 Making Moves Before The All-Star Game
Three Cubs set to return from DL for crucial matchups against Braves and Cardinals.
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 Interleague Weekend Shakes Up NL Central
Cubs’ three consecutive walk-off wins come in bizarrely similar fashion.
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 'Striking Out' With The Cubs, Volume 1.0
During the offseason, the Cubs made a conscious decision to improve their lineup against righties and it is already paying dividends. On the mound, the starters have been solid, but using Kevin Gregg as the closer over Carlos Marmol is already ill-advised.
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 2009 Cubs Spring Summit
It will be extremely hard for Ryan Dempster to repeat the success he had in 2008, but if the Cubs could land Jake Peavy they'll be alright.
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 Grading The Deal: Bradley Signs For $30M
The Cubs badly naleded a left handed bat with pop to play the outfield, and zthough they got the 2008 AL leader in OPS, it will be a difficult move to like three years on.
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Auditing The Chicago Cubs 2008 Season
With 100-year symmetry and the most talented team in the NL, 2008 was supposed to be a banner year for the Cubs.
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October Watch: Cubs In Good Position
Chicago is 20-13 against the current playoff contenders this year, including a 10-4 mark in the second half of the season.
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Leading Off With Controversy
The Cubs have displayed patience and discipline at the plate not seen since before the Dusty Baker era, which is where the controversy lies with Alfonso Sorian's return.
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Redemption For Dempster
In terms of “mound presence”, Ryan Dempster looks much more comfortable and confident than he ever did as a closer. He’s working quickly, and consistently getting ahead of hitters in the count.
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Is This A Microcosm For 2008?
The Cubs are off to a slow start at the hands of the worst possible opponent Milwaukee. Will this create a knee-jerk reaction to improve their offer for Brian Roberts? And is it time Carlos Marmol becomes the closer?
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2008 Season Preview: Chicago Cubs
It has been 100 years since the Cubs won the World Series and even 18 years since they won it in 'Taking Care Of Business', and there appears to me an inevitability that it will happen with this current talented but somewhat ragtag core.
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Grading The Deal: Cubs Sign Fukudome
In his nine year career, Kosuke Fukudome has hit .305 with 192 home runs. He will be a power threat for the Cubs, but will also be able to hit for average and use his speed, a la Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners.
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The State Of The Franchise: Chicago Cubs
The Cubs spent big heading into 2007 by hiring Lou Piniella, signing Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly and Mark DeRosa and it paid off with their first playoff appearance since the fateful 2003 season. It was supposed to be a transition year, with 2008 being one where they could actually compete, so the club is ahead of schedule.
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Wasted Money For Cubs?
After one of the busiest off-seasons in baseball history spending nearly $300 million dollars, it was easy to think the Chicago Cubs could be destined for their first World Series championship since 1908.
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Grading The Deal: Lilly To Wrigley
Ted Lilly is an average to above average starting pitcher and a great back of the rotation guy, a solid number three at best, but there is no way he deserves $40 million.
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Baker And Alou: In Together, Out Together
Flash back to 2002 and the baseball landscape was much different than it is today. The Giants had just lost the World Series to the Anaheim Angels, like I said things changed, and manager Dusty Baker was starting to look around for new employment. That is when things started to connect.
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The Curse Of Poor Management And Bad Baseball
The nonsense about the “Curse of the Goat” and Steve Bartman must stop. These problems are human made, not goat made. Cubs’ fans are beginning to wise-up to this and you won’t see many fans mutter the words “Wait Until Next Year” around the old ball park.
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Locking Up Lee
On Tuesday morning, the Cubs announced that Derrek Lee has agreed to a 5 year, $65M contract. In other words, he won’t be clipping coupons any time soon. He is worth every penny of that $13M per year contract. While the Cubs “aces” are once again rehabbing, and the everyday lineup endured a facelift this off-season, Derrek Lee will be asked to carry the brunt of the power. Ask yourself this, “Where would the Cubs be without Lee’s production?”
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It’s Déjà vu All Over Again
For the fans of the Chicago Cubs, this Yogi-ism is becoming a running punch-line when the word “disabled list” is mentioned. Once again, the injury bug has landed in Arizona, and has taken residence in the Cubs clubhouse. Spring training games have just begun, and already Kerry Wood is going under the knife, Mark Prior hasn’t thrown to a live hitter, and Aramis Ramirez has a finger injury.
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Cubs’ Fans in World Class Dilemma
It was only a short two years ago that the Chicago Cubs were five outs away from the World Series. Then, well, you know what happened after that. But things are different now in Chicago. A team is in the World Series for the first time since 1959. It is very ironic that the two longest World Series title droughts are both stationed in the same city. But, in Chicago, that shouldn’t surprise anyone.
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Caught Streaking?
Standing pat with a 12-12 record, Greg Maddux has only three starts left in this 2005 regular season, and he needs to win every one of them to get his customary 15 wins, making 18 consecutive seasons winning 15 or more games.
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Time To Look To ‘06
With September 1st call-ups only a day away and the Chicago Cubs eight games back in the Wild Card race, it is now time to start preparing for next year – again.
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‘No More’ Garciaparra?
The return of Garciaparra for another year on the North side would be very high risk, high reward. If healthy, Nomar is without question one of the top shortstops, if not overall players, in baseball. His .320 career average will support that. But that is a big "If"
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Does Cubs Nation Still Believe?
If the Cubs can get to the 89 or 90 win plateau, then they will have an outside chance at making the playoffs. With the way the team has played this year, quite frankly, that is all this team can hope for. A chance.
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A New Direction (And Director) Needed
With a team loaded with talent and a 54-58 record, is it time for the Cubs to part ways with manager Dusty Baker?
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Help Is On The Way
Now that the trade deadline has come and gone with the Cubs acquiring a much needed leadoff guy, and with the return of three key players from injury, the Cubs look to hit their stride in the last two months of this season.
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Kerry Wood to DL, Then Off To The Pen?
Kerry Wood is heading to the DL yet again, will the Cubs follow in the Red Sox footsteps and send Wood to the bullpen upon his return as they did with Curt Schilling?
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Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Perhaps the most talked about trade possibility in Chicago is that of erratic Center Fielder Corey Patterson. Put simply, Cubs fans are tired of his complete lack of discipline at the plate and his reluctance to cut back on his swing. Currently, he is batting .235 with only 24 RBI’s.
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Lee Has Triple Crown In Sight
With 10 home runs, 56 RBI's and a .385 batting average in a season one-third over, Derek Lee is doing everything he can to bring a triple crown to the Cubs' faithful.
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Simply Unbe-LEE-vable
Is it now safe to say the Cubs got the better of the Hee Seop Choi for Derrek Lee trade? To be fair, the Marlins probably knew they couldn’t afford Lee, so they figured they may as well get something in return. But Hee Seop Choi? When scouts describe your game as “A Passive Hitter”, it doesn’t mean he has a shy personality.
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One El Of A Rivalry
New York isn’t the only city with a rivalry named after public transportation. Wrigley Field, on the north side, and US Cellular Field, on the south side, are separated by 8 miles of “El” track. Just hop on the Red Line and you can visit both in a mere 30 minutes. Although only 8 miles separate these two teams, it may as well be a thousand.
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Prior Only Bright Spot for Cubs Pitching
A current 17-19 record may not have Cubs fans dreaming of the postseason; but if Mark Prior keeps pitching the way he is and the bullpen saves a game once in a while, fans may just be dreaming of a CY Young come October.
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Hawkins Is Losing More Than Games For Cubs
There is plenty of blame to go around for the fall of the once premier set-up man in the game. The question now for the Cubs and Dusty Baker is, “How do we restore all that lost confidence”. Because confidence is exactly what has been lost for Latroy Hawkins and it is spreading like wild fire in that Cubs bullpen.
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Cubs Looking to Rebound After Tough Stretch
After a 7 game losing streak, which saw 3 straight losses in the 9th inning, the Cubs are hoping to build some momentum after their 2-1 victory over the Phillies. Manager Dusty Baker has opted to take Ryan Dempster out of the starting rotation and give him temporary closing duties.
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