Cubbie Nation

Jackson felt like a prisoner in Milton's world

Damen Jackson — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:12:00 GMT

Filed:March 10th, 2010

I guess today is just going to be the day that black men make me weep.

That's my first thought after running through the morning news, and finding these delightfully insane, completely narcissistic interviews with Milton Bradley and Torii Hunter.

First, we have ESPN sitting down with Milton Bradley to discuss at length, his time in Chicago. Bless ESPN, who never resists an opportunity to facilitate *** flinging in the name of ratings, but this piece may have been the worst thing I've seen since Bonds on Bonds.

Asked about his manager:

"The next day, he called me into his office and wanted to apologize. I felt you put me on blast, called me out in front of everybody, you're going to apologize in front of everybody."

Nice. Except for the fact that he did, on numerous occasions. From a Tribune article at that time:

"But I told him it wasn't right, and I apologized for it. But I also told him that we just can't continue to have the shenanigans that we've put up with it. I told him he's going to hurt somebody. He's going to hurt himself. But at the same time, I did talk to him and I did apologize for that last comment."

The organization? When asked about the source of his hate-mail, and where some of it may have come from the Cubs themselves, given the lack of postage:

"I would hope not, but ... who knows? I don't know. I don't even care to know."

And my favorite money quote:

"I don't think the entire city of Chicago is racist or anything like that. If you weren't booing me, I'm not talking to you."

If you like Milton Bradley, then it's all good. And if you don't, well then, you're a racist. I booed on occasion. I wonder whether that applies to me, too.

This all actually pales in comparison to Torii Hunter, who chose to go equally bat$$$t in his interview with USA Today on race in baseball. To wit:

"People see dark faces out there, and the perception is that they're African American. They're not us. They're impostors."
As African-American players, we have a theory that baseball can go get an imitator and pass them off as us. It's like they had to get some kind of dark faces, so they go to the Dominican or Venezuela because you can get them cheaper. 'It's like, why should I get this kid from the South Side of Chicago and have Scott Boras represent him and pay him $5 million when you can get a Dominican guy for a bag of chips?"

Huh? Let me share a couple of thoughts with you. Inner-city kids until recently have wanted to play professionally about as much as they wanted to become NASCAR drivers. The interest simply was not there, and where there was, the economics made it difficult, not the lack of interest on behalf of the MLB in recruiting these kids. Gloves, ball, bats, and lack of fields in most neighborhoods made baseball cost-prohibitive in much of the 80s and 90s, especially when all you needed was a cheap basketball for the whole neighborhood to play that sport. Of course the money often wasn't there, again, because NO ONE WANTED TO PLAY!!

Hmm...let's see. Top pick in the 2007 draft? David Price - black. 2008? Tim Beckham - black. Top prospect in baseball? Jason Heyward - black.

Seems to me like baseball pretty much takes talent wherever they can find it, regardless of race. And don't even get me started on the contract that the Reds gave Aroldis Chapman. It was a bag of chips, and all that, to boot.

You know, you grow up in the inner city, it's very easy to see racism around every corner, and in many cases, it's often very real. But watching a couple of black men cite racism over a league and its fans who that will make them millionaires MANY times over, and more often than not shower them in adoration is truly enough to make me weep.

Cubs signaling change in their Marshall Plan?

Damen Jackson — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:17:00 GMT

Filed:February 25th, 2010

Lost amongst the news of Carlos Zambrano's secret handshake with Kevin Millar, Angel Guzman being shut down, Ted Lilly being flu-ridden, and the existential question of should Lou Piniella tweet or not tweet, came a small snippet out of Arizona expanding on the Cubs competition for spots on the pitching staff. According to Piniella, he regards it as a race between Jeff Samardzija, Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny, and, wait for it...Sean Marshall.

With that statement comes something of a drastic change in position, as the organization has long maintained that Marshall lacks the stamina to start, vacillating instead between using him in the bullpen out that fact, or as a matter of necessity.

I don't buy the argument; never have. While there is certainly a drop-off in statistics when Marshall starts (1.35 vs. 1.43 WHIP, for example), his numbers as a starter are on par with your expectations for a back-of-the-rotation guy, if not better.

Think I'm kidding? Take a look at some of the free agent class of 2007 for a comparison, which was the off-season after the year that Marshall broke into the majors. Needless to say, all were paid substantially more over the last few seasons than Sean.

Sean Marshall (as starter) - 4.86 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 6.1 SO/9

Jeff Suppan - 4.69 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 4.9 SO/9

Adam Eaton - 4.90 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 6.5 SO/9

Gil Meche - 4.42 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 6.6 SO/9

Jason Marquis - 4.40 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 5.2 SO/9

Get the point? I think the Cubs have. And if nothing else, it's a good signal that the on-field management doesn't feel the least bit obligated to assure acquisitions Gorzelanny and Silva of anything. I'm scoring one for Lou.

Some alternative ideas for the Cubs relief search

Damen Jackson — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 23:57:00 GMT

Filed:February 12th, 2010

Dodgers reliever Ramon Troncoso

What? They're still looking?

With less than a week before the official opening of Spring Training camp, the Chicago Cubs are still looking to fill arguably their greatest off-season need, a reliable right-handed setup man for newly-minted closer Carlos Marmol. After kicking the tires on a host of external candidates; Frasor, Park, and Gregerson, amongst others, they are left with no better solution in place than the day last season ended.

For the Cubs, the internal options are not terrible. John Grabow may have possibly found his stride, as indicated by his 3.24 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in his stint with the Cubs. And certainly, Angel Guzman finally delivered on his promise, and showed he's capable of being at least an adequate late-inning man.

However, apparently the Cubs don't agree, and as such we have the search. While there are certainly some fine options still on the free agent market, and the aforementioned trade scenarios may yet come to fruition, I'd like to suggest a couple of alternatives that could fill this void.

Manny Corpas (Rockies) - Corpas falls into what I like in a competent reliever, with upside. Forced out of his closer role last season by the Huston Street acquisition, then out of the bullpen altogether by injury, Manny looks like he's on his way back to health this year, and is expected to be ready for Opening Day after his elbow surgery last season. Unfortunately for him, the combination of Street and Rafael Betancourt is a talented one that leaves him a bit out in the cold, and this writer at least wondering if this isn't a good time to send the ex-closer packing, if only for the sake of chemistry.

Dustin McGowan (Blue Jays) - With all the talk about Toronto trading away either Jason Frasor or Scott Downs after their signing of Kevin Gregg, little has been said about the anticipated return of McGowan, arguably the most talented of them all. According to press reports, he's throwing smoothly, and is looking great. The problem for the Jays however is that as a pitcher out of options, they'll need to keep him on what looks like an already competent staff, or place him on waivers & release him. A better solution might be to move him for a similar talent who at least has options available, allowing them to get out in front of the issue now, and not lose value if he has a bad camp. The Cubs might be better able to take a risk on him, working him into the role as he competes for setup innings with Grabow.

Ramon Troncoso (Dodgers) - If you believe the rumor mill, the Dodgers would much prefer to make the George Sherrill contract go away, keeping Troncoso instead. And this writer would prefer to have him. But Sherrill isn't going anywhere, and economic conditions preclude LA from addressing the back of their rotation without that relief; well, almost.

If, the Cubs are confident about the medical status of Ted Lilly, and if you believe that the Parisi/Samardzija/Marshall/Silva group can provide adequate innings for the first six weeks or so of the season, quietly moving Gorzelanny for Ramon might be an adequate solution for all involved. Given the spacious parks of the NL West, and fly ball graveyard that is Chavez Ravine, this might even be great for the Dodgers, as they would alleviate the Gorzelanny fly-ball tendencies.

Personally, I think the Cubs might do well sticking it out with Guzman for awhile in that role, given some of the options available. However, if they're going to beef up the bullpen, the low -risk/high -upside players mentioned are likely a much better play than the solutions that have been discussed to date.

Carlos Marmol, welcome to the Millionaire's Club!

Damen Jackson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:29:00 GMT

Filed:February 4th, 2010

What? You're wondering what the picture above has to do with Carlos Marmol? Good question. Over the last few years of shooting Chicago sports, I haven't found a better photo yet that exemplifies the life of the pro athlete, and the high-dollar club that they are members of. You know the club. Where members of even the most marginal talent are all but assured of making millions over their career, if not in a single season. And that's just the scrubs.

Yes, that is a cigar in his mouth. And yes, they did light it with $100 bills. No, just kidding. It was only a $50.

And with his new deal, a one-year pact worth $2.125 million, Marmol is officially its newest member. Don't get me wrong; it's a fine deal that if anything doesn't fully recognize his worth, but then again first-year arbitration deals very rarely do.

And now, with Spring Training less than two weeks away, we wait for Ryan Theriot to join the party, the last remaining unsigned player for the Cubs.

My guess? This one is going to be a little ugly. There are two problems with Theriot's case that we should probably keep in mind. One is that he's 30 years old, and given that he would hit the free agent market around 33, which is at the point in which most stop considering you to be an everyday shortstop, we should expect that Theriot may fight a little harder for arbitration dollars, as he'll likely never have the big free agent payday, and knows it.

The other is that the Cubs have inadvertently inflamed the situation with their high public regard for super prospect Starlin Castro, letting Theriot know in a not-so-subtle way that he's not in the long-term plans.

For the Cubs, it's simple. If you keep Theriot below $3 mil this season, then you probably won't have to go above $4 mil next season, making Theriot a nice solution for the next two years certainly time to have Castro ready for the majors. If you pay Ryan his submitted $3.4 figure now, you probably will have to be ready for $5 mil next season, which makes it possible that the Cubs might be more inclined to cut him loose, and look for a one-season solution in 2011.

In short, expect this battle to be very personal, and a little ego driven. But hey, either way Ryan's going to be smoking his cigar in a couple of weeks too, one way or the other.

Nady as a Cub? Why so average?

Damen Jackson — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:48:00 GMT

Filed:January 28th, 2010

Free and and possible Chicago Cub Xavier Nady

As I sit and examine the roster repercussions of the Cubs signing Xavier Nady as reported here, and to a lesser extend inking Chad Tracy to a minor-league deal, and keep coming back to the question of why does the Cubs continually overpay for mediocrity?

It’s not that I don’t like Nady; I do, actually. I regarded him as a pretty good player back in his Pirates days. Perhaps it was the change in environment, or having to pick up a new personal scout book for the AL, or maybe the fact that life in the AL East has fewer Jeff Suppans and more A.J .Burnetts, but he’s been less than stellar in New York, and that was before the injury. Yes, the almost unprecedented second Tommy John surgery that he’s still rehabbing, and which makes his even passing a physical at this point, as one baseball official so candidly put it, “Not a foregone conclusion”.

So the question that you ask yourself if not whether you’d take a flier on Nady, because when you can get a potentially league average starter to potentially ride the pine for you, you jump at the chance, but how much do you pay for the privilege? Here’s a hint; you don’t pay $3.3 million guaranteed as reported, especially for a right fielder that’s coming off a TJ operation. Jacque Jones should have taught the Cubs the lessons of a right fielder with a noodle arm.

The net effect is that the Cubs probably will get nice production out of Nady, and to a lesser extent Tracy in 2010. However, when you look at a potential $5.5 million outlay for Nady, you have to stop and at least wonder is this an example yet again of Jim Hendry overpaying. Jeremy Burnitz, Jones, Juan Pierre, Matt Lawton, Cliff Floyd, Kosuke Fukudome, and Milton Bradley. Did I miss anyone? The Cubs outfield is littered with the carcasses of talent than in the end proved over the last few years to be at best average and ill fits to which the Cubs overpaid, and at worst, complete wastes of money; and that’s just the outfielders. So I ask again; why so average, or better yet, why must they pay a premium for it?

Ten Things I Learned at the 2010 Cubs Convention

Damen Jackson — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:37:00 GMT

Filed:January 17th, 2010

Ryan Dempster (center) signs autographs for fans (Cubbie Nation)

Okay, I'll admit it; I'm hooked. After years of doing a wide berth around the Cubs Convention, I broke down and went last year, and returned for this year's festivities. The annual festival, now in its 25th year, brought in thousands of fans (and I do mean fan, as in fanatics) for the all-weekend event at the Chicago Hilton. After two years in a row of attending, I can at least say that I understand it, and I may possibly enjoy it; possibly. I'm still trying to decide that part.

Whatever the case, there is certainly something for even the dispassionate fan like me, and if you've never gone, I'll say that you should. It's one of those baseball experiences that you should have at least once, like a week of Spring Training in Arizona, or a Red Sox game at Fenway.

That said, here are ten things that I learned at the Cubs Convention this year.

The Cubs expect to add both a position player, and a veteran reliever within the next few weeks. And for those in the Jeff-Baker-as-second-baseman camp, I never once heard that it would be a bench player, with Hendry suggesting it would be someone who could bring a lot of things offensively to the club.

Marlon Byrd will bat fifth in the lineup, and Soriano will stay hitting sixth. If you're questioning the wisdom of letting a guy with a career-high .842 OPS, and a lifetime .762 OPS hit fifth for a supposed playoff contender, then you are not alone.

Lou Piniella would still prefer to eat glass than let Fukudome lead off, acknowledging for now that he'll probably hit first or second, citing Kosuke's lack of speed as the major factor.

The Cubs officially deny interest in Ben Sheets, despite numerous outlets reporting otherwise, and their attendance at his workout later this week. Me thinks Jim Hendry is a big fat liar on this one.

Ryan Dempster may have the most dead-on impersonation of Harry Caray that I've seen. I've seen his short-form work, but his extended sample of Harry calling a game will have you in stitches.

The wild rice and asiago cheese bison sausage, made by High Plains Bison, may be the best thing that I've ever tasted in my life.

Geovany Soto is back in shape, having lost a reported 37 pounds. He looks great, by the way, citing simple diet changes for the change. One has to wonder though what to make of a player who was so out of shape that laying off the chips was enough to drop a near 40 pounds in a bit over 90 days.

Carlos Silva is most certainly not.

It's time for the show to go elsewhere. Incredibly overcrowded sessions, inadequate facilities, lack of rooms, and a dysfunctional convention floor put the convention sorely in need of an location upgrade.

The Cubs organization continues to spend significantly more time talking about stadium alterations and alternative revenue streams than the on-field product. Heads up, by the way, as they seem to have backed away from naming rights, but won't let the Jumbotron idea go.

The Cubs are actively campaigning to host the 2014 All-Star game, coinciding with Wrigley's 100th year celebration.

Great stuff. And if you're interested in a bit more coverage, check here for the photo gallery of the festivities, courtesy of our media arm, Triple Play New Media.

Cubbie Nation to Mark McGwire: LIAR!!

Damen Jackson — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:14:00 GMT

Filed:January 12th, 2009

Former Cardinals slugger and new hitting coach Mark McGwire

In what was generally regarded as sport's worst kept secret -- worse than the fact that Milton Bradley is an ass, Gilbert Arenas is crazy, and Brett Favre may be the NFL's biggest narcissist -- Mark McGwire announced formally Monday that he did, in fact, use steroids early and often throughout his career. McGwire was good enough to sit down for the MLB Network's Bob Costas for a follow-up interview last night that one could only be described as ludicrous.

"I wish that I had never played in that era. I wish there was drug testing."

Sure buddy, we believe you. Never mind the fact that McGwire fully acknowledges that his injuries suffered through the early 90's would have forced him into retirement by 1996 otherwise, sans not only international fame but the roughly $55 million earned from baseball from 1996 - 2001.

Mark also believes that not only was his use of steroids in such low doses as they provided little strength benefit, arguing they provided no edge in power, but that he didn't even regard it as cheating -- technically, he's right, although it was certainly illegal. When asked by Costas whether he would have achieved such lofty power numbers without the use of steroids, and to a much lesser extent HGH, he says "absolutely".

Evidently, the subtle nuance of intent and consequence seems to be lost on him, or at least he hopes that it's lost on you. Even if you can accept that his use of illegal drugs was for health and recovery reasons only, you can't simply ignore the fact that side effect are extra strength, better bat speed, quicker recovery from workouts -- allowing him to become even stronger -- and the ability to get on the field at all. Well, you can if you're McGwire.

Read the transcripts, or even better watch the video. And while you're doing that, let me ask a few rhetorical questions.

At what point is Congress going to step in and put a major league player in jail, if not for perjury, then certainly obstruction of justice? Rafael Palmeiro? Liar. Miguel Tejada? Liar. Roger Clemens? Liar. Mark McGwire, borderline obstruction, if not outright liar.

I'll do you one better. What did the Cardinals know, and when did they know it? Suspicious that McGwire was offered employment by the organization now, given Mark's obvious desire to reenter the game. More so that the statute of limitations for the use of illegal drugs, and, what for it...perjury is five years. Want to guess what anniversary date is coming up just before the start of the baseball season? Yeah, exactly. Is it out of the realm of possibility that the Cardinals were fully aware, or at least Tony LaRussa, and planned this course of action well in advance yesterday?

And the biggest question of all? How, in a situation that even Mark acknowledges as widespread use of PEDs throughout baseball, can he sit straight-faced and tell us that none of his family knew before yesterday? Or his coaches? Or his teammates? And that he never even heard the matter discussed in the clubhouse in his 17-year career?

If McGwire would like the acceptance and forgiveness of fans, in addition to the already given wink and nod from the baseball crowd, then here's an idea. Make yourself available for more formal lines of questioning, and be frank with the public, instead of this shameful and transparent attempt to pee in our ears, and tell us it's raining.

McGwire cried not once but twice during his interview with Costas, shamed by the embarrassment caused to his friends and family. I cry too, but for baseball. And for fans who gave their dollars, loyalty, and hearts to puffed up, homer-happy figures of our imagination from the 90's who were merely manifestations of a bio-engineering lab, and a too-smooth MLB marketing department.

Hall of Fame? Please. You could make a better case for his pharmacist.

Cubbie Nation is fine with Byrd in center; for now

Damen Jackson — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:59:00 GMT

Filed:January 1st, 2010

New Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd

Stopping to read the Jim Hendry outfield foibles over the last few seasons reads like the tale of a man who just doesn't get it. Corey Patterson, Jacque Jones, Jeromy Burnitz, Matt Lawton, Cliff Floyd, Juan Pierre, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, and Milton Bradley, just to name a few. In pretty much every case, the Cubs have either failed to get the production that they hoped for, and/or wildly overpaid for it. I'll let you figure out which is which.

Couple that with the players that have passed by them; guys like Carlos Betran, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, and Bobby Abreu, and you can't help but get spooked when Hendry decides to dip his check-writing pen into the inkwell for a outfield solution. I certainly did in reviewing the Cubs decision to sign Marlon Byrd to a 3/15 deal yesterday.

But I've slept on it, debated it a bit, and in the end, I'm going to say something a bit shocking; I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt, and say I'm okay with the signing.

Now, on the larger scale, it doesn't make up for fumbling on Granderson, and failing to bring in Mike Cameron this offseason -- a much more consistent talent, and better defender -- nor the fact that there is no one within the system that could fill this role within the next year to two. And certainly the question of how much his contract structuring over the past few seasons have resulted in this new fiscal conservativeness. Fair questions, all.

But Hendry did three things here that I can at least respect, especially given that I believe that Byrd should at least be an average centerfielder in 2010.

One, he again respected the opinions of his manager and coaching staff, working to get them the talent that they say they need. I think Rudy Jaramillo had a great deal of input into this signing, and when the best in the business vouches for someone, you have to listen.

Two, the deal structure makes it likely that the Cubs maintain better than expected payroll flexibility over at least the next two seasons. With $3.5 million reportedly guaranteed in 2010, and another $5.5 in 2011, they're basically paying this guy with the cash received from the Bradley deal. Ideally, you might even be able to move him after 2010 if need be with minimum fuss. The 2/12 contract at that point isn't exactly an albatross.

And finally, Hendry didn't overpay. Maybe you don't like Byrd -- I certainly don't -- but all indications so far is that he didn't get caught bidding against himself, and he paid the market rate for this mid-level talent.

So, I'm going to say that this is no worse than a "meh" deal with some upside in the short run, and the potential to be a steal if Hendry can make him go away before the 2012 season. Welcome to Chicago, Marlon, and here's to hoping that your skin is thicker than the last guy.

2009 Cubs in Pictures

Damen Jackson — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:04:00 GMT

Filed:December 31st, 2009

One last look back the 2009 Chicago Cubs (Cubbie Nation/file)

Last year, I ran what I hoped to become a tradition here at Cubbie Nation, the current team captured in pictures. The premise is pretty simple. Teams and seasons come and go, and for as much time as we give to being with them, there's something wrong about the notion that many of these guys are gone, if not altogether forgotten, by the time the playoffs have ended.

You know the guys. The Jose Ascanios, Kevin Harts, and Andres Blancos of the game. Maybe we'll see them again; maybe not. But you wore the uniform, and we cheered for you, so consider this my way of saying thanks. One photo for each (sans Mitch Atkins and Chad Fox) man who spent time on the 25-man roster, captured in a way that only a fan can.

This year, the photo galleries have been moved to my new multmedia site, Triple Play New Media. You can find it here. Cubbie Nation will be undergoing some pretty extreme upgrades by the start of next season, and as such we've moved the media galleries over to a professionally hosted site that specializes in serving photos. I think you'll find it makes for a much better viewing experience.

Some folks have said they've been completely blown away; other said do better. Why don't you take a look, drop me a note, and let me know what you think. And Happy New Year from Cubbie Nation.

Bradley's gone, but the Cubs no better off

Damen Jackson — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:20:00 GMT

Filed:December 20th, 2009

(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 of the luckiest men in memory as well though, given that he hit free agency at its peak, turning a few better-than-average starts in 2007 in $48 million dollars of goodness.

In Silva, the Cubs shake themselves free of the Bradley fog, allowing the clubhouse to hopefully bring itself back to a collective equilibrium. And the salary relief -- somewhere between 6 and 9 million, depending on who you speak with -- could very well be transformed into someone who can give the Cubs something productive over the next season or two.

But here's the problem that I keep coming back to, and that is that Silva is a negative value player. He was average with the Twins at his peak, awful with the Mariners in a spacious pitchers park, and comes to the Cubs off a shoulder injury. In other words, he couldn't be expected to get more than a minor-league deal right now if he was out there looking for work, and with good reason; there's simply no indication that he can effective for a club in 2010.

Yet, at the very least, the politics of the matter force him to remain on the 25-man roster for at least the bulk of the season, forcing the Cubs to likely either carry an extra pitcher, reduce their effectiveness by not allowing them to bring along a more useful minor-league arm who might otherwise make the team --- we're talking to you, Blake Parker, Jon Gaub, and Justin Berg -- or even worse, precluding the Cubs from acquiring a more useful piece as he's got a lock on a roster spot for at least the first month or two of the season.

But the part that makes this so sad is the simple question that no one wants to answer: If the Cubs had simply agreed to eat this $15 million of so difference rather than playing this accounting game with the Mariners -- effectively turning Bradley into a 2/8 contract -- what could they have gotten back in return? I'm going to hazard a guess someone a lot more useful than Carlos.

When you couple this with the fact that rather than choosing to make this move months ago and move one, allowing them to acquire either a Mike Cameron or getting back in on the Curtis Granderson talks, they puffed and pontificated instead, making them look amateurish in the process. Face it, when you wait out the market and come back with good return, you're a smart guy. When you do that and come back with Carlos Silva, arguably the worst of the Bradley trade scenarios, you don't come across as very competent.

Bradley will be fine in Seattle, and I wish him well there. I'm confident that he'll come back under a much more laid back environment to his usual offensive norms, especially given the chance to DH again. As for the Cubs, well they may be able to put a nice face on this if they can turn that Mariners cash into a good outfielder. But given Hendry's desire for Marlon Byrd, he might be better served spending that money on a t-shirt that simply reads "I spent 30 million dollars, and all I got was this lousy Silva"!

A modest proposal from Cubbie Nation:Go get Ellsbury!!

Damen Jackson — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:02:00 GMT

Filed:December 19th, 2009

Red Sox outfielder Mike Cameron (Cubbie Nation/file)

Sigh. I just finished watching the Cameron - Red Sox press conference. 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 question, what the hell is this team going to do next season? Re-sign Johnson, and pray for a decent platoon with Tyler Colvin? Sign Marlon Byrd, and watch Hendry have to explain this time next year how he yet again overpaid for a Texas outfielder, turned bust? Trot Sam Fuld out there until Lou's head explodes, and he pulls an Elia-esque tirade about rookies, and the @#$@$!!! fans who love them?

It was a big fat fail on Curtis Granderson. A bigger fail on Cameron; and I have to ask as an aside, how long are the Cubs going to let Milton Bradley hold them up? And any signing of Byrd, Scott Podsednik, or Coco Crisp is surely going to be an epic fail. So, because I at least used to like Hendry, I'm going to give him a workable idea: Go get Jacoby Ellsbury.

No, no. I'm very serious. The ultra-hot rumor out of Boston is that with the Cameron signing, the Red Sox would seek to put Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz in a package for Adrian Gonzalez. Now, I wouldn't do this deal personally, as I'd likely ask for a third prospect for what I consider one of the top 25 players in the game. But if these talks are going to get serious, I'd recommend that the Cubs elbow in on this, and turn it into three-way talks.

As a matter of fact, I'll go one-step further, and actually offer a trade proposal; send Randy Wells and Tyler Colvin to San Diego for him. Wells looks like a strong, back-of-the-rotation type starter, pre-arb, who can be inserted into the rotation along with Buchholz immediately. Boston gets their man, the Padres get two major-league ready starters, and a near-ready center field prospect, and the Cubs finally get an athletic, left-handed starter who is a) under 30, and b) doesn't suck.

Now go, and pluck a Jon Garland out of free agency (who would be likely cheaper than what the Cubs would spend for Byrd), and you have a problem solved, and a real, long-term solution in place.

The stats guys and I are going to fight again, and Ellsbury's splits are pedestrian, his defensive stats are a touch shaky, and his stolen bases make him overhyped. Accepted.

But Wrigley is a small park that I'd expect him to cover fairly well, and at 26, he may very well develop into something so much more. This is a chance that I would take, even if I had to overpay a bit on prospects.

I was reading today that Buster Olney didn't see Ellsbury as a good fit in Petco. I tend to agree. And while it's tough to say right now whether these talks are going to go somewhere, if they do, the Cubs would be wise to get in on them.

Curtis Granderson to the Yankees just leaves me speechless

Damen Jackson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:31:00 GMT

Filed:December 9th, 2009

Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson

You know, for years I've respected Jim Hendry. Oh sure, I thought he was overmatched, and in over his head at times. But he worked tirelessly to improve the team, supported his manager, turned Chicago in a preferred free agent destination again, and did get around eventually to vastly improving the Cubs farm system. While he certainly wasn't of the Schuerholz or Jocketty caliber, I felt like he was better than average, and improving.

Somewhere along the line though, I feel like he lost his way, or perhaps I just came to conclude that he lacks the chops; you know, the ability to handle the fine details, required to take your team from competitive to contender. I think it was when he doled out relatively large deals to 1) Aaron Miles, 2) Joey Gathright, 3) Paul Bako, and 4) who can forget Milton Bradley, and came to regret them all. Why? Because someone told him that the club needs to get more "left handed.

For me, managing to let Curtis Granderson slip through his hands, and into a Yankees uniform was probably the last nail in the coffin. You've heard about it; Granderson to the Yankees, Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks, and Max Scherzer & Austin Jackson to the Tigers. There's some additional pieces and parts involved, but that's the meat of it.

On the face of it, it's a nice deal for just about everybody, although I'm left to wonder what Arizona knows about Scherzer that has them spooked enough to part with him this soon. For the Yankees though, it's practically a fleecing. That you turn a LOOGY in Phil Coke, the serviceable Ian Kennedy, and a prospect of much hype, and even more debated talent level (Jackson) into Granderson is quite a feat. Given that they've actually been able to upgrade their outfield now, while reducing the money spent to boot is simply oh so New York.

Which takes us back to Hendry, who effectively been asking for the impossible, somehow got it, and blew it. Let's see: "I need a young, athletic, left-handed, middle-of-the-lineup hitter who would be comfortable in Chicago, and can help chill out my clubhouse after the Bradley debacle. And oh, by the way, he needs to be able to fit into my modest discretionary budget for 2010." Did I miss anything? And given the unimaginable opportunity to get that player he fumbles it, because reportedly, he won't part with 19 year-old Starlin Castro. Because, you know, the Cubs have such a storied history of developing young, raw, positional talent.

The stat guys and I have been in debate over this deal all night, and I'm sure I'll hear chiming in about Curtis's inability to hit left-handers, average reads in center, and down 2008. I say BS. This was a rare chance to acquire a cornerstone piece at bargain prices, saving the Cubs their annual foray into questionable free agent signings for at least a few seasons in the process. Given that we all know that the Mike Cameron signing is right around the corner now, and at likely more for the next two seasons than Granderson will receive, and this is amateur hour; a textbook example of how not to run a major market franchise, just one offseason removed from Hendry's last lesson on this.

The Cubs under him just can't seem to get out of their own way, and I can't wait for a new steward to start leading them on a straight path.

Fox out, Gray in as Chicago and Oakland do trade

Damen Jackson — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:55:00 GMT

Filed:December 4th, 2009

Jake Fox (Cubbie Nation/file)

The Cubs solved a number of problems in one fell swoop Thursday, trading fan favorite Jake Fox, the not-so favorite Aaron Miles, and cash to the Oakland A's for Jeff Gray, and minor leaguers Ronny Morla & Matt Spencer. The official word is here.

Wow, has it really been two weeks since a post? Ouch. I've recently found myself with the opportunity to pursue a few other media endeavors, shooting some pro and collegiate sports. I'm finding that photography is, well, time consuming. That project is still in progress, but if you'd like to get a sneak peek at what I've been working on, take a look at the development site, and look for the go-live for Triple Play in early January.

But back to the trade, where Jim Hendry has managed yet again to show why I like him, and yet still think he should be fired, all in the same trade.

With the move, he managed to do what many considered the unthinkable, in making the albatross of Aaron Miles disappear, and not having to eat all but the league minimum to do it. Some quotes say it all, and Hendry himself put it best in regards to Aaron Miles:

"Aaron will be better served going elsewhere after a very, very tough year for him."

Enough said. According to the news reports, the Cubs will be eating roughly $1 million of his remaining $2.7 million salary, but we'll just chalk that up to the cost of doing business.

In Jake Fox though, the Cubs lose a very potent right-handed bat off the bench, and we're still left to wonder how the Cubs intend to resolve what's looking like a very thin bench, to match a very shaky bullpen. Fox appeared at least serviceable at three positions, making it a bit surprising that he didn't get at least a longer look from the Cubs, even if only to boost his value a touch further.

Price of making Aaron Miles go away? Maybe. However, it still doesn't explain why he couldn't get off the bench in September, with Lou Piniella trotting out Bobby Scales at one point on a daily basis.Or while we got abused by Ryan Freel and Mike Fontenot manning third base for weeks, when he appeared to be a reasonable internal option.

We'll get to listen for the next month about how Spencer could be good, Gray can break camp with the Cubs next season, and that this was just good business, and maybe that's all true. But this looks like yet another move that doesn't help the club immediately, and at best is simply lateral movement. A fringe reliever, and a prospect described as "a more athletic version of Jake Fox" simply don't sound like real improvements to a ballclub in need, and if this is what it takes for the club to save a couple of million, I'm left to wonder further about their 2010 prospects.

I'll wait for the counter-move before passing judgment overall, but this is looking like more of the same from the Hendry team; making a problem go away by creating an even bigger one.

Resigning Mark DeRosa will not make the Cubs better

Damen Jackson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Filed:November 18th, 2009

Mark DeRosa (Cubbie Nation/file)

You ever found yourself reading a well-written piece, and feeling like it all sounds logical and sensible, then think about it a little more, and wonder if the writer if off his meds? I had a moment like this when I read a recent piece by Foxsports writer Dayn Perry, who proposes in the column a number of moves that teams need to make this off-season.

It's 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 that they can't sell tickets (or dump salaries), and spend even more to pick up a free agent closer. 2) That Mike Cameron should ignore his ego, talent, and reputation, and go man a corner spot for the Cardinals, which would then give them one of the best outfield defenses in the league. His words, not mine. 3) That the Yankees should continue to march Johhny Damon out to left field for the next three years -- and at likely a premium price for the trouble. And oh, my favorite; that the Cubs should resign Mark DeRosa to man second base next season.

Ouch. Now even Perry is drinking the Kool-Aid?

You guys know me, I generally like the idea of getting the band back together, and when DeRosa was good, he was very good. But the team has moved on; they've changed, and general manager Jim Hendry needs to recognize that, and not have this turn into another off-season of bad moves and poor lineup construction.

The long and short of it is that the Cubs don't need right-handed power. You've got four RH-hitters capable of hitting 25-plus homers a season. You don't need a super-utility man either. Jeff Baker has spent time at every position on the field sans shortstop, and even being arbitration eligible, should likely slot into the 2010 roster at at least half the cost of resigning DeRosa.

What they do need is a left-handed hitter, capable of getting on base, and some help with run prevention, neither of which can be expected from a 35-year old DeRosa playing second base. The Cubs still missed plenty of bats in 2009, but it's very evident that the biggest advantage that the Cubs could give themselves next season besides better health is improving their up-the-middle defense. No more Fukudome in center, a real defensive second baseman, and if they were really smart, quietly showing Ryan Theriot the door, but I guess that last one is a conversation for another time.

Quite simply, with Rich Harden leaving, and a lack of power arms in the pen, look for more balls in play in 2010, and the need to cover more ground to not have to extend starters, and get into what so far is looking like a very thin middle relief situation.

I'm going to make a modest proposal. Rather than pandering, and playing the PR game as Perry suggests, how about improving the team on the field? If shuttling Milton Bradley doesn't return a left-handed hitting infielder in return, may I suggest Felipe Lopez or Orlando Hudson, both of whom should be expected to see deals in the same neighborhood as DeRosa, if not cheaper? Not the mention that both are younger, able to swipe a base, and perfectly suitable for the top-of-the-lineup role that Hendry and manager Lou Piniella have suggested an interest in.

Whatever the case, you simply can't go home again. Trading Mark DeRosa was never the problem. Shipping him off so as to sign the likes of Milton Bradley was. It's done. It didn't pan out. Move on.

Welcome back to Chicago, Mike Cameron!

Damen Jackson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:18:00 GMT

Filed:November 9th, 2009

Mike Cameron (Cubbie Nation/file)

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 two. Personally, I think they need to wake up and deal Prince Fielder to get it, but hey, every man is free to make his own mistakes.

But back to Cameron, who has frustrated me for years with his long swing, and strikeout tendencies. Pair him and Alfonso Soriano together in a lineup, and I'm certain they'll eclipse 300 strikeouts next season without trying. That's the bad news.

Fortunately, the good news is two fold. Cameron is something of a hallmark on consistency, being not only still a superior defender in center, but someone you slot in your lineup, and just ring up the stats. You'll get 20-25 homers, and .800 OPS, and double-digit steals. Little more, little less.

There's been very little deterioration in his game over the last season, in my opinion. He still appears in very good health, better spirits, and with the same professional work habits. You might do well to spell him just a little more with a left-handed hitter, so as to cut back his starts just a touch. But a two-year (with or without option) deal for a team shopping for a bat would seem like smart business, especially given that he should slot a bit below Bobby Abreu's most recent deal.

But here's the rub; Lou Piniella and Mike Cameron are probably each other's biggest fans. Their welcomes are warm, the conversations always long, and praise always high, going back to their Mariner days. Cameron is everything that Piniella likes in not only a player, but a person. Consider me shocked if Piniella doesn't insist that the Cubs at least kick the tires.

Bottom line, he's a Lou guy; someone Piniella has always respected, and gives the Cubs a solid, short-term, reasonably-priced solution for 2010 -- minus the headaches.

We'll all have to wait and see how the Milton Bradley trade scenarios play out, but with Cameron now available, I'd look for rumors of hot and heavy conversations between them to start as soon as this week.

Cubs, Grabow talk-multi-year deal; Wait, you want to do what?

Damen Jackson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:16:00 GMT

Filed:November 3rd, 2009

Cubs reliever John Grabow (Cubbie Nation/file)

Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 is reporting that the Cubs and reliever John Grabow are in the mist 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 as an option -- then this is a win-win in my book.

But I'm seeing the continuation of disturbing trends here that I hoped would cease with the ownership transition. Multi-year deals for relievers are reserved for lights-out firemen; closers, and guys with a established history of success. Not for lefties with average stats, pitching in low-stress innings for a perennial loser in Pittsburgh.

The formula is to have this guys on one-year deals, where they play for their pay, allowing your club the most financial flexibility possible, and giving them to ability to concentrate on allocating money of players who provide the best return on investment. And those are usually not guys pitching in 60 innings of middle relief a season.

The Cubs have seen this as recently as a couple of years ago, when lengthy deals made to Scott Eyre and Bob Howry had both hanging around at least a year too long, for various reasons.

Here's the real problem though. At the end of the day, the Cubs are bidding against themselves. Grabow, a likely Type A free agent, is probably the softest of the lefties hitting the market this off-season. With Joe Beimel (better stats, and playoff experience), Mike Gonzalez (potential closer fallback), Billy Wagner (same) and Ron Mahay on the market as well, there are any number of lefties here that either won't cost a team a first round pick, or can better justify that compensation in their signing.

The Cubs need only offer John Grabow arbitration, and his free agent status deteriorates to the point where he's almost forced to return to the Cubs, likely on a one year, $4 million dollar package. Simple, easy, and cost controlled.

And if he leaves, the Cubs collect not one, but two picks in next year's draft. Where's the downside here?

Wanting John Grabow back is fine, and if Jim Hendry can get him with one, plus an option, I think he should do that. But upwards of $4 million per, with a potential third year vested added in is pure nonsense.

Too much money, too many years, and bidding against yourselves. The more that I hear, the less I like.

Meet the new Cubs owners: "We've one agenda, and that's to win"

Damen Jackson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:54:00 GMT

Filed:October 30th, 2009

Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts

And with one 20 minute press conference this morning, a 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, Ricketts went on to state that in his opinion, the incoming talent alone for next season was enough to not only be playoff caliber, but to carry the team into the World Series. I'll stop here, and give you a moment to collect yourself after that. Me takes this as a sign to don't look for any significant signings this off-season, with this statement as cover to help hide the financial strains that the purchase of the team put on the family.

And how are the Cubs going to create this winner? Amongst some of his finer points were:

1) A legitimate commitment to hiring both the best on-field and front office personnel.

2) Improvements to Wrigley Field, immediately by improving the game-day experience, and long-term with improvements to the stadium conditions, and the addition of the triangle building.

3) Increase in payroll for next season, albeit with "slight" increases in ticket prices to fund it.

4) Promising to leave the baseball decisions up to the front office people, giving them the leeway to make the required decisions for the ball club.

And what he won't do? Well, he won't be hiring a baseball man to head to the team, making a commitment to both Jim Hendry and Crane Kenney, at least for the 2010 season.

And while the family expects to be active owners, they won't be puling Jeffrey Loria moves, disrupting the team in the process. Most importantly, they won't be committed to profit margin above all else, stating a willingness to not only spend, but reinvest profits willingly and aggressively, with a long-term view. Great news for those who still remember the dollars above all else initial years of the Tribune ownership.

It was a good first day. These are definitely fans, they definitely understand baseball, and understand the magnitude of their purchase. Coupled with Tom's deft sidestepping of a hypothetical question about eating cash on contract **cough, Milton Bradley, cough, cough **, and this was a pretty good introduction to the masses.

Especially after watching this conference, I stand by the notion that 2010 looks lean, but I’m convinced even more now that the Cubs long-term future looks pretty bright.

And for those of you looking for additional coverage, NPR will be doing an extended interview with Tom tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. You can find the details and podcast at www.npr.org.

Cubs sign Rudy Jaramillo; My Christmas comes early

Damen Jackson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:23:00 GMT

Filed:October 22nd, 2009

Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo (Courtesy:MLB.com)

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 my opinion. First, it's an excellent organizational move that puts one of the league best coaching talents on to a Cubs staff that continues to be one of the best in the business. And as important as the accolades that you'll hear about are: excellent communicator, record number of 800-run seasons under his tenure in Texas, virtually unprecedented Silver Sluggers awards, among others, is the fact that this is a guy known and respected for taking average talent, and maximizing their abilities.

Need an example? Look no further than Mark DeRosa, a good glove, no-hit infielder before arriving in Texas, who after working with Jaramillo for two seasons, became the solid everyday player that we know today.

Or Marlon Byrd, he of the career sub-.700 OPS before hooking on with the Rangers. He's since found both power and plate discipline, enjoying three straight .800-plus OPS seasons with the Rangers.

Hell, even Andruw Jones resembles a passable player again after only a season working with Rudy.

I could go on, but you get the idea. You'll hear some of the critics, who'll say that the strikeouts on Jaramillo squads are a major shortcoming, and that the bandbox nature of Rangers Ballpark puffs up his accolades, but this is still someone regarded as the finest hitting coach since Walt Hriniak. And he's with your favorite team now.

But the second, and arguably most important thing, is that this is a signal that the new ownership means to win, and will not be afraid to make smart expenditures. This level of commitment -- three year, 2.4 million dollars -- is not only somewhat unprecedented for a hitting coach, but for any coach in baseball, as they usually work under a series of one-year deals. Identifying the best, and locking them up is a move that serious people make when they're serious about winning.

The worst thing that the Ricketts family could do this first off-season is to even remotely suggest to fans that they aren't committed to winning, or refuse to spend the money indicative of the Cubs stature and media market. Cheapskate owners can taint the fan base for years, and new owners need to be especially sensitive to the microscopic inspections of their initial moves, as fans and media search for guidance. From both a baseball and PR standpoint, they hit this one out of the park.

Welcome to Chicago, Rudy. Looking forward to seeing you at the Cubs Convention.

Diamondbacks 5, Cubs 2; Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

Damen Jackson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:32:00 GMT

Filed:October 4th, 2009

Wrigley Field at season's end (Cubbie Nation)

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 ten, was generally in the zone, and really his only mistake was with Chris Young -- never miss high with this kid -- who jacked a three-run, first pitch homer in the fourth to drive in three. Take that back, and we're having a much different conversation about the day.

And the bullpen? Flawless. The combination of Sean Marshall, Justin Berg, Aaron Heilman, and Esmailin Caridad combined to hold the DBacks scoreless the rest of the way.

There's talent there, to be sure. Rough, but existent. Maybe not Heilman though, who gave me my only bright spot of the day, watching him jump into his car outside the player's parking lot, and make a hasty exit. I'm not ashamed to say that I think the club will make an immediate improvement simply by making him and Aaron Miles disappear.

And congrats to Sam Fuld. First major league homer. First career RBI. First multi-RBI game. He's made a believer out of me. The kid can be my fifth outfielder anytime. Watching him makes me almost embarrassed that the club thought giving Joey Gathright close to a million last offseason to do the same thing was a good idea.

But this is about the season, where perception is reality, and the perception is that this team could have done much, much better. I say perception because as recently as six years ago, if you told fans that the Cubs would have three consecutive winning seasons -- a first in over 35 years -- and win a couple of divisions, it would have been a joyous notion. Today, with a triple-digit record of futility, increased tickets prices over that time, and a taste of what's possible, well, let's say that Cubbie Nation is a touch more...demanding. See Milton Bradley.

And that's the environment that the Ricketts family enters as they assume the reigns, hopefully sometime within the next month. Good luck. I've some thoughts that I'll share later in the week about what they might be best served doing, but the best thing is to ensure a transparent transfer of power leading into the organizational meetings in November, and committing to putting what is at least perceived to be a much more competitive team on the field in 2010. Anything that has the Cubs handicapped this offseason, or fielding a loser in their first year of ownership has repercussions that could last for years.

So, in the meantime while they're checking their exit interviews, player evaluations, and personnel reports in preparation, I'm going to do something I rarely have a chance to do during the season. Put down the notebook and the camera, think a little less, and just watch some games. For the record, big Yankee fan. Bigger Red Sox fan, but I've no issues with the Yankees, and I do believe that this is that special year for them. We'll see.

As such, I'm going to get a little scarce for the next month or so, and let the playoffs, well, play out. Also, begin the upgrades for Cubbie Nation, plan my trip to catch the Arizona Fall League, and start work on coverage to bring you once the free agency ofifcially begins.

In the meantime, keep your head up. Personally, I couldn't have been more sad Sunday watching the players pack up and exit Wrigley for the final time this year, almost to the point of anger. But this ain't Kansas City. Hell, it's not even the Mets. The Cubs have talent, money, and a new ownership group looking to make their mark. The Cubs will be back, and soon. Let the countdown to pitchers and catchers reporting begin.

Cubs win game, lose season in 6-0 victory

Damen Jackson — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:52:00 GMT

Filed:September 29th, 2009

Ryan Dempster is congratulated by Lou Piniella after his complete-game victory (Cubbie Nation)

Click here for the photo gallery of last night's game.

Well, I figured as much.

For as much as I expect 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, well...it just ain't gonna happen. They took another step toward the playoffs with a 7-5 win in 11 Tuesday night, and officially ended the Cubs hopes in the process. We can all start the Wait TIll Next Year process.

Fortunately, we at least got treated to some amazing baseball last night, as Ryan Dempster went the distance in beating the Pirates 6-0.

Ted Keith recently described Ryan Dempster as one of the worst free agent signings of last offseason. Hmm. Well, that's now 11 wins, a 3.50 ERA, 195 (likely to finish above 200) innings, and a 1.30 WHIP. Now, it was bad enough that Mr. Keith appears to have never actually picked up a ball, let along played a sport. But if this is his definition of free agent bust, then I really have to ask what is he doing covering sports for SI. Try Carlos Silva, Jason Schimdt, Barry Zito, Andruw Jones, or Gary Matthews, Jr. if you want examples of a bust.

But back to the game, where "The Bust" goes out and dazzles the Pirates for most of the evening, throwing 120 easy pitches in the win. A lot of first pitch strikes, very sharp with the off speed pitches, and really he never once got into a high-stress situation. Just some good catch-and-toss, in front of 35,308 chilled fans.

Quite the contrary to the Pirates and Kevin Hart, who never could quite get out of their own way. Poor Kevin is almost a shell of his former self. That sharp slider that he was throwing when is came up in 2007 is completely gone. The breaking ball is a mess. And he's overthrowing in an attempt to stay in the low 90's with the fastball.

It wasn't pretty, especially with the Cubs knocking him around from jump. They'd score three in the first, all but batting around in the inning. Jeff Baker would cap things off with a two-RBI double.

A comedy of errors and bad execution by the Pirates would lead to another trio in the fourth, when a Delwyn Young error that should have been an inning-ending double play extended the inning, and a Derrek Lee two-RBI single smacked off of Luis Cruz all but put the game out of reach. The route was on, and frankly, the Pirates didn't look like they wanted to put up much of a fight.

But hey, we've known this day of disappointment was coming for awhile, so we'll just have to deal. But if you want something to perk you up, with the win Tuesday, the Cubs are assured of their first stretch of three consecutive winning seasons since 1970 - 1972. Before this, I've never enjoyed a perennial winner on the North Side, let alone a perennial contender. This ain't the Mets. You don't have to blow them up to get them back in the mix. We'll see better days next season.

Chicago Cubs - One is the loneliest number

Damen Jackson — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:42:00 GMT

Filed:September 28th, 2009

2009 NL Central Champion St. Louis Cardinals (Cubbie Nation)

Sigh. One week.

There are two times of the year that I absolutely hate. The first is that week between Christmas and New Year. Everything is slow, no one is around, it's cold, and all you're really left to do is watch bad bowl games, and reflect on a year that probably didn't live up to your expectations.

The other is this week; that last week of the season when your playoff hopes have (often) been dashed, and you know that this time next week, the gates at the park are shut, players will be jetting off to warmer climates, and you're left with nothing but rosterbating and a calendar to mark down the season to the first day of Spring Training.

That's where were at. The Cardinals are in, and after debating on whether to acknowledge it, I'll go on record as saying that I have a new found respect for the franchise. Personally, I still think they shop at the A&P way too often for a team with that strong a fan following, but they have a strategy. More importantly, they execute it. You have to respect that.

They don't try to win championships in January. They maintain a competitive team most seasons, and when the season goes their way and they're close, the Cards make big moves at the deadline. And I mean big moves. When they're not, they'll hedge their bets, and fight another day.

This year, when things were close, they grabbed Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Julio Lugo, all of who have been productive. The Cards grabbed John Grabow and Jeff Baker, then hoped for the best.

With Holliday doing his best Larry Walker impersonation, the Cardinals look primed to go places. I wish them luck, and just know that we'll pick this up next season.

As for the wildcard, with elimination just one game way, I'll not even hold my breath. It's likely that the Cubs will be officially eliminated by tomorrow night, when actions picks up for both them and the Rockies. So, for this last home stand of the season, I'm going to relax and take in as many games at Wrigley Field as I can. Hopefully, the memories will keep me till February.

Enough!! Milton Bradley suspended; Cubs outfielder done for season

Damen Jackson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:32:00 GMT

Filed:September 19th, 2009

Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley (Cubbie Nation)

In a surprise move, the Chicago Cubs have suspended outfielder Milton Bradley for the remainder of the season over controversial comments made about the organization and its fan base to the media. With the move, Bradley's career as a Cub has in all likelihood drawn to a close. AA outfielder Tyler Colvin is expected to be called up Monday to provide outfield help.

The crux of the matter is comments made in an interview recently with Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. In it, Bradley goes on to make a number of negative comments, including the following:

"Not really. It's just not a positive environment. I need a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment. There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone asking the same questions repeatedly. Everything is just bashing you. You got out there and you play harder than anybody on the field and never get credit for it. It's just negativity. "And you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here, because it's negative. It's what it is."

In defending the suspension, Jim Hendry released the following:

"There have been a lot of issues that we've lived with during the year, but the last few days became too much for me to tolerate, to be honest with you. I'm not going to let our great fans become an excuse, I'm not going to tolerate not answering questions from the media respectfully. Whether you feel like talking or not, it's part of our jobs. I'm not going to allow disrespect to other people in that locker room and uniformed personnel."

Now that we've the official stuff out the way, let me frank; this isn't about those comments. I was at the game Thursday, where Milton Bradley pulled himself from the game in the sixth inning. The players and organization would have you believe that this was a pre-planned event, an arrangement made earlier in the game with the Cubs trainers. I call bull%#$%@#!!

It's one of the joys of being at games with a great seat, a good camera, and a big lens. You get to see things that you never see on TV. There didn't appear to be one person in the dugout who wasn't caught be surprise when Bradley headed in. We walked in, talked to no one, and headed down the tunnel, where he had a conversation with someone, I believe trainer Mark O'Neal. The Cubs appeared to debate who to send in, before grabbing Bobby Scales, who didn't look like he was down the tunnel warming up to me.

I've talked to a few folks who were also at the game, and they saw much the same thing. I suspect that was really the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back, with the Cubs putting on a good face to keep things manageable in the clubhouse for the duration of the season, and hopefully not further minimize Bradley's trade value.

And he will be traded. With a third year likely taken off the table due to his injury, his contract becomes a very manageable one-year deal, in the 12 million dollar neighborhood. And even if 2011 becomes guaranteed, you'd like to think that someone -- likely in the AL -- will be interested, especially if you're just giving him away.

Some reports have considered Toronto and Kansas City as likely destinations. I think that's a stretch, especially given that any talks with Toronto would center on taking the albatross that is Vernon Well's contract off of their hands. They'll be others though, as teams will try to dump their own bad contracts, and hope that Bradley has an inspired, bounce back season in 2010.

Personally, I suspect that the likeliest destination will be either 1) New York, where the Omay Minaya's desire to dump the Luis Castillo contract -- and need in LF -- will outweigh the Bradley factor, or 2) Washington, where Jim Hendry may cry uncle, hold his nose, and make a serious run at Adam Dunn to replace Milton in right field.

Whatever the case, Bradley is gone, and his tenure may mark the worst case of hubris that I've seen in a non-political setting. Expecting Milton Bradley to be healthy, productive, and reasonably well adjusted in Chicago for three seasons was something that 20-year old bloggers knew wasn't going to happen. That a knowledgeable baseball man, given time enough to do his research, would not only think otherwise, but would bid against himself for the right to take this risk is nonsense.

Jim Hendry probably needs to start worrying about whether he gets shown the door too.

Chicago Cubs – A moratorium on in memoriams

Damen Jackson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:38:00 GMT

Filed:September 16th, 2009

The Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano (Cubbie Nation/file)

Stop it. Everybody.

I know playoff hopes are slim. That writers, bloggers, and editors are hard-pressed to deliver meaningful musings as the season winds down, and teams are eliminated from contention. And frankly, it understandable that fans are dreaming of big free-agents signings and resurgent teams in 2010.

But when you start -- and I’m pointing a big finger at large media outlets – completely disregarding teams that are still at least technically in the playoff mix, and even worse, running players out of town, you’ve gone too far.

This trend initially caught my eye a few weeks ago, with this piece from Gordon Wittenmyer, a lightweight hack job on shooing Milton Bradley out of town that reads like a print version of a drive-by. I read this, and I don't think provocative, thoughtful journalism, so much as payback from a writer who hasn't been given what he feels is the proper amount of respect from a player. It's amateur night.

I'm no Milton Bradley fan, but it's hard not to at least sympathize when reading nonsense like this. At best, Gordon should have kept this in his pocket until after season's end, and at worst, should have done some more research, as his thesis is frankly, flawed.

Now comes yet another flawed piece from Wittenmyer, suggesting that the Cubs are interested in trading their ace, with not even so much as an unnamed source referenced. This at a time when the team is finally getting hot, and showing at least some small chance of a post-season appearance.

Interesting thing is, you read this story, and while there a great deal of personal opinion, and some reasons why this might be a good idea, it hardly matches the title "Z to the Shopping Block?" There's not even so much a real rumor mentioned.

At least a similar post from the Tribune attempted to hide behind a fig leaf. That one from Paul Sullivan including the following:

Despite the fact that Zambrano has a full no-trade clause, the Cubs plan on shopping him this off-season, sources said, believing he'll waive the clause to go to the right team, as Jake Peavy eventually did when the Padres consummated a deal this summer with the White Sox.

As if anyone in the Cubs organization would actually talk to Sullivan, or that you could be assured that they'd even still be with the club once the Ricketts family takes over, even if they did.

When you see strained relationships between players and the media, it's often these sorts of hack jobs that are at the root of the problem. Media outlet demanding multiple daily submissions force writers to come up with utter nonsense, challenging readers to separate fact from fiction.

I'm not picking on Wittenmyer, merely using him as an example of the drivel I've seen recently, as sports pages come up with ever crazier, mostly baseless thoughts in order to retain eyeballs and page views.

That said, I'm going to make a suggestion. If you want to check out on this season, I don't blame you. Want to talk free agents? I'm in. If your team is eliminated, I say all bets are off. But until your favorite team -- or the one you cover -- has been mathematically eliminated, allow these players the dignity to finish the season, without needless distractions, personal attacks, and "Player X must go!!!" missives.

Everything that we're hearing may be true, but asking a signed player whether he's amenable to trade scenarios during the season, without so much as a peep from the front office suggesting that this player is being shopped, is just plain wrong. Stop it.

Cubs 13, Brewers 7; Welcome to Hitsville

Damen Jackson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:54:00 GMT

Filed:September 15th, 2009

Aramis Ramirez reacts after being plunked by a pitch Tuesday (Cubbie Nation)

Click here for the photo gallery of Tuesday's game

Huh.

Evidently, someone forgot to tell the Cubs that they were dead, or dying.

Seven games above .500. Winners of 8 of the last 10. Oh, and have managed to shave three games off of their Wild Card standing in the last week.

With their 13-7 win over the Brewers Tuesday night, things have all of a sudden gotten very interesting again, and that matchup with the Cardinals later this month is quickly shaping up as a potential Three Nights in August moment.

Win the division? No, seriously now. But sitting four games back in the loss column for the Wild Card today, Cubs fans could at least be treated to some meaningful games down the stretch,and just possibly, an October surprise.

Back to last night's game though, that I could only describe at Hitsville. The Cubs hit. The Brewers hit. Everybody got hit. Guys were getting knocked down. It didn't take much to figure out that this was Brewers - Cubs.

The pitchers stunk. I mean awful. Yovani Gallardo got himself in all kinds of trouble, unable to drop that breaking ball in, and he just wouldn't get away from trying to spot it. The Cubs stayed patient, working him over in the first couple of innings for a ton of hits and walks. They'd only score once, a run in the second on a Ryan Theriot single, but those were high stress, high pitch-count innings that really set the stage for all kinds of trouble later.

He was almost able to get out of problems in the fourth, but he couldn't get that breaking ball past Derrek Lee, who deposited it in the gap for a 2-RBI double, giving the Cubs a 4-0 lead.

But Carlos Zambrano had his own woes, and honestly, I've no idea why. I'm going to attribute it to "mental fatigue". He's strike out eight Brewers in the first three innings, get two quick outs in the fifth, and then the wheels just came completely off. A sharp single by the pitcher Gallardo appeared to play with his head, and when Corey Hart followed that up with a two-run double to score Gallardo and Felipe Lopez, you could tell that he just wasn't there anymore. He's get the quick hook after five innings, watch Aaron Heilman -- no, really -- pick up the win.

Fortunately though, much like the Cubs eternal quest for a lead-off hitter & a left-handed slugger, problems in the Brewers bullpen is the perennial in Milwaukee. The Cubs broke things open in the sixth, with Todd Coffey and Carlos Villaneuva knocked around good, and the Cubs getting the five they spotted the Brewers back.

38,000 and change showed up to watch this win. I'll be talking more about that and a couple of other topics in a follow-up post shortly, but for now I'll say that I appreciate the Cubs giving us something for our money.

Reds 7, Cubs 5; Bobbleheads

Damen Jackson — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:08:00 GMT

Filed:September 12th, 2009

Carlos Marmol fires (balls) away in the ninth inning of the Cubs 7-5 loss (Cubbie Nation)

Click here for the photo gallery of Saturday's game

The Chicago Cubs gave a textbook example of why pitching and defense win ballgames by showing what not to do in a 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds Saturday.

Honestly, I'm not sure I would have believed this game if I wasn't sitting there seeing it for myself. Maybe it was the early start (12:05). Or perhaps...oh hell, who are we kidding? It's just an underprepared team that isn't good enough to make some luck and good fortune for itself. Shame to, as while they bobbled away an opportunity to beat a perfectly beatable Reds team, they also lost a chance to gain ground on both the Rockies and Giants in the wild card standings -- if you believe there's still a race there.

It really all came down to the third inning, where a trio of errors allowed the Reds to score a pair, and hasten an early exit for Randy Wells. First, Derrek Lee bobbles a Johnny Cueto sacrifice allowing him to reach. Then, in one of the most unusual plays that you'll see this season, Aramis Ramirez beans Corky Miller in the head on what should have been a 5-4-3 double play. Miller would be given home on the error.

Then, immediately after Ryan Theriot makes a great throw home to throw out Cueto, he bobbles the force play at second, which would lead to the second run of the inning.

The Cubs would go on to spot the Reds a 5-0 lead before coming back strong on a Geovany Soto-led (2-3, 3RBI) rally, tying the game entering the ninth inning.

But Carlos Marmol walks too many $%#@$!! batters! After putting a pair on with two out via the walk, pinch-hitter Drew Sutton serves up a two-run double that proved to be the game-winner.

Drew Sutton hits the game-winning double against the Cubs (Cubbie Nation)

I'm pretty confident that the Cubs will give Marmol a long look at this role in 2010, but I've seen little that inspires confidence here, so far. It's still the same old story with him; you just can't seem to get strong back-to-back performances out of him. How someone looks and thinks that he can go out for two or three game in a row, and be an overpowering closer is beyond me, but maybe the Cubs will figure this problem out in the off-season.

In the meantime, let's hope that they can win today, and take this series. No need to double down on the shame of losing a series to the Nationals at home in the stretch run by doing the same against the Reds.