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

 
CUBS NAME COACHES: The Chicago Cubs have named the team's coaches for the 2003 season. Larry Rothschild stays on as pitching coach; Gary Matthews is hitting coach; Dick Pole is bench coach; Juan Lopez in bullpen coach; Wendell Kim is third base coach; Gene Clines who was the Cubs first base coach from the time Joey Amolfitano took over as manager in 1980 through the 1981 season is back as first base coach in 2003; Sonny Jackson is special assistant.

CUBS NEWS: Toni Ginnetti in the Chicago Sun-Times continues to insist the Cubs are interested in signing Ivan Rodriguez. Ginnetti also mentions the coaches being hired by the Cubs and the Cubs trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for Paul Bako.

BUNTIN' BAYLOR TO METS: Former Chicago Cubs manager Don Baylor has been hired by the New York Mets to be the team's bench coach in 2003. I actually feel sorry for the New York Mets.
posted by Thomas at 6:46 PM

 
CUBS AND I-ROD: Paul Sullivan today in the Chicago Tribune reports Slim chance to land 'Pudge' then adds, Rodriguez vists, but deal unlikely. While Toni Ginnetti over at the Chicago Sun-Times reports Hendry eyeing I-Rod. So you might be a bit confused if the Cubs are going after Rodriguez or they are not. Ginnetti reports the Cubs have had contact with Rodriguez but will wait until after December 7 to see if Rodriguez is offered arbitration. I continue to oppose signing Ivan Rodriguez.

MORE CUBS NEWS: In other Cubs news Paul Sullivan in the Chicago Tribune reports the Cubs may be interested in relief pitcher Ugueth Urbina and are expected to not offer a contract to Antonio Alfonseca. Not offering a contract to Alfonseca is not exactly shocking news.

WRIGLEY DEAL STILL ON HOLD: The Cubs and Chicago city officials met on Monday to work on deal to expand Wrigley Field. The deal is not done yet. Meanwhile over at the Chicago Sun-Times, Carol Slezak praises Alderman Bernie Hansen for doing a decent job representing the Wrigleyville neighborhood. She makes this out to be some grand accomplishment. What a shock. A politican doing what the voters want him to do. The implication of course is Hansen has been bravely fighting for the community against the superpower Tribune Company. If Tribune Company was so powerful, the expansion and more night games would have been approved a long time ago.

CUBS TRADE FOR PAUL BAKO: The Chicago Cubs have acquired catcher Paul Bako from the Milwaukee Brewers for a player to be named later.
posted by Thomas at 5:15 PM

 
PHIL ROGERS ON THOME AND CUBS: In the Chicago Tribune today Phil Rogers writes the Cubs should sign Jim Thome then trade Hee Seop Choi for another team's prospect. I stated the other day that I like Thome but the Cubs and Thome are not a great fit right now. A reason to not sign Thome to a long term and expensive contract is Thome has a bad back. Thome's back could hold up but it is possible it might not. The insurance on Thome's contract is going to run $1 million a year and will only be covered for three years. This is simply too big of a risk to take. If the Cubs decided to take the risk of signing Thome then trade Hee Seop Choi for another team's prospect the Cubs have no guarentee a deal could be made. The trade would have to make sense for both teams. One potential match Rogers metions is with Texas. The Texas Rangers have two third base prospects in Hank Blalock and Mark Teixeira. Blalock has struggled with his bat and questions have been raised about Teixeira's glove. The problem is if Texas determines both are top prospects the Rangers could just move one to first base or trade one for pitching. The idea of trading Choi for another team's prospect runs into trouble because first base prospects are less valuable than other position players.


PHILADELPHIA GETS DAVID BELL TO JOIN LIBERTY BELL: Speculation of David Bell coming with Dusty Baker from San Francisco to the Chicago Cubs is dead. Bell signed a four year, $17 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. I am not exactly crying over this loss. Bell is an average but not a great player. He just as easily could slip downward than continue to be ok. Over the last few years the contracts teams have learned to regret is giving big money contracts to average players then watch them go downhill.
posted by Thomas at 6:56 PM