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Rumors are swirling around Chicago that the Cubs, who fired two hitting coaches during the 2009 season, have strong interest in former Texas Rangers coach Rudy Jaramillo.
Jaramillo's resume stands on its own merits. During his 10-year tenure in Texas, 17 Rangers won Silver Slugger Awards. He gets a lot of the credit for the Rangers being an offensive powerhouse over the last decade.
But my interest in this rumor is deeper than a great hitting coach being available...
Could the Cubs' interest in Jaramillo be directly tied to their inability to unload disgruntled outfielder Milton Bradley? And, if Jaramillo does indeed come ...
He's no Todd Hollandsworth, but he'll do.
Frank Catalanotto, who holds the unofficial Major League record for surname syllables, is a free agent this offseason and could pop up on the radar of Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry as he looks for ways to bolster the team's outfield and add a veteran leader to a troubled clubhouse.
Catalanotto may be one of the more underrated utility-men of the past 15 years. His career line consists of a .292 career batting average, a .358 on-base percentage, and a .446 slugging average.
He has compiled those numbers despite an inability to stay healthy during his prime ...
Disclaimer: I am an enormous Cubs fan who still spends months dreaming about Opening Day at Wrigley Field. I love the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs have an incredible fan base, one that many teams would give their best player to have at any home game. No matter the weather or the team's record, over the last 15 years the team has packed the house almost every single day.
But I have a beef with Cubs' Nation.
There are a lot of Cubs fans that love the game of baseball.
There are a lot of Cubs fans that love the idea of being Cubs fans ...
Hey Jim Hendry, don’t mean to wake you, but I have something to tell you:
It’s only 174 days until opening day 2010!
Yeah, I know, that sounds like a long time. But when you are trying to do a chemistry makeover on a team with so many expensive, long-term contracts, there's no time like the present.
Milton Bradley will not return, of that much we’re certain. But who we get to replace him to fill that power-hitting, middle-of-the-order presence that your manager desires so badly will be interesting. And time-consuming.
Don’t expect that player to come in the Bradley dumping. The only thing ...
It was my idea to go to Chicago in the summer of ’04. When I was a little girl, it was impressed upon me that it was my "patriotic duty" to make a pilgrimage to Wrigley Field and witness a Cubs game.Not just any game, but a day game. And I had to sit in the bleachers. With a beer. After 19 years of dreaming about it, I decided it was time to live out the experience. As much as my mom and I were often at odds with each other, there was no one I would rather make ...
Last night the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Boston Red Sox to begin their Divisional Series in California.
Starting the game for the Angels was their ace, John Lackey, who happens to be a free agent in five weeks. He threw 7.1 scoreless innings, allowing only four hits and walking one while striking out four. He threw 113 pitches in the victory.
Lackey ended the season 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA despite missing time because of injury. He's been at the front of a competitive Angels rotation for most of this decade, and would look fabulous in the Cubs' pinstripes next year.
At ...
If 2010 is the last season of Lou Piniella’s managerial career, and all indications seem to point that direction, then the obvious question is who should take over the reigns when he leaves?
To that end, I considered some candidates who may be available if and when Lou finally hangs ‘em up for good, and tried to document what I believe to be the pros and cons of each alternative.
I would love to know what you think.
Bob Brenly
We all know that Bob won a World Series title with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. Many also feel that his experience in the ...
Over the coming weeks, there will be a number of tough decisions made on the north side of Chicago. Now that it appears the ownership issue will be settled soon, the business of baseball can begin again.
One decision that needs to be made is regarding free agent pitcher Rich Harden. Harden, who was acquired at the trade deadline in a move that directly countered the Milwaukee Brewers' acquisition of CC Sabathia, might have been the best Cubs starter down the stretch this past season.
Now a free agent, Harden presents an intriguing set of issues to Cubs management. His performance in ...
The 2009 Cubs were a colossal disappointment. I used the same term when I wrote about Chicago not getting the Olympics, and I think the level of disappointment is about the same.
The Cubs won 97 games and the division a year ago, and much of the same was expected from them this year. Let's take a look at the Cubs' season by the letters.
A is for Aramis Ramirez
Aramis Ramirez has been the Cubs' best RBI guy since 2003, and he's played a pretty good third base, as well. On May 8th, he dove for a ball and dislocated his left ...
News on Tuesday afternoon is that Major League Baseball has approved the sale of the Chicago Cubs to the Ricketts Family.
Much like the 2009 season, a process that took way too long and left a lot to be desired is now finished. The Cubs have a new owner with a new vision (assuming the Tribune Company ever had a vision), and a new set of expectations for the 101-year loser.
The leader of the group, Tom Ricketts, has a story that's almost an urban legend in Chicago. He's a Cubs fan who used to live across the street from Wrigley Field ...
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