Chicago Cubs Blog Posts

Cubs Say They Will Shop Zambrano

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:22:17 EDT

When the 2009 MLB season comes to a close, the Chicago Cubs have announced that they will shop starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano in hopes of swinging a trade and dumping much of his monstrous contract. The question is, should the Mets be interested in the massive right-hander?

That's the question a friend asked me earlier today, and I said, "Sure. It's not like we have anyone better" -- with the obvious exception of Johan Santana. As far as physical ability goes, Zambrano isn't the 97-99 MPH flamethrower he was four or five seasons ago, but he maintains an effective power sinker that would work nicely at Citi Field. I thought he looked hurt in 2008, but I've seen the life return to his sinker this season.

The obstacle in the Mets' way would be of the financial variety. By now many of you know that the Wilpons were ripped off by Bernie Madoff, and reports have suggested as much as $700 million in losses. If the actual number is anywhere near that figure, it would be awfully difficult for the Mets to house Zambrano's hefty contract. Only time will tell, I guess.

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6 games over 500 Cubs Moving Toward Respectable

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:45:40 EDT

We are so used to seeing the Cubs have bad years where they lose 90 games a season, or good years where they win 96 games. The Cubs need to get used to simply winning, having a winning season. If they finish seven or eight games over.500 you can't say that's a terrible season. It may be a disappointing one---

Let's see if the Cubs can finish strong these final weeks of the season. And, believe me, it has been a long one for Cubs' fans. This team has been on a roller-coaster ride the whole year, up and down. Let's just see with people playing healthy, if this team can win. OK, Soriano is out, but the Cubs have won without him.

Derrick Lee is the most valuable player this year. He is red hot at home, hitting close to .400 since late May. He has 33 HR's and is closing in on driving in 100 rbi's this year. If the Cubs had Ramirez for most the season, it may be a different story. But the St. Louis Cards have been in the drivers seat most of the season. They had terrible injuries problems last season, and got their pitchers healthy, and look at the difference. Plus, they have Albert Pujols, as close to automatic as you can get. He has been deadly with the bases loaded this year. Even tied Ernie Banks' old record of 5 GS hit in one season.

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Cards Continue September Tear and Recent Sports Oddities

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:21:04 EDT

The Cardinals continued their dominance of the National League Central this week, going 5-1 on a road trip with a blown save on Sunday, meaning it could've been a 6-0 trip. Last night the Cards got a boost from John Smoltz who was rocky early, giving up three runs in the first two innings, but he stuck with it and shut out the Brewers over the next three innings before turning it over to the bullpen. The Brewers had their chances for a knock out blow, but they couldn't capitalize, just as the Cards couldn't do so with runners in scoring position. When a team goes 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and can still grind out a win, that's the make of a championship caliber team. Even when they don't play that well, they win.

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Cubs Cant Beat Bad Teams At Home

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:03:03 EDT

There will come a time when the Chicago Cubs are mathematically eliminated from post-season play. That time hasn't yet arrived but as the Cubs lose to teams with losing records such as Washington, NY Mets this past Sunday, and trailing Houston 5-2 in the 6th inning tonight, that time is coming soon enough.

Seeing the Cubs, who had a great winning record last season, plus 30 games, thrash around like a wounded animal--is painful enough. For a die-hard Cubs' fan, you don't want to see the team lose, but put them out of their misery.

The season is over. The Cubs weren't good enough, and they are making the Cardinals look like the Cubs of last summer. Records are mirage, except losing ones. Now Chicago will try to finish the year above .500 and that looks like a struggle. Players aren't meshing this year according to Lou Piniella, Cubs Mananger. He said the team chemistry was better last year in published reports. The team also had Mark DeRosa and Kerry Wood. Milton Bradley, who came over with power from the left side, has been a huge disappointment. He was hot versus the Mets. Batting like .450 in 3 games. That might have raised his average. But when the Cubs needed big hits earlier this season, Bradley was ice cold. Recently he has made statements that haven't endeared him to home town fans. Well, the season is almost over and you can go home soon.

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Cutler Bears Win in Denver 27-17

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:42:54 EDT

Since the Chicago Cubs and White Sox are all but out of contention in baseball, this Chicago fan can cheer for the Bears going into hostile territory and defeating the Denver Broncos.

It's not easy to win a game in Denver. But after seeing Jay Cutler go 15 for 21, throwing the ball with authority and leading the Bears offense and watching Kyle Orton trying to match up, the Bears may have gotten the steal of the year.

It doesn't matter that they gave up the proverbial house to get Cutler. What matters is, Cutler is a pro-bowl looking QB and Kyle Orton isn't. And, Denver fans are understandably upset. Cutler has the quality of making decent receivers look good. And that is hard to accomplish. A special teams TD by Devin Hester tonight underscores his own brilliance and takes the pressure off Cutler to do it all alone. If Hester can sprinkle his magic this season by scoring in a flash of an eye, this could be an exciting season.

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John Smoltz Adam Wainwright and the Cubs Defy Physics

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:01:41 EDT

Last night, I got to witness a masterful pitching performance first hand. Actually, I saw two of them. Wandy Rodriguez was solid for the Astros, allowing just one run on three hits and one walk while fanning six over seven innings. His bullpen even backed him up with a perfect inning with one strikeout from reliever Latroy Hawkins. Adam Wainwrright was just better. He allowed the same three hits that Rodriguez did, but without walking anyone while shutting Houston out over eight innings. He also struck out five, none of which was bigger than pinch-hitter Jason Michaels' knees with a breaking ball in the eighth inning with the tying run at third base. Wainwright and Molina both showed a lot of emotion after that K. They knew it was a huge spot, especially with how cold the Cards' offense has been lately. I quipped to Meghan (we'll call her a cousin of no blood relation to keep things simple) after scoring in the first inning that with the way Wainwright's been pitching, we may not need much more than that. Well, I wasn't serious, but number 50 sure as hell was. The game ended in two hours and ten minutes. One last fact that will display how dominating both pitchings staffs were is that at no point during last night's game was there more than one base runner aboard. Both teams were limited to just one runner advancing to third base. The Cards scored theirs, the Astros did not, and it was the difference in the game. It isn't likely to get much easier for the birds' bats on Wednesday when they go against Roy Oswalt, who's coming off a performance of eight shutout innings.

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Cubs Dont Have the Horses This Year

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:21:03 EDT

Well The Chicago Cubs finally won a game in San Diego. They lost 3 games to the Padres in the infamous meltdown in 1984. They lost 2 in a row on a road trip this week. Tonight, they hit the ball well as they beat the last place Padres for a badly needed win.

The Cubs are 4 games over .500 and when looking at the history of this team in the last 30 years, that is an accomplishment this late in the season. I don't think this team has the makeup or talent to give St. Louis a run this season. I think the realistic view is: win as many games as is possible, giving younger players a tryout. The Cubs have talent in their farm system. Bring the guys up to show what they can do.

I thinking finishing 6 or 7 games over .500 is a pretty good year. There is talent on this team. Injuries played a part. Ramirez missed a third of the season. Soriano was hurt early. Zambrano has been sidelined once or twice too.

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Cards Eek One Out in LA Cubs remain Cubs against Padres

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:07:47 EDT

On Monday night, I arrived home from Laura's house around 12 a.m. Knowing the Cubs had taken a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth, I decided to check the scoreboard first thing when I got to my computer. I discovered that the Cubs had managed to allow four runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-1 loss to San Diego. Maniacal laughter ensued. Chicago is now six games back and the gap doesn't look to get closer anytime soon. In the Cubs defense, I suppose the Padres were due for a win, having just been swept over the weekend by the Cardinals. San Diego had lost four straight overall, dropping the finale of a series in Milwaukee last Thursday. The Padres seem to be the Cards' best friend right now. They took two of three from the Brewers, got swept by St. Louis, and picked up a come from behind win against the Cubs to open Chicago's road trip. Hopefully the trend will continue over the rest of the week with the Cubbies in town for two more before the Cards visit " A Whale's Vagina" for four games over the weekend.

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Trade Milton Bradley

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:38:10 EDT

Cubs fans have suffered for too long.

Cubs GM, Jim Hendry, has done the right thing this season. He’s put the right pieces together and convinced the owners to invest the proper cash to bring in the talent needed to secure what every Cubs fans for 101 years wants, a damn Championship.

The pieces are there for the Cubs.

But Hendry did what he thought could help and brought in knucklehead Milton Bradley from Texas.

Henry was well intentioned in his decision to hire the bum. Milton has put the bat on the ball. The guy can hit. He can. He led the AL in OBS % last year. He is a consistent single hitter with 20-HR power. He can hit.

However, Milton is self- & team- destructive. The Cubs are his 8th team in 9 MLB seasons. Come on. Did Hendry REALLY think Milton was going to change?

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Cubs Starting to Fade in Central Race

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:30:34 EDT

It's about that time of year. The time when NFL camps are in full swing, rankings are being released for college football, and the Cubs begin to wilt in the August heat. One week ago, the Cubs and Cards were tied atop the NL Central and Chicago was two games ahead in the loss column. In that short span, the birds have opened up a 4.5 game lead in the division and are three up in the loss column. People aren't making such a big deal about those games in hand now that the Cubs have started playing them and losing them. St. Louis has been taking advantage of their schedule as of late, winning seven of their last nine against the Mets, Pirates, Reds, and now the Padres. The Cubs on the other hand, had seven straight against the last two NL Champions, the Rockies and the Phillies. They only managed to win one of these games, thus allowing for the Cards to gain separation. The Cubbies get a slight break, as they're hosting the AAA Pirates this weekend and then will visit the lowly Padres for three, but then it's right back to business as they get the Dodgers for four in LA.

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