What are Cubs fans Thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving Cubs fans! I hope everyone has a great day eating, giving thanks, watching football and being with their families.

Every year here on Everything Cubs Blog, we take a look at a list of things that Cubs fans have to be thankful for. Although the Boys in Blue are coming off back-to-back losing seasons, there are still a lot of factors that make it a good time to be a Cubs fan.

• Tom Ricketts was able to bring Theo Epstein to Chicago.


• The 2012 Cubs will feature a new president, general manager and manager.


• Dale Sveum does not sound like he will put up with guys like Starlin Castro, Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano slacking. Sveum wants to crack down on Castro's defense.


• Only two months until the Cubs Convention.


• Just three months until Spring Training.


• A week from Monday is the Ron Santo Hall of Fame announcement... maybe #10 will finally make it in.


• You cannot get your Cubs fix all winter long as CSN Chicago has added a Hot Stove show covering the Cubs and White Sox on Tuesday nights.


• Baseball's Winter Meetings are just over a week away and the Cubs are poised to make some moves.


• It sounds as if Kerry Wood will return next season.


• All baseball fans can be thankful that a new CBA has been reached and that the NBA is the only sport facing a lockout.


• The Cubs have some solid prospects at the minor league level, led by Brett Jackson.


• The Cubs have one of the best play-by-play men in all of baseball, Pat Hughes.


• Matt Garza, Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney.

Once again, have a happy Thanksgiving Cubs fans!!!

Q Calls Out the Kids

Today the Cubs were blown out by the Phillies 9-1 to drop two of three. Mike Quade sparked conversation by throwing Starlin Castro under the buss in his postgame press conference. Here were some of his quotes via Bruce Miles.

“It was disappointing at the start,” said Quade, whose team fell to a season-low 21 games under .500 at 39-60. “I needed to talk to the kids in the middle of the diamond about that. Demp wasn’t as sharp as you wanted, but we set a bad tone. We’ve got to stop.
“Ball’s in the sun. They’re communicating. Cassie thought he had that all the way. I look at this whole game and look at that play. The sun’s been in the same damn spot for however long Wrigley Field’s been here. Those are the kinds of mistakes. There are certain you’ll accept.
“Those are two talented kids in the middle of the diamond. We make enough mistakes, and we need to clean them all up. But it’s so important for those guys to play well in the middle. Everything goes through there.”

How about the veterans Q?

"I think our veterans are doing a pretty damn good job. I see intensity from our center fielder, and Rami's playing really well. It doesn't mean we don't make some mistakes. I just know the value of the middle of the diamond. We've got two talented kids there that need to get better, and they've got 60-some games to prove that and to show that the rest of this season and go from there."

The Comcast Sports Net postgame team of David Kaplan and Todd Hollandswoth blew up after Quade's comments. They made great points, wondering how Q could throw Castro under the bus and claim that a missed fly made a difference in an eight run game.

Another interesting tidbit from Kaplan on WGN Sports Night,
"I think there are going to be a ton of changes coming to the North Side next year. I think they'll be a new general manager and a new field manager."

Carlos Pena made two errors on one play today. The Cubs have now committed an error in 9 straight game for the first time since 1987. They've also lost nine straight series.

Click here for my game recap on VFTB.

Possible Roster Moves

The Cubs currently have three players that are close to coming off the disables list. Kerry Wood is trying to recover from his blister issue. He has begun to toss on the side. Marlon Byrd is set to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa tomorrow, but no time table is in place for his return. Darwin Barney is already rehabbing and could return to the big league team on Wednesday.

When these players return, the Cubs will be forced to make several roster decision to make room on the club. Let us take a look at their options to make room for each player.

To Make Room for Kerry Wood
Option A) Send Chris Carpenter back to Iowa
Option B) Trade/DFA John Grabow
Option C) Trade/Release/Demote Rodrigo Lopez
My Take) The best option would probably be getting rid of John Grabow, but the Cubs are unlikely to dump is salary. Most likely Carpenter will be headed back to the minors, but I'd rather see more of him than Lopez.

To Make Room for Marlon Byrd
Option A) Send Tony Campana back to the minors
Option B) Send Lou Montanez back to the minors
Option C) Trade Kosuke Fukudome
My Take) There are probably no takers for Kosuke, so it looks as if one of the kids is going to Iowa. I would send Montanez back down so that the Cubs can receive a longer look at the younger and faster Tony Campana. However, if Campana is not going to play with Byrd, Johnson, Soriano and Kosuke all on the roster, it would make more sense to send him to AAA for some ABs. Montanez is right handed so he makes for a better platoon partner with Kosuke.

To Make Room For Darwin Barney
Option A) Send DJ LeMahieu to Triple-A
Option B) Send both Campana and Montanez to the minors, keep LeMahieu as a backup infielder, use Baker and DeWitt in the outfield if need be.
Option C) Trade Baker or DeWitt
My Take) DJ most likely needs to go back down. I would hate to see the Cubs waste a young player on the bench when he probably needs more seasoning at the minor league level.

Feel free to jump in with your take in the comments. How the Cubs handle these decisions will really indicate the direction that the team is going in. The injuries have actually allowed the Cubs to take a look at some of the younger players, now it is time to find out which younger players have earned a spot in the roster full time.

Today is the 51st anniversary of Ron Santo's big league debut! Check out my book review of Ron Santo A Perfect Ten on View From the Bleachers by clicking here.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always.

Don't Count the Cubs Out Yet

Let's not get too carried away after back-to-back wins, but yesterday's game was pretty exciting. The Cubs are really in need of a sweep of the first place Brewers. They have won the first two games with a night game tonight and a day game tomorrow afternoon. Remember in 2007 it seemed as if the Cubs were out of it in July when they swept the Brewers in a four game series at Wrigley to game four games in the standing. They went on to win the division. Last night's two-run bomb by Aramis Ramirez reminded me of a walk-off homer he hit during that series.

At this point the Cubs are still ten games out of first. While that is not insurmountable, the fact that there are four teams in front of them makes it seem even more unlikely. Today more bad news was released as Darwin Barney is set to be placed on the 15-day DL. DJ LeMahieu will remain on the roster and split time with Jeff Baker at second base. Alfonso Soriano should be activated to fill Barney's roster spot. Yesterday the Cubs made a pair of roster moves sending Casey Coleman and Tyler Colvin back to Iowa in order to call up Chris Carpenter for his big league debut and activate Reed Johnson. Despite three players being activated from the DL, the injured list still includes Byrd, Wood, Cashner and now Barney.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times chatted about Cubs baseball with Mully and Hanley on 670 the Score this morning:

• Prince Fielder does not know Jim Hendry, but he will not rule out signing with the Cubs after this season.


• Gordon does not see the Cubs signing a big name free agent next year. He sees the Cubs dropping payroll again next year. He does not expect them to go out and get a big name guy.


• "A guy like Fielder is out of the question," Wittenmyer said.


• He does not have a problem with the "(Bleep) the goat" shirts that the Cubs have been wearing.


• Carlos Marmol is really good and getting better. He is a movable asset, but the Cubs will probably hang on to him.


• Jim Hendry is the guy that hired the manager and just ran the draft. He has another year on his contract, and Gordon expects him to stick around for at least another year.


• At the trade deadline, any movements that the Cubs make will involve eating money.


• Marlon Byrd has said that if you can get to five out before the All Star Break you have a chance.


• A fire sale is impossible for the Cubs. Nobody is buying for the Cubs, plus all of the players have no trade clauses. Kerry Wood is one of the only guys who has a lot of interest from other teams.


• The Cubs will only trade Wood if he approves of it.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!!!

The Good & The Bad From This Week in Cubs Baseball

Here is what has been going on lately with the Chicago Cubs, starting with the positives.

• They came from behind in the ninth inning on Saturday for their first dramatic victory of the season.


• The starting rotation looked solid all week long, with Casey Coleman, Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster all turning in strong pitching performances.


• Jeff Baker has continued to play a key role for this team.


• Carlos Pena has busted out of his power drought with three long balls.


• The Cubs homered their way to a series victory in Las Angeles.


• Kosuke Fukudome is red hot at the plate. It is crucial for him to continue to hit at least until Tyler Colvin gets his act together.


• Mike Quade has used his bench and rotated guys so that everyone gets some needed rest.


• Marcos Mateo and Jeff Samardzija have both continued to do a fantastic job in the bullpen. Mateo earned his first career victory on Saturday.


• Darwin Barney has stayed conistent.

On the negative side:

• The Cubs found a way to lose the series to the Reds today. They did not get any offense to support Ryan Dempster.


• Starlin Castro had the worst week of his young career, continuing a horrific slump after a torrid start.


• The Cubs still have not won a Sunday game all season.


• Kerry Wood could not get his job done on Saturday, although the Cubs eventually won the game.


• The Cubs left the bags loaded twice in Sunday's loss. They had the bases full with nobody out in Friday's defeat and failed to do any further scoring.


• Failure to drive guys in from third with less than two out continues to irk the Cubs.


• Marlon Byrd continues to hit third and continues to do very little.


• Aramis Ramirez has been at the plate in some key spots and failed to come up with needed base hits.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! The Cubs have an off day tomorrow before they play the Cardinals for the first time this season starting Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. I will try to have several updates throughout the week as I plan to start daily blogging back up in less than a month!

The Good & The Bad: Week 2

The Cubs lost a tough one today 9-5 at the hands of the Rockies, with the game tied at 5 entering the bottom of the eighth. With the loss, the Cubs finished the road trip at 4-5 and are now 7-8 on the season. Let's start with the good from this week.

• Starlin Castro is a stud. He collected seven hits on Saturday and Sunday alone! Starlin is looking good in the lead-off spot.


• Darwin Barney has slid comfortably up to the No. 2 spot in the order. He, too, had a big week. Bob Brenly on Darwin today, "You can't teach instincts."


• Jeff Samardzija looked sharp today, sending down all six men he faced.


• The Cubs showed some signs of life on Saturday and Sunday, playing a couple of close games against a tough Rockies team.


• Koyie Hill notched his first hit of the season.


• The Cubs finally tallied their first stolen base this season. (Castro)


• Casey Coleman pitched a great game on Saturday.

And now the bad...

• The Cubs middle of the order has a grand total of one home run this season.


• No. 5 hitter Carlos Pena is 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.


• No. 3 hitter Marlon Byrd is 3-for-20 with men in scoring position.


• The Cubs bullpen day on Tuesday in Houston was a total failure. James Russell was hammered and the 'Stros extended the lead against guys like Samardzija and Stevens.


• Tyler Colvin is still slumping.


• This team has lacked both speed and power, not a great combo.


• Marcos Mateo's eighth inning today in which he nearly escaped a second and third with no out spot, but ended up giving up four two out runs.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted as Everything Cubs as always!

Breaking News: Cubs Opening Day Lineup Announced

Mike Quade officially announced his Opening Day lineup today. The Cubs will play the Pirates to start the 2011 season tomorrow, and this is what the starting nine will look like.

1. Kosuke, RF
2. Starlin Castro, SS
3. Marlon Byrd, CF
4. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
5. Carlos Pena, 1B
6. Geovany Soto, C
7. Alfonso Soriano, LF
8. Darwin Barney, 2B
9. Ryan Dempster, P

Barney, who made his big league debut last season, earned a spot in the starting nine with a strong spring. He will become the first Cubs rookie to start on Opening Day since Soto and Kosuke in 2008.

Pena will make his Cubs debut, Byrd will be in center for the second straight Cubs opener and Soto will catch the opener for the fourth straight year. Castro makes his first opening day start, while Soriano and Ramirez have been fixtures in the starting nine.

Kosuke, who has started in the outfield for the Cubs that last three openers (two in RF, 1 in CF), will lead-off against the Pirates but Jeff Baker could see time in the No. 1 slot when he plays second base.

Chicago Cubs baseball is less than 24 hours away!

Intrasquad Day in Mesa

The Cubs minor league team knocked off the "big league" team 8-6 at HoHoKam Park on Wednesday afternoon, although both teams were filled with minor leaguers by the time the game concluded.

For the major league team, it was a final tune-up for the regular season, which starts at Wrigley Field on Friday. The cost of a ticket was $10 and all proceeds benefited Cubs charities. For all of the prospects that were invited to take part in the game, it was a chance to open the eyes of the Cubs coaching staff.

Randy Wells worked three innings in his tune-up for his first start of the season, which will come against the D'backs on Monday. Wells allowed one run to cross but looked sharp overall.

Marlon Byrd, who is day-to-day with some soreness, sat out for the third straight day. Geovany Soto and Aramis Ramirez also missed the intrasquad contest. Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Pena received one at-bat each, serving as designated hitters.

Blake DeWitt got the start at third base, where he is expected to backup Ramirez this season. Jeff Baker started at first base, where he and Tyler Colvin will serve as backups to Pena. Baker delivered an RBI for the Cubs first run of the game, on a play where Steve Clevenger dropped the ball on what would have been a close play at the plate.

Second baseman Darwin Barney delivered a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning, which was the highlight of the game. Barney is expected to see regular playing time this season. All of the regulars on the Major League team left the game after the fourth inning, except for Koyie Hill.

Hill stayed in the game to catch the remaining big league pitchers that needed to work. John Grabow retired the side in order in the fourth, before James Russell put another zero on the board in the fifth. Marcos Mateo, who was surprised last week when he found out that he had made the Cubs bullpen, was a little wobbly in the sixth. He surrendered two runs on three hits in the frame. Hill, who slumped at the plate all spring, went 1-for-3 with a single and a strikeout against the farmhands. Hill was the final Cub to depart when Michael Brenly took his spot behind the plate in the seventh. Bob Brenly was in attendance to watch his son play.

Left hander J.R. Mathes got the nod for the minor league team, managed by Iowa skipper Bill Dancy. Mathes worked five inning, allowing five runs on ten hits. J.R., a longtime minor leaguer, will start the season at Triple-A Iowa. Trey McNutt, rated the top pitching prospect in the organization, was the only other hurler to work for the minor league team. He went four innings, surrendering only one run on three hits.

Justin Bour (grounder), Ryan Flaherty (single) and Marquez Smith (double) all drove in runs for the Major League team to extend the lead. The minors chipped away as Tony Campana scored on a double play bouncer and Sergio Durrell rapped a run scoring single in the sixth. Josh Vitters, who started at third base and then moved across the infield to first, cranked a triple to drive in a run in the eighth.

In the top of the ninth, Evan Crawford delivered an RBI triple to tie the game at six. Then Campana put the minor squad in front with a single and DJ LeMahieu tacked on an insurance tally with a double. Frank Batista was the pitcher who allow the minors team to grab the lead. He was charged with four runs in 0.2 innings. Mike Quade came to the mound to make a pitching change, bringing in RHP Justin Berg to notch the final out. McNutt sent the "big league" team down quickly in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory.

The final totals-
Minor League Cubs: 8 runs, 16 hits, 3 error
Chicago Cubs: 6 runs, 13 hits, 2 errors
Winning Pitcher: Trey McNutt
Losing Pitcher: Frank Batista

After the game, Mike Quade's squad got on the bus to head to the airport, where they will fly to Chicago!

Blogging from Mesa (#1)

I'm having a great time so far in Arizona. Here's all the latest, including news, my observations, personal experiences, and roster moves!

• Braden Looper announced his retirement today. He was told that he was not going to be on the Cubs roster so he decided to call it quits.
• James Russell, Andrew Cashner and Jeff Samardzija have all been told that they are on the team.
• The Cubs announced five more roster cuts yesterday. Scott Moore, Bobby Scales, Fernando Perez, Augie Ojeda and Matt Camp were all sent to minor league camp.
• Speaking of minor league camp, I went to Fitch Park to see the workouts this morning before going down the street to HoHoKam for the game. I enjoyed seeing the young guys practice, I would recommend stopping by Fitch Park if you're in the area.
• To relay another personal experience, I saw Cubs GM Jim Hendry at Don & Charlie's tonight. Don and Charlie's is a great place to go for a baseball fan. The restaurant is literally covered wall-to-wall in baseball memorabilia.
• Last night I went to Diamond's to eat. Ivan DeJesus was there hanging out and I've hear that Greg Maddux is a frequent visitor. Diamond's was originally called Harry and Steve's owned by Harry Caray and Steve Stone. It has been under several different owners and had several different names since then.
• Since Perez was sent down to Iowa, Reed Johnson will make the team as the Cubs fifth outfielder.
• I've been especially impressed by Darwin Barney during the two games I've seen. He was rewarded by being named the starting second baseman, to platoon with Jeff Baker, earlier this week. Blake DeWitt, who homered today, will start the season on the bench.
• The Sun-Times reports that Carlos Silva is expected to make the team unless he is traded.
• Randy Wells was officially told today that he is the fourth starter.
• The roles of Andrew Cashner and Carlos Silva have yet to be determined. One will be the fifth starter, while the other will pitch in middle relief.
• RHP Kevin Correia will pitch for the Pirates on Opening Day at Wrigley Field.
• Robert Redford, an actor, will throw out the first pitch for the opener. Ron Santo Jr. will sing The 7th Inning Stretch.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted from Mesa!

Weekend Quick Hits: Conflicting Reports on Castillo, A Plaque for Santo, Barney Pulling Away & More

• Bruce Miles reports that the Cubs will not go after Luis Castillo, who was recently released by the Mets.
• Miles is hoping that the Cubs throw Andrew Cashner into the rotation and cut Carlos Silva.
• Augie Ojeda has not been able to play due to back spasms. Darwin Barney has emerged as the favorite to take the final infield spot.
• According to Carrie Muskat, Todd Wellemyer has been out of the spring rotation because of a sore right hip.
• Casey Coleman has been sent over to Fitch Park to get some innings in.
• Here is a picture of the new Ron Santo plaque at HoHoKam Park.
• MLB Trade Rumors, citing ESPN Deportes as their source, says that the Cubs are interested in Castillo.
• Bruce Levine thinks that the decision on the final two spots in the rotation could be made as soon as Monday or Tuesday.
• The Sun Times reports that Reed Johnson is pulling away from Fernando Perez for the final outfield spot and Barney has the final infield spot all but wrapped up.

My final four picks: Florida, Duke, Ohio State and Kansas.

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted!

Cubs Convention Day 3

Throughout the weekend at the Hilton it was noticeably less packed. For the first time, the convention was not a sell out. However, it was still packed.

On Sunday there were just two sessions. Many people are always cleared out by the final day, and when you top that off with the lower attendance to begin with this year and the Bears game- the two sessions were not all that crowded.

The first session was called "The 25 Club". Wayne Messmer chatted three of the Cubs 25-year-olds about life in the bigs. Tyler Colvin, Scott Maine and Darwin Barney were on the panel. James Russell was also scheduled to attend, but he did not show up.

Colvin told a story about an elementary school teacher who gave him a low grade on an essay about his career goal. She told him that becoming a Major League Baseball player was not a realistic goal. He showed her. Tyler also said that he was never a standout player growing up.

Darwin Barney hit over .600 in high school but still did not get drafted until after he went to college. When asked about a avoiding the temptation to go out and party in the city of Chicago, Barney said that it is pretty easy since he has a wife and a two-year old to go home to. Colvin said the same, but instead of a child he has his beloved dog.

Scott Maine said that Greg Maddux gave his season a huge boost by the instruction he gave him this season. Colvin credited Billy Williams and Derrek Lee as guys who have given him hitting advice.

Next up was the annual Down on the Farm session hosted by Vineline editor Mike Huang. Before the session, a handout describing Cubs prospects that will appear in the February issue of Vineline was passed out. Albert Cabrera and Rob Whitenack are the two guys who Vineline editors think will make a big splash in 2011.

In the past, they have listed 50 names from the farm, but this year they cut it down to 20. Here is the list:

• Tony Campana, OF
• Brett Jackson, OF
• Chris Carpenter, RHP
• Jay Jackson, RHP
• Welington Castillo, C
• Aaron Kurcz, RHP
• Rafael Dolis, RHP
• Junior Lake, INF
• Ryan Flaherty, INF
• DJ LeMahieu, INF
• Micah Gibbs, C
• Marcos Mateo, RHP
• Reggie Golden, OF
• Trey McNutt, RHP
• Brooks Raley, LHP
• Chris Rusin, LHP
• Hayden Simpson, RHP
• Kyle Smit, RHP
• Josh Vitters, 3B
• Logan Watkins, UTL

DJ LeMahieu, Jay Jackson and Chris Carpenter were all at the minor league session. The guys enjoyed their first Cubs Convention experience and the thrill of getting their names announced at the Opening Ceremonies.

All three guys had different draft day stories to share. Carpenter followed the whole thing with his family. DJ watched from his room at LSU with some teammates since the Tigers were still in the College World Series at the time. Jackson did not even watch his draft. He was outside shooting baskets when he got the text that he was a Cub.

Oneri Fleita (farm director) and Tim Wilken (scouting director) were both at the session. Fleita talked about how much he hates making the phone call to tell someone that they are traded or released. Wilken mentioned that a player's "make up" on and off the field is taken into consideration.

Tim talked about the Matt Garza,mentioning the fact that the Cubs have a lot of depth in their organization at positions like shortstop and catcher. Jim Hendry worked on the deal for three to four months. Wilken actually spent time at the end of the 2010 season watching Carlos Pena and Fernando Perez play in person. Both were already on the Cubs' radar.

Even though the Cubs are coming off a down year, the Cubs Convention was just as much fun as it always is. There is a lot of hope for the future in this organization. Welcoming Kerry Wood back, honoring Ron Santo and introducing the two ex-Rays to Chicago were the highlights of the weekend.

Click if you missed my recaps of Day 1 or Day 2. I'll have some more Convention wrap-up thoughout the week.

Catching Up Quick Hits: Rotation Switch, Sori Resting, Injury Updates and More

• Casey Coleman will make his first big league start in on Wednesday. He will take Thomas Diamond spot in the rotation. Diamond will switch roles with Coleman and head to the bullpen.
• Alfonso Soriano was out of the lineup for two games this weekend, but he just go two days off because of the heat. He returned on Monday night.
• Darwin Barney got his first career hit on Monday, a double in his first at bat at Wrigley.
• Barney was starting at shortstop in place of Starlin Castro, who got a much needed day of race after playing three games in the heat in St. Louis.
• Ron Santo returned to the broadcast booth Monday night. He missed the last road trip to rest up, but says he plans on going on the next road trip. The Cubs visit Washington D.C. and Cincinnati next week.
• Derrek Lee is out with a bulging disc in his back. He left Sunday's finale against the Cardinals after he had already launched two home runs on the day. D-Lee was heating up with four bombs in the three game set. He is expected to return on Thursday.
• Geovany Soto is expected to take batting practice tomorrow. He could return from the DL as soon as next Sunday.
• Carlos Silva is expected to begin a minor league rehab program soon.
• Oneri Fleita joined WGN Radio's David Kaplan on Monday. He said that Chris Archer, Brett Jackson, and Josh Vitters will all be in the Arizona Fall League in Mesa this October. Vitters, who is rehabbing from a broken hand, will see time at first base and third base.
• Bruce Levine reports that Padres bench coach Ted Simmons is interested in the Cubs managerial opening. The search for a new manager could go all the way up to the team's organizational meetings in November.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always!

Fontenot Traded, Barney Called Up

As many of you read or heard yesterday, Cubs infielder Mike Fontenot has been traded to the San Francisco Giants. The deal is odd in the sense that Mike just had to walk across the field into the Giants dugout to wear his new uniform for the third game of the series between the two clubs.

Fontenot did not make his Giants debut last night, and he is not in the starting nine for today's game either. However, he could come off the bench this afternoon as a pinch hitter.

In return, the Cubs got a minor leaguer by the name of Evan Crawford. Here is some information about him:

• B/T: Right
• Position: Outfield
• Age: 21
• Level: Class-A Advanced
• 2010 Stats: .255 AVG, 4 HR, 29 RBIs, 109 games
• Drafted: By the Giants in the 9th round of the 2009 draft
• Height/Weight: 6'2''/167

The Cubs have called infielder Darwin Barney up from Triple-A Iowa to take Fontenot's place on the roster. Barney has joined the team today and could come off the bench even though he is not in the starting lineup. Darwin is set to make his big league debut either today or in St. Louis.

More on Fontenot's time with the Cubs later.

Series Preview: Cubs VS Reds

Many baseball people and Cubs fans have deemed the 2010 season a lost cause for Lou Piniella's squad. However, the final two month will be very important in terms of getting some younger guys experience and playing time. At the same time, the Cubs must work to try to increase the trade value of some of their veteran players that could be dealt this winter or even swapped in a waiver trade before the end of August.

The fifth place Chicago Cubs meet the first place Cincinnati Reds this weekend at Wrigley to finish up this six game homestand. This series is huge for the Reds, who are trying to hold off the Cardinals for the top spot in the NL Central. The Cards are only a half a game back.

With the Astros recent winning streak, they've passed up the Cubbies, who continue to slump on all cylinders. The 'Stros are now only 13 games out of first and the Cubs are 13.5 games back. The Cubs are coming off a big 15-3 win in the series finale against the Brewers on Wednesday before enjoying an off day on Thursday. They still dropped the series with the Crew after suffering a bashing on Monday and another loss on Tuesday. The victory on Wednesday snapped a seven game skid.

The Reds, who are 61-48 for they year, have hopes of capturing their first NL Central crown since 1995. This year could be their first trip to the playoffs in 15 years. Cincinnati is coming off a series where they beat the Pirates two out of three at PNC. This set concludes a six game trip, then they will return home on Monday to welcome the Cardinals and Marlins to town.

Lou's crew has dropped every series of the year with Dusty Baker's team. They are 3-7 against the Reds this season. This will be the first meeting since the All-Star break between the Midwest foes. The last time they met the Cubs lost three of four at Wrigley to start the month of July.

The Boys in Blue return to The Queen City August 27-29 for the final meetings of the year between the two teams. The Cubs will have to take all six game left against the Reds in order to take the season series, and they need to go 5-1 to split it.

It will be interesting to see what kind of reaction Joey Votto gets when his name is announced today. Votto made some comments about Cubs fans during the All-Star break at Angel Stadium. He has said that he doesn't have an issue with Marlon Byrd or the organization, but just with the fan base. Joey's problems with the Faithful started when the Cubs won the NL Central at Great American Ballpark in front of thousands of Cubs fans in 2007. Votto says he will not sign autographs for supporters of the North Siders.

Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin are both making cases for the Rookie of the Year in the National League. They will continue to bat one and two in the Cubs order this weekend and throughout the rest of the season. Jim Hendry has said that more players for AAA-Iowa are on the way. Will the Cubs add guys like Welington Castillo, Bryan LaHair, Brad Snyder, and Darwin Barney to the roster soon?

Carrie Muskat of Cubs.com thinks the chances are good that we will see Darwin Barney at Wrigley this year, but it may not be until September. The story is the same for many of the other position players that are playing well at Triple-A.

The last time the Cubs were in first place was one year ago today- August 6, 2009. For all of the fans that thought last year was a total failure as well, it's weird to think that at this point last season they were in first place.

Yesterday the Marlins signed former Cub Chad Tracy to try to help them to the postseason. In other news, Jeff Samardzija is pitching well in the rotation in Iowa. He's throwing a good cutter and getting swings and misses according to scouting reports. He could return to the bigs to either start or relief at some point soon.

Game 1: Friday at 1:20 CT
Reds Starting Pitcher: Bronson Arroyo, RHP (11-6, 4.01 ERA)
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Tom Gorzelanny, LHP (6-5, 3.48 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN 720

Game 2: Saturday at 12:05 CT
Reds Starting Pitcher: Edinson Volquez, RHP (2-1, 6.35 ERA)
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Randy Wells, RHP (5-9, 4.40 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN 720

Game 3: Sunday at 1:20 CT
Reds Starting Pitcher: Travis Wood, RHP (2-1, 2.42 ERA)
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Thomas Diamond, RHP (0-1, 4.50 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN 720

The Cubs go to San Fransisco and St. Louis on their next trip which starts on Monday.

It's time to play the role of spoilers!

"I don't care who wins as long as it's the Cubs!"

End of the Week Quick Hits: Minor League All-Stars, Tracy Released, Dusty on the Cubs, and More

• According to a post from ESPNChicago.com, Chad Tracy cleared waivers and opted for his release instead of reporting to AAA-Iowa.
• Jeff Dickerson reports that Carlos Zambrano will need a minor league tune-up start before rejoining the Cubs pitching staff after the All-Star Break.
• On Sunday at Noon CT, the MLB All-Star Selection Show will be live on TBS. One player from each team has to be named to the Midsummer Classic, so there will be at least one Cub. Carlos Silva, Marlon Byrd, Carlos Marmol, and Alfonso Soriano are the four Cubs that have a shot.
• Phil Rogers of the Tribune tossed out the name Sean Marshall for the NL team, but it's tough for a middle relief guy to be an All-Star.
• Dusty Baker says that managing the Cubs is tough because the fans are restless after 100+ years without a World Series.
• Writer George Castle thinks the Lou needs to make three changes: move Castro to the two hole, move Colvin to the middle of the order, and move Cashner to the rotation.
• The Cubs and the City of Mesa are holding meetings in effort to reach a formal agreement to keep the team in the city for Spring Training, according to the Tribune.
• Ryan Theriot is out of the lineup again today, making it three straight days without a start. Mike Fontenot is batting second and playing second, with Koyie Hill behind the plate and Tyler Colvin leading off in left.
• Former Cub Sean Gallagher was DFA'd by the Padres yesterday.
• Mark Prior's agent says that one club wants to sign him after his workout this week. Tom Krasovic tweets that 15 scouts were there and Prior hit 90 mph.
• A GM poll conducted by ESPN.com says that most general managers think that Jim Hendry is the easiest guy to make a deal with.
• The Padres are looking to add some offense, so MLBTR speculates that Xavier Nady could be an option for San Diego.
• Dan McNeil thinks that Carlos Zambrano is a lost cause.
• The Cubs are 11 games under .500 for the first time under Lou Piniella.
• Iowa Cubs Darwin Barney (SS) and Thomas Diamond (RHP) have been named to the Triple-A All-Star Game, which is Wednesday July 14 at 6:00 on MLB Network.
• The Tennessee Smokies send nine guys to the Southern League All-Star game on July 12. Blake Lalli, Tony Campana, and Robinson Chirinos are all in the starting lineup. Steve Clevenger (catcher) and pitchers Austin Bibens-Dirkx, David Cales, Ryan Butcher, and Hung-Wen Chen are also on the squad. Outfielder Ty Wright was selected as well, but he has been replaced because of his promotion to AAA-Iowa.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always.

Breaking News: The Pitching Staff is Set, Roster Cuts

Today, the Chicago Cubs announced the 12 man pitching staff and 5 man starting rotation that they will use to start the season.

Gordon Wittenmyer tweets that lefty James Russell will take the final spot in the bullpen unless the Cubs make a trade next week.

Gordon also tells us that Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny have won the final two spots in the starting rotation. They will round out a starting five that already includes Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, and Randy Wells. Despite pitching great this spring, Sean Marshall will head to the bullpen where he will add depth. Jeff Samardzija, who lost out on the rotation because of some poor outings during Spring Training, will be used in middle to late relief to start the year. Russell, Marshall, and Samardzija are joined in the bullpen by Carlos Marmol, Esmalin Caridad, Justin Berg, and John Grabow.

The Cubs also made 7 roster cuts today. Pitchers Jeff Gray, Marcos Mateo, and John Gaub were optioned to AAA-Iowa, as was outfielder Jim Adduci. Jim made it tough on the Cubs with a three hit game yesterday to cap off a great spring, but it turns out there is no room for him on the roster. Gray was aquired from Oakland this offseason and was expected to be a big part of the bullpen. However, Jeff suffered a groin injury in an early February workout at Fitch Park which caused him to miss most of Spring Training. He could be a part of the pen at some point this year.

Darwin Barney, Bobby Scales, and Robinson Chirinos were also assigned to minor league camp. There are no major surprises among this group. Barney could help the Cubs as a utility infielder at some point this season.

Russell will have to be added to the 40-man roster since he came to camp as a Non-Roster Invite. Rule 5 Pick Mike Parisi is the "odd man out" and it appears that he will be offered back to the Cardinals.

With the seven cuts today, there are still 33 players left in camp, but that list includes two guys (Lilly and Guzman) who will start the season on the DL. That means the Cubs have five position players that will be cut. Kevin Millar, Andres Blanco, Micah Hoffpauir, and Chad Tracy are battling for a spot on the bench while Tyler Colvin and Sam Fuld are hoping to earn the fifth outfield job. The fifth cut will be catcher Chris Robinson, who will stay with the big league club until the end so that Koyie Hill and Geovany Soto are not overworked in the final week and a half behind the plate. It should be an interesting conclusion to Spring Training!

Be sure to check out yesterday's Cubs Roundup for more.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Weekend Roundup: Berg on the team, Decisions on the Way, & More

Sorting Out the Bullpen
Carrie Muskat reports that Justin Berg has earned a spot in the Cubs' bullpen. He had an 0.75 ERA in an 11 game September callup last season. Prior to that, he went 6-2 with a 2.47 ERA for the Iowa Cubs. Berg will join Esmalin Caridad, John Grabow, Carlos Marmol, and the two guys that lose out of the fifth starter's competition (Silva, Gorzelanny, Marshall, or Samardzija) on the relief core. This leaves one spot left on the Opening Day pitching staff, assumming the Cubs use 12 hurlers to start the year. Rule 5 pick Mike Parisi, NRI James Russell, lefty John Gaub, and Marcos Mateo are the four guys in the mix for this last spot on the staff.

Rotation Decision Nearing
Within the next week we should find out how the starting rotation will pan out. Sean Marshall, Carlos Silva, Jeff Samardzija, and Tom Gorzelanny are all vying for starting jobs. Lou Piniella has an idea of which way he's leaning, but at this point has revealed nothing. The coaching staff will meet to discuss the roster after Monday's game. It should be interesting to see how it turns out!

Sorting Out the Bench
The Cubs have confirmed that they would like to keep an outfielder who can play all three spots because of the fact that backup outfielder Xavier Nady will be limited defensively for the first half of the season. Tyler Colvin and Sam Fuld are the leading candidates for this bench position, with Brad Snyder and James Adduci also in the mix. Jeff Baker (or Mike Fontenot), Koyie Hill, and Nady are all already members of what figures to be an experienced bench. Another veteran bat will be added primarily for pinch hitting purposes. Kevin Millar and Chad Tracy are still battling for this spot. It would appear that Micah Hoffpauir has AAA in his near future.

Injury Updates
Aramis Ramirez will get some at bats in as a DH in today's minor league game at Fitch Park. Ted Lilly will toss a side session today and then his second live BP on Monday. Andres Blanco still can't run at full speed, but he has been able to do some hitting and fielding.

Cubs Idol Winners
Justin Berg got more good news today when he found out that he was the co-winner of the "Cubs Idol" competition. He and infielder Darwin Barney were chosen out of the 8 finalists as co-winners. NFL QB Steve Young was a guest judge today along with the usual panel of Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramiez, Ryan Dempster, and Kevin Millar. Other finalists included Jim Aducci, Starlin Castro, Tyler Colvin, James Russell, and Brad Snyder. Berg and Barney each got $10,000 to a charity of their choice.

Today's Games
This afternoon it's a split squad Cubs team out in the valley of the sun. Half the team will host the Kansas City Royals for the first matchup of the spring between the two clubs. The other split squad takes on the Oakland A's in Phoenix. Carlos Zambrano will pitch at HoHoKam while Tom Gorzelanny tries to make his case for a spot in the rotation against Oakland.

The game against KC will be on WGN Radio. Here's the starting nine:

Theriot, SS
Barney, 2B
Lee, 1B
Byrd, CF
Baker, 3B
Soriano, LF
Soto, C
Snyder, RF
Zambrano, P

The game against the A's is on MLB.com's gameday audio if you have the package. Here's the lineup behind Gorzelanny:

Adduci, LF
Kosuke, RF
Colvin, CF
Nady, DH
Hoffpauir, 1B
Fontenot, SS
Tracy, 3B
Hill, C
Scales, 2B

A good chance to see a lot of Cubs play today! That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Spring Training Preview: Non Roster Infielders

Darwin Barney

• Short Stop
• B/T: Right
• Drafted by the Cubs in the 4th round of the June 2007 draft
• Ranked as "Best Baseball IQ" and "Best Competitiveness" (tie) in the organization by Vineline
• Hit .293 with 3 homers and 49 RBIs over 137 games split between AA Tennessee and AAA Iowa in 2009
• My Prediction: Will start the year at AAA

Starlin Castro

• Short Stop
• B/T: Right
• Not drafted
• Rated top prospect in the organization by Jim Callis of Baseball America
• Rated "Best Competitiveness" (tie) in the organizaton by Vineline
• Rated Best range and best arm strength in the organization by a short stop
• Good contact hitter, hits well in the clutch
• Best defensive infielder in the system according to Baseball America
• Is the first player born in the 1990s to be invited to Cubs Spring Training; could become the first Cub born in the '90s to play in a big league game
• Played for the "World" team in the 2009 futures game (part of MLB All Star Week)
• Hit .299 over 127 games between Class A Daytona and AA Tennessee in 2009
• Hit .376 in 26 Arizona Fall League games for the Mesa Solar Sox this offseason
• Hit just .182 in 8 VWL games this offseason
• My prediction: Will start the year at AAA

Blake Lalli

• First baseman
• B/T: L/R
• Not drafted
• Has been in the organization since 2006
• Hit .314 in 118 games for AA Tennessee in 2009
• Hit .292 in 7 VWL games this winter
• My prediction: Will start the year at AAA

Kevin Millar

• First baseman
• B/T: Right
• Signed to a minor league contract with the Cubs earlier this month
• More info on him in from my Feb. 1 post
• Great clubhouse guy
• Won a World Series ring in 2004 with Boston
• My Prediction: Will make the big league roster and serve a bench role on the Cubs

Chad Tracy

• 3B/1B/OF
• B/T: Left/Right
• Signed a minor league contract with the Cubs late last month
• Will look to earn a spot on the club in Spring Training
• Click here for more info from my Jan. 27 post
• My Prediction: Will be released by the Cubs before the start of the season

Josh Vitters

• Third baseman
• B/T: Right
• Drafted by the Cubs in the first round (3rd overall) of the 2007 June draft
• Rated #3 prospect in the organization by Jim Callis of Baseball America
• Puts the ball in play a lot
• Hit .284 over 120 games split between High A Daytona and Class A Peoria
• Hit .353 in 16 Arizona Fall League games this offseason
• My prediction: Will start the year at AA

Tomorrow I'll have a full roundup on all the latest on the Cubs!