Thinkin' Baseball on Super Bowl Sunday?

While the Indianapolis Colts will meet the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV coming up at 5:25 CT, the Cubs continue to prepare for the upcoming season. Once the Super Bowl is over, most of America is ready for spring, and with spring comes baseball.

Two Cubs have already reported to Mesa, Arizona to get a head start, Carlos Zambrano and Kevin Millar. The rest of the team will report on February 17, which is just ten days away!

Derrek Lee joined the MLB Network's Hot Stove last week on Tuesday:

• Lee talked about how tough it is to get on the NL All Star teams a first baseman because of the masses of first base talent.
• D-Lee thinks the main thing reporting to Spring Training is to not get too far ahead of yourself.
• Theriot and Kosuke will hit in front of Lee in the batting order.
• He talked a little bit about his daughter's situation and Project 3000. You can go to firsttouch.org for more info!

Ryan Dempster joined Chicago Tribune Live on Wednesday:

• Demp has been watching a lot of hockey lately.
• Blackhawk's defenseman Duncan Keith thinks Demp could score a goal in the NHL.
• Ryan is really excited about the Blackhawks and the Olympics coming up.
• He thinks the Hawks are a Stanley Cup title contender.
• Dempster went to a Bulls game in the past dressed as Kirk Heinrich.
• Of Hawks and Bulls talk in the first segment, the guys finally turned to the Cubs. Dempster cannot believe that this is going to be his seventh year with the Cubs. "Time flies," he said.
• He thinks the Cubs had a good team on paper in 2009, but they just had an off year.
• This year, the team plans to be right back where they were in 2007 and 2008.
• Dempster thinks that starting pitchers could go a lot deeper into games than they are allowed to at times.
• A lot of different thinks contributed to the struggles of Milton Bradley in Chicago.
• The 2010 Cubs will start fresh and just go forward from there.
• Ryan thinks that if the Cubs win the World Series, players will have to be air lifted out of Wrigley Field.
• He is humbled an honored to know that he has played in Chicago for seven years.
• Demp would like to believe that the game is totally clean, but there could always be something going on that we don't even know about yet.
• Ryan loves Lou Piniella as a manger and has a great relationship with him. He has a lot of baseball knowledge and is fun to talk ball with.
• Dempster will be honored at the 22nd annual Comcast Sports Net awards on Thursday (February 11).
• Having Riley (his daughter) in his life has really changed Ryan's life. Dempster says he is lucky to have his wife. The way Riley fights on a daily basis makes Ryan want to be an even better baseball player.
• Going public with his daughter's disease could help Riley and many other children.
• Cubs first baseman Kevin Millar called in live to the show to say hi to Dempster and Chuck (the host who was filling in for Kaplan. Millar has been staying in shape, and is hoping to take Dempster deep in inter-squad games.
• Kevin says that the big thing with getting over a curse (like he did in Boston, and will hopefully do in Chicago in 2010) is the team coming together and not believing in any of "that".
• The 2003 and 2004 Red Sox were normal guys who didn't listen to any of the negative stuff.
• Millar and Dempster are like brothers. They played together with the Florida Marlins.
• Kevin thinks Chicago is one of the greatest cities ever, and is looking forward to the challenges of trying to break the curse.
• Dempster called Millar "one of the greatest teammates he's had".
• In 2008, when Dempster guaranteed the Cubs would win the World Series, Millar replied by guaranteeing his team, the Orioles would win the World Series.

Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry is a Colts fan, while assistant GM Randy Bush roots on the Saints. Hendry will be in attendance for tonight's game in South Florida.

More Cubs stuff tomorrow!

Levine's Chat & Miller on ESPN 1000

Chat'n with Bruce
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, Bruce Levine hosted his weekly chat over at ESPNChicago.com. Here's the recap:

• Xavier Nady could be the "diamond in the rough" that pays dividends for the 2010 Chicago Cubs.
• At this point, the Cubs don't really have the money for Heath Bell and are more likely to look at Luke Gregorson.
• Adam Kennedy has been on the radar for awhile, but money is an issue.
• Chad Tracy will compete with Hoffpauir and Millar for the 24th or 25th spot on the roster.
• At this point, trades and minor league contracts are the only things the Cubs can do.
• Starlin Castro is going to get his shot to be the Opening Day short stop. Lou Piniella and his staff will decide in Spring Training if Starlin is ready.
• Levine thinks the Cubs' defense will be improved in 2010, because Kosuke is an upgrade over Bradley in right while Byrd is an upgrade over Kosuke in center.
• Ryan Theriot is the Cubs second baseman of the future.
• John Smoltz is still out there, but at age 43, he may have nothing left to bring.
• Ownership is taking a "wait and see approach" in 2010.
• Ryan told Bruce at the Cubs Convention that he will gladly move to second base to make room for Castro at short.
• Andrew Cashner could get called up to the bullpen at some point this year.
• Cashner could be tossed into the late inning mix if someone goes down, but for now he will start in the minors.
• All indications are that Ted Lilly is on track and will be ready to throw in Spring Training.
• Sam Fuld could make the team over Tracy or Millar because of his speed and defense.
• The Cubs are not thrilled about the direction Theriot's arbitration case has gone.
• A Luke Gregorson for Angel Guzman swap was mentioned by Levine once again.
• Castro is not a patient hitter at this point, but he bring five tool possibilities down the line.
• There have been rumblings of the Cubs trying to extend the contracts of Lee and Lou.

Kevin Millar with Waddle & Silvy on ESPN 1000

• Millar is already in Mesa getting some work in.
• He came up as a third baseman and loves that position. He wants to prove he can play 1B, 3B, and OF.
• Kevin enjoys coming off the bench in the National League because you have a good chance to get in the game each night.
• Millar understands that a lot of people look at stats, but he pointed out that he will also bring out leadership qualities and World Series Winning experience.
• He was a teammate of Derrek Lee and Ryan Dempster in Florida.
• Kevin wants to only worry about the things he can control.
• He thinks he can bring a lot to a clubhouse in addition to being a right handed bat off the bench. "Team chemistry is NOT overrated," he said.
• The experience of overcoming the curse in Boston could help Millar in Chicago. The 2005 Red Sox didn't care about everything people said. They just believed they could win the game each night.
• "This whole curse still isn't funny. It's not the love-able loser thing any more," Millar said.
• He thinks that Jim Hendry has done a great job bringing in some good guys this winter. Kevin expects it to be a different situation.
• At this point, he had not had a chance to talk with Lou Piniella, but Millar is looking forward to playing for Sweet Lou.
• Millar seemed like a very friendly, down to earth guy. Personally, I'm rooting for him to make the club.

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

Thursday Roundup: Marmol, TV Schedule, and More

Baseball is right around the corner! In fact, it's on my television as we speak! (Carribean World Series on MLB Network).

However, we still have a few more weeks of waiting before baseball returns here in America when pitchers and catchers report on February 18. And in that time span, things could get interesting, with teams scrambling to set their rosters and players scrambling to find a home.

The Cubs on TV!
The Cubs' 2010 regular season broadcast schedule has been released. The Cubs' Opening day game against the Braves on April 5 will be on WCIU. The Cubs will be on FOX Saturday night baseball two times this year. The Saturday night games are a new feature on FOX. They will be on ESPN's Sunday night baseball for the first time this year just before the All Star Break when they meet the Dodgers in LA. Most games will be on either CSN Chicago or WGN with the rest on WCIU, CSN+, MLBN, ESPN, ESPN2, or FOX.

Marmol Signs One Year Deal
Today the Cubs avoided arbitration with Carlos Marmol, agreeing on a one year deal. Marmol is expected to be the Cubs' closer this season, after he took the job from Kevin Gregg late in 2009. Marmol's contract is worth $2.125 million according to Bruce Levine.

Theriot to Hearing
The lone Cub that has yet to avoid arbitration by agreeing to a contract with the club is short stop Ryan Theriot. According to Bruce Levine, this one is headed for a trial. The hearings take place between February 8-20 in Flordia. The-Riot is asking for $3.4 million, but the Cubs offer was just $2.6 million. Arbitrators will pick one of the two numbers, not decide on the dollar amount somewhere in between.

Cubs To Finish 3rd?
Baseball Prospectus projects a 79-83 Cub record and the following NL Central Standings:
1. St. Louis Cardinals 84-78
2. Cincinnati Reds 82-80
3. Chicago Cubs 79-83
4. Milwaukee Brewers 79-83
5. Houston Astros 76-86
6. Pittsburgh Pirates 70-92

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted as the Cubs look for a bullpen arm and try to settle the Theriot case!

Groundhogs Day Quick Hits: Gregg and Johnson Stay in Blue

• Sorry for the misleading title. Reed Johnson has signed a 1 year deal with the LA Dodgers worth $800,000 plus incentives. In my opinion, this is a steal, and the Cubs should have gave Reed this offer.
• Kevin Gregg, another '09 Cub, also fell today agreeing to a $2.75M deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. The deal also contains options and incentives.
• Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Cubs are one of four teams keeping track of RHP Kris Benson this winter.
• Jon Heyman said last week on MLB Network that the Cubs are the most likely destination for free agent pitcher Chan Ho Park.
• Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune says that reliever Joe Nelson is interested in joining the Cubs.
• Check out CCO's great Q&A with Cubs play-by-play man Len Kasper.
• In other former Cub news, Mark Prior is still working on a comeback. Will the Cubs sign him to buddy with Carlos Silva?... ah nevermind.
• Xavier Nady doesn't think it will take him to much time to get back to 100% (coming off Tommy John).
• The Cubs are going to take their time with Nady, because they want him to be healthy for years to come once he does come back.
• The Cubs front office is split on the upcoming Super Bowl. General Manager Jim Hendry is a Colts fan, while assistant GM Randy Bush roots on the Saints. Click the link for a great article by Bruce Miles.
• Muskat gives us the latest on Marmol and Theriot.
• Thanks to TCR for this one- Andrew Cashner is gunning for a spot in the starting rotation.

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

Cubs All Forgettable All Decade Team

The Chicago Cubs had some great players in the 2000s, and those will be honor with the All-Decade team, which will be posted next week. Thanks to everyone who voted on the All-Decade Cubs on our polls!

However, today we take a look a some Cubs who you may not remember that put on the pinstripes in the past decade!

Starting Catcher: Jose Reyes
This Jose Reyes, who is not the same Jose Reyes that plays short stop for the New York Mets, played in only four games as a Cub in 2006. He caught in two of those games, and went 1-5 at the plate. Link

Starting First baseman: Scott Moore
After being shipped to Chicago in the trade that sent Kyle Farnsworth to Detriot, Moore hit .263 in 2006 and .000 in 2007 playing in 18 total games as a Cub. He then went to Baltimore where he's been for the last two years. Link

Starting Third baseman: Casey McGehee
Many Cubs fans remember Casey because he played great with the Brewers in 2009, but in fact he only appeared in 9 games as a Cub, all in 2008. He hit just .167 during that time. Link

Starting SS: Jason Smith
He played short in one of his two games in Cubbie blue. He went 0-1 as a Cub, and that was his first AB that led to a 9 year big league career. He played with the Astros in 2009. Link

Starting 2B: Enrique Wilson
Wilson played 9 years in the big leagues. The final 15 games of his 555 game big league career were with the Cubs in 2005. He played second for 5 of those 15 games. Link

Starting Outfield:

Trent Hubbard
In 2003, the Cubs became Trent's 9th and final ballclub. He was signed in May and released in July playing in just 10 games (4-16) during that brief stay in Chicago. Link

Mario Encarnacion
The Cubs took a chance on this guy after he played in 20 games with the Rockies as a rookie in 2000. In '01 he went 0-7 with 2 walks in 3 games, and that's all she wrote on his Cub career and on his big league career. His small claim to fame is that he was involved in the trade that Jermaine Dye from the Rockies to the A's. Link

Adam Greenberg
Greenberg made the starting outfield having never played the outfield as a Cub before. He came to the plate batting left handed on July 7, 2005 in a game against the Florida Marlins. He was nailed by a pitch in the head, sadly ending his Cub career. He would not return to baseball until 2009, when he signed a minor league deal with the Reds. Adam has a career OBP of 1.000. He's one "All Forgettable" guy that everyone should remember, and root for. Link.

Starting Pitchers:

Ryan O'Malley
You can't get much more forgettable than Ryan. He appeared in just two games in his Cubs career, and that is the total number of games he's seen in the big leagues to date. O'Malley started twice during the 2006 season going 1-1 with an ERA of 2.13. Link

Joey Nation
Another guy who most of you have no idea who he is. Joey only pitched in 2 games in his big league career, both were starts for the 2000 Chicago Cubs. He went 0-2. Link

Wade Miller
The veteran RHP took Mark Prior's spot in the rotation to start the 2006 season, but he too was injury prone. He pitched in only 8 games over his two year span with the team. Link

John Koronka
This southpaw pitched in just four games- 3 starts- for the Cubs in 2005 before moving on to Texas for the 2006 season. As a Cub, he went 2-1 with a 7.47 ERA. He originally came to the Cubs in a trade for another member of the All Forgettable All Decade team, Phil Norton. In March of 2006, he was shipped to Texas for Freddie Bynum, who turned into Kevin Hart, who turned into John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny. Link

Bullpen:

Carmen Pignatiello
This lefty played a couple of years in the minor leagues and Spring Training with the Cubs, but only got into 6 big league games. Four of them were in 2007, with two coming the next season. He finished his Cub career with a 6.77 ERA. Link

Phil Norton
This guys was released by the Chicago Cubs on January 14, 2002 and signed once again by the Cubs less than a month later! He pitched in 2 games in 2000 and four in 2003 before playing in a large number of games as a Red in '03 and '04. In April of 2005, the Cubs have Norton a third chance signing him once again! He spent time at various levels of the minors in 2005 and 2006 with the Cubs, but never was to return to the big leagues. Link

Scott Chiasson
Other than having an odd last name, Scott did very little in Cubbie blue. He was OK in his 6 2001 games, but earned his removal from the big league scene with a 23.14 ERA in 4 games in 2002. Link

Clay Rapada
Although he was a much talked about prospect with a cool name, as far as fewest games played in the decade, Clay takes top honors. He pitched on June 14, 2007 in his big league debut against the Seattle Mariners facing one batter (and retiring him) to go 0.1 total innings in his Cub career. He went on to see action with the Tigers from '07 to '09. Link

Jermaine Van Buren
Went 0-2 working out of the pen for the 2005 Cubs. He got into six total games in Chicago, before being sold to Boston where he spent his other ten big league games. Link

Andy Pratt
Andy may be one of the worst Cubs to ever take the mound. He played in five big league games, one with the Braves and four with the 2005 Cubs. His ERA was 21.60. He did not allow any hits in the four games, but walked 11 of the 13 men he faced. He went just 1.2 IP his Cub life. Link

Jimmy Anderson
This guy spent from 1999-2002 with the Pirates before appearing in single-digit games with the Cubs, Reds, and Red Sox to end his career. Link
Bench:

Josh Paul
This two-first named catcher played 9 years in the big leagues, but only 3 of his 321 games were in a Cub uniform. He went 0-6 for the club in 2003. He was signed in July and released in October of that same year. Link

Scott McClain
A third baseman, McClain has returned to the Cubs organization on a minor league contract that did not include an invite to big league camp. Scott spent 13 games with the Cubs in 2005 hitting .143, but who knows, maybe for the new decade he will become a member of the All Decade Cubs.

Jody Gerut
A speedy outfielder, Jody is much better remembered for his days with the Indians (before he came to the Cubs) and the Padres (after his stay in Chicago). Gerut hit .071 in 11 games for the Cubs in 2005, a year in which he played for three different clubs. On July 18, he came from Cleveland for Jason Dubois, and on July 31 he was shipped to Pittsburgh for Matt Lawton. Link

Comment with your thoughts!

Miller To Sign With Cubs

ESPNChicago.com is reporting that the Cubs are close to signing first baseman Kevin Millar to a minor league deal. Kevin will agree to a one year minor league deal with the Cubs according to an email he sent to ESPN. The deal will include an invite to Cubs' minor league camp, so Kevin could join the mix competing for a bench spot in Spring Training.

Hendry has been very busy adding guys that could add depth to what at first look to be a weak Cubs bench in 2010. So far this winter, they've dumped Aaron Miles and Jake Fox but added Brian LaHair, Kevin Millar, Chad Tracy, and Xavier Nady to the mix that already included Mike Fontenot, Jeff Baker, Micah Hoffpauir, Koyie Hill, Sam Fuld, and Andres Blanco. Miles, by the way, was traded today for the second time this offseason. The Cubs sent him to the A's along with Fox for pitcher Jeff Gray, and his stayed in Oakland was short lived as he returns to the NL Central to play for the Reds.

Also, the series of minor league deals with first basemen (LaHair, Tracy, and now Millar) indicates that the Cubs do not have too much confidence in Hoffpauir. I like the fact that everyone will have to earn a spot on the roster, and there will be plenty of competition. At this point, I wouldn't be shocked if Hoffpauir was moved before or during Spring Training.

Let's check out some info on Kevin Millar:

• Full Name: Kevin Charles Millar
• Born: September 24, 1971
• Age: 38
• B/T: Right/Right
• College: Lamar University, LA Community College
• Drafted: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Marlins in 1993
• MLB Debut: April 11, 1998
• Teams: Florida (1998-2002), Boston ('03-'05), Baltimore ('06-'08) and Toronto (2009)
• Games by Position: 1B (1246), LF (196), RF (170), 3B (159), DH (110), OF (30), 2B (4)
• 2009 season: Played in 78 games with the Blue Jays hitting .223 to go along with an OBP of .311, 7 HR, and 29 RBIs.
• Career Numbers: .274 AVG, 170 HR, 699 RBIs in 12 big leagues seasons

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

Welcome to February!

Now that we've reached the month of February, spring is right around the corner, as is the 2010 baseball season. To warm you up on a cold still-winter day, let's take a look at the important dates on the baseball/Cubs calender on the way!

February 1-21: Salary Arbitration Hearings- Marmol & Theriot could end up needing one!
February 2-8: Caribbean Series on MLB Network
February 18: Pitchers and Catcher Report to Spring Training at Fitch Park
February 23: First Full Squad Workout
March 4: Spring Training Opener VS OaklandMonday
April 5: Opening Day @Atlanta 3:10
Monday April 12: Home Opener VS Brewers 1:20

This is the final month of the offseason! There are still a few more moves to be made by the Chicago Cubs... so it should be interesting. March 4's game is on WGN Radio with Pat Hughes and Ron Santo, so we looking forward to hearing those seven words that mean spring is here, "Chicago Cubs baseball is on the air!"