Cubby-Blue

Paul Maholm won't have the Cubs to kick around any more.

The Cubs are going to sign lefty starter Paul Maholm.
Yeah, it's true - says so on MLB Traderumors, who say Bruce Levine says so via a tweet.
So now if the Cubs trade Matt Garza to Detroit, the rotation will have Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells, an ex-Red (Travis Wood), an ex-Marlin (Chris Volstad), and now an ex-Pirate.
You get the feeling that these guys Epstein and Hoyer are sort of serious about change, even if it means a starting rotation without a number one guy in sight.
It's all okay with me, by the way.
Even with all the angst.
I mean, I'm not suddenly gonna turn into a Brewers fan or anything.

Honestly, if I didn't have this blog, I'd probably just cover my eyes and ears and wait til April.
Maholm would actually be a nice surprise to me then.
Because I'd say well, that guy beat the Cubs up pretty good last year.
Of course, the Cubs aren't the Cubs any more, so who knows if Mr. Maholm would have the same success against uh, whoever the rest of the Cubs are right now.
But then I'd miss this Garza drama, wouldn't I?
I wonder what guys I never heard of the Cubs will get next.
I wonder if, in order to remain a Card Carrying Cub Fan, I have to learn all the minor league guys on all the other teams too?
Never did that before - hell I barely know the guys on the Cubs minor league teams really.

Man, is this post ever full of babble.
Whatever, I figure to babble a LOT over the next couple years.

Theo Epstein and his effect on baseball card production

I'm not a nerd about baseball cards at all, but I do buy a Cubs team pack at Wrigley every year.
Usually my first or second trip there.
That photo on top is what last year's pack looked like.
You'll note that I didn't open it because probably the 2011 Cubs Team Pack will turn out to be worth ten grand in about 10 years, but ONLY if it's unopened.
You'll also note the exciting caption up top - FREE COLLECTOR'S CASE!
(These Topps guys are marketing gods!) 

Anyway, I figure with all the changes Theo Epstein and the Cubs are making and will continue to make, whoever the President of Topps Baseball Card Co is will be pretty flustered trying to guess who to put in that FREE COLLECTOR CASE.
Look at the players from last year:

The only name from this list I'm positive will be in the 2012 pack is Wrigley Field.
Even Kerry Wood might go somewhere else!
Read this from Bruce Levine. (This news make me hurl, btw.)

I guess if you're in charge of baseball cards, you've got a full staff of photoshop experts who can digitally switch out hats and uniforms of players just before next season's deadline.
So collectors - pay close attention.
There's a much greater chance of some kind of mistake and POOF! A hot, collectible card.

Goofy times we live in, Cub Fans.

Convention is coming soon. 
I'm sure it'll be both enlightening and confusing as hell.
And the longest lines for autographs will be for minor leaguers.

My secret Cub Fan reason for loving the Cashner for Rizzo trade.

What can I say?
I'm selfish.
Can't help it - this is all about me.
The Cubs traded flamethrowing Andrew Cashner for a real first base prospect, Anthony Rizzo of the Padres.
Sure, young Andrew Cashner has tremendous potential.  
Last year, he was one third of the whole reason we were supposed to be excited about the Cubs.
The other two thirds... well one got traded and the other accused of sexual assault (but that's another story or a hundred, just wait).
The point is the Cubs got a seriously fabulous chance at a real first baseman, and I no longer have to worry about Cashner's shoulder.
As a Cub Fan, pitchers and shoulders and elbows and MRIs and towel drills - those things make me want to set myself on fire.
No can deal any more.
When Cashner went down with the shoulder last year, that was all I could think about.
When was the Big Disaster gonna happen?
You know the one.
It comes after he secures an important role in the starting rotation.
He's cruising along about the 5th inning of a game against the Cardinals in July and you've got the fire going and some burgers on the grill and a frosty cold brew and suddenly Pat Hughes says, "Uh oh. Something's wrong with Cashner..."

I can't do those things any more.

So yeah, it's great the Cubs got Anthony Rizzo.
But I'm telling you, the other reason I'm happy is Cashner's shoulder ain't on my list of concerns.
Hopefully, he never has another issue with his arm at all and pitches like the stud he's supposed to be.
I'd be happy as a clam if it worked out that way.
I'm just sayin'...

PS: I don't mean to be mean to Scott Maine, but I cannot forget his performance against the Red Sox last year. Yeesh.

Cubs' manager Dale Sveum dodges a Z Bullet

When you consider how weird everything is around the Cubs, the idea of having Carlos Zambrano in the clubhouse probably would have been a major headache for new manager Dale Sveum.
Today in the Trib, Paul Sullivan tells us that Theo Epstein took a sort of poll of Carlos' Cub team mates, and they gave a collective "no confidence" vote.
That's not so good.
Combine it with Soriano still hanging around, a sort of unresolved situation at first, a possible giant disaster with Starlin Castro (see below), no power throughout the lineup unless it's blowing straight out at Wrigley, a buncha new guys, a starting rotation without anybody resembling an ace and well, it was just a good thing to see Carlos go.
For the sake of the clubhouse.

So I'm driving in this morning.
It's so freaky warm in Chicago I had the top and my windows down.
Gorgeous.
Then I turn on the radio and hear that Starlin Castro may have done bad stuff with a drunk woman just before he left for the Dominican Republic last September.
It'll be all over the web today, so just Google it.
I don't want to talk about it too much til they have more facts, but man, this just isn't any good at all.

Okay, back to insanely busy.

Chicago Cubs: No Z? That's CRAY!

The Chicago Cubs traded Crazy Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins and Ozzie Guillen.
Not official yet, pending physicals or whatever.
I kinda forgot about this possiblity, all wrapped up in when Matt Garza will get traded.
But finally, there is no Z in Chicago. 

I SO wish it didin't end like this.
If ever there was a time when we needed Carlos to be a good team mate and dependable arm, well it would have been this upcoming season.
But that notion turned out to be CRAY!
Because Carlos quit last year, and Chicago just doesn't do quit. 
Ask Sammy.

Here's what I promise will happen, though.
He'll do well in Miami.
A re-birth.
And on July 17th, 18th or 19th, Z will be a guest at Wrigley Field with his new team and we'll all boo, and he'll beat the crap out of the Cubs and probably hit a dinger too.
Don't really care, tho.

Personally, it was that dinner he went to with Ozzie that turned my stomach.
Remember this?

Before that night, I thought Carlos was CRAY but also misunderstood, and I could get around that because of his potential.
Unfortunately, that's how I'll remember him - just an entertaining ego clown who never met expectations, and then just went to hell.

Carlos Zambrano, you've become a charter member of The Scorned.
Later Dude, and don't forget to pack your blondie hair dye.

The Cubs get another back of the rotation guy, Chris Volstad.
Theo Epstein and Tom Ricketts eat the first of what could be an astounding amount of bad contract cash - like 15 or 16 mil.
Imagine if some AL team takes Soriano for a dh somehow - that'll take probably the same amount of edible money.
You can't even think about it or you'll go CRAY!
But man, it's worth it.
 
Go Theo, and Go Cubs!