Browse >
Home / March 2010
The 2008 edition of the Chicago Cubs had the best record in the National League (97-64) and should have repeated last season, but injuries, career-worst performances, and the plague that is known as Milton Bradley created a second-place ballclub.
The offense scuffled, Carlos Zambrano typically underperformed, and the bullpen was abysmal. All of these factors led to a very pedestrian 83-78 record and a second place finish. The Cubbies should be improved in 2010, but I don’t foresee the ballclub improving enough to overcome the Cardinals. That said, they could sneak in for the wild card.
Key Additions: OF Marlon Byrd, P ...
The Chicago Cubs have announced their final roster decision, with the 38-year-old Kevin Millar being released in what Jim Hendry called a "tough" decision according to a Tweet from Paul Sullivan.
Making the cut as the team’s 25th man is Chad Tracy.
The competition had come down to Micah Hoffpauir, Sam Fuld, Millar, and Tracy.
But with Hoffpauir and Fuld still having options available, the decision really was between the affable Millar and Tracy.
So why was the decision so tough?
Because Millar is a funnier guy than Tracy?
In an effort to impress Lou Piniella and Cubs brass, Millar was touting his ability to play third base and the ...
The regular season is right around the corner, but don't expect Carlos Zambrano or Ryan Dempster to make a World Series prediction for 2010. It was just three years ago when Zambrano declared himself the best pitcher in the National League and forecasted a Series victory for the Cubs. Dempster took over as prognosticator in ‘08, stating the team would end their 100-year wait between championships.
Last season’s hiatus of fearless forecasting came as no surprise, as the Cubs were knocked out of the playoffs ...
With just over a week remaining until opening day, the prospects of another long season for Cubs fans is finally starting to settle in. Spring training helped clear up some minor position battles and lineup tweaks, such as Ryan Theriot serving as the full-time leadoff hitter and Mike Fontenot appearing to be the front-runner at second base. But lots of questions remain in arguably the most overlooked aspect of any ballclub: the bullpen. The Cubs are not going to be featured on MLB Network’s new reality television show The Club (that honor goes to the White ...
In a minor move that is nonetheless surprising, the Chicago Cubs dealt backup middle infielder Andres Blanco to the Texas Rangers on Saturday for a player to be named or cash.
Blanco, who will turn 26 on April 11, was the best defensive middle infielder on the Cubs major league roster, but was a lightweight at the plate. In 2009, Blanco batted just .259 with one home run and 12 runs batted in from 123 at bats in 53 games in Chicago.
The Cubs are now one week from beginning their season with a relatively thin infield again. It appears Mike Fontenot ...
The Cubs made big moves Friday, releasing seven players, while setting both their rotation and bullpen in the process. Tom Gorzelanny and Carlos Silva round out the rotation, with James Russell becoming—as of now—the last man in the 'pen to start the season.
What, 10 more days til Opening Day? Let's just say that I'm in extra great anticipation of the upcoming season, as I've begun marking days off, and checking scores on an almost daily basis already. W hy, you ask? Well aside from my general love of baseball, the 2010 Cubs are turning themselves into something of a ...
From the starting rotation to the bullpen, the guys who throw with their arms for a living certainly mean a lot to a ball club.
Sure, offensive run production and run prevention (a.k.a. defense) are critical, too. But as someone once said, pitching is 90 percent of half of the game.
Fuzzy math aside, this just happens to be where the current Cubs appear to fall short, unfortunately.
Question marks in the rotation include, well, just about everyone and the bullpen is comprised of three rookies and a closer who has never held that role for a full season and who struggled ...
It’s a tale of two teams, but three cities. And as Charles Dickens wrote, it’s a tale of the years they intertwined from the start, one enjoying a “season (or seasons) of light,” the other dreading a “season of darkness.”
The Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs always pop up on each other’s schedules at least twice, sometimes more, every year. But rarely do they begin a regular season against each other. Same was the case when the Braves played their home games north of Chicago.
This year, though, the stars are aligned and the clubs are set to reunite again on April ...
It appears the Chicago Cubs will carry a rookie, Tyler Colvin, as their fifth outfielder when the come north for the regular season. And to me, it might be a shame.
The Cubs have a lot of money tied up in their outfield. Between the albatross contracts of Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome, the corner outfield spots are pretty well locked up because of financial obligation.
Meanwhile, the Cubs brought in Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady as free agents this winter to replace "Baseball's Kanye West," Milton Bradley. More money spent on veterans.
Nady is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, his second, ...
The name of the Cubs spring training facility, HoHoKam, literally means "those who vanished". That is appropriate as we embark on a journey of past Cubs spring training stars and "can't miss kids" who did.
The current spring star is Tyler Colvin, who is ranked third in the National League in hitting this spring, at .440. While this is great for the kid, and Paul Sullivan has Colvin making the Cubs' roster, let me remind you of one thing:
Spring statistics mean nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. As predictors for regular season performance, that is.
Let's hope the scouts are wrong and ...
Next Page »
