Everything Cubs: David Kaplan

Showing posts with label David Kaplan. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Breaking News: Marshall Traded to Reds

It was the huge news day for the Chicago Cubs. Most notably, left handed reliever Sean Marshall has been traded to the Cincinnati Reds in return for starting pitcher Travis Wood and two minor leaguers. This deal is not yet official, but it is close and pending physicals.

Marshall has been one of the most valuable Cubs for the past few seasons. According to an interesting report from David Kaplan, this is the start of a major rebuilding phase for the Cubs. Although I am upset to see Marshall depart, the deal could make sense for the Cubs since Wood is a young, promising arm who would fill a rotation void. In addition, the deal cannot really be judged until we find out which minor leaguers are coming to Chicago's North Side.

The Cubs also re-signed Reed Johnson to a one year contract today. Johnson will join the outfield mix that already includes David DeJesus, Marlon Byrd and Alfonso Soriano.

The Cubs finalized their minor league coaching staff today as well. Bill Buckner will be a hitting coach for the Class-A Short Season Boise Hawks. Dave Keller returns to the Iowa staff after one year as an assistant to Mike Quade.

Prince Fielder rumors are still floating around. Kaplan tweeted today that the Cubs are not in on Fielder. He also said that they are open to trading everyone except Starlin Castro.

That's it for now, but I'll have much more during the holiday weekend.

Monday, August 15, 2011

More on Zambrano

David Kaplan has been all over the Zambrano situation on his twitter account today. Here's the latest from Kap:

Zambrano hopes to remain a Cub. He wanted to return to the team Saturday but could not because he was suspended.

Carlos says that he did not try to hit Chipper Jones.

He does not think that the punishment is fair.

Zambrano did say that he was thinking about retiring but it was because he was frustrated. The comments were supposed to be private.

He received text messages of support from Sammy Sosa, Marlon Byrd, Jason Giambi, Carlos Pena, Alfonso Soriano and Ozzie Guillen.

Soriano and Zambrano are on good terms despite their confrontation.

Believe it or not, I actually side with Carlos Zambrano on this situation. I do not think that the 30 day suspension was in order. I know that they are sick of thing like this, but he did not do much wrong. He was ejected from the game so technically he did not walk out on his team. He cleaned out his locker but returned his things that night. Z told a clubhouse worker that he was thinking about retiring... does that violate a team rule? The only thing that I think he did that was truly wrong was throw at Jones. I'm not buying his claim this the pitches were not on purpose. I think a 3-5 day team suspension would have made more sense than a trip to the 30-day inactive list. What do you think? Please comment with your thoughts!

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

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

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.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Weekend Quick Hits: Santo Special, Kosuke's Health, The Rotation and More

Here's the latest in the world of Cubs baseball!

WGN-TV will air a Cubs special tonight before the Cubs game against the Rockies. "Ron Santo: In His Own Words" starts at 6:30 CT.

WGN Radio has announced a seven part series of one-hour interviews featuring Cubs players which will air on the network. The hosts of WGN Sports Night, David Kaplan and Brian Noonan, will also host the series, which is called Cubs Corner. The debut on Tuesday, April 26 at noon features Andrew Cashner and Kerry Wood.

Patrick Mooney tweets that the Cubs have not yet decided who will start on Tuesday. James Russell and Jeff Samardzija are possibilities, or the Cubs could decide to call-up Ramon Ortiz or Roberto Coello.

Carrie Muskat reports that Mike Quade is open to bringing a player up from Triple-A to start, but only if they are ready. He wants to talk to his coaches first.

Kosuke Fukudome, who has been out with a right hamstring strain, did some light running and took batting practice last night. He is close to returning to the lineup.

Andrew Cashner has no pain and full range of motion in his right shoulder. Muskat reports that the rehab is going well.

Carlos Zambrano apologized to Mike Quade for leaving the mound too early when he was yanked from a game earlier this week.

Paul Sullivan says that Sean Marshall is not an option for the rotation.

The Tennessee Smokies have placed top pitching prospect Trey McNutt on the disabled list.

Sorry about the formating issues on some of the posts lately. We are trying to resolve that problem. That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Cubs Convention Recap: Meet Cubs Baseball Management

David Kaplan was joined by Mike Quade, Jim Hendry and Randy Bush for the Meet Cubs Baseball Management session last Saturday at the Cubs Convention. It was an interesting one, so here's the recap:

The Matt Garza trade actually started during the Winter Meetings in Orlando. The Cubs were hopeful at the time that they could come to a conclusion within a week.
Fortunately, the Cubs were the lucky recipient of Garza. Hendry said that there was an A.L. team with a better offer, but the Rays didn't want Matt to stay in the American League.
Randy Bush looks at stats and a lot of other factors when he goes scouting. Bush spends a lot of time reading reports from scouts and statistical analysts.
Bush visits each minor league club in the system twice a year. He does most of his scouting within the organization.
Who needs to be protected from the Rule V Draft is a big decision at the end of each season.
Mike Quade gave credit to Zambrano for his job down the stretch. The entire group in the clubhouse was familiar with Quade, so it made it easier for him once he took over.
He was fairly demanding once he took over. Q told the young guys that they "aren't young anymore."
The veterans have to carry a team late in the season. The kids played better once Mike took over, and the veterans did their job.
When Kap asked if this was Hendry's most challenging offseason, Jim said that you don't look at one being more challenging than another.
Matt Garza was "kind of a dream" for the Cubs going into the winter.
The situation with Kerry Wood is not only a great feel good story, but it helps the team.
Hendry said that it makes it easier to make a deal with a team if he has a good relationship with that club's GM.
The Cubs plan on mixing and matching at the top of the order since they don't have a prototypical lead-off man.
Jeff Baker did a great job against left handed pitching, but he doesn't have great speed. If there is a lefty on the hill, there is a chance Baker will hit first.
Bush said that Oneri Fleita stresses the importance of playing the game the right way at the minor league level.
A lot of time when people don't think Soriano is giving a full effort, he is actually trying to play through injuries.
Jim Hendry still thinks Sori is capable of hitting 30 home runs, plus he is a great guy in the clubhouse. Jim still sees him as a productive player.
Quade and Larry Rothschild are very good friends. The Cubs will miss him and wish him well.
Hendry also thinks the world of Larry. He was wanted by the Yankees and the move was the right move for him.
He has stayed with the Cubs in the past when he could have made money elsewhere. Jim wanted Larry to be able to do what he wanted to do.
It remains to be seen whether the Cubs will be able to fill the holes at first, second and third from within the system. Josh Vitters is a corner infielder very high on the radar who figured some things out offensively last season.
Hendry was thrilled that Greg Maddux wanted to return to the Cubs. He doesn't want to be a full time guy yet. He enjoyed his first year and was involved in a few more things with Randy and Jim this winter.
Garza throws seven days a week from January first on.
Quade is concerned by high pitch counts, especially early in the season.
Kap called the concern with pitch count "nonsense."
Mike "has no idea" whether or not Garza will be his number one starter. As far as Q is concerned, whoever is pitching for him on a given day is the ace.
He is not a fan of having his middle of the order guys lay down bunts.
Quade is going to look at it as if Zambrano's problems never happened. That is his philosophy with everyone. The things that go south you deal with along the way.
Jose Cera gets credit for signing Starlin Castro out of the Dominican Republic.
Castro has done a great job handling all of the challenges along the way. He has a lot of work left to do and he has to improve defensively, but the Cubs are very proud of him.
The fans are going to get a quality effort from the Cubs everyday and he is not going to be happy if there are players not hustling.
The Cubs are going to find ways to score runs and win close games.
There are discussions that the commissioners office is having about realignment. The Cubs have thought about the fact that there is one division in baseball with six teams and there is another division with only four teams.
The mentality of football is a lot different from baseball. Each manager handles things in different ways, Quade is not interested in calling guys out publicly.
There is a very good likelihood that Andrew Cashner will end up in the rotation.
Mike also mentioned Randy Wells, Carlos Silva, Casey Coleman and the now traded Tom Gorzelanny as guys competing for spots in the rotation.
The guys competing for the rotation could end up helping the bullpen depth.
Hendry thinks that Koyie Hill is well worth $850,000. He does a great job with the pitching staff and defensively. Hill is very good with some of the younger pitchers.
Especially in the National League, the bench is very important. Quade thinks that having an experienced guy like Hill coming off the bench will be very helpful over the 162 game season.
Quade expects Carlos to handle himself well. If he explodes once in a while, that will be okay. The Cubs do not plan on having Greg Maddux be an emotional coach for Z.
When asked how they deal with players not taking days off when they are injured, Jim said that the Cubs have a great trainer in Mark O'Neal who is on top of the medical situation.
Hendry likes having guys on the team who wanted to play through little injuries, such and Derrek Lee.
If there is a guy who goes into a tailspin, Quade will certainly try to get them out of the lineup.
When asked about Pujols, Jim said that he cannot comment on other team's players. The Cubs are very happy to have Pena.
Mike loves Theriot to death, but he takes what he says with a grain of salt. The Cubs do not need any extra motivation to beat the St. Louis Cardinals. Quade might have some things that Ryan said in the back of his mind, and hopefully they can "make him pay."
Jim is not bothered by the development of rumors through facebook, twitter, radio and blogs. He does not like the fact that his players names get tossed around for trade rumors that are untrue.
He thinks that blogs hurt the quality of good journalists sometimes.
The goal for the Chicago Cubs is to win the division and then go from there. That is what they expect to do. "It's that simple," Q said.
The day games are part of what makes the organization special, the Cubs need to make sure that they use it as an advantage instead of a disadvantage.
The Cubs won more home games in the three year period from 2007-2009 than any other team in the league. They played great at home all summer during 2008.

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

Monday, January 17, 2011

Ryan Theriot on WGN Sports Night

Ryan Theriot spent about a year as a weekly guest on the weeknight show on WGN-720 when he was a Cub. Tonight, the St. Louis shortstop was back on the air with Kap & Noonan. The former Cubs fan favorite has made some negative comments about the organization since his move to the other side of the Cubs/Cards rivalry. Here are the highlights:

Kaplan introduced the interview by saying that he decided to get Theriot on when Koyie Hill and Mike Quade took shots at him this weekend.
Ryan said the he talked to Koyie last night and today. He said that you take all that with a grain of salt.
"It was more like a 'Do you feel like your on the right side of the rivalry?' question."
Since he is a Cardinal now, there was only one answer he could give.
Ryan said that it wasn't his choice. He wanted to spend the rest of his career in Chicago, but there are things that he cannot control.
During the 162 game grind, a player sometimes loses focus on winning a World Series.
"A blind man can see the success that the Cardinals have had in the past."
Theriot is extremely excited about the rivalry. When he was in Chicago, he was on the right side of the rivalry. Now that he is in St. Louis, he is on the right side of the rivalry.
St. Louis is not as big of a city as Theriot thought it was.
Ryan has talked to Tony LaRussa quite a bit. They've had lot of talks about baseball and life. Theriot has been fortunate to play under some great managers like Lou, Dusty, Torre and Tony.
The Cardinals had their Fan Fest this past weekend as well.
HoHoKam Stadium was like a second home for him. It will be a different experience going down to Florida, but there are a lot more places to catch a fish down there.
Kaplan went on a random rant about how fishing is not really a sport.
The thing that Theriot will look forward to about coming back to the city of Chicago is the food.

That's it for now!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Matt Garza on WGN Sports Night

The newest member of the Chicago Cubs joined Kap and Koz on WGN Radio earlier tonight:

Matt Garza was really excited when he found out he would become to be a Cub.
Wrigley Field is a historical ballpark where he's always wanted to pitch.
Garza hopes to be a "productive out" at the plate.
Matt doesn't think he will be a savior of any sort for the Cubs. He is just going to come in and follow the lead of Dempster and Zambrano.
He prides himself on throwing strikes.
Garza thinks that the pressure of the 102 years thing comes with the territory. He sees it as a big advantage. The game is still the same wherever you go.
He has been in the gym since the last week of October and he started throwing this week.
He throws six days a week from January 1 on.
Garza describes his workouts as "intense" and shows up for Spring Training ready to go.
Matt thinks that his confidence in himself is his greatest attribute as a pitcher.
"If you care about something as much as I do, yeah you're going to get emotional. I don't think about it as emotion I think about it as passion. I love what I do."
Garza loves this game "so much". It is what he thinks about night and day.
Koz thinks this emotion will help this team. "You have to be to be great," he said.
Matt has a lot of respect for guys who are as cold as ice. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are examples.
He loves going to the ballpark everyday. It is a wonderful way to make a living.
Garza likes to have a good time doing what he loves doing.
Pitching in front of these great fans and packed houses will give him a whole lot of energy. Fans are like the 26th man on the roster. They make the players want to play harder.
In Tampa Bay, the Rays had to win to get people in the seats.
"The Cubs are very good and very deep. We added a Gold Glove first baseman in Carlos Pena," he said. "We have a great club."
Another year of Big Z's second half will be tremendous.
Matt is open to anything contract ways, but his job is to take care of things inside the white lines.
According to Kaplan, Garza will be at the Cubs Convention.

Kevin Goldstein was also on the show:

He said that the Cubs gave up quantity but not quality.
They did not part with a top tier minor league, but there are a lot of guys with potential that they sent packing.
If you asked 20 scouts who they like better out of Chris Archer and Trey McNutt, ten guys would go each way.
Goldstein went back and forth and eventually decided to rank McNutt ahead of Archer.
Matt Garza is a solid number three starter who looks like a number two some games, but a number four during others.
An overlooked aspect of this deal is the fact that the Cubs get Garza for three years.

In case you missed it, be sure to check out the post from earlier about the Cubs picking up a new catcher. That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Quick Hits Before the Holidays: Searching for Pat's Partner, Kap's New Show, The Cubs Convention & More

Here's the latest Cubs news and notes:

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says that the field for the Cubs radio analyst is wide open. Former Cubs are preferred but others will be considered.
The search for Pat's new partner will be a joint effort between the radio station and the Cubs.
Lou Piniella has no plans of going back into broadcasting. Another guy unlikely to take over for Santo is ex-Cubs broadcaster Steve Stone, who is now with the White Sox.
Click here for a breakdown of candidates and be sure to vote on our new poll on the right sidebar.
Pat Hughes' input will be considered but he will not have the final say. The station is hoping to have a decision by the Cubs Convention next month.
Speaking of the Cubs Convention, a partial list of attendees has already been released. Kerry Wood will make his return while Carlos Pena is welcomed to the Cubs.
Mike Quade will be there for his first Convention as the skipper and Aramis Ramirez is scheduled to make his first visit to the midwinter gathering.
Other guys expected to return include Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Marmol, Starlin Castro, Tyler Colvin and Marlon Byrd.
Chris Archer, Jay Jackson, DJ LeMahieu and Chris Carpenter will all attend and take part in the minor league session on Sunday.
The 2011 Cubs Caravan luncheon is set for Jan. 12. Mike Quade, Andrew Cashner, Koyie Hill, Sean Marshall, Randy Wells and James Russell will all be at the luncheon, which is emceed by Len Kasper.
WGN Radio's weeknight sports show will return to the airwaves tonight. Sports Central received the boot last April, but now David Kaplan returns with "Sports Night" when the Hawks and Cubs don't play. The show will be three full hours (7:00-10:00 CT).
Len Kasper will be one of the rotating cast of co-hosts, a group which also includes Glen Kozlowski, David Haugh, Brian Noonan, Dave Eanet and Phil Rogers. The show will focus on the Hawks, Cubs and Northwestern since they all play their games on WGN-720. Jim Hendry and Mike Quade will be frequent guests on the program.
The Cubs signed former Astros farmhand Polin Trinidad, a left handed pitcher.
The team is still looking for pitching. They are still in the mix for Brandon Webb and Matt Garza.
Pat Hughes was given a five year contract extension by WGN Radio through 2015.
David Kaplan recently inked a new contract with Comcast Sports Net that includes hosting duties on the Cubs pre- and postgame shows.

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

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Breaking News: Kerry Wood Returns to the Cubs

Update 4:55 PM CT It's official. Right hander Kerry Wood has agreed to a 1 year, $1.5 million deal to come back to the Cubs. Chris De Luca's tweet was the first to announce the official word. More on Woody's return later!

There were rumors going around the web last night that Kerry Wood was close to signing with the White Sox, but those turned out to be false. Now, it looks like Woody is going have an encore stint with the Cubs!

David Kaplan was the first to report this story and it has since been confirmed by Carrie Muskat and Ken Rosenthal. It look like it will be a one-year deal. I will update this post as soon as more information becomes available.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Zambrano to the Bullpen

Well that was the most surprising Cubs news I've heard in a long time. According to the Chicago Tribune the Cubs have decided to move Carlos Zambrano into a setup role. How often do you see the Opening Day starter moved to the bullpen before the end of April?

To me, this move makes sense. Zambrano needs to get going and the Cubs need an 8th inning man. The match could work out perfectly. Big Z is handling it okay, but he seems to be under the impression that this move in temporary, while Lou Piniella says that the Cubs are looking for stability.

Ted Lilly will return to the rotation on Saturday to take Zambrano's place. Another roster move will have to be made in order to make room for Teddy. (Vote on the right sidebar for which reliever you think will be sent down!)

Bruce Levine is reporting that the Cubs have scouted Braden Looper, who's currently a free agent. David Kaplan says that they could be looking to make an even bigger move, but he mentioned tonight on Cubs' Tenth Inning on WGN Radio that "not many deals are made in April."

After Lou told the media that Zambrano would be used in the eighth, the Cubs went out an snapped a four game losing skid with a big win over the Mets. Alfonso Soriano has a great game. Perhaps better things are on the way!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

1-31 Radio & TV Recaps

First of all, Xavier Nady has now officially signed with the Cubs. Also, I've updated my Cubs early roster predictions.

Now, let's catch up on some TV and radio recaps relating to the Cubs.

Former Cubs outfielder Reed Johnson joined David Kaplan and company on Chicago Tribune Live on Tuesday after the Cubs signed Xavier Nady:

Reed thinks the "door is pretty much closed" on his return to Chicago.
He has nothing but respect for the organization and the city. There's nothing but good things to say about his experience with the Cubs.
Johnson says that he's only gone on the DL twice because of his back in the last 3 years. In both those situations, he only took 15 days off. He does not see his back as an issue.
He would still like to work his way back to Chicago in some way.
Reed says that you pay your agent to take the responsibility of finding a team off you. Johnson is not doing anything differently than he would if he were signed with a team.
The 2009 locker room chemistry was different. Part of that was the slow start and injuries. Winning cures all problems as far as chemistry is concerned.

After the injury, Dave Van Dyck says that he likes the move to sign Nady, but only if he recovers from his injury. Xavier brings a lot more pop to the bench then Reed would bring. Kap thinks that Nady could end up being the starting left fielder if Soriano doesn't play well. Van Dyck thinks that the Cubs are paying Soriano too much to sit him on the bench. The two Daves argued as to whether or not Nady will end up taking Sori's job.

On Wednesday, Andre Dawson joined CTL on CSN:

The Hawk was not nervous before the decision as to what cap he should wear.
The delay in the decision was that his preparation was against what the Hall decided.
He respects the decision by the HOF, but he is obviously disappointed that he is not going in as a Cub.
The cap issue was not the determining factor, but it was the Cub fans. Dawson thinks that had he retired as a Cub, it would be a no brainer, he would be wearing a Cub hat.
Andre thinks that the Cubs fans are the ones who really embraced him, and Chicago was where his career really became a HOF career.
Dawson doesn't think the cap decision will affect whether or not his number will be retired by the Cubs.
The Hawk plans to do enough with his speech to make a point, but he wants to do it with class.

Jim Hendry talked about Xavier Nady on CSN:

When you have a chance to get a guy like this, Jim doesn't think you worry about who's going to be playing where.
A great doctor did the surgery, and Xavier's bat is expected to be ready to go to start the season.

Cubs TV broadcaster Len Kasper joined the Danny Mac show on 670 the Score on Thursday to talk Cubs:

The Cubs discussed movie scenes and music first.
Dan and Matt played a clip from Len singing at the annual Len and Bob Bash.
Kasper confirmed that Nady prefers his first name to be pronounced eX-avier, not Zavier.
Kasper likes the idea of platooning Nady and Kosuke. Len expects platoons in right field and second base this season.
Nady and Tracy are very similar, because they will help backup the corner spots in the outfield and infield.
If Ramirez or Soriano go down, the Cubs will have a backup plan.
Len mentioned that Starlin Castro could be major league ready at some point during the 2010 season. We could see Theriot moving to second base if Castro comes up.
Kasper expects better years out of Fontenot and Soto, and if Jeff Baker can play like he did last year he will be a good piece.
Dan and Matt don't think the Cubs have had a good winter.
Len thinks that the Cardinals are still the team to beat. They are basically the same team as last year.
He doesn't think that it will take 97 to win this division, but if you can get up to 90 or 92 you could find yourself in the playoffs. The way baseball is built, you just have to find a way to get into the postseason, and you have a chance.

Earlier this month Ryan Dempster joined Boers and Bernstein:

Demp has started a great foundation to help Di George Syndrome, which is the disease his daughter has.
Riley cannot swallow, but the Dempsters are working on raising money and awareness.
It's tough to watch a child go through what Riley is going through, but at the same thing it's amazing to see how strong the children are.
Next the guys moved on to baseball. Boers and Bernstein wanted to revisit the Milton Bradley situation. Dempster thinks that a guy like Milton takes away from concentrating on baseball because you have to answer questions and issues that don't pertain to the game.
Ryan wished Bradley nothing but the best in Seattle.
The guys had a hard time understand how a guy like Milton really effects the team on the field. Dempster's answer was that it doesn't. Ryan thinks that as an individual you have to be prepared to help your team as much as you can on a daily basis. The lack of positivity from guys in the clubhouse was what they really bothered Ryan.
Dempster thought that 2007 and 2008 were such great years in the clubhouse that anything else in '09 would be a disappointment.
"You just have to go out there and try to have fun everyday."
Ryan picks up a paper every once in awhile, but he's not a guy who's glued to his computer all winter reading baseball rumors. He likes to see moments like Andre Dawson being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
He pointed out that the Cubs have a lot of the same players that they had in 2008, which he described as one of the best season's he's ever been a part of. The Cubs have lost some guys, but they gained some key people too.
Soriano, Soto, and others have worked hard this offseason.
Ryan never had the temptation to do steroids when he was on the way back from his injuries. "There's no substitute for hard work," he said.

Dave Van Dyck was with Mully and Hanley on 670 the Score last week:

Van Dyck went from the Cubs to Cardinals to White Sox fan fests in the past few weeks.
He thinks the White Sox fans are a little less rabid than the St. Louis and North Side fans.
Dave says you get a little negativity and questioning from fans. At the Chicago fan fests fans ask questions, but at Cardinals' Winter Warm-Up most sessions have just the guests and the host talking.
This was before the Xavier Nady signing, so the guys asked Dave who he would like A) Nady B) Gomes C) Dye. After joking about "D" non of the above, and saying that Reed Johnson he'd rather have Reed Johnson instead of Dye, Van Dyck says that Gomes would be fine.
You'd like to get a pretty good player because all 3 of the Cubs' outfielders could go in slumps.

That's it for now!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Friday Quick Hits: Time for the Convention, CTL Recaps, and More

The Cubs Convention starts tonight at 5:30 with the Opening Ceremonies!

Cubs manager Lou Piniella chatted with the media on the Cubs Caravan on Wednesday.
Paul Sullivan takes a look at some of the highlights on the schedule this weekend for the Cubs Convention.
Sullivan reports that it appears the Cubs are leaning towards moving to Florida for Spring Training.
Check out the Cubs Convention timeline!
Cub sources are telling Bruce Miles that the Spring Training decision could come early as today.
The Cubs could announce the retirement of #8 for Andre Dawson at the convention, or they could announce that he will go in to the Hall as a Cub, or both, but most likely neither.
Miles also writes that the Cubs remain interested in Reed Johnson and Jermaine Dye. However, Dye would have to take a large pay cut to come to the Cubs.
Jeff Samardzija worked on his secondary pitches in winter ball in Mexico.
Bob Nightengale tweets that it appears the Cubs will leave Mesa for Naples.
Cubs play-by-play man Pat Hughes was named the Illinois Sportscaster of the Year 2009. It was the eight time he's received the Sportscaster of the Year honor, and his 5th in the state of Illinois. Pat is entering his 15th season on WGN Radio with Ron Santo.
Randy Wells is pumped that Greg Maddux is returning to the organization according to Cubs.com.
Ben Sheets will throw for four teams next week. The Cubs are expected to be one of the four.
Ken Davidoff tweets that the Cubs are 1 of 5 teams interested in Jose Contreras.

Len Kasper was on Chicago Tribune Live with David Kaplan on Tuesday:

The top of the rotation is good with Dempster and Zambrano.
Kasper would like to think that Randy Wells will avoid the sophomore slump.
Anything you get from Carlos Silva is gravy.
Ben Sheets is intriguing and one of the best in the league if he's healthy.
The Lilly injury is a little troubling.
Kasper thinks Marlon Byrd will be fine. Defensively he's good in center, his bat is fine, and by all accounts he's a great guy in the clubhouse.
The theme for this team going into Spring Training is guys needing bounce back years. Len listed Soto, Soriano, and Ramirez as guys that need to come back strong.
Hendry may not have that much money left to spend, but there's still a lot of guys out there looking for work that you may be able to sign for cheap.
Starlin Castro may be on the way, and that would allow the Cubs to move Theriot to short.
Ben Sheets is "very smart pitcher" with a "bulldog mentality".
Sheets doesn't have the long history of arm trouble like Harden has.

Koyie Hill chatted with the guys on CTL on Wednesday:

Hill expects the Cubs fans to be there for them win, lose, or draw.
The guys are looking forward to Spring Training.
Adding Greg Maddux to the team will help everyone, not just pitchers.
"There's so much information you can get from anyone with that much experience," Hill said of Greg.
The only thing that Koyie thinks was disappointing about the 2009 season was the health of the team.
The strength of the Cubs is still their starting pitching.
Koyie called the Cubs' staff "a treat to work with".
Going on the Cubs Caravan is a treat for the players. The players get inspired by the people at the hospitals, schools, and Boys and Girls clubs.

Ryan Theriot was Thursday's guest on the program:

Theriot is very excited to get to Spring Training.
Ryan enjoys coaching kids in the batting cage.
He is excited about bringing Rudy Jaramillo and Marlon Byrd into the Cubs' clubhouse.
Last year the Cubs had a great club, and things would have been different had they stayed healthy.
Taking one guy away and adding one guy can make a big difference.
Theriot thinks Ben Sheets would be a great add to the clubhouse. Ryan would welcome Ben with open arms.
The Matt Holiday signing surprised Ryan.
Chris Carpenter is tough to face for a hitter.
Kaplan thinks the biggest mistake in the 2008 playoffs was not getting Ted Lilly a start.
Ryan is comfortable playing second base. If Castro comes up to the big leagues, Theriot would be willing to move.
Theriot played left field during the Cubs 2007 Opening Day game.
Last year on the first day of Spring Training, a bunch of guys were eating some food at a table together in the clubhouse, but Milton Bradley chose to eat in the corner by himself. From that point forward, the Cubs knew Bradley was a bit of a loner.
"It wasn't a great fit for either side," Ryan said of Milton.
Theriot thinks that Jeff Samardzija has a big time arm, Marshall is consistent, and Gorzelanny did a good job last year. That mix should be enough for the back end of the starting 5.
Phil Rogers points out that Ted Lilly could be one of those guys that's most appreciated when he's gone.
Lilly has played through injuries that nobody knew about. The players appreciate when I guy gives everything he has.
When asked who the Cubs team leader was, Ryan didn't hesitate in answering "D-Lee."
Theriot called Lee a silent force, and says he takes the term "lead by example" to another level.
Knowing that he will be the lead-off man going into Spring Training will change his approach this spring.
Leading off fits Ryan a little better.
Theriot likes to just "go". He has a problem conserving enegery.
The Cubs team has the ability to steal bases.
Ryan thinks this could be a big break out year for Mike Fontenot.

Frankie O. from Harry Caray's restaurant came on the show and listed 5 reasons the Cubs will win the World Series:

5. Ricketts family ownership
4. Mark McGwire's admission
3. Harry Caray's Restaurant
2. No More Milton
1. Because Next Year is Here

Time for me to head out to the Hilton for this weekend's Cubs Convention! I'll have my laptop with me, so I'll be blogging from the Convention throughout the weekend. Email at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com if you have any questions or comments!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Tuesday Roundup: Maddux, Cubs Spring Training, Another Live Q&A, the Cubs Convention, and More

Countdown to the Cubs Convention... 3 Days!
The Unofficial Opening Day is just a few days away! I've been posting countdown posts for the last 20 days here on this blog, a finally the big weekend is almost here! Follow the up to the second countdown on the right sidebar!

Yesterday, the Cubs Convention full sessions schedule was posted on Cubs.com. Here is the list of events:

Friday, January 15 (All times Central)

5:00-5:30 pm: Opening Ceremonies
6:-6:45: Autograph Treasure Hunt
7-8:30: Cubs BINGO!
7-9: WGN Radio's Sports Central Live

Saturday, January 16

9-10 a.m.: Meet the Owners
9:30-10:30: Baseball Longevity
10-11: Meet Cubs Baseball Management
10-4pm: Chicago Cubs Photo Experience
10:30-11:30: 25 Yeares- A Celebration of the Cubs & Cubs Fans
11-Noon: Call to the 'Pen
11:30-12:30pm: Think You Know These Guys?
Noon-1:00: Leaders of the Pack
12:30-1:30: Vineline- Covering the Cubs for 25 years
1-2: Major League Days
1:30-2:30: Meet Cubs Business Management
2-3: Lief on the Big Screen
2:30-3:30: Lou Piniella: My Life in Baseball, Continued
3-4: Cubs Jeopardy!
3:30-4:30: Baseball in the Dominican
4-5: For Kids Only Press Conference
8-Midnight: Rock 'n' Roll Revue

Sunday, January 17

9-10am: The Essence of Being a Cub
9am-Noon: Chicago Cubs Photo Experience
10:30am-11:30: Down on the Farm Presented by Vine Line

Greg Maddux back with Cubs

Former Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux will return to his first club, the Cubbies, to serve as an assistant to GM Jim Hendry. Maddux will assist the Major and Minor League coaching staffs in Spring Training, help the development of Minor League pitchers during the regular season, and aid Hendry in talent evaluation. According to Cubs.com, he "doesn't have aspirations to manage or be a pitching coach right now" and this job will "allow him to spend quality time with his family".

Cubs Looking at Sheets

According to the report from Carrie Muskat, the Cubs will be among the teams watching Ben Sheets, but his contract demands do not appear to fit into their budget. The Cubs are more focused on finding a veteran right-handed reliever than another starter. Paul Sullivan says that Sheets would like to pitch for the Cubs.

Will Dawson's Number be Retired?

Fred Mitchell of the Tribune reports that Andre Dawson's number will be retired by the Cubs if goes in to the Hall of Fame with a Cub cap on. The Hall still has not made their decision as to whether Dawson will be sporting a Cub cap or an Expos cap when he is enshrined. In my opinion, either his play in Chicago was good enough to get his number retired or it wasn't. The fact that Dawson may where go in as an Expo, the team he got his start with and played for the longest, should be a nonfactor in the decision.

Cubs Spring Training Update

Yesterday, I hosted a Q&A with Nick Gandy of the Florida Sports Foundation right here on this blog. We discussed the possible move of Cubs Spring Training to Naples, Florida. The Naples people seem to think a decision will be made during the month of January. One of the most interesting things Gandy pointed out is that 16 of the last 19 World Series winning teams have trained is Florida. In the end, winning a World Series in the top priority.

Carrie Muskat provided us with some more details on Florida's proposal to the Cubs:

The facility will be leased and maintained by the Cubs under a 20 to 30 year contract.
It will consist of a 15,000 seat stadium, practice fields, Major and Minor League clubhouses and the Cubs baseball operations headquarters.
No county sales tax or ad valorem tax is proposed to fund this project.
Outside of Spring Training, this complex will host adult and Little League softball tournaments, concerts, art festivals, and special events.

In the mean time, Arizona cannot afford to lose the Cubs according to the Arizona Republic.

Bruce Levine Chat Recap

Today, Bruce Levine on ESPN Chicago chatted Cubs and White Sox in his weekly session on ESPNChicago.com. Here's the recap of all the Cubs info that we learned from Bruce:

Greg Maddux has not interest in becoming a pitching coach. However, after a few years in his new role, be may become a manager.
Angel Guzman will most likely be traded to either bring back an outfielder or another setup man!
"Don't think for a minute what (Greg Maddux) says won't have impact on the major and minor league levels," Levine said.
Bruce thinks that there's only about a 10% chance of the Cubs inking Ben Sheets.
We will get an update on how Ted Lilly is progressing at the Cubs Convention.
The decision to lock up Derrek Lee for a few more years will be an ownership question, not a Jim Hendry question.
The Cubs liked Ryan Church is the past, but he had a few down years.
The addition of Marlon Byrd makes the Cubs defense "a heck of a lot better".
Levine is a big fan of Jermaine Dye, a former White Sox outfielder, but he doesn't see where he would fit on the Cubs defensively because there is no DH in the NL.
The Cubs don't feel that Jeff Samardzija is a bullpen guy. He will be given a good shot to be a starting pitcher in Spring Training.
If everything works out, Ted Lilly could joined the rotation the second or third week of April.
The Rockies want a bullpen arm back for Ryan Spillborghs.
The Cubbies are "keeping their fingers crossed" that Alfonso Soriano will bounce back.
The impact of Matt Holiday will be felt when the Cubs meet the Cardinals this year.
It appears that the lead off man is going to be Kosuke and Theriot at this point.
Aramis Ramirez, who is one of only 3 Cubs that will not be at the Convention, is working hard on conditioning strengthening.
Neal Cotts was going to be offered a minor league deal by the Cubs, but at this point in his career he'd have a better chance making the Pirates out of Spring Training.
Koyie Hill proved himself last season. He is the Cubs' backup catcher without a doubt going into 2010.
Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee, and Ted Lilly are all free agents after 2010.
Not too many teams are interested in Orlando Hudson at this point.
Levine would prefer to spend money on a guy like John Smoltz or Jon Garland than Sheets.
A Cub source told Bruce that they have no interest in Felipe Lopez. "Keep in mind the Cubs will end up with 3 second baseman when Castro becomes the starting SS."
If Lilly, Soriano, and Soto all do well, Bruce thinks the Cubs will be a 90-win team.

Owners' Meetings

In addition to the Cubs Caravan and Convention, this week is also the owners meetings in Phoenix. For the first time ever, all 30 GMs are at these meetings, which could be like a mini-Winter Meetings. Levine closed his chat with this nugget, "When you get them (the GMs) together for 24 or 36 hours, things are liable to happen."

Andy Masur Q&A

Tomorrow, I will be hosting another live Question and Answer session right here on this blog! This will be the second live chat this week! Andy Masur, former Cubs broadcaster with WGN Radio and current Padre voice, will join us to talk baseball, broadcasting, the Padres, and the Cubs. The Q&A will start at about 12:30 PM Central Time. If you have a question for Andy, you can join us live at 12:30 and submit to question, or you can send it to me at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com, or leave a comment on this post.

Maddux on CTL

The newest member of the Cubs front office, Greg Maddux, joined David Kaplan and company on Chicago Tribune Live yesterday:

It feels great for Greg to get back into the game.
Chicago is a great city and a great organization. Wrigley Field is the best place in baseball to go.
Maddux plans to help in any way he can with the organization and learn about what the front office side of baseball is like.
If he can pass on his experience to the younger players, hopefully it will make them better baseball players.
Young players have to understand that there is more to the game than just locating your fastball and changing speeds. They need to learn to field, get bunts down, and improve on their pitch selection.
Right now Maddux wants to be able to get back into the game very slowly. He has two kids that he still wants to be able to spend a lot of time with.
"If the guy was skinnier in the on deck circle, you realized you had to talk your chances with him," Greg said of pitching in the steroid era.

Other Notes

New Iowa Cubs manager and former Cub great Ryne Sandberg met with the media yesterday and was introduced as the new I-Cubs skipper.
In some sad news, the brother of Cubs pitcher Angel Guzman was shot to death Venezuelan yesterday. Everything Cubs Blog send our condolences to Angel and his family.
Cubs pitchers and catchers will report for their first workout on Thursday, February 18, and the first full squad workout will be Tuesday, February 23.
The Cubs will make an official announcement with all the non-roster invitee names by the end of the month.
The Cubs Spring Training broadcast schedule should also be released soon.
The Cubs Caravan is Wednesday and Thursday. I'll have a post or two up about that event during that time.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted! Don't forget, a Q&A with Andy Masur will be tomorrow at 12:30 PM CT.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Countdown to the Cubs Convention: 7 Days

The Cubs Convention is a week from today!

Today let's finish up the Sports Central guests schedule from past years first. We started this earlier this week.

Len Kasper poses to Carlos Zambrano (who can be seen to the right) at the '09 session that discussed Z's no-no. The picture is so-so at best, but the session was one of the best.

2006 (with Kap & Waddle):

7:00-7:30: Ryan Dempster, Scott Eyre, Michael Barrett, and Mark Prior

7:30-8:00: Jim Hendry and Dusty Baker

8:00-8:30: Ron Santo, Pat Hughes, and Glenn Beckert

8:30-9:00- Juan Pierre and Derrek Lee

2005 Convention Segment (with Kap &Waddle)

7:00-7:30: Dusty Baker and Jim Hendry

7:30-8:00: Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and Matt Clement

8:00-8:30: Todd Hollandsworth, Derrek Lee, Todd Walker, and Michael Barrett

8:30-9:00: Glenn Beckert, Randy Hundley, and Ron Santo

You can find many years of the Sports Central at the Cubs Convention Segment on Sports Central audio archives. I would expect Kap to be joined by Hendry and Piniella for the first half hour, Cubs players from 7:30-8:30, and then Pat & Ron for the final segment. I would really recommend this session, but there's also a lot of great stuff on Friday night and you basically have to pick. I'll have a full Friday rundown posted possibility sometime this weekend.

Speaking of WGN Radio, Kathy and Judy, the former morning host on 720, host a very popular "Not for Women Only" segment every year. It's one of the silliest sessions, but always good for a laugh. Since last year's Convention, Kathy & Judy have left WGN Radio, so I'm not sure if they'll have this session at all this year and if so who will host it.

Should be getting some more info sometime this weekend as far as the schedule of events and list of attendees.

Friday, January 1, 2010

More Byrd Reaction

Here the latest after the Cubs signing Marlon Byrd to a 3 year $15 million deal yesterday:

Marlon Byrd has a good relationship with former Cub Milton Bradley calling him "a great guy".
Byrd told the Chicago Sun-Times that the Chicago was a place he really wanted to go.
According to Phil Rogers, Byrd is a fit with the Cubs, but he does make a right handed lineup even more right handed.
The Chicago Tribune's poll tells us that 60% of voters are happy with the this signing.
Carrie Muskat reports that Byrd's decision to sign with the Cubs was influenced by the fact that his hitting coach with Texas Rudy Jaramillo is now in Chicago.
Keith Law of ESPN.com doesn't like the Byrd signing, saying that it was the latest in the series of outfield mistakes for Jim Hendry.
Dave Cameron described Marlon as an average player.

Steve Stone joined Kaplan, Van Dyck, & Rogers to talk about the move yesterday on Chicago Tribune Live:

Stone thinks he's a very solid center fielder.
Byrd had a pretty good year last year offensively with Texas.
Steve doesn't think he will bring speed or power, but he is a good guy and a solid player.
The only problem with Marlon is that he is another right handed bat in a lineup loaded with right handed bats.
If your team's real good, you can still win with only one left handed bat in the lineup (Kosuke).
The Cubs "are in pretty good shape" to compete in the NL Central next year.
If Matt Holiday stays in St. Louis, they could give the Cubs a problem next year.
The money is not there for the Cubs to go out and get that left handed difference maker.

Next up, Cubs GM Jim Hendry joined the guys on CTL:

Hendry said Marlon is a great teammate and a terrific guy in the clubhouse.
Rudy has talked to Lou, Randy, and Jim since the first day Jaramillo was signed to try to get them to go after Byrd.
Jim will leave it up to Lou where to bat Byrd in the lineup.
There wasn't really a "big bat" center fielder available. The Cubs expect Marlon's numbers to be consistent.
Lou is very happy that the Cubs got Byrd.
The Cubs may still be a different club when they get to camp than they are today.
Brett Jackson is a "fast track" guy and the Cubs are confident he is going to get to the big leagues.
The Cubs brought Ty Colvin up sooner than they planned due to the injuries. James Adducci has a chance to be a good player as well.
Jim says the Cubs have good outfielder coming, but they are not worried about 3 years down the road yet.
Now that the center field thing is taken care of the Cubs will regroup.
The Cubs would certainly like to add a bullpen arm.
There are still a lot of good players out there, and Jim thinks they will still be there in a couple weeks.
Hendry is still looking at someone who can hit off the bench and maybe help in the outfield against left handed pitching.
The Cubs feel they got their defense a lot better by moving Kosuke to right field and plugging Byrd into center.

Dave Van Dyck pointed out that the Cubs have tried 6 different guys to replace Sammy Sosa in the outfielder since Slammin' Sammy left after the 2004 season. He listed Jeremy Burnitz, Jacque Jones, Cliff Floyd, Kosuke, Milton Bradley, and Marlon Byrd. Rogers wonders what the Cubs have gotten out of the system with Byrd in center, Soriano in left, and Kosuke in right.

Paul Sullivan was on 670 the Score with Hub Arkush and Barry Rozner:

Sully doesn't see this as a bad deal at all.
It's hard to imagine the Cubs going in to the season with all these right handed bats in the lineup.
Paul, Hub, and Barry made fun of the fact that Byrd said Chicago was where he wanted to go all along.
Byrd does hit right handed pitching well.
We've seen the Texas thing "too many times".
Barry is a little nervous that Byrd was released by Washington before coming to Texas. He is unsure if Marlon can hit outside of Texas.
Sullivan hopes that Byrd will turn out kind of like bringing DeRosa in from the Rangers.
If Lou is going to keep Soriano 6th, Byrd could hit 5th.
Right now, Theriot would be the lead off guy according to Paul, followed in the lineup by Fukudome, Lee, and Ramirez. So 5th or 6th is the "likely spot" for Marlon.
The Cubs have a place down in the Dominican where Aramis and Alfonso are already working out.
Surgery was not necessary for Aramis Ramirez.
The Cubs do keep track of there players workouts by sending guys around to world in the offseason.
Barry is surprised the Aramis didn't have surgery. Sully says Ramirez didn't want to get the surgery, he just wanted to rehab his arm. Rozner "guarantees" that the shoulder will dislocated again since it was not surgically repaired.
Sullivan called the Marlon Byrd signing an OK move. He thinks Mike Cameron would have been a better fit.

Other Cub notes:

Jim Hendry fully expects Carlos Zambrano to return next season.
Carrie Muskat says "Will new ownership make a difference" is the number 1 question going into 2010.
Carrie lists her favorite 10 Cub games of the decade.
She posted on her blog that she sees the Opening Day lineup looking like this: Fukudome, Theriot, Lee, Ramirez, Byrd, Soriano, Soto, Fontenot. It's interested how Stone, Sullivan, and Muskat all think Byrd will be hitting fifth, I expected him lower in the order.
Bruce Levine says Marlon will hit between 5th and 7th.
The Chicago Tribune took a look at the best Chicago games of the decade.

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

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Theriot on SC, Hall of Fame Votes, and More

Ryan Theriot was on Sports Central Monday for his weekly visit with David Kaplan:

Theriot has been at the batting cage since 3:00.
His kids have PCS (post-Christmas syndrome).
Houston likes trains, Pirates, guns, and swards so his Christmas was great.
Ryan finally got a washer and dryer for his house.
Theriot got his wife a painting studio for Christmas.
Neither Kaplan or Theriot are very good at art. David Kaplan got an F in art in 7th grade. That was the only class Kap ever failed.
Ryan also failed one class, and economics class is college. The teacher he had didn't like athletes at all.
The Riot got good grades in college (except the economics class).
Ryan thinks Mark DeRosa is worth more than 2 years $12 million, but Kaplan says "not in this economy. Theriot would still like to have DeRo back.
He will come up to Chicago a few days before the Cubs Convention.
Theriot has been working out with his wife.
He got a new riffle for Christmas. Kap doesn't like hunting. David has never fired a gun in his life, and has never gone hunting.
Theriot likes to shoot targets and hunt animals. He mainly hunts ducks and deer.
He thinks the riffle is a cool gun to have even though he will probably never shoot an animal with it.
Ryan likes being among nature and breathing the fresh air. He calls it a stress reliever.
Two nights ago was the last craw fish night.
Last night was the Theriot's 7 year anniversary. He and his wife dropped the kids' and Grandma's and went out for a nice night.
The guys discussed whether or not a grizzly bear could outrun a horse. I'm not sure how that fits on "Sport Central" or on "Everything Cubs blog".
Theriot sounded surprised when Kap said Jose Contreras.
Paul Sullivan hasen't cut his hair since the Cubs last game. The Riot and Kap want Sully to do an extreme makeover at the Cubs Convention. Theriot is a fan of Sullivan's glasses.

Speaking of Sully, he was on Chicago Tribune Live and briefly discussed the Cubs:

The Cubs didn't want DeRosa back. They didn't even look at him.
Mark got about what he was worth.
If Paul was the GM of the Cubs, he would consider signing DeRo once again.
The Cubs are looking to move Theriot to second base eventually, and if you sign DeRosa to a 2 year deal, it means you're keeping Mark at second and keeping Castro in the minors for the next two years.
Sullivan said Jeff Baker paid really well as a Cub.
Guys like DeRosa and Henry Blanco were "glue guys" for the '08 Cubs (they held everything together).
The Cubs didn't want to bring Mark back, because when you bring guys back it's never the same as the first time. They did it with Fergie and Holtzman, and it just wasn't the same.
The players the guys got in the DeRosa deal last year were talked about. Mark Carmen (who was also on CTL) wasn't too excited about the 3 minor league pitchers, calling them average. Sullivan says John Gaub looks pretty good, but he's unsure about Jeff Stevens.

Hall of Fame: If You Voted for Dawson, Please Stand Up?

Next Wednesdays is the day we find out whether or not Cub great Andre Dawson is going to be inducted into Cooperstown next July. Dawson need to be in, there's no doubt. Former Cub closer Lee Smith and current Cub bench coach Alan Trammell are also on the ballot. Cubs beat writer (and friend of this blog) Bruce Miles has revealed the 9 guys that he voted for. Miles voted for Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven, Dawson, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Jack Morris, Tim Raines, Smith, and Trammell. As of December 4, Carrie Muskat had already checked Andre Dawson. White Sox beat Writer Mark Gonzales is voting for "The Hawk" as well as Barry Larkin, Bert Blyleven, and Roberto Alomar. Teddy Greenstein has a check mark next to the names of Dawosn, Alomar, Blyleven, Dawosn, Mattingly, and Smith. Philip Hersh is giving Alomar, Blyleven, Dawson, Larkin, Martinez, Mattingly, Morris, Smith, and Trammell his vote. Fred Mitchell is voting for Alomar, Blyleven, Dawson, Larkin, McGriff, Morris, Raines, and Smith. Phil Rogers checked the following names: Alomar, Baines, Blyleven, Dawson, Morris, Raines, and Trammell. Cub beat writer Paul Sullivan will vote for Alomar, Baines, Dawson, Raines, and Smith. Dave Van Dyck is only voting for 3 guys, but "The Hawk" and Smith are both in that elite group, along with Roberto Alomar. So far we have 9 votes for Andre Dawson, and no writes who left the box next to Dawson's name unchecked. Gordon Wittenmyer for the Sun-Times says Dawson is on his ballot, which brings us up to ten votes. Jon Heyman tweeted that he too voted for Dawson. Ken Rosethal voted for Hawk, Lee, and Alan.

We could go on and on a possible even find out if Dawson made it or not by looking at all of the BBWAA voting member blogs and twitters. However, there's over a hundred. Let's just wait 8 more days to find out. I'll have a numbers breakdown up about Dawson over the weekend. The announcement is made a week from tomorrow (Jan. 6) at 1:00 PM CT on MLB.com & MLB Network.

Len & Bob Bash

Tickets for this year's Len & Bob Bash are on Sale! Click here for more.

Minor League Update

Cubs prospect Robinson Chirinos was mentioned in the list of best minor league games of the year for his 2 grand slam game on May 31.

Cub Plays of the Year

Check out the videos of the top Cubs plays of 2009, and then vote on your favorite on Cubs.com!! I like Reed's catch and Piniella's craftiness. It's fun to remember that there were some good moments this past season!

Rumor Updates

The acquisition of Jose Contreras is unlikely according to Chicago Breaking Sports.com, because Carlos Silva will fill the role of spot starter/bullpen man. Contreras should get better offers from teams that are looking for starters. Brining back popular Reed Johnson could be a better option that trading for Ryan Spillborghs. Troy Renck of the Denver Post talked to a major league source who downplayed the Cubs' interest in Spillborghs. Troy's "gut tells him that the Rockies' asking price will be too high to get a deal done."

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted with just 2 days left of 2009...

Saturday, December 19, 2009

More Trade Reaction

Be sure to check out our recap of today's "Talkin' Baseball" on ESPN Radio 1000.
Jim Hendry talked about the trade
Paul Sullivan took a look at Bradley's rocky moments with the Cubs.
The Cubs can move on to other problems, but according to Phil Rodgers it appears the budget won't allow the Cubs to make a big move.
Aroldis Chapman is still drawing interest from the Cubs.
Carlos Silva is expected to compete for the 5th starter's job or work in long relief according to Gordon Wittenmyer.
Milton Bradley has said that he "has no interest in speaking about Chicago."
Bruce Miles' story focused a lot on Bradley's teleconference.
According to M's writer Greg Johns, the people in Seattle a very happy with the trade to dump Carlos Silva and add Milton.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Cubs Roundup: Capps, Cameron, Santo, and More

Breaking News: Mike Cameron has agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox. Scratch him off the Cubs shopping list.

Capps Wants to Close
We heard yesterday that the Cubs were interested in non-tendered reliever Matt Capps. Capps was a closer with the Pirates, and according to MASNsports.com "the opportunity to close" is going to be a major factor in Matt's decision as to who to sign with. Capps has 8 or 9 teams outside of the Cubs interested in his services.

Cameron Update
Do to focusing on the Milton Bradley situation, the Cubs may have lost out on another one of their outfielder targets. Mike Cameron, who the Cubs have been interested all winter, is in "serious talks" with the Boston Red Sox. Jerry Crasnik says that they have made "significant progress" towards a 2 year deal.

Santo Returns to Cubs Radio
Cubs legend and should-be Hall of Famer Ron Santo will be back in the Cubs radio booth for the next 3 years. Today he signed a new deal that lasts through 2012. Ronny and his partner Pat Hughes have been a fixture on Cubs radio since 1995. Pat is signed through 2010 and is expected to return after that. The contract allows for Ronny to take certain road trips off due to his health conditions. Santo is looking forward to the Cubs Convention in January.

Naples Update
Naples, Florida is still trying to sell it's pitch to get Cubs Spring Training. Their new effort is to get the Collier County community involved. Muskat has said that an announcement is expected next month. The Cubs may still be leaning towards Mesa, but Phil Rodgers seems to think that the Cubs are going to announce that they will spend future springs in Mesa.

Cubs Luncheon
The Chicago Cubs will host their third annual Cubs Caravan luncheon on January 13 at Harry Caray's restaurant in downtown Chicago. The luncheon gives fans to get a chance to get to know the Cubs. The space is limited to 120 guests. Lou Piniella will headline the event. The rest of the list of people that will be on the Caravan has not yet been released. There will be more stops on the week long Caravan, including several more events open to the public. I will let you know as soon as I hear anything more about the Caravan.

Fossum to Japan
Casey Fossum, a left handed pitcher who spent time in the Cubs' organization this season, has signed a one year $600,000 contract to play for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan next season. Fossum is 40-53 with a 5.45 ERA in his big league career. He had signed with the Cubs this season after opting out of a contract with the Yankees. Fossum went 6-3 with a 3.88 ERA for AAA Iowa in 12 games this year.

Notes from Carrie Muskat's Inbox

The Cubs will head into Spring Training with 8 pitchers for 5 spots: Michael Parisi, Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija, and Tom Gorzelanny.
Carrie thinks that drafting Parisi in the Rule 5 Draft helped give them more insurance for the rotation with Lilly injured.
The Cubs new more about Harden's health than any other team, so they decided to let him go.
Muskat listed Rick Ankiel, Marlon Byrd, Mike Cameron, and Scott Podsednik as possible additions to the Cub outfield.
Ryan Theriot is the leading candidate for the lead-off job.
The easier travel in AZ could be key factor in the Spring Training decision.
Thomas Diamond will get an invite to Spring Training.
Chris Robinson isn't quite ready for the big leagues, so the Cubs weren't worried about losing him in the Rule 5 Draft.

Pat Hughes on WGN Radio with David Kaplan

It's season number 15 for Pat and Ron coming up next year.
Pat's first interview on WGN was with Kap 15 years ago.
Hughes can't believe it's been 14 years.
Ronny and Cub fans everywhere always believe that next season will be a special year. Pat "doesn't think there's any other way to approach it".
The Cubs have been a good team for the better part of the decade, so that gives the Cubs' fans reason to believe.
2009 was not a disaster, it was a winning season. It was disappointing because they did not win the division, but with all the things that went wrong it was really not that bad of a year.
Pat hopes, thinks, and feels that this will be a solid team again.
A lot can happen between now and Opening Day, but he doesn't think the Cardinals are going to be as strong next season.
Hughes has a lot of fun with his Baseball Voices CDs. He was surprised that a lot of people enjoyed the CDs. They make a good holiday gift: www.baseballvoices.com is the website. There are 2 new ones: Milo Hamilton and Dave Niehaus.
There is so much time to fill on the baseball broadcast, that you have a chance to have some fun. Pat says that separates broadcasting baseball from other sports.
Hughes doesn't take for granted working with some great announcers over his career.

A few more notes from Sports Central:

When asked about Starlin Castro, Kaplan said that there are no untouchable prospects in the Cubs organization, end of story. David doesn't see any room in the budget to add a starting pitcher. The Cubs have not contacted Mark DeRosa this offseason. Castro could be there to play short stop in late 2010, early 2011.

Ron Santo on Chicago Tribune Live with Kaplan

Santo's doing very well. Life is good, and it's always nice for him to go out and spend the winter in Arizona with his family after a tough season.
Ron thinks that the whole Bradley thing never worked because "Bradley never made it work". He was very surprised in Milton's year.
Ronny feels that if the Cubs win this coming year, Lou will stay on. Piniella loves Chicago, the Cubs, the fans, and he's a winner.
If it wasn't for Lou, Ronny doesn't think the Cubs would have ended up in second place.
Whoever plays for Piniella moves it up a notch.
Santo hopes the Cubs stay in Arizona because the travel is so much easier. Players like to go where the cities are closer together.

Kaplan doesn't see any way the Cubs move to Florida. He would be stunned if they moved. David Schuster from 670 the Score says that he wouldn't be stunned, because "money makes the world go around, and if they feel they can make more money in Florida, that's where they'll go." If the Ricketts have a personal preference from Florida, that could sway it.

Pat Hughes joined the guys on CTL next:

Hughes says "anything is possible" and the decision will come down to where the better deal is (on Cubs' Spring Training).
Pat joked about Ron saying that his wife bought him a "sit-up chair". Pat asked, "Would you please explain to me what that is?"
When asked about the Ricketts, he said, "I just hope he likes the radio broadcasts." Then added that Tom seems like a very nice man who has a great passion for the Cubs with his strong Chicago roots.
Pat doesn't see Milton Bradley with the Cubs in 2010 in almost any scenario.
Hughes talked more about his Baseball Voices series. He is offering free shipping on all orders, and there are a total of 8 CDs on www.baseballvoices.com.
Mike Cameron seems like a leader, has some power, and is a very good defensive player.

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

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Sullivan & Theriot with Kaplan

Updated at 8:47 with info from MLB Network

David Kaplan and Paul Sullivan talked Cubs on Chicago Tribune Live today:

Cubs GM Jim Hendry was surprised by the lack of moves at the meetings.
Hendry talked to a lot of teams, but those teams felt like they were close to making deals with other teams.
Jim thinks the Cubs will "make a deal or two" before the holidays. (There's 15 days 'till Christmas)
Sully says that Milton will be gone by Christmas.
In the end, Paul says, he'll end up with Tampa Bay because it's the best fit.
If the Cubs can, they will try to flip Burrell to some other team. However, Sully says the Cubs should make the deal, then worry about Burrell later.
Kap says that one of the teams Roy Halladay would go to would be the Cubs. However, Sullivan says that there's a 99% chance that Roy will not become a Cub because they lack the flexibility payroll wise.
If it comes to that, they'll eat all Bradley's money.
Paul says that the Cubs are still leaning towards Arizona for Spring Training. Florida is going all out for the Cubs, and in the end the ball club will have to good choices.

Kap was joined by Ryan Theriot on Sports Central tonight for their weekly segment:

David Kaplan told Cubs fans to "relax" on Sports Central. There's still plenty of time left to improve their roster before Opening Day.
He reiterated that there's no chance Bradley will still be on the Cubs next season.
Kap got about 30 emails today with people upset that Bradley's not gone yet. Cubs fans should relax, Bradley will be gone.
Theriot thinks Jim knows what he's doing. Hendry has everything under control, and he's going to do what's right with the team.
Ryan thinks that this offseason should not be evaluated until the All Star Break.
He predicted that everyone on the team will have a better season next year.
Dave and Ryan agree that the Cubs need another starter.
Theriot says Lilly is not the type of guy who will take his time to get back. Ted played through injuries that nobody even knew about last year.
Theriot's started his Christmas shopping for his children. This year, he is getting tons of cool pirate stuff for his son. Ryan is trying to get more presents that cost less. His middle child likes the princess stuff.
He gave his dog, Little Girl, back.

Yesterday on MLB Network's Hot Stove, Matt Yallof talked with Andre Dawson, then the guys discussed whether The Hawk should be in the The Hall.

The Hawk's nick name stared when he was 8 or 9 years old. It was give to him by an uncle.
Dawson doesn't really get nervous or excited about the Hall of Fame voting anymore. He doesn't want to set himself up for disappointment, and it's something he can't control.
He likes to "sit back and roll with the punches".
The Hawk was told he was lucky if he played 4 years, so he had pride in his longevity.
After the interview, Ken Rosenthal says he has voted for Dawson and will continue to do so.
The rap against Andre is that he had a low on base percentage.
Dawson's job was to swing the bat, and that's what he did.
Ken says, "The man is a Hall of Famer."
Dan Plesac says that when you go back to the 70s and 80s, the two most feared hitters in all of baseball were Dave Winfield and Andre Dawson.

Other Updates

Rosenthal said that the question about the Bradley trade is when? not if? The main possibilty is still Tampa, but once this trade happens the Cubs offseason can begin.
When Bradley took a shot at the Cubs' fans, that was the final nail in his coffin. Dan would be shocked if he's still a member of the Cubs in Spring Training.
No matter what, his salary has to be off the books for the Cubs to move on with their winter.
Gordon Wittenmyer tweeted tonight that a Cubs source told him that the Bradley deal could get done in the next day or two. He notes that he was told the same thing 2 days ago.
Jayson Stark says Bradley could still end up in Tampa, with Texas, Seattle, and Boston all out.
Bruce Levine notes that the Cubs bench is vacant after trading Aaron Miles and Jake Fox to Oakland. The bench currently consists of Andres Blanco, Micah Hoffpauir, Mike Fontenot, Jeff Baker, and Koyie Hill. Of that group, only Baker and Hill are "locks" to make the Cubs Opening Day roster.
The Cubs will offer contracts to all of their players before Saturday's roster deadline, except Neal Cotts, who will be offered a minor league contract.

If I hear anything else, I'll update this post. There will still be two more posts tonight, so stay tuned.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Friday Roundup: Hendry on Sports Central, Crane Meets Media, Trade Reaction, and More

Post Trade Talk

Yesterday the Cubs sent Jake Fox and Aaron Miles to Oakland for Jeff Gray and 2 prospects.
Gray has been added to the Cubs 40 man roster, which now stands at 37.
Jim Hendry "feels good about the two or three things the Cubs have done since the season ended.
The Cubs head into the Winter Meetings still looking to tweak the bullpen according to Cubs.com.
The Cubs like Jeff Gray's arm strength. Hendry compared him to Angel Guzman. Gray will compete for a spot in the bullpen in Mesa.
Milton Bradley's contract is the next order of business. Van Dyck says that it will most likely be addressed at next week's winter meetings in Indianapolis.
"Aaron will be better served going elsewhere after a very, very tough year for him," Jim said. Also, Fox will fit better on an AL team, where he can DH.
Oakland took on $1.7 of the $2.7 million owed to Miles.
Starlin Castro was not a factor in the trade.

HOF Ballot

Bruce Miles has received his Hall of Fame ballot, he will seriously consider voting for the following:

Robby Alomar
Barry Larkin
Bert Blyleven
Andre Dawson
Jack Morris
Mark McGwire
Tim Raines
Lee Smith
Alan Trammell

Carrie Muksat's ballot is in as well. She has already checked Andre Dawson.

Levine talks to Hendry

Hendry is still looking to trade Bradley.
The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets are the top teams interested in Bradley.
3-4 teams could be involved in the deal for Milton.
Luis Castillo and Pat Burrell are still being tossed around.
The Cubs are looking for a left handed hitting center fielder and right handed platoon outfielder like Reed Johnson.
The Cubs will seek guys like Marlon Byrd, Rick Ankiel, Mike Cameron, and Coco Crisp.
J.J. Putz and Ben Sheets our options for the Cubbies.

Rehab Updates

Cubs athletic trainer Mark O'Neal told Carrie Muskat that Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramiez, and Geovany Soto are sticking to their rehab routines and are making progress. Ted Lilly will be re-examined after Jan. 1, then start a rehab program is all goes well.

Off the Field Updates

Crane Kenney addressed some Cubs topics at Wrigley Field today.

Don't expect a dramatic increase in ticket prices in 2010.
The Cubs will have 700 new season tickets next year. There are about 120,000 people on the waiting list right now.
The Cubs should have an announcement in January about whether they will keep their Spring Training in Arizona or move to Florida. Naples has become "a very viable option".
There is currently some work being done to upgrade Wrigley.
The Cubs are going to get the "triangle building" project going.
An ice rink in the parking lot west of Wrigley is being built. It will open this winter.
All Good news!!

Hendry with Kap

Cubs GM Jim Hendry joined David Kaplan on Sports Central to preview the Winter Meetings and talk Cubs baseball!:

Hendry doesn't think it matters where the Winter Meetings are held.
There are always scout or affiliate dinners at night.
Having it in Vegas last year didn't really make sense, because Jim like to stay at the hotel the whole week.
The Cubs are going to have 25-30 employees at the Meetings.
There is a big meeting room next to the hotel room that Jim is staying in, and each guy from the organization will get an assignment as to what team to meet with.
It's an action packed 4-5 days.
Jim likes the meetings. "It's a fun time and a chance to get a lot done."
Tom Ricketts has a lot of faith in him.
The Cubs don't need a lot of different players to be much better next season.
They are looking to make 2-3 good moves in the next couple months.
Hendry would like to get a couple things done before the end of next week.
Jim thinks trades are better for the game of baseball than free agent signings. He hopes that trades pick up in the next few weeks.
Tom has been very friendly. The family have a lot on their plate right now on the business side.
The top thing on the Cubs wish list is to be a little more creative instead of going out and buying a free agent. This winter is going to be more of an add here, subtract there type of thing.
There is still a chance Reed Johnson returns. Jim loves Reed, and had nothing but good things to say about him.
The Cubs would like to add some more depth to the bullpen. A veteran presence will help a young 'pen. Re-signing Grabow was a key move.
"Who wouldn't want him," Jim said of Roy Halladay.

Miles Chat

Yesterday I chatted with Bruce Miles right here on this blog! In case you missed it, here's a recap of what he had to say:

Bruce started his offseason with a vacation to Europe. Now he's getting ready for Indy.
He expects the Milton Bradley trade to be done next week if the money issues can be worked out. There is no scenario where Bradley will be back with the Cubs right now.
Texas or Tampa Bay seem like the best bets right now.
The Cubs would love to move Kosuke to right field.
Sam Fuld will compete in Spring Training, but probably not for the starter's job.
In these days, there really is no offseason for any sport. You have to block out your vacation time and comp time and take it, according to Miles.
Marlon Byrd and Mike Cameron are options the Cubs will explore.
The Cubs will wait for the non-tender deadline to see if they can pick up a bargain or two.
As far as the Rule 5 Draft, the Cubs protected everybody that they felt they needed to so they won't feel stung if they lose a player. It's hard to tell what players are at-risk of being lost by the Cubs.
Miles likes Alan Trammel a lot as a possibility to take over as Cub manager in 2010 if Piniella retires.
Bruce likes having a family own the team. It will be a welcome change.

Piniella at Redsfest

Lou Piniella was at the kick-off of the annual Redsfest this evening. What was he doing at a division rivals fan fest? Piniella was the manager of the 1990 World Champion Cincinnati Reds. This is the 20th anniversary of the team, and many of the members of that club have gathered at Duke Enegery Center this weekend.

"20 years, that's a long time isn't it. It almost seems like yesterday. It's seeing the player that got it done. Unfortunately, not all of them are here, but those that are, they bring back some pleasant memories. What a great group of young men. They were dedicated, talented, and got the job done." Lou told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

"I'll tell you what, I enjoyed my 3 years in Cincinnati. Nice people, great fans. I didn't realize how big baseball is in Cincinnati until I got here," he added. Lou received a personal invite from owner/CEO Bob Castellini. The first night of the Redsfest was full of fun, similar to the Cubs Convention. Players signed autographs, there was wiffleball, kids could play video games, there was a rock climbing wall, and much more.

Oh and Dusty was there too...

"There's a lot of excitement," said manager Dusty Baker. "This is the most buzz I've seen in the city for a long time. From being in California in the winter, I've been watching the Bengals, UC football and basketball -- the town is buzzing and winning. I've been there before in Los Angeles and the Bay Area when we all won -- college and pro sports. I feel it happening. It's been coming. We're getting better."

Other Tidbits

The Tigers appear unlikely to sent Granderson to the Cubs, according to one source (mlive.com)
Be sure to check out the Dawon for the Hall Twitter Blitz. I'll have more on this next week.
Henry Blanco has signed with the Mets.
The Braves have signed Takashi Saito, whom we heard earlier this week that the Cubs were interested in.
Baseball America ranks the Cubs farm system 18th.

It's been a busy week on the Cubs front...

much more to come this weekend as we get ready for the winter meetings, which start Monday in Indy.