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Cubs, Johnson agree to 1-year deal |
The Chicago Cubs and outfielder Reed Johnson have agreed to a $1.15 million US, one-year contract. The 35-year-old batted .309 with five homers and 28 RBIs in 111 games for Chicago last season, his second stint with the team. He also played for the Cubs from 2008-09, batting .287 with 10 homers and 72 RBIs in 174 games. Johnson is a career .283 hitter with 59 homers and 349 RBIs in 997 games over nine major league seasons with the Cubs, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow. Posted in cubs-news | Comments Off
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Chicago Cubs’ Chairman Tom Ricketts Wants Crane… |
The Chicago Cubs and chairman Tom Ricketts are very satisfied with Crane Kenney. Kenny had served as the team president before he was renamed as the president of business operations following the hiring of Theo Epstein as the president of baseball operations. Ricketts claimed that Kenney was “considered one of the best presidents in baseball.” Ricketts is currently looking to extend Kenney’s contract and retain his services for the foreseeable future. That’s great news for someone who’s considered amongst the best at his job, right? It’s hard to tell when one judges Kenney from the criticisms of the fan base and media. Ricketts also acknowledged the criticism that Kenney has received since the Ricketts family purchased the team in 2009. Ricketts claimed: “…He’s an excellent executive, hopefully now that we are talking about extending his contract and keeping him around for a long time all that (negative talk) will go away. I don’t think there’s much point in the negative attention that he’s gotten because he does a great job.” Ricketts shouldn’t get his hopes up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an executive outside of a general manager or owner who was ever criticized as much as Kenney. And the funny part about the skepticism is that he’s usually considered as very successful in his ultimate job responsibility: team finances. I find most of the hatred toward Kenney to be misguided. He’s not involved in the baseball operations or roster movements that have led to the Cubs’ World Series drought that has lasted since 1908. Some of his responsibilities include the new spring training facility in Mesa, Arizona, and developing a complex in the Dominican Republic. Even Kenney would probably tell fans that he’s not the savviest person when it comes to baseball. That’s why Ricketts hired Epstein. The only thing that’s concerned me with Kenney was the “Blessed dugout” incident. I really don’t know what to think of that because while it was extremely foolish, it was pretty harmless (unless you’re superstitious I suppose). Also, there are many allegations on whether he’s an honest individual or not, most of which seem to come from “Unnamed sources.” It seems like there’s a media-based agenda that’s out to get the guy for whatever reason. I’m not worried about Kenney’s whereabouts with the organization. The Cubs will win if Jed Hoyer and Epstein do their job effectively and Ricketts doesn’t interfere with their decisions. Kenney seems like an unnecessary scapegoat who isn’t worth the time and energy to condemn. Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’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’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months. More from Yahoo! Contributor Network Chicago Cubs Sign Outfielder David DeJesus to Two-Year Contract: Fan’s Take Chicago Cubs Rumored to Want Colorado Rockies’ Ian Stewart: Fan’s Take Dale Sveum Would like Prince Fielder with the Chicago Cubs: Fan’s Take Theo Epstein Wants Kerry Wood to Re-sign with Chicago Cubs: Fan’s Take Chicago Cubs Hire Dale Sveum, is He the Next Terry Francona? Fan’s Take Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Leave your comments on the news below. Posted in cubs-news | Comments Off
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Chicago Cubs Have Spoke With Mark Buehrle’s Agent,… |
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. According to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, the team has spoken with Jeff Berry, Buehrle’s agent, multiple times recently. If the money is right, Buehrle would certainly be a fit for the Cubs given their need for pitching. It’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. 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’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. 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’s Chicago Cubs blog. And for news from around major league baseball, visit Baseball Nation. That’s all for today. Posted in cubs-news | Comments Off
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Epstein Passes on Sandberg for Experience: Fan… |
Chicago Cubs new president of baseball operations Theo Epstein has made it clear that he and the Cubs want a manger with Major League experience. Epstein’s decision rules out fan favorite Ryne Sandberg for the job. While I really like Sandberg as my all-time favorite player and would have liked to see him manage the Cubs, I cannot argue with Epstein’s decision – as long as he brings in a winning manager. I was hoping the Cubs would hire Sandberg for 2011, but they hired Mike Quade instead. In light of their dismal 2011, I doubt that they would have made the postseason under Sandberg anyway. “Ryno” managed four seasons in the Cubs’ minor league system and brought the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2011 Triple-A team to the playoffs. Epstein did interview Sandberg while in Boston for a AAA managerial spot. However, at the Major League level, winning trumps fan favorites. Cub fans want to see a World Series regardless of who is in the dugout. Bringing in an experienced manager will enhance those chances. Sandberg showed the grace and class that Cub fans remember from his playing days when he returned Epstein’s call personally and then said that we Cub fans should trust Epstein to build a winning team. Ryno will land a Major League managing job before too long. Top contenders to manage the Cubs include Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux and Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin. Both of these men have seen the playoffs and World Series as coaches and understand how to keep their players playing hard all the way. Maddux could do wonders with a Cubs pitching rotation that struggled last year. He led the Rangers to an ERA of 3.79, good for fifth in the American League. Maybe if Maddux does not get the manager’s job, he could become the pitching coach. The new manager would have that final decision. Mackanin just finished the 2011 season on the coaching staff of the team with the best record in the Majors (102-60). Yes, the Phillies had that outstanding pitching staff, but the bench coach must work well with the entire team. Mackanin also had success as the Cincinnati Reds’ interim manager in 2007 when he took over the team with the Majors’ worst record. Each candidate has success as a Major league coach, and I can certainly agree with Theo Epstein’s decision to go that route. I wish Ryne Sandberg the best, and I hope he gets his opportunity soon. However, as a long-time Cub fan, I want to see the Cubs win the World Series even more than seeing them hire my favorite player from the past. Hiring a manager with successful Major League managing or coaching experience can begin the transition back into contenders. Sources: Carrie Muskat, Cubs Relieve Quade; Sandberg Not a Candidate, cubs.mlb.com, November 2, 2011. Carrie Muskat, Mike Maddux in Theo’s Mix; Francona too? Cubs.mlb.com, November 3, 2011. Major League Baseball, 2011 Standings, mlb.com. Major League Baseball, Sortable Statistics, mlb.com. Philadelphia Phillies, Pete Mackanin #22, Phillies.mlb.com. Raymond grew up in Florida and began watching the Cubs on WGN in 1982. He became a fan in 1984 when Ryne Sandberg hit the two famous game-tying home runs off Cardinals closer and former Cub Bruce Sutter. Raymond then solidified his team loyalty when the Cubs won the division later that season and has been a fan ever since. More from this contributor: Ryan Dempster Exercises Option to Return to Cubs in 2012 Cubs Say No to Boston Regarding Matt Garza: Fan Reaction Cubs Should Consider Frank Thomas for Hitting Coach Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. That’s all the news for today. Posted in cubs-news | Comments Off
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Aramis Ramirez’s Return to Cubs Still Possible:… |
The Chicago Cubs’ new general manager may have already had an impact for the team for 2012 even before the off-season free agency/trade period has begun. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez(notes) may have hinted that he could return to the Cubs after the team hired Epstein. Ramirez praised the Cubs’ brass for hiring Epstein, who helped the Boston Red Sox end their very long World Series drought. Ramirez can still help a Cubs team that needs to rebuild by providing offensive punch and veteran leadership to the younger players. Ramirez played a full season at third base in 2011, showing that he has fully recovered from injuries that limited him to half a season in 2009 and 124 games in 2010. He can still hit. Ramirez hit .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI. That is 93 RBI for a team that finished 18th in the Majors in runs scored and middle of the pack in the National League. He got 24 of those home runs and 74 of those RBI from June 1 on after a slow start power wise. He does not walk a whole lot (43 in 2011), but he does not strike out excessively either (69). While I would still like to see the Cubs rebuild, I would also like them to keep Ramirez for at least 2012. He does offer veteran presence, and he has played in three postseasons with the Cubs, so he has experience in crunch time (although with little success). Like many other power hitters, he hits home runs in bunches. He can hit five in a week or two or three in a game at any time. Even during long homerless streaks, Ramirez can still drive in runs with singles, doubles, or sacrifice flies. Ramirez was 13th in the National League in RBI and extra-base hits (62) in 2011, so he can still produce at the plate although he makes too many errors in the field. At age 33, Aramis Ramirez still has some good years and big hits left. I predict that Theo Epstein will talk with Ramirez and work out something for 2012. If the Cubs do decide to let Ramirez go, then it would most likely be for financial reasons. Ramirez’s 2012 option calls for $16 million in salary. I would like Ramirez to stay, but if he goes, then he could help another team, especially in the American League as a designated hitter. Then, the Cubs could use the money to go after some pitching. Whichever way the decision goes, I wish Ramirez and the Cubs a great 2012. Sources: Bruce Levine, Aramis Ramirez Open to Cubs Return, espn.go.com, October 26, 2011. Chicago Cubs, Aramis Ramirez Statistics Summary, cubs.mlb.com. Major League Baseball, Sortable Statistics, mlb.com. Raymond grew up in Florida and began watching the Cubs on WGN in 1982. He became a fan in 1984 when Ryne Sandberg hit the two famous game-tying home runs off Cardinals closer and former Cub Bruce Sutter. Raymond then solidified his team loyalty when the Cubs won the division later that season and has been a fan ever since. Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Leave your comments on the news below. Posted in cubs-news | Comments Off
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Aramis Ramirez Would Return to Chicago Cubs After… |
The fans and media aren’t the only entities who are excited about Theo Epstein becoming the president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs. The players have also expressed their approval of Jim Hendry’s successor. Aramis Ramirez(notes) is one of those players. Ramirez has claimed that he’d be willing to return to the Cubs now that they have a new vision atop the franchise. Ramirez told ESPN Chicago: “I’m really happy the Cubs have brought in Theo Epstein to run the team. Now that the Cubs have a new leader with a new outlook, I’d certainly listen to them about remaining with the team.” Ramirez is a good player. He’s vastly superior to most National League (NL) third basemen when it comes to hitting. The scarcity of power-hitting third basemen does make him a tempting option to retain. The Cubs could have a strength that most NL teams probably won’t have next season. With that said, I dislike the baggage that he brings. I refuse to support the re-signing of a player who reportedly and prematurely booked his flight home before Game 7 of the 2003 National League Championship Series (NLCS). I agree with Bob Brenly in that Ramirez is “A numbers gatherer.” I feel like Ramirez has a lackadaisical attitude. That’s not the type of player that I want to have alongside Starlin Castro(notes). Ramirez is also below average on defense and on the bases. Did I mention cockfighting yet? I can understand if Epstein wants to accept Ramirez’s $16 million option in 2012. That would allow Epstein to get a first-hand view of Ramirez for an entire season before he hits free agency. I’m willing to be patient with things like that. However, under no circumstances do I want Ramirez to be re-signed past 2012. None of the veterans should get long-term deals during Epstein’s first season; he must familiarize himself with what he has. I’d expect that to take one season. Ramirez is just one of the many questions that surrounds the Cubs this offseason. It’ll be interesting to see how Epstein handles all of them. I really hope Ramirez isn’t brought back though because he symbolizes everything that I wanted changed in this franchise’s culture. Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’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’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months. More from Yahoo! Contributor Network Chicago Cubs Introduce Theo Epstein as President of Baseball Operations: Fan’s Take Terry Francona or Ryne Sandberg? Chicago Cubs May Prefer the Latter for Manager Job: Fan’s Take Theo Epstein could potentially bomb as Chicago Cubs’ general manager: A fan’s take Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Gotta run!. Posted in cubs-news | Comments Off
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