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Baseball - Blogs
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December 31, 2007
With tomorrow being the first day of 2008, the mainstream media will undoubtedly begin reminding the Faithful, on seemingly a daily basis, why this year is significant to the Chicago Cubs. While many organizations celebrate such anniversaries, it is safe to say there probably will not be any references to the accomplishment from a century ago by the organization. The Cubs are coming off a successful year and should compete for a spot in the...
December 30, 2007
The last weekend of 2007....it is hard to believe the year is all but over. The Cubs Convention is less than three weeks away and Harry Caray always referred to the convention as the "unofficial opening day" and some refer to the Cubs annual gathering as the "kick-off to spring training"....whatever the case, the 2008 season is getting closer by the day. Bruce Levine talked baseball on Saturday morning with Chet Coppock. Levine talked about...
December 29, 2007
The Cubs entered the final month of the 2007 campaign just a game and a half ahead of the Brewers....but there was a new addition to the race, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs and Brewers struggles in August opened the door for the Cardinals to make a run at the division crown. The defending World Champions made it very interesting for a while. The Cubs remembered how to hit the long ball in September....
December 28, 2007
Lou Piniella's crew was coming off their best month of the season, despite all of the changes and drama that surrounded the club....but it would only get better in July. The Cubs played their best ball of the season over those 31 days, in large part due to a tremendous month by Carlos Zambrano. Ted Lilly was spectacular as well. The southpaw posted a 5-1 record in 6 starts with a 2.52 ERA. Lou Piniella...
December 27, 2007
The Cubs stumbled into June 7 games under .500 and 6 1/2 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. Lou Piniella had to figure out a way to turn around the season. The Cubs frustration hit the boiling point on the first game of June against the Atlanta Braves. Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett slugged it out in the dugout, in full view of the cameras, but ended it in the clubhouse. Barrett ended up with...
December 26, 2007
According to reports on ESPN and Fox Sports, Mark Prior has agreed to a 1-year deal with the San Diego Padres. The Major League deal does not include an option for 2009 and with incentives could pay Prior more than $3 million in 2008....
December 26, 2007
With 2007 coming to a close, the CCO will take one final look back at last the Championship season over the next several days. What a year it was. After a horrible start, Lou Piniella's crew supplied the Faithful with a daily dose of drama for an entire month. Piniella and Jim Hendry made one roster move after the other, trying to create chemistry and a winning attitude. Once they did, the Cubs played some...
December 25, 2007
It is hard to believe it is December 25th and there is only a week left in the year. The Cubs Convention is around the corner, pitchers and catchers report to Mesa on February 14th and Opening Day at Wrigley is just 97 days away....the 2008 season will be here before we know it. Merry Christmas from everyone here at the CCO!!!! Here is a little twist to an old favorite…....
December 24, 2007
While Jim Hendry and Lou Piniella appear to be satisfied starting Spring Training with the pitchers they already have on the 40-man roster, the rumor mill is saying otherwise. Erik Bedard has been a target of Jim Hendry in the past but a new name has popped up that could be just as effective. If Spring Training started next week, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Rich Hill would be the only locks in the rotation....
December 23, 2007
All appears to be quiet on the North Side of Chicago as baseball executives take a break for the Holidays. Kenny Williams was on ESPN 1000 with Bruce Levine on Saturday morning and he stated he only takes Christmas Day off. In the age of email, Blackberries and iPhones, general managers are awarded with as much time away as the rest of the professional world. Andy MacPhail let it be known on Saturday that Erik...
December 22, 2007
The talk on Friday was the sale of the Tribune Company to Sam Zell. The sale was expected but Zell also announced the Cubs would be sold by Opening Day, as well as possibly the naming rights to Wrigley Field. While the deal could mean millions to the Cubs annually, the old ballpark at 1060 West Addison will always be known as Wrigley Field....no matter what it says on the marquee. Ryan Dempster was on...
December 21, 2007
He was supposed to be a franchise pitcher. He was supposed to be the savio.. He was the young man with a rocket right arm and the perfect mechanics. Six years later he leaves unceremoniously and the story is not even as important as the signing of a Japanese outfielder. Under the cover of darkness Mark Prior left unwilling to sign a two year deal instead choosing free agency. Though he will be rehabbing at...
December 20, 2007
Kosuke Fukudome was introduced on Wednesday afternoon and finalized his 4-year, $48 million dollar deal. Fukudome was added to the Cubs 40-man roster and contrary to published reports, "Fukudome" donned the back of his Cubs jersey....along with the number "1". Fukudome has been on the Cubs radar for the last 3 years and made him their only off-season target to fill their need for a right fielder. Fukudome said during his press conference that the...
December 19, 2007
Kosuke Fukudome is scheduled to be introduced today to the Chicago media in an afternoon press conference at Wrigley Field. Reports have indicated Fukudome will wear number "1" and the back of his jersey will read "Kosuke", not "Fukudome" like his jersey for Team Japan in the WBC and for the Chunichi Dragons. Are the Cubs still interested in trading for Brian Roberts? Roberts admitted on Monday night to taking steroids once in 2003 but...
December 18, 2007
As the Christmas holiday quickly approaches, will Jim Hendry be able to deliver on his promise to Lou Piniella? The Cubs are rumored to still be interested in Brian Roberts and Erik Bedard, as well as Joe Nathan but has Hendry added his last piece of the puzzle this calendar year? The Cubs did make a minor signing this past week with the addition of pitcher Tanner Watson. Here is the latest from the mill,...
December 17, 2007
Jim Hendry landed his number one off-season target last week in Kosuke Fukudome, but reportedly he would still like to add speed to his lineup and another left-handed bat. According to the rumor mill, one player could fill both holes Hendry has on his roster. The mainstream media in Chicago has mentioned time and time again the Cubs have their eye on both Brian Roberts and Chone Figgins. Both players are switch hitters, both players...
December 16, 2007
Last off-season Jim Hendry signed, or resigned, player after player in record amounts seemingly without a plan of how they would fit in on Lou Piniella's team. From Alfonso Soriano to Daryle Ward to Cliff Floyd, Hendry added pieces to what he thought would be the finished puzzle. As Piniella settled in, it became quite apparent changes needed to be made in order to win games. Once Piniella started putting his stamp on the club,...
December 15, 2007
What a week! First the Cubs land their number one off-season target in Kosuke Fukudome, less than 24 hours later Jim Hendry non-tendered Mark Prior and then the Mitchell Report was released. Fortunately there was not a current Cub mentioned in the report but several former Northsiders were on the list....and this could only be the beginning. Neal Cotts agreed to a 1-year deal worth $800,000 dollars on Thursday and avoided arbitration. The deal includes...
December 14, 2007
Hello again everybody. It has been awhile since I have exposed you to my random and ridiculous stream of consciousness. While every other sports site will be talking about the Mitchell report I wanted to give Cubs fans a break. I heard about it, I knew it was coming and it happened. As Sen. Mitchell said, the best thing for baseball is to move on and put this in the past. So that is exactly...
December 13, 2007
In between talking about the Kosuke Fukudome signing on Wednesday, Jim Hendry officially non tendered Mark Prior. The Cubs could resign Prior but from all indications the Cubs have cut ties with their former ace. Hendry promised Lou Piniella he would be happy by Christmas and according to several radio interviews, it appears Hendry is not done trying to improve the team. The Mitchell Report will be released today and Senator Mitchell has scheduled a...
December 12, 2007
While one era begins, one era ends for the Chicago Cubs. According to reports in the Chicago Tribune and on WGN Radio, the Cubs have officially non-tendered Mark Prior, making their one-time ace a free agent. Mark Prior rose to prominence during the 2003 season but injuries have detoured the once prized pitching prospect. Prior missed a majority of the 2006 season and was demoted after Spring Training last year before having season ending shoulder...
December 12, 2007
Tuesday night and Wednesday's discussions in Cubdom centered around the Cubs agreeing to terms with Kosuke Fukudome on 4-year, $48 million dollar deal and what else Jim Hendry has planned to add to his club before the start of Spring Training. The rest of baseball was business as usual.... making trades and attempting to improve their team during the off-season. Early Wednesday afternoon the news broke of the big trade between the Astros and the...
December 11, 2007
According to several reports out of Chicago, Kosuke Fukudome has agreed to a 4-year deal with the Cubs believed to be worth between $45 to $50 million dollars....with some reports stating the deal could be worth as much as $53 million dollars. While there has not been an official announcement, the Cubs appear to have landed their top off-season target. Dave Kaplan and Bruce Levine broke the story around 9:30pm C.T. on Tuesday night. The...
December 11, 2007
Updated - 6:20am C.T. - It Appears Fukudome will play in the Majors The Cubs off-season plans appear to be on hold as they wait for the official word from the Fukudome Camp on whether or not the outfielder will make the move to Major League Baseball. Several reports over the weekend appeared to be official....how many times is the Associated Press actually wrong? Joe Urbon, Fukudome's agent, stated on Monday that all reports over...
December 10, 2007
While Kosuke Fukudome has yet to formally announce his decision, the report from the Associated Press early Sunday morning indicated he will leave Japan and play Major League Baseball. A report from Tokyo on JapanBall.com Sunday afternoon stated the Yomiuri Giants have withdrawn their offer to Fukudome, clearing the way for him to "pursue a career in the major leagues." The upcoming week could have a large impact on the Cubs upcoming season, as well...
December 9, 2007
According to a report from the Associated Press, Kosuke Fukudome has decided to play in the states next season. The report from the AP has been picked up by several news sources, including ESPN. The AP states the Nikkansports newspaper reported Fukudome's decision on Sunday. To quote the report from Nagoya, Japan: "Japanese free-agent Kosuke Fukudome has decided not to move to the Yomiuri Giants and will sign with a major league team instead, the...
December 8, 2007
Friday afternoon it appeared one of the steps in the process of Jim Hendry being able to sign Kosuke Fukudome had been completed....Ken Rosenthal reported that Fukudome had decided to leave Japan and play Major League Baseball. Within a couple of hours Fukudome's camp refuted the report but said his decision could be announced as early as Monday or Tuesday of next week. Joe Urbon, Fukudome's agent, said it was "likely" his client would play...
December 7, 2007
According to a report by Ken Rosenthal, It's official....Kosuke Fukudome has decided to play Major League Baseball in the states next season. According to Rosenthal the decision on "whether to join the Cubs, Padres or an unidentified third finalist" could come as early as Friday night or Saturday. Updated - 4:59pm C.T. - Fukudome Denies Report According to a report on Cubs.com, Kosuke Fukudome has denied he has made a decision on whether he will...
December 7, 2007
The Winter Meetings have come and gone....and the Cubs have plenty questions left to answer. Pitchers and catchers do not report to Fitch Park until February 14th....69 days if you're counting. Jim Hendry said on Thursday he thought this off-season would be much easier than last year, because he does not have as many holes to fill. But his biggest target of the winter has yet to make up his mind where he is going...
December 6, 2007
Cubs Draft Lahey....Lose Wells The Tampa Bays Rays picked first in the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday morning. In a prearranged agreement with the Cubs, the Rays drafted Tim Lahey from the Minnesota Twins organization and sold him to the Cubs. Lahey was drafted out of Princeton in the 2004 as a catcher and was converted to a relief pitcher the following season. Lahey was 8-4 with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in...
December 6, 2007
Day three of the Winter Meetings was extremely quiet, compared to day two, especially for the Chicago Cubs. Lou Piniella met with the media on Wednesday and when asked about his team's lack of activity at the meetings, Piniella said.... "I tell them to be patient. It takes a while. Jim's been working hard here talking to quite a few GMs. At the same time, talking to some agents. Things have to fall in place...
December 5, 2007
The Cubs made their first move of the Winter Meetings on Tuesday when they sent Will Ohman and Omar Infante to the Braves for right-handed flame-thrower, Jose Ascanio. The big news from the second day of the annual gathering was the mega-trade between the Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers. The eight player deal sent Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, catcher Mike Rabelo and minor league pitchers Eulogio...
December 4, 2007
According to a report on Yahoo.com, the Cubs have traded Omar Infante and Will Ohman to the Atlanta Braves for right-handed pitcher Jose Ascanio. The Cubs received Omar Infante from the Detroit Tigers for Jacque Jones and cash on November 12th. Infante was rumored to be in the mix for a utility role off of Lou Piniella's bench next season. The Rockies were rumored to be interested in Will Ohman but rumors began floating on...
December 4, 2007
Day One at the Winter Meetings was filled with more talk and rumors than actual trades. There were only two deals on Monday, one that involved the South Side and one that involved the Nation's Capital. The rumor mill, however, filled the headlines and furthered the speculation on what could take place while the baseball world is under one gigantic roof at the Opryland Hotel. The biggest rumor surrounding the Cubs was the scheduled meeting...
December 3, 2007
The Winter Meetings get underway today at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and most of the mainstream media feels this year's gathering will be filled with more trades than in previous years. The weak free agent class and the escalating cost of signing those players will force most teams to deal with one another instead of the agents of those players searching for a new job. Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella, Randy Bush and company have stated...
December 2, 2007
A large part of the baseball community will make their way to Nashville today for this year's Winter Meetings, which get underway on Monday at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Lou Piniella was on ESPN 1000 on Saturday morning discussing the upcoming meetings with Bruce Levine and Chet Coppock. Piniella said the Cubs have targeted 4 to 5 players they are interested in trading for. Piniella went on to say Jim Hendry has laid the groundwork...
December 1, 2007
It is December 1st....just two more days until the Winter Meetings begin and the Cubs will travel to Nashville with a couple of holes in their roster to fill. While there has not been an official announcement, from all indications Kaz Matsui has agreed to terms with the Astros on a 3-year, $15 million dollar deal....some outlets are reporting it could be a little more. Lou Piniella apparently talked with Matsui over the phone, through...
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