Harden gets back in the win column as Cubs down Pirates

Harden twirled seven innings of one-run ball to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 3-1 defeat of Pittsburgh in the first of three straight games between these NL Central-foes at PNC Park.

Rich Harden (5-4) stuck out nine and walked one while scattering nine hits. It was the right-hander's first win since May 12, having gone 0-3 over his previous four starts and 0-2 in three outings since coming off of the disabled list.

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Major League Baseball - Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox

Windy city series winds down as both teams try to stay in contention for a playoff spot.

The rubber match in a 3 game set between the two Chicago based teams in Major League Baseball will get underway today at 2:05pm ET. Heading to the mound for the Cubs is Carlos Zambrano, a 28 year old right handed pitcher who is 4-2 on the season with a 3.48 ERA.

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Rotisserie by the Numbers: Milton Bradley, Fantasy Baseball Nightmare

by Craig Rondinone

There are three things fantasy baseball owners can always count on: Milton Bradley going on the disabled list, Bradley getting suspended, and Bradley hitting reasonably well on those odd occasions when he is on the field.

It might be time to count on a fourth certainty from Bradley.

Baseball's hottest hothead, its baddest of the bad boys, its champion of temper tantrums, has done it again. No, he did not tear another ACL arguing with an umpire or chase after an announcer that badmouthed him.

He was taken out of a game and then told to go home by Chicago Cubs manager Lou Pinella after a tirade that even made Carlos Zambrano sweat.

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Aaron Miles back with Chicago Cubs

After spending the last two weeks glued to the Cubs' bench, Jake Fox was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday to make room for Aaron Miles.

"He just needs to get some at-bats," manager Lou Piniella said. "If we sit him here, he'll lose some of his sharpness. I was pleased with what he's doing."

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Chicago Cubs waste strong effort from Carlos Zambrano

A controversy-free day for Carlos Zambrano is as rare as a Chicago winter without potholes.

In the last two weeks, Zambrano has smashed a Gatorade dispenser, bumped an umpire, received a six-game suspension, missed the team charter and announced he would retire at the end of his contract.

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Chicago Cubs search for ways to keep Milton Bradley healthy

Milton Bradley went 0-for-6 with three strikeouts in his return to the lineup Tuesday after being limited to a couple of pinch-hitting appearances since straining his right calf one week ago.

The frustrated Bradley slammed his bat on home plate after striking out in the fifth, breaking it in half. He has started only 34 of the Cubs' 55 games because of calf and groin injuries, after missing time in spring training with a quad injury. Last year Bradley started only 20 games in the outfield and another 97 as designated hitter.

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Chicago Cubs take Cal center fielder in first round

By Paul Sullivan

University of California center fielder Brett Jackson admitted he was "absolutely shocked" after the Cubs selected him with the 31st pick in the 2009 amateur draft.

"They were on our radar, but we had higher hopes than we thought they did," Jackson said. "I'm a big Cubs fan. It's a tremendous organization.

"Honestly, truly, I was hoping to be a Cub and couldn't believe it when my name was read."

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Was Milton Bradley the Worst Possible RF Solution for the Chicago Cubs?

by Jacob Nitzberg

There are no "do-overs" in baseball, as much as Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry would like one right now.

Less than a week after trading fan-favorite and possible right fielder Mark DeRosa to Cleveland this offseason, Hendry signed free agent OF Milton Bradley to a three-year, $30 million dollar contract.

Many Cubs fans weren't happy, not only to see DeRosa go, but to see a player brought in who had played over 120 games in a season just twice, and most of those at the designated hitter position. I'm not even going to get into the on and off the field antics he is so well known for either.

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Rich Harden Should Be The Cubs' Closer

by TAB BAMFORD

Two years ago, the Chicago Cubs made a bold decision. The one-time face of the franchise, the future of the starting rotation, the hope of the city of Chicago, Kerry Wood, was going to move to the bullpen.

The decision was partially made to give Wood a career. He had a longer laundry list of injuries and surgeries than he did pitching successes. But he always busted his tail to get back on the bump for the Cubs, so, out of respect for that, the team moved him into a role that would use his arm and shoulder more conservatively.

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Chicago Cubs: Not Time to Hit the Panic Button

by Carl Stine

Hold on Cubs fans. Put the life jackets back and get on board the ship. It is not sinking yet.

After tonight's dominating performance from Big Z, the Cubs are only 3.5 games back in the NL Central, trailing only the Brewers and Cardinals and tied with the Reds. The win kept them from losing any ground.

At times, this season has looked bad, even abyssmal; however, Cubs fans can sit back, relax, and just breathe.

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Chicago Cubs Gifts

If you think about it, there’s no better time to start buying Chicago Cubs related gifts than now, when all the Cubs fans you know are high for all the run of recent success that they’ve had. If you need to give a gift to a friend or relative who is a fan of the Cubs, head on down to the Chicago Cubs Gifts section on diehardfans.com and you’ll find a wealth of items for you to choose from.

For students and even for white-collar fans of the club, you can get a Chicago Cubs Replica Mini Helmet display for inspiration while grinding for the exam or waiting for the clock to strike five. That mini display can also be used as a display on the TV or game room to give it a little extra team spirit feel. For the more discerning fan that you know, there’s the collector’s favorite, the MLB Chicago Cubs Team Force 24kt Gold Coin Photo Mint, which is a collection of photos and rare collectible mint coins.

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Cubs' punching bag officially retired

The most beat up thing in the Chicago Cubs dugout is being removed for its own safety. It's not a player, coach or member of the Cubs' staff--it's the dugout's Gatorade machine.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the dispenser's last day was on Sunday. It has been replaced with a water dispenser, which the Cubs will be able to enjoy however they see fit when they return to Wrigley Field after a road trip on June 12.

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Jake Fox could get start for Chicago Cubs in right field

Manager Lou Piniella wants to see what he can do

Jake Fox may get his first start Saturday, playing in right field against rookie left-hander Matt Maloney.

"Our problem here is that in the areas he plays, we have more depth than anywhere else," manager Lou Piniella said. "There's a possibility I'll just put him out there in right field."

Fox has three hits in seven at-bats after tearing up Triple-A pitching. He probably will be the Cubs DH when they play road series against the White Sox and Detroit later this month

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Chicago Cubs Memorabilia

It isn’t surprising that with two winning seasons and back to back division championships to boot, Cubs fans would go gaga over team merchandise, both to show their support and appreciation for the team’s efforts as well.

Some of the popular picks come from the Chicago Cubs Memorabilia section, which include the Cubs 'Geovany Soto' 2008 N.L. Rookie of the Year 24KT Gold Coin Photo Mint and Geovany Soto Autographed Photo Mint, or the Carlos Zambrano 'No Hitter' Photo Mint (with 2 24KT Gold Coins included). These photo mints are popular because they are easy to appreciate and display. You get a limited photo of your favorite player as well as two limited edition gold commemorative coins all placed in a high quality photo frame ready to hang right from the box. Fans love this item because it is more than just a piece of merchandise, but a collectible that may be worth a pretty penny someday – sort of an investment, just like a painting by a talented artist.

Some other notables in this section include the Wrigley Field Infield Dirt Photo Mint, Alfonso Soriano 24kt Gold Coin Photo Mint, and Chicago Cubs 24kt Gold and Color Team Commemorative Coin.

For large collection of Chicago Cubs Memorabilia, visit our

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Cubs-Braves game rained out

A rainout forced the Atlanta Braves to wait a day for their first look at their new center fielder and No. 3 hitter.

The rainout forced the Chicago Cubs to wait another day for the return of Carlos Zambrano from a six-game suspension.

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Youth Learn and Play Baseball at Little Cubs Field

The Chicago Cubs joined the community of Humboldt Park neighborhood to celebrate the grand opening of Little Cubs Field at Humboldt Park on May 30. Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney and Cubs players Carlos Mármol and Ángel Guzmán joined Alderman Billy Ocasio and Chicago Park District General Superintendent Timothy Mitchell to officially open the park.

“Little Cubs Field at Humboldt Park is a world class ballpark built in and for a community whose passion for baseball is second to none,” Kenney said. “It is another example of the enduring partnership between the Cubs, the Chicago Park District and the city of Chicago and a lasting part of our legacy to Cubs fans.”

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Is Tom Glavine an Option For The Chicago Cubs?

by TAB BAMFORD

On Wednesday afternoon, the Atlanta Braves released future Hall of Fame starting pitcher Tom Glavine.

Glavine, who had just made what appeared to be his final rehab start on Tuesday after offseason shoulder and elbow surgeries, is now looking for options to pitch in the majors again at 43 years old.

Would Glavine make sense in Chicago?

The Cubs have shown a few things over the last few seasons, with the same issues being magnified this year: the team lacks a calm, veteran, championship presence on the roster.

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Chicago Cubs Bullpen Blows Another Lead

by Joe Willett

The biggest difference between last season’s Cubs, which had one of the best records in the MLB, and this season’s team, has been the continually faulty play of the bullpen.

Without Kerry Wood, the bullpen has struggled mightily as Carlos Marmol has been much worse than last season.

The Cubs failed to back up another stellar start by Randy Wells, who took a no-hitter into the seventh and a shutout into the eight inning, but was pulled in the eight after 83 pitches.

Despite the strong performance by Wells, the Cubs still lost the game 6-5 in extra innings, thanks mostly to yet another bullpen collapse.

Read the rest of this entry at The Daily Cub.

Chicago Cubs - Atlanta Braves: Series Preview

by gondeee

The Chicago Cubs open up the 10-game homestand for the Atlanta Braves against NL Central teams at Turner Field tonight. The Cubs come in just one game over .500 on the season, as the Braves open up June at .500. It's always a fun series when the Cubs are in town, and tonight will have the added bonus of two former Chunichi Dragons players, Kenshin Kawakami for the Braves and Kosuke Fukudome for the Cubs, facing each other for the first time.

To help give Atlanta fans an idea of how the Cubs season is going I've exchanged five questions with Chicago Cubs blogger Al Yellon of Bleed Cubbie Blue. Al is a terrific blogger and a nice fellow. We met last year at the Hall of Fame game in Cooperstown, NY, which ended up being rained out. Anyway, here are my questions to Al about the Cubs. I'll post a link later for his questions to me about the Braves, when they are posted to his site.

Q: Most people expected the Cubs to hold first place in the Central for the entire year, are you disappointed that the Cubs are only one game over .500 and in fourth place in the division?

A: Disappointed? Sure, but without Aramis Ramirez and with a bullpen that quickly sunk into mediocrity -- OK, at times awfulness -- one game over .500 and only 4.5 games out of first place on June 1 isn't that bad. Ramirez is the Cubs' best hitter, the guy every other team fears every time he comes to bat. The Cubs have a huge hole in the middle of their lineup and guys like Milton Bradley, Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto have not yet stepped up to fill it.

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Cubs-Dodgers: Cubs Split Four Game Series with MLB's Best Team

by Andy Miller

The Chicago Cubs look like they have started to take away some of the question marks surrounding this team.

How can a pitching staff that's so good on paper (maybe the best in the National league, when healthy) keep losing one run games? Ted Lilly got the win in a close 2-1 ballgame.

How can an offense that was so potent and productive last year not be scoring runs consistently? The Cubs, combined with a masterful performance from Ryan Dempster, shut out the Dodgers 7-0.

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Calendar turns with Cubs a question mark

North Siders enter June looking to regain frontrunner status

by Mike Bauman

With the Chicago Cubs, the question of whether the glass is half-full or half-empty is often a matter of fierce debate. You can be sure that the glass is neither completely full nor totally empty, but after that, the argument starts.

The pattern hasn't changed in the first two months of the 2009 season. You can look at the Cubs' 25-24 record as May ended on Sunday night and become somewhere between distressed and demoralized. This is no way to follow up on a 97-victory season.

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