Today, big wigs from the Chicago Cubs and Northwestern University came together to unveil the new logo for the Northwestern Wildcats huge college football match with Illinois.
Chicago Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts and Allstate’s Vice President of Marketing, Lisa Cochrane, joined Northwestern Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald and Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips at Wrigley Field today to unveil the official logo for the November 20 event.
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Elliott Harris has been a columnist for the Chicago Sun Times for 31 years. He has covered the Bulls, Cubs, and White Sox, and has been writing his Quick hits columns for 12 years which can be found here:
Elliott was nice enough to stop by The Backdoor Cut and in the first part of this interview he talks about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Cubs from the Bartman incident to the present day version.
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These days you’re hearing a lot about the Chicago Cubs farm system and how great it is. And it’s true, there’s a ton of talent in the Cubs‘ minor league system, but sometimes that talent doesn’t actually reach it’s full potential in the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. Sometimes it takes a change of scenery for a player to hit his stride.
If there’s one team that’s Chicago Cubs East, it’s the Baltimore Orioles as they have two of the Cubs highest rated prospects: Corey Patterson and Felix Pie in their outfield. They join fellow Cubs castoffs Jake Fox (utility infielder) and Orioles president of baseball Andy MacPhail; president/CEO of the Cubs from September 9, 1994 until Oct. 1, 2006. MacPhail had previously won two World Series championships as general manager of the Minnesota Twins.
Patterson, the third overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft, was billed a “five tool player” when he was coming up through the Cubs’ organization. Pie (pronounced “pee-ay”), a fellow “five-tooler,” likewise had Andre the Giant sized hype as his co-pilot to the Majors. Neither lived up to the expectations in The Chi, but both are reinventing themselves now in Camden Yards.
By Paul M. Banks
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The Sports Bank and The Backdoor Cut were proud to host Fred Mitchell, columnist of 36 years for the Chicago Tribune, who was nice enough to join me to talk Cubs, White Sox, and the season to come for the Chicago Bears, in that order.
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Despite all of the rancor, the calls for his head, the snarky comments that he should have been managing this season from the dugout while wearing a smoking jacket and drinking a martini…yes, Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella will be missed.
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The Chicago Cubs today named Mike Quade manager of the major league club for the rest of the season, starting tomorrow at Washington. The remainder of the coaching staff will remain intact and corresponding coaching assignment announcements are forthcoming.
Quade is in his eighth season in the Cubs organization. Prior to his time on Lou Piniella’s major league staff as third base and outfield coach, he spent the previous four seasons as manager of Chicago’s Triple-A Iowa affiliate (2003-06).
He guided the I-Cubs to a 289-279 mark, a pair of first-place finishes and one appearance in the Pacific Coast League Championship Series (2004).
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As you obviously heard a million times yesterday, the Chicago Cubs acquired minor leaguers Robinson Lopez, Tyrelle Harris, and left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Lorick from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for first baseman Derrek Lee and a cash consideration.
There was some disgust in Chicago over Lee’s departure, but seriously what do you expect? This season has been meaningless since before Flag Day, and you knew this $150 million bunch of underachieving MLBers was out of it since Memorial Day. OF COURSE, you have to fire sale and rebuild.
Lee departs after seven seasons and 179 home runs, 11th most in franchise history. In Chicago he hit .298 (1,046-for-3,514) with 578 runs scored, 239 doubles and 574 RBI, making two All-Star appearances and winning a natting title in 2005.
However, he REALLY struggled this year batting .251 (105-for-418) with 16 home runs and 56 RBI in 109 games. His (and Aramis Ramirez) lack of performance this season, are two big reasons why the Cubs never spent a game above .500 this season. Yes, you read that correctly. A $150 million team was never even ONE game above .500
But enough about Lee.
By Paul M. Banks
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“Andre Dawson Day” at Wrigley Field will take place August 30, 2010 in honor of recent Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and former Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson. Dawson was elected to the MLB Hall of Fame July 24, 2010 after being named to eight All-Star teams and winning eight Gold Glove Awards in the outfield during his 21-year big league career.
The Cubs will present a special gift to “The Hawk” and recognize him during an on-field ceremony before the team’s 7:05 p.m. game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dawson won the 1977 National League Rookie of the Year Award with the Montreal Expos and was named the 1987 National League Most Valuable Player while playing with the Cubs.
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All the hulabaloo yesterday may have been over MLB Draft #1 overall pick Bryce Harper, but when the Draft signing deadline passed, the Chicago Cubs had agreed to terms with 29 of their 50 selections from their 2010 Draft class, including their first five, 15 of their first 16, 17 of their first 20 and 21 of their first 25 selections.
Included in the 29 players are four selections who agreed to terms with the club today: RHP Benjamin Wells, seventh round out of Bryant High School (Ark.); RHP Kevin Rhoderick, ninth round out of Oregon State University; LHP Casey Harman, 29th round out of Clemson University; and LHP Brian Smith, 40th round out of St. Mary’s Catholic (Ontario).
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Today, the Chicago Cubs called up infielder Darwin Barney from Triple-A Iowa. He will wear uniform number 15 and be available for this afternoon’s game in San Francisco .
A 2010 Pacific Coast League All-Star, Barney joins the Cubs leading all of Triple-A with 142 hits this season. Overall, he’s hitting .297 (142-for-478) with 24 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 71 runs scored, 49 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 113 games for Iowa in 2010.
Barney is pretty consistent when you look at his splits vs. right-handed pitching (.302) and southpaws (.287). He has played 111 games at that shortstop and two at second base this season.
By Paul M. Banks
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The Chicago Cubs moved another piece off their team of the damned in their season of futility today by trading utility infielder Mike Fontenot away for San Francisco minor league outfielder Evan Crawford.
Right around the MLB trading deadline, the Cubbies moved Ryan Theriot, and now with Fontenot gone, the “O boys,” whose last names are pronounced in French, are no more.
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One time projected major league phenom Mark Prior has recovered sufficiently from long-time shoulder woes to try a comeback at age 29 with the Orange County Flyers of Fullerton, CA in the Golden League.
A strong name like Prior, the No. 2 free agent draft choice behind all-everything Joe Mauer in 2001 who has a 42-29 major league record, including an 18-6 campaign with the Chicago Cubs in ’03, could help rescue interest wherever he plays although Flyers Manager Paul Abbott says he will be used as a set-up man.
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Cubbies get Blake Dewitt, pitching prospects (including Tim Wallach’s son) in return.
On Major League Baseball trading deadline day the Chicago Cubs acquired infielder Blake DeWitt and minor league right-handed pitching prospects Kyle Smit and Brett Wallach from the Los Angeles Dodgers. In exchange they sent away left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly, infielder Ryan The “The Riot” Theriot and some c.r.e.a.m. (“cash rules everything around me”)
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In a move that screams (and when talking about Big Z. you gotta use the word scream) “hey, it’s already broken, so how much more damage can he really do?”
The Chicago Cubs today reinstated right-handed pitcher Carlos Zambrano from the restricted list and kicked right-handed reliever Bob Howry to the curb.
Zambrano made four minor league appearances since being placed on the restricted list June 29 (you might recall why, when he acted like a four year old for what seems like the umpteenth time). In the minors he helding the opponent scoreless in the first three (4.0 IP) before allowing three runs in 1.0 inning of work July 27 with Triple-A Iowa at Albuquerque. All told, he struck out five compared to one walk in 5.0 innings pitched in one game with the Rookie League Mesa Cubs and three with Iowa .
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Given the way the current Chicago Cubs season is going, it’s never too early to start thinking about 2011, 2012 and beyond. And one name sure to be in the mix on those future rosters is current Peoria Chiefs infielder Logan Watkins. Baseball America ranks him as the 9th best prospects in their minor league organization. He’s currently hitting just .252, but did make the Midwest League All-Star team in the first half.
By Paul M. Banks
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The Chicago Cubs are trading in their gloves and helmets for oven mitts and chef’s caps in the Chicago Cubs Cookbook: All-Star Recipes From Your Favorite Players to benefit the Ryan and Jenny Dempster Foundation.
Here’s more snippets from the publishing company’s descriptive shill of the book:
From Ryan Theriot’s favorite jambalaya to Lou Piniella’s chicken salad, or Hall of Fame chicken tacos from Ryne Sandberg to ginger pork from Kosuke Fukudome—dozens of recipes from current and former Cubs players, coaches and broadcasters are included. The cookbook also features signature recipes from Levy Restaurants at Wrigley Field and some of Chicago ’s leading restaurants, all lavishly illustrated with specially commissioned photographs of Cubs players.
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Current Peoria Chiefs shortstop Hak-Ju Lee is rated the sixth best prospects in the Minor League system of the Chicago Cubs. During the “Road to Wrigley” game earlier this month, I asked the infielder about which players he looked up to his as he continued his development in the Cubs system. The Jeonju, South Korea native mentioned former Cub Hee-Seop Choi, and current Cleveland Indians star Shin-Soo Choo. Lee described Choi as a “really good hitter,” and Choo’s current numbers
Choi spent four seasons in the Cubs farm system where he was considered one of the organization’s top prospects. Then On September 3, 2002, Choi made his Major League debut against the Milwaukee Brewers and became the first Korean-born position player to play in the Major Leagues.
By Paul M. Banks
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Andre Dawson has long been considered one of the best players of his generation. And this weekend, the Hawk is at long last coming to roost in Cooperstown.
Dawson was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his 9th year of eligibility. It’s an honor some say is coming eight years after his enshrinement should have happened. He’s one of the best ever to wear the red white and blue in two different countries, first for the Montreal Expos and later for the Chicago Cubs.
In honor of his legendary career, we here at The Sports Bank decided to take a look back at some of the most memorable moments of Dawson’s illustrious career.
By Matt Lindner
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No one wants to be a giant pessimist about their team.
The Cubs are trying hard to send their fans in that direction though.
On a day where Lou Piniella said that he would be retiring after this season of managing the Chicago Cubs — and who could blame him, really? — the Ricketts’ family also announced that Jim Hendry would be retained for next season.
Now, part of me thinks that this is a stupid idea, but the other part thinks maybe this is more of a punishment for Hendry. A sort of, “If you don’t clean your room, mister, you’re going to bed without dessert!” situation.
Because THAT, my friends, is the only way this move makes any sense.
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Alan Trammell: The Bench Coach
Trammell is likely salivating at the idea of making a different kind of managerial history this time around. During his first season as manager of his beloved Tigers, he led a woeful roster to an American League-record 119 losses. He’d eventually turn things around in his final two seasons, with seasons of 72 and 71 wins but his teams never finished any higher than fourth place. Still, he’s got an established rapport with this group of players.
He’s earned the respect of the front office and the team for his work as the Cubs’ bench coach over the years. He is also – to a far lesser extent – the Tigers’ equivalent of Ron Santo, a beloved player who amassed solid numbers over the years that many think should have earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame. He’s won as a player and there’s been no reason to doubt he could win as a manager as well. Besides, I don’t think anyone short of John McGraw or Joe Torre could have done a better job with the Tigers squads of the mid-2000s that Trammell was saddled with.
Matt Lindner’s conclusion of a five part series highlighting who could be the Cubs‘ next skipper.
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