Chicago Cubs Analysis

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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?? Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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" Read more »

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. Read more »

With a team loaded with talent and a 54-58 record, is it time for the Cubs to part ways with manager Dusty Baker? Read more »

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. Read more »

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? Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »

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. Read more »