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The Chicago Cubs today traded infielder Darwin Barney and a cash consideration to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a player to be named later. OUCH BABE! Remember when he was relevant? When he was possibly considered “a piece” in “the rebuild?” At least defensively, he was thought to be something, Now this is his fate.
The one AAA leader hits once gave Cubs fans such high hopes.
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It is Friday, so it is time for me to get a little nutty, hopefully funny, and somewhat lovey … dovey.
Unfortunately, there is really nothing to talk about as it relates to the Cubs. It has been a very quiet offseason thus far with basically nothing happening.
So, I am really at a loss of what to write. Or, I guess just go on and throw it all out there, so let’s get at it.
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Hello, good day, hope you are all doing fantastic. It is Friday, and as well all know, that means it is time for some ramblings. It is time to just throw some thoughts out there, see what sticks, then ask some hopefully intriguing questions and create some debate. That is what we do here, so let’s get it on. The trade deadline is Sunday, and a certain third baseman might be changing his tune.
So, without further ado …
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The 26th annual Cubs Convention kicks off today. This will be my sixth convention, and it is always fun.
Nonetheless, with the Convention about to kickoff, and the excuses about to come coursing out of “the Management’s” mouth, Cubs fans are ready for a festive weekend while saluting Ronny in many ways.
So, with all that said, let’s ramble on down the road.
By: Brian McCabe
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Just two years ago, more than 33,000 fans showed up at Wrigley Field just to watch Ryne Sandberg manage his Class-A Peoria Chiefs in a game against the Kane County Cougars. Sandberg is the Cubs’ most recent Hall of Fame inductee and a fan favorite. He’s certainly paid his organizational dues as well, having now managed Cubs minor league affiliates at every level but Rookie ball. He’s familiar with the young talent and his name certainly carries a lot of weight with the players. He has also openly coveted the job since the moment he announced his retirement from the game.
Hiring him would go a long way towards erasing whatever bad vibes have been created by the team’s lackluster play this season.
Matt Lindner’s second in a six part series highlighting who could be the Cubs‘ next skipper.
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By the TSB Staff
This Sports Bank collaboration is pretty self-explanatory. You’ve probably seen the bit on SportsCenter
PAUL M. BANKS
RED GRANGE: The Babe Ruth of football, along with Papa Bear Halas pretty much invented the NFL- America’s best loved league. He was so big he had two nicknames “Wheaton Iceman” and “Galloping Ghost” en route to becoming professional football’s first megastar; nothing more blue and orange than this Bears and University of Illinois legend.
WALTER PAYTON: I once got to have lunch with Sweetness back in 1994…perhaps the best day of my life during the mid-90s. There is only one true NFL’s all-time leading rusher and it’s not the guy who over extended his career as a re-tread in Arizona. 
DERON WILLIAMS: Check out my exclusive with D. Will for an explanation of why my man-crush made it to my sports paragon.
OZZIE GUILLEN: I take pride in the fact that pro sports’ biggest nut-job leads my favorite all-time team and resides right here in Chicago. In a world filed with “we’re just taking it one game at a time,” “you dont want to get too high after the wins or too low after the losses,” and “somebody needs to step up,” a man who makes jokes to reporters about beating his wife, getting high at Allman Brothers concerts and destroying the contents of his office (all with a few @#$% and %&&* throw in for good measure) is a welcome departure. Anyone who Mad TV tries to parody, but can’t because the real thing is way more outrageous and absurd sounding than any possible spoof is legendary. Then there’s his record as a player and manager. We’ll never @#$ing forget 2000 and %^&in 2005!
Honorable mentions: Deion $anders, Rashard Mendenhall, Frank Thomas, Papa Bear Halas, Bruce Weber, Pat Fitzgerald, Rocky Wirtz, Ryne Sandberg and Kendall Gill
PETER CHRISTIAN
Kirby Puckett– post career scandals notwithstanding, he is the reason I am the sports fan I am today.
Randy Moss– The greatest individual Viking player I’ve ever seen in person. Love me some Randy.
Kevin Garnett– He was to Minnesota Basketball what Michael Jordan was to the NBA.
Lou Nanne– The man has devoted his life to Minnesota hockey since he was 21, he is the greatest advocate for the sport in the state.
DAVID K.
Brett Favre- His head should really be three or four times bigger than the others. Nobody will ever replace Favre as my favorite athlete of all time. Although I would really be okay if someone called Tommy Lee Jones and he brought that mind eraser thingy from Men In Black and zapped this past season out of my memory bank.
Dwyane Wade- Words cannot express how fun my senior year of college was because of Wade. His triple-double against Kentucky in the Elite Eight will go down as the single greatest performance I have ever seen at a live sporting event. He has already won an NBA Title, NBA Finals MVP Award, an Olympic Gold Medal, and on top of all that, he’s from SICA!
Ernie Banks- Since I need a Cubs representative on my Mount Rushmore, it has got to be Mr. Cub. Mark Grace is my favorite Cubby of all time, but just does not seem Mt. Rushmore-worthy. Banks does.
Dominique Wilkins- I would insist the sculptor give Nique the high fade from the late 80’s to make my Rushmore look that much sweeter. The Human Highlight Film is probably the most innovative dunker not named Dr. J. and was my favorite basketball player prior to the arrival of D-Wade. I cried when he was traded to the Clippers. True story.
Honorable Mentions: Eric Davis (the former Reds OF, not 49ers CB), Grace, Wayne Chism (just because his yamika-style headband would look awesome in chiseled rock form.)
MELISSA S. WOLLERING
Sports Mt. Rushmore = Jim Brown, Babe Ruth, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Tiger Woods
Reason – To become forever immortalized in stone on a mountain, you must make a significant contribution to both sports and the world at-large for years to come. Otherwise, you get no bling on a geographic marker in the States.
honorable mention: Jack Nicklaus, Jim Thorpe, Carl Lewis, Michael Jordan, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron. Seriously, if Mt. Rushmore could fit 5 heads, Thorpe or Lewis get a spot.
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