after ...
Monday should be an exciting day for fans of the Chicago Cubs. The lineup should, for the first time in months, be nearly complete with the return of third baseman Aramis Ramirez, outfielder Reed Johnson, and bullpen arm Angel Guzman.
But there's a cloud surrounding this silver lining.
What happens when veterans come back from their rehab assignments?
They take up spots on the 25-man rosters.
Now the Cubs have some decisions to make, and General Manager Jim Hendry has already followed his awful winter by handcuffing manager Lou Piniella before he has to start writing bus passes to Iowa.
Early this past week, the Cubs ...
After leading Major League Baseball in 2008 with nine all-stars, the Chicago Cubs will send just one player to St. Louis for the midseason festivities.
Left handed pitcher Ted Lilly (8-6) will represent the Cubs in 2009, and proved why after leading Chicago to an 8-2 victory over the second place Milwaukee Brewers.
Lilly capped off the biggest series of the season yet for the Cubs, who needed to take at least three from the Brewers in order for this four game set to be considered a success.
Coupled with a St. Louis victory over the Cincinnati Reds, the Cubs have now improved ...
As I sat at my computer anxiously awaiting Charlie Manuel's decisions on this year's National League pitching staff, I wondered whether or not the Phillies' skipper thought Josh Johnson would make the team.
Would Javier Vazquez sneak in? Who would he choose as the last relief pitcher? One wonder that I did not think I had to consider was whether or not Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee's ace, would be on this year's team.
After all, he has one of the most impressive resumes of any pitcher in the National League, has his team in first place, and has done it all under the ...
Filed:July 3, 2009
Koyie Hill awaits the throw home, before tagging out Jeff Suppan at the plate. (Cubbie Nation)
Click here for the photo gallery from Friday's game
It was yet more walk-off magic for the Cubs Friday, when a bases-loaded walk to Jake Fox sent Ryan Theriot home, and gave the Cubs a 2-1 win in 10 innings. With the win, the Cubs have now closed in to within 2.5 games of the division lead.
Two-and-one-half games. For all the offensive woes, bad personnel choices, shaky bullpen efforts, defensive foibles, and collection of outburst and tirades, the Cubs are 2.5 out to ...
This is the fifth article in a series dedicated to selecting all-time teams for all 30 current MLB franchises. To view the others, click http://bleacherreport.com/users/67791-Schmitters
Team Name: Chicago Cubs
Year Established: 1870
City: Chicago
Ballpark: Wrigley Field
Previous Nicknames: White Stockings (1870-1889), Colts (1890-1987), Orphans (1898-1901)
League: National League
Division: NL Central
Other Leagues: National Association (1870-1875)
Number of Playoff Appearances: 18
Number of Pennants: 16
World Series Titles: 1907, 1908
All-Time Team
Catcher: Gabby Hartnett
First Base: Cap Anson
Second Base: Ryne Sandberg
Third Base: Ron Santo
Shortstop: Ernie Banks
Outfield: Kiki Cuyler, Billy Williams, Sammy Sosa
Pitchers: Mordecai Brown, Bruce Sutter, Charley Root, Fergie Jenkins, Lee Smith
Bench: Hack Wilson, Jimmy Ryan, Bill Nicholson
Manager: Cap Anson
Recap:
The easiest players ...
The 2009 season for the Chicago Cubs has not gone exactly as planned. Injuries, power outages, suspensions, "lack of fire"—you name it, it's gone wrong for the Cubs so far this year.
One bright spot for the team this season has been midseason call-up Jake Fox. In 23 games over his two stints with the big league club this season, Fox has hit .317 with three HR and 12 RBI. Prior to his call-up, he was lighting up AAA Iowa, with obscene stats of .409 BA, 17 HR, and 53 RBI in just 45 games.
The only knock on Fox is ...
The 2003 World Champion Florida Marlins lineup consisted of Juan Pierre, Luis Castillo, Pudge Rodriguez, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Lowell, Derrek Lee, Alex Gonzalez, and Edwin Encarnacion. This was the same team that infamously beat the Chicago Cubs in the 2003 World Series, and claimed their second championship in six years.
The Cubs should have been taking notes.
The construction of every major league baseball team from that point forward should have been to copy the Marlins recipe for success. This is how you build winning baseball. They had a nasty rotation of Josh Beckett, Carl Pavano, Dontrelle Willis (although he was brutal ...
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