We All Knew It, Didn't Want It to Be True

When Rod Beck died on June 23rd most people in baseball, and alot of his fans, knew about his past problems with drugs and booze. A police report released Tuesday confirmed that cocaine and drug paraphernalia were found at Beck's home when police responded the day he died.

Beck's wife released a statement that said the family was trying to deal with Rod's problems honestly in hopes to help others facing the same problems. "While we were all deeply saddened by the death of Rodney, he suffered from a debilitating, degenerative brain disease called addiction," she said. "The last three years we have seen this disease progress and destroy the person we knew. Unfortunately the details of his death are not pretty or palatable, but those details are merely symptoms of this devastating brain disease. ... Rodney overcame other illnesses and injuries but sadly this brain disease got the best of him."

It is sad, cause rod Beck will be remembered as the fun loving pitcher that he allowed his fans to see. Intimidating. Power Arm. Wild mustache.

Cocaine found in Rod Beck's home [foxsports.com]

Trade Deadline Recap

There were a good number of moves prior to the non waiver deadline, however, with a large group of teams thinking that they are still in their respective races (St. Louis, Florida) there were few "sellers." Anyway, here is what did happen:

Eric Gagne to Red Sox, Rangers get Kason Gabbard, Class AAA center fielder David Murphy and Class A outfielder Engel Beltre - This deal pretty make makes the Red Sox bullpen lights out. Gagne waived his no trade clause eventhough he won't close unless Papelbon is unavailable, but probably realized a ring would make him feel better.

Scott Proctor to Dodgers, Wilson Betemit to Yankees - So the Yanks overwork a reliever and then ship him out for A-Rod's replacement. At least the Yankees realized A-Rod was probably gone, while the Dodgers got a good, reliable pitcher.


Joel Pineiro to Cardinals, $$$$$ to Red Sox - Not that Boston needs money, butthis deal was probably just about clearing a spot for Gagne. Pineiro was supposed to close for Bostone until Papelbon had a change of heart. He'll help the Cards, but their rotation still has Kip Wells and Braden Looper in it.

Julio Mateo to Phillies, Minor league infielder Jesus Merchan to Mariners - Mateo had been at Triple A for the Mariners, but most likely will join the Phils to take recently injured Ryan Madson's place.

Mark Teixeira to Braves, "Salty" to Rangers - This is actually a 4-2 deal, but the main guys are Teixeria and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Braves get a real first baseman on their roster, other than 48 year old Julio Franco, and the Rangers get a catcher who could be one of the best young hitters in baseball. Espicially in that park in Texas.

Octavio Dotel to Braves, Kyle Davies to Royals - Braves add a third guy who could be a closer in their bullpen (Soriano, Wickman). Royals get Davies who had recently been sent down, but goes to a young team that could use him on the mound every five days.

Matt Morris to Pirates, Rajai Davis to Giants - This is obviously a salary dump, but it really makes no sense. Morris was expecting a deal, but probably not to the pPirates. He can help along their young staff, and it looks like the Pirates will keep him through his 2008 contract.

Finally the Padres added Morgan Ensberg, Rob Mackowiak, and Wilfredo Ledezma. These moves are on top of signing Milton Bradley and Shea Hillenbrand earlier in the month. I guess they realized they needed more pop in the line up, too bad none of those guys has any. Ledezma is a decent arm in the pen though.

Where To Find The CUBS Tonight...

TV: WCIU - 7:05PM
RADIO: WGN 720

Jason "I Hope The Wind Is Blowing In" Marquis (7-6; 4.20 ERA) vs.
Adam Eaton (9-6; 5.83 ERA)

El Uno & the Cubs need to do a lot better in hitting than they did last night. It couldn't have been much worse than last night.

Cubs don't make any trades as the deadline has come and gone. Looks like the Cubs will make a push with the guys they have. We like their chances against Milwaukee & St. Louis in the division, who did nothing worthy of note either.

The Jinx Was On Last Night

Kathryn O. has done it again.

First El Uno calls on Sunday night, but she doesn't answer. Probably wanted to talk about missing her face. He's worth millions, so he probably rehashes the same lines since he can get away with it. The next day, she texts El Uno looking for tickets for Monday night's game. That's weird, I could swear that Kathryn O said that she was cutting off all contact with El Uno, for the sake of Cubs fans. I must have imagined it then. I guess she didn't say:

"In conclusion, to my great city, I apologize. After reviewing this evidence, I solemnly swear to neither dial his number nor answer his calls. Until after the playoffs. Good luck and God Speed."

And for seats? You ruined the Cubs chances of taking over first place for seats? Are these seats any good? Tell you what, Kathryn O., get tickets for Dave & I and we'll judge if it's actually worth it to put the Cubs dream season in jeopardy. No? It was worth a shot.

So, once again, Kathryn O. throws a jinx on El Uno. Uno goes 0 for 4, 2 Ks. Cubs lose. For the rest of this season, enough is enough, Kathryn O. Give us a break. Or do it for your personal safety, if that's the proper motivation for you. It's the selfish reason, but let's face it.... you've been selfish enough to this point. Tickets? Come on.

Nice going, Kathryn. [Proof Daily]

Cole Hamels Shuts Down Cubs

Cole Hamels completely shut down the Cubs last night, going 8 innings and giving up only 3 hits. The only offense the Cubs got was a solo homer by Ryan Theriot, but other than that Cole Hamels was great. Hamels, for the most part, stayed on the outside edge all night to right handed hitters. He would then change speeds & had the Cubs hitters off balanced all night. If Hendry is going to do anything before the deadline today, it's finding somebody that hits left handed pitching well. For whatever reason, the Cubs are just brutal against lefties. The Cubs are now 9-16 vs. lefties, the worst in all of MLB.

The Cubs had their our lefty pitching, Ted Lilly. Lilly never got his breaking ball over and it cost him. Aaron Roward sat on a fast ball and drove it into the bleachers for a 3 run homer. When Lilly did get the breaking ball over to Tadahito Iguchi, it was a slow bender with not a lot a life on it and Iguchi was able to wait back and crush it for a solo homer. That was the only offense the Phillies had, but it was the only offense they needed.

Strange moment in the first. After Lilly retired the first 2 batters, Jimmy Rollins stepped to the plate. Len & BB then mention how Jimmy Rollins had been talking shit about Ted Lilly, saying that he's not as good as his record indicates and that he basically got lucky against Philly earlier in the season. So, first pitch to Rollins..... behind him! Lilly must have heard what Rollins said. No warnings were issued. Nothing. So either the umpires didn't know, or because it was at his legs and not his head, the umps were ok to let it slide. Stay tuned tonight to see if the Phillies retaliate.

- With the loss, Lilly snapped his 7 decision winning streak.

- Ryan Theriot was the only guy to have a good day at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a homer. Everybody else on the Cubs went 1 for 26, with 9 Ks.

- The Phillies lost 2 outfielders to injury during the game last night. Shane Vicctorino hurt himself running to first on a grounder & Michael Bourn rolled his ankle on the bullpen mound as he was sprinting to catch a flyball. Both are doubtful for tonight's game.

- Cubs waste a good opportunity to get into first place. The Cubs now sit 1 game behind the Brewers.

We Never Liked You Anyways, Paul Sullivan

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune did a Cubs blog round up today on his blog. Paul did not mention this one. We know that Paul reads this blog & we know that he's jealous that he doesn't get to write for it. Guess what Paul, you can't. Stop emailing us.

Sullivan Conveniently Doesn't Mention Us [Hardball - Chicago Sports]

EL UNO Watch: Sunday vs. the Reds

- 2 for 5

- 1 RBI

- Hit 30th double of season

- 2 stolen bases (15 total on the season now)

- 1 run (scored on DLee's homer)

- 1 HR taken away by Joe West

Scoreboard Watching: Brewers Lose Again

Brewers free fall continues. The Crew blew a 5-0 lead, losing to the Cardinals 9-5. The road is killing the Brewers and now the Cubs are only a half game back. Thanks St. Louis, but you have to go back to losing. Stop creeping back into this.

Brewers Blow On The Road [Brewers.com]

Fan Gets Caught Not Paying Attention, Cries About It

Ron Eich got cranked in the dome during the Cubs last homestand, when a foul ball off the bat of Stephen Drew hit him in the eye. Ron Eich & and his wife now want the Cubs to do something about it, as in extending the nets around the field. So Ron was hitting in the first row in those dangerous seats at the on deck circle? No, he wasn’t? Apparently Ron was 12 rows off the field! 12 rows! Hey Ron, PAY ATTENTION!

The ball wasn’t tipped off of anybody’s hands according to the Chicago Sun Times. Ron, get your head out of your ass.

Also, tell your wife not to do any more interviews. “If Ron Santo bottled his bath water, my husband would totally buy it.” Ron, are you kidding? Ron Santo’s bath water?

Ron, tell your wife to stop embarrassing you with bath water stories and dig your head out of your ass.

Ron Santo's Bath Water? [Chicago Sun Times]

Zambrano Throws Gem, Cubs Creep Closer To Milwaukee

Carlos Zambrano is on quite a run. Zambrano won his MLB leading 14th game of the season, throwing a 2 hitter in 7 1/3 innings against the Reds Sunday afternoon. The Reds struck out 6 times against Zambrano, who lowered his season ERA to 3.47 because of the 7+ shutout innings. It was pretty much a breeze for Zambrano, as he never really put himself into any trouble at all. Zambrano left the game because of cramping in his leg, but it’s nothing to be concerned about according to the Cubs.

Aramis Ramirez started the scoring off, doubling in Ryan Theriot in the first. Mark DeRosa followed that up by sending the next pitch into center, scoring Derrek Lee on a sacrifice fly. In the 7th, Derrek Lee hit an opposite field 2 run homer, scoring El Uno. And for good measure, the Cubs scored 2 more in the ninth on a 2 run single by Angel Pagan.

The Cubs should have gotten 2 more runs in the 3rd, but fat ass Joe West screwed El Uno out of a homer. El Uno hit a ball to left field that bounced off of a fan that landed back onto the field. The fan’s arms reached over the field, but the ball didn’t hit the fan in the hands. The ball would have been over the fence if that fan wasn’t in the way. Joe West didn’t see it that way and gave El Uno a double. Cubs didn’t score that inning. Turned out to be a play that didn’t matter, but Joe West needs to get his fat ass out there and make the right call.

- Koyie Hill went 0 for 5 with 4 strikeouts. Holy shit. What are you doing up there?

- Carlos Zambrano went 3 for 4 and is now batting .291 for the season. Koyie, get some tips from Carlos.

- When Lou Piniella was asked about Carlos Zambrano’s hitting, Lou replied: “Forget his hitting.” Whoever that reporter was who asked that question, Lou basically told you to go fuck yourself and talk about his pitching.

- Ryan Freel hit a line drive off of Zambrano’s ankle in the 6th inning. It didn’t seem to phase Zambrano, but that’s most likely because the man’s insane. You can’t hurt a man that’s insane.

- Cubs open a week long homestand against the NL East, facing the Phillies & the Mets this week.

Canseco Has "Stuff" On ARod?

Apparently Jose Canseco might have some info on Alex Rodriguez, perhaps performance enchancing drugs. To be honest with you, with all of the steriod talks about Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, etc., I've never even considered Rodriguez to be apart of these talks. A-Rod's numbers have always been gaudy to the point to where you just figure he's one of the best players of the game naturally.

Well.... Jose Canseco might change that.

When asked about what it was that he had on ARod from a Boston radio station: "Wait and see."

I guess we'll just have to... considering how much Canseco's book "Juiced" turned the baseball world upside down.

Canseco Says Wait & See [Yankees Baseball Blog]

Where To Find The CUBS Today...

TV: WGN - 12:10PM
RADIO: WGN 720

Carlos Zambrano (13-7; 3.65 ERA) vs.
Matt Belisle (5-7; 5.28 ERA)


El Uno had a great game last night, hitting 2 homers and had 5 RBI. Cubs look to take the series over Cincy and I'm sure the Brewers will lose today because they blow on the road. Go Cards! (today only)

Scoreboard Watching: Brewers Lose Twice Today!

The Cardinals did a big favor for the Cubs today by taking 2 from the Brewers today. The two loses, coupled with a Cubs win, puts the Cubs only 1.5 back of the Brewers now. The Cardinals also push themselves only 7 back now in the NL Central. We're not worried about them, but they're still hanging around too much for our liking.

Brewers Get Swept On Saturday [MLB.com]

Where To Find The CUBS Tonight...

TV: Comcast Sports Network - 6:10PM
RADIO: WGN 720

Sean Marshall (4-4; 3.25 ERA) vs.
Aaron Harang (10-2; 3.45 ERA)

Cubs look to end 2 game losing skid against the Cincinnati ace. We're thinking El Uno will have a big game tonight.

Scoreboard Watching: Brewers Lose Game 1 Today

The Brewers blew a 6-0 lead, losing to the Cardinals 7-6 in game 1 of a doubleheader today. It's a day/night doubleheader, so this gives Milwaukee the chance to sit around and think about this pathetic loss before they have to play another one tonight. Francisco Cordero blew his 2nd consecutive save. Thanks Francisco.

Brewers Blow 6 Run Lead [Yahoo Sports]

Wood Throws Well, Again

Kerry Wood had a 1-2-3 inning last night, in front of GM Jim Hendry. Wood was rushing it up there at 94 MPH. He threw 12 pitches in total in order to retire the side. The Cubs will re-evaluate Wood on Saturday, then decide if he'll move onto Double A or Triple A for the next part of his rehab. It's looking like Wood could be on the big league team early to mid August now.

Daily Wood Update [Cubs.com]

Reporter Shot In Face

Kansas City Royals outfielder Emil Brown "accidentally" shot reporter Karen Kornacki in the eye with a pellet gun on Friday. The pellet shattered Kornacki's contact and scratched her eye. Kornacki says she'll be ok.

Emil Brown was then quoting "Goodfellas" and Nicky Santoro (played by Joe Pesci) after Santoro shot and killed Spider: "Good shot. What do you want from me? Good shot."

Emil Brown has a pellet gun in the locker room because......?

Shooting in Royals Locker Room [FoxSports.com]

Trade Market Heating Up?

Ok, so I wouldn't exactly say the the trade market is heating up quickly, but it is starting to simmer. The Phillies made a deal for White Sox 2nd baseman Tadahito Iguchi for Class A right-hander Michael Dubeeo. The deal comes one day after the Phillies lost Chase Utley to a broken hand for 4-6 weeks. Iguchi to Phillies [foxsports.com]

The Indians also aquired Kenny Lofton from the Rangers for for minor league catcher Max Ramirez. The move allows the Indians to platoon Lofton in left field with Jason Michaels, and also possibly move Grady Sizemore out of the lead off spot on days Lofton plays. That would allow Sizemore to drive in more runs from the heart of the order, a scary thought.
Lofton Back in Indian Uniform [mlb.com]

"El Uno"

We've received several emails saying that you like the nickname "El Uno" for Alfonso Soriano, based on the post from earlier today. We like it & hope it sticks.

I Could Really Go for a Murton......

The Cubs recalled Matt Murton this afternoon, as well as Rocky Cherry. Murton was hitting .331 (50-for-151) with 16 doubles, six home runs and 27 RBI in 39 games with Iowa since his demotion earlier this year. Jake Fox was optioned back down to Iowa. Murton may be given a chance to show right away if he is Lou Pinella's answer for a right handed bat off the bench.

Rocky Cherry was also recalled and Billy Petrick was sent back to Iowa as well. Petrick appeared in only eight games for the Cubs, but with the bullpen shuffle we can assume he'll be back soon. Cherry hopes to improve on his last stint in Chicago which lasted a total of one day before he had to be placed in the DL.

Murton, Cherry back with Big Boys [Cubs.com]

Where to Find the Cubs Tonight....

TV: Comcast Sports Network Plus/CLTV - 6:10PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Richard Hill (6-6; 3.58 ERA) vs. Bronson Arroyo (4-11; 4.58 ERA)

The Cubs head to Cincy with the hope the Reds used all their magic this week against the Brewers. Radio announcer Pat Hughes missed his first game in 18 years last night, but should be back tonight. Really that has very little to do with the game, but seriously, how many people go 18 years without missing a day?

Looks Like We Have Our Scapegoat

Cubs fans get made fun of for many things: Loving an always losing team, having a beer garden as a ballpark, and throwing blame for losing on a Goat, a black cat, and a Bartman. Things are going well this season, with the Cubs making a great case to make the playoffs this year. The cynics are beginning to chirp though, "How will they blow it this year?"

Well, I think we have our possible scapegoat just in case things go south.

Kathryn O. of ProofDaily.com has written an interesting post about how she thinks that she is a jinx on a player she calls "Uno." Maybe this is a weird pet name that only Kathryn O. and this player understand. The unnamed player is obviously Alfonso Soriano. (Extensive research concludes this, as in we talked to somebody at Proof Daily). Click on this link to read her whole story, Kathyrn O.,: I'm A Jinx, about her convincing argument that she is, in fact, a jinx.

We can't argue with her. Kathryn O., you're a jinx. No way around it. It's good that you've gotten this off our chest now. You, unlike Steve Bartman, have the chance to avoid living in a cave the rest of your life. Please do all Cubs fans around the world that want to see just one World Series win in their lifetimes a favor and just stay clear of him. Or if your jinxing powers work on other players, go shack up with Prince Fielder or Ryan Braun.

Kathryn O., please remember: No sexing Alfonso until November.

(Update: Kathryn O. doesn't remember all the baseball stats like how we are all able to , but it is in fact Soriano that is being talked about.)

(Photo, minus caption, courtesy of Heather Sweeney on pbase.com)

"It's Gonna Happen" - Part 2

What the Sports Illustrated article below forgot to mention about a "John Murray" coining the phrase "It's Gonna Happen" is the fact that this is the same John Murray who ran onto the field and got his ass handed to him by Randy Myers. Back on Sept. 28th in '95, John Murray ran onto the field to make a pitching change like the fan did with Bob Howry earlier this season. Randy Myers said no and whooped his ass.

Pretty ironic, don't you think? Out of all the Cubs fans in the world. Ok Ligue family, what will you do for an encore?

More on John Murray [Chicago Sun-Times]

Random Thoughts By Larry Jones

(Guest contributor Larry Jones is obsessed with facial hair. Who isn't? So we've asked him to write about it. Enjoy.)

I've got heartburn right now. It's not what I’ve eaten because it's 9:15 and I've yet to eat for the day. That's out of laziness. I have heartburn because the Cubs are getting smoked. Even on this long stretch of well played games, I can't handle a smoking like that. So the best thing to do is to turn the game off and wait until tomorrow. Until then I think I'll explore something that has been on my mind for quite a while and that was re-sparked by none other than Chicago Cubs three bagger, Aramis Ramirez.

I don't know if it's just me, but has his goatee always been so pencil thin??? Anyway, the topic on my mind is facial hair in Baseball: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and Buy-an-f-ing-razor.

As facial hair enthusiast like myself already know, there are some spectacular faces in baseball. The fact is there isn't time to get to them all and I'm not that ambitious, but we can at least scratch the surface here with some of the tops. One for each category will cover it.

Who?: Chadwick Bradford This is the guy you don't know for his skills in front of a sold out crowd, rather the skill in front of a bathroom mirror. Not a bad name either. Shown here Chad is working with a “Chester-the-Molester” stache, short and to the point, and he brings the molester eyes with him.

What?: Ichiro

What??? Asians can grow facial hair? This came to me as a surprise, too. You learn something new everyday. If he didn’t run so fast maybe I would have known this earlier

When?: Rod Beck (R.I.P.)

When do you think this Fu Man would have gotten old? Never.

Where?: Rollie Fingers

Where have you been all my life? If Rollie could have only been born a few decades later I would be in steeche heaven. Everyone loves a classic.

Why?: Matt Clement

Why hasn’t anyone told him how ridiculous he looks? Oh, they have, and he keeps it because his wife likes a good chinning everyone once in a while? Honestly Abe, get rid of it.

Buy-an-f-ing-razor: Dan Haran

Come on man. You play in California and you know you’re sweating your ass off with that thing. Find a home for the creatures living in there, buy a razor, and shave that juniper bush off your face.

This brief look at MLB facial hair past and present doesn't even do justice to the topic at hand, but at least we get some sort of glimpse into the wide world of sports staches. We all know that playing baseball isn't brain surgery, but apparently for some ball players, a morning shave is.

Thursday's 5-4-3

Nationals 7 - Phillies 6: "Jesus has gotten some big hits and has played tremendous defense in his limited time for us," Washington manager Manny Acta said. "We think he's going to be a front-line catcher in the big leagues in the future. He has that kind of talent." Funny, I never pictured Jesus as a catcher. Not in the outfield either. I think he would have a hard time running down flyballs in sandals. DH or 1B would seem like a good fit for Him.

Giants 4 - Braves 2: Cubs stay ahead of the Braves in the Wild Card standings, thanks to the Giants and Tim Lincecum. Bud Selig spent his 3rd straight day watching the Giants play. Bonds didn't homer. Selig is probably getting pretty pissed off right now.

Astros 7 - Padres 1: Padres drop out of the Wild Card lead after getting throttled by the Astros. Biggio, Carlos "Fat Fuck" Lee, and Morgan Ensberg went deep for the Astros.

Dodgers 5 - Rockies 4: Brad Penny picked up his 13th win of the season, but left the game due to injury when he pulled something running to first. It's going to be tough for Carlos Zambrano to win the Cy Young when Brad Penny has a 13-1 record this season.

DBacks 7 - Marlins 4: Eric Byrnes hit a walk off homer in the 9th to give the DBacks their 5th straight win & sole possession of 1st in the Wild Card standings.

Another Successful Rehab Appearance For Wood

You're probably getting sick of all these rehab updates on the oft-injured Kerry Wood. Too bad. Deep down, I still have hope for the guy. Deep down. Deep deep down. The first important rehab outing will actually happen tomorrow, as Wood will throw on back-to-back nights for the first time. At this time, we can start to gauge if or when Wood might make it back to the big club.

Wood Strikes Out 2 [Cubs.com]

"It's Gonna Happen"

Interesting article in Sports Illustrated about the Cubs & the now famous "It's Gonna Happen" slogan. Looks like the MSM is either hopping on the bandwagon or is kissing the Cubs ass after abusing them in the offseason and April/May for all the "overspending" the Cubs did.

"It's Gonna Happen" [Sports Illustrated]


(hat tip to A League of Her Own)

Scoreboard Watching: Brewers Lose Again!

For the 3rd time in 4 days, the Reds helped out the Cubs by beating the Milwaukee Brewers. Today, Francisco Cordero blew the lead in the ninth & then the Reds won it in the 10th inning. This puts the Brewers 1-3 on their 7 game road trip.

Ground to be gained tonight. Thanks Cincinnati!

The next part of the deal, Cincinnati, is to go back to blowing something awful and get swept by the Cubs this weekend.

Brewers Lose [Yahoo Sports]

Where To Find The CUBS Tonight...

TV: Comcast Sports Network - 7:10PM
RADIO: WGN 720


Jason Marquis (7-5; 3.92 ERA) vs.
Braden Looper (7-8; 5.09 ERA)



Cubs go for the sweep over the Cardinals and try to gain another game on the Brewers, who lost to the Reds again today.

Darrin Jackson Gets Some Action?

It was reported in the Chicago Tribune's mini paper, The Red Eye (it's for commuters and it's free), that Darrin Jackson will be forced to miss a few games in August due to the birth of his child. Steve Stone will be teamed with Hawk Harrelson as DJ's fill in.

That leaves two question's for us at Out of Right Field.

1. Who exactly is going to do play by play seeing as how Steve Stone is an actual color commentator and Harrelson pretends to be an announcer, when in fact all he does is interject certain screams and complaints into the game.

2. Who in the hell would have sex with Darrin Jackson? I guess every squirrel finds a nut eventually.

Lilly Dominant Again

Ted Lilly continues to roll, as do the Cubs. Lilly pitched another good game last night, giving up 1 run over 7 innings. The one against Lilly really shouldn’t have happened either. In the 4th inning, Lilly had So Taguchi picked off of first but threw it away when he tossed the ball to Derrek Lee. Taguchi would get to 3rd on the overthrow & then score on a broken bat flair by Juan Encarnacion on the next pitch. Other than that, Lilly was business as usual. According to Cubs.com, Lilly is 7-0 since June 15th with a 2.77 ERA. Lilly & Carlos Zambrano are forming quite the 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. The two of them lead the NL with a combined 24 victories so far this season.

The Cubs bats were clutch again. Mike Fontenot & Jacque Jones had RBI singles in the 4th, Theriot had an RBI single in the 5th, Cliff Floyd had a 2 run double in the 5, and Mike Fontenot had a RBI single in the 5th. In the 8th, Ted Lilly picked up an RBI with a single, scoring Jacque Jones. 5 out of their 7 runs were scored with 2 outs, something that the Cubs do with regularity lately. The clutch hitting, coupled with a Milwaukee loss, puts the Cubs just 2 back of the Brewers now. It’s looking like that it’s only a matter of time before the Cubs pull ahead of the Brewers, and for good. Cubs win again, 7-1.

- In their last 28 games, the Cubs are 21-7.

- In their last 46 games, the Cubs are 31-15. That’s tops in MLB.

- Ted Lilly is the first Cubs lefty pitcher to win 11 games since Greg Hibbard did in 1993. Hibbard finished with 15 wins that season. Wow, that’s a name you don’t hear too often.

- Jacque Jones made a great catch in the first on a ball that was well hit by Albert Pujols. Jones went all the way back to the wall and was able to catch up to it, catching it with his back to the field. It seems Jacque has woken up. It lessens our hate for him when he actually plays well, which he has the past week. Keep it up and we might be forced to actually “like” you. Who would of thought that would ever happen?

- 37 year old Albert Pujols is 0-9 this series.

- Cubs go for the sweep tonight. If that happens, expect LaRussa to get boooooooozed tonight.

Wednesday's 5-4-3

****Just a quick note for all of our loyal readers. The 5-4-3 will most likely only include National League games of note from here on out, unless something interesting happens of course. How many people care what happened in the Devil Rays v. Orioles game?

Rockies 10 Padres 2 Just about any game that the Padres give up more than 4 runs is over no matter what inning they are in at the time. Scott Linebrink is gone, but you would think they could have gotten a hitter for him.

Phillies 7 Nats 5 Ryan Howard to the rescue, but if Jimmy Rollins doesn't run like the wind it wouldn't have mattered. After Alfonseca gave up three runs in the ninth inning, and then Rollins made his move. After Ryan Langerhans dropped a fly ball Rollins made it to third, but after the relay was throw was bobbled Rollins sprinted home to tie the game. Howard's mamoth shot ended it in the 14th.

Reds 7 Brewers 3 Jeff Suppan gave up 5 runs in 5 innings to the Reds and the offense was stagnant against Kyle Loshe. The Brewers lose a game in the central, and while the Linebrink trade makes their bullpen one of the best late, the rotation looks vunerable if Suppan continues to give outings like this. Also, Matt Wise drilled Cincy's Pedro Lopez in the face, and though Lopez left the game, we have to hand it to him. He got up, unlike what any of us would have done.

Astros 2 Dodgers 1 The Dodgers can't take advantage of a Padre loss and lenghthen their lead. Matt Albers filled in well for an injured Roy Oswalt, and Derek Lowe was just as impressive, though he had to leave in the fifth with a slight groin pull.

D Backs 7 Marlins 0 This is the Brandon Webb Arizona expected to pitch all year. Stellar is the only way to describe it. Chris Young got it started in the bottom of the first with a solo shot, and that was all Webb needed to cram yet another team into the NL races with 2 months to go.

Giants 2 Braves 1 No Barry, no problem. Noah Lowry kept the Braves bats in check and scattered 7 hits on his way to a win. The Braves have played well lately, and they were just held in check for a night, although Chuck James had another good outing.

Tigers 13 White Sox 9 I wonder if Kenny Williams told Jermaine Dye that he wasn't going to be traded because no one wanted him? If not, then Jermaine realized it on his own cause his bat is suddenly awake. Another home run Wednesday makes 17 on the year. White Sox still 15.5 games out of first.

Can You Hear The Footsteps, Milwaukee?

Yes, I have a calendar. Yes, I see that it's only July 25th. But you know what... I don't give a shit. I can scoreboard watch if I want to. And I did tonight and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Cincinnati, last place in the NL Central, helped out the Cubs again with a 7-3 win over the Brewers. The Reds have now won 2 out of 3 so far in this series, with one more to go tomorrow.

Now Cincinnati... don't go getting used to this winning stuff. The Cubs need you to roll over and die this weekend.

Brewers Lose Again [Milwaukee Brewers.com]

Brewers Make First Move

Milwaukee acquires reliever Scott Linebrink from the Padres for 3 minor league prospects.

Linebrink has been awful the past week, blowing two leads in his set-up role. Hopefully he continues to blow.

Brewers Acquire Linebrink [Yahoo Sports]

Where To Find The CUBS Tonight...

TV: WGN 7:10PM (or if you could stomach the dumb fucks on ESPN2, but we don't suggest it)

RADIO: WGN 720


Ted Lilly (10-4; 3.58 ERA) vs.
Adam Wainwright (9-7; 4.18 ERA)


Cubs look to improve on their 4-2 record over the Cards this season.

DeRosa Leaves Game With Injury

Mark DeRosa, team MVP so far this season because of his ability to play so many positions and play them well, left the game last night with hamstring tendinitis. The Cubs are saying that it is not serious, but "hamstring" and "tendinitis" doesn't sound very good. We should be able to find out more about this injury later today. I would expect the Cubs to be without DeRosa for a couple days at minimum.

DeRosa Injured [Cubs.com]

Wood Pitches Well Again

Kerry Wood made another successful bullpen appearance, this time for the Single A affiliate of the Cubs. Pitching to Henry Blanco, Kerry Wood walked one, but managed to work around it and finished the inning throwing 12 pitches. Wood was hitting 94 mph on the radar gun. Wood still needs to prove that he can throw on back-to-back or even back-to-back-to-back days as a reliever if he has any shot of making it back to the Cubs.

You have to admire Wood on his effort, he's doing all he can to try and get back to the big club. The Cubs obviously would like to get another left handed reliever in the bullpen, but nobody says they have to. They have Will Ohman, who is pitching well & having multiple lefthanded relievers isn't mandatory. The Angels won the World Series in 2002 without a left hander in their bullpen. So adding Wood isn't out of the question just because he's not left handed. If he's dominant, the Cubs would be foolish not to bring him up.

Wood Continues To Throw Well [Chicago Tribune]

Zambrano Halts Skid & Wins #13

Albert Pujols, thanks for sucking something awful last night. We really appreciate it. With a runner on and two outs in the 7th and the Cubs up 1, Carlos Marmol threw a sick slider that Pujols was absolutely fooled on and weakly grounded out to Aramis Ramirez to end the threat in the 7th. In the 9th, Albert Pujols had the same situation with Ryan Dempster on the hill this time. Dempster was able to jam Pujols, who grounded out to Ryan Theriot to end the game.

Another thanks goes to Scott Rolen, who made an error in the 7th with two outs to keep the inning alive for the Cubs. Ryan Theriot hit a ground Rolen couldn’t handle, Derrek Lee walked, and Aramis Ramirez stepped to the plate. St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa had the chance to pull Kip Wells and bring in somebody from their bullpen to face Ramirez, but LaRussa stayed with Wells. Wrong move. Ramirez singled to left, scoring Theriot to take the lead. Theriot would score again in the 9th on a single by Derrek Lee, who was returning from suspension.

Carlos Zambrano didn’t have his best stuff, but it’s very encouraging to see that the Cubs can win with a so-so Zambrano. It also helps that the Cardinals suck. Zambrano threw 6+ innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs. The win gives Zambrano 13 for the season, the most in the NL. Z is 8-2, with a 1.56 ERA since the “incident.”

Ryan Dempster came in the 9th and made things interesting as usual. When the Cubs made their run in the playoffs in 2003, closer Joe Borowski would make things interesting every single save attempt. If the Cubs had a 3 run lead, he would give up 2 runs. 2 run lead, he would give up a run. 1 run lead, he would load the bases with nobody out and then battle his way out of it. Ryan Dempster is the same way. It wouldn’t be an outing unless he makes it suspenseful. Cut it the fuck out. Dempster gave Albert Pujols the chance to win the game against the Cubs in the 9th, a situation I wouldn’t like to see happen anytime soon. Pujols failed last night, but it’s probably not the best idea to challenge Pujols like that again. Cubs win in a close one, 4-3.

- Ryan Dempster got his 17th save (out of 19 chances) & his first since coming off the DL. He wasn’t sharp, but he was effective.

- Mark DeRosa left the game with a hamstring injury & was replaced by Ronny Cedeno. We’ll post more info on the injury when we get it. Supposedly it isn’t serious. Cross your fingers.

- Jacque Jones went 1 for 2 with an RBI & 2 walks. 2 walks? Really? Keep it up Jacque and we might be forced to actually like you.

- The clutch hitting Cubs did it again last night. All 4 runs were scored with 2 outs.

- Aramis Ramirez went 4 for 5 with an RBI last night. Is it time to start talking about Ramirez (who was left off the all-star team) as a possible MVP candidate?

- Derrek Lee came back from his suspension and picked up where he left off. Lee went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Barrett Not Playing Nice In San Diego

Michael Barrett has been suspended for 1 game by the league for inappropriate conduct.

Barrett Needs A Timeout [San Diego Padres.com]

Where to Find the Cubs Tonight...

TV: Comcast Sports Network - 7:10 PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Carlos Zambrano (12-7; 3.69 ERA) vs. Kip Wells (4-12; 5.75 ERA)

The Cubs head to St. Louis to face a truely beatable Cardinal team. The Cardinals are using a makeshift rotation that includes tonight starter, Kip Wells. If the Cubs don't sweep, there has to be a feeling of failure.

Brewers Still Suck On The Road

The Cincinnati Reds helped out the Cubs Monday night, beating the Milwaukee Brewers in 12 innings, 2-1. The loss by the Brewers allows the Cubs to gain 1/2 a game in the standings, with the Cubs now only 3 behind.

Like we said before, the road is going to kill the Brewers. Wisconsin gives so much to the Brewers, that it's no wonder they struggle when they are not there because they miss it too much. They miss the cheese, the beer, and most importantly, they miss the fat Wisconsin brauds. You know Prince Fielder and Kevin Mench enjoy a little more cushion for the pushin'.

Milwaukee Loses [Yahoo Sports]

Cedeno To Join Cubs in St. Louis

Ronny Cedeno has made his way back to the Cubs, a move made in part because of the departure of Cesar Izturis & the fact that Cedeno has been tearing it up at Iowa (.360 / 10 HRs / 36 RBI). According to the Chicago Tribune, Jake Fox will likely head back to Iowa.

Are we at that point where this could make or break Cedeno's career as a Cub? He's shown the last two seasons that he's very good at the Triple A level. If he can't prove that he can stay with the big club this time around, is it time to move on and move him on out? How much patience should the Cubs continue to have with him?

Cedeno is Back [Chicago Sports.com / Chicago Tribune]

Update: Scott Moore was optioned back to Iowa, not Jake Fox. [Cubs.com]

Wade Miller To Make Rehab Start on Wednesday

Wade Miller will pitch for the Cubs Double A club on Wednesday as part of his rehab program. I have to ask... who cares? Do you want Wade Miller on this team? If Wade Miller was lefty and they had the chance to put him in the bullpen, then fine. But where will he go? The Cubs rotation has been good, good enough to have their job secure over a healthy Wade Miller. By the time Miller gets into shape, the trading deadline will be over so it won't be like the Cubs will be able to ship Miller off for any bullpen help anytime soon. I'm all happy for seeing Miller battle back from injury, but I just don't see where he fits on this ball club.

Miller Continues Rehab [Yahoo! Sports]

No Cubs Game, So Let's Scoreboard Watch...

Brewers @ Reds - 6:10PM

Chris Capuano (5-6; 4.96 ERA) vs.
Aaron Harang (10-2; 3.63 ERA)

Catch the Updates Here [MLB.com]


For today, Go Reds!

A Nice Change in Sports

Everyday we hear about the problems that sports bring to the forefront of the news. The fixed games, dog fighting, and even shooting incidents, but today is a day that makes us remember why we get wrapped up in these games.

Jon Lester, a left handed starting pitcher for the Red Sox, will make his season debut in Cleveland tonight. It would not be a huge deal, except for the fact that last year Lester was diagnose with a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma last August. I am sure that regardless of the outcome, Lester will be happy that he has made it back onto baseball's biggest stage.

While the Red Sox may not be the most liked team across the country now a days, you would have to imagine Jon Lester will have plenty of his own fans outside of Boston tonight. Hopefully red Sox fans will give him a start or two to get settled before they start booing him

Lester returns from cancer fight [mlb.com]

Sunday's 5-4-3

Royals 5 Tigers 2 The Tigers lose 2 of 3 to the Royals, but I'm sure they would still take being 20 games over .500 any day. The Royals have some company in the cellar, and actually look to be a better team then the White Sox at this point.

Marlins 9 Reds 3 The Reds fall back into the cellar and the Marlins stay close, but not too close. Dan Uggla homers again, and Bronson Arroyo gets another loss. Way to showcase yourself before the deadline.

Nats 3 Rockies 0 The Nationals are playing like a real team lately, and Austin Kearns keeps it going with a 8th inning home run. The Rockies aren't taking advantage of a West that isn't playing well.

Yanks 21 D Rays 4 Seriously, 21 runs? Good lord.

Blue Jays 8 Mariners 0 Roy Haladay is the straight up man. Not much else to say.

Astros 1 Pirates 0 At this point, who cares? Hunter Pence did have a few more hits though.

Brewers 7 Giants 5 Barry Bonds takes another day off and the Giants lose. Not that it was his fault, but it seems like some people like to report when he takes a day off. Brewers manage to pick up a game on their lead that they lost on friday.

Red Sox 8 White Sox 5 Enjoy the cellar pale hose. That team you are tied with is the Royals. yes, the Royals.

Angels 7 Twins 2 The Angels have been scuffling, but pull out the win behind in Minnesota. Matt Garza hasn't been sharp for the Twins since his recall, and it looks like the Twins are running out of time.

Phillies 9 Padres 0 What the hell is wrong with Jake Peavy? More importantly, when will the Padres realize they need another bat, or two?

Orioles 2 A's 0 I have been an A's fan for awhile, so it hurts to say no one cares what they do the rest of the year.

Mets 5 Dodgers 4 NLCS Preview? Doubtful. the way the Mets have played lately, despite the win, leads me to believe the Braves catch them.

Cards 7 Braves 2 I realize what I said in the game before this, but how often does scott Rolen actually homer? The Braves will make a deal before the deadline to do something about their 1st basemen. Julio Franco? He has to be 60 years old by now.

Indians 8 Rangers 3 The Indians played decent on the road and head home to face the Red Sox. They have the best home record in baseball, and I can't wait to see Grady Sizemore patrolling in the playoffs.

We Are Chicago Baseball Enters The Cellar

We Are Chicago Baseball (43-54; 1-5 vs. the CUBS) dropped to last place in the AL Central yesterday after another loss to Boston this weekend. Sox marketing, think it's time to take down these billboards all over the city? We would say so. This is why you don't spend all of this money promoting a team and making ridiculous claims about being "Chicago Baseball" because when you blow like you do right now, it's embarassing. You can call yourselves "Chicago Baseball," and the Cubs will just call themselves "Winning Baseball." Take the signs down, douchebags.

White Sox Are Now In Last Place [MLB.com]

Key To Catching Milwaukee

The biggest factor in catching the Milwaukee Brewers in the last two months is how Milwaukee plays on the road. Through 45 games on the road, the Brewers have only won 19 of them. The Brewers have 64 games remaining this season, with 36 on the road & 28 at home. If the Brewers continue to struggle on the road, it could be their undoing in the Division and Wild Card races. We'll definitely be rooting for the home team whenever Milwaukee travels.

Lost Weekend

The Cubs lost the game on Sunday & they lost a game in the standings in the process. The Cubs continue to struggle against pitchers they've never seen before, as Yusmeiro Petit (22 years old) pitched 6 scoreless innings and gave up only 3 hits. As the Cubs fail to get hits against Petit, they blew what was a productive outing from Sean Marshall. Marshall gave up 1 run over 6 innings & that should be good enough to win every time out. Sunday, however, wasn't the Cubs or Marshall's day for a win. The Cubs definitely need Derrek Lee's bat back into the lineup and it'll be great to finally see that on Tuesday.

Cubs lose the game 3-0 & lose the weekend series to Arizona. The Cubs complete a very successful homestand, going 7-3.

- Carlos Marmol struggled Sunday afternoon, very rare for the reliever. Marmol gave up 2 runs in an inning of work, showing rare control problems as he walked two.

- Ramirez, Floyd, DeRosa, and Jones (4-5-6-7) combined for 0 for 14 with 5 Ks.

- Jose Valverde picked up his 30th save of the season for the Diamondbacks. Never really ever getting to see the guy on regular basis, it was nice to finally get a chance to watch him. He's nasty and the pitching motion is definitely a distraction and works in his favor.

- The Cubs have passed the 2 million mark in attendance at Wrigley this year.

- The Cubs have an off day on Monday and get back at again on Tuesday night against the Cardinals. The Cubs have a very winnable road trip ahead, going to St Louis for 3 and then Cincinnati for 3. The Brewers have the same trip, with 4 against the Reds first and the St Louis over the weekend. It's going to be a battle of who blinks first, we like the Cubs chances......

Kerry Wood Makes Another Successful Rehab Appearance

Kerry Wood continues to inch his way back onto the big league roster, something most people thought they might not see ever again. Wood pitched again for the rookie league team in Mesa, Arizona, giving up one hit and walking one in an inning of work. Wood is now heading to Peoria for the next part of his rehab. If Wood can prove that he can pitch on back-to-back outings without any problems, he might actually find himself back on the big club.

Wood Continues To Rehab Well [Cubs.com]

Where To Find The CUBS Today...

TV: Comcast Sports Network - 1:20PM
RADIO: WGN 720

Sean Marshall (4-3; 3.43 ERA) vs.
Yusmeiro Petit (1-2; 3.22ERA)


Cubs go for the series victory after losing a tough one yesterday. Sean Marshall is winless since June 24th, a game in which he beat We Are Chicago Baseball (White Sox).

Where To Find The CUBS Today...

TV: WGN 720 - 12:05PM
RADIO: WGN 720

Rich Hill (6-6; 3.70 ERA) vs.
Micah Owings (5-5; 4.92 ERA)

Jacque Jones is re-born? No, I still think he's a terrible baseball player. But as the Cubs worst player, if he keeps hitting like he does than the Cubs have one hell of a team.

Another Day, Another Roster Move

Dayrle Ward get well soon. Welcome back Ryan Dempster. Sean Gallagher, uh, yeah he's gone too. Scott Moore, nice to see you. Seriously have you ever seen a team with so much turnover when they are actually winning?

The Cubs sent Gallagher down on Friday, allowing them to activate Ryan Dempster. Dempster was on the DL with a left oblique strain, and has since recovered and made a few rehab appearances.

Dayrle Ward was placed on the disabled list with a strained right calf. The Cubs recalled infielder Scott Moore to take Ward's place on the roster, but one would have to think Jake Fox or Mark DeRosa will be paying first until Lee returns. Moore was hitting .266 (76-for-286) with 16 home runs and 61 RBI in 90 games for Iowa this season.

Finally, the Cubs also reassigned Wade Miller to Triple-A Iowa from Single-A Peoria. Miller has been on the DL since April with back spasms, but has been progressing well.

Another Day, Another Roster Move [Cubs.com]

TV: WGN Channel 9- 1:20PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Jason Marquis (6-5; 4.03 ERA) vs.
Brandon Webb (8-7; 3.42 ERA)

Jason Marquis looks to keep the Cubs magic going at home. The D Backs aren't playing great, but Brandon Webb gives them a chance to win every time out.

The Wind Was Blowing In???

Seventeen runs, two Barry Bonds home runs, and a Cubs win. I guess we can live with that last part. Barry Bonds was the story all week long and all he was able to do was contribute an 0-1 in a pinch hit appearance prior to Thursday. However, when Barry started, the performance lived up to the hype. He hit a massive solo shot to lead off the second inning, and a three run blast into the basket in the seventh. The solo shot in the second was the first home run to land on Sheffield Ave. all year.

As for the game outside of Bonds, the Cubs looked like it would be an easy day. After a four run first inning, helped by a throwing error on a Ryan Theriot bunt and a throwing error on a Ramirez single, the Cubs looked like they were right on Matt Morris.

Things settled down for an inning or two, but then the Cubs began to tack on a few extra runs that would prove to be crucial. Ramirez (3-5, 2RBI) and Pagan had back to back run scoring doubles in the fourth and Soriano and Fontenot had RBIs in the 5th and 7th respectively.

As for Ted Lily, he pitched effectively through five innings as he only surrendered the Bonds home run and a two RBI single to Bonds in the 3rd inning as well. He left with an 8-3 lead and the Cubs looked to be easing into another series win when the bullpen collapsed. Ohman, Petrick, and Wuertz combined to give up 5 runs in an inning and two thirds, but thankfully Marmol and Howry were able to hold the lead in the 8th and 9th innings. It was Howry's seventh save.

- Cliff Floyd and Dayrle Ward both left the game with injuries, although both were "non serious," whatever that means. Both will be evaluated before today's game.

- Ted Lily stole a base in the 5th inning for his first career steal.

- Ramirez is proving to be the teams offensive savior this year. Soriano is faring well, but with Lee suspended and Floyd/Ward forced to leave Thursday, Ramirez is showing why the Cubs gave him big money to stay.

- Lou Pinella on Bonds home runs: "I hate to have Bonds hit two home runs off our pitchers," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "That's what the fans came out to see in these four days and they got their money's worth. He put on a power-hitting exhibition and our team won a baseball game." I assume Pinella is glad he can stop answering Bonds questions for awhile since they are out of town.

Outside The Cubs...

It would have been nice to know about this when we were betting on games. Think our bookies will give us a refund???

Ref In The Mobs' pocket? [NY Post]

Thursday's 5-4-3

Brewers 10 - DBacks 1: Yovani Gallardo pitched well in Ben Sheets' rotation spot and the Brewers won easily over the struggling DBacks. Brewers keep pace and maintain their 3.5 game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central.

Blue Jays 3 – Yankees 2: The Blue Jays waited until the 7th inning to finally get on the board, but they made the most of it as they hang on to beat the hot Yankees in New York.

Tigers 4 – Twins 3: As hot as the Cubs are in the NL, the Tigers are just as hot in the AL. Detroit wins again in extra innings, with Todd Jones and his Fu Man Chu picking up save number 26 on the season.

White Sox 4 – Boston 2: Boston continues to free fall as they lose to We Are Chicago Baseball (43-51; 1-5 vs. Cubs). A.J. Pierzynski had 3 RBI off of Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Indians 7 – Rangers 5: C.C. Sabathia picked up win number 13 on the season and the Indians keep pace with the Tigers and remain 2 games back in the AL Central.

Braves 10 – Cardinals 1: Mike Maroth gets his ass whipped once again and the Braves remain tied with the Cubs for 2nd in the wild card chase.

Padres 1 – Phillies 0: Chris “Ogre” Young outduels Cole Hamels as the Padres take over first place in the NL West.

Mets 13 – Dodgers 9: Not a lot of pitching in this game as the overrated Mets score early and often against Derek Lowe.

Kerry Wood's Third Outing Is Successful

Kerry Wood had another successful rehab stint, throwing one inning and giving up only one hit. No runs scored against Wood and he struck out one. The most successful part of the rehab stint? He didn't go on the DL afterwards. Wood is set to make a couple more rehab outings and then there's a possibility that he could be on the Cubs roster at the end of July or beginning of August. Yeah, I'm just as surprised as you are to read that.

Wood Getting Closer To Rejoining Team [Cubs.com]

Carpenter, Cardinals Both Done in 2007

Injuries are apart of the game, and while no one really likes to see their opponent get injured, the NL Central got some good news Thursday. The Cardinals have confirmed that Chris Carpenter will undergo Tommy John Surgery. Carpenter is expected to miss the rest of 2007 and at least some, if not all of 2008. There is a 10 to 12 month recovery time for the ligament replacement surgery. That means Mike Maroth, Braden Looper, and the rest of the group the Cardinals call a pitching staff are pretty much screwed.

Carpenter Done For 2007, Part of 2008 [MLB.com]

Ballhawk Holding Out For Some Scratch

The guy who caught Barry Bonds' first home run today, Dave Davidson (David Davidson? Little repetitive, no?), is holding out for some major money for getting a hold of home run #752 for Bonds. Davidson has been offered $5k for the ball, but he has his sights set on $25k. I don't know who is worse in life, Dave Davidson or the asshole that gives him $25k for a baseball. Home run ball #756, now that ball has some value as the record breaker. #752 is worth 6 bucks. Now go get a job, loser.

David Davidson Is A Douchebag [AOL Sports]

Update: Dave Davidson has his own website. Email Dave and let him know where he can put ball #752.

So Long Cesar. Need Help Packing?

Cesar Izturis was sent packing Thursday morning in a trade with the Pirates. "Trade" is actually not the right word, as the Cubs sent him there, and cash, for a player to be named later. We here at Out of Right Field will be celebrating properly this evening. The only problem is that Jacque Jones isn't going with him, but one problem at a time. Jake Fox was called up to take Cesar's place on the roster. Fox plays 1st, 3rd, catcher, and the corner outfield spots and will be a nice right handed bat off the bench.

So Long Cesar, need help packing? [Cubs.com]

Where To Find The CUBS Today...

TV: Comcast Sports Network - 1:20PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Ted Lilly (9-4; 3.51 ERA) vs.

Matt Morris (7-5; 3.86 ERA)

Lilly looks to become the second double digit winner on the Cubs this season & the Cubs are going for the series victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Wednesday's 5-4-3

White Sox 5 Indians 1 the White Sox steal a series from the Indians, but it probably is too little too late. Buerhle continues to lower his ERA everytime out.

Rockies 5 Pirates 3 Ian Snell falls to 7-7 3.31 ERA, but with this Pirate team that is very respectable. The Rockies seem to be regrouping after dropping a few games off the pace in the West and may actually be buyers come the trade deadline.

A's 6 Rangers 0 The Rangers can't win if they don't hit, especially if they run out Kevin Millwood. Millwood's ERA is now at 5.50 and it seems like he never will regain the stuff he had in Atlanta.

Nats 7 Astros 6 The score is only that close because of a 4 run 7th inning. the Nats should have taken all three games, but taking two of the first three isn't all bad. The Astros are now in the cellar in the NL Central.

Yanks 6 Blue Jays 1 I know it's exciting, the Yankees having won 5 straight, but they need alot of pitching to overcome this lead. The Blue jays also say they will be holding on to everyone for next year, but I doubt that will stop teams from asking about a red-hot Troy Glaus.

Red 5 Braves 4 Break up the Reds! They have won three straight, 7 of 10, and climbed out of the cellar. I read they may deal Kyle Loshe by the deadline. You read that right, that is how thin the pitching markethas gotten.

Royals 6 Red Sox 5 I dare you to ask a Red Sox fan if they like their chances right now? The lead is down to 7 games, and Bucky Dent, Bill Buckner, and countless other things are in their mind. I guarentee it.

D Rays 7 Angels 2 I like Scott Kazmir, but if I were the Angels i would try and deal for some hitting. it is always a problem, and now they lost two straigh to the Devil Rays. Also, LAA sent Ervin Santana to the minors, let's see if that wakes him up at all.

Dodgers 5 Phillies 4 Two teams, two directons. Unfortunately for Philly, it is the wrong direction. The Mets have been scuffling and the Phillies continue to let their chances slip away. Charlie Manuel will probably be fired at the end of the year anyway.

Tigers 3 Twins 2 Johan Santana was pitching at home, after a loss. You would have to figure that the Twins were looking good but they left 13 guys on base and never could push across that run they needed.

Cards 6 Marlins 0 Dontrelle Willis is giving the Marlins no choice but to hold on to him. he gave up 6 runs in 3+ innings, and fell to 7-9 on the year. teams would still be intersted, but not at the price Florida is going to want for a pitcher with a 5.19 ERA.

D Backs 5 Brewers 2 All hail Mark Reynolds! Cubs nation rejoices, as the Brewers lose finally. Chris Capuano pitched good, but the bullpen gave up Reynolds 3run shot in the 8th.

Pardes 5 Mets 4 Scott Linebrink isn't himself lately and again gave up a decent size lead in the late innings. This time his teammates rescued him, as the Padres stayed ahead of the Wild Card chase and kept pace with LAD.

Mariners 6 Orioles 5 The Mariners revealed that Ichiro's contract actually has $25 million deferred and tht he'll come off the payroll in 2032. Chances are he'll still be playing, especially if the mariners stay this hot. they are only 1.5 games back in the West and closing.

Cubs Respond Quickly With Blowout Win

Good teams don’t allow themselves to fall into losing skids and that’s exactly what the Cubs did yesterday afternoon. The Cubs haven’t lost back-to-back games since June 23rd & June 24th against Texas. With their ace Carlos Zambrano on the mound, the Cubs quickly forgot about Tuesday night’s loss and absolutely pounded Matt Cain & the San Francisco Giants. The 12-1 win, coupled with a Milwaukee loss, now puts the Cubs back to 3.5 games behind in the NL Central.

Koyie Hill was the hitting star of the game, going 2 for 3 (2 doubles) with 5 RBI. Hill has struggled to hit for the Cubs since his call up, but the last two games for him have resulted in a homer on Monday and now a career high in RBI on Wednesday.

Cubs got contributions on offense from everybody but Zambrano. Cliff Floyd went 2 for 3 with an RBI, Angel Pagan hit a 2 run double in the 8th, Mark DeRosa went 2 for 4 with an RBI, and even Jacque Jones went 1 for 3 with 2 RBI.

A very encouraging sign from this offense was the fact that the Cubs drew 10 walks yesterday against San Francisco pitching. The past couple of seasons, the Cubs have been notoriously known as an impatient, free swinging team and it appears hitting coach Gerald Perry is making his mark on the team’s approach.

Carlos Zambrano pitched well for 5 innings and the Cubs were able to take advantage of a big lead and get Zambrano out of the game early. With the Cubs up 9-0 and with Big Z having previously thrown some high pitch count games, Lou Piniella didn’t hesitate to rest Zambrano when he had the chance. The Cubs will need a fresh Zambrano down the stretch and Piniella utilized a great opportunity to rest Zambrano. Sean Gallagher, recently called up, pitched the remaining 4 innings to get his first career save. Gallagher only gave up 1 run in 4 innings.

The Cubs win big on Wednesday 12-1, and now have won 17 out of the last 22.

- Koyie Hill’s 5 RBI were the most by a Cubs catcher since Paul Bako had 5 RBI for the Cubs in 2003.

- Barry Bonds didn’t start again and didn’t pinch hit either. He’s said to be starting on Thursday, but we’ll have to wait and see if he actually plays.

- Carlos Zambrano is now 7-2 since the dugout fight with Michael Barrett. It’s annoying to keep bringing up the fight, but it’s hard to ignore the change in the Cubs and Carlos Zambrano since that happened.

- Aramis Ramirez got the day off, as did Jason Kendall. Both are expected to be in the lineup on Thursday. Mark DeRosa filled in for Ramirez at third and it can’t be said enough about how important Mark DeRosa is to this team.

- Daryle Ward went 1 for 4 in his first game of Derrek Lee’s suspension.

- Former Cardinals’ pitcher Matt Morris will start against the Cubs on Thursday. Morris usually pitches well against the Cubs and that makes me hate him very much.

Lee Drops Appeal, Starts Suspension

Derrek Lee dropped his appeal on Wednesday and began serving his suspension against the Giants. Lee fouled a ball of his foot Tuesday and, though he probably could have played through it, decided to take his rest and punishment at the same time. Daryle Ward will get a chance the two remaining games against the Giants, and the three game set against the D-Backs over the weekend.

Lee decides to sit in the corner for a timeout [foxsports.com]

Where To Find The CUBS Today...

TV: WGN - 1:20PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Carlos Zambrano (11-7; 3.83 ERA) vs.

Matt Cain (3-10; 3.53 ERA)

Zambrano goes for an NL Best 12th victory of the season. And don't let Matt Cain's record fool you, the guy can pitch.

Shocker! A Sox Fan Thinks Cubs Fans Are Idiots!

Phil Arvia wasted paper today, by continuing to talk about the dozen or so Cubs fans who threw cups onto the field after Aramis Ramirez hit a game winning double on Monday night. What a surprise, a Sox fan who writes for a Southside newspaper goes out of his way to call Cubs fans "idiots." And a day late even. Congrats Phil Arvia, that's some award winning journalism right there. Is it a surprise and coincidence that a Sox fan/writer for a Southside newspaper would continue to harp on an incident that injured no one at a ballpark that has the hottest team in major league baseball in it? Would Phil Arvia continue to press this issue if the Cubs were in 4th like the Sox? Absolutely not. If Phil Arvia is that concerned about garbage being on the field, then maybe he should be writing about the Chicago White Sox team perhaps.

Email Phil at parvia@dailysouthtown.com

Sox Fan/Writer Resorts to Name Calling [Daily Southtown]

McDonough Claims No Restrictions on Spending, Trades

Interim President John McDonough reinterated that Cubs GM Jim Hendry has no restrictions in terms of spending and making deals before the July 31st deadline. McDonough also said that the Tribune Co. does have a say, however, in the deals as well. So does Hendry really have no restrictions? We'd like to see some proof, as in a long-term deal for Carlos Zambrano.

McDonough: No Restrictions for Hendry [Chicago Sun-Times]

Bullpen, Hitting Falter In Rare Cubs Loss

Not the best debut for Jason Kendall. Hopefully this isn’t what we’re going to be seeing the rest of the season. Kendall went 0 for 3 at the plate, failed to catch a throw to the plate from Alfonso Soriano that could have prevented a run, and then failed to catch a pop up behind the plate because he lost it in the lights. The missed pop up turned out to be the winning run. Kendall was booed several times after receiving a nice ovation to begin the game & was even pinch hit for in the 9th, with Piniella opting for Daryle Ward over Kendall.

Sean Marshall pitched well for the Cubs, giving up 2 runs over 6 innings. The bullpen, however, let the Cubs down. After Jason Kendall failed to catch Benjie Molina’s pop up behind the plate, he immediately took advantage and singled. And out and a walk later, Carlos Marmol was taken out and Will Ohman was brought in as Barry Bonds walked to the plate in a pinch hit situation. The crowd was immediately all over him when he came out of the dugout to loosen up. Will Ohman and Bonds had a good battle, with Ohman getting Bonds out on a lineout to Soriano. Will Ohman then walked Guillermo Rodriguez to load the bases. With the count 3 & 2 and Dave Roberts up (who is hitting .239 this season), Will Ohman buries a slider in the dirt to walk in a run. A 3-2 slider to a weak hitting Dave Roberts with the bases loaded? And it’s not like Ohman was throwing that pitch for strikes all night either. I hate that call. Piniella didn’t seem to like it either. Michael Wuertz comes in, gives up a 25 foot single to Omar Vizquel to give the Giants a 4-2 lead. A run because of a walk and a run because of a 25 footer. Wow.

The Cubs hitting was basically non-existent against Barry Zito, Vinnie Chulk, and Brad Hennessey. The Cubs managed to score one run on an error and the other run on a Derrek Lee home run in the 6th. Looks like he’s finding his home run stroke after the drought. Aramis Ramirez led off the 9th with a double and we all began to get that feeling again that the Cubs were going to pull this one out as well. Didn’t happen. Cubs lose, 4-2.

- Alfonso Soriano went 0 for 4 and is now 0-8 in the 5th spot when Lou puts in his lefty pitcher lineup.

- Barry Zito had been 0-4 in his last 6 starts before last night. Zito didn’t walk anybody, something he hadn’t accomplished in his last 38 starts.

- Ryan Dempster & Kerry Wood both pitched last night in rehab assignments. Wood gave up a run in one inning of work, but said he felt great throwing. I think we’ve heard that a few times before. Dempster could return to the Cubs next weekend.

- Geovany Soto was sent down to Iowa to make room for recently acquired Jason Kendall.

- The characteristic of a true Ace of a rotation is one who pitches well & carries a team to a win after a loss. Carlos Zambrano gets that chance Wednesday afternoon, when he faces Matt Cain & the Giants in game 3 of the series.

Where To Find The CUBS Tonight...

TV: Comcast Sports Network 7:05PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Sean Marshall (4-3; 3.48 ERA) vs.
Barry Zito (6-9; 4.90 ERA)


Let's see how the Cubs decide to win this one...

Monday's 5-4-3

White Sox 11 Indians 10 I found myself watching this game Monday night, and couldn't stop laughing. The Sox manage a week's worth of runs in one inning (nine) and the bullpen still tries to give it away. Why does Kenny Williams still have a job? Maybe he can trade for Carl Everett and Roberto Alomar again.

Red Sox 4 Royals 0 Manny and Ortiz each homered, and they played the Royals. Needless to say, the Red Sox won.

Yankees 6 Blue Jays 4 Troy Glaus is either finally healthy, or trying to help his trade value. Two home runs and a triple, but it wasn't enough. Also, I thought the Blue Jays were mad at A-Rod? Usually when you are mad at someone he gets a fastball in the ribs.

Rangers 4 A's 1 Billy Beane started selling his team before the game (Kendall to the Cubs) ad things didn't improve, as the A's lost for the 8th straight game. The Rangers make it two in a row, but are still in dead last.

Mariners 4 Orioles 2 The Orioles return to Seattle, but their manager stuck around this time. The news on the field wasn't too good though, as they drop another road game. Seattle picks up 1/2 game on the Angels, for now anyway.

Reds 10 Braves 3 Bobby Cox used a quick hook on Kyle Davies, but the damage was already done. Griffey, Jr. climbed to sixth all by himself on the home run list with number 587.

Rockies 10 Pirates 8 It is not often that nine runs in the first three innings isn't a safe lead, but I guess it depends on how many runs you give up. The Rockies scored just enough as the Pirates mounted a nice comeback. Despite all the scoring, neither team managed to leave the yard.

Cards 5 Marlins 3 The Cardinals believe they are still in the NL Central race, but they must have been drinking with LaRussa all weekend. They did manage a win, but are still 8.5 games out. Cabrera also homered for the Marlins in this one, and treated himself to another donut to celebrate.

Nats 4 Astros 3 The Astro bullpen pitched well, too bad Woody Williams didn't. He gave up four runs to the Nationals, and that was all they needed. The Houston offense struggled again as they managed only 3 runs, and had their losing streak extended to four.

Brewers 4 d Backs 3 This Braun character has to be on steroids. I mean 14 HRs this year and he missed all of April and some of May. The Brewers win again, but I bet Sheets to the DL, and the Cubs play recently, has to be somewhat disheartening.

Padres 5 Mets 1 Michael Barrett had an RBI single in the second inning and that was all David Wells needed. Wells did give up a run in his six innings, but you have to believe he was distracted by the Met dugout dangling a case of Busch Light and a large pizza at him.

Dodgers 10 Phillies 3 To be honest I have no idea how this game turned out the way it did. All I know is it was on the West Coast, Jamie Moyer was pitching, and I figured it would be a nice change to get a good night's sleep. I mean seriously, Jamie Moyer, the Phillies better be looking for another starter at the deadline.

Cubs Do It Again!

How about these Cubs! This is just getting ridiculous now. With two outs and nobody on in the 8th and the Cubs down 2-1, Ryan Theriot hits one just hard enough to get a single. Lou Piniella puts Theriot in motion on the bases and Derrek Lee hits one perfectly into the vacated spot at second, who was coming over to cover 2nd with Theriot running. Then Aramis Ramirez, who swung on this front foot and was all arms with his swing, lifted one deep to left that bounced off the wall. Derrek Lee, who was running on the pitch, scored easily after Theriot had crossed the plate to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Ramirez does it again!

Rich Hill pitched like April Rich Hill last night, giving up only 2 runs in 8 innings. Hill’s only mistake was a batting practice fastball to the free-swinging Pedro Feliz, who crushed one to deep left in the 5th inning. In the 8th inning, Hill gave up a pinch hit single to Guillermo Rodriguez that scored Pedro Feliz. On that single, Alfonso Soriano commited his first error of the season after he charged the ball hard in order to hose Feliz at the plate, but the ball ricocheted off his leg, allowing Feliz to score. Rich Hill only struck out 4, but in the process only threw 95 pitches in 8 innings. In his previous starts in which he had trouble, Hill had a hard time finishing guys off as they continued to foul off pitches and keep their at bats alive. That didn’t happen last night & it’s very encouraging to see that from Rich Hill.

Lou Piniella made his mark on the game again with calls that worked. In the 8th inning, with guys on 1st & 3rd and one out with Omar Vizquel up, Lou calls a pitchout. This turned out to be one of the biggest plays of the game because Lou called it perfectly, as the Giants were attempting a squeeze on that pitch. The Cubs get the runner from 3rd out, and then quickly got Vizquel out to kill a big opportunity for the Giants.

- Koyie Hill, who might have been feeling the pressure of maybe being Designated for Assignment now that the Cubs acquired Jason Kendall, hit his 2nd homerun of the season into the right field bleachers. Kendall is due to join the team today, so Koyie’s or Geovany Soto’s fate will be decided today on who stays and who goes.

- Bob Howry pitched another clean 9th to get his 6th save of the season. Howry only needed 8 pitches to close it out.

- After batting 5th on Sunday, Alfonso Soriano batted 1st against righty Tim Lincecum. Tomorrow’s starter for the Giants is lefty Barry Zito, so we’ll see if Lou decides to move Soriano down in the order again to try and create more offense against lefties.

- White Sox fans and the Chicago radio media could only focus on one thing so far this morning about last night’s game…. After Ramirez hit that double to take the lead, some fans in left field threw cups onto the field during all the excitement. This resulted in a stoppage in play for about a minute, as the grounds crew quickly cleaned up the cups. As much as I’d like Sox fans and Chicago radio media people to focus on something else and as much as this hurts me to say this, they have a point. STOP THROWING GARBAGE ON THE FIELD! If you’re going to act like a douchebag, throw beer at your friends sitting next to you. Just keep the fucking cups off the field

- Cubs have now won 16 out of the last 20 games.

Cubs Acquire Another Catcher?

The Cubs have aquired Jason Kendall from the Oakland A's Monday evening. Jim Hendry, speaking on the Cubs telecast has confirmed the ESPN report, that the Cubs sent Rob Bowen and a minor league player to the A's.

The Cubs sent Bowen down before Monday's game, so it is likely they will have to make another roster move prior to Tuesday's game. Most likely Koyie Hill or Geovany Soto, the other two catchers on the roster, will have to be sent down to Iowa.

Update: The minor league player in the deal is Jerry Blevins, a 6'6" left-handed pitcher. Let's hope he's not a Dontrelle Willis type thrown in.

Jason Kendall to Cubs, Rob Bowen to A's [ESPN.com]

If you missed Rich Hill's "Kip from Napoleon Dynamite" Impression [Texas-Gal]

Petrick Back, Again

Imagine your job for a second. One day you're working at the company office in Chicago. 3 weeks later, you're forced to transfer to the Des Moines, Iowa office. Two weeks later, you're told to work at the Chicago office. And on and on and on. That would blow, huh? Well, that's what it's been like for Billy Petrick, who has been put on the Cubs big league roster today, and catcher (and odd man out) Rob Bowen was designated for assigment. The one and most important comforting thing about Petrick moving again.... Upgrade in groupies, from Iowa to Chicago girls. Petrick will be with the club soon and you know Lou will use him when he wants to give some bullpen guys a breather.

Petrick is Back! [Cubs.com]

Ben Sheets Hits DL......Again.

Ben Sheets has been great this year, pitching like the ace the Brewers always thought he could be. However, that doesn't seem to matter as Sheets was placed on the DL Monday with a sprained middle finger on his throwing hand. This can only mean good things for Cub fans, since the Brewer rotation lacks proven playoff experience outside of Jeff Suppan, eventhough they have been good all year.

Ben Sheets is to Milwaukee, what Prior and Wood are to Chicago. [MLB.com]

Where to Find the Cubs Tonight......

TV: WGN 6:05PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Richard Hill (5-6; 3.81 ERA) vs. Tim Lincecum (4-2; 4.63 ERA)

Barry and his Giant melon head to Wrigley for four games starting tonight. The Cubs agreed to move the start time up from 7pm to 6pm for the devil, also known as ESPN. Not that anyone other than someone from San Francisco cares if he ever breaks this record.

Sunday's 5-4-3

Indians 5 Royals 3 Fausto Carmona notched his 11th win for 2007 and the Indians have the best home record at 33-13.

Twins 4 A's 3 The Twins were handed a win as the A's got swept yet again. They have now lost seven in a row.

Blue Jays 2 Red Sox 1 Josh Beckett has to be considered a product of his offense. Granted he only gave up two runs in eight innings, but Boston failed to provide more than run for a pitcher leading the league in run support per start.

Yankees 7 D Rays 6 Yippee the Yanks are finally over .500. Too bad it's still a nine game deficit.

Rangers 5 Angels 4 An extra inning affair that the Rangers managed to win will do nothing for them. The Angels maintain their lead, and Schone Figgins broke the Angel career steals record.

Cards 10 Phillies 2 Adam Wainwright pitched very well for a change, and the Phillies are the first pro team to 10,000 losses. Somehow Charlie Manuel will be blamed for all of them.

Brewers 4 Rockies 3 Kevin Mench knocked in the winning run and the Brewers came back to take the series after a Friday loss. Still no word on Ben Sheets finger.

Dodgers 5 Giants 3 Barry Bonds has one hit in 24 at bats and the Giants keep losing. I thought the team did the opposite of Bonds, but I guess not. Still 5 shy of breaking the record.

Mets 5 Reds 2 Adam Dunn is still hopeful to be on another team by August 1st, but since the Reds management suck, that probably won't happen. Oliver Perez pitched well coming off the DL.

Padres 4 D Backs 0 The Padres avoided a sweep at the hands of the upstart D Backs, behind Milton Bradley's two RBI singles. No word on whether his monacle stayed in place all game though.

Braves 5 Pirates 1 The Pirates are woeful, plain and simple, while the Braves seem to be finding themselves and putting heat on the Mets. That is 4 straight and 7 out of 10.

Marlins 5 Nats 3 Really, once the Marlins trade Willis or Cabrera who will care about a game like this?

Cubs SWEEP!

It wasn’t the most conventional way to win a baseball game, but we’ll all take it. Bad Jason Marquis decided to show up Sunday afternoon and quickly gave up 5 runs in the first 2 innings. To the Cubs in April & May, this would have been the end of the game. To the Cubs of June & July, the early deficit was no problem to overcome. In the bottom of the second, Geovany Soto got his first RBI of the season, Angel Pagan hit a two-run homer, and Derrek Lee hit a three-run homer (His first in what seems like years) to give the Cubs a 6-5 lead. Bad Jason Marquis quickly gave the lead away (Mike Lamb homer), but the resilient Cubs took the lead for good on a Ryan Theriot home run in the 4th inning.

Jason Marquis was taken out after 4 innings, giving up 6 runs & 8 hits. It wasn’t his day again. Let’s get ahead of ourselves right now and ask: Would you want Jason Marquis in the playoff rotation? We’ll worry about the answer later in the season, but I definitely would have hesitation and apprehension in that decision. However, if the bullpen continues to pitch like they did yesterday (5 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs), taking a gamble on Jason Marquis is a little easier thing to do. Scott Eyre, Carlos Marmol, Will Ohman, Michael Wuertz, and Bob Howry were near lights out and allowed the Cubs to hang onto the win despite never scoring again after the 4th inning. This squad continues to gain confidence according to Lou Piniella and this is shaping up to be a fun summer on the Northside. Cubs win again, 7-6.


- Cubs sweep Houston in a 3 game series at Wrigley Field for the first time since 1984.

- Derrek Lee hit his 7th homer of the season, the first homer from Lee in his last 126 at-bats.

- Whether Mark DeRosa had misplayed the flyball or the wind played tricks with it in the 7th doesn’t matter, but what does matter is that DeRosa made an amazing catch with his back to the field and over his left shoulder to save 1, maybe 2 runs. It was sort of like Willie Mays’ catch, except without Mays’ grace and it didn’t appear to be on purpose. Regardless, it was an unbelievable play.

- Cubs have now won 15 out of their last 19 games.

- Alfonso Soriano actually batted 5th, instead of his usual leadoff spot. Soriano went 0-4. With lefthander Wandy Rodriguez on the mound, Lou Piniella is making an attempt to create more offense against lefties because of the Cubs struggles against them. Like everything else the Cubs do right now, the move came in another victory, so we’ll assume it worked as planned.

- B*a*r*r*y* B*o*n*d*s* and the Giants come to Wrigley tonight for the first game of a 4 game set. Bonds* is 4 shy of tying the Hank Aaron’s homer mark. Needless to say, Sheffield is going to be a little crowded with ballhawks the next few days if Bonds has a chance of tying or breaking the record.

Cubs Finally Homer, Still Win

The "W" flag has been a common sight the last few weeks in Wrigleyville, and Saturday was no different. The Cubs jumped on Astros starter Roy Oswalt to take the second straight game to start the second half of the season. The Cubs were able to score 9 runs in the game, eight of them charged to Oswalt, including a home run by Alfonso Soriano which ended a streak of 365 Cub at bats without one.

Despite all of the offense, the main story for the Cubs was Ted Lilly. Lilly went eight very strong innings and yielded only 1 run which came in the first inning. Chris Burke lead off the game with a triple, which Cliff Floyd should have just played on a hop instead of making a dive after. Burke would score on a Hunter Pence groundout and from their Lilly proved to be strong yet again.

The Astros only managed four hits against the southpaw as Lily spotted his fastball consistently all day. The win improved his record to 9-4, and he hasn't lost since June 5th. Michael Wuertz came in for the ninth inning and promptly gave up two runs, but the cushion was more than enough for an easy win.

- Aramis Ramirez was 3-4 with 4 RBIs on Saturday, including a questionable two run double in the 4th inning. Hunter Pence was looking for it in the ivy for awhile, and though he didn't put his hands into the ivy, it did take awhile before he put his hands up. Lou Pinella did argue, but the umpires agreed that since Pence didn't put his hands in it was a double.

- Cliff Floyd was replaced by Mike Fontenot after the first inning, with Mark DeRosa shifting from 2nd to right field. Floyd jammed his shoulder on a dive trying to corral Burke's triple. Cliff will be out of the line-up Sunday, but could return Monday night.

- Finally, Jason Marquis tries to finish off a sweep in Sunday's finale. Marquis didn't pitch well in the second half last year for the Cards (3-10), but he will be a key to the Cubs making a strong push for the playoffs.

Gracie Takes Shot At Tribune Company

During the Fox Saturday pre-game show, former Cubs first baseman Mark Grace took a nice shot at the Cubs owners when he played for Chicago, the Tribune Company. When talking about the possibility of having Mark Cuban buy the Cubs franchise, Grace said (paraphrasing here): "It'll be nice to see an owner that actually cares about winning for a change." Bah-zing. Atta boy Gracie!

Where To Find The CUBS Today...

TV: FOX, 2:55PM
RADIO: WGN 720

Ted Lilly (8-4; 3.67 ERA) vs.
Roy Oswalt 8-5; 3.53 ERA)

One of the main things we miss about Michael Barrett was his pure hatred towards Roy Oswalt. Somebody on the Cubs needs to carry this on for Barrett. How about you, Jacque Jones? You're not doing anything else.

Carpenter Not Ready Yet

With the Cardinals hanging around the Brewers and Cubs at 7.5 games back, despite being completely decimated by injuries, it looks like they won't be getting their ace back soon as originally planned. Chris Carpenter threw 3 innings for Palm Beach (Class A) & is now suffering from swelling and stiffness in his elbow again. Getting Carpenter back would have been like a midseason acquisition for the Cardinals, who can't be having too much fun trying to defend their World Series crown with Kip Wells taking the hill every 5 days. (12 losses already for Wells)

Carpenter Done Throwing For Now [STL Today]

Now Just Imagine Cuban Doing This From Behind the Plate

Video From Cuban's Blog [Blogmaverick]

If Cuban Buys, Big Z Stays

Can you imagine the spending Mark Cuban would do if he owned a team in a league where there's no salary cap? Carlos Zambrano apparently has thought about it because he made a statement yesterday that if Cuban buys, Zambrano stays with the Cubs. It's a good & bad statement at the same time. Good because Zambrano does have every intention of at least letting the Cubs make their case to convince Zambrano to stay. Bad because this is going to cost a lot of money, something I'm not too confident on the Cubs spending if Cuban does not win the bid to buy the Cubs.

Big Z Looking to Cash In [Daily Southtown]

Friday's 5-4-3

Phillies 13 - Cardinals 3: The Phillies had 23 hits and Kip Wells continues to prove that he was one of the worst free agent signings of last offseason. Tony LaRussa is going to have to get booooooooooozed after this embarrassing lost.

Orioles 2 - White Sox 0: Mark Buerhle pitched a complete game, giving up two runs over 8 innings. Problem for him, no offense. Eric Bedard outduels Buerhle and We Are Chicago Baseball (40-48; 1-5 vs. Cubs) gets shutout. Pathetic.

Rockies 10 - Brewers 6: Cubs pick up another game on the Brewers, as the Brew Crew get outslugged by the Rockies. Get nervous Milwaukee....

Indians 5 - Royals 4: Joe Borowski blows save, then gets win. Vulture.

Devil Rays 6 - Yankees 4: Clemens loses again, this time to the Devil Rays. Clemens is now 2-4 this season for the Yankees. Bet you wish you signed with Boston, don't you?

Tigers 6 - Mariners 3: Gary Sheffield hits a grand slam to lead Detroit over Seattle. Sheffield is probably thinking that MLB is racist for not giving him 5 runs on that homer.

So Where Is Zambrano's Deal Then?

In an interview with Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald, Cubs interim President John McDonough says that:

"If Jim were to come to me and he were to present a trade that he thinks would be advantageous for the Cubs this year and in the future, we would absolutely take a look at it. We’re not being handcuffed by anybody."

Ok, if that's true, what happened with the Jacque Jones trade? And what about Zambrano? How can he not have his contract yet? If the Cubs continue to stall on this, Zambrano is going to get an insane amount of money thrown his way in the offseason. Not handcuffed by anybody? Come on John, tell us the truth.

Interim President McDonough Talks With Bruce Miles [Daily Herald]

Random

This Probably Hurt... A Lot. [ESPN]

Where to Find the Cubs Today........

TV: WGN 1:20PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Carlos Zambrano (10-7; 4.03 ERA) vs. Jason Jennings (1-4; 4.07 ERA)

Zambrano starts off the second half of the season trying to see if he could help push the Cubs "Over the Top." Just turn your hat around Carlos, and watch the Cubs rise in the standings.

What is This Softball?

The Cubs made a roster move on Thursday afternoon sending Felix Pie back to Triple-A Iowa to work on his swing. Felix was hitting .216 in his two stints in the majors and was being sent down to get regular playing time to work on his swing.

Catcher Geovany Soto was recalled for his trip to the big show. Granted that makes three catchers on the roster and still only 11 pitchers. Chances are it is just an audition for him until Ryan Dempster can return from the DL. However, if he hits, it may be K. Hill and his 9-61 headed back down.

And Soto makes three......

Thursday's 5-4-3

Mets 3 – Reds 2: Jose Reyes & Ruben Gotay hit back-to-back dongers to lead off the bottom of the first, a feat that had never been done before by the Mets in their 46 year history. Billy Wagner shut the door for his 18th save of the season.

White Sox 9 – Orioles 7: We Are Chicago Baseball (40-47; 1-5 vs. Cubs) did all they could to blow a 9-2 lead in the 9th, but managed to get the 2 run victory. Some guy named Dewon Day didn’t have a great 9th inning, giving up 4 runs on 4 hits and didn’t record an out. Bobby Jenks saved his sorry ass with a one pitch save, his 24th save of the season.

Red Sox 7 – Blue Jays 4: Roy Halladay didn’t have his best stuff and the Red Sox took advantage early, scoring 5 runs in the first 2 innings. Big Papi went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI & Manny Ramirez went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI. Jonathon Papelbon picked up his 21st save of the season.

Yankees 7 – Devil Rays 3: Derek Jeter & A-Rod hit back-to-back homers in the 4th inning and helped the Yankees get back to .500 with a win over the weak Devil Rays. Bobby Abreu went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI and had a homerun, too.

Twins 6 – A’s 2: Michael Cuddyer had 4 hits and the Twins jumped on a wild Chad Gaudin early to get the win Thursday night. Scott Baker scatter 6 hits over 6 innings to pick up his 4th victory of the season.

Mariners 3 – Tigers 2: “I never argue about umpires. That’s not me. But I was right.” This is what Ivan Rodriguez said about his ejection Thursday night. Rodriguez was fuming after he thought Yuniesky Betancourt interfered with his throw to second in the 4th inning and he went off on home plate umpire Mike Winters and bumped into him, causing his ejection plus a possible fine or suspension. I thought Gary Sheffield said these latinos were pushovers?

MLB, Please Let This Happen

So it looks like Mark Cuban has officially entered the Cubs ownership bidding process. Dave & I can't control ourselves on just the thought of this guy actually owning the Cubs. We're anxious to see what this innovative and fan-friendly owner would do with any baseball team, but especially the Cubs. And the guy loves to blog. Will Mark Cuban being the owner guarantee championships on the North Side? Absolutely not. But we'd all love to see what he would do in order to at least make a run at one.

Mark Cuban, Owner of the Cubs? [Chicago Sports.com / Chicago Tribune]

Sting, What The Hell?

Sting and the rest of The Police definitely left their mark on Wrigley Field this past week. The problem is, The Police literally left their mark in centerfield. The grounds crew did what they could to patch up some holes that were left by The Police's stage. If it couldn't be fixed by crew manually, they just spray painted over the grass to make it look good. The crew has been getting tips by the Soldier Field crew apparently.

Lou Piniella isn't worried about the grass: "It's not dangerous at all."

Easy for him to say, he won't be out there.

The Police Leave Their Mark [Yahoo! Sports]

That's A Lot Of Scratch

The newest player in the Cubs ownership change is a family by the name of the Ricketts. To say the Ricketts are loaded would be an understatement. The leader of the investment group is Thomas Ricketts, a 41 year old who is the founder of Incapital Holdings located in Chicago. The group is officially putting in their bid, a bid that might have to be around $1 Billion in order to purchase the Cubs. But none of this is going to help the Cubs right now, who desparately need ownership to change right this second and then sign Carlos Zambrano to a long term deal. Until then, nothing deal wise looks to be happening and could hurt the Cubs of the present & the future.

Ricketts Family Joins The Bidding [Chicago Sports.com / Chicago Tribune]

A-Rod Headed Out of New York?

On a slow sports day Wednesday, Scott Boras made it known that Alex Rodriguez would likely command over $30 million a year if he were to opt out of his current contract at the end of the season.

Boras is known for making the most money possible for his players, but one would have to wonder about A-Rod passing up a chance to make tons more money (Just imagine jealous Scrooge McDuck is of him) and also having a better chance to win than with the Yankees.

Lou Pinella everyone in Chicago hopes you can save a little magic for after the season. A-Rod would be a major upgrade over Cesar Izturis, don't you think?

Can the Cubs afford to enter A-Rod Sweepstakes? [ESPN.com]

Baseball Doing Well

For as much flak as major sports all-star games get, people are definitely watching the baseball all-star game. Last night's game got a total of 31.4 million viewers, this highest watched anything this summer. Although there really isn't a whole lot on tv during the summers, 31.4 million viewers for an exhibition game is very good.

Lots of People In Front of The TV Last Night [MLB.com]

LaRussa Drunk on Job Again, AL Makes it 10 Straight

If you take a look at the attached picture most sports fans can recall what it is from. In case you don't know, it is a ball that was hit so hard the Astros dugout could be seen grimacing. However, the man holding the bat didn't make it into the game Tuesday night despite the NL having the bases loaded and being down a run.

Tony LaRussa will be remembered for this, and not in a good way. He kept Albert Pujols on the bench when every National League team with a shot at the World Series was screaming for him to get an at bat and possibly home field advantage.

The Cubs two stars played key roles as Soriano (1-3, HR, 2 RBI) hit a 9th inning home run and Derrek Lee (1-2, SB) had a walk in the 9th to extend the game with two outs. A good showing, despite their manager being an idiot.

AL looks dominant, LaRussa looks incompetent [Foxsports.com]

Mike Imrem Spoils The Ending of the '07 Season

Mike Imrem lives in his parent's basement and he certainly is a gloomy SOB. If you want to show this guy that no one cares about his opinion, or to share your own, email him at mimrem@dailyherald.com. Let him know what you think about his predictions.

No point in watching the rest of the season now. [Daily Herald]

The Only Strikes Kerry Wood Will Throw in 2007

There are several things up for auction at Kerry Wood's 4th annual Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling Tournament, but the most interesting item is the autographed urinal from the Cubs clubhouse. What was that? A urinal? Is this the same urinal Derrek Lee has used? Soriano has used? Zambrano has used? The same urinal Moises Alou used to wash his hands in?

The money will go to Project 3000. Whoever "wins" the urinal, while I applaud you for donating for such a worthy cause, may God have mercy on your soul for buying a used urinal.

Want Something That Smells Like Piss? [Cubs.com]

Wrigleyville Residents = Giant Hypocrites

I live six blocks south of Wrigley Field, and I'll be honest that night games around here don't really affect me. It is always crowded, and residents just learn to deal with it. However, it is known that the Lake View Citizens Council, among other community groups, are responsible for the Cubs being able to play a certain number of night games a year.

Now they want to renegotiate a five year agreement that would allow a summer concert at Wrigley since the two "Police" concerts went so well last week. This is complete horseshit. The whole reason you can have a concert at Clark and Addison is because there is a BASEBALL STADIUM there. IF I were the Cubs, I would allow the concerts, when they allow more night games.

Hypocritical Yuppies [NBC Chicago]

NY Daily News: Odds of Where A-Rod Ends Up

Anthony McCarron analyzes the odds of where A-Rod will land this offseason. McCarron puts the Cubs in tie for 3rd, but I find it hard to believe right now with the issue of the Cubs sale that they can be major players with that still up in the air. But just think about that infield if he were the starting shortstop and how powerful that lineup would be.....I just drooled all over the keyboard.

A-Rod Likes Mr. & Mrs. Piniella [NY Daily News]

Cubs Lose Series To The Pirates

For the second time in a week, the Cubs struggled against a left-handed pitcher they have never seen before. Just as they did against Matt Chico of the Washington Nationals, the Cubs did nothing against Shane Youman. Carlos Zambrano, who had been virtually unhittable in his last 7 outings, suffered the loss as the Cubs gave him no support. It also didn't help that Jason Bay continues to eat up Cubs pitching. Bay hit a homer and drove in 4 runs Sunday afternoon, as the Cubs lost 6-2.

- The Cubs haven't hit a homerun in 9 games, the longest streak for the Cubs since 1988. The Cubs have gone 5-4 during this "streak." I would say it's more of a skid. Either way it's a power drought.

- Cubs finish the first half 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central.

- Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee will represent the Cubs in San Francisco for the All-Star game on Tuesday. Oh, did I say Aramis Ramirez? That's right, he was snubbed. (Alfonso Soriano will be at the game)

- Cubs open the second half against the Houston Astros. Carlos Zambrano will most likely take the hill.

- Second half prediction: Cubs win the division. We're coming for you Milwaukee....

Is it wrong that I want to party with this girl? [Yahoo]

Where To Find The CUBS Tonight...

TV: WGN 6:05PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Teddy Lilly (7-4; 3.84 ERA) vs.
Van Benschoten (0-2; 4.35 ERA)





Cubs look to rebound with Theodore Roosevelt Lilly after last night's dud from Jason Marquis.

Dempster Could Be Out Longer Than Expected

Ryan Dempster suffered a set-back in his rehab, suddenly stopping a throwing session because of his rib cage area. The Cubs may not need him back as their closer (Carlos Marmol will be the everyday closer soon), but they do need his arm in that bullpen. A setback like this may might mean the Cubs will be forced to send down Felix Pie to finally bring up a 12th man in the Cubs' pitching corps.

Dempster Setback [Chicago Tribune]

Unfortunately my bookie didn't make the same mistake. [Yahoo]

Pie's Struggles Open Door for....(gasp)....JONES!

Jacque Jones might have the chance to become the everyday centerfielder again because of Felix Pie's struggles at the plate recently. The Cubs won't bench Pie if they do this, but instead send down Pie to Iowa so that he'll get regular at-bats and continue to develop. I really hope this doesn't happen. I would rather see Felix bat .200 and actually make plays in the outfield than watch Jacque Jones strikeout with runners on every time. And we all know how terrible of an outfielder Jones is defensively. The guy blows. I'd rather see Pagan stay as the starting centerfielder than Jones. So Felix, break out of the slump NOW!!!! Please....

Starting Centerfielder Jacque Jones? NOOOOOOOO! [Chicago Sun-Times]

Friday's 5-4-3

Twins 20 - White Sox 14: We Are Chicago Baseball committed 5 errors in a Twins romp. And their day was just getting started because...

Twins 12 - White Sox 0: Justin Morneau hit 3 homers as the Twins score 32 runs on the day in a doubleheader sweep.

Brewers 6 - Nationals 2: Ryan Braun hit 2 homers and the Brewers are now 5.5 games ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central.

Reds 8 - DBacks 1: Ken Griffey Jr. ties Frank Robinson for 6th on the all-time homer list, and Kyle Lohse pitches a strong game to easily beat the Diamondbacks.

Astros 4 - Mets 0: Wandy Rodriguez pitched a 4 hit shutout and our favorite Astros player Hunter Pence went 2 for 4.

Giants 4 - Cardinals 3: Bonds walks 3 times, doesn't homer, and the Giants win. Bonds is still sitting on 751. If he hits the homer at Wrigley in a week and a half and I happen to catch it (or beat up the person who caught it and take it from him), it's going to cost him big time.

Rockies 7 - Phillies 6: Yorvit Torrealba gets the win for the Rockies with an RBI single in the 11th. Who names their kid Yorvit?

Braves 7 - Padres 4: Maybe Andruw Jones will sign with San Diego this offseason because he seems to hit really well at Petco. Last night, Jones went 2 for 5 with 3 RBI, including a homer.

Marlins 6 - Dodgers 5: Hanley Ramirez went 3 for 6 with 2 homers, and had the game winning RBI with a bunt single in the 10th.

Yankees 14 - Angels 9: Not a lot of pitching, but only one homer was given up, which was A-Rod's 29th of the season. The homer ties Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff (not too often that these two names are put together in the same breath) for 22nd all time on the homer list.

Tigers 9 - Red Sox 2: Marcus Thames hit a grandslam and Andrew Miller picked up his 4th win of the season. Carlos Guillen also believes the Red Sox will be back in Detroit for the ALCS this season. Hard to argue with him, unless you're an Angels/Indians fan.

Blue Jays 8 - Indians 6: Roy Halladay picked up win #10 and new leaderoff hitter Vernon Wells went 2 for 4 with a homer. Are the Blue Jays taking a play out of the Cubs books with a power hitter at #1?

DRays 6 - Royals 5: The Devil Rays give up 3 in the 8th and 1 in the 9th, but manage to hang on for a rare victory.

Rangers 4 - Orioles 3: Do you really care what happened in this game? Me neither.

Mariners 7 - A's 1: Adrian Beltre went 5 for 5 with 2 homers and 3 RBI as the Mariners rough up All-Star Danny Haren.

Report: Soriano Loses All-Star Vote Due to Cheating

Barry Bonds, involved in a cheating scandal? Get outta here! That's shocking news.

Giants Fans Rig Voting? [AOL FanHouse]

Non-Stop Laughter Being Heard in Wrigleyville

That noise you hear coming from the Wrigleyville neighborhood, or pretty much any neighbor hood for that matter, is baseball fans laughing non-stop. "Super-Utility Man" Neifi Perez, and trust me there is a ton of sarcasm when I say that, has been banned for 25 games by MLB for testing positive for stimulants.

MLB tends to not comment on the type of stimulant that a player tests positive for, but all that means is we will have to wait a few more days until it is leaked to the press. We at Out of Right Field can only imagine what Neifi was taking, other than the $2.5 million he was stealing from the Tigers by claiming to be a baseball player.

Neifi Perez tests positive for stimulant. Still useless. (FoxSports.com)

D. Ward Shows D. Lee How It's Done

Like most Cubs fans I turned the game on last night and sat there gasping for air as I saw Lou Piniella had turned Thursday Night into amateur hour. Jacque Jones (don't get me started), Cesar Izturis (yeah, my blood pressure is near a boil), and Daryle Ward. What the F##K.

No wonder Lou manages, and I observe from an easy chair. Ward and Jones had good offensive games and though Cesar was 0-4 he played a very good shortstop and allowed Mark DeRosa and Ryan Theriot to get an extra day off heading into the weekend series in Pittsburgh.

Ward was spelling Derrek Lee who is an abysmal 1-28 in RFK Stadium and looked like he couldn't wait to leave after Wednesday's game. Also, a day of rest and a few quality at bats for Ward are needed occasionally to keep everyone happy and swinging well.

Sean Marshall pitched well again, but didn't figure in the decision. Marshall left after giving up two runs in the 6th inning, including a triple to Dimitri Young that ended with Young looking for oxygen. The bullpen then came in and held on as Fontenot and Ward each were able to drive in a run in the top of the 7th inning.

- Carlos Marmol came into the game in the 8th inning for what was a save in my opinion. He did load the bases, but was facing the heart of the order and kept the Nats off the board.

- With the win the Cubs have won four straight series for the first time since 2005, and also have won 11 of their last 13 games.

- The win vaulted the Cubs to 4.5 games back of the Brewers who lost again in Pittsburgh. The Brewers and Cubs will now flip flop, as the Cubs go from D.C. to Pitt. and the Brewers from Pitt. to D.C.

MLB Joins The Club

Dave & I have hated ESPN for years. We miss the old days of show the highlights and broadcast a game ESPN days. We do NOT like the ESPN of the past 5-7 years. Whether you call it the "four letter" network, the "Boo-yah" network, the "Eastern Seaboard Sports Network" or whatever, MLB league baseball seems to be joining our club. I love it.

MLB is Pissed [Neil Best: Watch Dog]
MLB's Beef With ESPN [The Big Lead]

Thursday's 5-4-3

Pirates 6 – Brewers 3: Tom Gorzelanny, who deserves to be an NL All-Star, outdueled All-Star Ben Sheets as the Pirates help the Cubs gain another game in the standings. Brewers’ fans might not act like they’re nervous, but the Cubs are only 4.5 games back now.

Marlins 3 – Padres 2: Byung-Hyun Kim outduels Jake Peavy to pick up his first victory since May 28th (vs. the Cubs). In other Padres news, ogre Chris Young won the internet voting for the last All-Star roster spot.

Reds 6 – Giants 3: Bronson Arroyo homered and threw 6+ innings to lead the Reds to victory. Josh Hamilton homered for the 14th time this season and probably celebrated after the game by ripping some blow for old time’s sake.

Cardinals 3 – Dbacks 2: DBacks grounded into 5 double plays and gave the Cardinals the game in the process. In other Cardinals’ news, Tony LaRussa was on the sauce again because he chose Roy Oswalt over Carlos Zambrano and Tom Gorzelanny to replace John Smoltz in the All-Star game. Drunk people do the dumbest things sometimes.

Mets 6 – Astros 2: John Maine struck out 9 in 7+ innings to lead the overrated Mets to a victory. Carlos Delgado went 4 for 4, raising his terrific season average to .242 on the season. After the game, ESPN declared the Mets to be the 2007 World Series champs and John Maine was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Braves 8 – Dodgers 6: Larry Jones hit 2 homers and powered the Braves to a victory in LA. With those homers, Larry is now the all-time homer leader in Atlanta Braves history. Larry thanked his family, especially all of his illegitimate children, for their continued support.

Tigers 12 – Indians 3: CC Sabathia must not have received the memo that he was supposed to be in a pitchers duel with Justin Verlander. Verlander got the message and threw 7 strong innings for the victory. The win puts the Tigers a game back of the Indians in the AL Central.

Yankees 7 – Twins 6: No A-Rod in the lineup, but A-Rod wasn’t needed as the Yankees had big games from Melky Cabrera & Hideki Matsui. ESPN changed their mind about the Mets and declared the Yankees the 2007 World Series champs because of this victory.

Red Sox 15 – Devil Rays 4: Devil Rays used 7 pitchers to give up 21 hits and get completely smoked by the Red Sox. ESPN then changed their mind again, declaring the Red Sox the 2007 World Series champs and the greatest baseball team in the history of the world after this game.

White Sox 11 – Orioles 6: We Are Chicago Baseball (37-45; 1-5 vs. the Cubs) picked up their 8th win in their last 11 games. Tadahito Iguchi was a single shy of the cycle and John Danks gave up 5 runs in 6 innings, but gets the win because they were playing the Orioles.

Angels 5 – Rangers 2: Kelvim Escobar gave up 1 run over 7 innings and picked up his 10th win of the season.

A’s 3 – Mariners 2: A’s win, but Ichiro becomes just the 10th player since 1900 to get a hit in 53 out of 56 games. I would say he’s pretty consistent when it comes to hitting.

Where To Find The CUBS Tonight...

TV: Comcast Sports Network - 6:05PM



RADIO: WGN 720



Sean Marshall (4-3; 3.50 ERA) vs.

Jason Bergmann (1-5; 3.47 ERA)

Brenly's Phone Not Ringing

Bob has turned the ringer on his cellphone to the loudest it can go, but the Reds haven't called yet. Cubs tv color man Bob Brenly says he would be interested in the Reds open managerial position. Problem is the Reds don't want him, as of right now. It's probably better for Bob anyways, because Cincinnati is a dump, the team sucks, their upper management sucks (Eric Milton?), and Bob's mustache is simply too good for Cincinnati.

Bob's Mustache Not Going to Cincinnati Yet [Chicago Sun-Times]

Hill Struggles Again

Where did the Rich Hill from April go? In April, Hill went 3-1 with a 1.77 ERA. After yesterday’s tough start against, of all teams, the Washington Nationals, Hill is now 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA for the season. This was Hill’s last start until after the All-Star and we’re all glad. Hill needs to spend the next week and a half pulling his head out of his ass.

Hill pitched fine for the first 4innings, giving up one run on a Ryan Zimmerman homer in the 1st, but fell apart in the fifth. Hill gave up a RBI-double to Ronnie Belliard to put Washington up 2-0. With 2 on, 1 out and 1st base open, Lou Piniella decides to walk Ryan Zimmerman and set up a double play with ridiculously fat for an “athlete” Dmitri Young coming to the plate next. The logic sounded good, but the execution wasn’t there. Instead, Young blasted a grand slam into the Cubs’ bullpen. Lou was quoted regarding the homer: “We tried to set up a double play, and the shortstop doesn’t play in the bullpen. He hit it good.”

The Cubs offense never got things going and only managed 4 hits off some guy named Matt Chico. Seeing a lefty for the first time and getting beat isn’t new to the Cubs lately. In the last couple of years, it’s happened pretty frequently. (Zach Duke, Tom Gorzelanny, Chris Capuano, Doug Davis, etc.) So if you’re in a must win game against the Cubs, just call up a random lefty from the minors.

- Derrek Lee went 0 for 4, and is now 0 for 10 this series at Washington. In his career at RFK Stadium, Lee is 1 or 28. Stay hot Derrek.

- A lot is being made by the Chicago media about how Derrek Lee only has 6 homers this year. He’s batting .334 for the season, he’s on the All Star team this season, and the team he’s on has won 20 out of their last 30 games. Shut the hell up about it already. He’s 17th in all of baseball in hits and he’s 7th in all of baseball in doubles. Homeruns isn’t the only stat to look at.

- The Brewers lost again to the Pirates, keeping the Cubs at 5.5 games back. The Pirates send internet All-Star voting nominee Tom Gorzelanny to the hill against Ben Sheets today.

Tueday's 5-4-3

Red Sox 4 D Rays 1 A meaningless solo home run was all the D Rays could muster, as Dice K was fantastic. He scattered four hits in eight innings, and the Rays are now playing back to ttheir old ways.

Pirates 6 Brewers 2 The Pirates of all teams help the Cubs out a little in beating the Brew Crew. Capuano struggled a bit in his first start afte the DL and the only hit Prince Fielder had was a forearm to a watercooler.

Indians 5 Tigers 4 Casey Blake's 11th inning solo shot was the difference in this one. Ben Francisco homered again for the Indians as well. Also, Ivan Rodriguez caught his 2,000 game Tuesday. Talk about alot of squatting.

Reds 7 Giants 3 Bonds creeps to within four of Hank Aaron and the Giants lose again. Barry Zito didn't get the loss, but he threw 122 pitches in 5 innings. I guess that was $120 million well spent.

Yankees 8 Twins 0 Chien Ming Wang was dazzling and Carlos Silva was not even close. Bobby Abreu had three hits, so I can only assume New York loves him again, or at least until his next 0-4.

Royals 17 Mariners 3 A football score against the Royals is definitely not the way
John McLaren wanted his second game as manager to go. The Royals have scored 17+ runs three times this year, while no other team has done it more than once.

Astros 5 Phillies 4 We have been saying it for weeks now, but Hunter Pence is the straight up man. He hit a solo shot in the bottom of the 13th to send everyone home happy. the Astro bullpen also pitched 6 scoreless innings for a change.

White Sox 5 Orioles 1 It is kind of hard for your bullpen to blow a lead when you don't let them on the field. Javier Vasquez pitched a complete game four hitter to get the win.

Rockies 11 Mets 3 The Mets are suddenly scuffling again, and that is not what they need. They have managed only 5 runs in two games at Coors. Brian Fuentes, despite being an All-Star, has lost the closer job.

Texas 8 Angels 3 When you give up three home runs to Brad Wilkerson you deserve to lose. Kevin Millwood actually pitched well, but I don't think it will become a habit.

D Backs 7 Cards 1 No Big Unit, no problem. Yusmeiro Petit filled in for Randy Johnson who is headed back to the DL again, and pitched deep into the game. The D Backs also homered three times off of Todd Wellmeyer, and they cruise to the win.

Marlins 6 Padres 4 Greg Maddux was flying along, but when they hit the seventh inning all he could do was shake his head. The Marins used a four run seventh to take the lead, and the bullpen came in and shut the door with Kevin Gregg nothing his 16th save of the year.

A's 3 Blue Jays 1 Joe Blanton pitched a complete game and gave up only the one run as the A's grabbed the 2nd of the three game set. Blanton is starting to show why Billy Beane thought so highly of him when he traded for him a few years ago.

Dodgers 7 Braves 6 There was a total of 12 runs scored in the first three innings of this game, and only after Randy Wolf and Kyle Davies were lifted did things settle down. Matt Kemp's RBI single in the seventh drove in the winning run, as the Dodger bullpen held the Braves bats in check for 6 innings.

Zambrano, Cubs Inch Closer to Milwaukee

Carlos Zambrano looked great again, pitching 6+ innings giving up only one run. The pitch count was his only issue, as he racked up 122 pitches. Despite the high pitch count, you never got the feeling that Zambrano was in any trouble. Big Z now has 10 wins, which ties him for tops in the NL, and has lowered his ERA to 4.04 on the season. It was only 4-5 weeks ago when that ERA was in the 5.90s. In his last 6 outings, Zambrano is 5-1 with a 1.42 ERA. Z has only given up 7 earned runs in his last 44+ innings.

The Cubs offense, once again, starts off the game by getting on the board. That has just got to be so frustrating for the Nationals to be down by 1 already, when they haven't scored consistently and Zambrano is on the hill. Theriot got the scoring started with a single in the first, scoring Soriano. Soriano had single, stole second and then scored easily on Theriot's single. In the 3rd, Cornelius Floyd singled up the middle, scoring Zambrano and Soriano. That's all the Cubs got and that's all the Cubs needed. The pitching took care of the rest and the Cubs win again (saying that never gets old), 3-1.

- The Cubs have now won 10 out of the last 11. Milwaukee lost (finally) and the Cubs are now 5.5 games back.

- Soriano & Theriot each had two hits & Soriano scored twice. Lou has been able to interchange Theriot & Fontenot in the #2 during this streak and the lineup hasn't missed a beat.

- Zambrano, who is on the internet ballot for the last roster spot, said he did in fact vote himself the maximum amount of times (25) before the game. Now all Z has to do is make up a few fake email addresses and vote for himself a couple hundred more times.

- Aramis wasn't in the lineup, most likely due to the early game today. Any chance Lou can get him some rest, especially against a team like Washington, the Cubs should jump all over it. He's expected to be in the lineup today.

Video Archives: 1984 Cubs

If the Cubs are going to have any chance at the playoffs this year, they desperately need to start growing mustaches and lip syncing before the games start. And one of the current players needs to be drunk in their video because we all can assume Rick Sutcliffe was drunk in this video. Leon Durham, is that a jeri curl? Which current Cub should grow a jeri curl? I was thinking Daryle Ward, too. Enjoy the video!

Where To Find The CUBS Tonight...

TV: WGN - 6:05PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Carlos Zambrano (9-6; 4.20 ERA) vs.

Tim Redding (First start of the year)

Cubs look to win their 10th out of last 11, which will probably only keep pace with the Brewers because unless they are playing the Cubs, they never lose.

Selig Denied Jacque Trade?

Rumors from the NY Daily News are speculating that Bud Selig is the one who cancelled the Jacque Jones trade, not the Cubs & Jim Hendry. According to the NY Daily News sources, Selig did not allow the trade because he doesn't want to see the Cubs incur any more debt (having to pay most of Jacque Jones salary in the potential trade with Florida) with the team's inevitable sale at the end of this season. If this is true, Hey Bud... FUCK YOU! You don't have to watch this guy, but we do. Do you know why Florida was going to get Jones basically for free? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE IS WORTH... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!!

Selig Kiboshes Jones Trade? [NY Daily News]

Monay's 5-4-3

Yankees 5 Twins 1 Seriously, when ESPN realizes they are the only people that like Roger Clemens I will then comment on his games. A-Rod added his 80th RBI on the year, but left with a strained hammy.

Indians 10 D Rays 2 Bases loaded, nobody out, and down three runs. So of course the Devil Rays get only two, and then the Indians go straight to taking on runs. Grady Sizemore hit his second career grand slam.

Red Sox 7 Rangers 3 Welcome back Brandon McCarthy. Obviously the blister on your finger that sent you to the DL has healed. Wait, it didn't? I guess that is why you could only last 3 2/3 innings. Anytime the Rangers would like to invest in real pitching would be great.

Royals 3 Seattle 2 Gil Meche is an All-Star with a 5-6 record, but when you pitch the way he has all year, and last night you can see why. Also, David DeJesus (home run, doubles, scored winning run in 11th) is the man, you heard it here first.

Blue Jays 11 A's 7 Vernon Wells is finally starting to earn that contract he signed in the offseason. He went 4-5, 2 solo home runs as the Blue Jays scored early and often.

Brewers 10 Pirates 3 Damian Miller was 4-5 with 2HR and 7 RBI. Good bullshit. This is the kind of stuff that happened to the White Sox in 2005, so you may as well hand the Brewers the NL Central now.

Astros 7 Phillies 5 Hunter Pence homered again and is hitting .342 this year. Too bad it is being wasted on a bad club. Dan Wheeler tried to blow it in the ninth, but Phil Garner had the sense to pull him before he could.

Rockies 6 Mets 2 Jason Hirsch had his second career hit and drove in two runs in a six run third inning against Tom Glavine. He also pitched pretty well for once. You have to believe his dad Judd was proud.

Cards 11 D Backs 3 Brandon Webb kept the game close enough to allow his team to take a 3-2 lead after the top of the seventh, but then he and the bullpen imploded. The Cards did nothing but tack on runs the rest of the game for the win.

Padres 3 Marlins 1 Hanley Rameriz left the game with tightness in his hamstring, and that is not what Florida needs right now. They are playing decent baseball but still losing ground. David Wells pitched great, 0R 5H 6.2IP, and I can only assume had a few beers and a sandwich afterwards.

Dodgers 8 Braves 2 Atlanta's bats had come out of hibernation for the last week or so, but they disappeared against Derek Lowe last night. Jon Smoltz gave up a go ahead home run to Matt Kemp, and the Dodgers added a few late to seal the deal.

Zambrano Hearts Sasquatch

Carlos Zambrano was quoted yesterday of saying that he believes Chris Young of the San Diego Padres deserves to get the internet vote into the All-Star game, a vote that Carlos is eligible in himself. Carlos, what gives? Do you not remember who Chris Young is? Let's recap for you, Carlos. Chris Young is an ogre. Young purposely threw a pitch at the head of your teammate, Derrek Lee. Remember now? He started a bench clearing brawl, where you came running out of the dugout with your pants around your ankles. Still not ringing any bells? Either back yourself, or Marist High School graduate Tom Gorzelanny. Not gigantic stroke Chris Young. I don't care what his numbers are, the guy is a douchebag, a douchebag that tried to kill your teammate on purpose.

Zambrano Has A Crush On Sasquatch [Chicago Sun-Times]

Cubs Stay Hot

The Cubs, historically known for playing down to their opponents, jumped on a bad Washington Nationals team early & often, a sign of things perhaps being different this season. The Cubs scored 2 in the first before all 12 fans attending the game could even get comfortable in their seats. Aramis Ramirez doubled in the first, scoring Ryan Theriot and Derrek Lee to get things started. In the second inning, former Washington National Alfonso Soriano hit an RBI single, scoring Rob Bowen. In the third, Mark DeRosa had an RBI single and Rob Bowen had a sac fly to make it 5-0 Cubs. Then in the fourth, Mark DeRosa hit a 2 run single, making the score 7-0 Cubs. At this point, Washington didn’t even have a hit yet.

Ted Lilly threw 7 strong innings, giving up 1 run on only 3 hits. Lilly wasn’t in too much trouble all night, breezing to his 7th win of the season, and lowering his ERA to 3.84 for the year. Billy Petrick threw a scoreless 8th, and Bob Howry scared everybody as usual by walking a runner, giving up two hits, and allowing 1 run in the 9th. It wouldn’t be a Cubs game without a little bit of drama. The Cubs are now 19-9 since June 3rd, the best record in that span in Major League Baseball. Let’s hope they continue to stay hot …. Cubs win, 7-2.

- 2007 NL All-Star 1st Baseman Derrek Lee made 2 errors last night, giving him 3 for the year now. I’m not a betting man ( that’s a lie), but I would put money on Derrek Lee not having a 2 error game the rest of the season. Nights like yesterday just don’t happen for Lee. It was a fluke.

- Jacque Jones came off the bench to pinch hit for Ted Lilly. Now, if you were a guy who was struggling and not getting any playing time, would you strike out looking on 3 pitches? Did you answer no? Jacque Jones didn’t. What a waste of space this guy is.

- The Brewers won again, destroying the Pirates 10-3. Damian Miller hit two homers and had 7 RBI. 7 RBI is what I think he had when he was in a Cubs uniform. Shit like that makes you think it’s just the Brewers division title this year. But if the Cubs continue to win and keep pace with the Brewers, the Wild Card is definitely in play.

- The Nats have averaged under 3 runs the last 2½ weeks. The Cubs need to continue to jump on the Nats early as this is a weak ball club right now. Hopefully the Nationals can get hot this weekend, as they take on the Brewers.

Soriano Wins NL Player of the Month

Alfonso Soriano picked up the honor of NL Player of the Month of June. Soriano batted .336 with 24 runs scored, 11 homers (most of any player in MLB for June this season), and the Cubs went 17-11. It's no shock that Soriano's big month has turned around the team's rough start, which now has the Cubs at .500 and 6.5 games back of the Brewers.

Player of the Month [Yahoo Sports]

Where To Find The CUBS tonight...

TV: Comcast Sports Network - 6:05PM

RADIO: WGN 720

Ted Lilly (6-4; 4.03 ERA) vs.
Jason Simontacchi (5-5; 5.81 ERA)

Cubs have won 8 out of the last 9 and now play 7 vs. Nats & Pirates. Anything less than winning 6 out 7 would be a disappointment right now.

Billy Petrick Not Leaving Afterall

Billy Petrick gets to avoid driving back to Iowa, as he won't be sent down for Rocky Cherry as first previously thought. The problem? Cherry is hurt. Bad news for Cherry who would be returning to the big club, good news for Petrick who gets the opportunity to contribute to one of the hottest teams in baseball right now. I can only imagine that going from Major League groupies to Triple A groupies (especially from Iowa) is quite the transition.

Petrick U-Turn [Daily Southtown]

Vote Big Z into the All-Star Game

Sure, the man is insane. And sure, he's fought a player before.... from his own team. But the man has been pitching lights out and has 9 wins this season. He belongs on the all star team. Vote for him now....


(And if you don't want to vote for Zambrano, then you have to vote for high school teammate of mine, Tom Gorzelanny. So there are only two choices.)

Vote for Big Z (or Tom Gorz) [MLB.com]