Thoughts on the Chicago Cubs and other topics in baseball. E-mail Tom at: tomsmithcubs@ hotmail.com

 
MACHA: MAIN MAN FOR MANAGER: GM Jim Hendry's interview with Ken Macha apparently went very well. Teddy Greenstein in the Chicago Tribune reports Hendry is going to interview the world famous Fredi Gonzalez for the job as well. Gonzalez might be a great baseball guy but 99 percent of Cubs fans must of said, "Who?" when they read Hendry was going to interview Gonzalez for the job. Mike Kiley in the Chicago Sun-Times and Bruce Miles in the Daily Herald report the Cubs were never interested in Buck Showalter who signed with the Texas Rangers yesterday. Why do these reporters report this information after Showalter signs elsewhere? This would have been interesting information to report a few days ago but did they? Noooooooooooo!!!! In fact Mike Kiley in yesterday's Chicago Sun-Times listed Buck Showalter as a candidate for the job. Cannot make themselves look like bad reporters if they get it wrong. Now that they cannot get it wrong they make themselves look like they are really in the know by writing they knew it was not going to happen. Well if you knew it was not going to happen then report this information to us. We would appreciate it. Thank you.

MARIOTTI'S LATEST RE-RUN: I have been meaning to get to Jay Mariotti's latest re-run column on the Cubs that appeared on Thursday in the Chicago Sun-Times. Mariotti gave us his usual stuff: the Cubs should hire Dusty Baker, the Tribune is cheap, yada, yada. The big shock was no mention of his favorite phrase, "think big". What was really annoying about the column was Mariotti's discussion of Dusty Baker's views of race in Chicago and among Cubs fans. After quoting some negative comments Baker made about race and the North Side of Chicago, Mariotti wrote, "It doesn't matter if Baker is accurate or misguided about Chicago's racial climate and the Tribune's attitudes. It is what he perceives." It doesn't matter if Baker is accurate or misguided...? Instead of saying Baker is misguided about the North Side and Cubs fans; Mariotti leaves open the suggestion he agrees with Baker. If Jay Mariotti believes Cubs fans do not want a minority manager then write it. If he believes otherwise, write Dusty Baker is misguided. Instead we get this wishy washy maybe Dusty is right maybe he is wrong line from Mariotti. Personally I think Baker is off base. We want to win and do not care who or what our manager looks like.


posted by Thomas at 1:37 PM

 
MELVIN GETS GRACEFUL PRAISE: Mark Grace is advocating for Arizona bench coach Bob Melvin to be the next manager of the Chicago Cubs. I have no idea if Grace is right on Melvin but I am sure Grace is still Mr. Cub behind Ernie Banks.
posted by Thomas at 11:58 PM

 
NEW MANAGER UPDATE: The Chicago Tribune today reports the Cubs ability to talk to Dusty Baker is on hold with the Giants win over the Braves last night to win that NLDS series. Former Cubs manager Don Baylor reportedly has advised Baker not to come to the Cubs because of a "lack of financial commitment" from ownership. The real reason ofcourse is Baylor is afraid Baker will do a lot better than Baylor did managing the Cubs. Then the world will see how bad of a managaer Don Baylor is. The article also mentions that Oakland Athletics bench coach Ken Macha's first choice is the Cubs job. The Chicago Sun-Times reports Jim Hendry and Macha will soon meet and a contract could easily be done.

NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATE: The Cubs have offered more help to the Wrigleyville community in an effort to get the expansion and more night games approved. The Cubs say they are not offering the aid to get the expansion and more night games approved but ofcourse in reality they are. The neighbors continue to complain. Nothing will ever satisfy these whiners.

2002 PLAYOFFS: So much for those predictions I made at that start of the 2002 playoffs. I went 1-3 on the LDS. So who can I jinx now? ALCS: Anaheim Angels over Minnesota Twins. NLCS: St. Louis Cardinals over San Francisco Giants. World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Anaheim Angels.
posted by Thomas at 11:05 AM