I could use some Dunkin Donuts

The Rickets family is giving out Dunkin Donuts and coffee tomorrow morning to fans who wait in line for Cub tickets. That’s a pretty neat idea on the Ricketts end, gives the fans an opportunity to ask questions, hopefully tough ones.

There are some steroid allegations on Soto’s 40 pound loss; I expected these allegations to start appearing, don’t really blame people for thinking steroids, especially with the way Soto is looking. I give players the benefit of the doubt, and hope steroids weren’t involved in his weight loss. He should just take a piss test or whatever they do to test for steroids, and clear his name right off the bat. Soto has a pitching staff to concentrate on and doesn’t need anybody questioning his new eating habits; maybe he stopped getting the munchies.

 Cubs management and Ryan Theriot meet tomorrow for the arbitration hearing. I cant wait for the Cubs to let Theriot know how invaluable he is. Hopefully the Cubs win this case, Theriot isn’t worth a penny.

Can I trust the Cubs?

Its easy to point out what is wrong with the Cubs this year, that is the Cubs management asking us fans to trust the same nucleus of players that let us down from 2007-2009.

Why should I trust a team that got swept out of the first round of the playoffs two years in a row and underachieved in 2009? Pinella, Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, Zambrano, Dempster, Theriot, Fukodome, Marmol, Lilly, and Fontenot all let us down the past three years.

It’s a shame that Hendry is settling for these core players and haven’t done anything to make the Cubs better going into this season. I thought we would at least make a splash at another Starting Pitcher. We only have three locks going into the season with Lilly on the Disabled List: Zambrano, Dempster, and Wells. I swear to God if Samardija makes the rotation Hendry should be relieved of his duties, because Samardija isn’t a Major League Pitcher, and it would be Hendry’s fault for leaving the rotation out to dry.

Like I keep saying we don’t have a Shortstop and Second Basemen, and its pissing me off that neither of these issues haven’t been settled yet; especially at Second Base with Castro hopefully making the club at Shortstop. I don’t have the patience this year to deal with a platoon at second.

It’s hard to trust the core group of players that have been here the past few years when all they do is let us down. The Cubs haven’t sniffed the World Series in the NLCS of 2003; this alone proves that Baker is a better manager than Pinella, just because he was at least able to win a freakin playoff series, while Pinella had a far more superior team.

I can’t go into this season optimistic.

I can’t let the Cubs take up another year of my life.

I can’t let the Cubs let me down again and again.

The sad part is I am going into this season optimistic (they can’t play as bad as last year, cant they?). I am going to let the Cubs take up another season of my life, I have to, I’m obsessed, I have a billion different possible lineups for this upcoming season already. I will let the Cubs let me down over and over again, but I hope they prove me wrong this year, like I say every year.

Fire Lou

Sporting news just recently interviewed Lou Pinella, and Lou proved to Cub fans why he has to be fired now. Before I point out what Lou said, let me make it clear that due to my Major in Journalism I tend to analyze what people say, by obviously looking at the words somebody says.

Pinella was asked the following:

“You’ve managed both the Yankees and the Cubs? Are the pressures and expectations the same or different in each place?”

And Lou’s response:

“You never would think it, but there is pressure in Chicago. They haven’t won in so long. They are going to win. It’s just a question of when and how soon. It’s a wonderful franchise. It’s a really nice city and Wrigley Field is a fun place to play. You start a ballgame and you feel like you are in the British Open with the wind blowing, light rain and so forth, and all of a sudden it ends up a sunny day and you’re hitting the ball with 9-irons into the left-field bleachers.”

Key word here: They. They are going to win. No WE are going to win, but instead he used “they are going to win.”

Lou has to be fired immediately if he doesn’t believe that WE don’t have a shot at a World Series title.

Pinella also went on to make excuses in the interview from sporting news:

“I’ve never seen so many injuries. We lost 12 players for over 30 days, and they were all our top people. None of our backup people, except for our fourth outfielder and fifth infielder. Outside of that, everybody else was either a 1-2-3-4 starting pitcher, a key reliever or a position player.”

Really Lou? You’re going to make excuses now for why we sucked last year. NO! Unacceptable, WE we’re built for a run at the World Series Crown last year and you have the nerve to blame it on injuries.

If Pinella thinks WE don’t have a shot this year, then show him the door.

Changes coming soon

Chicago Cub players always complained they can’t wipe their own ass without the media knowing about it and Tom Ricketts is now doing something about the situation. Ricketts is expanding the Cubs clubhouse, which the players felt like they had no privacy in the previous years. Expanding the clubhouse could be really ideal for Chicago. When Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban bought the Mavs one of the first things he did to improve the team was renovate the clubhouse and its been paying off.

I know renovating a clubhouse doesn’t bring a championship home, but I think it makes the players feel welcomed and encourages the players to stay in the facilities.

The players would also want to stay around the ballpark because of the new nutritionist they hired. For all the Cubs home games they will serve breakfast, a light lunch, and a post game meal. Why would they want to leave now? They’ll have every meal available to them. I wonder if this new nutritionist has anything to do with Soto losing 40 pounds (or is he just not getting high) and with Zambrano getting into shape this offseason.

What’s nice is Ricketts just isn’t benefitting the players with new changes but also benefiting the fans as well. The team is going upgrade their food (thank you Tom). He is also making an opening in Right Field so people could watch batting practice from the outside. But, the Cubs already have something similar to this, so I don’t see how this is a change.

Ricketts is already starting to make good changes and it sounds like he is listening to both the players and fans for this comfort level. Obviously the players comfort in the ballpark and the fans comfort with some decent food in Wrigley. Hopefully he sees the big picture and start to make changes with upper management on a scouting and development level, as well as a general manager and team manager too.

White Sox fans cease to amaze me

It astonishes me at how classless White Sox fans are. At this year Sox Fest, White Sox fans cared more about the Cubs than their own team, nothing unusual right? I mean, in the back of Sox fans minds is the Cubs. But they had to bring a shitty pitcher, Freddy Garcia, involved.

Obviously Garcia is drunk, but still, it’s a freakin fest celebrating the White Sox franchise, not the Cubs. So why in the hell would a Sox player say “fuck the Cubs” or why would a Sox fan tell a Sox player to say that? Hey if the Sox fans want to play into the white trash, trail park, toothless hillbillies, who know nothing about baseball, then by means say “fuck the Cubs”. It’s just really odd that such a phrase would be spewed out of a Sox fans mouth at event that has nothing to do with the Cubs. The sad part is that most Sox fans act this way, unfortunately I have to deal with this fan base on a daily basis.

Marmol avoids arbitration hearing

The Cubs and Carlos Marmol agreed to a one year deal worth 2.12 million. Luckily they were able to avoid an arbitration hearing and met in the middle. I cant imagine the Cubs telling Marmol he isn’t worth or is as valuable than Marmol thinks he is, because in fact Chicago needs him more than anything this year.

However, the Cubs and Theriot have not come to a deal and I can’t wait for the Cubs to let Theriot know how they feel about his awful play. If they agree on anything obvisouly it will be a one year deal, especially with the Cubs number one prospect Starlin Castro ready to take over at short.

Its rumored Castro does have a shot at making the big league roster this spring, and hopefully he’ll prove how invaluable Theriot is to the Cubs.

State of the Cubs Union Address to Ownership

Mr. Ricketts,

As a season ticket holder and lifelong Cubs fan I feel that I could speak for most Cubs fan to say that the Cubs are going into 2010 in turmoil. As you know the Cubs haven’t won a World Series in over a century. Think about that Tom, 100 years; that’s a helluva long time. That’s older than my great grandfathers!

Winning just the division is unacceptable and you have to bring a World Series Championship to the Cubs in 2010 by any means possible. You already missed a golden opportunity by not signing Orlando Cabrera at shortstop for just 3 million. Maybe Hendry should be put on the chopping block? By not adding Cabrera to the roster you sacrificed a quality shortstop and leadoff hitter, as of now we don’t have either.

Also on the chopping block should be current Cubs manager Lou Pinella. On your journey to purchasing the Cubs you surely must have seen him sleeping in the dugout. He says he still wants to manage, but he obviously isn’t getting the job done. In the meantime you have former Cubs great Ryne Sandberg wasting time with the Iowa Cubs when we need him in the big leagues already. Sandberg will give Chicago what they need and that’s a rude awakening. It seems like the players got too comfortable with Lou, I mean look at it, it did take him three years to move Soriano down in the lineup.

Speaking of Soriano what will it take for doughnut eating Jim Hendry to dump him? If he got rid of the head case of Milton Bradley I’m sure he could do the same with Soriano. Obviously you’ll have to eat some of his contract up, but wouldn’t it be worth it in the long run if we win a World Series out of it?

By the way Tom, who is our starting second basement this year? Mike Fontenot? Jeff Baker? I sure hope not, they’re both bench players, at best. Hendry could have easily put Theriot at second base if Cabrera was signed.

Tom, here are your main issues going into 2010:

– Shortstop

– Second base

– All three outfield positions

– Two more starting pitchers

– The entire bullpen except for Marmol

– A lazy manager

That’s a lot of problems with the team, and with the exception of getting rid of Bradley and signing Nady it’s the same shit as last season. So how on earth do you expect us Cub fans to believe that we’ll be contenders this season?

I do applaud you for taking over this franchise, but I hope you did it mainly for the right reasons. You will make lots of money out of the Cubs, but just imagine how much more money you’ll be able to make when you bring a championship home. You’ll be cherished in the city forever.

Remember Tom, your name may say team owner, but it doesn’t mean your emotionally invested like life long Cubs fans are. You took on a world of problems and I hope you make the franchise better real soon.

All-Decade Team

Stole an idea from Cardinals blog C70, an All-Decade Cubs team, this should be rather easy.

Catcher: Geovany Soto. Obviously Soto won Rookie of the Year in 2008, but more importantly he handled the pitching staff well in ’08, as well as showing the guy has some pop in his bat. After a disappointing season last year, he’s going into spring training this year with 40 pounds off his stomach.

First Base: Derrek Lee. Lee arguably could have won MVP in 2005, .335/46/107. Lee’s been the Cubs anchor at first base most of the decade, saving many shitty throws from Theriot, two time gold glover as a Cub.

Second Base: Mark Derosa, aka the best utility player ever! Second base has been a revoloving door the past decade. When Dero wasn’t playing second base you would be able to find him wherever the Cubs needed him. He always came to play. Chicago missed him in 2009.

Shortstop: Easy pick, Alex Gonzalez. I hate Theriot, plain and simple.

Third Base: Aramis Ramirez. A-Ram has been the most consistant Cub this past decade. If there was one person who I would want when we need the big hit, Ramirez is the guy to get it done.

Left Field: Moises Alou. Had a hard time with this decision, but Soriano plays a poor outfield and has yet to live up to the great expectations he came with.

Center Field: Corey Patterson. The kid had a lot of expectations as the Cubs pumped him through the system too fast. He had a remarkable first half in 2003, but had to miss the rest of the year due to an injury. In just 83 games he managed 298/13/55. Its too bad things didn’t work out for Corey.

Right Field: Sammy Sosa. There is no way I was going to pick against him. Althouht my choices were limited to Fukodome and Burnitz.

Starting Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano. Big Z is basically one of my favorite players to watch ever. Although, not being the most consistent, which is obviously Ted Lilly, when Zambrano is on he is unhittable; just ask the 2008 Houston Astros.

Relief Pitcher: Carlos Marmol. He’s the filthiest pitcher in the game.

Manager: Dusty Baker. I hate Lou, soon enough you guys will find out why.

Hawks an Expo

The Hall of Fame really fucked up by not letting Andre Dawson in as a Cub, but as a Montreal Expo. A freakin Expo, is this some kind of lame joke? The hall messed up because there is money to be made as him going in as a Cub. Are there even still Expo fans? Okay okay, I’m sure the two who cared that their team moved to D.C. will show up to support the Hawk, compared to the millions of Cubs fan world wide.

It was no secret that Dawson wanted to go in as a Cub, so what’s the point to not honoring a great player’s request? It’s a real shame that his request wasn’t respected or granted.

The Hawk did put up slightly better numbers as an Expo but do those slightly better numbers out beat an MVP as a Cub? I don’t think so, I think an MVP award or winning a World Series destroys slightly numbers any day of the week.

You could read about the Hawks disappointment here.

Nady a Cub

Well Xavier Nady isn’t quite the guy I wanted the Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry to sign as a backup outfielder.

One year with potentially making 5 million after incentives, and if he could repeat his 2008 season with .305/25/97 then I guess it’s a good bargain, considering the Cubs paid Milton Bradley 10 million just to cause trouble and suck last season.

Nady could also be the Cubs a backup first baseman, something the organization currently doesn’t have, well until now.

As of now I would still take Dye or Gomes over Nady, but hopefully Hendry proves me wrong…for the record he hasn’t yet. And if this is the best Hendry could do this offseason we’re gonna be in for a long one this year.