Archive for April 3rd, 2008
April 3rd, 2008
Just in time for the Cubs fan who thinks he has everything, the team is offering replicas of the Ernie Banks statue, just like the one outside Wrigley Field.
The one-foot, cold-cast resin version will set you back $200. The two-foot bronze one will run you $5,000.
Though I will not discourage anyone else from such a purchase, I think I’ll pass. I’m going to stick with a mini-vow I took during spring training: The only Cubs gear I will buy this season will have to have the words “World Series” in them.
April 3rd, 2008
Finally, after waiting two games, we got a taste of what the Cubs’ speedier players are capable of on the bases. The Cubs aggressively manufactured runs (although they also stranded 9 base runners) today with four stolen bases (one each from Soriano, Fukudome, Pie and Theriot) and stretched out a pinch-hit double from Fontenot.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that behind the Brewers’ plate was Jason Kendall, who the Cubs are very familiar with. Last year with the Cubs, Kendall only threw out 5 runners in 52 stolen bases attempts in 52 games behind the plate.
April 3rd, 2008
Had to disagree with the earlier post by Mr. Garcia. Sorry, Tony, you couldn’t be more wrong. If batting Soriano first is a bad idea, the Cubs never should have paid him $136 million. Afterall, he’d hit leadoff basically his entire career. (Moving him down in the order would be about as smart as our co-blogger Wally Haas batting his own son last most of the year when Kevin Haas almost broke the Newshounds record for highest batting average in a season for our slowpitch softball team.) …  The truth is Soriano is the no-brainer choice to hit leadoff. Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez are far-and-away Chicago’s most expensive and most accomplished hitters. Theriot ranked 14th on the team in OPS last year, 12th if you count only players with at least 140 at bats. That’s below Jason Kendall. Every spot you move down in the batting order costs you 18 to 20 at-bats over a season. Do you really want Ryan Theriot batting 70 more times than Alfonso Soriano (if Soriano is fifth and Theriot first)? No way. Soriano, Fukudome, Lee, Ramirez — those first four should be set in stone. — Matt Trowbridge
April 3rd, 2008
Not to pick at some nits, but I’m going to throw a flag at co-blogger Gareth Slager’s post on Cubs owner Sam Zell.
(Yes, I realize I’m using a football reference in a baseball blog. The Cubs’ 0-2 start already has me fast-forwarding to Bears’ mini-camp.)
Many Cubs fans have gnashed teeth over the thought of Wrigley Field being renamed in Zell’s attempt to maximize his sale of the Chicago National League Ball Club. Personally, I think whatever business buys the name is a sucker. The name “Wrigley Field” has value; the renaming would not. But billionaires have made tons of cash without listening to me before, and they will continue to do so.
But Gareth’s poke at the Wrigley Corp. to “dust off the checkbook” and buy the naming rights baffles me. Yes, the park is named after a corporation. It’s also named for William Wrigley Jr., who owned the Cubs from 1925 until his death in early 1932. Teams did that (Chicago’s Comiskey Park, Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, Washington’s Griffith Stadium, Detroit’s Navin Field and Briggs Stadium) and do that (Atlanta’s Ted Turner Field).
The Tribune got the team and park from the Wrigley family for only $20.5 million in 1981. It’s trying to sell it in the neighborhood of $1 billion.
I think it’s the Trib which should be sending the reimbursement checks to the gum folks for the honor of keeping the name.
