Archive for the ‘biz of baseball’ Category

John Dewan’s Stat of the Week™

The Winner of the Cliff Lee Sweepstakes The wait is over: on Monday night, Cliff Lee agreed to a five-year contract with the Yankees Rangers Phillies. There’s good reason Lee was so highly coveted this offseason, as his 2010 season was one of the most masterful seasons in baseball history. In 212 innings, Lee struck [...]

December 14, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: biz of baseball, John Dewan, news, players, Stat of the Week, stats  One Comment

Observations on Chicago Baseball Managers

Mike Quade started off his MLB managerial career off with a bang, posting one of the best beginnings in Cubs franchise history. I wonder now if some of the luster has worn off. He’s lost Geovany Soto, Tyler Colvin, and Carlos Silva for the year. Now two of the club’s most dependable starters get blown [...]

September 25, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: biz of baseball, coaching, controversy, game of baseball, Jim Hendry, manager, observations, rivalries  No Comments

New Cubs Manager Choice Will Be Telling

With Year One of the Ricketts regime coming to an end, we really haven’t seen much from them to really define their priorities and style. I mean, sure, we’ve seen more fan outreach, some new marketing ideas, bison on the menu; but not much to indicate what kind of owners they will be from a [...]

September 18, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: biz of baseball, Jim Hendry, manager, observations, Ricketts family, Team Ownership  No Comments

Bob Dernier finds his way back to the Cubs

When Dallas Green came to the Cubs from the Phillies organization, he systematically plucked ‘his guys’ from the Phillie system to stock the Cubs for a playoff run. Within a year or two, the Cubs acquired Larry Bowa, Gary Matthews, Keith Moreland, Dickie Noles, Warren Brusstar, a young third baseman named Ryne Sandberg, and outfielder Bobby [...]

August 24, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: awards, biz of baseball, coaching, Jim Hendry, manager, observations, photo of the day  No Comments

Mike Quade gets an audition

With Lou stepping aside early, this allows the organization to get on with player evaluation and for coach Mike Quade, an opportunity to audition for the Cubs managerial position in 2011 and beyond. When I first hear Tribune beat writer Paul Sullivan say Quade is a leading candidate for the job, I started talking to myself, alone [...]

August 23, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: biz of baseball, coaching, Jim Hendry, manager, observations  No Comments

Lou Piniella rides off into the sunset

Lou Piniella has called it a career. He came to Chicago saying this would be his final managerial job and yesterday morning it was announced he would retire following what would be a 16-5 drubbing by the Atlanta Braves, the exact same outcome from Cubs vs Braves on opening day this year. Ironic how that [...]

August 23, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: announcement, biz of baseball, coaching, Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella, manager, news, photo of the day  No Comments

Derrek Lee will be missed, but it was time

The Cubs having traded fan favorite  Derrek Lee to the Atlanta Braves, it was strange to see him playing first base and batting cleanup for the visiting team on Friday at Wrigley Field. In his first at bat, Lee stepped to the plate to a rousing standing ovation, tipped his helmet to the crowd and [...]

August 21, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: biz of baseball, fielding, Jim Hendry, photo of the day, players, roster, stats  2 Comments

Took me out to the ballgame

I made my first visit to Wrigley Field so far in Year One of the Ricketts regime this week. Overall, the initial changes made by the new ownership are subtle but I found none of them objectionable. Note the new illuminated Cardinal-red Toyota sign in the left field bleachers has not yet been erected. Here are [...]

May 1, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: biz of baseball, Chicago, game day, observations, photo of the day, Ricketts family, Team Ownership, Wrigley Field  No Comments

Cubs.com or Powerball.com?

I went to Cubs.com, the official website of the Chicago Cubs yesterday and was surprised by the page that loaded. Gone was the Cubs-branded backgound, replaced by the Illinois Lottery‘s Powerball game advertising. What is up with THAT?  I mean, sponsorship is a necessary element of MLB and of course the Ricketts family are certainly [...]

April 13, 2010  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: biz of baseball, observations, oddities, other Cubs sites, Ricketts family, the media  No Comments

Important dates for Cubs fans

Monday February 15:  MasterCard Presale Ticket Promotion details Thursday Feb 18: Pitchers and catchers report to Mesa for Spring Training Friday Feb 19: Regular single game tickets on sale details Feb 23: Position player report to Spring Training March 2: MLB Mandatory Spring Training reporting date for all players March 4:  Cubs beginning Spring Training [...]

February 13, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: biz of baseball, game day, roster, schedule, spring training, Wrigley Field  No Comments