Cubby-Blue

'09 Hall Of Fame Voting Results Tomorrow. Good Luck, Andre.

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Get Out There And Barbecue, Cub Fans!

How cool is that?

I'm keeping my grill contained in the most awesome style imaginable.

Just in case you've ever wondered what to get the person who grills in your house for oh, Father's (or Mother's) Day, a birthday maybe, or Valentine's Day for sure, these Cubs covers are the best.

I got mine for Father's Day a couple years ago, they got it at Ace Hardware or something.

Why are they so awesome, besides the logo?

In case you haven't gotten out of bed yet, it's snowing like a bastard today.

Winter is attempting to throw down with me on a Saturday.

I'm so up for this challenge.

While I run to the store and get some Cornish Game Hens, my grill stays nice and dry and ready for action.

Okay, there's at least one story out to make us all feel a little more confident about possible new Cubs ownership, although just like Big Z with no hits thru 7 I'm reluctant to talk about it for fear of The Jinx.

But I already did in comments yesterday, so... go read this from Barry Rozner.

Come ON!

One of the Final 3 potential Cubs owners met his wife at... the Wrigley Field bleachers?

I've never even heard of this guy before but PLEASE let Tom Ricketts be the guy.

He's a... Cub fan!

He would probably want... to win!

Cra-zee.

Back to barbecuing - I hope you read last year's "Get Even With Winter" post.

Today's post is the '09 version.

There's only one way to deal with this kind of winter - tell it to bugger.

Go outside in it and show it who is boss by barbecuing something sunny.

Instead of steak, lets go a little lighter with a recipe called "Dandy Little Hens" from the excellent "Smoke and Spice" cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

(I will assume that once you've tried this you'll go get the book - it's amazing.)

"Dandy Little Hens" are basically marinated in a margarita.

So you might want to go ahead and make one for yourself.

The simplest and best Margarita recipe can be found here.

And they're fabulous when you shake 'em just like a martini, and pour into a frosty martini glass rimmed with sea or kosher salt.

Okay...

Mix this together: 1 1/2 Cup tequila (don't go expensive for marinade tequila, but don't go bottom shelf either), 1 Cup freshly squeezed lime juice, 1/4 Cup Triple Sec, 1/4 Cup canola oil, 2 Tablespoons of Lea&Perrins Worcestershire, 1/4 Cup minced onion, and then a dash or two of chile powder.

Put that in a garbage bag (you can save some if you want to baste, but I never have) along with your four 1 1/2 lb Cornish game hens.

Let 'em soak for at least 4 hours in the fridge.

Make a fire on each side of your grill (20 - 30 briquets) so you've got a big space in the middle for indirect heat for your hens.

The fire takes about a half hour - 40 minutes to get ready.

Soak some wood chips.

With about 20 minutes to go, pull the bag of hens out of the fridge, take the birds out and let em sit in room temp.

Let the fire burn til the coals are covered with white ash, throw on the wood chips and hens and let 'em smoke breast side down for an hour and a quarter, flip 'em and smoke for another hour and a quarter.

When their little legs move real easy in the sockets, and you've GOT A TEMPERATURE READING OF 180 - 185 degrees, they're ready.

Let 'em sit for 10 minutes, then put 'em on a plate with some sauteed spinach and a baker on the side.

Tom Ricketts, if you're reading this, you're totally invited over.

Go Cubs.

The Secret Milton Bradley Dinner

By now you've all read about the "stealth" dinner Jim Hendry had with Milton Bradley, sneaking away from what sounds like a general manager convention to go meet with Bradley and his agents.

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall to hear their conversation.

Bradley really impressed Hendry, and left him with this: "I know it's going to take some time, but I want to be a Chicago Cub if you want me."

There's more about it in this morning's Trib.

So anyway, I decided to deal with it rather than fight it.

I'm back on Lou's bus.

Regardless of what happens (or not) with Jake Peavy, Milton Bradley is now a Cub.

Yes, I've been reading about all his baggage, but I don't know the guy.

I hope he gets a fresh start here, he stays healthy and does what Lou wants him to do: break up the right handed batting order and help bring a championship to the north side of Chicago.

It doesn't mean I can't make "crazy" jokes about the guy.

Unrelated: I can't stand Urban Meyer, Florida colleges in general, or Oklahoma. But that was some football last night.

And lastly, our Governor is finally toast.

Things That Are Stupid

I don't know about you, but I'm all talked out about the Cubs right now.

In fact, I don't even want to talk period, so I did this drawing of things I'm just tired of.

What's Next, Cubs?

Jason "Start Me Or Trade Me" Marquis finally got traded.

When Lou had to grovel in the press about not meaning it when he said that he'd be happy to buy Jason's plane ticket out of town... I thought Marquis was gonna be gone then, actually.

And I've been reading what a fabulous 5th starter he is, but... seems to me every time he pitched he'd give up 4 or 5 in the 4th or 5th...

If I had time I'd look it up, but I would bet that he had some spectacular run support to get all those wins.

Milton Bradley.

Lots of concern.

(I just saw that the Reds signed Jerry Hairston Jr to start at short - imagine the concern of Reds fans!)

But... lets step back for a minute.

Remember the 6 total playoff runs in 3 games vs. the Dodgers?

I was there and it was awful, and it was also very possible that somebody good hitting from the other side of the plate might have changed things (note the Phillies had 2 switch hitters and two lefties starting).

Where I work, when the boss wants something, it happens.

Lou says he wants the lefty bat, he gets the lefty bat.

A long time ago, I bought into Lou Piniella.

He got the Cubs into the post season the last two years.

If the Cubs get in again for a third straight, well, somebody with more time than me can find out for sure but that might be something that the Cubs have never done.

Is it a gamble?

Yep.

Milton's two kinds of gimpy - head and legs.

If Milton goes down, Fukudome's in right, Reed's in center - right back where we were only without DeRo.

That's unless Aaron Miles (he plays the outfield too) turns out to be another DeRo, or Micah Hoffpauir has made giant glove-strides.

But just like me, you think something else will happen, right?

Jim Hendry says he's still looking for another starter.

I gotta tell you, I'm SO TIRED OF TALKING ABOUT THIS, but the only way everything turns out better is if the DeRo trade wasn't just to dump salary to afford Milton Bradley and his left handed bat.

That's the emotional heartsickness that's killing me as a Cub fan, because that's just not enough to give up such a cool, dependable, honest to god Cub.

I have faith in Lou.

I have faith in Hendry.

Now that you've got the lefty bat, bring me Jake Peavy or somebody like him, please.