January 2007 Archives

Mark Prior and the Cubs Agreed to 1-year Deal on Wednesday

Updated - 11:00pm C.T. with Additional Info on Prior's Contract

According to a report on Cubs.com, Mark Prior and the Cubs avoided arbitration on Wednesday by agreeing to a 1-year deal worth $3.575 million and he could earn an additional $150,000 each for making 27 and 30 starts according to a report on Yahoo.com. Prior was asking for $3.875 million and the Cubs offered $3.4 million, he made $3.65 million in 2006.

The Chicago Cubs don't lack what many think are top prospects and another one of them is Sean Gallagher. He was drafted in the 2004 draft in the 12th round out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Depending on who you listen to Gallagher is projected as high as a top three prospect of the Cubs at the age of 21. What shows that Gallagher might be a gem in the Cubs system is that many compare him to Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres.

As I sit here on a cold winter's day, all I can do is dream of April, a new season and wait for hope to spring eternal as it does every year. It has been awhile since I have rambled and since it is safe to say the Cubs' hot stove has been relegated to a low simmer, there is plenty to discuss. Spring Training is around the corner and if I strain hard enough, I can see Opening Day. So, without further ado....

Lou Piniella was born Louis Victor Piniella on August 28, 1943 in Tampa, Florida. Sweet Lou, as he was later nicknamed because of his swing, was signed as an amateur free agent by the Cleveland Indians in 1962 and was later drafted by the Washington Senators in 1963. He made his major league debut at the age of 21 in 1964 with the Baltimore Orioles. After an attempt to make Piniella a catcher in 1968 by the Indians' manager, Birdie Tebbetts, he was selected by the Seattle Pilots in the 1969 expansion draft. He was quickly traded to the Kansas City Royals and played for the Royals for the next 4 seasons. Piniella was the first player to bat in Royals history, a double to left off of Tom Hall. He won Rookie of the Year honors that same year and remained with the Royals until he was traded to the Yankees in 1973.

This Week In Cubs History returns to the CCO.... Every Sunday from now to the start of the season there will be a weekly recap on what has taken place in the history of the Chicago National League Ball Club. Some entries will be direct days in Cubs history, some will have trades or signings that helped the Cubs land future players and in some instances future Hall of Famers, along with occasional birthdays....for instance, Ernie Banks will turn 76 this Wednesday.

This was the week the National League released its first 162 game schedule, William A. Hulbert, former owner of the Cubs, organized the National League in 1876 and Sammy Sosa was traded to the Orioles in 2005.

Here is the rest of the week....

The first month of the New Year is all but complete and there are only four Saturdays left before the first Spring Training game of the Piniella era. The last eight days have seen more activity from the North Side of Chicago. From the signing and commitment of Jeff Samardzija to the release of Glendon Rusch, the week that was just added to the anticipation for the upcoming season.

While the Bears are preparing to face Peyton Manning and the Colts next Sunday, the Cubs are preparing to erase the very forgettable season that everyone endured just a year ago. The Cubs have added words such as swagger, depth and OBP to their vocabulary....the expectations are once again high for the upcoming season and for once, rightfully so. One can almost hear the magical words of Pat Hughes, "Chicago Cubs baseball is on the air." Here is the rest of the week that was....

With the signing of Cliff Floyd on Wednesday and other than a possible trade of Jacque Jones, the list of players Lou Piniella has to pull from to form the 2007 version of the Cubs is complete. Baring injury the Cubs should have an explosive offense and enough pitching to play meaningful games in September....a feat the Faithful have not seen since 2004.

Spring Training should be very competitive this year with many questions still in need of an answer. A few roster spots will be up for grab along with several spots in the starting rotation. So if you were Lou, what would you do?

According to a report on Cubs.com the Cubs released pitcher Glendon Rusch on Thursday and in the process trimmed their 40-man roster down to 41. A blood clot was discovered in his lung last September and the lefty had been on blood thinners ever since. Several reports had indicated Rusch was to remain on the medication until at least March of this year.

Every year the Cubs Convention puts together that "must see" panel. Last year it was the All-Star panel with Banks, Williams, Santo, Jenkins, Sandberg, Smith, Dawson and Sutcliffe. While this year there were not nearly as many big names on the "can't miss" panel, it was just as entertaining. Since it is the 18th anniversary of the 1989 Division championship, or maybe it was because Grace was back for the first time, the Saturday afternoon panel was entitled, "The Boys of Zimmer."

Cliff Floyd agrees to 1-year, $3 million dollar deal with a mutual option for 2008

Updated 5:29pm C.T. - With Information on Floyd's Contract Incentives

According to a report on Yahoo Sports, the Cubs have agreed to a 1-year, $3 million dollar deal with free agent Cliff Floyd....the deal includes a mutual option for 2008. Yahoo names ESPN 1000 in Chicago as their source.