The implications for the Cubs and/or the Ricketts Family are unclear, but probably not serious, if they exist at all. I think. Well, I hope.
Luis Vizcaino
Cubs Considering Offers for Pitchers Chad Gaudin and Angel Guzman
There are no fewer than five remaining pitchers in camp who are battling for just two bullpen spots – Jeff Samardzija, David Patton, Chad Fox, Chad Gaudin, and Angel Guzman (assuming Luis Vizcaino’s spot is assured). The matter of how to fit five into two is the last remaining item on the Chicago Cubs’ agenda [...]
Spring Training Battlewatch: March 27, 2009
The Chicago Cubs beat up on the White Sox (ha), and the more traditional battlewatch is back. Angel Guzman is getting every chance in the world to make the bullpen and not get dumped like a pregnant chick on prom night, but he’s not quite getting there. Gave up two hits, including a homer in [...]
Spring Training Battlewatch: Lou Spills Some Beans
Today, instead of looking at box scores, let’s just look at some things manager Lou Piniella said yesterday. “There are two jobs open in that bullpen as far as I’m concerned,” Piniella said. “We’ve got probably about six candidates, and we’ll let them compete here the last two weeks and see who wants to grab [...]
Spring Training Battlewatch: March 17, 2009
The Chicago Cubs exacted more fake revenge on the Los Angeles Dodgers for last year’s pathetically, embarrassingly, awfully, ridiculously, pathetically, I know I already said pathetically but it was really pathetic, terribly poor playoff effort. Battles! Esteban German and Corey Koskie – making his debut – split time at third. Koskie went 1-2 with a [...]
Spring Training Battlewatch: March 16, 2009
The Cubs played the dreaded, evil Brewers. And lost. Grrr. I’m so angry. Psyche. Psyche about saying psyche. That sound you hear is the sound of Jeff Samardzija’s last, lingering hope to make the Cubs rotation being sucked out the door. He got thoroughly beaten down by a lineup of most of the Brewers regulars. [...]
Luis Vizcaino to the Oakland A’s for Bobby Crosby?
When the Chicago Cubs traded Jason Marquis – and his healthy contract – to the Colorado Rockies earlier this year for Luis Vizcaino – and his healthy contract – the assumption was, well, we just got our Bobby Howry for the year. But as he struggles mightily in Spring Training, Lou Piniella has indicated that [...]
Spring Training Battlewatch: March 8, 2009
The Cubs continued losing, this time to the Rangers. Meh. Pitching dominated the Spring Training battles this time around: Sean Marshall held some really good Rangers hitters scoreless for four innings. I still have a feeling the Cubs would prefer if someone else won the fifth starter job because of Marshall’s dual value as a [...]





The 2009 Chicago Cubs: Preparing for the Worst Case Scenarios
By Brett on April 3, 2009
Readers repeatedly asked me if I was going to write a “Why the 2009 Chicago Cubs Will Suck” article, as I had for the rest of the N.L. Central. My answer, in turn, was a repeated “no.” How could I? There is no objective, reasonable basis to conclude the Cubs will suck this year. But [...]
Posted in Analysis and Commentary | Tagged Aaron Miles, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Marmol, Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs, Derrek Lee, Geovany Soto, Jeff Samardzija, Jim Hendry, Kevin Gregg, Kosuke Fukudome, Lou Piniella, Luis Vizcaino, Mike Fontenot, Milton Bradley, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster, Ryan Theriot, Sean Marshall, Ted Lilly | 1 Response