   |
||||||||||||
       |
||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Baseball - Blogs
Baseball - General
Baseball - History
Baseball - News Links
Baseball - Stats
Chicago Sports - General
Cubs Minor League Teams
Cubs News Sites
Cubs Radio on the Web
Cubs Related Site Links
Cubs Rosters
Cubs Team Payroll
EAMUS CATULI! & AC006299
Fantasy Baseball
Japanese Baseball
The CBA - Cubs Blog Links
The Cubs Forums
Monthly Blogs
Archives
January 31, 2008
The reports out of Baltimore concerning the future of Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts seemingly change by the minute. Several news sources stated on Wednesday morning the Orioles and Mariners were once again talking about sending Bedard to Seattle and the deal was close to being completed. Then reports began to surface that Andy MacPhail indicated other teams were back in the mix to land Bedard. A third different story surfaced on Wednesday night when...
January 30, 2008
More than six weeks after many thought he would be dealt, the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins agreed to a deal on Tuesday that would send four prospects to the Twin Cities for Johan Santana. Buster Olney reported the deal is pending a contract extension for the 2-time Cy Young Award winner. The Mets have 72 hours, 5:00pm ET on Friday, to work out a deal with Santana, who is reportedly seeking an extension...
January 29, 2008
This off-season is like no other in recent memory. With just over two weeks until pitchers and catchers report, several teams, including the Cubs, are still looking to improve their roster. There are several big names left on the trading block, including Johan Santana, Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts. One of those names looked to have a new home for the upcoming season, but several reports on Monday denied there was a deal in place...
January 28, 2008
Happy Monday, CCO Readers, and I hope this is the week Jim Hendry finally gets his final roster set for Spring Training, so we can all stop speculating on the "who" and start focusing on the "how". As in, how do the Cubs get to the World Series in 2008! Today I ask that we all take a deep look within ourselves, and determine if we are truly the realistic, practical, and insightful baseball geniuses...
January 27, 2008
According to a report in the Seattle Times, Erik Bedard will be traded to the Seattle Mariners for several prospects, including the Mariners' top prospect Adam Jones. The report by Geoff Baker stated Jones was told by Bill Bavasi he could not play in the fourth game of the finals in the Venezuelan Winter League. Jones told a local reporter that he will be flying to Baltimore on Monday to take a physical. Several reports...
January 27, 2008
When Matt Murton made his debut with the Chicago Cubs on July 8, 2005 he quickly became a fan favorite. Murton fit the profile of a gritty, hard-working, blue-collar ball player. He was not the prototypical power-hitter that most clubs insert in a corner outfield position but in only 51 games in 2005 he provided reason for hope that the future was once again bright for the Cubs. Murton showed patience at the plate, one...
January 26, 2008
The last weekend in January....only 18 days until pitchers and catchers report. The next couple of weeks could be very interesting around baseball. There are still a lot of big name free agents on the market and trades that could still happen. This off-season has been centered around Johan Santana and some of the experts still feel once he is dealt and sets the market, other teams will be able to fill their holes on...
January 25, 2008
O.K. it's that time again here at the CCO. Grab your GM hat, make sure it still fits and get ready to make a few moves that will improve the Cubs chances at making it to the promise land this season. You know the drill by now, or do you? The CCO asked the very same question, not once but twice two years ago and again last year. We even discussed Lou Piniella's options before...
January 24, 2008
With a little less than three weeks before pitchers and catchers report on February 13th, Jim Hendry told the Tribune he is not done with his roster. There are additions the Cubs would like to make before Spring Training according to statements made by Hendry over the last week. The same names continue to be mentioned on a daily basis without any movement. Could Hendry be on the verge of adding a couple of players...
January 23, 2008
Life can change; direction can change; responsibilities can change, and when those things happen, certain things get lost. My changes have taken me away from two of my favorite things over the past month, the Cubs and writing about them. However, there is nothing like a fan convention to snap one back into shape, even if only for 48 hours. So without further ado, here are my thoughts from the 23rd Annual Cubs Convention.......
January 22, 2008
Last season the Cubs ad campaign featured a photo of Alfonso Soriano with "Play Like There's No Tomorrow", this year the Cubs will feature several of their stars, including Kosuke Fukudome in new print and outdoor advertisements that were unveiled on Tuesday. The ads will feature Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano, Derrek Lee and Ryan Theriot, along with Fukudome. Each ad is "designed to showcase the international breadth and depth of the...
January 22, 2008
Is Jim Hendry still interested in trading for Brian Roberts? Has he stepped up his pursuit and has also targeted Erik Bedard? Is Matt Murton heading to Texas or San Diego? Could Jason Marquis be involved in a deal with the Orioles? What about Marlon Byrd? So many questions and so many rumors. A day after the conclusion of the Convention the rumor mill kicked into high gear, fueled mostly by a report from Phil...
January 21, 2008
All of the excitement from the weekend dwindled on Sunday as the 23rd Annual Cubs Convention came to an end. The 15,000 fans that crammed into the Chicago Hilton and Towers the first two days was reduced by more than half. Those that remained divided their time between seeking out last minute autographs, haggling with vendors in the exhibit halls and attending the final two sessions. The three days concluded with the informative "Meet Cubs...
January 20, 2008
Santo spoke, Ernie espoused, Lou laughed, Jim joked.... Crane cracked, DeRo defied, Jody jostled, Les cried....Derrek dreamed, Hawk hustled, Sandberg saddled, and Sutcliffe was rattled, and in the end Pat talked, Bob shouted, Ron walked, and Len touted....this is a team to fear, a team we all hold dear, a team to love, a team to hate, but in the end a team of fate. And there he was, a man named Messmer, who was...
January 19, 2008
Day one of the 23rd Annual Cubs Convention was filled with familiar faces in the same old place. This year, though, is a little different. The same hope still exists, as it does every year, but instead of a winter spent trying to build a team, the Cubs have spent the off-season trying to mold a winner and build on the momentum that saw them win the Central Division title a year ago. As...
January 18, 2008
Harry Caray referred to it as the "unofficial opening day", some refer to it as the "kick-off to spring training", call it what you want but the bottom line is baseball is just around the corner. The 23rd Annual Cubs Convention officially begins later this afternoon at the Chicago Hilton. Pat Hughes will once again have the honor of introducing the Cubs past, present and future during the Opening Ceremonies before the annual highlight reel...
January 17, 2008
Only one day until the Cubs Convention.... Jim Hendry made news on Wednesday with the signing of Jon Lieber and at the same time increased the speculation on what else he may or may not have up his sleeve. Most reported the Cubs signing of Lieber as "you can never have enough pitching" and thought it was "a low-risk signing." Lieber's deal is worth $3.5 million dollars with incentives based on starts and innings pitched...
January 16, 2008
According to reports from the Chicago Tribune and from Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs have agreed to a 1-year deal with Jon Lieber. The report in the Tribune indicated early on Wednesday morning that the deal was close but Ken Rosenthal cited sources have told him the Cubs have signed Lieber. Updated - 12:23pm C.T. - It's Official.... The Cubs have announced the signing of Lieber to a 1-year, $3.5 million dollar deal....
January 16, 2008
Only two more days before The Convention.... The Cubs announced their non-roster invitees to Spring Training on Tuesday. All in all the Cubs invited 19 players. Tyler Colvin and Jose Ceda headline the list of players. Along with Ceda, the Cubs invited 6 other pitchers: Chad Fox, Ed Campusano, Geoff Jones, Les Walrond, Mike Smith and Esmailin Caridad. The Cubs signed Caridad in December. He was 1-2 with a 4.02 ERA in 25 games with...
January 15, 2008
For every report that says Brian Roberts will not be traded to the Cubs....there is one that claims there is still a possibility. So which is it? Lou Piniella apparently wants Roberts to be his second baseman or the Cubs were not be pursuing him. Piniella saw first hand, at least fifteen times a year, what kind of player Brian Roberts is and what he could give his team. If Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail...
January 14, 2008
The Hot Stove Season is beginning to come to an end, the first workouts for pitchers and catchers at Fitch Park is exactly one month from today. The first sign of the new baseball season being just around the corner starts on Friday. The Cubs still have holes to fill and are rumored to be looking at adding a couple of pieces to Lou Piniella's puzzle. Will Jim Hendry make any moves before the Opening...
January 13, 2008
Is Brian Roberts coming to the Cubs? Could Jon Lieber be making a second appearance on the North Side? Are the Cubs interested in trading for Marlon Byrd? Bruce Levine discussed each of those topics with Chet Coppock on ESPN 1000 Saturday morning. Levine stated Peter Angelos is "laying down the law and will not trade Brian Roberts." Levine cited Buck Martinez from XM Radio as his source. Levine said the Indians offered a better...
January 12, 2008
Another week closer.... the Cubs announced on Friday pitchers and catchers will report to Fitch Park on February 13th, with the first workout on February 14th. Position players will report on February 18th with the first full team workout on February 19th. The Cubs made another minor move on Friday when they inked former Cub, Chad Fox to a 1-year minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Fox pitched for the Cubs in...
January 11, 2008
As the Brian Roberts watch enters day four, could Jim Hendry be switching gears or are the Cubs still interested in acquiring the switch-hitting second baseman? The mainstream media in Chicago still feels the Cubs would like to add Roberts but a report from Ken Rosenthal on Thursday night mentioned two names that could signify a change of direction for 'Trader Jim'. According to Rosenthal, the Cubs could have interest in either Mike Cameron or...
January 10, 2008
Somewhere between truth and fiction lies the-would-be-deal that would send Brian Roberts to the Chicago Cubs. Several reports began to surface on Wednesday morning that Roberts had in fact been traded to the North Side for a package that included Ronny Cedeno, Sean Marshall and Sean Gallagher. Both parties quickly denied those reports as speculation continued throughout the day, from the mainstream media, on what Jim Hendry would have to surrender to Andy MacPhail for...
January 9, 2008
With the sale of our beloved team drifting slowly toward a new owner I have often pondered what I would do if I possessed the power of ownership? It's a dream question that I am sure many of us have fantasized about. Think about it, you're the owner of the CUBS! Anyway, this is my punch list....
January 8, 2008
With the Cubs Convention approaching, will Jim Hendry make any deals before the annual gathering next week? The mainstream media began mentioning the name Brian Roberts again on Monday, as most of the baseball world concentrated on the latest from Roger Clemens. Internet rumors heated up on Sunday night about an impending deal with Baltimore. Those rumors continued on Monday but there has yet to be an official word from either Jim Hendry or Andy...
January 7, 2008
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, the holiday season is often a time of gift-giving, and this year the presents were varied for many of the members of 2003 Division Champion Cubs. Remember Matt Clement? Good ol' Matt will, unfortunately, be back at the Northside this year, but adorned in Cardinal red with his new contract. Mark Prior definitely got what was on his wish list; a new address back home, where a lot of...
January 6, 2008
Jim Hendry made another minor move on Saturday when he traded Angel Pagan to the New York Mets for two minor league prospects, pitcher Ryan Meyers and outfielder Corey Coles. The trade opened up another roster spot as the Cubs 40-man roster currently stands at 38. Was the Pagan trade a prelude to a bigger deal? Only time will tell. For the second week in a row, Bruce Levine mentioned the Cubs possible interest in...
January 5, 2008
According to reports on XM Radio and on Cubs.com, Angel Pagan was traded to the New York Mets today for two minor leaguers, pitcher Ryan Meyers and outfielder Corey Coles. Updated 2:28pm C.T. with information on both players obtained from the Mets in the trade....
January 5, 2008
The first weekend update of the New Year.... The Hot Stove picked up a little steam toward the end of the week, there was not much movement, just more rumors and speculation. But at least the talk is heating back up again. The Cubs did announce another change to their front office and the official permission to make changes inside of Wrigley Field. The Cubs will add 70 bullpen box seats along the third base...
January 4, 2008
The Cubs Convention will kick off two weeks from today, and boy am I excited! This will be the third year in a row I attend the Convention and it is quite an experience. I wrote a similar column last year, but I could not avoid doing it again. More and more people read the site than ever before and I want all to know the joy and pleasure of attending a Cubs Convention. Also,...
January 3, 2008
The Hot Stove Season has slowed down throughout the league, just not on the North Side of Chicago. Teams will continue to make changes to their rosters over the next six weeks but even XM Radio cannot believe how quiet it is right now. Could this be the calm before pitchers and catchers report? Buck Martinez speculated on Wednesday that the trade between the Tigers and Marlins raised the asking price for proven talent and...
January 2, 2008
MLB front offices, like most of the business world, will return to work today after the long holiday break. Over the next month there should be more wheelin' and dealin', as well as free agent signings, as clubs prepare for Spring Training to begin in mid-February. Probably the biggest story to follow in the coming weeks will be that of Johan Santana. His future in Minnesota will have a domino effect throughout the league as...
January 1, 2008
Happy New Year from everyone here at the CCO!!!! Could this be the year? While everyone is gearing up for a full day of College Football, here are a few numbers to remember.... 45, 59 and 91....as in 45 days until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on February 14th, 59 days until the first Spring Training game against the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale on February 28th and 91 days until Opening Day...
Dorasaga
on Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Diamondbacks - 05/11/08
Ticket Lodge
Discount Chicago Cubs Tickets
www.theticketlodge.com
Stats
Trips to the Northside
Trips to the Northside
© 2005-2008 5&11 Online Productions| Creative Commons License | Contact |
Subscribe