In the 40 hours or so since the conclusion of the World Series, four trades have sent nine Major Leaguers to new teams. Eight players filed for free agency, and two more were released by their 2009 organizations.
Milton Bradley, however, remains a Cub.
This is not yet a critical failing on the part of Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry. The key word, however, is "yet."
Cubs fans have seen this movie before. In the winter of 2004-05, Hendry dragged his feet and over-thought the necessary dumping of disgraced slugger and clubhouse pariah Sammy Sosa, hemming and hawing into early February before unloading ...
In the 40 hours or so since the conclusion of the World Series, four trades have sent nine Major Leaguers to new teams. Eight players filed for free agency, and two more were released by their 2009 organizations.
Milton Bradley, however, remains a Cub.
This is not yet a critical failing on the part of Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry. The key word, however, is "yet."
Cubs fans have seen this movie before. In the winter of 2004-05, Hendry dragged his feet and over-thought the necessary dumping of disgraced slugger and clubhouse pariah Sammy Sosa, hemming and hawing into early February before unloading ...
In some ways, it's the same old story. The Yankees win, the Yankees win, say it 27 times for emphasis.
But for those of us who cast a critical eye on the Yankees' championship romp through a 105-win regular season and a dominant playoff run, there are lessons from which a hopeful contender in 2010 can learn a great deal.
The Cubs are just such a would-be winner, and since I make it my business to always look for new ways the Cubs can exploit potential advantages, it seems prudent to spend some time in meditation on what made the Yankees winners, ...
The rumors are out there. The free agent lists are nearly complete; only uncertainty over player and club option years remains. The trade market is beginning to rediscover itself, for the first time in six weeks or so.
And now, armed with all of that knowledge, we have an opportunity to begin the task of concretely formulating the best plan of action for the Chicago Cubs over the course of the upcoming off-season. It will be an imprecise science; it will also likely not come to fruition, whatever we may propose, because Jim Hendry's mind does not work in the same ...
If you have ever read Baseball Prospectus' Baseball Between the Numbers , or a similarly analytical baseball text, the argument against standard pitching statistics (wins and losses, ERA, and saves) is not new to you. By now, most educated baseball fans understand that all three of those statistics reflect myriad factors far beyond the pitcher's control (and, in fact, relatively few that fall within it).
But while some fans have eagerly accepted the common-sense preaching of sabermetric prophets, others continue to live in hazes of either delusion or obstinacy. This is especially true when it comes to relief pitchers. Though ERA ...
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 ...
In Tuesday's edition of the Chicago Tribune, Paul Sullivan has an extended piece on the Cubs' 2-0 victory over the Brewers Monday, and their upcoming game against Milwaukee.
The starter in tonight's second game of a four-game set is Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs' erstwhile ace, whose attitude, maturity, work ethic, and general competence have come under question more than once over the last three years.
Zambrano has made two trips to the DL this season and has been suspended or benched for disciplinary reasons in each of the last three years. Meanwhile, his ERA in each of those years has been higher than ...
In Tuesday's edition of the Chicago Tribune, Paul Sullivan has an extended piece on the Cubs' 2-0 victory over the Brewers Monday, and their upcoming game against Milwaukee.
The starter in tonight's second game of a four-game set is Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs' erstwhile ace, whose attitude, maturity, work ethic, and general competence have come under question more than once over the last three years.
Zambrano has made two trips to the DL this season and has been suspended or benched for disciplinary reasons in each of the last three years. Meanwhile, his ERA in each of those years has been higher than ...
The Chicago Cubs took the rubber game of their three-game weekend set with Cincinnati Sunday, winning 5-2. Derrek Lee had three hits, including his 32nd home run of the season, and scored twice.
Ted Lilly got the win for Chicago, his team-leading 12th, after tossing six shutout innings. Lilly threw 119 pitches, a season high. He allowed six hits, two walks, and struck out seven. The outing lowered his 2009 ERA to 3.05, a career best.
Chicago got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, when Koyie Hill and Andres Blanco each contributed bases-loaded singles in a three-run rally. Lee ...
I'm not unrealistic. I'm not delusional. I know the Cubs aren't going to win anything, other than (if they're lucky) some 15 more meaningless regular-season games, this year.
But I have decided to keep hoping against hope anyway.
I had a moment Saturday, sometime between when Geovany Soto's second double bounced into the gap in left-center and when Aramis Ramirez was thrown out trying to score on the play, when I flashed back to June 29, 2007. The Cubs fell behind 5-0 to the Brewers in the top of the first that day; Rich Hill got roughed up. It looked like early ...
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