The talk when Theo Epstein came to the Chicago Cubs was that the culture had to change, so giving in to that, Epstein shipped embattled starter Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins for Chris Volstad.It was thought of as a move that needed to be made, along with bringing back a cheap asset who might benefit from a change of scenery.Epstein looked like a visionary in Spring Training when Volstad was untouchable in Arizona. He won, or should I say was given a spot in the rotation when the Cubs decided not to give Randy Wells a legitimate shot.You could ...
In the second part of my interview with former Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lieber, he tells me what it was like to play with Sammy Sosa, why pitchers don't throw inside anymore and what he thinks of the salaries athletes make today. Darrell Horwitz: Would you consider Wrigley Field a good pitchers ballpark? Jon Lieber: Absolutely. I think it's a great ballpark. The one thing I loved was the day games. I think it's a great field to pitch at, and I think it goes to the surroundings. That's what makes it more comfortable. DH: Going back to the day ...
Chicago White Sox pitcher Phil Humber came out of obscurity when he pitched a perfect game this past Saturday. Twenty-seven up and 27 down is a magnificent feat, but I'll show you why it doesn't compare to a 20-strikeout game. There have been 21 pitchers in baseball history to throw a perfect game, but just three pitchers who struck out 20 batters in a nine-inning game.If we go to the modern era, the number goes down to 16, starting with Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series; so it's still five times easier to pitch a perfect game than ...
Nobody said this was going to be easy, but after just 16 games and a 4-12 record, Chicago Cubs fans seem to be abandoning the obvious and looking for immediate gratification. Theo Epstein was brought here to perform miracles, but despite a local newspaper putting him on the cover walking on water, it's going to take some time. Everyone has heard the saying "Rome wasn't built in a day," and a successful organization is not built in one offseason. Just as in building a skyscraper, you have to dig deep and build a foundation to support the structure you are attempting to create. The ...
Vacations are great and needed, and recently, I had the opportunity to enjoy the combination of some R and R and my favorite sport on a baseball cruise. Former Cubs 20-game winner Jon Lieber gave me a one-on-one on my radio show.In Part 1, he talks about why he thinks the Cubs have never won at Wrigley Field, what successful teams do differently and what the Cubs don't do that could change that. Darrell Horwitz: Since you played for the Cubs, how come they haven't won the World Series for 103 years?Jon Lieber: That's kind of a tough question. I ...
Kerry Wood was a great story in his day, and is among the most beloved Chicago Cubs, but his expiration date has past. The only reason he was brought back was to appease the fans and the owner. Wood garnered the loudest ovation at the Cub Convention with the "surprise" announcement that he had just signed a contract. It was a public relations coup, but not so much for the parent club. On a team not expected to go anywhere, why bring back a soon-to-be 35-year-old setup-man? Wouldn't it be better to spend that $3 million on someone who could ...
I was watching MLB network the other night when I noticed Cubs fans on the edge of their seat, watching as their long suffering club won the World Series. Then I noticed it was an ad for "MLB 2012, The Show." I know the Cubs won't win it on the field this year, and if the game is realistic, they won't win there either, but seeing the commercial made me start to think what it would be like if they were to do it. Can you imagine the generations of Cubs fans watching together, waiting for the moment when they can finally ...
What's the first thing you think about when you think of the Chicago Cubs—"lovable losers?" Theo Epstein was brought in to change that way of thinking, but for his tenure here to really be successful, the Cubs need to be thought of as the New York Yankees of the National League. When you think of the Yankees, you think of championships. All told, they've won the World Series 27 times, far more than the St. Louis Cardinals, who come in second with 11. They have 40 American League pennants. Since 1995, the Yankees have made the playoffs 16 times, failing to make the ...
Baseball's new playoff format will add two more teams to the mix, along with added excitement for fans of those teams competing, but they completely blew the concept. In the antiquated system in place before 1969, only one team from each league made the playoffs. They split into two divisions in each league that year, and in 1994, three divisions. 1995 was the year the wild card came on the scene. It was enacted in part because of the injustice the San Francisco Giants suffered in 1993, finishing 103-59, but going home because they were unlucky enough to play in the same ...
Even though he wasn't my pick for the new Chicago Cubs' manager, I was impressed with Dale Sveum's tough-guy approach to the lackadaisical way the team played last year, and that it wouldn't be tolerated anymore. The poster boy for the culture change needed at Wrigley Field is Alfonso Soriano. Without naming names, Sveum mentioned when he was coaching with the Milwaukee Brewers last year, he noticed how the Cubs failed to play hard and run out balls, and generally, play the game the way it's supposed to be played. Things started so well at Cubs' camp. Sveum created a bunting contest that is ...
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