Breaking News: Lou Piniella Retiring Today
ESPN is reporting that Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella is calling it
a career after today’s series finale against the Braves. Piniella had
said he would retire after this season, but he’s decided to hang them
up now.
The decision is driven, according to Piniella, by a family situation – you’ll recall that he left the team a little while ago to attend to his ailing mother. Third base coach Mike Quade – and not bench coach Alan Trammell – will serve as the team’s interim manager for the rest of the season.
Jim Hendry: We’ve Tried to Trade Derrek Lee, But He Declines
According to Chicago Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry, the Cubs have
entertained offers from both the Angels and the Rangers over the past
10 days, but Derrek Lee has declined to accept a trade. Lee has
informed the team that he prefers to finish out his contract year with
the Cubs, and, as a guy who’s been in the league 10 years with at
least the last five spent on the same team, it is his right to do so.
I can’t criticize the guy for exercising his rights, as I do not know
him personally, or the factors that went into such a decision. That
said, this is really unfortunate news for the Cubs, who are going
nowhere this year. Lee could, of course, accept a trade, and then
re-sign with the Cubs after the season. As it is, he is unlikely to be
offered arbitration at the end of the year, due to his exhorbitant
2010 salary, and the Cubs will get nothing if he walks after this
year.
Source: ESPNChicago.com
Enhanced Box Score: Reds 1, Cubs 3 – July 2, 2010
I – like you should – am enjoying my holiday. So you get a fake EBS today.
Randy Wells finally threw a good game against a good lineup, and got
SO MUCH OFFENSIVE SUPPORT.
Cubs DFA Chad Tracy
As I predicted, today the Chicago Cubs elected to designate Chad Tracy
for assignment to clear roster space for Aramis Ramirez. Tracy will
float in limbo for 10 days, during which another team could claim him
or the Cubs could trade him. After those 10 days, he can accept the
assignment and head back to AAA Iowa (where he dominates), or elect to
become a free agent.
Enhanced Box Score: Sox 10, Cubs 5
You’re wondering where the actual EBS is, aren’t you? Well, apologies,
friends. The technological limitations of travel have left me without
the ability to create the EBS today. But do you really want one? It
would just highlight Jake Peavy and say something like “you’re
welcome,” or highlight James Russell and say something like “I thought
John Grabow was on the DL.”
Now you’ll never know.
Good News on Both Zambrano and Baker
Quick hit update: Carlos Zambrano, who was sent to the hospital with
lower abdominal pain, is feeling fine, according to Carrie Muskat and
her trust Twitter. The pain, it seems, was food-related. Fewer 3 a.m.
deep fried pickle runs with Jim Hendry, I say.
Jeff Baker is also expected to be fine after being pulled from
yesterday’s game with a vision problem in his right eye. The problem,
it seems, (I like to say “it seems,” it seems) was an ocular migraine
- unlike their painful cousin, the ocular migraine is often painless,
but jacks up your vision. It can be re-occuring, but is often a
one-off type thing. Everyone seems to believe Baker will be fine.
Carlos Zambrano Sent to Hospital
According to Gordon Wittenmyer’s twitter, Carlos Zambrano has been sent to the hospital with an appendicitis (or at least appendicitis-like symptoms). If he ends up having it out, he could be out for several weeks. We’ll update as we get more information.
UPDATE: From cubs.com, the Cubs have determined it probably isn’t an appendicitis. Zambrano was complaining of lower abdominal pain, so the Cubs were taking every precaution. No update yet on what the actual problem is, or how long Z will be out.
Jeff Stevens to Chicago, Esmailin Caridad to DL
The Chicago Cubs just placed reliever Esmailin Caridad on the 15-day
disabled list with elbow problems (ruh roh), and recalled AAA reliever
Jeff Stevens.
Interesting that Stevens, 26, got the call over other AAA bullpen
options including John Gaub, Jeff Gray, Blake Parker, Jay Jackson, and
some guy named Samardzija. Stevens has a 2.60 ERA on the year, with 21
strikeouts in just over 17 innings. He’s walked 10 and given up 11
hits in those 17 innings, so it has all been blueberries and sunshine.
