Slight Changes to Everything Cubs Blog

Today I've made a few tweaks to the layout of Everything Cubs Blog! The color scheme is slightly different to incorporate more of the Cubs colors into the site. The list of Cubs links on the right sidebar has been updated, be sure to check it out. In addition, the five most popular Everything Cubs blog posts of all time are now displayed on the right sidebar. Please be sure to check out some of our most read articles! We are also looking to add a few new features, if you have any ideas of what you what like to see on the site in the coming weeks please feel free to put them in the comments of this post.

A new poll is up on the right sidebar! Which are you more excited about?
a) Carlos Zambrano being traded
b) Kerry Wood returning
Be sure to cast your vote!

A big thanks to everyone who voted on the last poll regarding the Sean Marshall trade. Thanks for reading as always, look for more Cubs coverage later this week.

And We're Back!

With the Cubs season coming to a close yesterday, it is finally time for the return of Everything Cubs Blog! It made more sense to me to spend some time away during month of September while the Cubs played out the rest of the season, then to return for all of the lively offseason banter. Many other sites take a break around this time, so it should be a great time to visit this site for your Cubs fix.

The conclusion of the 2011 season is bittersweet for Cubs fans. On the bright side, this miserable year is finally over. However, there are still several things that we will miss about baseball season. Among them are:

• The feeling of summer that comes with watching or attending a Cubs game.


• Listening to the talented broadcasters Pat Hughes, Len Kasper, Bob Brenly and Keith Moreland call the games.


• Seeing some of the young guys play during the month of September.


• Complaining about the team. (Oh wait, we can still do that.)


• Escaping from everything else by taking in a ball game.


• Questioning Mike Quade.


• Watching Starlin Castro play every day.


• Hoping each day that the Cubs might pick up a win.

The Cubs were drubbed 9-2 in the regular season finale last night at the hands of San Diego. To make matters worse, the Cardinals some how found a way to win the Wild Card after trailing by 8.5 games on September 3.

There is a new poll up on our right sidebar. Please vote and feel free to comment on this post with your thoughts!

Sometime within the next week or two, we'll have our annual Cubs Report Cards and the Cubbie Awards. Here is what else you can expect on the site this winter!

• Breaking News


• Rumor Updates


• Full Coverage of the Cubs Convention


• More Remembering Ronnie posts


• Cover of the Winter Meetings, including the Santo Hall of Fame vote


• Radio/TV Interview Recaps


• Opening Day Roster Predictions


• 2012 Previews


• And Much More!

Thanks for sticking with me.

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

Ron Santo Statue Dedication Recap

Last night was a special night for the Cubs organization and the family of Ron Santo. Ronnie's statue was unveiled at the corner of Addison and Sheffield in an emotional ceremony before the Cubs game against the Nationals. August 10, 2011 was deemed Ron Santo Day at Wrigley Field.

Len Kasper was the emcee for the ceremony. Tom Ricketts, Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins and Billy Williams all spoke before the unveiling. Pat Hughes shared his thoughts and then was at the microphone while the actual unveiling took place. Randy Hundley and Glenn Beckert assisted in the statue unveiling. Ron's wife Vicki and son Jeff spoke after the statue was revealed. Vicki said that Ron got a call during the summer of 2010 from Crane Kenney informing him that his Billy Williams' statue would be done in September and his the following season. Ronnie knew about the statue and he was so excited about it.

The statue itself was really cool. Cubs colors of blue and red were mixed in with the bronze. It was of Ron making a throw from third base. It is the first of the four statues at Wrigley to be of player playing defense. The statue looks just like #10. Most of the Cubs players paid their respects by showing up to the unveiling even though it was just before a game.

Here are some links for more Santo coverage!

• Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald's blog


• Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune- w/ video of Santo family singing stretch


• Carrie Muskat's blog- Cubs players and manager remember Santo's passion


• Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times- Statue a touching tribute


• WGN Radio audio coverage of statue dedication


• Cubs Corner Ron Santo special- full audio


• Video & Article from WGN-TV

I great job by the Cubs organization and the guys that constructed the statue. I only wish that Ronnie would have been there to see it.

Which Cubs legend would you like to see honored with a statue outside Wrigley next? Vote on the poll on our right sidebar.

Well, that does it for our week full of Ron Santo coverage! I'll take a few days off from posting and then return with more Cub related posts. If news breaks, I'll keep you posted as always!

Cubs Radio Analyst Breakdown: Dave Otto VS Keith Moreland

According to multiple sources, the Cubs are down to two for their new radio color guy. Either Dave Otto or Keith Moreland will join Pat Hughes in the booth in 2011.

With the first Spring Training broadcast only 25 days away, the announcement will have to made soon. Most likely, WGN Radio and the Cubs would like to give whoever gets the job a chance to prepare for the season before the season starts. I would expect this to be over with in the next two weeks.

Keith Moreland

• Age: 56
• Birthday: May 2
• Grew up: in Texas
• Playing Career: 1978-1989 (Phillies, Cubs, Tigers, Orioles)
• Cubs Career: 1982-1987
• Positions: OF, 3B, C
• Broadcast Experience: Color for Texas Longhorns baseball and football broadcast, filled in for Ron Santo and Bob Brenly several times during 2009 and 2010 seasons.
• Pre/Post: Has not done any interviews yet on the Cubs broadcasts that he has been on.

Dave Otto

• Age: 46
• Birthday: Nov. 12
• Grew Up: In Illinois
• Playing Career: 1987-1994 (A's, Indians, Pirates, Cubs)
• Cubs Career: 36 games in 1994
• Position: LHP
• Broadcast Experience: Has been doing fill in work on radio for over ten years... Joined Chip Carray during Steve Stone's two year absence on TV from 2001-2002... primary fill-in for Santo on WGN Radio... occasional fill-in for Brenly on TV
• Pre/Post: Good interviewing skills... often does pregame interviews when he fills in on radio... host of sessions at Cubs Convention... occasional fill-in for Todd Hollandsworth on CSN pregame

Vote for who you would prefer on the right sidebar of our mainpage!

Cubbie Quick Hits While the City Waits for the Kick-off

The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers will meet today in a NFC Championship matchup for the ages. The Fanfest of another Chicago baseball team is taking place this weekend. The defending Stanley Cup Champions are red-hot in January, while the city's NBA team is in first place.

But soon the Cubbies will take center stage once again. Pitchers and catchers report three weeks from tomorrow! The first game of Spring Training is exactly five weeks from today. Let's catch up on the latest news and notes on the North Side Ballclub:

• The ESPN family of networks has set its Spring Training schedule. The Cubs games on March 24 (against Texas) and March 26 (against the Sox) will both be on ESPN2.
• The big news of the week was the minor league outfielder and Villanova wide receiver Matt Szczur has committed to playing baseball. He will skip the NFL Draft and instead sign a deal that has a signing bonus of $1.4 million.
• Justin Havens of ESPN.com wonders if the Cubs should have traded Tom Gorzelanny. His 2010 stats were pretty close to Matt Garza's.
• According to Bruce Miles, Andrea Soriano passed away this week. Andrea is the mother of Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano. I would like sent my condolences to the family.
• The Cubs signed outfielder Lou Montanez to a minor league deal with an invite to big league Spring Training. Montanez was originally drafted by the Cubs in the first round of the 2000 draft and never panned out. He hit .223 in 26 games for Baltimore last season.
• The Chicago White Sox have invited former Cub Jeff Gray to Spring Training. He spent one year with the Cubs (2010) after coming over in the Fox/Miles trade with the A's. Gray's season was derailed by a groin injury.
• Check out the new poll on our right sidebar!

Here is the list of non-roster invitees so far for Spring Training-

• Angel Guzman, RHP
• Scott Rice, LHP
• Scott Moore, INF
• Bobby Scales, UTL
• Jim Adduci, OF
• Reed Johnson, OF
• Bryan LaHair, 1B/OF
• Lou Montanez, OF

A lot of names will be added to this list over the next three weeks.

I know, many of my readers will hate me for this. However...

"I don't care who wins as long as it's THE PACK!"

Midweek Quick Hits as the Cubs Caravan Gets Underway

There's a lot going on in the world of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs Convention is just two days away! Let's catchup on the latest notes:

• The Cubs Caravan started today. Tour one stopped at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse (Cubs Caravan Luncheon) and Cleveland Elementary School. Tour two also went to the luncheon as well as Lake View High School, Mt. Carmel Academy, Prospect High School and the Boys & Girls Club of Rockford.
• Mike Quade made his return to his Prospect High School, where he attended.
• Bruce Miles reports that Andrew Cashner wants to start. Add another name to the rotation mix, as James Russell is expected to get a shot to stretch out in the spring.
• Quade said that Matt Garza is in the mix for the opening day assignment along with Dempster and Zambrano.
• Miles also reports that the Cubs are not counting on Angel Guzman at all. They will see how he progresses in Spring Training but will not rush it.
• If you missed it earlier, the Cubs have signed Reed Johnson to a minor league contract and avoided arbitration with Koyie Hill.
• Johnson is expected to compete with Fernando Perez for the fifth outfield spot.
• Paul Sullivan writes that Quade hasn't committed to a lead-off man, but he has said that Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker are in the mix.
• The report date for pitchers and catchers is set for February 13 with the first workout taking place the following day. The first full squad workout is set for February 19.
• There was a report from 670 the score today that Kerry Wood's contract has a clause to become the team's radio broadcaster after his retirement in it. The Cubs have denied the report and Wood told David Kaplan that he has no interest in broadcasting.
• According to multiple reports, the Cubs new radio broadcaster will not be named this weekend. The station and the team will wait to make the announcement until close to the first broadcast of the spring.
• The full schedule for the Cubs Convention has been released.
• Be sure to vote on our new poll up on the right sidebar!

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

Everything Cubs Site Notes

I want to once again wish everyone a happy New Year and thank you for reading the over 800 posts on Everything Cubs blog over the last two years. I will continue to provide you with the latest on everything Cubs! Today, let's reset to remind you about some of the features on the site and provide you with links to articles over the holiday break in case you are just retuning to the office and starting to check in on the site again.

Comments and Emails
We love when you contact us here on Everything Cubs Blog! Remember that it is easy to comment on any posts. No log-in is required and the option to comment anonymously is available. Click on where it says comments at the bottom of each post or click on the post heading and then scroll down to comment. Also, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions regarding the site or the Cubs, pop me an email at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.

Polls
Thanks to everyone that voted on our last poll. Here are the results:
Question: Who should join Pat Hughes in the WGN Radio Booth in 2011?
Answers:
1. Dave Otto- 26 votes
2. Rick Suttcliffe- 9 votes
3. Mark Grace- 3 votes
4. Dan Plesac- 2 votes
5. Other, Todd Hollandsworth, Keith Moreland- 1 vote each.

A new poll has been posted for a few days on the right sidebar. It askes what you are most looking forward to about the 2011 season. Please vote if you have not already!

RIP Ron Santo
Some of you have probably noticed the picture and writing to honor Ron Santo on the right sidebar. That will remain there for as long as I write on this site. Ronnie should not be forgotten and will not be forgotten by true fans.

2011 Schedule Previews
I recently wrapped up a six part series previewing the Cubs 2011 schedule. Links to the start of the month-by-month breakdown can be accessed by clicking here. I wrapped it up this past weekend with August and September.

Other Recent Posts
The Cubs Convention is just over a week away! Click here for an early preview. Today the Hall of Fame voting results were posted, and my final post of 2010 reviewed the top ten Cubs news stories of the year.

Upcoming Posts
Next week we will countdown to the Cubs Convention and then provide full coverage all weekend long. We will finish out this week with coverage of all the latest rumors and news, including the Cubs pursuit of Matt Garza. Also, a Down on the Farm Report should be in the works this weekend or sometime next week.

Thank you once again for reading!

Midweek Roundup: Theriot to St. Lou, Marmol Wants an Extension & More

Theriot to St. Louis
Former Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot has been traded from the Dodgers to the Cardinals. The Riot returns to the NL Central after spending six seasons in the Windy City before being traded at the deadline this past July. Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Cardinals view Theriot as more of a shortstop. Right handed pitcher Blake Hawksworth was shipped to LA in the deal.

Cubs Pitching Coach Decision May Not Come Tomorrow
As a mentioned in yesterday's post, Carrie Muskat has reported that the Cubs will be naming their new pitching coach on Wednesday. Bruce Miles reports that the Cubs say that that is not true and an announcement at the winter meetings next week is more likely.

Marmol Want an Extension
Bruce Miles also tells us that Carlos Marmol has said he wants a long term extension. Barry Praver, Marmol's agent, has been contacted and says he did have talks with Jim Hendry at the GM Meetings. However, these talks do not seem to be far down the line.

Looking at Arms?
According to MLBTR, the Cubs are looking to add an insurance arm even though they have five (actually 6-7) starters. Jeremy Bonderman, Aaron Harang, Kevin Milwood and Vincente Padilla are all in the mix.

Coming Soon: Cubs Spring Training Schedule
Usually the Cubs Spring Training schedule have been released by this time in the offseason. Al Yellon from Bleed Cubbie Blue tells us that the Diamondbacks and Giants were being considered to open to regular season in Taiiwan, so this delayed the process. Another detail that the Cubs are hammering out is whether or not they will return to Las Vegas for a split squad weekend. They have played the White Sox in Vegas each of the last two springs. The schedule should be released later this week.

Jesse Crain a Hot Name
Peter Gammons tweets that Jesse Crain may be one of the hottest relievers on the market. The Cubs are one of nine teams who may be interested in the former Twin.

Deadline to Tender Contracts on the Way
Thursday is the deadline for teams to offer contracts to unsigned players that are arbitration eligible. Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall, Tom Gorzelanny, Geovany Soto, Jeff Baker and Koyie Hill are all arbitration elgible guys this winter. Marmol, Marshall, Gorzelanny and Soto are givens to be brought back, but there is some question when it comes to Baker and Hill. Jim Hendry would like to lock up all six players by Thursday so that arbitration is out of the question.

Former Cub Notes
Thanks to the CCO for this one, ex-Cubs lefty Neal Cotts inked a minor league deal with the New York Yankees. Josh Kroeger has landed with the Marlins organization while Doug Deeds has a minor league contract with the Rangers. Russ Canzler, who played for the Tennessee Smokies in 2010, has left the organization and singed with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Cubs Poll
Thanks to everyone who voted on our last poll on the right sidebar! There is a new one up that asks you to grade Larry Rothschild's time with the Cubs. Don't forget to vote!

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

Numbers Breakdown: Are Marmol & Silva All-Star Snubs?

Before we get into tonight's Number Breakdown, a come of other matters of business. First of all, congratulations to Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd on his All-Star Selection. Byrd will be the lone Cubs representative on July 13 at Angel Stadium. Shifting gears, I want to wish all of my readers a happy Fourth of July! Even though our favorite team has dropped three of four, I hope you enjoyed a nice holiday weekend with friends and family.

Most of our voters on our last poll on the right sidebar agree that Marlon Byrd is the most deserving Cub in the All-Star Game. However, pitchers Carlos Silva and Carlos Marmol also got a good amount of votes. In my opinion, Silva and Marmol should be in the Mid-Summer Classic. Let's compare the stats of Silva and Marmol to that of the other pitchers on the National League staff in today's Numbers Breakdown!

Carlos Silva: 8-2, 2.96 ERA, 1.08 WHIP
Carlos Marmol: 2-1, 2.13 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 16.3 K/9, 15 SV
Roy Halladay: 9-7, 2.42 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
Josh Johnson: 8-3, 1.82 ERA, 0.97 WHIP
Tim Lincecum: 8-4, 3.28 ERA, 1.30 WHIP
Tim Hudson: 8-3, 2.37 ERA, 1.17 WHIP
Jonathan Broxton: 3-0, 2.08 ERA, 16 SV
Arthur Rhodes: 3-2, 1.09 ERA, 0.91 WHIP
Adam Wainwright: 11-5, 2.34 ERA, 1.03 WHIP
Chris Carpenter: 9-2, 3.16 ERA, 1.21 WHIP
Brain Wilson: 2-0, 2.10 ERA, 22 SV
Evan Meek: 3-2, 0.98 ERA, 1 SV
Ubaldo Jimenez: 14-1, 2.27 ERA
Matt Capps: 2-3, 3.19 ERA, 22 SV, 1.39 WHIP, 7.9 K/9
Yovani Gallardo: 8-3, 2.56 ERA

So, there are some really good NL relievers. However, Marmol should be an All-Star over Matt Capps. Since Washington has to have an All-Star, the Capps selection over Marmol is acceptable.

However, Carlos Silva is definitely a snub. He should be in the game over Carpenter and Lincecum. It is still possible that a Cub will be called to replace someone due to injury or a Sunday before the break start.

Remember, the numbers don't lie!

Mid Week Roundup: Ramirez to the DL, Howry Pitching Well, The Hawks, and More

We've spent the past few days focused on the draft, but it's time to get caught up on what's going on with the big league club!

Update 4:10 CT: Now it's official. Ramirez to the DL, Tracy called up. Chad is expected to be with the team tonight.

Ramirez to the DL?
According to the Chicago Tribune and several other sources, Aramis Ramirez will finally be placed on the DL with a left thumb injury. The roster move should happen sometime today. The Cubs are expected to callup Chad Tracy, who's tearing the cover off the ball at AAA-Iowa. Aramis has been in and out of the lineup lately and is hitting just .168 this season.

Theriot's Coming Around
Ryan Theriot is finally starting to see the ball a little better. Ryan has worked a few walks this week but says he hasn't changed anything in his approach at the plate. He wants to be a little more selective but not overly defensive up there. Lou Piniella says that The Riot is still his best leadoff option.

Howry Pitching Well
The return to Chicago seems to have helped RHP Bobby Howry, who struggled before he was released by Arizona. Howry has not allowed a run in seven outings with the Cubs.

Cubs Draft Ivan De Jesus
The Cubs selected a centerfielder from Cupeyville High School in the sixth round of the draft. The odd thing is, the outfielder has nearly the same name as Cubs' first base coach Ivan DeJesus. However, the two men are not related. DeJesus (the coach) says he was surprised to see his name on the list of players drafted by the organization. Today the Cubs drafted Benito Santiago Jr., who is the son of the former Cubs catcher.

Site Notes
Please vote on our new poll on the right sidebar! Also, you can follow my Cubs Farm Updates Twitter at www.twitter.com/cubsfarmupdates. Don't forget that the right sidebar also features Cubs Links and a place where you can share this site on Twitter and Facebook! Questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas should be sent to cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.

Tonight the Cubs play the Brewers at 7:15 in a game that will be on ESPN-TV and 560 AM (instead of 720 because of the Stanley Cup Finals). Carlos Zambrano will get his second start since returning to the rotation.

Speaking of the Stanley Cup Finals... Go Hawks Go!!!

New Poll, Radio Recaps, and More

First of all, please be sure to check out our new poll on the right sidebar.

We Ask:
Out of the players the Cubs have, who should be the 8th inning man?

A) John Grabow
B) Esmalin Caridad
C) Sean Marshall
D) Justin Berg
E) Jeff Samardzija

Please vote! Also, feel free to comment with your thoughts. Commenting is quick, easy, and does not require signing in. Remember that you can email me anytime at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.

A big thanks to everyone who voted on our last poll! Here are the results:

Q: How many games will the Cubs win this season?
Tie-1. 80-89 (50%)
Tie-1. 90-94 (50%)

Ryan Dempster joined Waddle & Silvy on Thursday. Here's the recap:

• Ryan says he is doing great. He promises that everything is going to be okay. There are always 2 game losing streaks in baseball.
• Demp understands why he was taken out after the 6th inning. The baseball season is a marathon not a sprint.
• He worked very hard this winter and during Spring Training, so he felt as prepared as he could be.
• Going into the game, he did not feel any pressure. He was just excited to get out there.
• There is no sense of "here we go again" in the clubhouse.
• You cannot live in the past, you have to enjoy the present.
• The Cubs have a really good team and everything will be just fine.
• Ryan's daughter is doing very well. She continues to inspire him everyday.
• Randy Wells knows how to pitch. He didn't just catch lighting in a bottle last year. Dempster expects him to keep it up this season.
• Jeff Samardzija really wants to win at whatever he's doing. That's what gets him through the rough times.
• Shark will make the adjustments back to the pen.
• The nice thing about starting a new season is that you never know what is going to happen.

Paul Sullivan was on with Mully and Hanley on Thursday:

• Sullivan says that Lou is already ticked off this early in the season.
• Lou didn't like the question (from the media) about Sean Marshall changing roles. He didn't like the idea of moving John Grabow out of the setup role already.
• The fact that it was Grabow who blew the game on Wednesday makes you more nervous. John is supposed to be the Cubs' top setup guy.
• Piniella still has faith in Grabow.
• Sullivan figures that he'll stick as the 8th inning man for most of the season. As wild as Marmol was, he kept the setup role for all of last year.
• There are enough questions with this team to make you worry.
• The way the hitting has been so far is not going to cut it. The bats did not make too much noise the last two weeks of Spring Training either.
• The second game of the season felt more like a middle of the season loss. Getting their butts kicked in the first game and then blowing the second game cause a lot of frustration.
• "When things go wrong with the Cubs, they just seem to go wrong."

Other Cubs Notes:

• Ted Lilly has been scratched from his rehab start that was scheduled for Sunday. He has a stiff back. Instead, he will throw in the Wrigley Field bullpen on Monday then possibility depart for a rehab start. The Cubs do not plan to rush him back.
• Carlos Silva left with shoulder soreness last night. He will get a little extra rest before returing the mound next Friday against the Astros.
• Click for a tour of renovations at Wrigley. The home opener will be Monday at 1:20!

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

Cubs Roundup: The Pitching Staff, Minor Leauge Updates, Radio Recaps, & More

Rotation Decision
Lou Piniella has said that the starting rotation will be set by Friday (tomorrow). Tom Gorzelanny made his final bid for the rotation going six innings against Arizona today. Here is the stats of the four pitchers looking for spots in the starting five:

Tom Gorzelanny: 1-1, 3.07 ERA in 14.2 IP
Sean Marshall: 1-0, 1.64 ERA, 11 IP
Jeff Samardzija: 0-2, 6.75 ERA, 8 IP
Carlos Silva: 2-1, 5.73 ERA, 11 IP

Gorzo and Sean have the far better ERAs, so they're in, right? Wrong. The Cubs want to have one lefty and one right hander of this bunch stay in the rotation, and one of each go to the pen. So then Silva is in the rotation and Marshall is a no brainier, right? Wrong again. Sean Marshall's great pitching may have even hurt his chances at the rotation because he is so valuable to the Cubs as a swing man in the bullpen. With the bullpen really lacking depth, chances are he'll go out there. The two veterans, Silva and Gorzelanny, are the favorites to win rotation jobs. We'll found out tomorrow!

Roster Cuts on the Way
The Cubs are expected to cut the roster from 40 down to 29-30 tomorrow. Carrie Muskat reports that the Cubs will keep 12-13 pitchers and 16-17 position players. If Carrie's total number of pitchers is accurate, the Cubs will either have their pen set or just one cut left to make. Right now, James Russell, John Gaub, Marcos Mateo, and Mike Parisi are fighting for the last relief job. Here are the stats for those four this spring:

Parisi: 1-1, 7.45 ERA, 9.2 IP
Russell: 0.00 ERA, 9 IP
Gaub: 1-0, 7.04 ERA, 7.2 IP
Mateo: 8.22 ERA, 7.2 IP

My guess is that Mateo and Gaub will be among the cuts tomorrow. James Russell clearly should have this spot won, but I think the Cubs will keep Parisi in camp until the final weekend because of his Rule 5 status. If they try to send him to the minors, they will have to offer him back to the Cardinals. Personally, I think the Cubs should just give Mike back rather than go through the struggle to keep him on the roster like they did with Patton last year. Jeff Gray is also still in camp, but it appears he will start the year on the DL.

As far as the position players are concerned, there will be 5-6 cuts tomorrow. Two will be catchers Chris Robinson and Robinson Chirinos, who are ticketed for the minor leagues with Hill and Soto at the big league level. Bobby Scales and Darwin Barney will most likely be two more of the cuts. Micah Hoffpauir could also be sent to AAA, or James Adduci could be sent out. The Cubs will likely let the fight for the final bench spots (Fuld v Colvin, Millar v Tracy) go down to the wire. Andres Blanco is still in the mix as well. Lou has said that Colvin will be on the team if there is enough playing time for him, but they will not let him rot on the bench.

Lou & Lee Stay "Back"
Both the Cubs skipper and his first baseman are having some back pain, which caused them to skip the trip to Tuscon today. This was the final trip the Cubs will ever make to Tuscan as both teams that play (the Rockies & D'backs) are leaving next year. Piniella woke up with a sore back, so he didn't feel like taking the long bus ride. Instead, Alan Trammell managed the Cubs team today. Derrek Lee's injury is even weirder. He fell out of a chair while eating in Surprise yesterday. Surprise! D-Lee should be back in the Cub lineup when they host the A's tomorrow.

The Cubs that did make the trip topped Arizona 7-2. James Adduci and Tyler Colvin both had big days as they vie for the final spot in the Cubs' outfield. James had three hits while Colvin smacked two.

Notes from Fitch Park

• Arizona Phil from TCR posted a nice report from minor league camp on Wednesday.
• Randy Wells pitched for the Iowa Cubs in Wednesday's game to stay on schedule. He looked sharp going 6 shutout innings.
• Aramis Ramirez served as the DH to get some at bats in for the I-Cubs. He went 1-6 with a long home run, which helped Iowa to a 2-1 ten inning win over the Oakland A's farm club.
• Xavier Nady played right field in the AA game on Wednesday. He went 1-3 with a double before leaving in the 4th after being hit by a pitch. His left hand got nailed, but was OK.
• Starlin Castro is now playing for the AA squad. He made two errors for the Smokies.
• Brain LaHair went 2-3 for the AAA team.
• Scott Maine, who came over from Arizona in the Aaron Heilman trade, pitched a scoreless inning for Iowa.

Be sure to check out my Down on the Farm Report posted on Chicago Cubs Online today. This is Part 2 of my three part series on the Cubs' minor league coaches.

Bruce Levine's Report on Waddle & Silvy Today

• Even though Marshall has pitched well, it looks like he'll go to the bullpen.
• The Cubs like to use Sean's versatility.
• Bruce thinks that Gorzelanny and Silva are the 4 and 5 starters.
• It looks like Jeff Samardzija is heading to the bullpen as well.
• Jeff Gray is slotted to join the bullpen at some point.
• Levine reports that upper management wants Tyler Colvin to continue his progress at the minor league level, but Lou would like to have him on the bench. If the Cubs end up needing him, they can always call him up.
• Bruce thinks that money sometime dictates who plays, and that is the case with the Cubs' outfield.

Former Cub Todd Hollandsworth on the Danny Mac Show:

• The team's success will depend a great deal on Soriano's performance.
• There are 6-7 questions that surround this team going into the season.
• Todd thinks if you can answer 4-5 of those questions with a positive answer, this team has a chance.
• Soriano has to produce. This team isn't the deepest team, and they will depend on Alfonso.
• The Cubs are playing "team baseball" down in Arizona.
• Holly thinks that Soriano needs to get the "meaningful hits" against tough pitching.
• Geovany Soto is another big question. Geo has lost some weight and has a new hitting coach, but these questions will not be answered until the season starts.
• Todd calls Jeff Samardzija "a kid with all the potential in the world." The Shark needs a consistent role somewhere so that he can find himself some success.
• If Samardzija gets some relief innings under his belt, then his confidence will go up.
• The decision to sign Kevin Millar was affected by the situation with the clubhouse last year. Millar has a great track record, but there's no point in putting him on your roster if the at bats aren't going to be there for him.
• This team needs all the hitters they can get right now, so Chad Tracy might be the right decision.
• Hollandsworth loves Carlos Zambrano's passion and loves what he brings to the table. However, there is no defined number 1 in the Cubs rotation. Big Z needs to step up and be that guy.
• Z has to cut down on the melt downs.
• Todd is tired of overlooking the same mental problems with Zambrano. He wants to win, but he has to stop losing his focus at times.

New Poll

A big thanks to everyone who voted on our last poll on the right sidebar! Here are the results:

Q: Who would you most like to see on the Cubs bench?

1. Kevin Millar- 13 votes

2. Chad Tracy- 7 Votes

3. Micah Hoffpauir- 2 Votes

Now there is a new poll up on the right sidebar of the blog mainpage!

Q: What is the biggest area of concern for the 2010 Chicago Cubs?

A) Starting Pitching

B) Bullpen Depth

C) Defense

D) Power Bats

E) Speed

F) Scoring Runs

Please vote! Also, feel free to comment with your thoughts or email be at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.

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

Cub Roundup Befored Heading over to HoHoKam

Tomorrow the Chicago Cubs will head over to HoHoKam Park, where they will have a regular practice. Then, Spring Training games get underway on Thursday, when the Cubs take on the A's at 2:05 CT.

Cubs Poll
Thanks to everyone who voted on our last Cubs poll here on Everything Cubs Blog. Here are the results:

Who will become the Cubs' 5th starter?
1. Jeff Samardzija: 46%
2. Tom Gorzelanny: 40%
3. Marshall/Silva: 6% each

Now we have a new poll up on the right sidebar of the blog mainpage!
Who should be the Cubs starting second baseman?
A) Jeff Baker
B) Mike Fontenot

Please vote! Also, feel free to comment on any posts with your thoughts (it's quick and easy!) or email me at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.

Cactus League Pitching Rotation
Thursday- Randy Wells; then Sean Marshall, Mike Parisi, J.R. Mathes, and Esmalin Caridad.
Friday- Carlos Zambrano
Saturday- Carlos Silva (VS White Sox on WGN)
Sunday (ss)- Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Samardzija
Monday- Ryan Dempster

Each starter is expected to go two innings.

Thursday's Lineup
Today Lou announced the starting lineup for Thursday's game against Oakland. This very well could be the same lineup we see on Opening Day with Soriano taking Colvin's place.
1. Theriot- SS
2. Kosuke- RF
3. Lee- 1B
4. Ramirez- 3B
5. Byrd- RF
6. Colvin- LF
7. Fontenot- 2B
8. Soto- C

Starlin Castro is expected to get into the game in the 4th or 5th inning as a replacement for Theriot.

Boycott
Four clubs- the Dodgers, White Sox, Reds, and Angels, boycotted the Cactus League breakfast, which is supposed to be a friendly event to kick off the new baseball season. The reason these four clubs did not show is because they are upset about the proposed "Cubs tax" that would charge fans of all teams in order to keep the Cubs in Arizona. The South Siders in particular have been very vocal about their dislike for this idea.

Injury Updates
Ted Lilly has been back on the field working out and stretching. He's been dealing with a shoulder injury, a knee problem, and a high fever. Geovany Soto missed Monday's practice because he was sick with the flu. Jeff Gray is expected to throw off the mound tomorrow. He has not pitched yet this spring because of a groin injury. Angel Guzman tossed about 60 pitches from 45 feet on Monday, but is not expected to throw off of flat ground until next week.

Practice Updates
Thomas Diamond has pitched well in batting practice so far, but he let one pitch slip away and nailed Alfonso Soriano on Monday. Sori was OK and joked about the HBP. Arizona Phil of The Cubs Reporter tells us that John Grabow was hit hard in yesterday's practice. Phil also observes that Kosuke, Soriano, and Soto have all hit well in BP. Ryne Sandberg and Alan Trammel worked with Starlin Castro at Fitch Park and both were impressed. Tim Sheridan has been posting some great photos over on his blog. The is a lot of young talent in camp that will get playing time in Cactus League games.

Toast to Harry
The 12th annual world wide toast to Harry Caray took place yesterday, which would have been the Caray's 96th birthday. At 7:40, Cubs fans in Harry Caray's Restaurants all over the world toasted to Caray. The newest part of the restaurant family, Harry Caray's Tavern, opened yesterday. The Tavern is in Navy Pier, where the toast was held. Special guests included Dutchie Caray, Ernie Banks, Richard Dent, Bobby Hull, Len Kasper, Bill Kurtis, Harold Ramis, and Otis Wilson. We miss you Harry, and may you help make this be the year!

Other Notes

• The Cubs "We Believe" DVD that was filmed during the 2008 season will finally go on sale on April 13.
• The Cubs and the Northwestern Wildcats are working out a plan to have a college football game at Wrigley Field.
• Soriano's only wish: Good healthy.
• Ryan Dempster is hoping to see Chad Tracy make the team.

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

Quick Hits: Sori Reports, Rain in Mesa, & More

• Alfonso Soriano reported to Mesa, Arizona today. Sori is coming off of knee surgery and says he's ready to test that knee at full speed. He is fully expected to be running 100% by Opening Day.
• Jeff Stevens, who the Cubs got in the Mark DeRosa trade in December of 2008, is vying for a spot in the bullpen. Today he worked with Cubs legend Greg Maddux as he tossed on the side.
• Angel Guzman, another member of the Cubs pen, plans to use the murder of his brother as motivation rather than something that would have a negative effect on his performance according to Cubs.com.
• The Cubs have made two new front office hires. Click for details.
• Xavier Nady has been working on his throwing mechanics. He worked with Larry Rothschild this weekend. Nady is coming off of his second Tommy John sugury.
• Rule 5 Pick Mike Parisi is hoping to win a job with the Cubs in any role. Parasi does have some big league experience with St. Louis under his belt, so he is unlike David Patton who had never pitched higher than Class A when the Cubs drafted him last year.
• Patton, by the way, will try to make the Cubs bullpen, but no longer has to have a spot on the roster. He can now be sent down to AA or AAA without the Cubs losing him since he spent a full season on the big league roster.
• Rain has forced the Cubs indoors and/or cancel practices this weekend. Saturday practice at Fitch Park was cut short when a rain storm came, and Sunday the Cubs did even take the field, hitting in batting cages only. The weather forced practice to take place indoors once again.
• Bruce Miles confirmes that the Cubs did have some interest in Chan Ho Park before he inked with the Yankees today.
• The only player left missing from Cub camp are Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Starlin Castro. They are expected to be spotted at Fitch Park tomorrow during the first full squad work out of the year.
• Randy Wells has found out that he needs glasses. Maybe this could lead to even bigger and better things from Randy. Paul Sullivan says that Wells looks like "The Wild Thing".
• Former Cub Cliff Floyd is now doing some broadcasting for the Marlins.
• Lou Piniella has been impressed with some of the "young kids" in camp so far including Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters.

Thanks to everyone who voted on our last poll which was:

Who will be the most improved Cub in 2010?

1. Soto (10 votes)

2. Soriano (4 votes)

3. Zambrano (3 votes)

Be sure to check out the new question on the right sidebar:

Who will become the Cubs' fifth starter?

A) Jeff Samardzija

B) Tom Gorzelanny

C) Sean Marshall

D) Carlos Silva

E) Other

Please cast you vote over on the right sidebar and feel free to discuss in the comments! Remember you can email at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com!

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

Mesa it Is!! (Spring Training Talk and More)

It is all but settled that Chicago Cubs Spring Training will remain in the valley of the sun for years to come. The team intends to keep their Spring Training facilities in Mesa, Arizona pending rather than move to Naples, Florida after the current contract with Mesa. The decision to stay is pending a vote by the Mesa city council, which will take place Monday night to improve the team's Cactus League facility.

David Kaplan and the Chicago Tribune reported this story first today, then Bruce Levine added that the new facilities will most likely be 7-8 miles east of the current Cub spring home, HoHoKam Park. If Arizona cannot come up with the money for this project, the Cubs are expected to resume talks with Naples. The new state of the art stadium will include a Wrigleyville atmosphere and and a 15,000-18,000 capacity, which would make it the largest Spring Training park.

The East Valley Tribune's full coverage.

While we're talking about Cubs' Spring Training, let's take a look at WGN Radio's 2010 Spring Training broadcast schedule. Cubs Central Pregame starts 35 minutes prior the the first pitch of each game, and all times are central:

• Thursday March 4 VS Oakland 2:05
• Saturday March 6 VS White Sox 2:05
• Tuesday March 9 VS Milwaukee 2:05
• Tuesday March 16 VS Texas 3:05
• Friday March 19 @White Sox 3:05
• Saturday March 20 VS Kansas City 3:05
• Sunday March 21 @Reds 3:05
• Friday March 26 VS Oakland 3:05
• Saturday March 27 VS San Diego 3:05
• Thursday April 1 VS Rockies 3:05
• Saturday April 3 @Arizona @Chase Field 3:10

According to Bruce Miles, the Cubs have signed catcher Mark Johnson and third baseman Scott McClain to minor league deals with invites to Spring Training. Johnson was in Cubs' Spring Training last year, and ended up playing in 22 games at AAA Iowa. Mark was drafted by the White Sox organization and has spent time in the big leagues. This won't be the first trip to Mesa for McClain either. Scott has been in Spring Training with the Cubs before, and he saw 13 games with them during the 2005 regular season, going 2-14. After playing in the Giants organization for a few years, he played in Japan for most of '09. As a backup third baseman, he could make the club if he plays well in camp.

More Rumor Updates:

• Paul Sullivan reports that the Cubs have an eye on free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes.
• The Sun-Times says that they've contacted Gomes.
• The Cubs are also interested in Jermaine Dye, Reed Johnson, and Rick Ankiel and Xavier Nady.
• The Padres and Blue Jays are dangling relievers that the Cubs have interest in. Levine says that the Padres might talk to the Cubs about closer Heath Bell, while Luke Gregorson and Blue Jay Jason Frasor have also been discussed.

Please vote on our new poll on the right sidebar (yes, finally it's up!). We're close to finishing off our Cubs' all decade team, so we encourage everyone to vote on the best Cub closers of the last decade. I included all guys that had 5 or more saves as choices. Thanks to everyone who voted on the last poll.

Speaking of the right sidebar, notice that our countdown has been change from the Cubs Convention, to the day Pitchers and Catchers report. As of now, the start of the baseball season is just 27 days, 14 hours, 57 minutes and 20 seconds away- 19, 18, 17...

Baseball is right around the corner!

Numbers Breakdown: Cubs Second Base

Before we get to the Breakdown, a reminder:
The voting is over for our "All Decade" Cub first baseman. Thanks to all of you who voted! Our next position to vote on is second base! Please keep in mind, votes are based on performances in a Cub uniform starting in the year 2000. Our poll for second basemen in located on the right sidebar of our blog's mainpage. Please vote!

Now, let's stick with the topic of second base as we move in to this week's number breakdown. The Cubs have been involved in talks to try and bring Mets second baseman Luis Castillo to Chicago, in a trade that would dump Milton Bradley.

Would Castillo starting in the middle infield really be an improvement for the Cubs?

Career Batting Average
Mike Fontenot- .236
Luis Castillo- .292
Jeff Baker- .270

Point Castillo

Career Home Runs
Fontenot- 21 HR in 347 Games
Castillo- 28 HR in 1,634 Games
Baker- 26 HR in 300 Games

Point Baker

Career OBP
Fontenot- .301
Castillo- .369
Baker- .326

Point Castillo

2009 Batting Average
Fontenot- .236
Castillo- .302
Baker- .305

Point Baker

2009 HR & RBIs
Fontenot- 9, 43
Castillo- 1, 40
Baker- 4, 24

Point Fontenot

2009 SB
Fontenot- 4
Castillo- 20
Baker- 1

Point Castillo

Career Fielding %
Fontenot- .982
Castillo- .984
Baker- .986

Point Baker

So the final tallies of this Number Breakdown: Baker 3, Castillo 3, Fontenot 1. Luis gets on base more, steals bases, and hits for a better batting average, and those are things you want in a middle infielder. However, he has a bad contract, and lacks versatility. If the Cubs are able to dump Fontenot, Bradley, and hopefully Miles, would you like to see a Castillo/Baker platoon at second with Baker playing 3B when Ramirez needs time off?

Remember, the numbers don't lie...

Piniella to attend Redsfest

The voting is over for our "All Decade" Cub catcher. Thanks to all of you who voted! Our next position to vote on is first base! Please keep in mind, votes are based on performances in a Cub uniform starting in the year 2000. Our poll for first basemen in located on the right sidebar of our blog's mainpage. Please vote! Also feel free to comment on this post with your thoughts or email me at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.

In other Cub related news, Cubs manager Lou Piniella will be making an appearance at Redsfest, the Red's version of the Cubs Convention, on Friday December 4th. The fest is a two day event Friday and Saturday. Former Cubs manager Dusty Baker will also be there. Here is the full list of players and staff to appear at Redfest 2009. Reds.com- Piniella will be introduced on the main stage with members of his old team on the Duke Energy Center main stage at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The Cubs Convention will be held at the Hilton Chicago January 15-17!
Here is the rest of the 2009-2010 Offseason MLB Teams Fan Fest Schedule:

• Brewers on Deck: Sunday, January 31 at Midwest Airlines Center, downtown
• Cardinals Winter Warmup 2010: Jan. 16-18
• Mariners Fan Fest: January 30& 31
• Marlins Fanfest: February 13, 2010
• Pirates Fan Fest: January 29-31
• Rangers Fanfest: January 30
• Royals Fanfest: Jan. 15-16
• (White) Sox Fest: Jan. 22-24

But none of them will come close to matching our Convention.

The "All Decade" Cubs

On January 1, we will enter a new decade! So this decade is over for the Chicago Cubs. In the next month and a half leading up to the new year, we will be having polls on our right sidebar asking who is the Cubs top player of the decade at each position. On New Year's Day, we will announce the Everything Cubs Blog "All Decade Team". The first position up for voting is catcher. Here are your nominees:

• Joe Girardi
• Todd Hundley
• Robert Machado
• Damian Miller
• Paul Bako
• Michael Barrett
• Henry Blanco
• Geovany Soto
• Rob Bowen
• Jason Kendall
• Koyie Hill

Please vote only once. Voting will last until next Sunday morning, at which time the poll will be switched to first basemen.

More posts to come...

Some Changes Here at Everything Cubs Blog

For this offseason, we're going to add a few elements to our blog! We will continue to have Cubs posts each and every day all offseason long!

Link List
On the right sidebar of our mainpage, I've added a link list full of all the best Chicago Cubs websites! There are a lot of great sites over there, and I encourage everyone to check them all out! Any other sites you'd like to see there? Just comment or email!

New Poll
We finally have a new poll up! The question: What Cubs prospect are you most excited about?

A) Brett Jackson
B) Starlin Castro
C) Josh Vitters
D) Andrew Cashner
E) Other

Twitter
My Cubs Farm Updates Twitter is now on the sidebar! Remember, the Cubs Farm Updates Twitter always has the latest from Winter Ball in the offseason and the Cubs Farm clubs during the summer.

Share It
You can share my site on your Facebook or Twitter!
Tags
Tags are back on posts! I will be labeling our posts once again!

Radio Recaps
In the offseason, we cover a LOT of radio and TV recaps! I'm sure you've noticed we've started them back up!

Countdown to the Convention
The Countdown to the 2010 Cubs Convention has stared on our homepage! We will have full coverage as we lead up to the Convention!

Schedule
We'll try to stick to this each week as much as possible throughout November and December.

• Sun.: Numbers Breakdowns
• Mon./Fri.: Rumor Roundups, Radio Recaps
• Tues.: Cubs Reviews/Puzzles/Trivia Day
• Wed.: Getting to Know the Cubs
• Thurs.: Cubs in Winter Ball Reports
• Everyday: Rumors, News, and More

Email me with your thoughts at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.

Sandberg introduced to Smokies, New Poll

Ryan Sandberg spoke after being introduced to the Tennesse Smokies. Ryno will manage at AA with the Smokies in 2009. Check out these videos:
Sandberg Introduced
1 on 1 with Ryno
Check out Sandberg in his Peoria Chiefs uni arguing with the umpire
See the Cheifs brawl that happened when Sandberg was at the Hall of Fame inductions.

Thanks to everyone that voted on our last poll. Here are the results:
Where should Milton Bradley bat in the Cubs lineup?
3rd- 43 votes
4th- 23 votes
5th- 7 votes
2nd- 4 votes

Everyone is encouraged to vote on our new poll:
Which Cubs broadcast team do you like the best?
A. Len and Bob
B. Pat and Ron

Feel free to comment with your thoughts as always.
Also, join us for our weekly chat on Wednesday at 7 PM CT.

More Posts to come...