Archive for the ‘observations’ Category

One Goal: Mission Accomplished

Congratulations to the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks! I wrote a post a while back on the similarities between the Hawks and Cubs organizations. They have quite a storied past together and now of course we all hope the baseball team will follow the hockey team to a league championship. You can bet there [...]

June 10, 2010  Tags: , , , , , ,   Posted in: Chicago, news, observations, rivalries  One Comment

Z, Interrupted

The washout of last night’s Cubs vs. Pirates game in Pittsburgh delayed the return of Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano to the starting rotation until Friday in Houston. It baffled me that he was sent to the bullpen to begin with, and even more-so the way he was used. On the surface the entire exercise was a [...]

June 3, 2010  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: controversy, observations, players  One Comment

Peoria Chiefs team report

Here are some general observations on the Peoria Chiefs… Justin Bour is a large man. He’s listed at 6’4”, 250 lbs but that might be a little shy. He’s thick and strong but seemed pretty nimble fielding a looper behind first base early in the game. In BP, the ball was jumping off his bat. [...]

May 8, 2010  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: live report, Minor League Baseball, observations, players  No Comments

Bobby Dernier works with Peoria Chiefs

One of the heroes of the ’84 Cubs and one of the few solid leadoff men in recent Cubs history, Bobby Dernier is with the Peoria Chiefs today. His role with the organization is Baserunning Coordinator, travelling throughout the ranks, teaching the Cubs hopefuls a thing or two about the game. In the press box [...]

May 8, 2010  Tags: ,   Posted in: coaching, feature, fielding, game day, live report, Minor League Baseball, observations, oldschool  One Comment

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

Wrigley Field no place for politics

I love the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, and value my game day experience. I also am politically aware and invested with opinions and beliefs just like most people. But Wrigley Field on a game day is not an appropriate venue for political demonstrations. With the opening of the Cubs versus Arizona Diamondbacks series this week, protestors [...]

May 1, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: game day, observations, oddities, Wrigley Field  One Comment

John Dewan’s Stat of the Week™

The $91-Million Set-up Man Chicago Cubs manager, Lou Piniella, has asked his $91-million pitcher, Carlos Zambrano, to become an eighth-inning set-up man. How do the Cubs get to the point where they are sending their Opening Day starter to the bullpen three weeks into the season? Here are the key facts: Ted Lilly, the Cubs [...]

April 22, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: John Dewan, observations, Stat of the Week, stats  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

It’s GO Time for Your 2010 Chicago Cubs

It’s GO time for your 2010 Chicago Cubs. The off season has ended, spring training is over, the team is assembled, and hope springs eternal. With all the hope and anticipation of a 7-year old kid on Christmas eve, I await the first pitch, first game, first Cubs homer, and first win of the new [...]

April 5, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: game day, observations, players, playoffs, rivalries, schedule, spring training  One Comment

The Pat Hughes Interview revisited

Last spring, Pat Hughes was kind enough to do an interview with me for CubHub.net. With opening day looming, I think it’s worth re-visiting the interview again this year… Just as the Cubs opened spring training camp 2009, Pat Hughes, the Voice of the Chicago Cubs on WGN Radio was kind enough to take some [...]

April 1, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: game of baseball, interview, observations, the media, tradition  No Comments