The real f'n Chicago Cubs are back!

I was getting a little worried along about the 7th inning last night when suddenly the Cubs appeared...

CHICAGO -- Vance Worley dominated over eight innings, Jimmy Rollins homered from both sides of the plate and the Philadelphia Phillies pounded Ryan Dempster and the Chicago Cubs 9-1 on a scorching Wednesday at Wrigley Field...

But finally some good news...

Alfonso Soriano remained ice-cold Wednesday, going 0-for-3 against the Phillies.

Soriano has opened the second half 1-for-21, and his average has dropped from .270 on June 30 to .249 now. On the plus side, he's only signed through 2014.

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Cubs in mid season form already

Fight erupts in Cubs’ dugout

STAFF REPORT

Last Modified: Mar 2, 2011 04:08PM

The Cubs are blowing up on and off the field. Literally.

After another error-filled start to their Spring Training game today, things blew up in the dugout when a few players scuffled, including starting pitcher Carlos Silva.

The Cubs made three errors behind Silva in the first inning and fell behind 6-0 vs. the Milwaukee Brewers in Maryvale, Ariz. When the players returned to the dugout, a fight started and had to be broken up by players and coaches.

After the fight, Silva left the dugout with the strength coach Tim Buss, but he was still jawing at someone as he left. Silva was whisked past the media on a golf cart and left the ballpark without comment.

The Cubs had nine errors in three games coming into today’s game.

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YA THINK?!

Cubs Make Carlos Zambrano Available

Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, etc. and their AWFUL contracts are also probably very available. Call Jimbo at Pizza Hut...

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Lou concedes before game, Cubs lose

But he's a Hall of Fame manager, right?

San Francisco 6 Chi Cubs 2 Final

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Dis made Fung laugh

Though it occurs to me that one should keep this sign because you can use it year after year after year after......

To Cub Fans

A Reminder...

Though should I do dis b4 2nite's game? Wont dat curse us somehow? Nah.

this is all *SO* Cubs / Sox

Chi Cubs 3
St. Louis 4
Final

Toronto 3
Chi White Sox 1
Final

Toronto 8
Chi White Sox 2
Final

And So It Begins

Five losses in a row and...

Rich Harden, who isn't scheduled to start again until next Wednesday, admitted to some arm discomfort. "I’ve been feeling pretty good, but I guess I’ve had a little bit of discomfort you could call it. But nothing serious," he said. It's always serious when it comes to Harden. He'll go 11 days without pitching before attempting to return to the mound next week.

Carlos Zambrano didn't undergo the MRI scheduled for Wednesday for an undisclosed reason. "He was supposed to take an MRI today," manager Lou Piniella said. "It was available to him and he didn’t take it today. That’s it. And that’s what I get from our medical people." Zambrano was examined, but the Cubs didn't release any further details about that. They have ruled him out for his scheduled start Sunday. Sean Marshall will get the nod then.

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tough one today

Fri Aug 22, 2008
Washington 13 Chi Cubs 5
Final

Phillies lost to the worst team in baseball, too, but only by a run, and only because SUCKS sufferer Ryan Madson pitched.

Where did Willie Harris get the HGH? 12 homers this year? he's like shorter than Fung and half the weight... coming into this season he had 7 homeruns in over 1200 career ABs.
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They sure grow up fast, don't they?

Julio Castillo -S- Cubs
Low Single-A Peoria's Julio Castillo was arrested on felony assault charges after throwing a baseball into the stands and sending a fan to the hospital on Thursday. Castillo was one of 15 or 17 players (depending on the report) ejected in a game against Dayton that included two beanings and a broken leg sustained by the fielder on a hard slide into second. With the managers already arguing, Castillo got the brawl started by firing a ball towards the Dayton dugout, apparently with the intention of drilling a player, not a fan. The 20-year-old Dominican is expected to be arraigned on Friday. It seems highly unlikely that he'll be back on a minor league mound this season, and if he's convicted of a felony, he'll probably have his visa revoked. To top it off, we imagine he's going to face a lawsuit as well.
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I swear he's not a k-madder

HR - J Votto (5, 2nd inning off J Lieber 0 on, 0 Out), A Dunn (6, 2nd inning off J Lieber 0 on, 0 Out), P Bako (4, 2nd inning off J Lieber 0 on, 1 Out), J Hairston Jr (1, 2nd inning off J Lieber 1 on, 2 Out).

Woops Wootz

Somehow, Eric "The Awful" Gagne didn't give it back...

Top 9th: Milwaukee
- K. Wood relieved D. Ward
- C. Counsell hit by pitch
- G. Kapler hit for B. Shouse
- G. Kapler doubled to deep left, C. Counsell to third
- J. Kendall singled to shortstop, C. Counsell scored, G. Kapler to third
- R. Weeks walked, J. Kendall to second
- M. Cameron struck out swinging
- R. Braun doubled to deep right, J. Kendall and G. Kapler scored, R. Weeks out at home, R. Braun to third advancing on throw
- P. Fielder grounded out to second
3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors
Milwaukee 4, Chi Cubs 3

ShinGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Field of Dreams II?

The Cubs have reportedly agreed to terms with former White Sox closer Shingo Takatsu.
Even the Chad Fox signing was more likely that this. Mr. Zero had a terrific 2004 in his first year in the U.S., but he was a bust in 2005 and he spent the last two years back in Japan, finishing with ERAs of 2.74 in 42 2/3 IP in 2006 and 6.17 in 23 1/3 IP last season. It's unlikely his assortment of soft stuff will allow him to succeed in the majors at age 39.

a few new year's wishes

1. the death of the plutocracy and the cartels who love it
2. Paul Giamatti getting some good roles again - no more of this M. Night CRAP!
3. sorting out all the dvd/digital television crap so we can watch our FOX news in peace
4. the awakening of the American public spirit so that we don't put up with FOX and the assorted death of democracy that accompanies it
5. Meaningful and well-played Cubs baseball
6. Meaningful and well-planned strategies against the spread of any kind of extremist thought that carries the contagion of terrorism
7. real progress in the rights of workers
8. a growing realization that the value of the earth is more than an abstract
9. Morrissey's continued happiness and graceful aging
10. The Coen Brothers continuing not to make movies like Intolerable Cruelty and that horrible thing with Tom Hanks

don't try the veal

Background: After Veal led minor league starters with a .175 opponent batting average and shared Chicago's minor league player of the year award with Rich Hill in 2006, he had trouble getting untracked last season. He went 0-4, 10.57 in his first four starts and battled his control and command throughout the year, leading the Double-A Southern League with 73 walks.

Strengths: Hitters don't see many pitchers like Veal, a big lefthander with quality stuff and an unorthodox delivery. He has a swing-and-miss fastball in the low 90s and he likes to work both corners with it. His curveball shows flashes of being a plus pitch, while his changeup is solid at times.

Weaknesses: Veal lacks consistency in most phases of his game. He has a tough time maintaining his delivery, which includes a big leg kick, and his high three-quarters arm slot. When he falls behind in the count, he'll short-arm the ball and try to aim it, making matters worse. He has trouble staying on top of his curveball, and some scouts wonder if he might need to go to a splitter. Too often in 2007, his fastball was his only reliable pitch.

The Future: He has a ceiling as a No. 2 starter, but Veal also could wind up as a reliever in the mold of Arthur Rhodes. The Cubs sent him to instructional league rather than to the Arizona Fall League so he could build up confidence against lesser hitters, and they'll probably send him back to Double-A to start 2008.

Corms can take dis to da bank

October 5, 2007, 11:19 AM ET
Not To Worry, Cubs Fans
by Nate Silver
As I noted in my SI piece about the greatest September and October collapses:
Ultimately, the lesson is that misery loves company: many of the same teams that have vanquished a choker have been the victim at another point in time. That could mean that the Cubs are due to make a big comeback at some point in the 2007 playoffs.
The Cubs actually were a vanquisher at one point. They were the team that took advantage of Fred Merkle’s blunder to steal the 1908 pennant from the New York Giants. Importantly, that was the last time they won the World Series. But they’ve since accumulated a significant karma surplus because of 2003 and 1969, not to mention 1984.
So really, all of this is going to plan. It’s the Cubs’ turn to pull off a spectacular comeback. In fact, you should be actively rooting for the Diamondbacks to build up a big lead in Game 3. 5-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth? 13-4? 30-3 and Geovany Soto is down to his last strike? All the better from a karma perspective.
Unless, of course, I have reversed jinxed the Cubs and angered the karma gods by revealing all of this.

speaking of bullpen blowups

Dump doing his best Brett Myers impression...

Top 9th: LA Dodgers
- R. Dempster relieved B. Howry
- J. Jones in right field
- F. Pie in center field
- R. Martin singled to deep right
- J. Loney singled to first, R. Martin to second
- A. Ethier hit for A. LaRoche
- W. Valdez ran for J. Loney
- A. Ethier homered to deep left, W. Valdez and R. Martin scored
- T. Abreu grounded out to second
- M. Sweeney hit for J. Beimel
- M. Sweeney singled to right
- R. Furcal grounded into fielder's choice, M. Sweeney out at second
- R. Furcal stole second
- J. Pierre singled to second, R. Furcal to third
- M. Wuertz relieved M. Wuertz
- J. Pierre stole second, R. Furcal scored on wild pitch
- M. Kemp struck out swinging
4 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors
LA Dodgers 7, Chi Cubs 4

This is SO Cub (cont'd)

Top 9th: Chi Cubs
- J. Valverde relieved B. Lyon
- M. Fontenot singled to left center
- D. Ward hit for B. Howry
- D. Ward singled to left, M. Fontenot to second
- F. Pie ran for D. Ward
- J. Kendall struck out swinging, M. Fontenot out at third, F. Pie to second
- R. Theriot walked
- J. Jones grounded out to first

0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors
Chi Cubs 4, Arizona 5

Now dis would be funny! PODZZZIE to the CUBZ!

A's must have wanted too much for Shannon Stewart...

Hendry must have finished off the pizza and has moved onto the chicken wings dipped in bleu cheese...

The Cubs put in a waiver claim on Scott Podsednik and could be attempting to work out a trade for the left fielder. If acquired, Podsednik would probably become the Cubs' primary left fielder and leadoff man until Alfonso Soriano returns. He'd figure to have a diminished role and value if Soriano could return in September.

Corms, come in off the ledge - don't throw your life away over this.

Tough One Tonight (cont'd)

Seattle 5, Chi Cubs 3, 13 innings