The Cubs Are Slumping and on the DL

Over the course of a 162 game season, even the best teams have slumps. Particularly in this era of relatively balanced competition even the perennial division winners – teams like the Red Sox, Cardinals, and Angels – run into rough stretches. But the 2009 Chicago Cubs are currently enduring a slump that even the worst teams have to avoid staring directly at. The Cubs current play makes me wonder not when…

The Cardinals Flip Flop in May

I don’t watch horror or suspense movies. I’m not big on being scared or losing control of bodily functions. So I can’t say that this season for St. Louis has been like one of those movies from personal experience, but knowing the general formula for a movie of that type, the analogy seems to fit.

After a promising April, which saw the Cardinals sit at 16-7 and…

Dontrelle Willis Needed This!

He needed to step onto that mound at Comerica Park and feel the evening sun shine upon him, the clouds in retreat, the swirling winds at bay. He needed to kick his right leg high into the air and bring his left arm across his body in perfect plane as the baseball left his fingertips with a sizzle. He needed this, and so did we.

Once upon a time Dontrelle Wayne…

Friday Night Links

This edition of Friday Night Links will once again act as a site update for the departure and addition of writers and their sites.

First, we have recently seen the departure of The Zoner (White Sox writer) from Zoner Sports and Kurt (Tigers writer) from Mack Avenue Tigers. If you liked their work here, please continue to read them at their own sites.

Thanks to Rex at i94 Sports, his colleague there, WIK will now…

The Cardinals: Two Weeks in April

While it’s not been the Dickensonian “best of times, worst of times” for the St. Louis Cardinals so far this season, 2009 has already had plenty of high points and low points in the first two weeks.  The Cardinals sit in a virtual tie for first with the hated Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, but have lost two of three going into what became a two-day break due to a Sunday…

Reds Looking for Results in 2009

After spending the last few years rebuilding their minor league system, the Cincinnati Reds are ready to reap some of the rewards for their efforts in 2009.

Though Cincinnati has not posted a winning record since the 2000 season, there is a renewed sense of optimism in 2009 that the decade of disappointment may finally be over.

While early season performance is rarely an accurate measurement for how a team will perform over…

What to Expect From The Cubs in 2009

To say that this is probably the beginning of the end for Derrek Lee would miss the point – we have likely reached the end of the beginning of the end.  The beginning of the end came in 2006, when he broke his wrist in a collision with Rafael Furcal.  Lee has had two good seasons in 2007 and 2008, but they have been greatly aided by Wrigley Field.  In…

Reflections on the Cub’s Off Season

The Chicago Cubs and their fans can congratulate themselves on a page-turning 2008 season. In what was the centennial year of World Series drought for the lovable losers, the Cubs managed to convince their fans that this was “The Year” before being summarily dismissed from the post-season by the Los Angeles Dodgers.  In the process, the expectations became so high, the disappointment so deep, that the Cubs joined the fraternity of…

The Natural: A DVD Review

What more can be said about the movie that many consider to be possibly the best sports feature film of all time? While it has its competitors, The Natural (Director’s Cut) should no doubt be at the top of the list.

Modeled after the classic novel by Bernard Malamund (The Natural’s book review was featured here earlier this month and can be read in the link provided), the movie follows the story line about…

Tribe Trades with Cubs; Acquire DeRosa

Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro made yet another move to bolster his infield this off season as he pulled the trigger on a trade with the Chicago Cubs to bring right handed hitter Mark DeRosa to Cleveland.

In exchange for the infielder, the Indians gave up three of their highly regarded minor league pitchers. The Tribe handed over right handers Jeff Stevens and Chris Archer along with left hander John Gaub in order to…

Indians Sign Former Cub Closer Wood

The Tribe filled their most dyer need on Saturday when they came to terms with closer Kerry Wood on a two year deal for $20.5 million. There is also an $11 million option for a third year in 2011 if Wood can save 55 games in either of his first two seasons with the Indians.

After going to the disabled list 12 times during the first ten years of his…

Chicago Cubs off Season Report

Season Wrap Up

The team from the North Side of Chicago acted like they were finally going to break the all encompassing Billy Goat Curse last season, but that all ended when they got to the playoffs. While they were the darlings of analysts during the regular season, once the post season game around, they were no where to be found. The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Cubs with almost no…

League Divisional Series Update

Over the weekend, we saw the Dodgers send the favored Cubs home packing after playing the minimum. This is the perfect time for them to get hot and they’re on fire right now! I thought that Red Sox fans had it tough with their 86 year drought, but I was wrong. I feel for Cub fans everywhere. Here’s a peek into the thoughts of Cub fans everywhere I would think.

Meanwhile, it looks…

Recent MLB News

A Cubs No-No

Cubs Ace Carlos Zambrano returned from time off due to a tired arm on Sunday and threw the first no-hitter of his career (and the first by a Cubs pitcher in something like 36 years) against the Astros in Milwaukee due to the Hurricane Ike scare. His performance may have been just what the doctor ordered as the Cubs were on a bit of a slump as of late. The next day, Ted Lily went…