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What Lou Piniella did for Baseball Despite the Lack of A Big Win
The great one’s are great for a plethora of reasons. Lou Piniella will be remembered for a long time to come for the way he captivated the fans. In his younger years, you wouldn’t put it past the man to throw every base out of the stadium over a bad call. Lou touched our hearts in a way that may never be done for the first time ever again. He was original to say the least.
Piniella, who turns 67 next month, released a statement Tuesday announcing his intention to retire following this season — his 23rd as a big league manager. The Cubs are languishing in fourth place in the National League Central at 42-52 as they play out the string in a season marked by turmoil. Read More >>
Tribune to Sell Cubs and Wrigley
A long-time Chicago landmark is set for sale by media conglomerate Tribune Co. along with its highly under-rated team, the one-and-only Chicago Cubs. Transferring ownership from a huge corporation to the Ricketts family marks an enormous depature from the trend-setting sales of the past two decades. We’ve mostly seen major sports teams being sold to huge corporations by private owners so they can plaster their corporate logo all over everything in eyeshot.
The landmark sale is the most ever paid for a major league baseball team. However, previous deals have not included the ballpark as well. The two and a half year struggle to acquire the Cubs has finally ended in a victory for both the Ricketts family and the financially tortured Tribune Co. whose bankruptcy filing undoubtedly expedited the finalization of complex negotiations.
Initially offered $900 million by the Rickets family, the Tribune finally settled on a total vale of $845 million while still reataining a small stake in the team and the field. Citing vague “legal reasons”, the Tribune Co. has elected to include the ball club in its bankruptcy hoping it will speed the transfer process. The MLB still must approve the sale, but no one expects an objection. It’s good to see a memorable ball club like the Cubs and its historic ball park back in the hands of a private party rather than a nebulous and obnoxiously large corporation.
Onward with the MLB Steroid Saga
It is time for the Steroid scandal to be put in the past. With players Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa having been released as having tested positive for steroids 6 seasons ago it may make sense to once and for all call to light the remaining confidentially held names and move forward for the sake of the Major League Baseball.
In the best interest of baseball the MLB commissioner’s office may have to release the dirty little secret once and for all. But a contractual promise such as the confidential list retained from the 2003 season may cause a domino effect across the sport. It is a simple fact that steroids has branded the sport of baseball because of the way it has been handled.
Still fighting allegations that he had taken performance enhancing drugs, Sammy Sosa, awaits the congressional committee and its investigation into the matter of perjury.
National Baseball Hall of Fame
Rickey Henderson visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame and put on an old glove and shoe a 1981 Brooks spikes that he wore with Oakland in his third MLB season, the wings of Mercury back then. It was the first time he touched the shoe since 28 years ago.
“They don’t make ‘em like this anymore,” Henderson said Friday, clad in black slacks and a white checkered shirt, and poring over artifacts from a big league life. “It makes you sad that not many guys steal bases today. You should be able to move to the next base, to get yourself in scoring position. I used to steal to get in scoring position because I wanted to be the person to score the most runs.”
Joey Gathright Gets Knocked Around Again
Orioles and Cubs both trying to fix an organizational surplus traded Ryan Freel, utilityman, to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for outfielder Joey Gathright.
Andy MacPhail, Baltimore’s president of baseball operations said, “I think it’s the same thing on both sides of the equation,” he said. “Since we acquired Ryan, we ended up acquiring [Ty] Wigginton, who can play third base and bats right-handed. And we acquired [Robert] Andino, who can play shortstop and second base. So we didn’t get the at-bats there that we originally anticipated. It’s just one of those things that sort of evolved. I think the Cubs had the same thing on the Gathright side. [Kosuke] Fukudome got off to such a hot start that how much they envisioned using Joey initially didn’t pan out either.”
Freel had nearly $4 million remaining on his contract when he was originally traded, and Gathright was owed less than $1 million. The Baltimore Orioles apparently kicked in more than $1 million to even out the scales, which is why the trade required approval from the Commissioner’s Office before it could be approved and announced.
The Orioles gain another veteran outfield for injury insurance at Triple-A Norfolk. This 28 year old is hitting .214 this season and .262 for his career, very defensive-minded and a speedster.
Cubs Fans Can be Hot
Definetly a better site then the usual, this unknown featured hottie Fan adroms this Cubs Jersey in style. Slightly provocative yet classy, a must feature for custom authentic jerseys – where featuring fans is our forte.
Hope cub fans and readers don’t unravel at the tantalizing title, but ww thought this one was worth a share and worth grabbing your attention.
Humility is a great way to live. If you got it flaunt it and at least the man below is up for showing off and facing the camera. Shameless fans bolstering their belly just may cause a ruckus in these times when indecent exposure is rampant.
Cubs Jersey 31 Retired
The Cubs number 31 jersey will be the fifth number retired by the team in honor of the two pitchers, one a Hall of Famer, the other a future Cooperstown resident Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux.
Maddux was the first to wear number 31 since Jenkins left the Cubs, pretty nice for Maddux since Fergie is one of the best pitchers to ever play for the Cubs. Maddux stated, “It was an honor to have his number.” Jenkins still holds the club’s strikeout record with 2,038 and Maddux has two milestones with the team, earning his 300th career win in a Cubs jersey on August 7th, 2004, and his career 3,000 strikeout on July 26, 2005.
“The No. 31 belongs to two of the greatest pitchers ever to wear a Cubs uniform,” team chairman Crane Kenney said. “Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux each established themselves as dominant pitchers of their era. Each won his first Cy Young Award with the Chicago Cubs and represented our team with dignity and class on and off the field.”
Maddux could be looking up the flags on the foul poles at Wrigley Field and someday see himself with Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg.
Cubs star Derrek Lee
Derrek Lee and DeRosa were the only Cubs hitting in the playoffs last year according to fans who corrected articles being written about his Spring Training stats. In 2005, Lee hit .318 in April, in 2007 it was .392, and last year, .371.
Lou Piniella wants to see more offense from these big boys in the Chicago Cubs lineup. The first baseman, Derek Lee was batting at .179 this Spring. Lee is being watched as his home run and RBI numbers have dropped the last two years, and because fans see Micah Hoffpauir batting .288 this Spring. “I’ve been doing this a long time,” Lee said. “I don’t put a lot of weight on my results in Spring Training. I know what I’m capable of doing in the season. I’ll be OK.”
Lee seems to have a whatever attitude about it because it is only Spring training but it would be nice to see that swagger back.
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