No, not the team—that sale has already taken place and unfortunately we're stuck with the Ricketts. We're talking players here. The Cubs have played 69 baseball games this season and, despite taking three out of four against the first place Milwaukee Brewers, have proven once again that this simply ain't the year for the Northsiders. It is time to sell. Sure, the division is immanently winnable, but not for the Cubs. It's too obvious when you see the lack of fundamental play, the injuries and the lack of clutch hitting to continue buying what the Cubs are selling. Oh, and speaking of selling, ...
Does GM Jim Hendry have embarrassing pictures of Cubs CEO Tom Ricketts? That's about the only conclusion one can draw after hearing yet another vote of confidence from the Cubs bossman for his embattled GM. Look, the fact that you own a team does not automatically give you special powers of evaluation. The average Cubs fan may grouse about what should be done over a beer at the local bar, but he lacks the pedigree to do anything about it. But Ricketts has the power to do something about it. Only he cannot because he is no different than the average Cubs fan at the bar ...
It used to be that no matter how awful the team played, fans would fill the stadium in droves, leading to White Sox fans' criticisms of Wrigley Field as being the biggest outdoor tavern—a place that Cubs fans went to mostly get drunk and if they lost, oh well, it's a shame.There are those of us who are old enough to recall a time when there was little interest in the Cubs. But that was a long time ago, before Harry Carey and Dallas Green came along and reinvigorated a moribund organization.The infamous Lee Elia tirade included the line "Eighty-five ...
Hey, maybe the Mayans will be right and the world will end after the Cubs finally win the World Series next season. At least I could die a happy man. In reality, that's about as likely as my getting a date with Brooklyn Decker. I was blasted my several of you for writing recently that the Cubs may go after Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran if they decide to make the free-agent-to-be available.Why would the Cubs do that when they aren't contenders and with such a fine base of youth to build upon? Well, that trade fantasy aside, I must admit ...
The Carlos Beltran rumors are flowing everywhere these days it seems. These rumors have only gotten stronger following his three-homer outburst Thursday night. Meanwhile, the speculation is flying that Beltran may wind up with a team that has big pockets. To that, I say, why not the Cubs? As ESPN's Buster Olney points out, "Beltran, who's eligible for free agency in the fall, is making a whopping $18.5 million this year, and it will be interesting to see how his salary plays into other teams' pursuit of him." That means that any team that acquires Beltran as a summer rental will ...
The Chicago History Museum recently placed a 1920 court deposition on its website, and it contains quotes that imply the Cubs may have thrown the 1918 World Series against the Boston Red Sox.
Eddie Cicotte, who was one of the 1919 Black Sox banned from baseball after being accused of throwing the World Series, said that there was talk of just such a thing.
"The ball players were talking about somebody trying to fix the National League ball players or something like that," Cicotte is quoted as saying in the deposition (source: Associated Press via ESPNChicago.com).
"Well anyway there was some talk about them offering $10,000 ...
I promise you that this article isn't going to be one of those that simply reminisces about glory days and laments the passing of the 'good old days' when a postage stamp was 10 cents and outfielders shared baseball mitts. Look, a lot of positive changes have occurred that have helped to improve the enjoyment of the game of baseball. But I must admit that some of the changes do have me occasionally longing for things I miss about the game. The Cubs getting rained out on Tuesday, and playing a split doubleheader on Wednesday (weather permitting), got me thinking about this. ...
You can't tell a whole lot about a manager or a team from just one game, nor should anyone form any opinions based on such a small sample size. Still, Mike Quade did not have a great managerial debut for the Cubs. For one thing, the Cubs were beaten by the long ball in their 6-3 loss to the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. The offense contributed its share of hits, but didn't produce the run support that you might expect when facing a team like the Bucs. As a longtime, die-hard Cubs fan and critical observer, I have been squawking about all things ...
I know I've hardly been a beacon glowing in the otherwise dark night of the Chicago Cubs. In fact, you might say I'm much more of a realist than most Cubs fans. Still, always looking at the grim realities can become downright boring and so, in an attempt to liven up my day, allow me to put on the ol' rose-colored glasses and search out reasons to be hopeful that 2011 will be a better year than 2010 for us Cubs fans. For one, it can't be much worse. Sure, the season ended with a nice stretch run following the ...
Now, when I use the term "flexibility," I am not referring to pitchers who can pitch both long and short relief, or can either start or relieve. Yes, that is a type of flexibility, but not the definition the Cubs are using to make decisions on the final roster. Specifically, it is more about contract options here. For example, as bad as Jeff Samardzija is at baseball, he will find a roster spot mainly because he is out of options. Likewise, Carlos Silva is a lock for the fifth spot in the rotation, because what else are the Cubs going to do with the fat man? ...
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