Radio Recaps: Pena and Demp on Waddle & Silvy

The newest member of the Chicago Cubs, outfielder Carlos Pena, joined Waddle & Silvy on ESPN 1000 on Friday. Here are some of the points he hit on:

• Pena is really excited to being a Cub. As soon as he saw how things were looking, the Cubs were his preference.
• He didn't really consider going anywhere else. He just wanted to wear a Cub uniform.
• Chicago is Carlos' favorite city in the United States, so it was truly a no-brainer for him.
• Pena likes playing day games and he looks forward to them.
• He'll do whatever he has to in order to adjust to the new league and the new schedule.
• The one year deal was in the best interest of both the player and the team.
• Former Cubs that Pena has talk to tell him that it is very intense and the fans have incredible passion.
• When asked about his batting average from 2010, Pena said that he wants everyone to look at the average. Carlos doesn't want to waste his time making excuses. He is ready to put that year behind him and look forward.
• He is looking forward to working with Rudy Jaramillo.
• Pena has not talked to Matt Garza, but he thinks that Matt would be very valuable for this team. Garza has a high level of intensity and would be a great addition to the Cubs pitching staff.

Ryan Dempster joined the guys later in the Friday show:

• Dempster started off the interview by speaking highly about Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Ryan thinks that Matt Quade demands that same kind of accountability.
• He thinks people are going to be very surprised by how well Quade does as the manager of the Chicago Cubs. Last season was not a fluke.
• Demp has only heard great things about Carlos Pena. Carlos cares about every aspect of the game and makes the people around him better. He brings energy to the club and can hit the ball a long way.
• When Silverman tossed out Matt Garza's name, Ryan said that a team can never have enough pitching depth. "If it happens, it's a great thing," he said.
• Ryan talked about an event that took place on Saturday at a pizza place in Chicago in support of the Dempster family foundation.
• Demp said that he would never miss the chance to honor and remember somebody as great as Ron Santo. Ryan described him as "a great man in so many different ways."

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

Marlon Byrd on Waddle & Silvy

• Marlon is "doing all right" and just relaxing at this point.
• His first year experience was a blast despite the losing record. He loved going out there and being a Cub every single day.
• The day game atmosphere and fan situation was right up his ally.
• He was very happy when he found out that Mike Quade will be the manager for the next several years.
• At the beginning of Spring Training this past season, Byrd knew that Quade was a managerial type.
• Mike always has the answers players need. Marlon likes his perpetration and energy.
• Byrd is confident that the Cubs can win in 2011. The young guys that came in got better and got a taste of the big leagues.
• It was tough playing the way they did this year, but they can improve.
• The Cubs need a first baseman. Marlon is not sure what the team needs as far as pitchers.
• "Who wouldn't like Adam Dunn? That would be a big pick-up," he said.
• Byrd is having fun watching his friends and former teammates in Texas play in the World Series. It has been tough watching them lose the past few days.
• Marlon has texted with some of the Rangers during this series.

That's it for now, but I'll have more this weekend!

Weekend Radio Recaps: Trammell & Ted on ESPN 1000

Today Ted Lilly was on Talkin' Baseball to talk with Levine and Hood about the possibility of being traded:

• First the guys talked about the Chicago Cubs Cookbook, which is a great fundraiser for Di George syndrome.
• Carrie Muskat of Cubs.com put together a book of Cubs players' favorite recipes.
• Ryan Dempster is a guy who always goes out of his way for others, so it's great to help with him and his daughter.
• Lilly said that the Cubs are starting to play better, but it's been one of those seasons where everything hasn't come together on the same day.
• Teddy would like to stay in Chicago, win, and have the trade thing not be an issue. He feels like one of the things he is responsible for is to help his team win. There is a lot of unfinished business for him in the Windy City.
• "This has been a great place to play and the reason for that is the fans," Lilly said.

Alan Trammell joined Waddle & Silvy yesterday to talk about the open Cubs managers job:

• Alan doesn't have any secrets about the coaching staff to give the guys.
• The four years Trammell has been with Lou have been tremendous and he really appreciates the opportunity.
• He played in the AL all of his career, but he says that the folks in St. Louis are good fans and good baseball people.
• When asked if he expectes to be a prime candidate for the opening managerial position, Trammell said that that would be a better question for Jim Hendry.
• Alan is a coach here and wants to focus in the 2+ months left in the season. Regardless on what your record is, you're supposed to come out and try to win everyday.
• He said that it's nice to be considered for the Cubs manager's job, but right now he wants to focus on 2010. Nobody in the organization has told him that he will be considered yet.
• This has not been the type of season that the Cubs were expecting. "It's just been one thing after another. We've been consistently inconsistent," he said.
• Trammell thinks that he and Lou have totally different personalities.
• Dusty Baker and Piniella have both said that it is much more challenging to win with the Cubs than they thought coming into the gig. Alan says that it's been a long time since the Cubs won, and that topic comes up so much, that it makes it tougher.
• He is very pleased with Starlin Castro's progress. Alan can tell that this guy wants to be a good player and is only going to get better.

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

Radio Recaps: Sandberg & Levine on ESPN Radio

Ryne Sandberg discussed the state of the Cubs with Waddle & Silvy on Thursday:

• The season is going by pretty quickly for Ryno. The I-Cubs are tied for first and playing well.
• One of the fun parts of managing at Triple-A is calling a guy into your office and telling them that they're going up to help the big league club.
• Andrew Cashner was in the I-Cubs rotation for three starts and then he got the word from Chicago to move him to the bullpen.
• Jeff Samardzija is 5-0 out of the pen for Iowa. He has gotten a couple of spot starts as well. Jeff is showing some improvement and working on some different things. Pitching more often is a good thing for him.
• Sandberg said, "I believe that I'm ready (to manage in the big leagues) if someone else believes that I'm ready."
• He would like to get a shot just like some of his players that are wondering why the phone hasn't rang for them yet.
• Ryne's not sure what the biggest challenge of becoming a big league manager will be. He has learned how to manage the media and coach a lot of different areas in Iowa.
• He's really enjoying what he's doing and he's having fun, so that's a good thing. If the chance to manage the Cubs ever came about, he'd like the opportunity.
• He's been ejected two times so far this year at AAA.

Bruce Levine joined Afternoon Saloon on Friday to talk about yesterday's loss:

• Carlos Silva cramped up after his at bat in the heat and was removed before the seventh.
• The Cubs team "set themselves up" for the loss playing another bad ballgame on defense.
• Jeff Baker made two costly errors at third base, but Levine does not like to get down on a guy for making errors. Overall, this team has not played good defense.
• Lou take a long look at the numbers before each game. The reason Tyler Colvin led off yesterday was the fact that Scott Kazmir has trouble against lefties.

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

New Poll, Radio Recaps, and More

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paul Sullivan was on with Mully and Hanley on Thursday:

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

Other Cubs Notes:

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

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

Wednesday Radio Recaps

Todd Hollandsworth on Waddle & Silvy today:

• Holly agrees that Opening Day left a bad taste in a lot of Cubs fans mouths.
• The Cubs did not get their 2008 "swagger" back on Monday.
• There were a lot of errors and mental mistakes in the game.
• The bar is not set too high for Carlos Zambrano. Big Z is getting payed a lot of money, so he needs to step up and be the number one starter.
• The question is, "Will the next 33 starts be quality?" You cannot lower the bar for Z.
• If he can't step up, you have to find somebody else to be that guy.
• Hollandsworth thought Zambrano's stuff on Monday looked "flat".
• Todd still thinks that it's "between the ears" with Zambrano.
• He thinks that the Cubs are already starting to feel the pressure. The pressure is coming from new ownership, the fan base, and the fact that some guys are nearing the end of their contracts.
• 83 wins is not going to get it done this year.
• The players understand that the rope may not be all that long. Soriano knows that he cannot get off to a slow start and keep his position.
• Tyler Colvin is a kid who needs at bats. You don't want him getting rusty.

Len Kasper was on Afternoon Saloon Yesterday

• Kasper got out of Turner Field as quickly as possible yesterday.
• The disappointing thing about Jeff Samardzija is that he was very good during Spring Training. He was not throwing enough strikes yesterday.
• Justin Berg was also all over the place and he's usually a strike thrower.
• Len likes the Cubs young bullpen because when the guys go through struggles you can send them down the minors to get stuff worked out.
• It's been proven that you should not overspend on middle relief pitching.
• He likes Marlon Byrd, but he does not expect him to be a star who carries the team.
• The Cubs have had a different Opening Day center fielder each of the last six years.
• Sean Marshall is in the perfect role for him. His ERA as a starter is around five, and out of the pen it's in the low threes.
• Marshall is simply better in relief. Len doesn't think you should mess with him if he's having success.
• Mike Fontenot and Geovany Soto need to contribute a lot more production than they did last year.
• Lou is not going to hesitate to put Tyler Colvin into the lineup.
• Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny each will have two starts to prove that they need to stay in the rotation. Kasper thinks the Gorzelanny will probably stay so that Silva can be a sixth or seventh inning guy. The Cubs need someone from the right side in the pen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes from Fitch Park

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

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

Bruce Levine's Report on Waddle & Silvy Today

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

Former Cub Todd Hollandsworth on the Danny Mac Show:

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

New Poll

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

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

1. Kevin Millar- 13 votes

2. Chad Tracy- 7 Votes

3. Micah Hoffpauir- 2 Votes

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

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

A) Starting Pitching

B) Bullpen Depth

C) Defense

D) Power Bats

E) Speed

F) Scoring Runs

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

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

Tuesday Quick Hits & Radio Recaps

• Today Aramis Ramirez returned the lineup as the DH in a game against the Royals. Ryan Dempster's outing was solid, but Carlos Marmol came in an allowed a 2 run homer. The Cubs bullpen couldn't hold on to several leads, and the game ended in a 5-5 tie.
• Ted Lilly will start in a minor league game on Saturday. If there are no setbacks, Lilly could be into the Cubs' rotation by mid-April. He is expected to start the year rehabbing with a farm club.
• Xavier Nady will not start the season on the DL. He should be playing some outfield in the next 10 days.
• The Chicago Tribune reports that Jeff Samardzija will likely start the season in the bullpen. It appears that Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny will get spots in the rotation. Lou will announce his final rotation decision on Friday after he gets one more look at Marshall and Gorzelanny.
• Lou Piniella met with his staff on Sunday night to discuss the roster. He likes the way things are shaping up.
• Right now the Cubs have 40 guys in camp, but that number will be cut down to the 30 by the end of the week.
• Greg Maddux has been contributing to the team in a variety of ways this spring.

This past weekend Len Kasper joined the Danny Mac show to talk Cubs:

• The Cubs offense needs to pick it up in 2010. They have hit the ball very well this spring.
• The hitters seem to be responding to adjustments made by Rudy Jaramillo.
• The area of concern has switched to the pitching staff with the injuries to Guzman and Lilly.
• Len likes to wait to get enthusiastic about a young kid until he is in a big league uniform, but Starlin Castro stands out and looks like a major league ready player.
• Kasper thinks that Marshall and Samardzija can help the club best as relievers, and you'd like to be able to get as much value out of Carlos Silva as you can.
• The most likely scenario is Silva and Gorzelanny in the rotation.
• He is not sure how much of an effect a hitting coach can have on veteran players, but some hitters mesh with certain hitting coaches and clash with others.
• Len would like to think that Jaramillo will have positive effect on this team. Rudy spending 15 years on one coaching staff shows you how good he is. Larry Rothschild is in his 9th year on the Cubs' staff.
• Lou Piniella thinks the game 24 hours a day. Nothing gets past him even though he sometimes acts as if he doesn't see things.

Mike Fontenot joined Waddle and Silvy this morning:

• Fontenot had fun watching the Saints win the Super Bowl this offseason.
• The guys are having a good time, but they are looking forward to the start of the season. Other than some rain, it's been a good spring.
• Last year did not turn out the way Mike wanted it for him at the plate, but he is going to try to learn from it and not put any extra pressure on himself.
• In 2009 he didn't adjust very well to pitchers and things like that. "It just kind of snowballed," he said.
• Rudy is always very aware of what is going on. He's made a few adjustments to Mike's swing.
• The Cubs have some great guys in the clubhouse this year. Everyone is having a lot of fun in camp.
• Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, and Tyler Colvin are guys who have looked especially good to Fontenot this spring.
• Starlin Castro is going to be a good player.

Bruce Levine was also on Waddle & Silvy on ESPN 1000 today:

• If Alfonso Soriano plays 135 games, you should pencil him in for 30 home runs and 90 RBIs.
• Soriano is going to have less pressure on him and more people on base to drive in hitting sixth.
• Levine thinks that they'll be men on base on front of Sori and that will work to his advantage.
• We'll find out the rotation situation on Friday. There is still a question as to whether Samardzija will go to bullpen or AAA-Iowa if he does not make the starting five.
• The battle between Micah Hoffpauir, Chad Tracy, and Kevin Millar will likely go all the way to the end of camp.
• Jim Hendry said that the Cubs will not let Tyler Colvin rot on the bench. Colvin will likely start the year getting every day playing time at the minor league level.
• The Cubs are counting Mike Fontenot and Kosuke Fukudome to hit well from the left side.

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

Jim Hendry on Waddle & Silvy

Jim Hendry checked in to talk Cubs on ESPN 1000 today:

• Before Bradley, the Cubs always went after good chemistry guys. The didn't do something totally different this offseason by getting Millar and Byrd, it was more "back to the norm".
• Offensively Milton was the right guy. If he would have hit like he normally did the first couple of months, a lot of the problems would not have occur.
• Hendy said that Bradley got off to a bad start and then it got away from him.
• Jim thinks the Cubs are much better than they were last year. They need a lot of guys to get on track, and Rudy Jaramillo should help with that. The Cubs didn't need a lot of new bodies, they just need guys to come back and play like they did in '07 and '08.
• Having veterans on the bench and in the bullpen is important (hence the Millar and Tracy adds).
• The Cubs are still looking to make another move before or during camp. They need a veteran guy in the 'pen.
• The guys coming in on Non Roster Invites have a good chance to compete for spots.
• The Cubs did like Jermaine Dye. Hendy spoke to Dye and his agent. Jermaine and Nady were two of the Cubs options for 4th outfielder.
• The team is done adding position players. If they make any more moves, it will be to sign pitchers.
• The Ricketts family has given Jim a fair budget.
• More good, young players are coming, and it's time for guys like Marshall, Samardzija, and Marmol to get more of a chance to have bigger roles.
• Hendy thinks that the Ricketts will be great owners for the city of Chicago long after his tenure with the Cubs.
• Alfonso is a good guy, a good teammate, he wants to win, and he does care when he doesn't do well. Having Rudy with him should help him find out what he needs to do to get back on track. The Cubs will be happy if he hits .270-.275 and 30+ home runs.
• Sori's speed game will never return because of the injuries, but he should be able to avoid the long slumps this year.
• The Cubs do not do the promoting for their own prospects. The organization is not looking to over-hype Starlin Castro. He is a very talented guy who has a chance to play well on both sides of the ball. "He'll let us know when he's ready."
• The team has settled 36 arbitration cases in a row, but if it end up going to a trial, that's just part of the business. Neither side likes it, but it is what it is.
• Ted Lilly had a very minor procedure. The Cubs have never been worried about it. If he's 100% the first week of the season, he'll pitch then. If not, they won't rush him. The first few weeks you have some off days, therefore do not need five starters.

Paul Sullivan joined the Danny Mac Show on 670 the Score yesterday:

• The Cubs are going to open up the bottom of the bleachers in the area underneath the cat walk in right field. That will be opened up before the game for corporate events. During the game, it will be open to fans with flat screen TVs, beverage stands, ect.
• They have already begun constructing this at Wrigley.
• The Cubs are looking to get people to stay in the ballpark to spend money after the games, instead of going to the bars and restaurants to spend their money before and after games.
• Sullivan thinks it's worrisome that Wrigley is using many ideas that the Red Sox are using for Fenway Park.
• Sully doesn't like the idea of advertising in the left field bleachers.
• He would like to see the Cubs come up with their own ideas instead of copying everything off of Boston.
• Ricketts is into statistical thinking, but Jim Hendy is definitely old school and loves scouting first.

That's it for now!

More Dawson Reaction

The guys talked about Dawson on Chicago Tribune Live. Fred Mitchell called the "blank contract" good theatre for the beat writers because contract negotiations were usually behind closed doors. This made good stories for the journalists. Dawson and the Cubs finally reached a contract despite some difficulties. Andre new he wanted to play in Chicago. He loved day baseball and playing on the grass in the big city. Fred said at the time "it seemed too go to be true" for the Cubs fans when a player of Dawson's caliber played for the Cubs for $500,000. Steve Stone joined the guys to talk about the Hawk:

• Dawson epitomized what you what of a Major League Baseball player.
• He can represent your team well on and off the field.
• Stone called Andre's first year with the Cubs magnificent. It was unfortunate that the team still finished lost.
• Steve doesn't think Dawson would have done "some of the things that the players in the 90s did" even if Hawk played during that time period.
• The only thing that Rice did better than Andre was pure hitting, but every aspect of The Hawk's game was sensational.
• Fred and Steve liked the facts that Dawson did the little thing. Stoney said, "He would do everything he could to help the team win."
• In the 1989 playoffs, Andre couldn't put any weight on one leg but still played.
• "Let's hope there's a Cub cap on Andre's head when he goes in," well said by Stone.

Andre Dawson had his live press conference earlier today in New York City. Here are some notes:

• Jack O'Connell, the BBWAA treasurer, spoke highly of Dawson. He is the 109th player elected to the Hall of Fame. "Today he is second to none," he said.
• This year was the first time they had a third recount because the voting was so close.
• Jeff Idelson, the Hall of Fame president, said that one of every 100 MLB players make it to Cooperstown. The Ford C. Frick award (by the way) will be announced February 1.
• Idelson said they called Andre "the manager's dream".
• Next Jeff put Dawson's jersey and cap on him for the final time. (They were the National Baseball Hall of Fame jersey and cap).
• Dawson made the following brief remark prior to the Q&A session- "I must say that the last 24 hours have been very emotional and quite overwhelming. Upon my retirement in 1996, after 20 years of Major League Baseball, there was one other uniform I wanted to put on, and it was this one." Then he thanked the BBWAA saying that he is enthusiastic and excited beyond words.
• Once Andre had the left knee done, his right knee felt a great deal better. The announcement of what cap he would be made later in the day, according to Dawson at this time. Idelson said that the final decision will be made by the HOF, but they always consider what the player wants.
• Andre worked very hard at both offense and defense, but he is move enthusiastic about the Gold Gloves.
• "Yeah they got a pretty good deal," he said when asked about the famous blank contract.
• He wanted to play in the United States and get off the turf in Montreal. It was not about the money for Dawson, it was about his love of the game.
• Andre made the offer to two teams, Atlanta and the Cubs. The Cubs were his first choice.
• Dallas Green was shocked when Dawson took the $500,000 contract.
• If he would have stayed in Montreal, his career would have been a lot shorter. Andre was happy to get the chance to play at both Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.
• Dawson didn't like playing in the American League. He wasn't a fan of being the DH, and he realized that he better retire before someone had to carry him off the field.
• The person who had the greatest influence on his baseball career was his grandmother. She was the one who made him go to college instead of straight into the big leagues.
• Andre was a little more optimistic this year because he had no one left in front of him to hurtle, but you can't be too certain. He new that the only possible first ballot guy was Alomar and there had never been a year when nobody went in.
• Today would have been his mother's birthday. She died in 2006. Dawson thought of his mother a lot yesterday while waiting to find out whether or not he was going into the Hall. He visited her grave sight prior to getting home for "the phone call".
• Dawson is grateful that both the Expos and Cubs gave them the chance to play for them. He got his start with the Expos, but playing at Wrigley Field was "amazing" and it "rejuvenated his career". The way the Cubs fans embraced him the first year propelled him to win the MVP award.
• Andre thinks he owes the Cubs' organization a lot.
• He played in Montreal for ten years and had a wonderful time there.
• Dawson admitted that he had "a very painful career (because of his knee)". The problem started with a high school football injury. He had to take medicine "almost daily".
• The Hawk focused on his work ethic to get past the injury.
• He doesn't regret not making it the the World Series, but that's pretty much was you work for every year. He was on teams that were a player or two short of getting to that.

Len Kasper was on the Danny Mac Show today:

• Kasper called Dawson "a class act". He always acted like he had been there before, he never treated a home run like it was his first. The Hawk only had a few "blow ups" and they were understandable.
• You have to put his numbers in context with his era. He was just before the steroid era.
• Andre doing it naturally, being a great teammate, and the knee thing could have all factored in to some votes.
• Mac says "honestly as a baseball fan I don't care whether the guy is nice or not". Mac doesn't think the BBWAA writers should have given Roberto Alomar a "slap on the wrist" for the spitting an the umpire thing.
• Len doesn't think it will take anything from Dawson as a Cub if he goes in with an Expos hat on. Trying to be objective, Kasper said that he thinks The Hawk is an Expo first.
• Andre could keep the Expoes dream alive! The guys joked that they never knew that the odd looking letter on the hat was an M.
• Kasper agrees that it should be the Hall's choice. He would be surprised if it is not an Expos hat.
• Len talked more about the Len & Bob Bash for Cubs charities. This will be the fourth year of the bash. Kasper and B.B. will get up on stage, and Matt (Mac) from 670 will get up there as well. You can still get tickets to the event, which will kick off the Cubs Convention.
• The discussion turned to the Cubs offseason. Kasper thinks Marlon Byrd will play really good defense. He's not a great hitter, but he is a good hitter. If he's healthy, he'll be fine. The Cubs need help "up the middle".
• Kasper thinks chemistry comes from winning, not the other way around. The clubhouse was weird with Bradley last year, but not bad.
• When teams are bad, it's no fun to be in the clubhouse whether you love everybody or not.
• Tyler Colvin is "a forth or fifth outfielder if he's a major leaguer at this point".
• Len thinks this team can do it in 2010.
• Patience is a virtue during this offseason. There are going to be solid guys who sign minor league contracts because of the economy. Len would be shocked if Jim doesn't add a veteran type guy for cheap who can compete for the rotation. A caller motioned Ben Sheets.

Keith Moreland joined Waddle and Silvy today to talk about the Hawk and college football. We'll focus on the former of those two topics:

• At some point, Zonk thinks Lee Smith will be a Hall of Famer as well.
• Dawson really understands the game of baseball. He will steal a base when you need him too.
• Andre was the best high ball hitter that Keith has ever seen. The only one close is Albert Pujols.
• Moreland says that there's no doubt that Roberto Alomar will be in. Keith thinks it is totally wrong that 5 voters turned in their ballots completely empty.

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

Andre Dawson to the Hall of Fame

Former Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson finally got the call from Cooperstown today. Everything Cubs blog would like to congratulate "The Hawk" for his well-deserved and long overdue honor.

Dawson received 77.9% of the vote, and was the only player to be elected today. Surprisingly, Bert Blyleven (72.2%) and Roberto Alomar (73.7%) fell just short.

Other former Cubs on the ballot who did not make the cut: Lee Smith (47.3%), Fred McGriff (21.5%), Eric Karros (0.4%), and Todd Zeile (0%). Also currently Cubs bench coach Alan Trammell came up short with 22.4%. Smith, McGriff, and Trammell reached the 5% mark that will put them on the ballot for next year.

Ron Santo was ranked #1 today on the MLB Network's "Prime 9" list of guys who should be in the HOF. Ronny will have another shot on the veterans committee in December.

Now, the question for Dawson is which hat to wear. Andre played for the Montreal Expos from 1976-1986, the Cubs from '87-'92, and then spent 2 seasons each with the Red Sox and Marlins to finish out his career. Carrie Muskat of MLB.com says Dawson hinted to her that it would be a Cub cap, but the only problem is that the decision does not belong to The Hawk. Since 2001, the National Baseball Hall of Fame has had control of what team each player goes in as. I really think they need to change this so the player can pick. It seems equally likely that Andre could go in as an Expo. We should find out in the next couple of days.

After the live announcement, Andre joined the guys on the MLB Network:

• Dawson was at home today when he got the call.
• He was optimistic that he might get the call this year.
• The announcement was at 2:00 (Eastern) so he was a little worried when he hadn't received a phone call yet at 1:40.
• Right now he really can't explain how good he feels.
• The process has taken awhile, but it's the greatest feeling an individual can have.
• He definitely thinks Tim Raines will be in the Hall someday. Raines deserves it.
• The Hawk didn't envision being in the HOF when he was playing the game. Towards the end of his career, which was a tough time for him, he felt like he had played long enough and gave it his all.
• When Bob Costas asked what cap he would wear, Andre said that it would be determined at a later date. Dawson will talk with the people from the Hall of make that decision.

Dawson was also on Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 before the announcement was made:

• Andre slept like a baby last night.
• He would like to get in when he is as young as possible.
• Each year he "hopes that that is the year." Typical Cub.
• Dawson wasn't planning on sitting by the phone today.
• Last night he prayed and crossed his fingers.
• He is disappointed that it took this long for him to get in.
• Waiting for to get in "can get frustrating over the years".
• He listens to the "supposedly experts and critics" and some of it makes sense but a lot of it doesn't.
• Andre thinks one of his major cons is his low OBP. He says the on base percentage is just a small part of the big picture, pointing out that he didn't go up there looking for a walk.
• The only player he's played with that are in the Hall of Fame are Ryne Sandberg and Gary Carter.
• When Rice was elected, he did feel that his vote totalled might be boosted in the future.
• "Never in a million years" would Dawson have expected Sandberg to a manager.
• Andre wouldn't say whether or not he would be willing to be a part of Ryno's coaching staff when/if Sandberg becomes the manager of the Chicago Cubs.

Check out Hawk 4 The Hall blog that did a great job gaining support for Dawson.

More on this in the next few days!

Once again, Congratulations Andre Dawson.

Mid Week Notes: Dempster on Waddle & Silvy, Top 10 Cubs of the Decade, Marlon Byrd, and More

• Ryan Dempster will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on the ice on Saturday to celebrate the grand opening of an ice skating rink next to Wrigley Field.
• Now that Mike Cameron is signed, the Cubs are looking at Marlon Byrd to fill the center field void. Byrd is now their first choice.
• Bringing back Reed Johnson is still a possibility. Rick Ankiel and Scott Podsednik are also on the radar.
• The Cubs were one team on hand to watch Kelvim Escober throw today according to Efrain Zavarce.
• Joel Pineiro is looking for a 4-year deal. Buster Olney reports that the Cubs are one team with interest in Pineiro.
• Paul Sullivan thinks that Jim Hendry could sign an outfielder like Byrd before dealing Bradley.
• The Cubs are long shots for Aroldis Chapman.
• Bruce Miles points out that Byrd had two good years under new Cub hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo.
• Hee-Seop Choi has climbed a mountain and turned his career around.

Top 10 Cubs from the Decade from ESPN Chicago

• 10. Mark DeRosa
• 9. Mark Prior
• 8. Ryan Theriot
• 7. Moises Alou
• 6. Sammy Sosa
• 5. Ryan Dempster
• 4. Kerry Wood
• 3. Derrek Lee
• 2. Carlos Zambrano
• 1. Aramis Ramirez

Ryan Dempster joined Waddle & Silvy on ESPN 1000 yesterday:

• Dempster is excited with his event coming up to raise money for the illness that his daughter has.
• Ryan's daughter is doing well. The baby was born on April 1 last year and that made his season hard for him.
• Tom, Mark, and Ryan agree that the "Wii Fit" isn't real exercise. They think people should get outdoors.
• In 2009, the Cubs don't play the level of baseball that they were capable of.
• When asked about Milton Bradley, Dempster said it's hard to judge someone else's experiences. Ryan said that Bradley is a "really, really good guy who handled certain things poorly."
• Demp thinks it would be a little uncomfortable if Milton returns next season. However, he is a very forgiving guy, and if Bradley is back on this team, Ryan wants him to enjoy the rest of his experience with the Cubs.
• Move info about Dempster's upcoming event: http://www.mywrigleyville.com/
• He is focused on getting ready for the season, and Jim Hendry will handle making the team's offseason moves. The Cubs need the guys who were with the Cubs last year to play better.
• Ryan thinks that the Ricketts family are great people, and the truly want what's best for the Chicago Cubs. They plan to put money back into this team.
• Dempster can't wait until the opening of the new skating rink that he will be at on Saturday.
• It's fun to watch the current Blackhawks team. Dempster thinks that the Hawks have a solid young team.

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

Radio Airwaves Monday- Wednesday

I'll also be recapping interviews that concern the Cubs once in awhile. Here are some interviews from so far this week.

Former Cubs broadcaster and current San Diego Padres broadcaster Andy Masur chatted with WGN Radio's David Kaplan on Sports Central on Monday:

• Andy said that he thinks Peavy will fit into the Cubs clubhouse perfectly.
• He talked about what he did for a Padre team that seemed like a AAA team.
• Andy says that he agrees that the ballpark in San Diego is harder to hit the ball out of, but he believes Jake is the kind of guy that can pitch anywhere.
• Andy says Khalie Greene is not that much of an impact guy but is one heck of a short stop.
• He would not be surprised if Peavy stayed in San Diego and starts opening day at Petco next year.

Ron Santo joined Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 on Tuesday to talk about not being selected for the Hall of Fame.

• Ron said he was fine today but thought this was going to be his year because he was only 5 votes away 2 years ago.
• He wonders why they have a veteran’s committee if they never induct anyone.
• Ron says he doesn’t like the players voting because the players don’t look at stats.
• Ron thinks they should go back to a committee of 12 guys including hall of fame broadcaster, players, and media.
• He says that for him personally that he feels he deserves the hall and is proud that he put up Hall of Fame numbers with diabetes.
• They asked if he considered taking his name off the ballot. Ron says he has thought this was his best shot and next time he won’t even think about the election and if he makes it he makes it.
• Ronny added that he is over the 2008 Cubs season and the main reason the Cubs didn’t win is because they didn’t hit.

Bob Brenly was on Waddle and Silvy's show today:

• Bob says that if you throw Peavy into the one of the strongest rotations in the NL, you put yourself in the mix as a preseason pick to go to the world series.
• Brenly says that if the Cubs trade DeRosa, his place in the clubhouse could be picked up by someone else, but his versatility is hard to replace. He says that trading DeRosa would be worth getting Peavy.
• Brenly thinks that Fontenot can play second base every day.
• Bob says that he didn’t feel the Brewers and him as a manager were a good match.
  
• He says the Brewers are going in the wrong direction moving forward.
• Bob thought that Ron Santo would be in this year and described it as a disgrace for to the game of baseball that Ron’s not in the Hall of Fame.
• He doesn’t know if any one person (like Joe Morgan) has that much influence on who gets in.

My next Cubs update tomorrow will recap the Rule 5 Draft which takes place tomorrow and I'll get you up to date on all the latest Cubs Rumors. Will the Peavy deal ever get done? Will the Cubs make any moves on the final day of the winter meetings? We can only wait....