The State of Zambrano

Call him Carlos, or Big Z, or El Toro but the Cubs’ pitcher that most often refers to himself in the third person is arguably the biggest key to the upcoming season. Carlos Zambrano is the number one pitcher on the Cubs’ staff and possesses the stuff to be a legitimate ace, but he has [...]

Just Baseball

For more years than I care to remember spring has always been my favorite time of the year. Blooming flowers, green grass and a renewed spirit replace the long, cold winter. Everything is new, fresh and just looks a lot cleaner than it did a couple of months earlier. But the biggest reason I favor [...]

The Value of Matt Murton

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 [...]

If You Were the Cubs GM….Version 20.08

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 [...]

New Year Resolutions

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 [...]

Exploring the Possibilities – Part Two

After the long weekend it was back to business for baseball on Monday. Jim Hendry completed one of his off-season goals by resigning Kerry Wood to a 1-year contract. The Cubs still have several more questions to answer this winter. With the Winter Meetings six days away, Jim Hendry was on WGN Radio Monday night [...]

Exploring the Possibilities

As the Winter Meetings approach Jim Hendry has a few questions surrounding his team. The Cubs have been relatively quiet so far this off-season with the only major move being the trade of Jacque Jones. Several reports out of Chicago have mentioned what the Cubs could be up to, but what does Jim Hendry have [...]

Lost, But Thankful

I am a creature of habit, I would imagine like most of you. I wake up at the same time every morning and pretty much have the same routine, both on the weekdays and weekend. I always check the CCO for any traffic or comments from the night before and then I read the newspapers [...]

If You Were Lou….The Playoff Roster

Before the season began, before Spring Training, way back at the end of January, the CCO asked the question, “If You Were Lou….“, who would be on your Opening Day roster in April. Well, 162 games later, Sweet Lou has shaped his 40-man roster into a crew of his liking. Now the question is, who [...]

Fasten Your Seatbelts

When the Cubs are locked in a tight game going into the 9th inning, Pat Hughes always reminds his audience to fasten their seatbelts this could be a wild one. Well, the bottom of the 8th inning just ended and I can hear Pat’s voice like he is sitting right next to me. What will [...]