Former Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley (Cubbie Nation/file)
I'd been hoping over the last day to see some movement, some twist, some nuance—any indication of a plan, really—that would make the trade of Milton Bradley for Carlos Silva palatable. In the end, I keep coming back to the same conclusion: pathetic.
Yes, pathetic. I went back through the notes, looked at some old Silva footage, and combed over the Mariners blogs to see if the Silva that I remembered had evolved into someone else. Nope. He's still the same old poorly conditioned, soft-tossing fifth starter that I saw back in 2006-2007. Albeit, one ...
Sigh. I just finished watching the Red Sox press conference introducing Mike Cameron.
Charming. Charismatic. Humble. Relaxed. You got to see so many of the reasons why managers love Cameron, and what I had been hoping to see over at Clark and Addison sometime this winter.
That said, first off let me say that I was wrong. I didn't think it was possible for the Cubs to let Cameron pass them by. Somewhere, I suspect that Lou Piniella is still muttering things under his breath about it, and perhaps about Jim Hendry as well, but it's done. He ain't coming.
Which begs the ...
Filed: Nov. 18, 2009
Have you ever found yourself reading a well-written piece and feeling like it all sounds logical and sensible, but then you think about it a little more and wonder if the writer is off his meds?
I had a moment like this when I read a recent piece by Fox Sports writer Dayn Perry , who proposes in the column a number of moves that teams need to make this offseason.
It reads like something of a wild farce through a fantasy league, although I do recommend that you read it. You'll find ideas like:
1) The cash-strapped Tigers ignoring ...
No, it hasn't come to fruition yet, but I suspect that it's a phrase that we should all start practicing.
The Milwaukee Brewers acquired center fielder Carlos Gomez in a swap with the Twins for J.J. Hardy, relegating Mike Cameron, at least temporarily, to the ranks of the unemployed.
Can't blame general manager Doug Melvin. As a cash-constrained team, especially one desperate for pitching, they simply couldn't afford the luxury of Mike Cameron. Between his salary and Hardy's, they look to free up a very good chunk of change, enabling them to dip into the free agent market for a pitcher or ...
Filed: Nov. 3, 2009
Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 is reporting that the Cubs and reliever John Grabow are in the midst of heavy talks for a multi-year deal. Levine reports that the offer is reportedly to be a $6.5 to $7.5 million pact, with a third year being a possibility.
Some people never learn. I expected the Cubs to make a meaningful offer to retain John Grabow, especially given that he was effective down the stretch for the Cubs. If, at the end of the day, the Cubs can lock him up at under $6.5 million, preferably with the second year ...
Filed:October 30th, 2009
Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts
And with one 20 minute press conference this morning, an historic event has come and gone, with the Ricketts family officially announced as the Cubs owners.
The new group, fronted by Tom, with a board led by family members Peter, Todd, and Laura, promised first and foremost a World Series championship, and a legitimate commitment to establishing a perennial contender. In fact, Tom stated that the key to bringing a winner to Chicago was putting a playoff caliber team on the field every year, and his goal was to make sure that this happened.
Further, ...
Filed:October 30th, 2009
Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts
And with one 20 minute press conference this morning, an historic event has come and gone, with the Ricketts family officially announced as the Cubs owners.
The new group, fronted by Tom, with a board led by family members Peter, Todd, and Laura, promised first and foremost a World Series championship, and a legitimate commitment to establishing a perennial contender. In fact, Tom stated that the key to bringing a winner to Chicago was putting a playoff caliber team on the field every year, and his goal was to make sure that this happened.
Further, ...
Sigh. After the lost season for the Cubs, I could have easily stayed away until the organizational meetings next month. But when someone delivers you a gift, such as the Cubs in signing Rudy Jaramillo to serve as the new hitting instructor, you're obligated to say "Thank you!"
Say it with me now. A hitting coach is now a panacea. A hitting coach is not a savior. A hitting coach is often only as good as the talent that he has to work with.
Okay, now that we have gotten this out of the way, here's what signing Jaramillo is though, in ...
Filed: Oct. 4, 2009
(Click here for the photo gallery of this weekend's games.)
It's over.
The Cubs ended the 2009 season in a game that pretty much sums up the year: They got some good pitching, someone homered, and in the end, they couldn't come through in the clutch, this time losing 5-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs finish the season 83-78.
Yes, I said good pitching. I mean, Ryan Dempster was not terrible, even with allowing five runs in five innings. He struck out 10, was generally in the zone, and really his only mistake was with Chris Young—never miss high ...
For as much as I expected the Cubs to finish the season strong, it wasn't going to make up for the fact that a number of teams in front of them in the Wild Card chase are not only better composed, but are actually riding pretty good hot streaks.
You watch the Rockies play, and realize that the likelihood of a September fade is unlikely. Yesterday, the Rox took another step toward the playoffs with a 7-5 win in 11 officially ending the Cubs hopes in the process.
We can now all start the wait till next year process.
Fortunately, we at least ...
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