Cubby-Blue

Ryan Dempster gets the Home Opener

So, fabulous!
Ryan Dempster gets the honor of starting on Opening Day.

As good as I think that decision is for Ryan because nobody deserves it more, it's also really good for Carlos Zambrano.
 
Takes a little pressure off.

Remember last year's disaster opening in Atlanta, when Carlos went just 1.1 innings, gave up 8 earned runs and started off the year with a 54.00 era?
Not that he can't possibly pull off the same feat in game 2 this year, but there won't be the media pressure and whatever goes on in his own head leading up to the opener.
The home opener also happens to fall on April Fool's Day, so... yeah that's some overthink on my part but for Carlos, it's better that there's no chance whatsoever of falling victim to the headlines that a bad start on that day would generate.

Even tho it's still miles away, this season has started, and because I'm a team guy I'm over the "Carlos must go" thing.
His pronouncement that he's "cured" is, you know, he's said that every year one way or another so whatever.
And when something bad happens with him I won't be shocked, and obviously neither will Mike Quade, who said something like if Carlos goes nutty he can "take a walk". And the context didn't mean he'd be kicked off the team, it meant Carlos can do what you or I would do when we get mad and literally take a walk to calm down.

That's a better way to word it than saying we'll call the guys in white coats again.

Anyway, getting back to Ryan Dempster - I'm very happy he's getting this symbolic payback for years of dependable excellence, and I SO hope he gets to be the one pulling the April Fool's joke of his own making that would include something fun he plays on say, Reed Johnson.

Happy President's Day, Chairman Ricketts

Of course I know his title isn't "President" - that would be Crane Kenney.
Tom Ricketts is "The Chairman", which is a MUCH cooler title but didn't fit in my plans for a Tom drawing with a powdered wig.

Tom spoke in Mesa last Saturday, and he didn't say he'd never approve a 10 year $300,000,000 million dollar contract for Albert Pujols. But why would he say no to that now anyway? 
He spoke about pride and even though the Cubs didn't spend alot of money in this off-season, that didn't change the player's desire to win.
Awesome.
And he answered more Pujols questions and talked about ballpark stuff at Wrigley, the new unnamed facility in Mesa and in the Dominican Republic, and about some "financial flexibility" he may have at the end of this season (which brings everybody back to Pujols)...

He also said, "I've always said, organizations win championships."
A quote which I googled because it seemed vaguely familiar. 
Turns out it was a quote from former Bulls GM Jerry Krause (or actually, misquoted) way back when he was, you know, wishing he'd gotten a little more credit for the Bulls championships instead of that one guy who used to be on the team? Jordan Sparks? Michael Jackson? 
Something like that.

Anyway, I won't hold that against The Chairman. That particular quote has a different ring when it comes out of different people's mouths. And Tom's a relative baby when it comes to "quotes" - maybe he never heard Krause use it.

Speaking of quotes, I have one quick story to tell you.
Awhile back, I got stuck at O'Hare on the day the Bears were playing the Patriots.
Remember? Snowing like crazy, all the flights were getting cancelled.
Inside the American terminal, there are a couple places you can get a beer and watch a television, so I went to one of them called O'Briens.
And it's really crowded, and some of the people sitting there had obviously been there waaay too long. 
So I'm watching the Bears get creamed and it's really not much fun, and a guy 2 barstools away has been explaining that his flight has been delayed 3 times and he's been sitting there for hours. Nice guy.

But suddenly he lets out a big, "AHHHH!" and jumps up out of his stool grabbing the back of his leg like he pulled a hammy. He was in serious pain.
Without missing a beat, guy on the other side of me gravely says, "I've seen this before. Bar cramps."

I laughed so hard at that one I didn't really care about the Bears.

Aaaannyway, back to Tom Ricketts.
I'm still liking him.
People are wishing he'd make some kind of "signature move" that happens on the field rather than... something to do with bathrooms.
I say, "Patience, people."

It'll come.

 

 

The Cubs Musical Chairs of Spring

If you recall, a couple years ago it was Jason Marquis with the spring barking about what his role would be - starting or bullpen. 
Remember?
When asked about moving to the bullpen, Marquis said something like, "Well, I can just take my services elsewhere."
And this year it's Carlos Silva.
Only he's just being cocky and not threatening.
This Silva quote is from ESPN a couple days ago: "Competition is great," Silva said Tuesday. "But I don't need to show them what I can do. I already showed them." 

He might want to re-think that last part, because if he's talking about his amazing 8-0 start last year, he shouldn't forget he also "showed them" some health issues and went 2-6 the rest of the way.

Anyway, always interesting, the who's-gonna-make-the-rotation game of musical chairs, and although we've seen a little bit of what Mike Quade's like as a manager we're all about to venture into uncharted territory with him.

You hear that maybe he won't be so loyal to experience and contracts.

Still, look at the list of guys going for the bottom 2 rotation spots: Randy Wells, Braden Looper, Andrew Cashner, James Russell, Casey Coleman and the always dangerous Todd Wellemeyer.

Silva's gotta be in there, right?

Other than Randy Wells (who sounds pretty pee-oh'd about the media rumors concerning his after hours activities), it's nothin' but a bunch of wild cards.

Did Cashner really find another pitch? Was Coleman just lucky? Watching Russell, he really did look like a starter in the pen and I don't know how to explain that - his approach? His stuff? What about him?

But maybe one of these guys will, you know, pull a Colvin and bully his way in.

Maybe Quade just plain old decides youth is the way to go.

Maybe Wellemeyer turned into Cliff Lee.

That's why they have this Spring Training thing.

Go BASEBALL!

 

Ex-Cub Keith Moreland is now Zonk Radio

I am positive this news will be talked about like crazy, some of it good, some mad, but I really like this decision: Keith Moreland will be the new color guy on WGN radio next to Pat Hughes.

When Moreland substituted during some of last year's Cubs games, he was smart, entertaining, had a great voice and his heritage is uniquely "Cub".
In fact, if you remember Steve Goodman's sad but fabulous "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request", you'll find Keith immortalized in the lyrics:

Now, we've talked about this a little bit.
Of course the first thing you think about is Ron.
And it's very sad and if you listened enough, very personal.

But I hope everybody can give Keith a nice welcome and show support for him, because it's going to be difficult for him as well.

Anyway... a fabulous choice I think.
I'm totally looking forward to hearing Keith and Pat Hughes loud and scratchy on Emily's radio as I'm planting tomatoes and swilling a cold one in a couple months.

Go Cubs.

Lastly, I just have to show you how gorgeous a couple rosemary and garlic-rubbed ribeyes can look even when there's 4' snowdrifts around the grill. This was taken last Saturday, and guess what happened next?
The snow started to melt.

Take THAT, Winter.

 

 

Carlos Marmol doesn't care about ATM fees any more.

Carlos Marmol gets a 3-year, $20 million dollar contract.

I like the deal, but...man, what would that feel like?

"Hey Tim, these blog posts have been AWESOME!
Here's $3.2 million dollars for the rest of the year, and next you'll get 7, and then the year after 9.1 to make it an even Twenty Million Dollars."

Of course I've been hearing about giant contracts forever, but I haven't read or even thought about, really, what it means to the player except they go buy a house in a hood you and I can't afford.

What are the details?
Do they give him a $3.2 million dollar check simply dated 2011?
Or does he get to choose his salary structure, so maybe he gets a $62000 check every week?
(I'd SO go with the direct deposit, Carlos.)
Is his "money guy" also his agent? Or does he use, you know, Edward D. Jones?
"Invest in gold. It never loses it's value!"

Of course you'd buy a car.
Maybe hire a fashion assistant.
Would you give old Michael Jordan a call and say, "Lets play 18!" just to see what losing $100 grand in side bets feels like?
(Just kidding, Mr. Commissioner, Carlos Marmol would never do that.)

Anyway, I'm happy for Carlos and happy for us Cub Fans.
I liked him even more when he said that he just didn't like arbitration, didn't want to do it.

So, a $3 fee at an ATM for the privilege of taking my money out of a machine.

Even if I take out an even hundo, I always have to stop and do the math to figure percentages: not good for an art guy.

Uhhhhhh... okay 3 over a hundred equals um.... carry the decimal and subtract 97 plus interest squared by HEY WAIT A MINUTE!
THAT'S 3% OF MY MONEY!

Lucky Carlos.
He NEVER has to do that.