A Look At Hendry's Best Moves with the Cubs

Yesterday Jim Hendry's time with the Cubs came to an end. Today, let's take a look back at five of the best moves that he made during his time as the general manager.

5. Signing Ted Lilly From Hospital Bed... December 2006
One of Jim's most famous signings occurred when he finished up a deal with Ted Lilly from his hospital bed during the winter meetings prior to the 2006 season. Not only did the fact that Hendry was in the hospital make this interesting, but it turned out to be a great move. Lilly was a Bulldog who was the most consistent Cubs starter during his four year, $40 million deal.

4. Scrap Heap Pick-ups
Hendry's ability to take a change on guys like Reed Johnson and Jim Edmonds helped propel the Cubs to back-to-back division titles. There were other solid signings that flew under the radar (not necessarily scrap heap pick-ups) such as Mark DeRosa, Marlon Byrd and Michael Barrett.

3. Trading Todd Hundley to Dodgers... December 2002
Many Cubs fans may not even remember this deal... but there is no doubt that it helped set up the Cubs success during the 2003 season. Hendry worked out a deal involving three big contracts that sent Todd Hundley to the Dodgers for Mark Grudzielanek and Eric Karros. Both Grudzie and Karros played key roles in '03.

2. Adding Derrek Lee in a Swap with Florida... November 2003
Mike Nannini and Hee-Seop Choi were sent to the Marlins for Derrek Lee, who became a fan favorite on the North Side of Chicago. D-Lee had a few great seasons and many good seasons in Cubbe Blue. Choi never panned out.

1. Acquiring Ramirez & Lofton from Pittsburgh... July 2003
There is not much debate about who won this trade. Hendry shipped Matt Bruback (who?), Jose Hernandez and a PTBNL (Bobby Hill) to the Pirates for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez. Lofton took over for the injured Corey Patterson in centerfield and in the lead-off spot. Rami helped the Cubs to the postseason in '03 and again in '07 and '08.

Up next, we'll have Hendry's 5 worst moves in his time as GM.

Post Trade Deadline Quick Hits

Major League Baseball's trading deadline has passed. The Cubs were not as active as most of us hoped they would be. Click here for my assessment as well as the take of all the other writers on View From the Bleachers. Feel free to jump in with your take in the comments on this post and be sure to vote on our poll about the Kosuke trade on the right sidebar.

During the month of August teams can still trade players that first clear waivers. A year ago, the Cubs were active during the waiver season dealing both Mike Fontenot and Derrek Lee. Will Jim Hendry make a move during the month of August again in 2011? That and more trade deadline follow up in today's quick hits.

• Carrie Muskat reports that Hendry is not bother by the lack of moves at the deadline. He also said that August could be a busy month for him.


• Bruce Miles also chimed in on the possibility of moves in August.


• Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors took a look at why the Cubs didn't trade Carlos Pena.


• Aramis Ramirez will sit out tonight's game against the Pirates with a quad issue. He's day-to-day.


• Derrek Lee will be making his Buccos debut against the Cubs, the same team that he made his Braves debut against.


• Andrew Cashner threw off a mound again today and felt good. The target is an early September return, but he hopes to be back in three weeks.


• Paul Sullivan tweeted yesterday that Pena was happy he wasn't traded. Sully also said that Tyler Colvin will not get another shot at first base for the Cubs.

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

Notes from Day 2 at the Winter Meetings

It's the second day of the 2010 MLB Winter Meetings in Florida. Although rumors and news surrounding the team itself will take a backburner this week because of the passing of Ron Santo, let's get caught up on what has happened at the meetings.

• Yesterday the Cubs named Mark Riggins their pitching coach. Riggins previously served as the Cubs minor league pitching coordinator and spent many years in the Cardinals organization. He spent two years on the Cards big league staff under Joe Torre in the '90s.
• Tennessee Smokies pitching coach Dennis Lewellyn will be promoted to fill the roving role that was held by Riggins in 2010.
• CBS Sports reports that the Cubs are targeting Adam LaRoche.
• Bruce Miles doubts their interest in LaRoche.
• Jon Heyman thinks that the Cubs would like to add Carlos Pena to fill their first base opening.
• Jerry Crasnik of ESPN tweeted today that Brandon Webb's representatives were to meet with the Cubs this afternoon. Webb has been connected to the Cubs over the past week or two.
• The Arizona Diamond Backs have interest in inking Xavier Nady.
• The White Sox signed a pair of former Cubs in Daryle Ward and Jeff Gray. Both men were given minor league deals.
• Thanks to BCB for this one- the Pittsburgh Post Gazette says that the Cubs are shopping Tom Gorzelanny. With Casey Coleman, Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Silva, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells all in the rotation mix as well, this reports may be accurate.
• Ken Rosenthal has connected Kerry Wood to the White Sox, but it doesn't sound like that will happen.
• The Orioles will be in on Derrek Lee.
• Speaking of former Cubs, Kevin Gregg and Rich Harden both have offers on the table. Rich could come back as a reliever.
• Bruce Levine says that Kosuke is back on the trade block, but only if Hendry knows he can get another left handed bat to take his place.

I'll update with any other news that breaks tonight.

A Look at Derrek Lee's Cubs Career

Derrek Lee is a Cub that we'll never forget. He will be missed badly by all of the fans and everyone in the organization. Always a class act, always willing to talk to the meeting, always signing autographs, always has a smile on his face, always a joy to watch play the game... let's take a look at Lee's time with the Cubs.

October 2003
Lee, a member of the Florida Marlins, played a series that he talked about in his meeting with the media after the trade. He'll never forget the intensity and the fun of that set, especially the games at Wrigley. Even though the first baseman only his .188 in that set, Jim Hendry and the Cubs saw something they liked.

November 25, 2003
D-Lee was traded to the Cubs in a deal that sent Hee-Seop Choi and Mike Nannini to Florida.

April 5, 2004
The Cubs new first baseman goes 0-for-3 but does walk and score a run on Opening Day in Cincinnati. The Cubs won the game 7-4.

April 7, 2004
Derrek's first hit as a Cub is his first home run as a Cub. However, his solo blast was the only Cubs run in a 3-1 loss to the Reds.

July 12, 2005
D-Lee, a first time All-Star, is the clean-up hitter and first baseman for the National League. He goes 1-for-3 with a double but the American League wins the game at Comerica Park 7-5.

October 2, 2005
Lee goes 0-for-4 on the final day of the regular season, but his batting average is still a robust .335, good enough for the NL batting title.

November 2005
His great season is honored as Lee finishes third in MVP voting, wins the NL Silver Slugger at first base, and wins the NL Gold Glove at first.

March 2006
Lee was named to team USA for the World Baseball Classic. He hit a home run in the inaugural event. He was the first player ever to go deep for team USA in the WBC.

April 10, 2006
After 2005 NL batting champ signed a five-year $65 million extension with the Cubs.

April 20, 2006
Lee broke his wrist on a collision with Dodgers base runner Rafael Furcal. He missed 59 games due to the injury, which continued to irk him over the next few years.

May 19, 2007
The Cubs first baseman continued his great year with a pinch hit grand slam in the eighth inning of a game against the White Sox. The slam put the Cubs ahead and they went on to win it 11-6.

June 16, 2007
The usually calm and professional Derrek Lee threw a punch at Padres pitcher Chris Young after being hit in the head. The blow started a bench clearing brawl and resulted in Lee's ejection for the game. Derrek and Chris both ended up suspended five games.

July 10, 2007
D-Lee was a reserve for the National League All-Star team, his second appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic. He went 1-for-2 with an RBI off the bench in a 5-4 AL victory.

October 2007
Derrek's bat is hot in his first postseason series as a Cub. He went 4-for-13 in the three game set with the D'backs, but it was not enough as the Cubs suffered a sweep.

July 2, 2009
Lee crushed a 3-run homer and a grand slam in the same game for a total of 7 RBIs as the Cubs pummel the Brew Crew 9-5.

June 9, 2010
Lee launched his 300th career home run in a game against the Brewers.

August 18, 2010
The Cubs two time All-Star approves a deal and waives his no trade clause to go to the Atlanta Braves. The Cubs get three minor league pitchers and save some cash in the deal, but they lose their seven year team leader, who is a free agent at the end of the season.

The Braves are at Wrigley to start a three game series tomorrow!

Good luck in Atlanta D-Lee.

Breaking News: Cubs Close to Sending D-Lee to Atlanta

Update 4:50 CT- The trade has been finalized. Derrek Lee has been sent to the Atlanta Braves. In return the Cubs get RHP Robinson Lopez, RHP Tyrelle Harris, and LHP Jeffrey Lorick. Lee will be available for Friday's game at Wrigley Field between the Braves and Cubs and is expected to make his Braves debut against his former team this weekend.

Update 12:40 CT- Bob Nightengale tweets that the deal will be finalized this afternoon.

The Cubs are close making a waiver trade that would send Derrek Lee to Atlanta. David Kaplan, who broke the news on his blog this morning, reports that Lee will waive his no trade rights and approve this trade because the Braves are a playoff contender that would give him a chance for another World Series ring.

The trade was first talked about on Sunday night when Jim Hendry was contacted by the Braves GM after Chipper Jones went down with a knee injury. The deal is not finalized yet, partly because of the bulging disc in Lee's back which has had him out since Sunday.

Atlanta wants to make sure that Derrek is healthy before they add his contract. The Cubs are not expected to get much talent back in return for their first baseman, but they will get some salary relief.

I'll update with more information as soon as it's available!

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

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

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

St. Louis Weekend Recap

I was unable to post this weekend because a very busy schedule during my trip to St. Louis. For this post, let's go in a little bit of a different direction and recap my time in the Gateway City.

On Friday afternoon, I arrived at my hotel "The Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark". The room had an amazing view of beautiful Busch Stadium from the window. The park was great... but there's nothing that can match Wrigley.

Next I walked across the street to the stadium and took a look at all of the statues of Cardinals legends. At 5:15, the gates opened and folks starting flooding into the park. Cardinals batting practice was about half way through and many of the Cubs were starting to get warmed up. At about 5:40, the Cubs starting taking some BP. During this session I ended up with a souvenir on a ball tossed into the crowd by Jeff Baker and an autograph from Tom Gorzelanny.

The seats were very good, great view from the second level. The game was not as good, as the Cubs scored twice in the first but then the bats went silent in the loss. Derrek Lee did blast a solo home run.

The next morning I got up and headed over to see the Saint Louis Arch. Because of the line, I opted not to go up into the arch but still got some great pictures.

D-Lee stayed hot with another dinger on Saturday. Aramis Ramirez also went deep and Carlos Marmol held on for a 3-2 W! Prior to Saturday's 3:15 contest, I arrived early once again in order to watch BP when the gates opened at about 1:15. Many of the Cubs chatted with fans and signed autographs, including Starlin Castro whose signature I nabbed just minutes before game time.

After the Cubs/Cards battle on Saturday, I walked down the street to the Edward Jones Dome where the Rams were opening up their preseason. They fell to the Vikings 28-7 but it was thrilling to see the pro debut of Sam Bradford. The dome, which was very nice, had a decent sized crowd that showed up with hopes of a better year for their team.

I did not catch the Sunday game, but I tuned in on the radio on the way home as the Lee homered twice and the Cubs took the series.

Series Preview: Cubs VS Cardinals

St. Louis here I come! I'll be blogging live from Gateway City all weekend as I take in the games on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

The Cubs are trying to get things together. They are in the middle of a tough stretch of 20 games in 20 days, while the Cardinals are enjoying a stretch of three off days in an eight day span. The Cubbies lost three of four in San Francisco but played well in all four games. The bats are showing signs off life, but in the end a lineup of mostly subs couldn't get the job done against the Wild Card leaders.

They were without their starting first baseman & manager due to family problems, their catcher and third baseman due to injuries, and their second baseman and reserve infielder due to trades. On top of that, Alfonso Soriano and Marlon Byrd both received a day off in the series. Their bullpen includes five rookies. What about their two best starting pitchers in the first half? One disabled, one traded. It's no wonder the Cubs lost that series.

The Cubs have seen a ton of prospects get the chance to get some big league experience lately. Three position players alone were called up from Iowa during the set with the Giants. Darwin Barney made his big league debut at second base on Thursday but did not come to the plate. Welington Castillo made his debut on Wednesday night and doubled in his first big league at-bat. Micah Hoffpauir went 0-for-6 with an error in one start and one pinch hit AB in the series. Micah could be sent down today when Derrek Lee is activated off of the bereavement list.

D-Lee is expected to rejoin the team. Keep the fan favorite first baseman in your thoughts as his grandfather is very ill. Lou Piniella will also return to the dugout tonight after leaving to be with his ailing mother. Bench coach Alan Trammell managed the last four games and is now 1-6 on the year when he takes over for Lou.

While the Cubs will be with their manager, the Cardinals will be without theirs. Tony LaRussa was suspended by Major League Baseball for his involvement in a bench clearing brawl in a game between the Cards and Reds earlier in the week. LaRussa will start his suspension tonight and then return for the series finale on Sunday. Bench coach Joe Pettini is expected to be at the helm in place of the suspended skipper.

While the Cubs are 17 games out of first and falling fast, this is a very important series for the St. Louis ballclub. They swept the Reds this week and hold a one game lead over Cincinnati for the top spot in the NL Central. The Reds, who will also be without manager Dusty Baker because of the brawl, will take on the Marlins this weekend.

The Red Birds come in at 64-49, while the Cubs hold a record of 48-67. The pair of old rivals will see a lot of each other down the stretch. They play a three game series at Busch Stadium Sept. 13-16, and then the Cards come to Wrigley September 24-26. That series will conclude the Cubs final homestand of the season.

The Cardinals are one of the only team in the division that the Cubs do not have a record under .500 against... but their mark against the Cards is at .500 at 3-3. They dropped two of three at home May 28-30, but then the Cubs won the set July 23-25. This is the first trip the Cubs have made all season to Busch Stadium.

Aramis Ramirez could be back in the lineup tonight. He injured his left side on Monday when he dove for a ball and missed the end of the Giants series with soreness. The Cubs are starting to get some guys back in there, but another waive of guys from Triple-A is still expected.

Game 1: Friday at 7:15 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Thomas Diamond, RHP (0-2, 8.00 ERA)
Cardinals Starting Pitcher: Jake Westbrook, RHP (0-0, 3.46 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN Radio

Game 2: Saturday at 3:10
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano, RHP (3-6, 5.76 ERA
Cardinals Starting: Chris Carpenter, RHP (13-3, 2.89 ERA)
TV/Radio: FOX/WGN Radio

Game 3: Sunday at 1:15
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Ryan Dempster, RHP (10-8, 3.66 ERA)
Cardinals Starting Pitcher: Kyle Lohse, RHP (1-4, 5.89 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN Radio

Let's push the Cardinals out of first!

Catching Up Quick Hits: Soto & Colvin Rest, Lou & Ronny Skip San Fran, The Next Manager, and More

Here's the latest from Wrigleyville:

• Geovany Soto sat out the final two games against the Reds because of a ligament sprain in his right shoulder. He is expected to return to the lineup on Monday night.
• Tyler Colvin was also given two straight days off, but Carrie Muskat reports that it was just a breather and not an injury for the Cubs rookie.
• The Cubs used four rookie pitchers on Sunday, the most they've tossed in one game since September 30, 2006. Thomas Diamond, Casey Coleman, James Russell, and Mitch Atkins all worked on Sunday. Five Cubs rookies pitched in that '06 game- Juan Mateo, Jae-Kuk Ryu, David Aardsma, Angel Guzman, and Les Walrond.
• Lou Piniella left for Tampa, FL to be with his mother after Sunday's game. Lou's mom has been hospitalized, so he'll miss the series with the Giants. If everything is well, Piniella will return in St. Louis. Alan Trammell will take over in Lou's absence. It's the second time in the past month that Sweet Lou has had to leave his club for a family reason.
• Carlos Silva, who's been out with a heart issue, has been doing some throwing. The Sun-Times reports that he will undergo another cardiac test on Monday.
• John Grabow, disabled with a sprained left knee, is headed for Mesa, where he is expected to pitch on Monday. He will continue his rehab at AAA-Iowa or AA-Tennessee and could return in time for the team's next homestand, which starts a week from Monday.
• The Cubs are expected to bring up some more prospects from Iowa soon, especially if waiver trades are made. "I think you'll see some other guys," Jim Hendry told the media.
• Bruce Miles reports that Tyler Colvin will stay in the outfield and Derrek Lee will remain the starting first baseman the rest of the season.
• Ron Santo if feeling fine, but he has been skipping many of the Cubs road trips lately in order to stay healthy. Ronny will not go on the trip to San Fransisco or St. Louis. Dave Otto will fill in on WGN Radio with Pat Hughes.
• The Cubs have played 39 one run game this season, the most in the bigs. They have a terrible 13-26 record in those contests.
• Bruce Levine reports that Jim Hendry will interview more than 15 candidates for the open managerial position.
• Ryne Sandberg, Pat Listach, Fredi Gonzalez, Joe Girardi, Bob Brenly, Ted Simmons, Alan Trammell, Joe Torre, Larry Rothschild, Bobby Valentine, Eric Wedge, and Chris Speier are all possible candidates.
• Carlos Zambrano is expected to throw 75-80 pitches in his return to the rotation tomorrow night against the Giants.
• The Tribune reports that the Cubs might make their first ever trip to Fenway Park for an interleague series May 20-22, 2011.

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

Off Day Notes Two Days Before the Deadline

Saturday is the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline, and the futures of many of the Cubs are still in the air. Let's get all the latest updates as the Cubs take a day off before starting a series with the Rockies tomorrow night.

• Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee rejected a trade to the Angels yesterday. He used his 10 and 5 rights (10 years in MLB, 5 with the same team) to block the trade. Lee says this is a family decision and he plans to stay with the Cubs the rest of the season.
• Geovany Soto is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow night after missing Wednesday's game with a foot injury.
• Cubs No. 1 draft pick in 2007 Josh Vitters is out with a broken hand. He has been having a rough year at the plate with the Tennessee Smokies. Vitters could play in the Arizona Fall League in October.
• The Twins are unlikely to acquire Ted Lilly according a tweet from Jon Paul Morosi of FOX.
• The Mets are still in Lilly, but Ken Davidoff doesn't see it happening.
• The New York Post reports that you can "forget about the Mets dealing for Lilly".
• The Dodgers are one team that appear to still be in the mix for Teddy.
• Peoria Chiefs manager Casey Kopitzke will be at the helm for the Mesa Solar Sox of the AFL.
• Check out all of the minor league news in my Down on the Farm Report over on the CCO.
• Jon Heyman tweets that the Mets asked for Tom Gorzelanny, but the Cubs don't want to trade him.
• Ted Lilly says that it is evident that he would prefer to stay in Chicago for the future.
• Carlos Zambrano will rejoin the Cubs in Colorado tomorrow night. Brian Schlitter is expected to be sent down to make room on the roster, but Bobby Howry could be let go.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted as we approach the deadline.

Catching Up Quick Hits: Ramirez back in '11, Kosuke for Sale, D-Lee to Stay, and More

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday, but today we're back with all the latest from the rumor mill and more. The trade deadline is coming up on Saturday!

• Cubs catcher Geovany Soto left last night's game with a foot injury. He is not in the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Astros, but the Cubs hope he can return by Wednesday, Friday at the latest.
• The team has narrowed the list of potential Spring Training sites in Mesa to three locations.
• Carlos Zambrano is expected to rejoin the Cubs in Colorado on Friday. He cannot wait to apologize to his teammates in person. Z told Carrie Muskat that he knows that he made a mistake.
• Aramis Ramirez was named the NL Player of the Week for last week. He was the first Cubs position player to win the award since May of '08.
• Speaking of Ramirez, Gordon Wittenmyer reports he wants to stay in Chicago and will most likely exercise his player option for 2011.
• ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes that Ryan Theriot is one of the players that has been linked to the Padres in recent rumors.
• Stark also reports that he heard before that Lilly would definitely be traded before July 31, but many teams have cooled off on the Cubs lefty.
• Bob Nightengale tweets that the Rangers are taking a close look at Derrek Lee.
• The Cubs will pay part of the $4M-plus left on Kosuke's deal this year, and quite of a bit of $13.5M salary next year if they can trade him.
• Stark tweeted that it is highly doubtful that Derrek Lee will waive his no-trade clause.
• Jon Heyman thinks the Yankees could go for Ted Lilly, who they had before and like.
• Chris De Luca chimes in and says that Lilly is not the only Cubs southpaw drawing interest.
• The Angels and Rangers both have some interest in D-Lee.
• Ryan Theriot could be "the first Cub to be traded" according to David Kaplan. Kap, who's a buddy of Ryan, says that the interest in the Cubs second baseman has gone up.
• Bruce Miles shot down a report that the Cubs were interested in Chone Figgins of Seattle.
• Ted Lilly is scheduled to take on the 'Stros tonight. Will this be his last start in a Cubs uniform? Or is it possible that he will be traded between now and the first pitch?
• John Grabow threw in the bullpen yesterday but will probably not be activated before the end of this trip.

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

All Star Break Roundup: Rumors, TV Schedule, The Futures Game, and More

Before we get into all of the Cubs rumors going around today, let's start with the All-Star festivities!

Yesterday, the XM Radio All-Star Futures Game took place at Angel Stadium! The U.S. team beat the World 9-1 took even the all time series at 6-6. Two Cubs prospects took part in the game. Brett Jackson was on the winning U.S. team. Jackson struck out in his first at bat and walked in his only other trip to the plate. Right after drawing the base on balls, he was picked-off first base by the catcher. Jackson started in center field and then moved over to right in the second inning.

Hak-Ju Lee came off the bench to play the second half of the game at shortstop for the World team. Lee is a 19 year old who is playing for the Peoria Chiefs. He popped out to short in his first AB before drilling a sharp single to left in the 8th. Hak-Ju had a fun week playing at Wrigley Field on Wednesday and Angel Stadium on Saturday. However, he had a rough time in the field in Sunday's Futures Game, making two mistakes at short (1 ruled a hit, the other ruled an error).

For those of you that don't know, here's the full schedule of the MLB-All Star Break on TV. All times are CDT.

Tonight:
Now-7:00 MLB All-Star Batting Practice, MLB Network
6-7 Base Tonight All-Star Edition, ESPN
7-9 MLB Home Run Derby 2010 Live from Angel Stadium, ESPN
7-9 Classic MLB All-Star Games, MLB Network
Southern League All-Star Game 7:30 radio broadcast on MiLB.com
**Game includes Cubs farm hands Blake Lalli, Robinson Chirinos, Steve Clevenger, Tony Campana, Ryan Butcher, and Luke Sommer
9-10 Taco Bell Legends & Celebrity Softball Game (recorded Sunday), ESPN
9-10 MLB Tonight: All-Star Team, MLB Network

Tuesday:
Noon-3 1975 All-Star Game, MLB Network
3-4 MLB All-Star Red Carpet, MLB Network
4-6:30 MLB All-Star Batting Practice, MLBN
5-7 Sports Center at the All-Star Game, ESPN
7:00 MLB All-Star Game, FOX
10-12 Sports Center at the All-Star Game, ESPN

Wednesday:
12-3 1990 All-Star Game @Wrigley, MLBN
5-6 Plays of the First Half, MLBN
6-9 Triple-A All-Star Game PCL VS IL, MLBN
** Includes Iowa Cubs Darwin Barney and Thomas Diamond

Now for the Cubs rumors going around today:

• Tom Ricketts has given Jim Hendry to vote of confidence, but when asked about his GM's job security the Cubs owner said, "I support him, I think he does a great job, and after that we'll just take it one day at a time."
• Ricketts told Carrie Muskat that he's having a great time in his first year as the owner despite the team's struggles.
• MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Rays has some interest in Ted Lilly, who could fit the Tigers and Twins as well.
• Lou Piniella's agent Alan Nero says that Lou will definitely finish out this season but he isn't sure about Piniella's future behind this season.
• Derrek Lee will not ask to be traded to a contender. He plans to finish out the year with the Cubs.
• Josh Thole is one of the names that the Mets could send the other way in a Ted Lilly trade according to WGN Radio's Geoge Ofman.
• Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan write that we should count out the Reds in the Lilly sweepstakes. They add that a Giants scout was at Wrigley last week to see Tom Gorzelanny.
• Andrew Cashner gained some respect in the clubhouse by hitting Blake DeWitt with a pitch on his first throw of the 8th inning last night against the Dodgers.
• Lou was not happy about the umpiring crew this weekend according to Bruce Levine.
• Jeff Baker, Mike Fontenot, and Ryan Theriot are all being shopped. At least one of them is expected to be traded by the deadline.
• Xavier Nady is drawing interest from the Rangers according to Levine.
• Bruce also says that the Colorado Rockies now have interest in Theriot, but the Tigers interest has cooled.

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

Weekend Quick Hits: Zambrano & More

• The Cubs made a roster move yesterday calling up right hander Brian Schlitter from AAA-Iowa. Brian was the PTBNL in the trade that sent Scott Eyre to the Phillies during the '08 season.
• The Cubs needed the fresh arm the pen because of the short outing by Zambrano on Friday. Lou Piniella said that the Cubs were forced to send down a guy that didn't deserve to be sent down in Jeff Stevens.
• A team meeting was called before yesterday's game. The media was asked to leave and the guys spent sometime venting about the Z situation. Lou asked his players to give him some criticism as a manager, and it was decided that he needs to post the lineups sooner.
• The Cubs brass was not too thrilled that Zambrano was out to dinner with Ozzie Guillen Friday night. Assistant GM Randy Bush said that they would like too have seen Carlos spend time reflecting on his actions yesterday.
• If and when Zambrano returns to the Cubs, it will be out of the bullpen. Tom Gorzelanny will take his spot in the starting five, according to the Tribune.
• The Cubs are waiting to see what their options are with the suspension. They sent a letter to Major League Baseball and are waiting for feedback.
• Gordon Wittenmyer reports that Z is blaming Derrek Lee for turning this into a big deal. He said he was just trying to pump the team up. Team sources say that the rant, much of which was in Spanish, included Zambrano yelling "This team is horse (bleep)."
• Ken Rosenthal thinks that Z is tradeable, but only if the Cubs are willing to eat most of his $45MM contract.
• The A's have dumped another former Cub, sending Eric Patterson to the Red Sox.

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

Breaking News: Zambrano Suspended

Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano has been suspended indefinitely for his actions in the first inning of today's game against the White Sox. For those of you that missed it, Z through a temper tantrum in the dugout after allowing four runs in the first inning. To make matters worse, Zambrano was not mad at himself but he was mad at his teammates for not diving for some of the base hits in the frame. Carlos and Derrek Lee had a face-to-face spat that was broken up by Lou Piniella and Larry Rothschild. Zambrano was removed from the game at sent home by Lou after the first inning. Tom Gorzelanny came in and the bullpen did a nice job, but the offense could not muster up anything in a 6-0 Cubs loss.

Piniella called Zambrano's behavior unacceptable, saying that he would have to apologize to his teammates as a start. Lou added that he would support whatever decision GM Jim Hendry made regarding the issue. Hendry made his decision about 20 minutes later that Z is suspended until further notice.

The one time ace's future with this ballclub is in question, if not in doubt.

Midweek Quick Hits: Ramirez, Santo, Silva, and More

• Aramis Ramirez has joined the team, but the Cubs will wait to activate him until Friday. Aramis will work with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo to get his swing back during the series in Seattle.
• Former Mariner Carlos Silva was scheduled to start against his old team, but he tweaked his hamstring during his start against the Angels. Silva has been pushed back and may start on Saturday against the White Sox.
• The Cubs will honor Ron Santo on Monday in a pre-game ceremony at Wrigley Field. Saturday will be Ron's 50th anniversary of breaking into the big leagues on June 26, 1960 with the Cubs. Flags to honor the anniversary will fly from the Wrigley Field roof starting next Monday. Also, he will throw out the first pitch before the game on Monday against the Pirates and sing the seventh inning stretch on July 1 (Thursday).
• MLB.com reports that the Cubs have agreed to terms with Micah Gibbs, who was their third round draft pick. Gibbs is a catcher from Louisiana State University. The Cubs have also announced the signings of Pierre LaPage (13th round), Elliot Soto (15th round), Ryan Hartman (16th round), and Chad Noble (37th round).
• Two Cubs farmhands will participate in the MLB Futures Game at Angel Stadium on Sunday July 11. Brett Jackson (outfielder, Class-A Daytona) will play for the U.S. team while Hak-Ju Lee (SS, Class-A Peoria) will play for the World. Jackson hit for the cycle last Monday and is having a great year. The game will be on ESPN2.
• According to the Sun-Times, Lou Piniella plans to use the rest of this A.L. trip to rotate regulars through the DH spot, giving them some rest in the field. Derrek Lee and Marlon Byrd are expected to DH tonight and tomorrow respectively.
• The Orioles have picked up another ex-Cub in Jake Fox in a trade with Oakland that sent a minor league pitcher and cash the other way.
• Phil Rogers would have rather seen Ryan Dempster moved to the bullpen than Carlos Zambrano. He thinks Demp would be more effective in relief than Z.
• On August 8, the Cubs will launch a Fantasy Camp at Wrigley Field.
• Jack Moore of Fan Graphs gives his take on what the Cubs should do at the trade deadline.
• First round draft pick Hayden Simpson tossed a bullpen session at Wrigley and will report to Mesa next. From there, he'll head to Boise to join the Cubs "Class-A Short Season" affiliate for the rest of the season. This fall, he will go back to Mesa for the Arizona Instructional League. Simpson signed a deal on Saturday worth $1.06 million.
• David Kaplan reports that Jim Hendry is actively trying to trade Kosuke to create a spot for Tyler Colvin to play everyday.
• Rotoworld.com lists Ryan Theriot a possible replacement for injured Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

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

Midweek Quick Hits: A Big W, Simpson Close to Signing, Jaramillo is Trying, and More

• The Cubs had dropped five series in a row, but they won a thriller against Oakland today to take two of three.
• Also, the win today gave the Cubbies back-to-back W's for the first time this month.
• Randy Wells pitched a great this afternoon. He needed it after struggling (espicially in the first inning) in recent starts. Greg Maddux and Larry Rothschild helped Wells get mentally prepared for today's game.
• Today was Ryan Theriot bobblehead day at the ballpark. Usually bobbleheads feature players hitting or fielding, but The Riot was fishing!
• Aramis Ramirez will go on a minor league rehab assignment before rejoining the Cubs. Rami will play in Peoria on Saturday and Sunday to test his thumb.
• Carrie Muskat reports that the Cubs appear to be close to signing their first round draft pick Hayden Simpson.
• The L.A. Angels will make their first ever visit to Wrigley Field tomorrow in a game that starts at 1:20. The two clubs will play all day games this weekend as the Cubs finish out their nine game homestand. After tomorrow, all 30 MLB teams will have played at Wrigley Field.
• The fans appreciated Alfonso Soriano's sacrifice bunt the other day. It was Sori's first sac bunt in his Cubs career.
• John Grabow was activated off the DL earlier in the week and rejoined the Cubs bullpen. Mitch Atkins was sent back to Iowa after a brief big league stint.
• As Gordon Wittenmyer points out, if the Cubs are going to pick it up then Ramirez and Lee need to pick it up.
• The Cubs offense has not showing any signs of improvement over last year now that Rudy Jaramillo has taken over as hitting coach. Jaramillo says that he is not a miracle worker.

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

Numbers Breakdown: Cubs Starters VS Bench

Are the Cubs starting position players doing better than their potential replacements so far this season? Let's find out in today's Numbers Breakdown!

Catcher
Geovany Soto: .254 AVG, .401 OBP
Koyie Hill: .250 AVG, .291 OBP

First Base
Derrek Lee: .238 AVG, .343 OBP
Xavier Nady: .260 AVG, .333 OBP

Middle Infield
Ryan Theriot: .274 AVG, .305 OBP
Starlin Castro: .289 AVG, .337 OBP
Mike Fontenot: .310 AVG, .358 OBP

Third Base
Aramis Ramirez: .171 AVG, .233 OBP
Chad Tracy (AAA stats): .380 AVG, .417 OBP

Outfield
Alfonso Soriano: .295 AVG, .361 OBP
Marlon Byrd: .309 AVG, .347 AVG
Kosuke: .285 AVG, .383 OBP
Tyler Colvin: .300 AVG, .363 OBP

So, the Cubs have someone on the bench who plays each position with a better batting average than the current start at every position except catcher. Will we see some changes of this pattern continues through the next month?

Remember, the numbers don't lie!

Weekend Quick Hits: Colvin to Get More Playing Time, Lee Says He's Staying, and More

• Lou Piniella is "fed-up" according to Paul Sullivan. He may bench Kosuke and Geovany Soto in order to get Tyler Colvin and Koyie Hill in the lineup everyday.
• Today's report is the Lou is not "benching" Kosuke, but he is going to try to get Colvin in the lineup on an everyday basis. As Piniella points out, Tyler can play all three outfield spots.
• Ryan Dempster pitched well in the first month but then had a tough month of May where he went 1-4 with a 4.54 ERA. Demp is on the hill tonight.
• The Cubs and the Chicago Fire have begun talks to bring a soccer game to Wrigley.
• Derrek Lee is staying a Cub. He has no desire to leave the organization, and says that any trade rumors are inaccurate.
• Moving Alfonso Soriano back to the lead-off spot is not being considered.
• Randy Wells will pitch tomorrow and Carlos Silva has been moved to Monday.
• The Cubs are taking a longer and better look at Jeff Samardzja's stuff at AAA-Iowa before promoting him again.
• Carrie Muskat reports that the Cubs would liked to see Ryan Theriot show some more patience at the plate.
• Andrew Cashner and Jeff Stevens have both been pitching very well.

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

Catching Up Quick Hits: Cashner Called Up, A Possible Trade, & More

First of all, sorry for the lack of posting this week! It's been a crazy week, so I was forced to take some time off from the blog. I assure you that daily posting will resume!

Let's catch up on all the news and notes in the Cubs word this week:

• David Kaplan and other sources have reported that the Cubs may be involved in trade talks that could send Derrek Lee to the Angels.
• Gordon Wittenmyer tweets that L.A. is instead targeting Xavier Nady.
• Carrie Muskat chimed in today and said that there is no truth to these rumors. Muskat says that the Cubs still feel they're in the race in the NL Central.
• Carlos Zambrano has moved back into the rotation. He was scheduled to start on Wednesday, but the Cubs game in Pittsburgh was rained out.
• Z will start tomorrow instead of Carlos Silva. The rest of the rotation for the weekend in Houston is still TBA.
• The makeup game against the Pirates will be tacked onto this road trip. The game will start at 11:35 next Monday.
• The Cubs called up top pitching prospect Andrew Cashner. John Grabow was placed on the 15-day DL to make room for the 2008 top drafted choice on the roster.
• Speaking of the first year player draft, it starts next Monday! The Cubs could be focussed on adding an arm to the organization with their 16th overall pick.
• The city of Mesa has announced a new financing plan to try to keep Cubs' Spring Training there.
• Ron Santo returned to Chicago yesterday and is feeling better after spending Monday and Tuesday in a Pittsburgh hospital. The heat in the booth got to Ronny on Monday. Dave Otto will sit in on the radio broadcasts in Houston this weekend.
• Xavier Nady is starting to swing the bat much better. He went 4-4 with a 2-run homer in Tuesday's loss.
• Piniella will toss Cashner into low-pressure spots to start out.
• Mike Fontenot was inserted in the lineup at second for a few games in place of the slump Theriot. It looks like The Riot is set to return to the starting nine.
• Former Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas thinks instant replay would be perfect for Major League Baseball.

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

Mid Week Quick Hits: Dawson, Colvin, the Bullpen, and More

• Andre Dawson took a tour of the Hall of Fame the other day. Dawson says he's pretty much done with his HOF speach already.
• Esmalin Caridad pitched a scoreless rehab inning at AAA Iowa. He will work again tomorrow and then the Cubs will decided whether or not he is ready to come off the DL.
• Carlos Silva is dealing with a wrist injury but he will still make his scheduled start on Friday. Silva is only in pain when he swings the bat, not when he pitches.
• The Cubs have reitterated the fact that Carlos Zambrano's bullpen duty is not limited to the 8th inning. We could see him sub for Marmol in the 9th from time to time.
• Alfonso Soriano has homered in each of his last four games. If he goes deep on Wendesday night in Pittsburgh, Sori will tie a franchise record. Hack Wilson, Ryne Sandberg, and Sammy Sosa are the only men who have 5-game home run streaks in Cubs history.
• Derrek Lee and Alfonso Soriano will both be hitting career long ball number 300 sometime soon. With Alfonso's shot tonight both now stand at 297.
• Carlos Marmol's ERA is 0.71. Wow.
• Before Sunday's game, Cubs relievers had allowed no runs in 7 of the last 9. A huge turn around for a bullpen that was really struggling before the addition of Big Z.
• Tyler Colvin has not been getting that much playing time because of the fact that all of the Cubs' outfielders are swinging hot sticks.
• Now that the Cubs' bats have come around, everyone is jumping on the Jaramillo ban wagon.
• Cubs GM Jim Hendry says that Starlin Castro will join the Chicago Cubs at some point this season. Hendry is talking with Ryan Theriot about a possible position change according to Bruce Levine.
• Matt Capps told Gordon Wittenmyer that he was pretty close to becoming a Cub.

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