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Comments, News & Rumors - 2004 August
Archives
Headlines
Expanding the roster - 8/31/04 10:39pm
Cubs acquire more depth - 8/31/04 10:21pm
Sosa on the decline? - 8/29/04 10:27pm
Cubs lose series to Houston - 8/29/04 7:05pm
Farnsworth lands on DL - 8/29/04 8:05am
Farnsworth continues to struggle - 8/28/04 8:16am
Cubs sign Corey's brother - 8/28/04 8:12am
War with Oswalt continues - 8/28/04 8:01am
Cubs still looking for closer - 8/28/04 7:52am
Oswalt vs Cubs - 8/27/04 8:17am
Prior has good outing - 8/27/04 8:01am
More concrete falling at Wrigley? - 8/26/04 2:04pm
Patterson helps Cubs sweep - 8/25/04 5:47pm
Mayor Daley tells Cubs to "Get a team" - 8/25/04 8:24am
Cubs heat up against Brewers - 8/24/04 11:08pm
Cubs announce food drive - 8/24/04 2:53pm
Garciaparra headed to DL? - 8/23/04 10:15pm
Zambrano no-no's through 6 1/3 - 8/23/04 9:54pm
Wrigley stays open - 8/23/04 12:31pm
Garciaparra sits again - 8/22/04 3:23pm
New lineup a success - 8/21/04 12:07am
Wrigley to be inspected again - 8/20/04 11:52pm
Sosa ties Mantle - 8/20/04 11:46pm
Cubs sign Perez - 8/19/04 7:01pm
City wants to inspect Wrigley again - 8/19/04 6:48pm
Sosa volunteers to move down in order - 8/18/04 9:52pm
Baker calls team meeting - 8/18/04 9:34pm
Sosa moves to 5th in batting order - 8/18/04 6:35pm
Farnsworth's future uncertain - 8/18/04 6:15pm
Get tickets for $1 - 8/17/04 7:19pm
Next 45 games - 8/17/04 7:04pm
Wood's suspension upheld - 8/17/04 7:26am
Evaluating Corey Patterson - 8/15/04 10:43pm
Cubs sign #1 draft pick - 8/15/04 8:46am
Why boo? - 8/14/04 6:09pm
Pitcher Ratings - 2003 to 2004 - 8/14/04 1:54pm
Hawkins serves suspension - 8/13/04 6:23pm
Sosa treated with boos - 8/12/04 8:45pm
Wood and Hawkins try to reduce suspensions - 8/12/04 11:30am
Sammy and Dusty have a heart-to-heart - 8/12/04 10:50am
Own part of Maddux history - 8/11/04 7:24pm
Baserunning #1 weakness - 8/11/04 7:18pm
Hollandsworth out for season? - 8/11/04 7:13pm
Prior not back to form - 8/10/04 10:02pm
Sosa moves to 7th on career home run list - 8/10/04 8:34pm
Cubs missing the little things - 8/9/04 7:25pm
Maddux reaches milestone - 8/9/04 7:13pm
Maddux to attempt 300 again - 8/7/04 10:46am
'This Old Cub' coming to DVD - 8/7/04 10:30am
Zambrano to Serve Suspension - 8/6/04 8:46am
Is JoBo returning? - 8/5/04 9:10pm
Hollandsworth returning soon - 8/4/04 10:42pm
Barrett trades nomar #5 - 8/4/04 7:12pm
Nomar apoligizes for stealing the spotlight - 8/2/04 9:04pm
Cubs experiment with new batting order - 8/1/04 7:14pm
Maddux to try again - 8/1/04 3:02pm
Garciaparra expected to debut in Maddux's quest for 300 - 8/1/04 8:25am
8/31/04 10:39pm - Expanding the roster
With the acquisition of several new players, who could expect to join the team for the road to the playoffs? You can expect
that they will be looking for bullpen help and infield backup.
With the acquisition of Ben Grieve and Mike DiFelice, it looks like the Cubs plan to carry an extra outfielder and a
backup catcher. However, other positions need to be addressed because of injuries. With the Garciaparra and Ramirez
battling nagging injuries, they will look to add another player to fill these positions if needed. Ramon Martinez has
played well this year, but the Cubs will need to add another backup. With the addition of Neifi Perez several weeks ago,
it looks like he may be the first to be called up.
The Cubs plan to move from about 12 pitchers to 15. Two players who have already been with the big league team this year
are Sergio Mitre and Michael Wuertz. Filling in for Prior early this year, Mitre was 2-4 with a 6.51 ERA, but in 17 games
at Triple-A Iowa, he was 5-3 with a 3.09 ERA. Wuertz has been used as a closer in Iowa and has 17 saves with a 2.66 ERA.
He appeared in 20 games with the big league club, but had some problems giving up 13 runs over 17 1/3 innings.
With Farnsworth possibly on the DL for the rest of the season, the Cubs will keep Todd Wellemeyer on the roster, but if
Joe Borowski is ready for a return, he could also join the Club. Expect the Cubs to stick with Wellemeyer, Mitre,
Wuertz, and possibly Borowski. For their offense, we should see the Cubs go with Perez, Grieve and DiFelice. If
Hollandsworth is ready to return from his injury, he will make the cut as well.
The Cubs also have Jason Dubois and
David Kelton ready if needed. Dubois, an outfielder, is batting .317 with 28 homers in Iowa. Kelton, who was called up
last year, is batting .243 with 18 homers this season with Iowa.
- Bryan | Return
8/31/04 10:21pm - Cubs acquire more depth
The Cubs started to build up for the playoff run today, acquiring outfielder Ben Grieve from the Brewers and catcher
Mike DiFelice from the Tigers. The Cubs sent a player to be named and cash for Grieve and then gave up a player to be
named for DiFelice.
Grieve is hitting .261 this year with seven home runs and 29 RBI's in 108 games. DiFelice, who is 35, has been with the
Toledo Mudhens Triple-A and hit .270 with 36 RBIs in 64 games. While with the Tigers, he hit only .136 with 2 RBI's in
22 at-bats. Last season, he hit a career high 16 doubles in 62 games with the Royals.
Both players bring strength to the Cubs in the outfield and behind the plate. With Hollandsworth hurt, Grieve will fill
in nicely as a pinch hitter. With only two catchers, it has been hard for the Cubs to pinch hit for the catcher spot.
If either one of the catchers got injured, they would be in serious trouble. This deal helps the Cubs expand their
roster with veterans, rather than with minor leaguers who have no experience. Wednesday began the period where MLB teams
are allowed to expand their rosters for the playoffs.
Grieve was happy to join the Cubs. "Once I found out I was traded, I was glad that it was the Chicago Cubs," Grieve
said from Milwaukee. "I was surprised I was traded, but once I found out, I was pretty excited. It's pretty obvious that
that's a pretty good team to go to. They're right in the playoff hunt still, and they have 15 or 20 guys on their team
that are pretty big names."
- Bryan | Return
8/29/04 10:27pm - Sosa on the decline?
Can Sammy ever get back to his old self? The guy is 35 years old and has battled controversy and injury for the
past few years. Now he is in one of the worst slumps of his career batting a little over .250 on the season. He
has also steadily declined in his production, batting .328 in 2001, to .288 in 2002, to .279 in 2003.
Within the past two years, other players have emerged as the offensive leaders of the team. Moises Alou, Aramis
Ramirez, Derrek Lee, and now Nomar Garciaparra are the big hitters of 2004. The Cubs also have a dream pitching
staff with Prior, Wood, and Maddux. All these things take the focus away from Sosa.
Batting .220 since the All-Star break, Sosa continues to receive boos at a place where he was once worshipped as a
god. He has altered his batting stance to help correct his slump, but only received opposition from coaches and
fans for being too far off the plate. He also had problems with Dusty Baker after Dusty suggested that he was
too sensitive to move down in the batting order. It almost seems he was pressured by the media and fans into
volunteering to move down in the batting order.
One thing everyone can agree on is that Sosa is a showman. His pre-game rituals demonstrate that as he is the
first player on the field, running out to get his ovation. An ovation that is not as loud as it once was. Yes,
Sosa still gets the crowd going, but he also has just as many people booing him as cheering him half the
time.
Saying all this, Sosa still plays hard as ever. He continues to say and do all the right things. Volunteering to
drop down in the order may have bought him some time, but Sosa is the kind of person who needs to be the savior
on the team. He wants to call the Cubs his team, but is it anymore? Can he be worth the money the Cubs are
paying him if he continues to play as he has?
- Bryan | Return
8/29/04 7:05pm - Cubs lose series to Houston
For the third straight day, the Cubs fell to the Houston Astros. To make matters worse, Clement left the game
after 4 1/3 innings with upper back and neck strain. His status is listed as day-to-day.
Chicago, now tied with San Diego in the Wild Card race, had more problems with its bullpen. Mercker gave up
one run in 1 2/3 innings, Dempster gave up three runs in 1 inning, and Remlinger gave up two runs in 2/3 of an
inning.
To add fuel to the Houston-Chicago fire, in the eigth inning Ryan Dempster hit Carlos Beltran in the knee.
After Dempster was pulled, the bases were loaded and Remlinger appeared to have hit Lance Berkman in the head.
Berkman went to the ground and stayed down for several minutes, clutching his helmet. He said the ball hit him,
but Remlinger and the Cubs believe Berkman was pulling a stunt. While trainers worked with Berkman, the stadium
replays showed that the ball actually hit Berkman's bat and then bounced off his head. Berkman was awarded first
base anyway, which forced in a run.
"I thought it was pretty chicken," Remlinger said. "You hit somebody and it turns out that you look at the tape
and Berkman didn't even get hit. (He) was pretending he got hit in the face and thinking maybe you put somebody
in the hospital and then you find out he's faking it. That speaks for itself, pretty poor."
In the bottom of the ninth, the benches once again cleared after Dan Wheeler plucked Derrick Lee in the back.
Lee took first, but not without Remlinger leaving the dugout to have words with the Houston bench. There
is no word if any action will be taken against Remlinger.
- Bryan | Return
8/29/04 8:05pm - Farnsworth lands on DL
Maybe it was a bad sign when Kyle Farnsworth threw his glove into the crowd on Friday. After he walked off the field and
into the clubhouse, Farnsworth kicked an electric fan, and injuried his knee. He was then placed on the 15 day disabled
list with a sprained and bruised right knee. Saturday, Farnsworth was on crutches and declined to comment.
"He was rather upset after the game, You hate for it to happen. You wish things had been handled better," Dusty Baker said.
"You know everybody has done something similar at some time in their career. There's a valuable lesson here,
an expensive one."
Cubs trainer Dave Groeschner said Farnsworth had an MRI exam, but did not find any ligament damage. "From what he did,
he almost hyperextended it," Groeschner said, estimating it be three-to-four weeks until Farnsworth can pitch.
- Bryan | Return
8/28/04 8:16am - Farnsworth continues to struggle
Kyle Farnsworth thought a new haircut might change he luck. He was wrong, as the Astros lit him up for six runs
on six hits in the ninth inning on Friday. His ERA has jumped up to 5.12, which brings many Cubs fans to question
how much longer the Cubs can wait on him.
After Farnsworth ended the inning, he walked into the dugout, but not before tossing his glove into the crowd. After
the game, Kent Mercker erupted on plate umpire, C.B. Bucknor, after Mercker though he was laughing at the struggling
Farnsworth as the trainer visited the mound. Crew chief Mike Reilly said, Bucknor was smiling over something
that assistant trainer Sandy Krun had said while he heading back to the dugout after talking with
Farnsworth.
"Mercker misunderstood what C.B. was doing," Reilly said. "C.B. is not going to laugh at a pitcher when he's hurt.
That's the most ridiculous thing in the world. Mercker just didn't understand what was happening at the time."
Currently, there is no update on what problems Farnsworth was having, but Farnsworth tossing his glove in the crowd
was not a good sign. Will the Cubs send him down to triple-A to get his grove back? Will they put him on the
DL like they did to Joe Borowski once he started to have problems?
The Cubs have not used Farnsworth in a tight situation since August 15th against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when
he led the way to a five-run Dodgers rally. "I didn't disappear him," Baker said. "He disappeared himself."
- Bryan | Return
8/28/04 8:12am - Cubs sign Corey's brother
The Cubs signed another member of the Patterson family on Friday. Eigth-round draft pick, Eric Patterson, was
signed a $300,000 deal to join the Cubs. Patterson is a very fast second baseman, with less power than Corey,
but apparently more speed. The Cubs think Patterson will be a great leadoff hitter soon.
At Georgia Tech, Eric, 21, hit .326 with nine homers, 49 RBI and 48 stolen bases last season. He earned
all-ACC honors for the third straight year, becoming just the third player in Georgia Tech history to accomplish
the feat.
- Bryan | Return
8/28/04 8:01am - War with Oswalt continues
It didn't take long for the benches to clear on Friday. When Roy Oswalt stepped up to the plate, Michael Barrett
immediately started jawing, which resulted in both benches clearing. No punches were thrown, but it continued
even after Oswalt grounded out. As he was running to first base, Barrett, who was backing up the throw, continued
to jaw with Oswalt, which prompted Astros first base coach Jose Cruz to intervene. The inning ended on two foul balls that Barrett retired, which received a huge reaction
from the fans.
Oswalt was then hit by a pitch from reliever, Kent Mercker, in the top of the sixth inning. This time the benches
did not clear, and Oswalt jogged to first as both benches were warned.
Barrett said he hadn't gotten a chance to speak to Oswalt last Sunday so he took his opportunity in the
second inning. "He came up that inning and I wanted to get it over with," Barrett said.
"I don't think it's over," Barrett said. "In 2001, he hit [Jose] Vidro in the head and I was one of Vidro's
teammates. That was after Vidro hit a home run off him. Then [Paul] Bako gets two hits and he throws at Bako's
head. Out of his frustration, he decides to throw at me.
"You can argue all you want to that that's the way the game should be played. I disagree," Barrett said.
"I think there's a time and place for everything -- you want to pitch inside, fine. But to hit someone
intentionally, especially the way he did it and the fashion he did it, I think is wrong."
Fans were excited to see Barrett protecting his pitchers and former teammates and gave him a huge ovation
each time he stepped to the plate. Unfortunately, it didn't help the Cubs pull off a victory, as they fell
15-7 on Friday.
- Bryan | Return
8/28/04 7:52am - Cubs still looking for closer
Jim Hendry is still looking to find a closer, however, it seems like a deal for Jose Mesa or Ugueth Urbina
will be unlikely.
Mesa was adamant on Friday that he would not go to any other team, but that didn't matter because the San Francisco
Giants put a waiver claim in for him before the Cubs did. As for Urbina, it is unlikely that
the Tigers will put him on waivers, but the Cubs expect to put in a claim if it happens. If he is put on waivers,
the Cubs expect that other teams will attempt a block.
- Bryan | Return
8/27/04 8:17am - Oswalt vs Cubs
The Cubs will be going up against one of their recent favorite players: Roy Oswalt. This is the second meeting
in five days, and a rematch from last weekend when sparks flew. After giving up a three run homerun to Ramirez
in the third inning of that game, Oswalt was tossed for throwing at Michael Barrett and hitting him in the back.
Barrett slowly walked to the mound pointing at Oswalt. It appeared he was saying, "Watch your back."
Barrett spoke to reporters after that game. "I was a little disappointed in Roy," said Barrett. "I thought
he was better than that. We're going to see him again." Barrett still has a bruise on his back.
In the same game, Kerry Wood hit three batters and was finally tossed from the game after hitting Jeff Kent only
two outs from being eligible for the win. Wood had to be tossed because of the warnings to both benches. After
the game, fans on both sides of the fence, discussed the ejections. Did Oswalt hit Barrett intentionally? Did
Wood hit any of the three batters intentionally? Reading Wood's body language and the fact that he only had
two outs from being eligible for the victory, it was obvious that Wood was not trying to hit anyone.
After the game, Oswalt's own teammates suggested he did throw at Barrett. "I'd have thrown Roy out," Jeff Bagwell said.
"That's about as obvious as it can be." This resulted in some words between Oswalt and Bagwell.
Neither pitcher received any suspensions, which resulted in Wood and Baker questioning the consistency of the
MLB justice system. Wood was ejected from a game earlier this year for arguing balls and strikes and ended up
receiving a five game suspension.
- Bryan | Return
8/27/04 8:01am - Prior has good outing
Mark Prior may be back to form. On Thursday, he struck out eight batters and only gave up two runs with
seven hits in six innings. In Prior's last few outings, his control has been an issue. Last weekend, he
walked eight batters, while he only walked three on Thursday. Houston manager Phil Garner said Prior didn't
appear to be as sharp as he has been in the past.
"He changed his style a little bit and kept us off balance," Garner said. "He pitched off his fastball more."
Prior was making his 15th start of the season after missing the first two months of the season with right
Achilles tendinitis. Since June 25, he is only 2-2 with five no-decisions, and the Cubs are 5-5 in those
10 starts.
In the game, Corey Patterson continued to sizzle going 2-5 and raising his batting average to .293. Sosa
and Ramirez also hit home runs in the game.
- Bryan | Return
8/26/04 2:04pm - More concrete falling at Wrigley?
Has another incident of falling brick happened at Wrigley Field? Wednesday, a fan suggested they had evidence that more
bricks were falling. The following is a statement from the Chicago Cubs:
A fan attending Wednesday's game reported to the Chicago Cubs that he had evidence of falling concrete at Wrigley Field.
The Chicago Police Department was notified and the individual was interviewed. The Chicago Cubs also notified the City's
Building Commissioner Stan Kaderbek of the incident. Based on the Chicago Police Department's investigation and the information
we have to date, we agree with the City's assessment there is insufficient evidence at this time to believe this is an incident
of falling concrete at Wrigley Field.
- Jim | Return
8/25/04 5:47pm - Patterson helps Cubs sweep
Corey Patterson helped the Cubs sweep the Brewers by hitting a two-run homerun Wednesday. In the bottom of the 9th,
Mark Grudzielanek hit a controversial triple after the ball landed in what appeared to be foul territory. After two
straight infield pop-outs, it was up to Patterson. Down two strikes in the count, Corey belted a homer to right field,
winning the game and sweeping the Brewers.
Moises Alou finished with another homer, bringing his total to 32. Sammy Sosa indicated that he may be coming out of his
terrible slump after he finished 2-3 with a walk. In their last seven games, the Cubs are 6-1.
- Jim | Return
8/25/04 8:24am - Mayor Daley tells Cubs to "Get a team"
It sounds like there is some bad blood between the City of Chicago and Cubs President Andy MacPhail. In a rather unprofessional
gesture on Tuesday, Mayor Daley told the Cubs President to "Get a team" and "put a clamp on his mouth". These comments come after
MacPhail accused the City of demolishing significant portions of Wrigley Field after several inspections.
While the main priority is to keep people safe at Wrigley, it sounds like the City of Chicago has been holding a grudge against
the Cubs after ordering another inspection last week. After a reporter suggested the repairs looked "shoddy", a new inspection
was ordered even after the Cubs provided two separate reports that Wrigley was safe.
For the Wild Card leading Cubs, this comes as a surprise from someone who should be more professional. A diehard Sox fan,
Mayor Daley kept uttering "Poor guy.. Poor guy..." when talking about MacPhail. MacPhail refused to comment to Daley for fear
of intensifying the feud and the Tribune Company.
After the latest inspection, MacPhail sent a letter to Buildings Commissioner Stan Kaderbek accusing the city's handpicked consultants
of "demolishing significant portions of Wrigley to review repairs, some of which were done many years ago," only to find what two
other structural engineering firms had already found: the ballpark is safe.
This accusation came after the City requested that Construction Technology Laboratories take multiple concrete core samples from the
concrete at Wrigley. After this was done, the firm left broken concrete in six different places where ramp repairs were made. This
request was made to examine the structural steel beneath.
Mayor Daley may be putting his team loyalty before the City of Chicago after making the comments that he did. The City of Chicago
has every right to protect the fans that enter Wrigley Field, but after two separate reports that the stadium is safe, is it necessary
for the City to continue to harass the Cubs and the Tribune Company?
- Jim | Return
8/24/04 11:08pm - Cubs heat up against Brewers
Tuesday, the Cubs again showed signs that they are starting to prepare for the playoffs. Now a full game ahead
of the Giants, the Cubs toppled the Brewers 13-4. The Cubs finished with 13 hits, which included a grand slam
by Lee, 2 homers by Alou, and another by Ramirez.
Cubs fans were greeted with other good news as Nomar Garciaparra started the game. Nomar finished 0-4 but scored
a run. Corey Patterson also gave fans something to talk about. Since he has taken over the leadoff spot
in the roster, Patterson has been a hitting machine. Patterson was 3-4, and raised his batting average to .291.
The Cubs now have Patterson, Lee, Garciaparra, Ramirez, Grudzielanek, and Barrett all batting at or near .300. They
also have 4 players near 30 homers (Alou with 31, Sosa with 28, Lee with 27, and Ramirez with 26).
- Bryan | Return
8/24/04 2:53pm - Cubs announce food drive
Cubs fans may want to stop by Wrigley Field on Saturday. The Chicago Cubs wives and Bank of America will host a food drive outside
the stadium. A donation of 10$ or five non-perishable goods will get you an autograph 5x7 photo of a select Cubs player. There
is a limit of two photos per person while supplies last.
The Food Drive will benefit the Lakeview Pantry and Cubs Care. Lakeview Pantry is the Greater Chicago Food Depository's fifth
largest distributor of food and a model for all emergency food sites in the City of Chicago. Cubs Care is the charitable
beneficiary of the Chicago Cubs. The organization is run by the wives of the Cubs players. The fund supports youth baseball,
softball and sports programs, children with special needs, and domestic violence shelters for women and their children in Chicago.
Stop by the corner of Sheffield and Addison near the Harry Carey statue to donate goods.
- Jeff | Return
8/23/04 10:15pm - Garciaparra headed to DL?
Nomar Garciaparra sat out for his third consecutive game and there is no guarantee that he will be able to play Tuesday.
After aggravating his wrist Friday in batting practice, Dusty Baker decided to give Nomar some time to heal form his
injuries. Garciaparra has been bothered by a sore Achilles that he injured in spring training this year.
After injuring his wrist Friday, the Cubs had Nomar checked by team doctors. He said that his Achilles "checked out
well" on Monday after his evaluation. Nomar insists he will be ready to play Tuesday, but is there more to be concerned
about? In 2001, Nomar played only 21 games after having surgery on the same wrist. The Cubs have not made any decisions
about putting Nomar on the disabled list to let his injuries heal.
"We just have to wait this thing out and see," Baker said. "There's going to come a point where we have to make a decision
and hopefully it's a good decision, not a bad one."
- Bryan | Return
8/23/04 9:54pm - Zambrano no-no's through 6 1/3
The Cubs had another great performance by Carlos Zambrano, as he took a no hitter into the 7th inning on Monday.
Zambrano gave up three runs in the 7th, but finished with the win as the Cubs continued to swing the bats well, winning
8-3. Zambrano once again gave a great performance, striking out nine batters. Zambrano brought his record to 12-7.
The Cubs bats continued their hitting spree after they had 13 hits and scored 8 times. Each of the starting players
had at least one hit in the game, including Zambrano.
One thing that brought some concern to Cubs fans was that Nomar Garciaparra was absent from the lineup for the third
consecutive game. Nomar has been sidelined with his sore Achilles, but he also aggravated his wrist during batting
practice Friday. He insists he is able to play, but Dusty Baker had his sore Achilles re-evaluated by team doctors before
Monday's game. The good news is that he did take soft grounders during batting practice and said he could
play Tuesday.
- Bryan | Return
8/23/04 12:31pm - Wrigley stays open
According to Ald. Tom Tunney, Wrigley Field will not be shut down tonight after the City of Chicago ordered another
set of inspections on the 90 year old stadium.
"I can't speak for [Buildings Commissioner Stan] Kaderbek, but my understanding is that they will be playing [Monday]
night," said Tunney, whose ward includes Wrigley Field. "We are good to go."
Regardless if Wrigley opens tonight, the Cubs still have fixes to make on the stadium. Buildings Department spokeswoman
Breelyn Pete said Wrigley won't reopen next spring as long as safety nets are still in place. Instead, the Cubs will
have to fix their problems by the start of the 2005 season. Cubs officials said it was impossible to fix during the 2004
season because scaffolding would obstruct the view, but they were planning extensive repairs during the offseason.
- Jim | Return
8/22/04 3:23pm - Garciaparra sits again
For the second straight day, Nomar Garciaparra sat out a game. Apparently, he is still bothered by a sore
right Achilles tendon. Garciaparra continues to receive treatment and has been sitting out of batting practice.
Because Nomar sat, the Cubs had to move Todd Walker into the 3rd spot.
Do the Cubs have to worry? As it looks now, they have to sit Nomar at least once a week. He did mention
after the trade that he is not 100%, but insisted he would play through his problems. Nomar had problems
in Boston after it was reported that he requested to be put on the DL for the remainder of the season. Nomar
denied this rumor and told the Cubs he was good enough to play and continue to produce. The Cubs hope
Garciaparra can fight through the Achilles injury and be ready for the final games of the season. Since joining
the Cubs, Garciaparra has been the spark the Cubs needed.
- Bryan | Return
8/21/04 12:07am - New lineup a success
The Cubs' new lineup looks to be a success so far. Friday, the Cubs piled up 9 runs on 13 hits and hit
a season high 6 homeruns. Alou, Sosa, Garciaparra, and Patterson each hit homers, while Grudzielanek hit
2. This marks the third day where the Cubs have had at least 11 runs in a game. In the last three
games, the Cubs have 36 hits, scoring 25 runs and hitting 11 homeruns.
After Sosa volunteered to move down in the lineup and Dusty Baker had a team meeting to discuss recent
issues, the Cubs look like they may be back on track. Since that time, they are 3-0.
"We know we have a great team," Moises Alou said. "We've been too patient. We didn't get going -- when you
have a good team, you figure you'll get it done. We just figured now it's time to get going."
"Mo got us on the board and Sammy added another and Nomar and 'Grud' had a big night and [Lee] had a big
night and Corey and Michael Barrett," Dusty Baker said. "Everybody tonight got a hit except Aramis [Ramirez]
and we're not worried about that because this guy is going to hit."
The Cubs finished Friday's game with a half-game lead over San Francisco in the Wild Card race and look
to move further ahead Saturday against Houston. Expect Dusty to keep the same lineup while the Cubs are
hot.
- Bryan | Return
8/20/04 11:52pm - Wrigley to be inspected again
The City of Chicago is holding to their threat of canceling Monday's game if the Cubs can not provide proof
that the 90-year-old park is safe. On Friday, ESPN announced that the City of Chicago hired Construction Technology Laboratories
to provide an independent inspection of Wrigley to check that the repairs made in 2001 were completed correctly.
The Cubs have already provided two separate reports from structural engineers who have concluded that Wrigley Field
is safe.
"We will continue to respond to these new questions from the city," the Cubs said in a statement
released Friday. "If the city chooses to make further inspections, it will find what two structural engineers
have already found: Wrigley Field is safe and sound."
- Bryan | Return
8/20/04 11:46pm - Sosa ties Mantle
Friday, Sammy Sosa tied Mickey Mantle for 40th on the all-time RBI list. Sosa hit his 1,509th RBI in the first
inning after hitting his 28th homerun of the season against Houston's Pete Munro. Sosa drove in his run in
2,102nd games, while Mantle needed 2,401 games to reach the milestone.
- Bryan | Return
8/19/04 7:01pm - Cubs sign Perez
The Cubs signed free-agent shortstop, Neifi Perez, Thursday, to a minor league contract. He will join the
Cubs Tripple-A squad tomorrow. Perez is a career .268 hitter, but his best year was with the Rockies in 2000,
where he batted .287, with 71 RBI's and 92 runs. Perez will add depth to the injury prone Cubs squad.
Perez was released from the Giants on August 13th. With the Giants in July, Perez batted .322, but has only
batted .232 for the year and was only 2 for 19 in August.
"We have some people in the field we're concerned about health-wise. We're just one hamstring or one groin pull
away from being glad we have a guy like this," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said.
- Bryan | Return
8/19/04 6:48pm - City wants to inspect Wrigley again
ESPN is reporting that the City of Chicago has once again ordered an inspected of Wrigley Field. They said they
will block Monday's game if the organization can not prove that the 90 year old stadium is safe.
Buildings Commissioner Stan Kaderbeck ordered the review after hearing a reporter note that the repairs at Wrigley
Field looked "shoddy".
"If we can't get independent verification, to my satisfaction, that the repairs were made
and that they were made correctly, and that it is not an issue of shoddy workmanship, we will not have a
game on Monday night at Wrigley Field," he said.
The Cubs host the Brewers Monday at Wrigley and have until noon to prove that the stadium is safe.
- Bryan | Return
8/18/04 9:52pm - Sosa volunteers to move down in order
Sammy Sosa called Dusty Baker Wednesday morning to let him know he would move down in the batting order. Not only did he call, but he called three times and left messages with Dusty's wife. He did so because he thought it was best for the team.
"Whatever is best for the team, I don't mind sacrificing," Sosa said Wednesday. "Dusty and I have a good relationship. He's always been behind me. I appreciate that. I'll hit fifth for the rest of the year, or whatever he wants, whatever he needs."
"I told him I'd been thinking about it for awhile," Baker said. "He said he wanted to do what was best for the team to help us get to the playoffs and get to the World Series."
Sosa has been in a big slump lately. His slump was so bad, that fans have been giving him a pretty hard time at the plate. Baker said it was the first time he ever had a player ask to be moved down in the order. Last week, Baker said he thought about moving Sosa down in the lineup, but thought Sosa may be too sensitive to it.
"This is part of the game," Sosa said. "At the beginning of the year, they were booing Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Those guys knew what they had to do. The situation, it's the first time it happened to me. It can happen to anybody. I need some support, and some people to support me. Booing is not going to help."
"I was very impressed by it," Baker said. "Sometimes a guy has to fail for a period of time before he'll see things a little differently. I was very impressed by it. He had been thinking about it for some time.
As of Wednesday night, it looks like this move was a good idea. Lee batted 2nd in the lineup and hit a home run. The Cubs' bats may finally be starting to move. The question is: Did Sosa do this for the team or did Sosa do this so the fans would get off his back?
- Bryan | Return
8/18/04 6:35pm - Sosa moves to 5th in batting order
Dusty Baker called a team meeting Wednesday, after Tuesday's loss to the Brewers. Baker usually does not like to have team meetings such as this, but he thought it was necessary to get the Cubs back on track.
"Whenever I call the meeting, I do most of [the talking]," Baker said. "I leave it open for conversation. I think as a society we 'over meet' sometimes. When you meet is the most important thing."
"It's usually not that positive that night necessarily," Baker said. "It's usually positive for weeks to come. You got some things off your chest, everybody got some things off their chest. You want it to be long-lasting versus just that night. If it's not long-lasting then you're wasting your time.
"We're all taught not to panic," he said. "It's a thin line between urgency and panic. The one thing I was taught in the Marines and by my dad was that you never panic. You try to find a way and try to find a way out. There's always an escape route."
Many fans have been getting on Baker for some of the Cubs recent problems. The meeting and Sosa asking to be dropped in the batting order may spark this club and give them the push they need to win the Wild Card.
- Bryan | Return
8/18/04 6:35pm - Sosa moves to 5th in batting order
Sports News Radio has reported that Sosa will move to 5th in the batting order tonight against the Brewers.
The new look in the batting order shows Lee hitting 2nd and Sosa hitting 5th against Ben Sheets. If this
new lineup works, expect Dusty to make this a permanent change.
The lineup will be Patterson, Lee, Garciaparra, Alou, Sosa, Ramierez, Walker,
Barrett, and Clement. This may relax Sosa and let him get out of his slump. It also helps rest Ramierez's
sore groin by moving him down to sixth.
- Jim | Return
8/18/04 6:15pm - Farnsworth's future uncertain
After numerous bad outings this year, Kyle Farnsworth's future with the Cubs is uncertain. If he continues
to falter this year, Hendry will have to consider putting him on the trading block. Farnsworth is set to
get a large salary boost for 2005 as he becomes salary-arbitration eligible. If he continues to prove that
he is not worth it, the Cubs will not be prepared to meet his financial demands.
Dusty Baker said Tuesday that he might have to rely more on Mike Remlinger and Jon Leicester and move away
from Farnsworth as the Cubs setup man.
"You've got to do something, but everybody's getting paid to do a
job," Baker said. "You hate to put a kid in that position when you've got a guy or two who are slotted and
paid to do that. There are some guys who have got to get their stuff together."
- Bryan | Return
8/17/04 7:19pm - Get tickets for $1
Major League Baseball announced Monday that it is implementing a league-wide, $1 ticket program from mid-August
through early September.
Through the program, fans will be able to obtain tickets to see the Cubs as well as all other MLB teams.
By making a minimum charitable contribution of $1 per ticket, fans will be able to see the Cubs on August 25th
or August 26th. In Chicago, fans can pick up tickets for the August 25th game by calling
the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago at 312-235-8003. To get tickets for the August 26th game, fans can call the
Union League Boys & Girls Club at 312-226-4565. Group ticket requests of 20 or more should be submitted in
writing on your organization's letterhead and faxed to: 212-949-5693. The number of tickets available does
depend on the number of individual game tickets already sold.
All proceeds from the "Commissioner's Initiative for Kids" program will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of
America (the official charity of Major League Baseball) and the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer
Foundation.
- Bryan | Return
8/17/04 7:04pm - Next 45 games
Who has the easiest schedule for the final fourty five games of the season? As it stands now, the Cubs
do not have another series against a team that is above .500 for the season. With the remainder of their
games against the Brewers, Reds, Expos, and Pirates, the Cubs definately have the easiest schedule
between the Cubs, Giants, and Padres. As of Tuesday, the Cubs are a half game behind the Giants in the
NL Wild Card race.
The Padres will be playing the Cardinals, Braves, and the Dodgers, while the Giants will be playing Atlanta, Houston,
and the Dodgers. The Padres and Giants will also play six more games against each other, which could possibly
help the Cubs.
- Jim | Return
8/17/04 7:26am - Wood's suspension upheld
After the appeal was heard, Kerry Wood's suspension was upheld and not reduced this week. He will begin
serving his five game suspension Tuesday and will not start again until Friday at Houston. Wood was suspended
for "inappropriate actions" in the top of the ninth in a game April 17 against the Cincinnati Reds. After several
questionable calls by homeplate umpire, Eric Cooper, Wood was tossed from the game after charging the umpire.
Though, Wood did not touch or spit on Cooper, his suspension remains at five games.
"I am disappointed," Jim Hendry said Monday. "We felt it never warranted a suspension." "There's no precedent
in this case," he said. "No one was thrown at, there was no contact or spitting or head butting. I'm very
disappointed and feel strongly there should be no suspension."
Wood and Latroy Hawkins argued their cases together, and both suspensions were upheld this week. The players
union representative for Wood argued that since there was no contact with the umpire, the suspension should
have been reduced.
- Bryan | Return
8/15/04 10:43pm - Evaluating Corey Patterson
Corey Patterson started the year struggling. He was moved all over the lineup and was frequently striking
out. After the acquisition of Nomar Garciaparra, Patterson was forced into the lead-off role. Patterson,
is considered to be a speedy power hitter. As the season progressed, you could actually see a difference in
his bunting performance. Now that he is a bunting threat, fielders have to play him differently, which
helps his hitting. After Jim Hendry brought in Vince Colemman to assist the Cubs with their baserunning,
Colemman said that Patterson's speed could actually help his hitting.
Patterson has worked hard and brought his batting average up to .280
with 14 homers, 48 RBI's and 20 steals, but in the last week, after becoming comfortable with the lead-off
role, Patterson has batted .435. Patterson has totally turned around his season and almost looks like he
could keep the lead-off position in the lineup. Though the Cubs could use someone who draws more walks, Patterson
provides great speed and power for a lead-off hitter. If he can become what Kenny Lofton was last year, Patterson
could lead them into the playoffs.
- Bryan | Return
8/15/04 8:46am - Cubs sign #1 draft pick
On Friday, the Cubs agreed to terms with Grant Johnson, their 2004 #1 draft pick. Johnson, from Notre Dame,
was the 66th overall selection in the draft. He posted a 6-0 record with a 1.87 ERA this past season at Notre
Dame, and led them to a third straight Big East championship.
Johnson has been compared to Carlos Zambrano, with his 95 MPH fastball. Grant was asked if he was as animated
as Zambrano. "No," he said, laughing. "I don't do anything that is going to cause a brawl."
The Cubs plan to put Johnson on a program to prepare him for 2005 Spring Training. "They'll put him on a pace
that gets him ready for Spring Training," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "At a program like that,
he should be able to come out of Spring Training making a solid (Class) A club."
Johnson was honored as a first-team All-America and selected to play for the USA National Team. He graduated
from Lyons Township High School and was named the Gatorade player of the year for Illinois in 2001.
Johnson posted a 15-5 record in 32 career appearances for Notre Dame, striking out 137 batters in 159
innings. Baseball America ranked Johnson as the best prospect in Indiana, noting his "95-mph fastball
wasn't even as good as his slider."
- Bryan | Return
8/14/04 6:09pm - Why boo?
We have seen this before... fans booing our Cubs. It happened earlier this year when Corey Patterson was
in a slump. Now it is happening with Sammy Sosa, possibly, one of the greatest Cubs ever. Yes, he may
be towards the end of his career and he is in a huge slump, but it there any reason to boo him? He just
passed Reggie Jackson on the all-time homerun list.
Who is next? Can the fans boo Prior if he has a few more bad outings? If you have
ever been to Wrigley, you know that most people are there for the party rather than the game. Booing is not helping
Sammy Sosa or Corey Patterson and it does not help the team morale. Yes, it is understandable that fans are
upset because Sosa is in a slump. He is just as upset as everyone else and he is working hard to get out of
it. Most fans appreciate Sammy for how he plays the game.
Wednesday, Sosa addressed the constant booing. "We come here every day and play hard. That's what we do
every day," said Sosa. "We don't want to hear no more boos."
"After everybody booed me, I got to do something so they love me again," said Sosa, visably annoyed
by it all. "It's something that surprised me. I was like, 'Wow, what have I done?'
They want you to come through. But it's not going to happen every time they wish."
Fans have every right to boo Sosa and other slumping players, especially because they have waited so long
for a World Series, but booing is an embarassment to all genuine Cubs fans when the boos can be heard echoing
Wrigley Field for one of the Cubs' biggest super-stars.
- Jim | Return
8/14/04 1:54pm - Pitcher Ratings - 2003 to 2004
This year is quite different from last year. During the playoffs last year,
if Prior or Wood started a game, it was an automatic win.
Most fans would cringe at the thought of Clement or Estes starting a game.
Looking back, you could rank the pitching staff last year
as follows:
2003
1. Prior (18-6 / 2.43 ERA)
2. Wood (14-11 / 3.20 ERA)
3. Zambrano (13-11 / 3.11 ERA)
4. Clement (14-12 / 4.11 ERA)
5. Estes (8-11 / 5.73 ERA)
This year, it is a different story. Slowed by injuries, our two best and
most potent starters now rank towards the bottom of the list.
With the addition of Greg Maddux, and strong performances by both Zambrano
and Clement, things have changed:
2004 (through 08/11/04)
1. Zambrano (11-6 / 2.82 ERA)
2. Clement (8-11 / 3.18 ERA)
3. Maddux (11-8 / 3.94 ERA)
4. Wood (6-5 / 3.20 ERA)
5. Prior (3-3 / 5.05 ERA)
Carlos Zambrano, now at 11-6 with a 2.82 ERA, made the all-star team this
year and has been dominant most of the season. Clement has
an ERA of 3.18, but is at 8-11 only because the Cubs seem to have terrible
run support each time he makes a start. He has been
making solid starts and deserves to be ranked as the #2 pitcher. Maddux has
been a savior to this team. Though he started out slow,
he has come along with an 11-8 record and a 3.94 ERA. His 300th win was a
huge boost to the team.
Wood is starting to show signs of his dominance with a 6-5 record and a 3.20
ERA, however, he has been on pitch counts for a good
part of the season due to the injured arm.
Prior has been on and off. He is now at 3-3, with a 5.05 ERA after the loss
on Sunday where he gave up 6 runs in 3 innings. He either
has a great game where he has 10 strikeouts, or he struggles to find the
strike zone. After Sunday's loss, Prior and pitching coach,
Larry Rothschild, watched the game tape and identified several mechanical
flaws in Prior's delivery. Both Prior and Rothschild are
confident Prior can fix these flaws and become the go-to guy like he was in
2003. In the absence of Prior and Wood, the Cubs have
received great support from super-sub, Glendon Rusch. He has worked his way
to a 5-1 record with a 3.80 ERA (Last year he was
1-15 with the Brewers).
The concerning part this year is that Prior and Wood are a combined 9-8,
where they finished the season last year at 32-17. Wood
is returning to form, but Prior still has some things to fix. If they can
get both of these pitchers near the peak of their game
by the end of the season, the Cubs should be the most dominant team in the
NL.
- Bryan | Return
8/13/04 6:23pm - Hawkins serves suspension
Friday, Latroy Hawkins began serving his 3 game suspension after his appeal was rejected. His fine was
reduced from $3,000 to $2,000. After giving up a
tiebreaking homer in the ninth to the Cardinals' Albert Pujols on July 20 at Wrigley Field, Hawkins was
ejected after he started yelling at plate umpire Tim Tschida as he walked to the dugout. The reliever had
to be restrained by manager Dusty Baker and several Cubs coaches from going at Tschida.
"Do I regret it? No," Hawkins said at the time, adding that he and Tschida had a feud dating back two years.
In 2002 when Hawkins was with the Twins, Tschida ejected him from a game in a disagreement over the positioning
of the reliever's chair in the bullpen.
The Cubs are expected to find out the fate of Kerry Wood's suspension within the next few days. Both Wood
and Hawkins appealed their suspensions this week before baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson.
- Bryan | Return
8/12/04 8:45pm - Sosa treated with boos
Sammy Sosa struck out four times Thursday, and was booed badly by the Cubs fans. Fans have been quick to jump
on Sammy, after his slump has moved his batting average down to .258. Sammy has been taking slack for several
reasons. 1) He has been standing far away from the plate during each at-bat, which has led to several talks
from management. Sammy has refused to change. 2) Sammy met with Dusty Baker to discuss comments Dusty made
when reporters suggested Sammy be moved down in the batting order. Sammy admitted he was suprised at
Dusty's comments.
These examples have led fans to get on Sammy for his me-first attitude. Sosa, showing his frustration with
his slump and his frustration with Cubs fans, replied Thursday, with profanity after striking out. These boos are new to
Sammy since he has been the Cubs' golden boy for years. Now, with the addition of Nomar, Maddux, and
others, Sammy is no longer the go-to man in Chicago, and it is showing. Sammy is making $16,875,000 this
year and for now, Sammy will be a Cub through the 2005 season.
- Bryan | Return
8/12/04 11:30am - Wood and Hawkins try to reduce suspensions
Both Kerry Wood and Latroy Hawkins met with Major League Baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson on Wednesday with hopes of reducing their
suspensions. The 90 minute hearing covered testimony from both Wood and Hawkins as they were defended by players from the players
union. Wood was attempting to get his 5 game suspension reduced a game or two arguing that he did not touch the umpire. Hawkins argued
that the umpire had a grudge against him from a previous conflict when Hawkins was with the Twins.
"We both sounded pretty good," Wood said. "It went well. My first time going through it ... I tried to remember exactly everything
that went on (during the April 17 incident)."
Manager Dusty Baker said Glendon Rusch will start in place of Wood on Saturday against Los Angeles if Wood has to begin serving
his suspension Thursday.
- Jim | Return
8/12/04 10:50am - Sammy and Dusty have a heart-to-heart
Sammy Sosa met with Dusty Baker after Tuesday's loss to discuss some comments Dusty made. Baker said he was "sensitive" and that
he wouldn't drop Sosa in the order because "you just can't lose him psychologically and spiritually." After Wednesday night's game,
Sosa said the meeting was "personal" and declined to discuss it. He doesn't want the focus to be on his relationship with Baker.
"I don't know what to tell you," Sosa said. "It's something I'm kind of surprised at. I've just got to continue to play hard, and
that's it ... I don't need to make a comment on whatever happened outside the lines."
Neither Sosa, nor Baker commented about what was said in the meeting, but Chicago sports radio stations suggested that Dusty has
wanted to move Sosa down in the batting order, but Sosa was against the idea.
- Jim | Return
8/11/04 7:24pm - Own part of Maddux history
Intersted in a piece of the pitching mound that Greg Maddux pitched
from for his 300th win? Available through www.nicosports.com,
you can purchase a numbered plaque with a dirt coin, which contains
an actual sample of dirt from SBC Park, where Maddux won his 300th
game. The limited edition plaques are availabe for $69.95. Proceeds
of the sale will benefit the Greg Maddux Foundation, which is run
by Greg and his wife Kathy.
- Jim | Return
8/11/04 7:18pm - Baserunning #1 weakness
Dusty Baker brought in baserunning instructor and former major league
base stealer, Vince Colemman, this week to work with the team.
"I've given him carte blanche to do what he has to do,"
Baker said, calling baserunning the Cubs' "No. 1 weakness."
Colemman has 752 career steals and has already started working with
Corey Patterson.
"Corey's the catalyst," Coleman said. "Corey doesn't know how good
he can be. He's faster than I was. He's shown he has the
power -- I think he's willing to accept the challenge. He has
all the tools and ability."
- Jim | Return
8/11/04 7:13pm - Hollandsworth out for season?
Todd Hollandsworth received some bad news this week after getting a
third MRI on his injured leg. The latest MRI showed inflammation
around the bone and some irritation in the nerve, Cubs trainer
Dave Groeschner said on Tuesday. Groeschner said they are comparing
the test results with the X-rays from 2001, when he suffered a
season-ending injury on May 11 to his right leg.
In 2001, Hollandsworth fouled a ball off his right leg and
fractured his shin and crushed a nerve. He appeared in 33
games that year with the Colorado Rockies.
Hollandsworth will take an additional ten days off in an attempt
to heal his right leg.
"If, in two weeks, he's feeling really good, we'll start the
activity back," Groeschner said. "I think if we can get all
the discomfort out of his leg, he'll come back to baseball
quickly. He is able to do a lot of things, but he can't do
the baseball-related things for a prolonged time. I can have
him go hit, and he's fine. If I have him hit day after day,
it bothers him."
- Bryan | Return
8/10/04 10:02pm - Prior not back to form
Fans who expected Prior to get back to his 2003 form will have
to wait longer after Prior gave up six runs in 3 innings
Tuesday.
Prior, who is 0-2 in seven starts at home on the year,
snapped a five-start winless streak in his last outing on
Thursday against the Colorado Rockies. After Tuesday's loss, his ERA rose
to 5.05 for the season.
- Bryan | Return
8/10/04 8:34pm - Sosa moves to 7th on career home run list
Sammy Sosa moved past Reggie Jackson on the all time home
run list Tuesday. Currently at 564 homers, he is ranked
7th on the list. Just 9 homers behind Harmon Killebrew
and 19 homers behind Mark McGwire, Sammy continues to
climb the ladder. Entering Tuesday night's game against
the Padres, Sosa was in an 0-for-15 skid and was just 2-for-24
in his six previous games.
- Bryan | Return
8/9/04 7:25pm - Cubs missing the little things
With all the hype of Nomar coming to town and Maddux reaching his 300th win, the Cubs still miss a few key elements of
a championship team. They continue to miss the little things, such as fielding and base running. Believe it
or not the Cubs are 4th in the Majors in fielding, however, small things like missing an infield popup, Sunday,
or overthrowing the cut-off man continue to haunt the Cubs.
The base running has also been terrible this year. Many fans attribute some of that to Wendell Kim, and were
calling for his job as recently as July, but the team ended those rumors immediately. How many times will you see
someone get picked off at first? How many times will we see someone get thrown out at home?
Until the Cubs can fix these problems, they may continue to struggle.
- Bryan | Return
8/9/04 7:13pm - Maddux reaches milestone
Greg Maddux earned his 300th career win, Saturday, in an 8-4 victory over the Giants, becoming
the 22nd pitcher in Major League history to reach that milestone. Maddux is the first pitcher since Steve
Carlton in 1983 to win 300 games all in the National League, and his 300 wins rank sixth in NL history.
Not many are close to the 300 wins mark, and some think Maddux may be the last to reach the milestone
for quite some time.
The class-act, Maddux, continued to focus on the team stating it was a team win. "You know, obviously it
feels very good," Maddux said. "Obviously, to win 300 games, you've got to have a lot of help." Maddux
finally cracked a smile after the team brought out a case of beer to celebrate. "I've got another start
in five days, that's all I know," Maddux stated.
- Jim | Return
8/7/04 10:46am - Maddux to attempt 300 again
Greg Maddux will attempt to reach 300 wins Saturday in San Francisco. In his second attempt, Maddux would become the
22nd pitcher to reach this goal. The Cubs lead the Giants by one game in the Wild Card race.
- Bryan | Return
8/7/04 10:30am - 'This Old Cub' coming to DVD
The staff at ThisOldCub.com hinted that "This Old Cub", the inspiring documentary
about Cubs broadcaster and former third baseman, Ron Santo, will be released on
DVD in late September.
"This Old Cub" was a big hit this year, playing in many theatres across
the Chicago area and has expanded various parts of California, Arizona, Colorado,
and Indiana. The documentary will be shown August 13th at Goodrich Kendall 10 in
Oswego, IL and UA Galaxy in San Francisco, CA. On August 27th, it will be seen
at Goodrich Portage 9 in Portage, IN and at Starz FilmCenter at the Tivoli in Denver, CO.
- Bryan | Return
8/6/04 8:46am - Zambrano to Serve Suspension
The Chicago Tribune has reported that Dusty Baker, the Cubs and Carlos Zambrano agreed to drop the appeal of the five
game suspension that was handed out to Carlos after the Cubs/Cardinals game at Wrigley on July 19th. Carlos was suspended
for hitting the Cardinal's Jim Edmonds twice and starting a bench-clearing altercation between the two teams. He began
serving the suspension after his start against the Rockies on Wednesday, August 4 and will be eligible to pitch on Wednesday,
August 11. Mark Prior will move up one day in the rotation and Carlos will get an extra day of rest before pitching
again. The Cubs are still encouraging Kerry Wood and Latroy Hawkins to uphold their appeals. They feel that Wood's
punishment was too severe and that Hawkins is "the victim of a grudge-holding umpire".
- Billy | Return
8/5/04 9:10pm - Is JoBo returning?
When Borowski went on the DL, fans had questions. What was wrong? Was he really injured?
Will he be back? Borowski went on the DL June 5th with a strained right shoulder. Insiders
with the Cubs suggested he blew out his arm and that his career may be over. As the
Cubs prepared to move on, there were many talks about picking up numerous closers. With Latroy
Hawkins' below par performance lately, the trade rumors once again circulated around picking
up closers that may have been available in a trade. At one point during July in 7 1/3 innings, Hawkins had given
up six earned runs on 12 hits and four walks for a 7.36 ERA. Since the Cubs picked up Garciaparra, there has been
so much excitement, that many fans forgot about the Cubs bullpen problems.
This season, Borowski is 2-4 with an 8.02 ERA. Last year, Borowski was 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA and a personal-high 33
saves. Baker called the closer the MVP of the 2003 season.
The Chicago Sun-Times's Mike Kiley reports Joe will rejoin the Cubs Aug. 6 in San Francisco. Trainer Dave
Groeschner said the plan calls for Borowski to throw off the bullpen mound for pitching coach Larry Rothschild sometime
over the weekend. If his examination goes well, he will be able to throw live batting practice, work in simulated
games and then head out on a minor-league rehab.
If or when Joe comes back to the Cubs, he is likely to fill in as a setup man for Latroy Hawkins. If Hawkins continues
to struggle, will the Cubs consider moving Borowski back into the closer spot? A possible return for Borowski may
be the reason why Jim Hendry did not make a move for a closer.
- Bryan | Return
8/4/04 10:42pm - Hollandsworth returning soon
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Todd Hollandsworth, on the DL since June 28 with a badly bruised right
shin, will try running next week. He hit in the cage Tuesday, Aug. 3 and walked on the
warning track.
"It's a kind of a slowly-but-surely thing," said trainer Dave Groeschner. "He's feeling better. It's
been a painstakingly slow process for him and us, but he's getting there. It's kind of frustrating
because we don't see a lot improvement day by day, but as we look back, we see it's been improving
week by week.
"We're hopeful in the next, let's say 5-7 days, he'll be able to get into some running activities."
- Jim | Return
8/4/04 7:12pm - Barrett trades nomar #5
Cubs catcher Michael Barrett gladly gave uniform No. 5 to shortstop Nomar Garciaparra before Tuesday's
game against the Rockies. Barrett added one stipulation to the deal. He made Nomar promise him that he would
consider resigning with the Cubs next year.
"I just told him, 'I'm not going to give you my number for a month and a half. You're going to have
think about staying here awhile.', Barrett said. "I just told him that for me, it's been a great place to
play and I've been really comfortable. And I want him to be comfortable."
Nomar is a free agent after this year. The Cubs have a rule that they do
not negotiate contracts during the season, but Barrett still made Nomar promise to consider staying.
"He is such a class act," Garciaparra said. "He came up to me and talked to me about the number. I was shocked.
I had never had to ask anybody for the number because I've always had it."
There were also some other negotiations, but neither player commented on what that may be. Now, Nomar will be
wearing #5, which he wore in Boston, and Barrett will be wearing #8.
- Bryan | Return
8/2/04 9:04pm - Nomar apoligizes for stealing the spotlight
Cubs fans cannot hold back the excitement. Building up for the Sunday game against the Philies, fans
filled the streets before 4am in anticipation they would be able to get standing room only seats. With
newly acquired Nomar Garciaparra playing for the first time as a Cub and Greg Maddux going for his 300th win,
Sunday's game became one of the biggest events of the season and could mark a turning point for the Cubs.
Though Maddux did not get his 300th win, the Cubs came back to win the game after Nomar's first hit as a Cub.
Both Garciaparra and Maddux received standing ovations, but Nomar received an ovation each time he came to the
plate. Before the game, Nomar received a three minute standing ovation.
"I think [Maddux's 300th] should be the focus more than anything," Garciaparra insisted during his introductory
news conference Sunday morning. "I felt bad coming in. There's a bigger issue here."
"I'm just a small part coming in and hopefully help this team win. These guys have been doing a phenomenal
job over here and I'm sure they all are ... not worried about new guy coming in. They're worried about
getting that one for Maddux."
The selfish-less attitudes from both Maddux and Garciaparra may mark the beginning of a run to the Playoffs for the
Cubs. If anything, it has given the Cubs and their fans assurance that Jim Hendry and the Cubs are going
to do everything they can to get to the Playoffs and win a World Series.
- Bryan | Return
8/1/04 7:14pm - Cubs experiment with new batting order
The Cubs tried a new batting order Sunday with Nomar Garciaparra batting second. This was one
of 15 different lineup combos Baker considered when he learned that Garciaparra was now a Cub. "It's something
temporary. It could be permanent," Baker said. "I'll see how sharp Nomar is and how he fits. It's like a
new guy coming to school. I've been in that situation before. You come to a new school, take the quarterback's
job that he's had for years and end up with his girlfriend." This is believed to be the 88th different lineup
Baker has used in 104 games this season.
The order looks like it worked after Patterson went 2-3 leading off the 1st inning with a bunt hit. Nomar
batted second, going 1-4, with an RBI. The lineup followed with Alou, Sosa, Ramirez, Lee, Grudzielanek, Bako,
and Maddux. The lineup worked well for Patterson and Sosa, both of whom have had problems this year. For
several weeks, there has been some controversy between Sosa and Dusty Baker about his batting stance. Insiders
in Chicago, suggested Sosa be moved down the order until he starts to hit again, but most suggested Baker would
not consider this.
The question is where will Todd Walker and Michael Barrett fill into this lineup? Overwhelming opinion (96%) from the
Fans at CubbiesBaseball.com suggest that Todd Walker should be the starting second baseman, even though
Grudzielanek is the stronger defensive player. Dusty Baker is still working both into the lineup. The dream
lineup would be the following:
1. Patterson (if he continues to hit)
2. Walker (if Dusty can make the right decision)
3. Garciaparra
4. Alou
5. Sosa
6. Ramirez
7. Lee
8. Barrett
9. Pitcher
If Dusty stays with his current philosophy of starting Grudzielanek, then the following order would work the
best:
1. Patterson
2. Garciaparra
3. Alou
4. Ramirez
5. Sosa
6. Lee
7. Grudzielanek
8. Barrett
9. Pitcher
Either way, the Cubs strengthened an already powerful lineup by adding Garciaparra. His acquisition greatly
helps the lineup, which has had problems this year. By moving everyone down a slot, it could spark some hitting
because players like Sosa and Ramirez will be getting different looks from opposing pitchers.
- Jim | Return
8/1/04 3:02pm - Maddux still at 299
Greg Maddux was pulled after 6 innings of work trailing 3-2. Maddux gave up 2 homeruns in the 1st inning,
but then started to throw ground balls. Maddux expects to pitch again Saturday against San Fransico to
once again try for his 300th win. The game is at 3pm and will be broadcasted on Fox.
- Bryan | Return
8/1/04 8:25am - Garciaparra expected to debut in Maddux's quest for 300
Nomar Garciaparra left Boston Saturday night to join Greg Maddux in his quest for 300 wins. A five-time American
League All-Star, Garciaparra arrives batting .321 with five homers and 21 RBIs. The Cubs are hoping his presence
gives their offense a boost and helps them get to the playoffs.
First Hendry traded Class A left-hander Justin Jones to Minnesota for first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz,
then dealt Mientkiewicz, shortstop Alex Gonzalez and Triple-A players Francis Beltran and Brendan Harris
to Boston for Garciaparra and Class A outfielder Matt Murton, a first-round draft pick in 2003. The Cubs also
received cash considerations to offset much of the approximately $3.8 million remaining on Garciaparra's $11.5
million salary.
The Cubs made out like bandits acquiring Nomar and only giving up Gonzalez, Beltran, and Harris. The Cubs not
only were able to avoid trading starter Matt Clement, they also kept their top two prospects, pitcher Angel
Guzman and outfielder Felix Pie. In essence they gave away a struggling shortstop and three minor-league
question marks in order to rent one of the top shortstops in the game. Gonzalez,
said goodbye to the Cubs Saturday after finding out he was traded in the 9th inning of the Cubs - Philies game.
Boston benched Garciaparra Saturday, which led to more speculation of a possible trade, however, even Fox
Sports was reporting that a trade was not going to happen.
Garciaparra was in the final year of his contract, and Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said he wasn't confident
the team would be able to re-sign the two-time AL batting champion. Garciaparra was dressed in his Red
Sox jersey, preparing to play at Minnesota, when he heard about the trade.
"My initial reaction was 'wow,' " he said. "If it was in my control, I'd still be wearing a Red Sox uniform,
because it's the place I know, I love. All of those fans, I'll always remember. But I'm also going to another
great place. I'm going to a phenomenal city with great tradition as well, phenomenal fans, great organization."
- Bryan | Return
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