A League of Her Own A League of Her Own A League of Her Own is a nationwide community of Chicago Cubs fans. What makes this site unique is that it is run by a female fan who realizes that there is more to baseball than just statistics -- baseball is supposed to be fun. Articles
Friday Morning Headlines/Open Thread
2008-11-07 12:02:00 How do you solve a problem like Fukudome? From the Trib: Whatever caused Kosuke Fukudome to go from phenom to failure, all in his first major-league season, has put the Cubs in a quandary. With manager Lou Piniella insisting on more pop from the left side of the plate and with Fukudome still unproven, the Cubs made no secret about their desire for another right fielder at the just-concluded general managers' meetings. Fukudome's crash has cooled the Cubs' confidence that he will be an everyday player. Right now he is probably a platoon center fielder, meaning the Cubs have to spend more money to protect themselves. That will make GM Jim Hendry's job even more difficult. While Hendry tries to put a positive spin on things, it's obvious the Cubs don't know whether Fukudome is the All-Star player who hit .296 through June or the benched bust who hit .207 from July on. "I told him we had a lot of faith in him coming back and being good but that we're in a position where we're g... More About: Open , Morning , Friday , Headlines , Thread
Rumors
2008-11-06 21:19:00 Sigh. You know how we always say that Hendry fixates on a player and then goes out and gets him when he's about two years past his prime? Are there more Brian Roberts rumors in the Cubs' future? You remember Roberts, the Baltimore second baseman/leadoff hitter whom the Cubs chased all last winter and spring. He is a year away from free agency, and the Orioles might be more willing to part with him this time around. But ... "We've made it known we're going to pursue [a contract] extension and see where it takes us," Baltimore team President Andy MacPhail said. "We've made our interest known, and there has been some dialogue, but we're really at the early stages." MacPhail has set no deadline, but he is anxious to know because if Roberts declines a new contract, he surely will be dealt. The winter meetings would be a likely deadline. Stop temping him, Andy! Jesus, why don't you take a bottle of scotch down to an AA meeting and start waving it in people's faces, while you're a... More About: Rumors
Thursday Morning Headlines/Open Thread
2008-11-06 12:41:00 In case anyone's having a hard time thinking of a Christmas present for me DePaul is desperate for higher enrollment Why else would they offer an undergrad "Cubs History" course? From Cubs.com: College students interested in longtime suffering and heartache have found the perfect subject. About 25 bright young minds gather at DePaul University twice a week for an in-depth class every Chicagoan can relate to. For those scoring at home, it's course number ISP 102-709: Chicago Cubs, taught by professor Blair Banwart and assisted by Ed Pniak. "When I tell people that I'm teaching a class about the Cubs, they kind of laugh, which is understandable," said Banwart, who wears a Cubs hat to class. "You try to make it academic, as much as you can. The kids take it seriously." That's right, a class about baseball. The syllabus includes a look at the history of the club since the 1870s and its effect on the surrounding community. It is one of many freshman-level classes offered at DePaul ... More About: Open , Morning , Thursday , Headlines , Thread
Morning After Headlines/Open Thread
2008-11-05 15:48:00 Way to go, America. You've put a White Sox fan in the White House Of course, you all realize what this means. When WGN does their little pre/post-season warm and fuzzy video pieces about the Cubs and the White Sox, they're going to have the freakin' POTUS, and we're still going to be stuck with Jim Belushi and Jeff Garlin. That SUCKS. Headlines to come as soon as I can find the Sports Section on the front of the Tribune. The whole paper seems to be about some dude from the South Side today. Oh, and in honor of change we can believe in, I give you an election-themed Cake Wreck. And a second cake wreck just because it makes me happy. More About: Open , Morning , Thread
Shall We Watch The Returns?
2008-11-04 23:54:00 If enough people are interested, we'll have a chat. More About: Watch
Election Day Headlines/Open Thread
2008-11-04 12:45:00 This will tie in to something baseball related Not a Cub article, but I read this headline on Yahoo and thought of my hero, pictured above: Former batboy Amaro named Phillies GM Cubs complete big-time trade If by big-time, I mean completely uninteresting From the Daily Herald: The Nationals and Cubs traded minor league pitchers Monday, with Washington getting right-hander Matt Avery and Chicago acquiring lefty Ryan Buchter. Avery went to high school in suburban Maryland and was a college teammate of Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman at Virginia. The 25-year-old reliever spent time at Class A Daytona (1-1, 1.17 ERA in five appearances) and Double-A Tennessee (4-2, 4.46 ERA in 32 appearances) in 2008. Buchter was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in four games in rookie ball, and 2-2 with a 3.26 ERA in 13 relief appearances at Class A Hagerstown. Peavy still a possibility Doesn't seem likely, but it's nice to know they're in the conversation. From the Trib: It appears the Cubs have taken a... More About: Open , Election , Headlines , Thread
Monday Morning Headlines
2008-11-03 16:31:00 You're all probably still sleeping off the remnants of a 3 day Halloween weekend, but no matter there isn't a whole lot going on anyway. Tattoo this! I first read the headline of this and thought I was going to read about a guy getting a World Champions tatoo in August, but alas it was not to be The artist, Derek Rivers, told the Post-Dispatch that he is not a St. Louis Cardinals fan but added the words in red inside an outline of the Cubs' "C" as a joke. Burroughs and Rivers laughed, then Burroughs told Rivers to "color it in now." Rivers did, but the fill-in mysteriously faded and "Go Cards" re-emerged. yes, he tatooed in Go Cards on a Cubs fan, how is that funny? GM meetings are starting today, so everything else is just re-iterating things we already know. check it out here and here and some weird article on Kyle Orton's neck beard have at it people, I'm going to go grab another slice of the pan de muerto, yum! More About: Morning , Monday , Headlines , Monday Morning
Saturday Morning Headlines/Open Thread
2008-11-01 12:16:00 Blanco option declined From the Daily Herald: The Cubs announced Friday they have declined the $3 million option for 2009 on backup catcher Henry Blanco's contract. However, that doesn't mean Blanco's days as a Cub are done. General manager Jim Hendry has expressed interest in bringing back the 37-year-old catcher for less money. Blanco, whose 2007 season was cut short by a potentially career-threatening neck injury, bounced back this year to bat .292, 65 points higher than his career average. In 58 games, he had 3 homers and drove in 12. Tyler Colvin has Tommy John From Cubs.com: Tyler Colvin, one of the Cubs' top prospects, isn't expected to miss much of the 2009 season despite undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery earlier this month, MLB.com has confirmed. Colvin began the Arizona Fall League season with Mesa, but was hitting .176 through 17 at-bats while battling through what was believed to be a bone spur on his left elbow. So the club shut him down in orde... More About: Open , Saturday , Morning , Headlines , Thread
Friday Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-31 15:01:00 Chris DeLuca floats his ideas for leadoff hitters From the Sun-Times: Mark DeRosa took a slow look around the Cubs' clubhouse and knew only one thing for sure that night in Los Angeles when they were eliminated from the playoffs. ''I would love to have the same team back,'' DeRosa said, ''but it's never that way.'' That's a given even for the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies today, as they brace for a celebration that marks the end of their 28-year title drought. The Cubs and White Sox reached the playoffs, but October only exposed their most glaring needs. For the Cubs, that is a speedy leadoff hitter, preferably one who's a switch hitter or bats left-handed -- anything that would allow them to move Alfonso Soriano out of the top spot. The same need exists for the White Sox, who know they're guaranteed one major acquisition this offseason -- a healthy Carlos Quentin -- but also realize they won't go anywhere with the same slow, plodding lineup. Brenly back... More About: Open , Friday , Headlines , Thread
Thursday Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-30 14:49:00 Sully nominates Santo for TV color gig I can't approve of breaking up Pat and Ron. From the Trib: Like Caray, a former radio partner, Santo is not adored by one and all, despite attaining iconic status in Chicago. He's not your classic color guy, and it's sometimes hard to tell what he's groaning about while plays are happening, at least until Pat Hughes fills in the blanks with his steady and reassuring play-by-play. But if Santo became the TV color man, the reasons for his groaning (and cheering) would be more apparent because you actually could see what he was getting so excited about. Santo, obviously, is not Stone or Brenly, the two men who redefined the role of Cubs TV analyst with honest and often blunt criticism of the players, the managerial strategy and the team itself. Fans who grew up watching Cubs games during the "happy totals" era of Jack Brickhouse valued Stone's pull-no-punches commentary in two stints covering 20 seasons between 1983-2004, and Brenly stepped i... More About: Open , Thursday , Headlines , Thread
Wednesday Morning Yawner/Open Thread
2008-10-29 07:02:00 Hoffpauir Headline Hoffpauir wins 2 MiLBys! Yeah, it's a super slow news day. From Cubs.com: Iowa's Micah Hoffpauir can be thankful that Round Rock reliever Ryan Houston doesn't have head-hunting tendencies. Otherwise, the postscript to Hoffpauir's record-setting Aug. 9 performance might have been a bit different. The slugging first baseman had the game of his career that day at Round Rock, connecting for four home runs in his first four at-bats as the Cubs blitzed the Express, 15-3. Hoffpauir's performance tied several Pacific Coast League and Iowa team records and earned him the Minor League Baseball Yearly Award for best overall single-game performance and best performance in a Triple-A contest. My favorite part of the article. Maybe I'm crazy, but there seems to be a problem in here somewhere: Hoffpauir's performance made him the fifth player in modern Pacific Coast League annals to hit four homers in a game and the first since Las Vegas' Eddie Williams did it against ... More About: Open , Morning , Thread , Wednesday
Tuesday Morning Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-28 11:22:00 Just for fun Sully takes a look at some potential off-season acquisitions From the Trib: The Cubs' off-season may be quieter than in recent years, especially if Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood re-sign quickly, eating up a big chunk of general manager Jim Hendry's budget. But plenty of names will be mentioned once or twice as the Cubs seek a left-handed-hitting outfielder, a leadoff man, bullpen help and perhaps another starter to join the foursome of Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Rich Harden. Many current players will see their names crop up in trade talks, including Derrek Lee, Jason Marquis, Sean Marshall, Ronny Cedeno and Felix Pie. That doesn't mean they're going anywhere, but after watching two straight postseason flops, Hendry is willing to listen to just about anyone who wants to talk. New mailbag from Carrie From Cubs.com: First up, Carrie shows why she's paid so much to do what she does: I was wondering what's going to happen to our center fielders, Reed Jo... More About: Open , Morning , Tuesday , Headlines , Thread
Monday Morning Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-27 11:24:00 Aramis is NL's best hitter for 2008 The proof is in the award. From the Trib: Even Aramis Ramirez said he was surprised by his selection as the Hank Aaron Award winner, presented annually by Major League Baseball for what Commissioner Bud Selig called "the most outstanding offensive performers" in each league. "There are a lot of guys, a lot of good choices," Ramirez said after receiving the trophy before Sunday's game. "But the fans voted for me, so I'll take it." When the award was begun a decade ago, it went to the player with the best offensive statistics in each league. This year, for the first time, fans voted on MLB's Web site after each team selected one nominee. Boston's Kevin Youkilis won the AL award, which is a testament to which teams have the most loyal fans. The White Sox nominated Carlos Quentin. "I'm sure that had a lot to do with it," Ramirez said. " The Cubs fans, they are the best fans in the world." Even Aramis Ramirez said he was surprised by his selectio... More About: Open , Morning , Monday , Headlines , Thread
Sunday Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-26 16:10:00 It's another Crazy Uncle Phil day He's hearing whispers again From the Trib: According to Baseball America, the Cubs slipped from ninth to 15th in total budget for the amateur draft, spending about $600,000 less in 2008 than '07. The White Sox increased their spending but can't exactly brag about ranking 23rd. The top five spenders were the Royals, Red Sox, Rays, Pirates and Giants. ... The Cubs are on the list of teams for which Jake Peavy will waive his no-trade clause. This doesn't look like a fit, but don't be surprised if Jim Hendry tries to put together a package that would include a swap of first basemen, Derrek Lee and Adrian Gonzalez, who is supposedly untouchable. Uncle Phil thinks Brenly would fit well in Milwaukee I'm not all that interested in that part of it, so we'll skip to the Manny part. From the Trib: Would the Cubs or White Sox get involved with Ramirez? He seems a long shot for the Cubs, but, if Alfonso Soriano could be traded, he would giv... More About: Open , Sunday , Headlines , Thread
Saturday Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-25 18:02:00 It's movie mania Documentary to remind us of the pain of 2008 From Cubs.com: The 2008 season did not have the perfect Hollywood ending for the Cubs, but that's not what John Scheinfeld or Chad Smith needed to make what they believe will be the perfect movie about the team and its devoted fans. The two are key parts of a crew which documented the Cubs' just-completed baseball season. Because this was the 100th year since the team last won a World Series, it would've been a very happy "The End" if the Cubs had won the championship. Instead, they flopped, getting swept in the National League Division Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers. That didn't spoil the project. "Winning the World Series would've been icing on the cake for us," said Smith, a producer for the film, "We Believe." From the beginning, the plan was to show the spirit that's embodied in Cubs fans. Scheinfeld, a respected director, writer and producer of documentaries, and his Chicago-based crew were given unique ... More About: Open , Saturday , Headlines , Thread
Friday Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-24 12:47:00 Brenly to Milwaukee, Grace to Wrigley press box? I'm envisioning a petition drive and/or wild mob led by cubbiejulie in support of this. No word if Gary Varsho would be the on-field reporter. From the Trib: Mark Grace is likely to be on the short list of candidates to replace Bob Brenly in the Cubs broadcast booth if Brenly gets the managerial job in Milwaukee. ... Brenly interviewed for the Brewers job on Thursday, and is one of three main candidates for the opening, along with Ken Macha and Willie Randolph. The Cubs won't talk about a replacement for Brenly unless he gets a manager's job, but the guessing game over his replacement already has begun. Grace said Thursday he hadn't heard anything about the possibility of returning to the Cubs as a broadcaster. "I don't even know what my contract status is right now [in Arizona]," he said. "I don't even know how much they pay me. I think I'm the third-lowest paid color analyst in all of baseball-so that I do know. "As far as Br... More About: Open , Friday , Headlines , Thread
Game 2 Game Thread/Chat: Phils @ Rays 8:29 PM ET
2008-10-24 01:02:00 Real Men of Genius: Here's to you, Mr. Paints The Grass Before Major Sporting Events Guy Well, I missed the big balk last night . . . maybe that will give me more incentive to stay awake tonight. More About: Chat , Game , Thread , Rays , Game 2
Thursday Morning Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-23 15:27:00 Dallas Green likes Lou, still hates Cubs From the Trib: Now a senior adviser to Phillies general manager Pat Gillick, Green was asked on the eve of the World Series if he felt any sympathy for his former club, which won a league-high 97 games before folding in three games in its NL Division Series. "The only guy I feel sorry for is Lou Piniella," Green replied bluntly. "I love Lou. But Chicago and I didn't leave on good terms. I thought we left Chicago in pretty good shape, and it proved out that we did. And it kind of reminds me of the [2008] Rays to a degree because when I got fired, our minor-league system really hadn't kicked in. I got fired in 1987, and in '89 they went to the World Series." Well, not exactly. The '89 Cubs only made it to the NLCS before losing 4-1 to San Francisco. But Green's point was that the fruits of his labor weren't appreciated until after his departure, when Cubs prospects like Greg Maddux, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark Grace, Joe Girardi and Shawon Dun... More About: Open , Morning , Thursday , Headlines , Thread
World Series Game Thread: Philly @ Tampa 8:35 ET
2008-10-22 22:55:00 I know, I know. But it's BASEBALL. And we only have 7 days of it left, tops. Yes, we're all bummed out and no one cares/wants to watch, but remember how it feels in Mid-January when you would give anything, ANYTHING to even watch the Royals play the Mariners, just because it's BASEBALL. And it's been months since you've seen real, live baseball. And months more before you will. Just sayin'. Click here to enter chat: More About: World , Series , Game , Tampa , World Series
Wednesday Morning Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-22 09:31:00 Half-empty or half-full? Or is it urine, not water? Geo earns unprestigious award From the Daily Herald: Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria and Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto are Rookies of the Year, as selected by The Sporting News and its panel of 314 major league players. Soto batted .285 with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs and handled a pitching staff that included four 11-plus game winners and 97 total victories. The Cubs had the National League's third-lowest team ERA. "In Chicago, there haven't been many catchers who have done what he did, catching 140-some games, because of all the day games and the toll it takes on your body," Cubs pitcherRyan Dempster told The Sporting News. "As far as handling pitchers, he's been lucky and good in that he has veteran guys who know what they want to do. But he's not afraid to come to the mound and challenge us." Hendry to Cub fans: "Don't expect much" From the Trib: One of Jim Hendry's off-season priorities is to find more le... More About: Open , Morning , Headlines , Thread , Wednesday
Tuesday Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-21 15:59:00 Gordo attempts to send Cub fans into a panic From the Sun-Times: The Cubs, who announced the extension for Hendry on Monday, are making a priority of bringing back free-agent pitcher Ryan Dempster, a 17-game winner and Game 1 playoff starter. But even the next in-house priority of keeping All-Star closer Kerry Wood, who has as strong a relationship with Hendry as any player on the team, didn't evoke as strong a response Monday from Hendry. The Cubs could be out of the running for Wood almost before they start, depending on how big a contract and how long a commitment Wood seeks after back-to-back one-year deals. And with built-in contract increases worth more than $22 million for almost a dozen players already under contract, there might be -- for the first time in several years -- little upward payroll flexibility for Hendry to go outside the organization, short of trading a big contract. ''I don't want to get into payroll speculation until Jim and [assistant GM Randy Bush] an... More About: Open , Tuesday , Headlines , Thread
FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!
2008-10-20 20:23:00 Okay, I was just looking for an excuse to post this TribCo ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jim Hendry, architect of the Cubs' back-to-back Central Division champions, isn't going anywhere, at least not soon. Club Chairman Crane Kenney worked around the stalled sale of the franchise to give Hendry a contract extension that runs through 2012, the team announced Monday. Hendry, who was looking at being a lame-duck general manager if he exercised his one-year option for 2009, is expected to get a significant raise as a reward for helping the Cubs become a consistent contender. He is certain to continue his tireless, and thus far frustrating, efforts to win the franchise's first championship since 1908. I've been (very) critical of Hendry in the past, but overall, I think he's done a good job and deserved an extension. He might have deserved it for swiping Rich Harden for Matt Murton and Sean Gallagher alone. Now if we could just get him to stop believing the hype about mediocre Japanese pl... More About: Years
Monday Morning Headlines
2008-10-20 15:58:00 So, I don't know if you heard, but the World Series is set and its....... The Philadelphia Phillies v the Tampa Bay Rays! And Fox right now is having a party! Ok, so its not a complete ratings bonanza, but still the Rays have been a great team all season, and a fun story, and the Phillies, well, the Phillies pissed off the Mets fans, so that's cool too. Here's a little help to get you as excited about this as I am. Projected Rotations Phillies:@ LH Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09, 196 strikeouts), RH Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55), LH Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71), RH Joe Blanton (4-0, 4.20 with Phillies after July 17 trade from Oakland; 9-12, 4.69 overall). Rays:@ LH Scott Kazmir (12-8, 3.49), RH James Shields (14-8, 3.56), RH Matt Garza (11-9, 3.70), RH Andy Sonnanstine (13-9, 4.38). There is a bunch more info in there, but here's the fun part The biggest thing these teams have in common is losing. The Phillies have lost more games than any franchise in professional sports, while Ta... More About: Morning , Monday , Headlines , Monday Morning
Saturday Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-18 12:34:00 Mr. Miles gets in on the Hendry act This one is a compilation of Hendry's greatest hits and misses. I'll just post the last few paragraphs, which have neither hits nor misses. From the Daily Herald: The jury is still out on Fukudome and left fielder Alfonso Soriano, who got eight years and $136 million before the '07 season. The only way Soriano comes close to being worth it is if he carries the Cubs to a World Series title. And even if that happens, that's too much dough for a player who appears to be an annual injury waiting to happen. Hendry also was slow to embrace the importance of sabermetrics and advanced statistical analysis. The vast improvements in on-base percentage, walks and runs scored this year may be a sign that the light has gone on. Cubs fans should hope it's one of those long-lasting bulbs. When it comes to delegating authority, Hendry allows assistant GM Randy Bush significant input. Scouting gurus Gary Hughes and Paul Weaver added independent voices in rece... More About: Open , Saturday , Headlines , Thread
Friday Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-17 12:33:00 Cubs won't let Mariners court Hendry From the Trib: According to Major League Baseball sources, Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney recently declined to give the Seattle Mariners permission to talk to Hendry about their vacant GM position. The Mariners had hoped Hendry would be available because 2008 was the last guaranteed year of his contract, though he holds an option for 2009. The Mariners have been without a GM since firing Bill Bavasi during the season. Lee Pelekoudas has been filling in on an interim basis. Some within the Cubs organization had said it was uncertain whether he would exercise that option knowing he would enter a lame-duck season, either under new ownership or with the slowly moving sale clouding the franchise's future. Kenney previously had said only that he would put his recommendation of a Hendry extension "on a tee" for new ownership. Sources indicate, however, that position has changed, possibly because the international financial crisis may have devalued the fr... More About: Open , Friday , Headlines , Thread
Thursday Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-16 11:05:00 This spectacular image was created by Tim at Cubby Blue. If you haven't yet visited his site, just click on the link already. And Mike Downey, that's for you. Cubs participating in fall, winter leagues It's either this or Mike Downey. From Cubs.com: The Cubs' 2008 season may be over but for young players like Tyler Colvin and Darwin Barney, there's still plenty of baseball to be played. And they're lucky enough to be able to pick Ryne Sandberg's brain a little. Colvin, the team's first-round pick in the June 2006 First-Year Player Draft, and Barney, a fourth-round selection in 2007, are among the eight players from the Cubs organization on the Mesa Solar Sox roster in the Arizona Fall League. Sandberg, the Hall of Fame second baseman who is coming off his second season as manager of the Cubs' Class A Peoria Chiefs, is the hitting coach for the Solar Sox, who play their home games at HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz. Donald Veal getting tryout at LOOGY: Donnie Veal, a second-... More About: Open , Thursday , Headlines , Thread
Wednesday Morning Mailbag Fun/Open Thread
2008-10-15 12:28:00 There's not a lot going on, other than Carrie's Mailbag. So we'll take a look at that today. From Cubs.com: First up, Fulton G. in Elmwood Park has only been watching baseball for two months: Rich Harden's ERA is slightly above 2.00, but he is not mentioned in the top five for ERA in the league, even though his is lower than everyone's on the list. How come? -- Fulton G., Elmwood Park, Ill. Harden did finish with an impressive 10-2 record and 2.07 ERA for the 2008 season, but that's combined from his days with the Athletics and with the Cubs. You're looking at the league leaders, and he did not have enough innings with Chicago to qualify for the National League honors. A pitcher must have a minimum of one inning pitched per team game to qualify. Harden finished with 77 innings in 13 starts with the A's and 71 innings in 12 starts with the Cubs. The Mets' Johan Santana compiled a 2.53 ERA in 234 1/2 innings to claim the NL ERA honors, and Dempster finished fourth with a 2.9... More About: Open , Morning , Thread , Wednesday
Tuesday Headline: RIP Kevin Foster/Tuesday ALCS Game Thread & Chat
2008-10-14 16:40:00 Kevin Foster dies at age 39 From the Trib: Former major league pitcher Kevin Foster, who fulfilled a lifelong dream by playing for the Cubs, died Saturday at the age of 39. The former Evanston High star died in an Oklahoma City hospital after a six-month bout with renal cell carcinoma, his brother, Mark Foster, said. Kevin Foster spent five seasons with the Cubs after being acquired from Philadelphia for Shawn Boskie in 1994, going 32-28 from 1994 to '98. ... Originally signed as an infielder, Foster became a pitcher in '91 and was in the majors with the Phillies briefly in '93. Foster advanced quickly through the Cubs' system before going 12-11 in '95, his first full season in the majors. In 1997, starting for a team that had set a National League record with 14 straight losses to begin the season, he beat the New York Mets in Shea Stadium to end the streak. Foster went 10-5 in 17 first-half starts in '97, becoming the first Cub with 10 wins at the All-Star break since Greg ... More About: Chat , Game , Tuesday , Thread , Kevin
Monday Morning Headlines/Open Thread
2008-10-13 15:39:00 That Garfield is sooooo funny Carol Slezak gives D-Lee the what-for From the Sun-Times: Derrek Lee got it wrong when he said fans couldn't take the Cubs' disastrous postseason experience any harder than the team did. ''We're the ones out there scratching and clawing,'' Lee said. ''I don't think they can take it any harder than we can.'' Why of course they can -- and they have. Players come and go. Fans are forever. Players still get paid no matter how miserably they perform. Fans are the heart of every organization. Fans, not players, hurt most when a team loses. Fans can't become free agents and switch teams at the snap of a finger. Their fandom is in their blood. Just how upsetting did Cubs fans find these playoffs? While Lee and his teammates were out there scratching and clawing, fans felt like clawing their own eyes out. Those three losses to the Dodgers were that painful to watch. Can anything good come from the playoff disaster? It can, and it already has. Cubs... More About: Open , Morning , Monday , Headlines , Thread
Sunday Headlines/NLCS Game Thread: Now With Chat!!!!!!
More articles from this author:2008-10-12 16:32:00 Let's share Charles Kuralt memories today Crazy Uncle Phil wants Hendry to stay I wonder if they get donuts together. From the Trib: im Hendry, the general manager who assembled the team that has won back-to-back National League Central Division titles, deserves a contract extension, but it's unclear if there is anybody to give him one. Club Chairman Crane Kenney, a Tribune executive, has said only that he will put the subject of Hendry's extension "on a tee" for the new owner to address. But it no longer appears that the club will change hands before Dec. 30, which is the deadline for Hendry to exercise his one-year option to return in 2009. So Hendry, as selfless and loyal of an executive as exists in a cutthroat business, is left in a bad position. He must commit on his immediate future without knowing what might lie ahead. So, Uncle Phil, what's the risk of not extending Hendry now? Hendry not only could go somewhere else, but he could take pitchers Ryan Dempster and ... More About: Chat , Sunday , Game , Headlines , Thread 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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