A Cubs fan with some talent

Here's a video from a series in June vs. the Atlanta Braves:



Sure, it won't help the stereotype that all Cubs fans are drunks, but at least it's a cool video.

Rich Harden would like to only pitch at night

From Bruce Miles:

"Rich likes to pitch at night," Lou said. "We've found that out here over the past few weeks, that his preference would be to pitch at night."

Nocturnally this year, Harden is 4-1 with a 1.76 ERA in 9 games. During the day, he's 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA, also in 9 games. For his career, Harden is 22-13 with a 3.36 ERA at night and 15-7 with a 3.34 ERA under the sun.

"He's told us his preference would be to pitch at night and in cooler weather," Lou said.

The Cubs have 20 home games left this season, with 7 of them being at night. They also have 25 road games remaining, with 19 of them being at night. So Rich better pray the rotation works out to where he pitches on the road, or he better toughen up and learn how to play in the sun. I realize he's Canadian, but come on.

Ryan Dempster to give improv at Second City a try?

Wednesday, 8:55AM

As a reader pointed out, Ryan Dempster will be performing with The Second City at a cancer benefit at Lou Malnati's on September 15th.

Monday, 3:10PM
Ryan Dempster definitely has a career in broadcasting if he wants when he's done with baseball. Based off interviews on tv, he knows what he's talking about and he's also really funny. According to Ryan Theriot in a Q & A done on the Tribune's website though, Dempster could be on a Second City stage in the next couple weeks:

Ryan, who on the Cubs team is most likely to win Last Comic Standing? -- Nick, Carmel, Ind.

Demp. He's hilarious. He's going to do some improv stuff in a couple weeks at Second City. You know we'll be there for that one.

I've said in the past that Dempster looks an awful lot alike Louis C.K. I don't know Ryan Dempster, but he doesn't seem to be as vulgar as Louis C.K. They both seem to have their own styles. While Dempster does Harry Carey impressions, Louis C.K. does this type of impression. Or a joke about this. Or this. I don't know Ryan Dempster, obviously, so he could be like Louis C.K. All I know is that I'd like to find out.

No word from Second City yet on when Dempster could be on stage.

Another Cubs fan turns 100 years old

Another Cubs fan that was actually alive the last time the Cubs won it all just turned 100 years old.

Mel Longs was born the year the Cubs last won the World Series, and he's pulling for them to win the title this season. Longs lived near Wrigley Field for 15 years. He graduated from high school with Burl Ives -- and more than a decade later was driving a tank in the Battle of the Bulge in World War Two. He survived unscathed and is still going strong today.

No word yet if Mel will fight it out with Leo Hildebrand in a battle of who gets to throw out the first pitch at a playoff game.

And how are these guys not ushers at Wrigley Field? They're probably too young.

White Sox fans fighting White Sox fans

With all the arrests lately with Cubs fans, the stupid videos posted, and the bloodbath currently taking place on JoeSportsFan.com, it's nice to finally have a "fans gone bad" video that involves only Chicago White Sox fans. Finally. For all we know, it doesn't involve Cubs fans! Yay!




This will give Cubs fans a breather for at least one day, before another moron who happens to be wearing something affiliated with the Cubs does something stupid. Thanks White Sox fans.

[Also, thanks to Home Run Derby with the find..]

Random YouTube video: Highlights from Game 1 of '84 NLCS on Ch. 7

Update: Tuesday, 12:50PM

Well, the video has already been taken down. It's a shame too if you didn't get to see it. Tim Weigel's mustache was flawless.

Tuesday, 11:33AM
Video notes:

- I was only 2 years old at the time, so I'm hoping somebody in my family was enjoying a tall glass of Signature Strohs for Game 1 of the 1984 NLCS for me.

- Tim Weigel (moment of silence... )had a terrific mustache.

- Why the hell was Ernie Banks wearing a full uniform for the First pitch? Was he hoping Jim Frey would pinch hit him late?

- It was also weird to see an NLCS game played during the day time.

Cubs killer Carlos Lee most likely done for the season

Like the Adam Dunn situation, the Cubs will be avoiding another Cubs killer the rest of this regular season. With 6 games remaining vs. the Houston Astros, the Cubs will not have to worry about Carlos Lee, as he had surgery on his broken pinkie finger on his left hand.

Astros left fielder Carlos Lee underwent surgery on his left pinkie on Monday, two days after the finger was crushed by a Bronson Arroyo pitch.

His finger was broken in six different places, three more than was originally thought.

6 different places? Yeesh. I'm guessing that hurt a little bit.

While you never wish injury upon a player, this should help the Cubs. Carlos Lee, in 90 career games vs. the Cubs, has 27 homers and 76 RBI. Lee also sports a ridiculous .313/.369/.610 for a .979 OPS vs. the Cubs. Avoiding Lee for the remaining 6 games could be key to wrapping up the division title by looking at those numbers.

The Cubs are 6-6 vs. Houston this season.

Cubs killer Adam Dunn has been traded to the Diamondbacks

The good news: Adam Dunn has been traded, with the Cubs still having to play 6 more games vs. the Cincinnati Reds. (3 home, 3 away)

The bad news: Adam Dunn was traded to the Diamondbacks, the team the Cubs would be playing if the playoffs started today.

Adam Dunn has crushed the ball against the Cubs since joining the league in 2001. In 109 career games, Dunn has hit 38 homers, with 68 RBI. Dunn also has a .398 OBP and a .614 Slugging for a ridiculous 1.012 OPS against the Cubs.

This certainly makes the Diamondbacks a little scarier in short playoff series like the best of 5. With Brandon Webb & Dan Haren as lethal a one-two punch in the league, adding a known Cubs killer like Adam Dunn isn't too thrilling to see on the Cubs end.

For unintentional comedy purposes though, Arizona's ballpark is quite spacious, and it'll be fun to watch The Big Donkey try to play leftfield out there. As MLBTradeRumors points out, the DBacks will trade some awful defense for a career OPS of .900 anytime with their current offense.

104 year old man wants to throw first pitch at Cubs playoff game

The Chicago Sun-Times and Leo Hillenbrand are probably getting ahead of themselves here, that's for sure, but the 104 year old man is getting the word out via the newspaper that he'd like to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs playoff game this year:

A lifelong Cubs fan, Hildebrand wants to throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field for a game during the Cubs' expected playoff run. His neighbor and good friend, Henny Kronvold, tried to persuade the Cubs to let Hildebrand pitch last season, but the Cubs politely told her all of the slots were taken, Kronvold said.

"He can't wait much longer," said Arlene Burm, Hildebrand's 69-year-old daughter.

Jason Carr, a Cubs spokesman, said the organization reviews and considers all first-pitch requests.

"Due to the large number of requests and suggestions, and given the limited opportunities, it's difficult to accommodate everyone,'' Carr said. ''We have so many deserving fans -- including Leo Hildebrand -- but can't get to them all.''

The organization reviews and considers all first-pitch requests? Should we call them on their bluff and flood them with first-pitch requests everyday from now until the day the playoffs begin? Sounds like a challenge, Jason Carr. Sounds like a challenge.

Oh and Leo Hildebrand... get in line. You're not the only person that would like to throw out the first pitch at a playoff game. If you're going the old guy route, I'd put Jimmy Farrell ahead of you. Sorry Leo.

Cubs Magic Number down to 41

Cubs win 6-2, and increase their lead over St. Louis to 7 games. Milwaukee also won, so the Cubs remain 4 games ahead at this point. The Cubs have their 2nd off day in 5 days, while Milwaukee gets another game with the absolutely terrible Washington Nationals. Ryan Braun remains hurt for the Brewers, suffering from a back injury right now. No word on his return yet. Right now, it doesn't seem to matter whether Braun is in the lineup or not, as the Brewers have won 5 straight.

Random thoughts from last night's win over St. Louis:
- For as much flak as Fukudome has gotten recently for his offensive struggles, he still plays great defense. He showed that on several plays yesterday, including a nice diving catch on a shallow liner.

- Jim Edmonds had the defensive play of the day, making a diving catch on a Chris Carpenter floater that would have possibly scored two. It was one of those bleeders normally hit by pitchers that would have to be so frustrating to see fall that you may go on a murder spree. If the Cardinals were going to score, you'd rather see Pujols hit one onto Kenmore than Carpenter finding a hole somewhere with a garbage hit.

- Ryan Dempster is now 13-5 with a 2.92 ERA and 1.16 WHIP after last night's win. While Ryan Dempster is definitely in consideration for the Cy Young Award, Brandon Webb might be running away with it now. Webb is 17-4 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.

Micah Hoffpauir is Fast Becoming Crash Davis

Micah Hoffpauir may not actually challenge the minor league home record anytime soon, but he did record four home runs in one game Saturday against the Astros Triple-A team in Texas. Hoffpauir, who was with the Cubs on two occasions this season, hit his four home runs in consecutive at bats, and flied out in his final at bat as well.

While this is only the minor leagues, at feat like that raises two questions. 1. How much more does Hoffpauir have to prove to get a legit shot at a major league roster spot for an entire year? 2. When did baseball become a bunch on pansies? I realize it was a minor league game, and guys are trying to make a name for themselves, but after the second or third home run Hoffpauir should have had lace marks on his ass from getting drilled.

As for getting an actual shot at a MLB roster spot full-time, Micah is S.O.L. in Chicago. Derek Lee is going nowhere in the future, and while he has tried to play the outfield corner spots, the heavy contracts of Soriano and Fukudome have those spots at least the next three years. Maybe he can teach Felix Pie how to hit or Felix can teach him how to play center field, but unfortunately he'll likely be resigned to the same fate as Matt Murton. Moved around, back and forth from triple-A to Chicago and back, for a few years and then traded away when it's too late.

Micah Hoffpauir homers four times (cubs.com)

Kerry Wood's back problem lasts one day

According to Cubs.com, Kerry Wood is good to go today:

"It's just one of those things," Wood said before batting practice for the Cubs' game against the St. Louis Cardinals. "I should be able to go once I get outside and run around and loosen up."

After batting practice, Wood said he was "ready to go." Cubs manager Lou Piniella said he didn't anticipate Wood's back to be a long-term problem.

"Let's hope it's not as long as the finger," Piniella said of the time missed.

We'll see if Kerry actually plays today. I'm envisioning the Cubs putting up 7 or 8 on Todd Wellemyer and the Cubs not evening needing Wood's services today.

The day Jim Edmonds became a member of the Chicago Cubs

Homer #1 - The pause. The bat flip. The stare down. Homer #2 - The game tie-er. The curtain call. All the crap we hated for 8 years. It certainly looks good on this end of the Cubs/Cards series.

For the pissing and moaning we did back when the Cubs signed Jim Edmonds, Jim Hendry has been vindicated in our eyes. Hitting 2 homers vs. the hated Cardinals, a day after talking smack to Tony LaRussa, removes the stigma of being the asshat, diving for no reason centerfielder we hated for years. With the St. Louis media now referring to Edmonds as being the enemy now, he's officially on our side. Obviously, we'll never forget those years you that asshat we despised so much, but now is not the time to live in the past. 2008 has been way too special thus far to worry about our now petty obsession of hating you.

14 homers in 56 games? .280 average since joining the club? I can't believe it actually happened. Respecting Jim Edmonds? Actually liking Jim Edmonds? ROOTING FOR JIM EDMONDS?

It's working out much better than when we just hoped he would faceplant into the bricks and just go away.

Keep it going Jim. We're behind you. Completely. Seriously.

Kerry Wood has a back problem?

That's what Paul Sullivan is saying as to why Kerry Wood was not available today vs. St. Louis:

Kerry Wood's long-awaited return from his slow-healing blister lasted all of one game before he was sidelined once again Friday with lower back soreness.

Manager Lou Piniella was reluctant to address Wood's latest problem during his postgame news conference, adding to the mystery surrounding Wood's health.

Wood pitched one inning Tuesday against Houston, and had his charity bowling tournament Wednesday. But he wasn't in the bullpen during Friday's 11-inning affair, leading to the question of whether he was available to pitch.

"No, he wasn't available," Piniella said.

Is Wood OK?

"He wasn't available," Piniella repeated. "He was OK, but he wasn't available."

Kerry Wood is a game time decision tomorrow.

Just when you thought the bullpen was getting back to full strength...

Reason # 2,365,309 why everybody hates Cubs fan

Here's a video that's circulating the internets right now. Just another bandwagon asshat fan that continues to make the rest of us Cubs fans look bad. Can we go a week without something like this popping up in the blogs? A WEEK?



It wasn't even funny. If it were at least a little bit funny, it would lessen my hope that this guy faceplants a bucket of knives in the near future. To me, the video looks fake. Regardless if this is fake or not, it's still not funny.

Every fanbase has their share of idiot fans..... ours just seem to dumber than most.

[Deadspin] [Home Run Derby]

Scott Eyre has been traded to the Phillies

From The Morning Call:

The Phillies finally found a second left-hander for their bullpen.

This afternoon they acquired Scott Eyre from the Cubs in a trade that sent high Single-A Clearwater right-hander Brian Schlitter to Chicago. J.C. Romero has been the lone lefty reliever in the Phillies' bullpen most of this season.

Bruce Miles points out that the Phillies have agreed to pick up the $1.2 million remaming on this year's salary.

Scott Eyre will make his return to Wrigley Field on August 28-31 when the Cubs take on the Phillies in the 4 game set.

And 50 bucks says we never hear from Brian Schlitter again? Let's say hes does make it to the big club one day, does Ron Santo incur FCC fines for goofing up his name when he's all excited because Brian Schlitter can't get the ball over the plate?

Cubs interested in Freddy Garcia?

Freddy Garcia, a member of the 2005 World Series winning Chicago White Sox, has been auditioning his services after rehabbing his surgically repaired shoulder. One of the many teams involved in watching Freddy Garcia is apparently the Cubs:

Garcia pitched only 58 innings for the Phillies in 2007 before going down with season-ending shoulder surgery. Now that his rehab is almost complete, he's likely to be a popular target for teams that need pitching help and were unable to fill their needs by the trade deadline.

The Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Tigers, Rangers, Mets, Phillies, Astros, Brewers, Cubs, Rockies and Dodgers sent scouts to watch Garcia's workout at the University of Miami on Tuesday. It's believed that representatives from Florida and the White Sox were also on hand for his open audition.

With Rich Harden's DL history always in the back of your mind and Jason Marquis having the tendency of pitching like Jason Marquis, would it be worth it for the Cubs to snag an insurance policy? As much as we didn't like the Jim Edmonds acquisition at the time, would picking up a veteran who's won it all before off the scrap heap be that bad of an idea? Edmonds deal seems to be working out right now, no? You pick him up, have him throw some outings in the minors and when September 1st rolls around, you figure out if you can use him on the ball club or you tell him to hit the road.

And some fans may say, "Well 15 teams might bid for him, you may over pay him and then maybe not even use him!" Oh yeah, is it your money? No, it isn't? Then who cares. With the 4 starters the Cubs have right now and the bullpen falling nicely in line with Kerry Wood coming back, I think it's worth a small gamble on a possible 5th starter.

Jon Lieber set to hang out in the Minors until Sept. 1st

Yesterday, we were curious on what the Cubs will do nowthat Jon Lieber is healthy and ready to come back to the ball club. Would Lieber be put on waivers and possibly traded? Would the Cubs send down Marshall or Cotts for a couple weeks until the rosters expand?

The answer will most likely be: Lieber stays put in the minors until September 1st.

While physically healed and strong, Lieber isn't sure what his next assignment will be. It's no secret the Cubs have no plans to activate him before rosters expand next month, barring injury.

Nothing wrong with this move, consider Lieber is just a long reliever/spot starter at this point in his career. Sean Marshall & Chad Gaudin have filled in perfectly in Lieber's place.

Plus, this allows Lieber to just stay put in Peoria, and you know, save on gas.

Ryan Dempster acting like, well ..... Ryan Dempster

When asked about Mark Cuban at Kerry Wood's charity event last night & the way Cuban spoils his Dallas Mavericks players with endless locker room amenities, Dempster replied:

"Our locker room is pretty awesome," joked Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster on Wednesday during a charity celebrity bowling event that Cuban attended. "We get to see everybody naked, and hang out and have a good time."

Just between Dempster & Mark DeRosa, the Cubs have an odd cast of characters in their locker room to say the least.

Cubs Magic number down to 43

Cubs win the series against Houston by beating the Astros big time today, 11-4.

Mark DeRosa had 5 RBI in the game, 4 coming in the form of a grand slam off of Brandon Backe. DeRosa now has 8 RBI in the month of August, which is almost the same amount he had in July (10 RBI in 25 games.

Jason Marquis pitched good enough, picking up his 7th win of the season.

The Brewers won, so the Cubs remain 5 up in the NL Central.

DL Calls A's Looking for Harden, Gets Gallagher Instead

When the Cubs traded for Rich Harden, all that was mentioned was how Harden was a fantastic pitcher, yet an injury waiting to happen. Harden, had his first bad start Tuesday for the Cubs, but the news out of Oakland have to have fans scratching their heads.

So it is likely that Gallagher will go on the disabled list to make room for Gio Gonzalez on the roster............ Gallagher had felt a "pop" in the shoulder in his July 25 start against Texas.

While Gallagher is a young pitcher, a group prone to injuries, it has to at least allow Rich Harden to take a a deep breath knowing he isn't the first one on the DL from that deal. Out of Right Field were fans of Gallagher and wish him a speedy recovery, but hopefully all of the bad voodoo is in Oakland, and not in their pitchers.

Sean Gallagher to DL (sfgate.com)

Mark Cuban is bowling with the Cubs tonight

Kerry Wood's charity bowling/auction night is tonight at 10Pin Lounge and Sax Hotel in Chicago. The proceeds of the auction benefit the Organic School Project. (For those of you worried about Kerry Wood's recoving blister, Wood will be bowling left-handed tonight)It's the 5th year of this event, host by Kerry & Sarah Wood.

The 5th Annual Kerry Wood's Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling Tournament will feature most of the players on the Cubs' current roster, as well as retired players and local media celebrities. Cubs play-by-play broadcaster, Len Kasper will serve as emcees for the evening's activities.

According to the Sun-Times, another guest will be in attendance tonight:

Billionaire Mark Cuban, whose fast footwork on "Dancing with the Stars" could help him win his bid to own the Chicago Cubs, will be front and center at 10pin bowling alley tonight.

• • Translation: Cuban, who is the leading bidder for the Cubs franchise, will be starring at Cub Pitcher Kerry Wood's Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling Tournament and auction. The rest of the Cubs will also be in the zone.

He's certainly not wasting any time. Not only would Cuban bring a different type of regime in the front office for the Chicago Cubs, but he'll also leave his mark on the commmunity as he's already trying to make a splash with Kerry Wood's event. At least that's the way it appears on the surface. He definitely seems to be the type of owner that would touch all aspects of the Chicago community. It'll be a shame if he doesn't acquire control of the Cubs.

Oh yeah, and he has a pretty big bank account in a league where there is no salary cap. That works too.

Scott Eyre drawing interest from Boston & Philadelphia

The Cubs appear to have 2 trade options so far for Scott Eyre.

Sean McAdams of The Providence Journal writes that the Boston Red Sox still have interest in Scott Eyre:

The Red Sox had interest in Eyre before the non-waiver trading deadline, and are still monitoring him as a lefty specialist.

They could either try again to work out a deal — if Eyre clears waivers — or claim him on waivers. Still another route might be waiting for him to clear and then offering him a contract.

The Philadelphia Phillies are also showing interest according to the Assistant GM of the Phillies, Ruben Amaro Jr.:

Amaro said the Phillies are interested in left-handed reliever Scott Eyre who was designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. The 36-year old lefty went 2-0 with a 7.15 ERA in 19 appearances this season sandwiched around two DL stints.

A contender will want Scott Eyre, it's only a matter of time before the Cubs pull the trigger on the deal. Eyre had recently set the Cubs all-time record with 33 consecutive scoreless appearances, but Lou Piniella loves his flame throwers in the set-up role. Samardzija, Howry, Marmol, Gaudin, and Wood all fit that bill. Eyre does not.

Jon Lieber is set to come off the DL soon & is rehabbing right now with the Peoria Chiefs. Do the Cubs DFA Jon Leiber as well, or will they send down Sean Marshall, Neal Cotts, or Jeff Samardzija and then immediately recall when the time comes with the September 1st roster expansion coming up?

Cubs Magic Number down to 44

Cubs Win!

Soriano's 3-run shot in the 7th saved the day because Bob Howry pitched like Bob Howry. Bob Howry picked up his 4th win of the season, right after he picked up his 3rd blown save of the season. Keeping Bob Howry around because.....? If the Cubs have the lead or are tied, Bob Howry can NOT pitch. Not right now. Maybe not ever, again. Straighten him up in mop up duty or get rid of him.

Lou Piniella said afterwards about how Kerry Wood pitched:

"And we got Wood into the ballgame. That was positive and he felt good. Give him one more game in that type of role and we can get him back in the closer's role."

No word yet if Lou wants Scott Eyre to turn his RV around and replace Bob Howry in the bullpen.

Scott Eyre DFA'd

Scott Eyre has been designated for assignment, following the activation of Kerry Wood off the disabled list.

The Cubs have a week to trade to Scott Eyre. While it's a little surprising that any team would give away a veteran lefthanded bullpen pitcher, it's not particularly surprising in Scott Eyre's case. According to Eyre, he fell out of favor with Lou Piniella with his poor start in 2007 and was never able to recover.

It's a shame because the Cubs will have lost Scott Eyre's birds nest goatee.

All that's left in the "Birds Nest Goatee" portion of the Cubs team is Kerry Wood:

Elvis arrested at Wrigley Field last night

Why can't Elvis just slide across the tarp without the security interfering? Somebody always ruins the fun. Sure, Elvis could have gotten injured if he broke an arm or faceplanted on the mound. But how often does Elvis get to slide across the wet tarp at Wrigley Field???

The Milwaukee Brewers are having a good week

It's not going very well for the Brewers right now. They were swept in a 4 game series by the Cubs. They went from tied for first to 5 games back in a matter of 5 days. Now, they're fighting each other.



Ned Yost made some sense after the game:

“It’s not a big deal,” Yost said. “For eight months a year, we’re a family. At times things happen, flare up, but it’s between the family. It’s in the family.

“It’s a little bit rude when your neighbors are fighting next door for you to go knock on the door and ask what happened. We handle it ourselves. It’s between us and it’s nobody’s business. But it wasn’t that big a deal.”

Huh?

Nobody's allowed to ask about it and it's actually considered RUDE by you? It's not like this fight took place in the clubhouse. I'm sure there have been many fights in your clubhouse that the public doesn't know about. But when it takes place in the dugout, with a world of cameras watching, nobody is supposed to ask anything? Nobody can ask about why one of your franchise, face of the team players is shoving over and over again a phenom rookie pitcher in the dugout? Nobody is allowed to ask?

Can we ask where you think you'll be working next season? Cause it's looking like your Milwaukee days are numbered, chief.

Tornado Sirens going off at Wrigley Field last night

Here's a video from one of the ballhawks who patrol the streets during the games just beyond the leftfield wall:




Here's a great video from the concourse in Right field:




I love that the fans, despite being packed on the ramps, are still chanting "Let's Go Cubs," followed by singing "the 7th inning stretch."

Kerry Wood might be activated for tonight's game?

Paul Sullivan was listening to the radio today & heard this from Kerry Wood on the Silvy & Waddle show:

"I feel fine today, so, you know, I'd love to be activated today and love to go out and save a game tonight," Wood said. "I feel good. I threw (Sunday) and didn't have any problems, so I'm ready to go."

The Cubs had mentioned that Wood may come back as early as the Cardinals series this weekend, but Wood doesn't seem to be able to wait that long to pitch.

If Kerry Wood's finger is completely healed, there should be no harm in bringing him back on the ball club. It's not a shoulder injury like Carlos Zambrano where he needed some rest, this is an injury where the skin on the finger just needed to heal. If it's all good, put him in the bullpen.

Billy Bob Thornton is actively rooting against the Cubs

Actor Billy Bob Thornton is a self-proclaimed St. Louis Cardinals fan. He was giving an interview about his band to the Seattle Times when the topic of the 2008 baseball season came up in conversation. When talking about the Cardinals, Thornton admitted his frustation of having to chase the Cubs so far this season:

"The problem is, every time the Cubs lose, so do we," he says. "It's the funniest thing this year. Usually, I'm just rooting for the Cardinals. This year, I'm having to root against the Cubs. I'm paying more attention to what the Cubs do, just about, than I am to what the Cardinals are doing."

A guy named Billy Bob who is more worried about what the Chicago Cubs are doing than the team he actually roots for? If we didn't already know he was a Cardinals fan, we could swear he was a Chicago White Sox fan or a Milwaukee Brewers fan.

Cubs Magic Number down to 46

With today's win and Milwaukee's 5-0 loss today, the Cubs Magic number to clinch the division is at 46.

The Cubs begin a series with the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field on Monday, while the Brewers play the Cincinnati Reds & the St. Louis Cardinals will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers starting on Tuesday.

Cubs are 22 games over .500

For the first time since 1989, the Cubs are in 22 games over .500.

Reed Johnson's pinch hit homer in the 8th inning gave the Cubs the lead for good. Chad Gaudin vultured a win away from Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Marmol pitched an easy 1-2-3 inning for his 6th save.

Jeff Samardzija pitched 2 1/3 innings and was impressive again. He needs a little bit better command of his slider, but his 97 MPH fastball and his ability to locate it on the black of the plate is what has everybody falling over themselves about Samardzija.

Mark Cuban reportedly bid $1.3 Billion for Chicago Cubs

Yes, $1.3 Billion.

Cuban is reported to be the top bidder, at nearly $1.3 billion, but the auction will begin soon, after the applicants and their bankers delve further into the assets books.

While the highest bidder hasn't won the franchise in the past (John Henry bought the Red Sox despite being outbid), Tribune owner Sam Zell is an individual who will do whatever he possibly can to get most money out of this deal.

It's also amazing that the ball club can warrant such a bid, if the NYTimes source is correct. Absolutely amazing.

Kerry Wood pitches without protection

According to the AP, Kerry Wood has finally thrown without a pad on his bum, blistered finger:

Wood threw 30 pitches to hitters from the Wrigley Field mound after warming up and getting some work done in the bullpen hours before Cubs hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates. And he did it without the protective pad he had worn recently.

"He felt OK, looked a little rusty — that's to be expected," Piniella said. "The important thing now is to see how he feels tomorrow. After that, I'll put together a schedule to get him back pitching."

Wood declined comment before the game, but Piniella said the right-hander felt no pain. He also said Wood probably wouldn't need a minor league rehab stint.

It looks like we're closer and closer to finally seeing Kerry Wood back on the mound, and getting the bullpen back into the right order. With Carlos Marmol getting back to being basically unhittable, the team with the best ERA post All-star break will get one of their best relievers back. Best case scenario, according to Cubs.com, says that Wood could be back on Friday.

And it can't he can't come back soon enough. I'm sick of, and I'm sure Kerry Wood is too, "Blister Watch 2008."

Hendry was not about to trade just to make one

According to Paul Sullivan in his post on Hard Ball:

The Cubs were considering adding a left-handed hitting corner outfielder, which would have moved Kosuke Fukudome to center, but decided in the long run that Fukudome’s sterling play in right outweighed the need for another bat.

Couldn't agree more. It also helped that there really wasn't that much available. What was possibly available (Raul Ibanez, David DeJesus, Brian Giles) wasn't worth the price in the exchange. I'm glad Hendry decided to take a pass on making a move just to make a move.

Besides, you know Hendry will sign somebody like Tom Goodwin or Doug Glanville before September 1st. Think of an ex-Cub that was a bad outfielder that still plays today, and Hendry will find him and add him to the roster right before 9/1.

Who will it be?

Andy Tarnoff is quite the sore loser

This is Andy Tarnoff. Andy Tarnoff is a somebody at OnMilwaukee.com, a website obviously dedicated to all things Milwaukee. Andy Tarnoff has a strange obsession with monkeys. Andy Tarnoff has a strong, STRONG hatred for Cubs fans. Let's take a look at an article he wrote after the Cubs won game 2 against the Brewers on Tuesday.

I really hate Cubs fans.

Now that's getting to the point.

There's a right way and a wrong way to root for your team in an opponent's stadium. I speak from experience, having seen the Brewers play on the road several times.

He's a writer, a monkey lover, a Cubs fan hater, and an expert in the field of fanatical base behavior.

The right way is to clap and cheer and be respectful. The wrong way is to heckle, insult, taunt and jeer, to act like you own the place, when you should remember that you're a welcomed guest.

Translation: "the Brewers were getting steamrolled & I didn't appreciate your cheering while I was sulking in my seat. Please be quiet when the Cubs score. Oh by the way, it was OK when we all cheered when Derrek Lee fouled a ball off his knee and he was rolling on the ground in pain. Just wanted to clear that up. We can do that in our house."

When the loyal and intelligent Cardinals fans come to Milwaukee, they behave with class and grace. Happy to be here, pleasant and eager to strike up a conversation about their proud and storied franchise.

So the Cardinals fans struck up a conversation about their 2006 World Series? So they were heckling you?

When Cubs fans show up, it's a sea of drunken douchebags, flailing around, chests puffed out, clueless about the sport and their team's dubious place in baseball history.

Wow. You've certainly taken it up a notch there. That's big talk considering Wisconsin has the highest rate of binge & heavy drinkers in the US. But go ahead and continue to act like Cubs fans are the only people on earth who drink beer during baseball games.

And everybody knows about the Cubs 99 World Series championship-less seasons in a row. EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD DOES. ESPN mentions it every single day.

Of course, getting spanked by the Cubs leaves us Brewers fans little chance to retort.

But you decided to call us drunks anyways. And douchebags.

While a Sabathia or Sheets shut out would've quieted down those soused, Sosa-supporting Chicagoans, nothing else would, and that's 100 percent our fault.

Well you went 4 lines before calling us drunks again. What took so long?

And it's not 100 percent your fault that the Brewers lost. It was actually 0% your fault. You had nothing to do with the game.

But in reality, the Cubs fans don't have much to be proud of.

Wrong. Our favorite baseball team is in first place and has the best record in the National League.

Not only have they not won anything in 100 years (it's only been 38 years for us), they sport a $118 million payroll in 2008, compared to the Brewers' $81 million.

In short, they should be in first place.

Stop it. The amount of money spent on players has nothing to do with how a team should finish. It never has and it never will. The money has to be spent wisely. Look at Billy Beane. He uses a small payroll and he's able to get the A's in the playoffs on a regular basis. It all depends on the intelligence of the GM, not the size of the wallet of the owner. The Cubs have a high payroll & it's filled with people who don't deserve that much money (*cough* Jason Marquis *cough*). You want the Brewers to overpay for fringe free agents? It's not fun. Be my guest, convince Doug Melvin to do that.

Let me make this perfectly clear: my hatred of Cubs fans is more than just an alleged inferiority complex to Chicago.

Besides calling us all drunks, all you've done so far in this article is complained about the disparity in payrolls. So yeah, I would say it's classic case of inferiority complex.

Yeah, it's fun to talk smack, but I have a great time whenever I visit the Windy City.

Not sure what one has to do with the other, but OK. We had a fun time in Milwaukee this past week too.

And I don't feel this way about White Sox fans, or even Bears fans. The South Siders are a lot like us: passionate, loyal and hardworking.

Hold it right there, chief. You and Sox fans are A LOT alike.
- Passionate: You both suffer from the same inferiority complex
- Loyal: Both of your fanbases do not show up to the games when your team is not good.

Even after they won the World Series, they're still second-class citizens in Chitown. Of course, maybe that's because the "Baby Bears" are owned by the Tribune (for now) and get a disproportionate amount of coverage.

Wrong for many reasons. [A] You don't live in Chicago. White Sox fans are notoriously known for worrying more about what the Cubs are doing than what the Sox are doing. That is why they are second-class. [B] The Chicago Tribune isn't the only newspaper in town. Sun-Times does whatever it can to rip into the Cubs. And The Daily Southtown is a newspaper only for people who live on the Southside. The Cubs are barely covered in the newspaper. Nice try.

Seriously, Cubs fans exude a sense of entitlement that they don't deserve.

The Cubs fans are excited about 2008. They are rowdy during games because they are winning. We're not fixated on the past like you. If Jim Edmonds hits a grand slam, a Cubs fan doesn't say, "You know what, I won't cheer. We haven't won a world series in 99 years. I'll just sit here instead until they finally win one."

Tell me if this profile of the "lovable loser" aficionado is off-base: 22-years-old, Fukodome jersey or popped collar Abercrombie polo,

Sometimes it's both at the same time.

floppy hat or backwards cap

You're right, this is a better look.

neatly-trimmed goatee, cut-off jeans

Whoa whoa whoa, you just did a 180. Now you're describing people from Wisconsin. Stay focused, Andy.

flip-flops, drunk on Old Style, going nuts for every routine pop up, screaming "let's go Cubbies," interlaced with profanity, right in the face of some little kids.

There you go, back on track. I guess at Miller Park it's gym shoes only. Didn't know that law. Then, you once again call us drunks. I believe I've made my point on that. And I highly, HIGHLY doubt that somebody was screaming bad words INTO the face of a little kid. Let's take it easy with the hyperbole.

Does Joe "Lincoln Park" Six-Pack know anything about the history of the franchise?

Love the name. I'll give you a little Chicago knowledge for you though, Andy. Lincoln Park-Wrigley Field dwellers are called Chads & Trixies. That should help you later on. And yes, they all know about the history of the Cubs. ESPN talks about it every.single.day.

Or does he just trek up to "Wrigley North" as an excuse to get hammered and rowdy with 30,000 of his closest friends?

No he treks up there because Miller Park is rarely sold out, while Wrigley Field is always sold out. It's a chance for him to see his favorite team live.

Hey, thanks for coming to Milwaukee and spending your money. We appreciate it. We'll see on Sept. 16 at that run-down dump you call the "friendly confines."

If it's a dump, then why are you coming?

You'll know who we are: we'll be the fans respectfully cheering on the Brewers and not going out of our way to ruin your good time.

WE didn't ruin your good time, the CHICAGO CUBS did when they pounded the Brewers in a 4 GAME SWEEP.

Don't be such a sore loser, Andy. The season is way too long to bitch and moan about the other team's fans.

A rundown of "The Miller Park Massacre"

I hope 2 and a half months from now, we're talking about the same exact result between the Cubs and Brewers in the NLCS. But the way the Brewers melted down and completely embarrassed themselves in both the series and the series finale, a knee jerk reaction to this series would suggest the Brewers may not even make the playoffs.


So here's a rundown of the 4 game series that will be forever known as "The Miller Park Massacre":

- Cubs runs: 31
- Brewers runs: 11


- Cubs errors: 0
- Brewers errors: 3


- Cubs hitting with RISP: 16/52 (.307 avg.)
- Brewers hitting with RISP: 2/24 (.083 avg.)

- Embarrassing: Corey Hart's inability to cut off a single ball into the gap
- Embarrassing: Ray Durham & Bill Hall complaining about every single called strike on them
- Embarrassing: NL MVP candidate Ryan Braun went 4-15 with 7 K's and actually attempted to bunt TWICE in thursday's game
- Embarrassing: Ned Yost having Eric Gagne throw at Jim Edmonds
- Embarrassing: Prince Fielder crying about a called strike after he flew out in Thursday game, getting kicked out, and refusing to leave the bench
- Embarrassing: Cubs stealing 7 bases on 8 attempts against the previous league leader in throwing out runners, Jason Kendall


The lead in the division is now 5. The magic number to clinch is now 49.