Chicago Cubs Rumors & News
Brewers GM calls Cubs' tax 'competitive edge'
Cubs Blog | Chicago Breaking Sports — The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: Count Brewers general manager Doug Melvin among those opposed to the "Cubs tax" that would add a surcharge on all Cactus League tickets to help fund a new spring-training complex in Mesa for the North Siders."My point, and I've talked to other GMs about this, is why should we pay for another team?" Melvin said. "I don't care if it's the Cubs or not. That's a competitive edge."Get the full story: JSOnline.com
22 mins agoEx-Cub Garciaparra to announce retirement
Cubs Blog | Chicago Breaking Sports — The Boston Globe reports: Former Cubs and longtime Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra will announce his retirement at a Wednesday morning news conference. He is expected to sign a one-day minor-league contract with the team so he can retire as a member of the Red Sox, and also will announce he has accepted a job with ESPN.Garciaparra joined the Cubs midway through the 2004 season and spent an injury-marred 2005 season on the North Side. He also played for the Dodgers and last season for the Athletics.Get the full story: Boston.com
22 mins agoTwins, Cubs interested in Jays reliever Frasor
Cubs Blog | Chicago Breaking Sports — The Toronto Sun reports: Reeling from the news that closer Joe Nathan could miss the 2010 season due to an elbow injury, the Minnesota Twins are expressing interest in Toronto Blue Jays reliever Jason Frasor, according to a tweet from Bob Elliott.Earlier this week, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported that the Cubs were interested in obtaining Frasor (7-3, 2.50 ERA in 2009) n the wake of a possibly career-ending injury to Angel Guzman.
22 mins agoYour morning Phil: Cubs' pen, Frasor, Strasburg
Cubs Blog | Chicago Breaking Sports — By Phil RogersTalking baseball while feeling for the Illini and everyone else in life on the bubble:1. When Lou Piniella's first Cubs team went to the playoffs, it featured a bullpen that included $15.3 million in relief talent -- a figure that easily could have been $20 million if Kerry Wood hadn't been a post-surgery bargain that season. The steady drain of experience since then has been telling, hurting the Cubs a year ago and this season making it hard to take them seriously in their attempt to catch the Cardinals. Since the end of 2007, the Cubs have shifted Ryan Dempster from the bullpen...
22 mins agoPiniella called out by Bradley again
Chicago Tribune — Attitude in clubhouse makes for loose ballclub as it prepares for long season MESA, Ariz. -- In his latest salvo aimed at the Cubs, Milton Bradley claims he wanted manager Lou Piniella to apologize to him in front of his teammates after Piniella called him a "piece of (expletive)" during a confrontation last June.
6 hours agoFor Lilly, the wing's the thing
Chicago Sun-Times — What happens on the mound in spring games will determine who will comprise the Cubs' pitching staff when the regular season begins. But what is happening on the practice mounds, where left-hander Ted Lilly has begun throwing, might be more important for the whole season.
7 hours agoFontenot sharp at short
Chicago Sun-Times — MESA, Ariz. -- The focus in spring training remains the starting rotation, bullpen and bench ''in that order,'' manager Lou Piniella said Tuesday.
7 hours agoWells sharp; Cubs lose
Northwest Herald — MESA, Ariz. – It took Randy Wells seven years to stick with the Cubs. Only seven years? Joe Inglett wishes he had been so lucky.
9 hours agoCubs’ middle relief an unknown
Chicago Tribune — Piniella needs quality starts to get ball to Grabow and Marmol MESA, Ariz. — Before Tuesday's Cactus League game, Cubs manager Lou Piniella was asked his impression of the new-look Brewers.
10 hours agoBradley calls out Cubs' Piniella -- again
Cubs Blog | Chicago Breaking Sports — By Paul SullivanMESA, Ariz. -- In his latest salvo aimed at the Cubs, Milton Bradley claims he wanted manager Lou Piniella to apologize to him in front of his teammates after Piniella called him a "piece of (expletive)" during a confrontation last June. Piniella declined, according to Bradley. "The next day, he called me into his office and wanted to apologize," Bradley told ESPN. "I felt you put me on blast, called me out in front of everybody, you're going to apologize in front of everybody. "He didn't choose to go that route, but I accepted his apology nonetheless, because as a Christian...
10 hours agoNext game vs San Francisco Giants on Wed, Mar 10 3:05 pm EST
Opponent news and rumors snapshot:
- Freddy Sanchez on the mend Sacramento Bee
- Giants Beat / Peppy Vizquel is ready to play San Francisco Chronicle
- Muhammad Ali visits Giants clubhouse San Francisco Chronicle
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Angel Guzman
RP/SP
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Ted Lilly
SP
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Randy Wells
SP
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- Too early to tell for St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Post-Dispatch The Cardinals have started their Grapefruit League schedule with a 1-5 record after Tuesday's 7-6 loss to Minnesota.
- Focus-pocus sinks Cards St. Louis Post-Dispatch Slow start for Redbirds continues as Minnesota jumps on Wainwright in his spring debut, and pitcher blames himself for not being mentally prepared.
- Astros notes: Offense aggressive against Mets' ace Houston Chronicle
- Astros trying to find right fit for fifth wheel Houston Chronicle Help wanted. Position: Fifth outfielder, Houston Astros.
- Justice: No quit in Astros' Byrdak Houston Chronicle Tim Byrdak had finished a bullpen session the other day when new Astros coach Jamie Quirk approached him and smiled. "So what clicked with you?" Quirk asked.
- Pirates find their punch against Yankees Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The Pirates put together a 15-hit performance , as they beat C.C. Sabathia and the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
- Deng to have MRI Northwest Herald CHICAGO – Bulls forward Luol Deng barely had time to recover from flu-like symptoms before he suffered another setback Tuesday.
- Bulls’ ‘D’ gets burned Northwest Herald CHICAGO – The Bulls know they need to play stingy defense to compete against the NBA’s top teams.
- Sloan's one-liners entertain reporters Daily Herald Utah coach Jerry Sloan delivered several good lines while meeting with reporters before Tuesday's game against the Bulls.
- Nathan might need Tommy John surgery Chicago Sun-Times Ozzie Guillen slept a little better than usual Tuesday night. Then again, the idea of facing Jon Rauch in the ninth inning with the game on the line instead of Twins closer Joe Nathan, well, that's the best pillow Guillen could've asked for. ''If Rauch is the closer, I'll take my chances,'' Guillen said before the Cactus League game against the Giants.
- Close calls OK with Konerko Chicago Sun-Times SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- It is still very early into Cactus League play for Paul Konerko to have a truly good idea of what kind of offense the White Sox will be unleashing this season.
- The point is, Williams, Rose special players Chicago Sun-Times The game Tuesday between the Utah Jazz and the Bulls at the United Center featured a matchup of two of the better point guards in the NBA, and neither the Jazz's Deron Williams nor the Bulls' Derrick Rose disappointed.