wrigleyville23

Piniella: Soriano Is Leadoff Hitter (For Now)

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:07:00 +0000

It'll take someone new to displace Alfonso Soriano from the leadoff spot:

"(Before) you make changes or contemplate making changes, you've got to have somebody who can do that." Piniella said no one on the current roster was a better option than Soriano, though he left the door open for an off-season move. "If we were to add somebody who's a leadoff hitter per se, then you can look at it," he said. "You can talk about this for the next 90 days, and unless we add somebody, it won't change. Put it this way: If the season started tomorrow and Soriano was my leadoff hitter, I'd be perfectly content."

Presumably the new right fielder won't be a leadoff hitter. That leaves the much-in-demand Rafael Furcal, who some think is headed to the Bay Area.

You're Famous? Why Are You Still In That Uniform?

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:11:00 +0000

What is the proper measure of fame for our professional athletes? Salary? Number of cars? Saturday Night Live appearances?

No, no and no. The true measure of sports superstardom can be measured by what their sponsors make them wear in television ads: The level of stardom is directly proportional to the amount of work clothes they wear. Full uniform? You're a B-lister, though one who gets to make commercials. Sweater and jeans? Superstar, baby!

Take this Sony Bravia commercial, featuring James Brown, Peyton Manning, the Chicken and Dale Earnhardt Jr.:

JB wears his suit, which is kinda like his uniform. The Chicken, well, he's a chicken. Peyton is simply wearing a sweater because an acceptable percentage of the population knows who he is. Earnhardt? He's wearing his racing suit - because, as popular as NASCAR is, a huge chunk of the public would ask, "Who is that guy?" - and very well still may.

Peyton generally is allowed to wear regular clothes in ads - unless they are linking it in some way to football (DirecTV Sunday Ticket, for example). Not all quarterback are created equal, however. Check out the fully uniformed Matt (or is it Tim?) Hasselbeck in these Expedia commercials:

I'm still not sure which Hasselbeck it is, but he had to wear a helmet. Ouch.

In other sports, even the alleged "greatest Olympian ever" needs help. Most of his ads - including those for Verizon and Rosetta Stone - feature him in a pool or swimsuit. Because, you know, he's a swimmer. Here's the Rosetta Stone ad, which takes the extra step of identifying him by name at the beginning:

Speaking of Phelps, there's this Guitar Hero ad featuring Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant, Phelps and some guy in a helmet:

The guy in the helmet is skateboarder Tony Hawk. They didn't give Kobe a basketball, A-Rod a baseball bat or even Phelps some goggles (disproving the previous point, I suppose), but they needed to identify Hawk in some way. With the helmet, he's either a very old special needs student or a skateboarder or some extreme games type. The target audience likely would have an inkling, but the makers of Guitar Hero needed to be sure.

There are countless other examples, including: Tom Brady's "pocket of protection" MasterCard ads in which he appears in a suit but his linemen are in full football gear. Derek Jeter's new Gatorade commercials have him wearing a suit.

And then there's poor Fred McGriff.

Bud Decides A Rule Is Needed On Postseason Games

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:50:00 +0000

Instead of making things up as he goes along like he's running a fantasy league, Bud Selig now says postseason games can't be shortened by weather:

"All postseason games, All-Star games and that, will be full-length affairs, and the rule will be so written," Selig said Thursday following an owners' meeting. Selig said the change also will apply to tiebreaker games that decide division titles and wild-card berths. "Any game that has significance for the postseason," he said. "It will be very clear now. Everybody will know exactly."

The All-Star game inclusion is ridiculous. What if a freak hurricane or snowstorm or sandstorm hits and lasts for four days? Ever think about that? Will Bud delay the start of the second half of his season to maintain the purity and sanctity of his contrived "this time it counts" All-Star game?

Oh, and what about the celebrity softball game?

A Latin-Sounding Player Cubs Fans Can Like

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:59:00 +0000

An odd paragraph in Jayson Stark's Rumblings and Grumblings about Raul Ibanez:

The Mets, Cubs, Cardinals, Braves and Mariners have him at the top of their position-player shopping lists. He won't be looking for any eight-year deals. And when we asked an official of one team what makes Ibanez so attractive, he gushed: "Character. Proven run producer. In better shape than a lot of 25-year-olds. And he'll play hard every day, every game, every second he has the uniform on."

Ibanez? That sounds like a Latin name. He must not be a "typical Latin lollygagger."

Checking ... While his name is Raul Javier Ibanez, he is from New York! He's American! Masses of Cubs fans could like him!

Happy Birthday, WV23

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:33:00 +0000

Today is the two-year anniversary of this place. Gifts are appreciated.

Rick Bozich Has His Priorities Straight

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:54:00 +0000

Now that the wars are won (not just over) and the economy is cleaned up, Rick Bozich believes President-elect Obama should focus on the really important things:

President-elect Barack Obama understands that any change to the Bowl Championship Series would be change that college football fans would absolutely believe in and wildly endorse. So I hope he keeps pushing for college football to abandon its 1975 mentality and adopt an eight-team playoff.

It's comforting to know that America is about to be led by a president who says the BCS formula is a farce, who loves pick-up basketball and who understands that the Chicago White Sox are good and the Chicago Cubs are incredibly evil.

The Cubs are many things. Evil is not one of them.

Cubs Rumor Mill: Kevin Towers Won't Shut Up

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:27:00 +0000

Kevin Towers is talking entirely too much about other teams' level of interest in Mr. Jake Peavy:

CHICAGO -- The San Diego Padres say the Cubs are still interested in trading for right-hander Jake Peavy. The Cubs, however, insist they would need to be very creative with their finances and get another team involved to swing a deal.

San Diego general manager Kevin Towers said on Wednesday night he talked to Chicago GM Jim Hendry earlier in the day and said "[the Cubs] still have interest [in Peavy]."

In the words of the Godfather, "Santino! Come here. What's the matter with you? I think your brain's going soft with all that comedy you're playing with that young girl. Never tell anyone outside the Family what you're thinking again!"

OK, the young girl part isn't necessarily relevant (to my knowledge), but you get the picture. He's brought up the Cubs repeatedly this week - which clearly means they ain't that interested.

Aging Former Cubs Very Available

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:45:00 +0000

Five of Jerry Crasnick's nine prominent aging hitters who may retire if they can't find work are former Cubs: Jim Edmonds, Cliff Floyd, Nomar Garciaparra, Luis Gonzalez and Moises Alou.

They're all apparently available. Cheap.

Kosuke Is Turning American, I Really Think So

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:25:00 +0000

In a story about whether or not the Cubs were "ready" for the playoffs (um, clearly they weren't), Lou Piniella discusses his new part-time center fielder:

As for Kosuke Fukudome's hitting problems, Piniella theorized the Japanese star was not in "as good a shape, core-wise," after missing part of 2007 with an elbow injury. He also had to deal with the added length of a major-league season as compared to the Japanese League. He said the Cubs have talked about a more "Americanized" training regimen for Fukudome, though he didn't elaborate.

Which, of course, means this man will be prominently involved.

In Defense Of Jason Marquis

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:30:00 +0000

As the Cubs navigate the offseason and ponder adding to the rotation, a right fielder, a leadoff hitter and assorted other things, it's easy and popular for fans to say "Jason Marquis sucks" - often apropos of nothing.

Coming off of a lousy 2006 with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cubs signed Marquis to a three-year, $21 million contract. It was met with displeasure in some (most) quarters.

If you remember back to the winter of 2006, Cubs fans wanted Zito. They wanted Schmidt. They wanted to trade for Jason Jennings.

But two years later, how bad was the deal? Not too bad, though the Cubs undoubtedly bid against themselves at $21 million. Here's how Marquis stacks up against the free agent pitching class of 2006:

All in all, that's $21 million pretty well spent, comparatively.

For more in the "In Defense Of ..." series, click here.

Cubs Rumor Mill: Johnson, Peavy, Furcal

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:01:00 +0000

Here's the latest from the Trib:

With Ryan Dempster�??s $52 million contract taken care of, Hendry is still trying to find a way to fit Padres ace Jake Peavy into the picture. The Cubs are the sole remaining bidders for Peavy, who could be the final piece of a dream rotation that already includes Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden and Ted Lilly. ...

If the Cubs can�??t get Peavy, they will turn to Plan B �?? 45-year-old free agent Randy Johnson, who would be a one-year fix. That obviously leaves no place for Jason Marquis, who would have to go to the bullpen, where he hasn�??t fared well. Marquis is owed nearly $10 million in �??09, the final year of a three-year, $21 million deal, making him difficult to trade.

The Cubs also are interested in free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, who is seeking $10 million per year for three or four years after hitting .357 in 36 games for the Dodgers in 2008. Furcal�??s agent said they have spoken to the Cubs, but it�??s �??nothing serious�?? yet.

So do they trade Marquis? How much of the salary needs to be eaten? 60 percent? 70?

Breaking News: Peter Gammons Likes Red Sox Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:40:00 +0000

You'll find this damn near impossible to believe, but Peter Gammons likes the choice of Dustin Pedroia as AL MVP because of his "energy" and "great sense of humor that rubs off on his teammates" and "he's cocky."

Oh, and because of the numbers.

Cubs Rumor Mill: Mark Teahan

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:12:00 +0000

Via MLB Trade Rumors, the Cubs are reportedly interested in Mark Teahan to fill their right field vacancy:

The Cubs remain interested in free-agent outfielder Raul Ibañez but are also searching for lower-cost alternatives. Industry analysts predict Ibañez is likely to command a three-year deal for $10-12 million a season. Enter the Royals.

Discussions stalled earlier this month, in part, because the Cubs�?? wanted to hold onto several young players while discussing a possible trade with San Diego for pitcher Jake Peavy if Dempster signed elsewhere.

The Cubs have long coveted outfielder David DeJesus but, failing that, appear open to acquiring Teahen, who projects to make $3 million-plus next season through arbitration or a negotiated deal.

WV23 is intrigued by the 2006 Teahan but would prefer other right fielders. They may be better off letting DeRosa play right field full time, if that is the best (most affordable) option out there.

Hungry? Check This Out ...

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:27:00 +0000

Looking for a place to eat while traveling for games? Try Fan Foodie.

My hometown of Indianapolis is at the top of the page now - and rightly steers you to St. Elmo's. Try the shrimp cocktail.

Four Years, $52 Million

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:22:00 +0000

And Canadian Dempster remains a Cub.

ESPN Gets Something Very Right

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:01:00 +0000

I, for one, am a big fan of Mayne Street.

Independence Day For Tucson

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:48:00 +0000

The White Sox bail on Tucson, which the locals say is "sad."

The Sox bought out of their contract for a mere $5 million - or roughly half of Jason Marquis' salary for 2009. Tucson is a cheap date.

Cubs Rumor Mill: The Return Of Dempster

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:17:00 +0000

Ken Rosenthal has been busy on the phones this morning:

The Cubs, moving to address one of their off-season priorities, are close to re-signing free-agent right-hander Ryan Dempster to a four- year contract, according to major-league sources.

The return of Dempster would not necessarily make the Cubs less likely to trade for Padres right-hander Jake Peavy, sign free-agent lefty Randy Johnson or pursue any other player.

Their next steps likely would depend upon the wishes of the team's new ownership group, which is expected to be selected before Christmas, sources said.

Now, is this really "sources"? Or just "source." If so, shouldn't he characterize them in some way? That a rule at most news organizations, and "major-league sources" doesn't count, as it's overly broad.

Cubs Rumor Mill: Jake Peavy (Again)

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:03:00 +0000

Kevin Towers says he's not talking to anyone but the Cubs about Jake Peavy.

Meanwhile, Rick Sutcliffe is encouraging Peavy to head to Chicago (should a deal get worked out).

One Of The Worst MVP Ballots Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:47:00 +0000

Via Chuckie Hacks, here is the National League MVP ballot of one Tom Haudricort of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

1. Ryan Howard, Phil
2. CC Sabathia, Mil
3. Manny Ramirez, LA
4. Carlos Delgado, NY
5. Aramis Ramirez, Chi
6. Prince Fielder, Mil
7. Albert Pujols, Stl
8. Ryan Ludwick, Stl
9. Ryan Braun, Mil
10. David Wright, NY

Let's get this straight:

1. Albert Pujols is just the seventh most valuable player in the National League? The fourth most valuable first baseman? Here's his rationale:

With the Cardinals finishing fourth, I voted Pujols seventh on my ballot. I don't consider MVP to be "the most outstanding player" award and therefore don't just go by who had the best stats. I like to credit players for lifting their teams to the post-season or at least keeping them in the race until the very end.

I understand that the Cardinals would not have been even close to the wild-card berth without Pujols, but I still like players who elevate their game in crunch time and lift their teams to new heights. And I thought Ryan Ludwick had just as much to do with keeping the Cards in the hunt as Pujols did. St. Louis did stay in the wild card race until mid-September, but mainly because the Brewers and Mets were gagging at the time.

Which brings up the curiosity that is the rest of his ballot...

2. The Brewers had three of the nine most valuable players in the National League? That's a lot of "lifting their teams to the postseason" and "(lifting) their teams to new heights." So, apparently, it took three Brewers to do so - but just one Phillie (which presumably is why he's No. 1) and just one Cub (only 5th? Aramis apparently singlehandedly lifted the Cubs to 97 wins, which was a lot more lifting than the three Brewers did. I'm very confused.)

3. Prince before Braun? Really?

I voted Fielder higher than Braun because Fielder had a much better September when the Brewers were clawing to get in the playoffs. Braun was ailing, as we discovered, and did have the homer that put the Brewers in the playoffs, but I just felt Fielder did more down the stretch.

So it's just an MVP of September, except in those games that clinch the playoff berth? Got it.

4. Carlos Delgado and David Wright? Their team wasn't lifted to the postseason at all. They "gagged," in Tom's words. Did it take two of them to - using your logic - "lift their team to new heights"? Which, is to say, a second straight September collapse.

5. Albert Pujols 7th?

Mark Cuban Charged With Naughty Things

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:59:00 +0000

Well, this makes it just slightly less likely he'll be the next owner of the Cubs:

WASHINGTON (AP) �?? Federal regulators on Monday charged Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban with insider trading for allegedly using confidential information on a stock sale to avoid more than $750,000 in losses.

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil lawsuit against Cuban in federal court in Dallas. The agency alleged that in June 2004, Cuban was invited to get in on the coming stock offering by Mamma.com Inc. after he agreed to keep the information private.

The stock? Mamma.com, which is apparently the "mother of all search engines."

Cubs Sale Is Moving Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:06:00 +0000

Or so says this story:

Tribune Co. CEO Sam Zell is pushing to have a deal in place by yearend to sell all but a small stake in the Chicago Cubs, despite recent indications that he might retain 50% of the ballclub.

Mr. Zell expects to select a finalist from the five remaining bidding groups and submit the deal for Major League Baseball's approval sometime in December, a person familiar with the sale says.

He is fast-tracking the sale �?? despite a credit crunch that seemed to put his year-end deadline in doubt �?? as pressure mounts to raise as much as $1 billion to chip away at the mountain of debt from his 2007 buyout of Tribune.

We are still rooting for Mark Cuban - and a fight with Bud and his friends.

Manny Is A Team Wrecker, According To Some Guy Named Gary

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:49:00 +0000

Gary Peterson of the Contra Costa Times doesn't want that Manny Ramirez playing for the Giants, thankyouverymuch. He lets us know by beginning his column thusly:

The good news on Manny Ramirez is that there is no news on Manny Ramirez. At least not where the San Francisco Giants are concerned. Ramirez, of course, is a game-changing, payroll-bloating, team-wrecking, dreadlocked, power-hitting diva of a left fielder.

Point of fact: Since Manny became a regular with the Cleveland Indians in 1995, his teams have finished 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 1st and 1st. They have won two World Series and two other pennants, on top of the seven division championships.

Would that all our teams be so wrecked.

But Peterson has a good reason for not wanting one of the three best hitters of his generation playing left field in San Francisco - because the best hitter of his generation used to play there. And that was just horrible:

The Giants, you may recall, have experience with game-changing, payroll-bloating, team-wrecking, power-hitting diva left fielders. Barry Bonds made plenty of pretty numbers during his 15 seasons in San Francisco. But he created a toxic culture, the clouds from which are only now fully dissipating. The Giants, successfully transitioning into a post-Bonds existence, would be fools to repeat that experience.

Successfully? The Giants were 72-90 last year, good enough for fourth in the dreadful NL West. Their best hitter is Bengie Molina - by a wide margin.

On the other hand, the Giants won at least 86 games eight years in a row with Barry Bonds in left, despite being managed by Dusty Baker.

God forbid that happen again. Like Gary Peterson, we should want to be best friends with all of the players on our favorite teams. Whether they are good at the baseball is irrelevant.

Melvin Has Small Market Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:36:00 +0000

Doug Melvin apparently believes the Yankees are obligated to keep the Brewers in the running for CC Sabathia's services:

"It sounds like they're overbidding," Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "If the speculation is true that we've offered CC $100 million, why would you offer $140 million? Why wouldn't you offer $110 million?"

Melvin apparently has never heard of an offer you can't refuse.

Vote For MVP? It's Hard, Sullivan Says

noreply@blogger.com (Wrigleyville) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:19:00 +0000

Paul Sullivan explains his MVP vote in the St. Louis paper:

"It's the hardest award to vote," said Paul Sullivan, Chicago Cubs beat writer for the Chicago Tribune. Sullivan voted Howard first, Pujols second. "Contributing to a team that makes it (to the postseason) is a key element for me. If someone was way ahead of everyone else and didn't make it, I'd consider him. But I don't see that as the case."

The award is so damn screwy, as it's left to a collection of misfits, nitwits and malcontents to interpret what "most valuable" means.

Albert Pujols is by far the best player. Most valuable? Depends on what you value, I suppose.