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		<title>Chicago Cubs Are Reportedly Discussing Trade with&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.cubsplate.com/chicago-cubs/chicago-cubs-are-reportedly-discussing-trade-with/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:12:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tyncalcotly</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Paul Maholm may not be the only left-handed starting pitcher that the Chicago Cubs are pursuing this offseason. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="82.076560041951">
<p><span>Paul Maholm</span> may not be the only left-handed starting pitcher that the Chicago Cubs are pursuing this offseason.</p>
<p>The Cubs are reportedly discussing a trade with their National League (NL) Central rival, the Cincinnati Reds. Reports indicate that the Cubs would receive 24-year-old starting pitcher <span>Travis Wood.</span> The Reds would receive 29-year-old setup specialist <span>Sean Marshall.</span> The Cubs might also get prospects.</p>
<p>Assuming these reports are true, it&#8217;s beginning to look like Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer want every left-handed player in MLB other than <span>Prince Fielder</span> on the Cubs&#8217; roster in 2012. Seriously though, they&#8217;re placing a strong emphasis on adding left-handed hitters into their lineup and at least one left-handed pitcher into their starting rotation.</p>
<p>Marshall has been one of MLB&#8217;s best left-handed setup specialists for the past two seasons. Marshall finished the 2011 season with a 2.26 ERA in 78 appearances. Marshall was praised by some fans as an All-Star candidate as he had a 0.95 ERA after 28.1 innings pitched. A midseason slump prevented him from being selected.</p>
<p>The Reds acquired starting pitcher <span>Mat Latos</span> from the San Diego Padres. They&#8217;re currently looking to bolster their bullpen with a quality left-handed reliever. Marshall would be the perfect candidate because of his familiarity with the NL Central. Wood has become expendable because of Latos.</p>
<p>The Reds selected Wood with a second-round pick in 2005. He had a solid MLB debut in 2010 that included a 5-4 record, 3.51 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 17 starts. Wood debuted against the Cubs on July 1, 2010. He earned a no-decision after he surrendered two hits and two earned runs in seven innings. Wood took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in just his third start.</p>
<p>2011 wasn&#8217;t as kind to Wood. He finished with a 6-6 record, 4.84 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. Wood was demoted to Triple-A for approximately two months for underperformance. He was also the subject of trade talks before the July trading deadline.</p>
<p>Was 2010 a fluke? According to RedLegs Baseball, Wood was the No. 4 prospect in the Reds&#8217; farm system heading into 2010. Epstein is also rumored to be intrigued in him.</p>
<p>Wood appears to be extremely dependent on flyballs. That always worries me with pitchers at Wrigley Field. I prefer strikeout pitchers and groundball pitchers. A flyball pitcher is always at risk when the wind is blowing out.</p>
<p>You might be wondering, &#8220;Why doesn&#8217;t Marshall just move back into the starting rotation?&#8221; I&#8217;d actually rather see that happen before a straight swap for these two players. I think the Cubs should just keep Marshall if they can&#8217;t get more for him.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m guessing that <span>Kerry Wood</span> would become the full-time setup specialist. <span>Jeff Samardzija</span> would probably be the secondary guy. The Cubs might attempt to develop <span>Andrew Cashner</span> into a closer if <span>Carlos Marmol</span> doesn&#8217;t fix his control issues.</p>
<p><i>Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan&#8217;s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood&#8217;s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie&#8217;s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and &#8220;4th &#038; 26&#8243; in a span of three months.</i></p>
<p><b>More from Yahoo! Contributor Network</b></p>
<p>Chicago Cubs Reportedly Want to Sign Starting Pitcher Paul Maholm: Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Chicago Cubs Would Trade Ace Pitcher Matt Garza? Um, Why? Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Hallelujah! Albert Pujols is Out of the National League: Chicago Cub Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Greatest Playoff Games for the Green Bay Packers in the 21st Century: Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p><i>Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.</i></p>
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<p>Comment Below!.</p>
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		<title>Chicago Cubs Reportedly Want to Sign Starting&#8230;</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2011 09:40:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>desUtessLal</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Are you left-handed? Maybe you should apply for a position with the Chicago Cubs]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="93.347009391992">
<p>Are you left-handed? Maybe you should apply for a position with the Chicago Cubs. Unlike Jim Hendry, it seems like Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are quite welcoming to such an abnormality.</p>
<p>Maybe <span>Carlos Zambrano&#8217;s</span> ambidexterity has something to do with the opportunity that he&#8217;s been given to work his way back into the Cubs&#8217; good graces following his faux-retirement fiasco in August of 2011?</p>
<p>Seriously though, the Cubs are reportedly interested in signing another left-handed player. They&#8217;ve already added <span>Ian Stewart</span> and <span>David DeJesus</span> either by free agency or trade. Both players are left-handed hitters (not necessarily throwers). Now, the Cubs could be interested in free-agent pitcher <span>Paul Maholm.</span></p>
<p>Maholm, 29, was 6-14 with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011. Don&#8217;t let the record deceive you; he had a 3.66 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. His record was more of the fact that he was a victim of the Pirates&#8217; inability to score runs.</p>
<p>Maholm had a 53-73 record with a 4.36 ERA in seven seasons with the Pirates. He&#8217;s a sinker-ball pitcher who had one of the National League&#8217;s (NL) lowest ratios for home-runs per nine innings (HR/9). Groundball pitchers are usually preferred in Chicago because Wrigley Field is a hitters-friendly ballpark and a flyball pitcher is always at risk in the &#8220;Windy City.&#8221;</p>
<p>Maholm has made 11 career appearances (all starts) in Wrigley Field. He was 6-2 with a complete-game shutout. Maholm surrendered seven home runs in 64 innings pitched. He also had a 5.48 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.</p>
<p>Maholm made $6.25 million in 2011. It isn&#8217;t yet known how much money he&#8217;s asking for. The Cubs are already stuck with lucrative contracts on a few pitchers, most notably <span>Ryan Dempster</span> and Zambrano. Both pitchers are hoping to improve upon their disappointing seasons in 2011.</p>
<p>I love the idea of adding a left-handed starting pitcher. I also think that Maholm could be a fine middle-of-the-rotation addition, comparable to <span>Ted Lilly.</span> The only other options that I could see on the 40-man roster are <span>James Russell</span> or <span>Sean Marshall.</span> I <i>really don&#8217;t</i> want to revisit the Russell experiment. I also don&#8217;t think the Cubs would consider moving Marshall out of his setup role unless he was promoted to closer.</p>
<p>Just like DeJesus and Stewart, Maholm wouldn&#8217;t be the flashy transaction that a <span>Prince Fielder</span> signing would be. The one thing that concerns me with Maholm is his ERA in those 11 games at Wrigley Field. A 5.48 ERA does raise a red flag with me. That&#8217;s why I wouldn&#8217;t give him more money than what he got with the Pirates. He really shouldn&#8217;t be more than a No. 4 starter who gives the Cubs a left-handed presence in their starting rotation.</p>
<p>To be fair, he fared well in Wrigley Field in 2011. He surrendered no runs and had a WHIP of 0.64 in 15.2 innings pitched (two starts).</p>
<p>Signing Maholm would give the Cubs a projected starting rotation that would include <span>Matt Garza,</span> Dempster, Zambrano, Maholm, and either <span>Jeff Samardzija,</span> <span>Randy Wells,</span> <span>Andrew Cashner</span> or <span>Rodrigo Lopez</span> as the No. 5 starter. That&#8217;s assuming that Zambrano returns and Garza isn&#8217;t traded.</p>
<p><i>Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan&#8217;s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood&#8217;s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie&#8217;s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and &#8220;4th &#038; 26&#8243; in a span of three months.</i></p>
<p><b>More from Yahoo! Contributor Network</b></p>
<p>Chicago Cubs Would Trade Ace Pitcher Matt Garza? Um, Why? Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Milwaukee Brewers Reportedly Sign Former Chicago Cubs&#8217; Third Baseman Aramis Ramirez: Cub Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Hallelujah! Albert Pujols is Out of the National League: Chicago Cub Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Chicago Cubs Trade Tyler Colvin and DJ LeMahieu to Colorado Rockies: Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Christmas Day NFL Games Since 2005: NFL Fan&#8217;s Flashback</p>
<p><i>Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.</i></p>
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<p>Leave your comments on the news below. </p>
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		<title>Chicago Cubs Have Spoke With Mark Buehrle&#8217;s Agent,&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.cubsplate.com/chicago-cubs/chicago-cubs-have-spoke-with-mark-buehrles-agent/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:11:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>oblitepiepota</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Read More: Matt Garza (P - CHC), Carlos Zambrano (P - CHC), Ryan Dempster (P - CHC), Mark Buehrle (P - CWS), Randy Wells (P - CHC), Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs It's unclear exactly how the Chicago Cubs are going to approach this offseason yet under the new front office led by Theo Epstein, but they've already had multiple discussions with the agent for former White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="57.113714679531">
<p>
    <span>Read More:</span> Matt Garza (P &#8211; CHC), Carlos Zambrano (P &#8211; CHC), Ryan Dempster (P &#8211; CHC), Mark Buehrle (P &#8211; CWS), Randy Wells (P &#8211; CHC), Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs
  </p>
<p>It&#8217;s unclear exactly how the Chicago Cubs are going to approach this offseason yet under the new front office led by Theo Epstein, but they&#8217;ve already had multiple discussions with the agent for former White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle. According to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, the team has spoken with Jeff Berry, Buehrle&#8217;s agent, multiple times recently.</p>
<p>If the money is right, Buehrle would certainly be a fit for the Cubs given their need for pitching. It&#8217;s unclear how much Carlos Zambrano will be able to contribute next season, if at all, so they really only have three established starters right now in Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza and Randy Wells.</p>
<p>Buehrle would give them a dependable lefty and a steady veteran presence, although the team should be worried about how his contact-oriented approach would work against a defense that was pretty bad last season. There&#8217;s a chance that the move from the more difficult American League to the National League would alleviate some of those concerns, though, especially for someone with such a long track record.</p>
<p><i><b>For more updates on the hot stove, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on the White Sox, check out Bleed Cubbie Blue, SB Nation&#8217;s Chicago Cubs blog. And for news from around major league baseball, visit Baseball Nation.</b></i></p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p> That&#8217;s all  for today. </p>
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		<title>Paul Kinzer Insists the Chicago Cubs Won’t&#8230;</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>joitwomia</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Aramis Ramirez(notes) and his agent Paul Kinzer have gone back-and-forth with their positioning on whether Ramirez would re-sign with the Chicago Cubs following the 2011 season. They seemed excited about the hiring of Theo Epstein as the president of baseball operations. ]]></description>
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<p><span>Aramis Ramirez(notes)</span> and his agent Paul Kinzer have gone back-and-forth with their positioning on whether Ramirez would re-sign with the Chicago Cubs following the 2011 season. They seemed excited about the hiring of Theo Epstein as the president of baseball operations. Ramirez was looking for a club that&#8217;s committed to winning immediately.</p>
<p>They apparently don&#8217;t think that the Cubs will be winners anytime soon, at least today.</p>
<p>Kinzer insists that Ramirez&#8217;s days as a Cub are officially over. The 33-year-old third baseman is seeking what&#8217;s expected to be the final big payday of his career. Ramirez is looking for a four-year contract, something that a rebuilding Cubs team probably won&#8217;t give. Ramirez was one of the National League&#8217;s (NL) best power-hitting third baseman after he had 26 home runs, 93 RBI and a .305 average in 2011.</p>
<p>The Brewers are reportedly interested in acquiring Ramirez as a replacement for the departing <span>Prince Fielder(notes).</span> Ramirez would give the Brewers a decent 1-2 punch with <span>Ryan Braun(notes).</span> The Brewers apparently don&#8217;t want to make such a long-term financial commitment to Fielder. Maybe they&#8217;re afraid that his production will decline in the final stages of the contract, similar to <span>Alfonso Soriano(notes)</span> with the Cubs.His weight issues could become a factor with age.</p>
<p>Personally, I&#8217;ve grown weary of the back-and-forth antics from Ramirez&#8217;s party. I&#8217;m very glad that Epstein appears like he&#8217;s against re-signing him. I&#8217;ve been pretty irked with Ramirez after hearing about how he booked an off-season flight for home following Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series (NLCS).</p>
<p>That&#8217;s exactly the type of attitude that I want eliminated from the Cubs&#8217; clubhouse. The Cubs need to change the culture of the franchise. Ramirez doesn&#8217;t fit into that philosophy. While he&#8217;s a &#8220;Numbers gatherer&#8221; as Bob Brenly would put it, he&#8217;s a liability in almost every other area. I don&#8217;t want <span>Starlin Castro(notes)</span> playing alongside him. I&#8217;m afraid it might be contagious.</p>
<p>The Cubs are already giving <span>Carlos Zambrano(notes)</span> another chance to redeem himself. They&#8217;ll have to make a decision on free-agent first baseman Carlos Pena. They&#8217;re also still evaluating their choices for managerial candidates to replace Mike Quade. I&#8217;m thinking that Mike Maddux is the frontrunner for this position. That&#8217;s purely a guess though.</p>
<p><i>Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan&#8217;s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid 1990s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood&#8217;s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie&#8217;s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and &#8220;4th &#038; 26&#8243; in a span of three months.</i></p>
<p><b>More from Yahoo! Contributor Network</b></p>
<p>Should Green Bay Packers&#8217; Charles Woodson Move to Safety? Fan&#8217;s Perspective</p>
<p>Green Bay Packers &#8216;Thankful for&#8217; List for Thanksgiving 2011</p>
<p>San Francisco 49ers Vs. Green Bay Packers: A Potential Playoff Upset or Bloodbath in 2012? Fan&#8217;s Perspective</p>
<p>Dan Marino, Not Peyton Manning, Should Be NFL&#8217;s 2011-12 MVP: Green Bay Packer Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p><i>Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.</i></p>
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<p>What do you guys think about this.</p>
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		<title>Mike Quade out as Chicago Cubs manager</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:09:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>smartseo</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Mike Quade, during a game in August. (Gene J. Puskar / AP) Theo Epstein put a first emphatic stamp on the Chicago Cubs, announcing today that Mike Quade will not return as manager of the team]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="66.491782553729">
<p>
<span><img border="0" align="bottom" src="http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_296w/WashingtonPost/Content/Production/Blogs/early-lead/Images/Cubs_Quade_Baseball_0530f.jpg?uuid=1OMhFAWEEeGTqgmR1Z1-zA" width="228" /><br /><span>Mike Quade, during a game in August.<br />
					(Gene J. Puskar / AP)<br />
				</span></span><br />
Theo Epstein put a first emphatic stamp on the Chicago Cubs, announcing today that Mike Quade will not return as manager of the team.</p>
<p>“[General Manager] Jed Hoyer and I had an all-day meeting with Mike last Thursday at Wrigley Field, and Mike and I continued our dialogue with a lengthy phone conversation yesterday after the press conference [at which Hoyer was introduced]. Today, I flew to Florida to inform Mike in person that the Cubs have decided not to bring  him back as our manager for the 2012 season,” Esptein, the team’s president, said in a statement released by the Cubs.</p>
<p>Quade was named interim manager when Lou Piniella retired in 2010. He kept the job in 2011 and went 71-91 (95-104 overall). The Cubs finished 25 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central Division.</p>
<p>“When  I joined the Cubs last week, I knew that Mike had a reputation as an outstanding baseball guy, as a tireless worker, and as a first-rate human being,” Epstein’s statement continued. “After spending some time with him this past week, it  became apparent to me that Mike&#8217;s reputation is well deserved. His passion, knowledge of the game, commitment, and integrity stood out immediately. While Mike is clearly an asset to any organization and any major league staff, Jed and I believe that the Cubs would benefit  long-term from bringing in a manager for 2012 who can come in with a  clean slate and offer new direction.”</p>
<p>Quade, who beat out Ryne Sandberg for the job, has a year left on his contract.</p>
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<p> That&#8217;s all  for today. </p>
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		<title>2011 St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series Victory&#8230;</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:21:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CoessubbetA</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ First and foremost, I'd like to congratulate the St. Louis Cardinals for their second World Series championship since 2006. ]]></description>
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<p>First and foremost, I&#8217;d like to congratulate the St. Louis Cardinals for their second World Series championship since 2006. Don&#8217;t forget to send a ring and about 40 &#8220;Road to the Show&#8221; training points to <span>Carlos Marmol(notes).</span> He&#8217;ll put them towards his control rating.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s no denying that I&#8217;m a Chicago Cubs fan who doesn&#8217;t like the Cardinals. With that said, I appreciate the successes that they&#8217;ve had. They have a fine team with a quality farm system that continually reproduces new talent. While the Cubs were crying about an injury to <span>Randy Wells(notes),</span> the Cardinals wouldn&#8217;t allow injuries to <span>Adam Wainwright(notes),</span> <span>Albert Pujols(notes),</span> <span>Matt Holliday(notes)</span> or any player to end their season. The Cardinals just kept battling and persevering.</p>
<p>How could 103 years of ineptitude get any worse for Cubs fans? The Chicago White Sox and Cardinals have combined for three World Series championships in the past seven seasons (2005, 2006 and 2011). The Cubs must be feeling lonely since the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years in 2004.</p>
<p>My advice to Cubs fans is that we shouldn&#8217;t get too upset with the recent fortunes of our rivals. The Cardinals&#8217; championships could help the Cubs in the near future.</p>
<p>The White Sox and Cardinals had won back-to-back World Series from 2005-2006. I felt like it had a positive impact on how the Cubs would respond for the next two seasons. This forced Jim Hendry to restructure the roster and managerial staff. Some of the Cubs&#8217; moves included the signing of <span>Alfonso Soriano(notes)</span> and the hiring of Lou Piniella to replace Dusty Baker as the manager.</p>
<p>The fans demanded an improved team after both of their arch rivals had won World Series in the prior seasons. That forced management&#8217;s hand. The Cubs would enjoy postseason appearances from 2007-2008. Unfortunately, they were three-and-out in both National League Divisional Series (NLDS) meetings.</p>
<p>Now that doesn&#8217;t mean that I want Theo Epstein to go on a shopping spree during free agency; I just feel like even more pressure will be added unto management to put a winner on the field. Seeing the Cardinals win another World Series should add more motivation in wanting to see the Cubs win their own Commissioner&#8217;s Trophy.</p>
<p>And hey: it&#8217;s good to see that the Milwaukee Brewers and Cardinals were the representatives in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). At least the Cubs had a miserable season in a strong division. Maybe the Cubs aren&#8217;t quite as bad as perceived and were partially impacted by the strength of the division?</p>
<p><i>Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan&#8217;s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid 1990s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood&#8217;s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie&#8217;s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and &#8220;4th &#038; 26&#8243; in a span of three months.</i></p>
<p><b>More from Yahoo! Contributor Network</b></p>
<p>Dan Marino, Not Peyton Manning, Should Be NFL&#8217;s 2011-12 MVP: Green Bay Packer Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Chicago Cubs&#8217; Ryan Dempster Picks Up Player Option for 2012 MLB Season: Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Aramis Ramirez Would Return to Chicago Cubs After Hiring of Theo Epstein: Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p>Chicago Cubs&#8217; Theo Epstein Isn&#8217;t Ready to Give Up on Alfonso Soriano: Fan&#8217;s Take</p>
<p><i>Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.</i></p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p> Running low on time today, i&#8217;ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. </p>
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		<title>Being Bartman: &#8216;Catching Hell&#8217; Tells Cubs Fan&#8217;s&#8230;</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 15:08:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Minecraftcheatspc</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Enlarge Elsa / Getty Images As the Chicago Cubs' Moises Alou made a leaping attempt at a pop foul during the National League Championship Series, Steve Bartman (in Cubs cap and dark sweater) was among the fans reaching for the ball. While one image suggests he acted alone, the second photo tells another story]]></description>
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                                                <img src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/10/14/bartman_two_custom.jpg?t=1318693054&#038;s=2" width="300" class="img300 enlarge" title="As the Chicago Cubs' Moises Alou made a leaping attempt at a pop foul during the National League Championship Series, Steve Bartman (in Cubs cap and dark sweater) was among the fans reaching for the ball. While one image suggests he acted alone, the second photo tells another story." alt="As the Chicago Cubs' Moises Alou made a leaping attempt at a pop foul during the National League Championship Series, Steve Bartman (in Cubs cap and dark sweater) was among the fans reaching for the ball. While one image suggests he acted alone, the second photo tells another story." />
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                                                      <span>Enlarge</span>                            <span><span>Elsa</span>/<span>Getty Images</span></span>
<p>As the Chicago Cubs&#8217; Moises Alou made a leaping attempt at a pop foul during the National League Championship Series, Steve Bartman (in Cubs cap and dark sweater) was among the fans reaching for the ball. While one image suggests he acted alone, the second photo tells another story.</p>
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                                                       <span><span>Elsa</span>/<span>Getty Images</span></span>
<p>As the Chicago Cubs&#8217; Moises Alou made a leaping attempt at a pop foul during the National League Championship Series, Steve Bartman (in Cubs cap and dark sweater) was among the fans reaching for the ball. While one image suggests he acted alone, the second photo tells another story.</p>
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<p>We fans of the Chicago Cubs rarely hear good news in October, so there&#8217;s a little buzz of excitement around Wrigley Field these days about the possibility of Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein reportedly coming to Chicago to take over a similar or expanded role with the hapless Cubs.</p>
<p>In 2004, Epstein helped guide the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years and to another title in 2007. In Chicago, he&#8217;d be trying to end a Cubs&#8217; championship drought dating back to 1908; the Cubs haven&#8217;t even been to the World Series since 1945.</p>
<p>The last time the Cubs came close was eight years ago, and a new ESPN documentary revisits that painful event in Cubs history and the anger directed at one fan in particular, Steve Bartman, who interfered with a foul ball and unwittingly became the latest scapegoat for a century of baseball futility.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s a part of me that didn&#8217;t even want to see the documentary and report on fans&#8217; reactions to it. No Cubs fan wants to relive the night of Oct. 14, 2003. It still hurts. But here goes:</p>
<p>The Cubs were five outs away from advancing to the World Series for the first time in 58 years; the Marlins had a runner on second with one out, when Luis Castillo hit a fly ball in foul territory down the left field line. The Cubs&#8217; Moises Alou ran over to the stands and reached up with his glove — just as a bunch of fans reached up, too. And one of them, Bartman, 26, deflected the ball, preventing Alou from catching the second out of the inning.</p>
<p>The crowd&#8217;s cheers turned to boos. Alou went ballistic. And FOX Sports showed replays over and over. Fans turned on Bartman, booing, chanting obscenities and throwing beer at him.</p>
<p>Back on the field, the Cubs came unglued: They gave up a walk, a wild pitch, a hit and then sure-handed shortstop Alex Gonzalez fumbled an easy ground ball that could&#8217;ve been an inning-ending double play. The roof caved in as the Marlins went on to score eight runs. The Cubs lost the game, as well as Game 7 the next night, and the Marlins ultimately won the World Series</p>
<p>&#8220;I was pretty PO&#8217;d,&#8221; says fan David Beaudion, 32. With a laugh, he adds, &#8220;I threw the remote and turned the TV off.&#8221;</p>
<p>At O&#8217;Donavan&#8217;s, a Chicago bar about a mile and a half west of Wrigley Field, Beaudion remembers the play rattling the players.</p>
<p>&#8220;It threw everybody off of their game, and nobody was prepared for that,&#8221; he says. &#8220;You know, I mean, you saw Alou&#8217;s reaction to the whole play; he was furious.&#8221;</p>
<p>The new documentary, <em>Catching Hell</em>, by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, shows how Alou&#8217;s fit on the field sparked a nasty reaction by fans, who turned on Bartman.</p>
<p>Wearing headphones over a Cubs cap, glasses and a green turtleneck, Bartman stood out in the crowd. For his safety, security escorted him from the stadium.</p>
<p>The next day, <em>The Chicago Sun-Times</em> published his name, the suburb he lived in and where he worked. TV crews camped outside of his house. Reporters hunted down his friends, neighbors — even the Little League team he coached.</p>
<p>Bartman and his family got death threats. He&#8217;s gone pretty much underground ever since.</p>
<p>Cubs fan Mary Beaudion says she hasn&#8217;t seen the documentary yet, but she does look back now on the fans&#8217; reaction with a little remorse.</p>
<p>&#8220;You know, this poor guy. I mean it was so much hatred toward him and so many mean things that were said, it was like &#8230; He could have been suicidal. I know I would have [been]; all of Chicago now hated you and it was your fault. They blamed him,&#8221; she says. &#8220;I kinda did.&#8221;</p>
<p>Her husband, David Beaudion, adds, &#8220;He can be forgiven.&#8221;</p>
<p>But <em>Catching Hell</em> doesn&#8217;t ask Cubs fans if they can forgive Bartman. Rather, it asks if Bartman can ever forgive Chicago fans.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think they reacted poorly; I really do,&#8221; says lifelong Cubs fan Patricia Reardon, who grew up in the shadows of Wrigley Field. Now in her 70s, Reardon seems embarrassed by the scorn her fellow fans directed at one of their own.</p>
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                                                <img src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/10/14/fans_cubs.jpg?t=1318626250&#038;s=2" width="300" class="img300 enlarge" title="Ted Zegarski and other dejected Cubs fans hang out in front of Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs were beaten by the Florida Marlins in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 15, 2003." alt="Ted Zegarski and other dejected Cubs fans hang out in front of Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs were beaten by the Florida Marlins in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 15, 2003." />
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                                                      <span>Enlarge</span>                            <span><span>Scott Olson</span>/<span>Getty Images</span></span>
<p>Ted Zegarski and other dejected Cubs fans hang out in front of Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs were beaten by the Florida Marlins in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 15, 2003.</p>
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                                                       <span><span>Scott Olson</span>/<span>Getty Images</span></span>
<p>Ted Zegarski and other dejected Cubs fans hang out in front of Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs were beaten by the Florida Marlins in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 15, 2003.</p>
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<p>&#8220;Poor guy,&#8221; she says. &#8220;I feel sorry for Bartman, and it was a very sad situation — for Chicago and Bartman.&#8221;</p>
<p>Reardon&#8217;s daughter, 50-year-old Julianne Reardon, agrees. And she blames the media for fueling the fire.</p>
<p>&#8220;They played that scene, that one play, over and over and over again. And then they gave his name out and then they told what he did,&#8221; she says. &#8220;They just gave; they divulged so much information about him.&#8221;</p>
<p>In <em>Catching Hell,</em> Gibney compares Chicago&#8217;s scapegoating of Bartman to that of Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner, whose error in the 1986 World Series led to his team&#8217;s collapse, and Red Sox fans to run him out of town.</p>
<p>Buckner was exonerated when the Red Sox won World Series titles in 2004 and &#8217;07. Now, he&#8217;s cheered by most Boston fans.</p>
<p>Could the same thing happen with Bartman, now that Epstein appears headed to Chicago?</p>
<p>&#8220;They have to reconstruct the team.  They had a horrible year this year.  But we still keep going back for more,&#8221; laughs Julianne Reardon.</p>
<p>Cubs fans — even Steve Bartman, I hope — are nothing, if not eternally optimistic.</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p>Thanks for visiting our blog =).</p>
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		<title>MLB: San Diego 9, Chicago Cubs 2</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:09:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>mariefrancoiseopictatuisa</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Published: Sept. 28, 2011 at 11:32 PM SAN DIEGO, Sept]]></description>
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        		Published: Sept. 28, 2011 at 11:32 PM<br/></p>
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<p>SAN DIEGO, Sept. 28 (UPI) &#8212; Nick Hundley and Will Venable homered and combined to drive in seven runs Wednesday, sending the San Diego Padres to a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.</p>
<p>The Padres and Cubs ended the season tied for the second-worst record in the National League (71-91) &#8212; ahead of only the Houston Astros and their 106 losses.</p>
<p>Hundley hit a three-run homer to highlight a four-run third and Venable blasted a grand slam in the sixth.</p>
<p>That made things easy for Wade LeBlanc (5-6), who gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings to get the victory.</p>
<p>Ryan Dempster (10-14) suffered the loss, surrendering all nine runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.</p>
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</p>
<p>That&#8217;s all for today guys, i&#8217;ll be back to blog you tomorrow. </p>
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		<title>Chicago Cubs Beat St. Louis Cardinals 5-1</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:23:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>zflorb</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ The St. Louis Cardinals' improbable run toward the National League Wildcard took another big step backward Friday night as the Chicago Cubs scored four runs in the final two innings to win 5-1 at Busch Stadium. ]]></description>
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<p>The St. Louis Cardinals&#8217; improbable run toward the National League Wildcard took another big step backward Friday night as the Chicago Cubs scored four runs in the final two innings to win 5-1 at Busch Stadium.</p>
<p>The Cards&#8217; loss, coupled with Atlanta&#8217;s 7-4 win over Washington, pushed the Cardinals three games behind Atlanta in the wildcard race with five to play.  It also means Milwaukee, with its 4-1 win over Florida, has clinched its first National League Central Division crown and its first division championship since 1982 (when the Brewers played in the American League).</p>
<p>The Redbirds jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd when starting pitcher Chris Carpenter laid down a bunt on a suicide squeeze play, scoring Skip Schumaker from third. It was the first time St. Louis squeezed home a runner at Busch Stadium since the final weekend of the 2010 season.</p>
<p>The Cubs tied the game 1-1 in the top of the 6th on Carlos Pena&#8217;s RBI double. It was the only run Carpenter gave up. The Cards&#8217; starter also allowed five hits in seven innings, striking out five while allowing two walks.</p>
<p>In the 8th, Chicago&#8217;s Darwin Barney started the inning with a triple off reliever Kyle McClellan (12-7). After Bryan LaHair grounded out to Albert Pujols, Carlos Pena was walked intentionally, setting the stage for the shot that silenced the crowd of just over 40,000. Alfonso Soriano belted a three run homer over the left field wall, giving his team a 4-1 lead.</p>
<p>The Cubs added another run in the 9th off reliever Mitchell Boggs. Starlin Castro singled in Tony Campana, making the score 5-1.</p>
<p>Jeff Samardzija (8-4) pitched one scoreless inning in relief of Cubs&#8217; starter Ryan Dempster to earn the win.</p>
<p>The Cardinals continue their final home series of 2011 Saturday afternoon, with first pitch at 12:10 against the Cubs. Kyle Lohse (14-8) will pitch for St. Louis against Chicago&#8217;s Rodrigo Lopez (6-6).</p>
<h5><u>Game Notes:</u></h5>
<p>The Cardinals grounded into three double plays Friday night, giving them 165 for the year. The next twin killing the Cards hit into will tie the National League record of 166, set by the 1958 Cardinals.</p>
<p>Friday&#8217;s announced attendance of 40,335 put the Cardinals over three million fans for the eighth consecutive season and the 15th time in club history.</p>
</div>
<p>What do you guys think about this.</p>
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		<title>MLB: Chicago Cubs 5, Milwaukee 2</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:47:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ThearaIcema</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Published: Sept. 19, 2011 at 11:30 PM CHICAGO, Sept. ]]></description>
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        		Published: Sept. 19, 2011 at 11:30 PM<br/></p>
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<p>CHICAGO, Sept. 19 (UPI) &#8212; Geovany Soto socked a pair of two-run homers and drove in all five Cubs runs Monday in Chicago&#8217;s 5-2 victory over Milwaukee.</p>
<p>Soto&#8217;s second-inning blast erased a 1-0 deficit and his run-producing single in the third made it 3-1 Chicago. The catcher&#8217;s second two-run shot in the sixth completed the scoring for the Cubs, who took the opener of a three-game series.</p>
<p>Casey Coleman (3-8) earned the victory, yielding one run over six innings while striking out eight and walking three.</p>
<p>Milwaukee starter Chris Narveson (10-8) was tagged with the loss after surrendering three runs (two earned) on four hits in a four-inning effort.</p>
<p>The Brewers&#8217; magic number to clinch the National League Central remained at four as they saw their six-game winning streak against the Cubs snapped.</p>
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<p>Thanks for visiting our blog =).</p>
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		<title>MLB: Chicago Cubs 12, Cincinnati 8</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:33:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>triaviltsot</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Published: Sept. ]]></description>
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        		Published: Sept. 12, 2011 at 10:52 PM<br/></p>
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<p>CINCINNATI, Sept. 12 (UPI) &#8212; Starlin Castro went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and scored four times Monday, helping power the Chicago Cubs past Cincinnati 12-8.</p>
<p>Castro also stroked an RBI double while raising his National League-leading hits total to 190 as the Cubs took the opener of a four-game set.</p>
<p>Aramis Ramirez added three hits and two RBI, including a solo homer, and Alfonso Soriano knocked in three with a single and double as the Cubs banged out 16 hits.</p>
<p>Rodrigo Lopez (5-6) earned the win despite coughing up nine hits &#8212; including four home runs &#8212; through 5 1/3 innings.</p>
<p>Brandon Phillips went deep twice while Devin Mesoraco and Juan Francisco also homered for Cincinnati.</p>
<p>Reds starter Dontrelle Willis (0-6) lasted only 3 1/3 innings, getting pounded for eight runs on nine hits.</p>
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		<title>MLB: Chicago Cubs 7, San Francisco 0</title>
		<link>http://www.cubsplate.com/chicago-cubs/mlb-chicago-cubs-7-san-francisco-0/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:15:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>alkansini</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Published: Aug. 30, 2011 at 1:01 AM SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Randy Wells tossed a two-hit, complete-game shutout Monday and the Chicago Cubs dealt San Francisco a key loss with a 7-0 victory]]></description>
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        		Published: Aug. 30, 2011 at 1:01 AM<br/></p>
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<p>SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 30 (UPI) &#8212; Randy Wells tossed a two-hit, complete-game shutout Monday and the Chicago Cubs dealt San Francisco a key loss with a 7-0 victory.</p>
<p>Wells (6-4) allowed only an Andres Torres double in the third inning and an Aubrey Huff single in the fourth, while issuing a single walk and striking out seven for the Cubs.</p>
<p>It was the right-hander&#8217;s first career shutout and complete game over 77 career starts.</p>
<p>Blake DeWitt clubbed a three-run homer while Carlos Pena, Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto each added solo shots as Chicago took the opener of a three-game series.</p>
<p>San Francisco&#8217;s Tim Lincecum (12-11) was tagged for five runs (four earned) on six hits over six innings for the Giants, whose playoff hopes took a hit as they fell five games behind first-place Arizona in the National League West.</p>
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		<title>MLB: Milwaukee 5, Chicago Cubs 2</title>
		<link>http://www.cubsplate.com/chicago-cubs/mlb-milwaukee-5-chicago-cubs-2/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 27 Aug 2011 09:14:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cieszyrad</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Published: Aug. ]]></description>
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<p>
        		Published: Aug. 26, 2011 at 11:57 PM<br/></p>
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<p>MILWAUKEE, Aug. 26 (UPI) &#8212; Randy Wolf settled down after giving up a first-inning homer Friday and the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to defeat the Chicago Cubs 5-2.</p>
<p>Wolf (11-8) gave up one earned run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings. Starlin Castro hit the home run for the Cubs in the first, but Milwaukee came back to take the lead with two unearned runs in the fifth.</p>
<p>George Kottaras hit a solo homer for the Brewers in the fourth and Prince Fielder drove in a run with a single in the seventh.</p>
<p>Milwaukee has split its last four games, but the Brewers have won 25 times in their last 30 contests while building a 9 1/2-game lead over second-place St. Louis in the National League Central.</p>
<p>John Axford picked up his 38th save despite allowing runners on the corners in the ninth inning.</p>
<p>The loss went to Rodrigo Lopez (4-5), who gave up four runs on five hits in six innings.</p>
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		<title>Cubs give GM Hendry walking papers</title>
		<link>http://www.cubsplate.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-give-gm-hendry-walking-papers/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:43:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tekkknakk</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Team owner Ricketts: 'It's time for a "fresh approach in our baseball leadership' The Associated Press Posted: Aug 19, 2011 11:34 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 19, 2011 11:34 AM ET   The Chicago Cubs have fired general manager Jim Hendry after another disappointing season. The Cubs announced the move Friday before a game with the rival St. Louis Cardinals. ]]></description>
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<h3>Team owner Ricketts: &#8216;It&#8217;s time for a &#8220;fresh approach in our baseball leadership&#8217;</h3>
<h5>
<p>The Associated Press<br />
</h5>
<h4>Posted:</p>
<p>Aug 19, 2011  11:34 AM ET</p>
</h4>
<h4>Last Updated: </p>
<p>Aug 19, 2011  11:34 AM ET</p>
</h4>
<p><span title="2000452008"> </span></p>
<div readability="43">
<p>The Chicago Cubs have fired general manager Jim Hendry after another disappointing season.</p>
<p>The Cubs announced the move Friday before a game with the rival St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs come into the game 18 1/2 games out of first place in the National League Central and 16 games below .500.</p>
<p>Assistant GM Randy Bush will serve as interim manager.</p>
<p>The 56-year-old Hendry was named general manager in July 2002.</p>
<p>New owner Tom Ricketts thanked Hendry for 17 years of service to the Cubs. Ricketts says it&#8217;s time for a &#8220;fresh approach in our baseball leadership and our search begins immediately.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Cubs fire GM Jim Hendry after 9 years</title>
		<link>http://www.cubsplate.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-fire-gm-jim-hendry-after-9-years/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:26:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>1pGeorgeLindmeyer</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have fired general manager Jim Hendry after another disappointing season. The Cubs announced the move Friday before a game with the rival St. Louis Cardinals. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
<div readability="36">
<div readability="17">
<p>CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have fired general manager Jim Hendry after another disappointing season.</p>
<p>The Cubs announced the move Friday before a game with the rival St. Louis Cardinals.  The Cubs come into the game 18 ½ games out of first place in the National League Central and 16 games below .500.</p>
<p>Assistant GM Randy Bush will serve as interim manager.</p>
<p>The 56-year-old Hendry was named general manager in July 2002. New owner Tom Ricketts thanked Hendry for 17 years of service to the Cubs. Ricketts says it&#8217;s time for a &#8220;fresh approach in our baseball leadership and our search begins immediately.&#8221;</p>
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