Adam Dunn Loves the Chicago Cubs
After trading Derrek Lee, the Chicago Cubs opened up a substantial void at first base – a void, though, that was likely to be opened after the season anyway. Lee is a free agent after this season, and the Cubs, who’d rebuffed Lee’s attempts to discuss an extension, seemed eager to explore alternatives for 2011.
One such alternative is playing on the other side of the diamond this week: National’s first baseman, Adam Dunn. Dunn, also a free agent after this season, has been discussing an extension with the Nationals with little progress to show for it. Would Dunn consider coming to the Cubs?
”It’s a great place to play,” said Dunn, who’s an old Cincinnati teammate and friend of Cubs clubhouse leader Ryan Dempster and who also has developed a rapport, if not a budding relationship, with Hendry.
”I know Jim from my Cincinnati days,” he said. ”We hit it off. He’s one of my favorites. And I hear nothing but great things about him.”
If nothing else, it sounds like a pretty good fit.
”Hopefully,” Dunn said, catching himself to reiterate his ongoing talks with the Nats. ”You never know.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Three quick thoughts:
1.) Obviously this is mega early. The Cubs wouldn’t actually be able to start pursuing Dunn until a couple weeks after the World Series.
2.) Dunn made some overtures toward the Cubs in 2008 regarding the team’s opening in right field before the Cubs chose, sigh, Milton Bradley. The Cubs were not interested at that time, though that could simply be because they didn’t feel he could handle right field. First base might be another story.
3.) Guys with Dunn’s skill set – big, hulking dudes, who are low on athleticism but big on power – do not generally tend to age well. Adam Dunn is not old, but he is now on the north side of 30.
Ryan Dempster Misses Ted Lilly
When the Chicago Cubs traded Ted Lilly to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, Ryan Dempster became the unquestioned number one in the Chicago Cubs’ rotation. But despite that nominal accolade, Ryan Dempster wishes Lilly was still around. He misses the bulldog.
”With Teddy, I always appreciated him every day for what a teammate he was and what a competitor he was, probably more than anything,” Dempster (9-8) said after six muggy innings without allowing an earned run to beat the Milwaukee Brewers and end the Cubs’ seven-game losing streak.
”I always thought I was the most competitive person out there. I never thought I’d find anybody more competitive until I met him.”
Lilly, who won his debut Tuesday for the Los Angeles Dodgers, famously ran over St.Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to score a key run in the Cubs’ stretch drive in 2008, stole a base sliding head-first in a minor-league rehab start early this season and once attacked a pit bull barehanded to rescue his wife’s dog.
”I know they got somebody pretty special over there, and hopefully someday down the road, I’ll have the chance to play with him again,” Dempster said, ”because you don’t find too many guys like that out there.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Once attacked a pit bull barehanded? For a second I thought they were describing Chuck Norris or the Dos Equis guy. Or, I thought perhaps the guys who run the Ted Lilly Fan Club had taken root with the Sun Times.
Ted Lilly will indeed be missed, but hopes that he’ll return to the Cubs after this year should probably be tempered. Given his age, likely cost, and exclusive Dodger negotiating window, a return to the Cubs is probably not in the cards.
Series Preview: Brewers v. Cubs, August 2 – August 4, 2010
It’s Series Preview time again, as the Chicago Cubs welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to Wrigley Field – still the one team, outside of Arizona, against whom the Cubs have played well this year. The Brewers didn’t conduct a sell-off, so they’ll be at full-strength.
A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.
Check out the Brewers series preview, after the jump
Series Preview: Cubs v. Rockies, July 30 – August 1, 2010
The Chicago Cubs head out to Denver to take on a team nearly as disappointing (recently) as the Cubs, the Colorado Rockies. At least it’s really pretty out there. Shrug.
A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year streaks, lineups, game times, broadcast schedule, etc. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.
Check out the Rockies series preview, after the jump
Series Preview: Phillies v. Cubs, July 15 – July 18, 2010
It’s series preview time again as the second half begins, and the Chicago Cubs are set to DOMINATE! Ha. Snap.
But seriously, the Cubs welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to Wrigley for a four-game set. You should probably set your phasers to “lose,” as any glimmer of hope at this point in the season will be (1) a tease and (2) a deterrent to making meaningful trades. A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.
Check out the Phillies series preview, after the jump
Zambranogate: Carlos Won’t Be Back Until After All Star Break
Although we aren’t yet sure when Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano will return to the team, we know that it won’t be for a while.
Zambrano, 29, moves today from the suspended list without pay to the restricted list with pay, with a mandatory order to undergo treatment to control the emotional outbursts that have come to define him more than his pitching.
General manager Jim Hendry wouldn’t estimate how long Zambrano would be inactive but said he wouldn’t be back before the All-Star break. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
That puts Zambrano’s return – the bullpen, mind you – no sooner than July 15. That’s also assuming the counseling helps, and Zambrano apologizes to his teammates. Both Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Dempster have stated publicly that Zambrano needs to apologize, so it isn’t just coming from Lou Piniella and Jim Hendry. Given Zambrano’s bull-headed behavior in the past, it’s hard to imagine that apology coming easily.
Series Preview: Cubs v. White Sox, June 25 – June 27, 2010
The excitement of the BP Environmentally-Friendly Crosstown Cup is reaching a FEVER PITCH. Given this season’s performance of the two, er, one of the Chicago clubs, I’d say it’s a fitting that the rivalry is sponsored by a company associated, at present, with an oozing flow of oily sludge. Time for the Series Preview.
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of hot chicks, too.
Check out the White Sox series preview, after the jump
God’s Wrath Watch: Carlos Silva’s Strained Hammy Will Keep Him Out a Few Days
Minor injury news in the rotation – Carlos Silva is going to miss his scheduled start this week against his former team, the Seattle Mariners, while he rests a mildly strained hamstring. He hurt it this weekend against the Angels, resulting in an early removal from the game. The hope was the early exit and rest would get him back on track, but it’s going to take a couple extra days.
“He tweaked it pretty good the other day, and we had to get him out of the game after 69 pitches,” Piniella said. “He had a throw-day today with the pitching coach [Larry Rothschild]. It was decided that we should hold him back and give him a little more time, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
Silva is now slated for Saturday’s start against the White Sox, and lefty Ted Lilly will get the ball Thursday against Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. Carlos Zambrano will now start Friday and Tuesday’s starter, Ryan Dempster, is scheduled to toe the slab on Sunday. cubs.com.
Better safe than sorry, of course, but it’s unfortunate for the Cubs to lose their best starting pitcher (wow, did I really say that?) for any stretch of time.
