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

 
WRIGLEY EXPANSION: It appears a deal to expand Wrigley Field is about to be reached. Chicago Cubs officials will meet with aides to Mayor Richard Daley on Monday to work out final details. Wrigley Field will get landmark status and the Cubs will get to expand seating in Wrigley Field. The rooftop owners may have to pay a fee to the Cubs for the people who pay to sit on the rooftops. More night games would be phased in over several years. This appears to be a good deal for the Cubs.

TICKET PRICES GOING UP: Ticket prices at Wrigley Field are going up for some games next year.
posted by Thomas at 10:45 PM

 
SORRY, AGAIN: Sorry I did not get around to blogging the wrap-up of the Baker introduction yesterday. But here goes.

BAKER INTRODUCTION: In the Chicago Tribune, Teddy Greenstein gives a recap of the Cubs' press conference where Dusty Baker was introduced as the Cubs new manager. Greenstein does not offer any great insight. He just gives some Baker quotes from the press conference.


THE BATTLE FOR MOST BORING COLUMN BY THE "TOP" COLUMNISTS AT THE TRIBUNE AND SUN-TIMES: Rick Morrissey and Rick Telander the two main columnists at their respective papers must have been in a contest yesterday to see who could write the more boring column about the hiring of Dusty Baker. In the Chicago Tribune, Rick Morrissey writes about Dusty Baker wanting to make Sammy Sosa feel good. Morrissey's column is really boring because he really does not tell us anything other than this rather obvious (and dull) information. Over at the Chicago Sun-Times, Rick Telander writes a snoozer of a column where he informs us when he got the chance to ask Dusty Baker a question he lobbed a real hardball question at him, "How many games can a manager win for a team?" Couldn't he have asked about the potential line-up order, players on the team, prospects, Baker's managerial style? Baker responded by saying, "I don't know." Telander then writes, "Fair enough, I guess. What the heck. I am lost." Lost and very boring.


LET'S WALK TO FIRST MORE NOT BACK TO THE DUGOUT: In the Chicago Tribune, Paul Sullivan writes about Dusty Baker wanting the Cubs to strike out less and the need for the Cubs to develop a winning attitude. Two great ideas that are easier said than done. Let's hope for some more walks to first than walks back to the dugout after another strikeout.


THOME, I-ROD, CHOI, AND BLALOCK: Phil Rogers wrote yesterday about the Cubs possibly signing Jim Thome and Ivan Rodriguez, then trading Hee Seop Choi to Texas for Hank Blalock. I do not think it will happen.

CHOI STILL AT FIRST: Teddy Greenstein in today's Chicago Tribune says Hee Seop Choi is still who the Cubs plan on starting at first base next year. The Cubs did meet with Jim Thome and his agent yesterday in Chicago but it was mostly a courtesy call. As much as I like Jim Thome I just cannot see signing Thome because we would wind up spending too much for a first baseman and we would still have gapping holes at third base and the bullpen.

MARIOTTI ON SOSA AND SALSA: On Wednesday Jay Mariotti gave us his defense of Sammy Sosa. Most of which I agree with. Sammy Sosa is not the problem on this team. Where I disagree with Mariotti is on Sosa and Sammy's music. Mariotti believes Sammy should be able to blare his salsa music everyday in the clubhouse, everyone else should just accept it, and if you do not you are anti-Sosa. Now Jay, you can be in favor of Sammy Sosa but at the same time believe what would be best for the team would be for a headphones requirement in the clubhouse which would allow everyone else to prepare for the game as they chose. What is really annoying about this Mariotti piece was when Mariotti plays the race card. Mariotti questions if Chicagoans are willing to embrace a Latin player especially if they can embrace a white star player in the Chicago Bears' Brian Urlacher. This is really a contemptible slur by Mariotti. Sosa is the biggest and most popular player in Chicago right now and Mariotti knows it. Any disagreements with Sosa are over the way Sosa conducts himself not because he is a Latin ballplayer.


MARIOTTI ON THOME: Jay Mariotti was back to his usual column on the Chicago Cubs today. Mariotti goes on and on how the Tribsters are cheap, and the Tribsters are cheap, and oh by the way in case you forgot to read it before, the Tribsters are cheap because the Cubs do not seem excited to sign Jim Thome. Like I said before, I like Thome but the Cubs and Thome are just not a great fit right now. Mariotti goes on to complain about the Cubs
having interest in signing Ivan Rodriguez. I agree with Mariotti we should not get Ivan Rodriguez. But then who was it last year who was pleading with Andy MacPhail to "think big" and trade Kerry Wood to Texas for Ivan Rodriguez? Why it was none other than Jay Mariotti!

CHICAGO CUBS AT SAN JUAN EXPOS: Looks like the Cubs will be going to San Juan, Puerto Rico in September to play the Montreal/San Juan Expos.

BAKER TO MANAGE IN ALL-STAR GAME: It appears Dusty Baker will manage the National League in the All-Star Game. It was in question if Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou (new San Francisco manager), or Tony La Russa (runner-up in NLCS) would manage the National League. Because Baker is staying in the National League he will get the honors.

SHOOTING IN WRIGLEYVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD: The Chicago Police are looking for a man after a shooting in the Wrigleyville neighborhood. Let us see Jim Murphy and the other neighborhood whiners find a way to blame the Cubs for this.

OLD LEFT HANDERS NEVER DIE, NOR FADE AWAY, THEY JUST KEEP PITCHING: The San Diego Padres have signed Jesse Orosco to a contract. When Jesse Orosco was born in 1957, the Dodgers and Giants were still in New York and the Berlin Wall would not be built for four more years. Orosco began pitching in the major leagues back in 1979 when Jimmy Carter was president. More proof you can stay in baseball forever if you are a left handed pitcher.
posted by Thomas at 6:44 PM

 
BAKER PRESS CONFERENCE: I watched the press conference the Chicago Cubs held today to introduce Dusty Baker as the new manager of the Chicago Cubs. Baker made no bold predictions about the Cubs in 2003. Nothing newsworthy was said just the usual bland statements often made at these events.

A LOOK AHEAD: In the Chicago Tribune today, Teddy Greenstein lists some players the Cubs may target in the off-season. Jeff Kent as a third baseman is the only one that I believe has a serious chance of happening.

SUN-TIMES DISAGREEMENT: At the Chicago Sun-Times, Mike Kiley writes a column about the Cubs. Kiley disagrees with his fellow Sun-Times writer Jay Mariotti about the Cubs being cheap. Kiley takes the same position I have that $80 million is not cheap just poorly spent.

CUBS COACHES: Mike Kiley has another article in today's Chicago Sun-Times about what coaches Dusty Baker may bring in with him. Looks like we will be welcoming back Gary Matthews, Dick Pole, and Gene Clines.
posted by Thomas at 4:38 PM

 
TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE: Paul Sullivan has a trip down memory lane in the Chicago Tribune today. Sullivan tells the story of the Chicago Cubs since Leo Durocher's tenure as manager of the Cubs. Most of the names and memories are not exactly happy ones but chances are you knew that already. What is really amazing is how many former Cubs managers previously had connections with the Giants before becoming the manager of the Cubs. Leo Durocher, Herman Franks, Charlie Fox, and Dusty Baker once managed the Giants then managed the Cubs. Whitey Lockman, Jim Marshall, Herman Franks, Joey Amalfitano, Charlie Fox, and Dusty Baker played for the Giants before becoming the Cubs' manager. Don Zimmer was a coach with the San Francisco Giants in 1987 before becoming the Cubs' manager in 1988. If you want to go way back, Frankie Frisch played with the Giants from 1919-1926 then managed the Cubs from 1949-1951. Durocher was the only one to have success as a manager with both the Giants and Cubs so hopefully Baker can do what Durocher could not: win a pennant with Giants and with the Cubs.

HAMPTON TO THE BRAVES: Forget about those rumors Mike Kiley has been reporting in the Chicago Sun-Times of Mike Hampton coming to the Cubs. Colorado traded Hampton to Florida who then traded Hampton to the Atlanta Braves. The Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein returns fire on Kiley in the article after taking shots from Kiley.

MARIOTTI UP TO HIS OLD TRICKS: Jay Mariotti in the Chicago Sun-Times writes a column with one of his usual themes: The Tribsters are cheap. Mariotti writing this got boring a long time ago mainly because it just is not true. An $80 million payroll is not cheap. What it is is money poorly spent. What is really annoying about Mariotti's columns is not only does he recycle old columns but his preening in them. Mariotti's act of how superior he is and what bumblers everyone else is is just annoying.

posted by Thomas at 9:31 PM

 
CUBS GET BAKER TO COOK UP WINS: The Chicago Cubs have agreed on a contract with former San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker to be the new Cubs manager. This has to be considered very good news.
posted by Thomas at 11:52 AM