Cubby-Blue

The Peavy Trade: Lotta People Might Be Moving From Chicago

There might be a lotta people moving from Chicago, and except for Rod Blagojevich they'll be moving to different teams.

Of course we haven't heard everything yet, but the Blagojevich thing has me beaming with pride as I too reside in the Land of Lincoln.

The supposed trade that would bring Peavy to Chicago is a crazy one, involving 4 teams.

But the only way that trade happens is if the Padres get young pitching, so the Cubs have to get help from other teams by sending DeRo to the Phillies who send J.A. Happ to San Diego while Felix Pie goes to Baltimore who sends Garret Olson to San Diego and Sean Marshall goes straight to San Diego who sends Peavy to Chicago.

And in the meantime, Kerry Wood probably goes to Cleveland and Jason Marquis and his $9.5 mil go somewhere else.

Since it involves one of my favorite Cubs (DeRo), I'm trying to keep an emotional distance from the trade.

It's all just talk now.

But guys, prepare yourself because it might just happen.

And then the left handed bat still hasn't been addressed, so this could actually be a pretty different looking Cub team next year.

Ron Santo: No Cooperstown Again

I was positive he was gonna make it.

But...

By a jury of his peers, Ron Santo was once again turned away from Cooperstown.

As I write this I don't know the final vote count (last time he missed by 5 votes, I believe), but I still prefer to think of this as just another delay in the airport of Ron's life.

Whatever.

Greg Maddux Retirement: An Illustrated Retrospective

Pretty sure you've heard that Greg Maddux will announce his retirement on Monday.

No "goodbye" tour next season, I guess.

But that's why you love this guy.

These are some of the paintings I've done about Greg Maddux over the years...

Here's from when he won his 300th in '04:

He actually did do a curtain call once, kinda tipped his cap over the dugout but kept himself hidden inside.

In 2005, he got the big win over Roger. 

(I'm sooo glad Maddux finishes with more wins than Clemens.)

This is from '06, that crazy year when the Chicago got rid of Maddux, Perez, Marshall Field's, and Foie Gras.

Maybe it's just me, but I think these two in the same clubhouse is just funny.

Both of them baseball gods on opposite ends of the globe: Mr. ME!, AND Mr. Modest.

Hey Veteran's Committee: Quit With The Bad Joke.

Know any knock knock jokes?

There's been this one going around in Cooperstown for far too long, and it's up to the Veteran's Committee to make the joke stop.

This committee, they're all ex-players, all guys who made it into the Hall and are still living.

According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame website, there are 64 of them:

Hank Aaron, Sparky Anderson, Luis Aparicio, Ernie Banks, Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Wade Boggs, George Brett, Lou Brock, Jim Bunning, Rod Carew, Steve Carlton, Gary Carter, Orlando Cepeda, Bobby Doerr, Dennis Eckersly, Bob Feller, Rollie Fingers, Carlton Fisk, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Goose Gossage, Tony Gwynn, Monte Irvin, Reggie Jackson, Fergie Jenkins, Al Kaline, George Kell, Harmon Killebrew, Ralph Kiner, Sandy Koufax, Tommy Lasorda, Lee MacPhail, Juan Marichal, Willie Mays, Bill Mazeroski, Willie McCovey, Paul Molitor, Joe Morgan, Eddie Murray, Stan Musial, Phil Niekro, Jim Palmer, Tony Perez, Gaylord Perry, Cal Ripken Jr, Robin Roberts, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Nolan Ryan, Ryno, Mike Schmidt, Red Schoendienst, Tom Seaver, Ozzie Smith, Duke Snider, Bruce Sutter, Don Sutton, Earl Weaver, Billy Williams, Dick Williams, Dave Winfield, Robin Yount, and Yaz.

48 of these guys have to vote yes for Ron Santo to make it into the hall.

So come on guys, he's knocking.

Let him in.

(Others on the ballot are: Dick Allen, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Al Oliver, Vada Pinson, Luis Tiant and Maury Wills. Didn't you think Hodges was already in?)

Lastly, I'm pretty sure the actual Veterans Committee doesn't gather together like the guys at the local VFW. The thought just cracked me up.

What Are Mark Grace's Chances Of Getting Into The Hall?

So former cigarette smoking, doubles hitting, gold gloving Cubs first baseman Mark Grace is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.

While its certainly an honor to be even have your name mentioned in this conversation, a million doubles won't get him into the hall.

I loved the guy as a Cub, though.

When the Cubs made the playoffs in '89, he was truly "amazing", getting 11 hits in 17 at-bats with 3 doubles, a homer and a triple (a triple?), and knocked in 8 runs.

He had more hits than anybody else in the bigs through the '90's, was an all-star a couple times (3, actually), and was a big part of that lineup with Ryno and Dunston and Andre. 

Today, when you go to Wrigley, you'll still see a bunch of Grace jerseys in the crowd.

But in 2,245 games over his career, he only hit 173 balls out of the park.

That won't cut it for a first baseman trying to get in the hall.

On the other hand, you've seen him as an announcer - he's awesome.

When the Brenly-to-Milwaukee rumors were happening and we were hearing Grace would maybe take Bob's place behind the mic for the Cubs, I thought that would be perfect.

Guy speaks his mind, and maybe that'll be his true ticket to the hall.

In the meantime, I believe it's on Monday that we'll hear if Andre Dawson and Ron Santo finally make it.

(Every time I google hall of fame voting, I get goopy longwinded crap and I can never find the actual dates, but I think that's right.)

Much more realistic chances there, guys.