Memories all fond for Garciaparra

Nomar Garciaparra and Orlando Cabrera, forever linked in Red Sox history, finally met as teammates this winter. Both of them wearing Oakland A's uniforms in spring training, Garciaparra approached Cabrera. "It's about time we get to play together," he told him.

Garciaparra left Boston, of course, when the Red Sox landed Cabrera in the trade that sent Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs and out of Boston for the first time in his career. It has been 4 1/2 years since Garciaparra played for the Sox. He played against them for the first time last night, batting fifth against the team that drafted him and with which he became one of baseball's best players.

Garciaparra went 1 for 4 with a solo home run to left off Jon Lester in the fifth inning, his first homer of the season. Jason Varitek reported that Garciaparra "said it was weird," to be facing the Red Sox.

Garciaparra signed a one-year contract with Oakland in early March, ending his three-season tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He said if his career continues, he would welcome playing for Boston again.

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Completion of Cubs sale could drag on past May

By Ben Klayman

CHICAGO, April 13 (Reuters) - The sale of the Chicago Cubs baseball team could drag on past May as the Ricketts family arranges financing for its $900 million bid and works for Major League Baseball's approval.

Officials with Tribune Co, which is selling the team, its storied home park of Wrigley Field and a 25 percent stake in a local sports TV network, had originally hoped to have the deal done in May.

"They are being optimistic, frankly, despite good intentions all the way around," said a person with knowledge of the sale who was not authorized to speak on the matter.

Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney declined to speculate on when a sale might be completed. The Cubs were scheduled to play their first home game on Monday against the Colorado Rockies.

But others were more optimistic about the timetable.

"I still think we're going to get it done in May. I don't see why we're not," said a second source familiar with the sales process who asked not to be identified.

Tom Ricketts, the Chicago-based chief executive of Incapital LLC and the son of the founder of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp (AMTD.O: Quote, Profile, Research), is leading his family's bid for the Cubs.

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Chicago Cubs look forward to ownership change

Cubs excited as new family ownership poised to take over

By Paul Sullivan

The Cubs begin a new era in 2009, reverting to being a family-owned ballclub for the first time since Tribune Co. purchased the team for $20.5 million in 1981.

The deal to sell to the Ricketts family is not expected to be finalized for a month or so, but players and management are already looking forward to the change.

"I'm excited, once it goes through," Ryan Dempster said. "I think it'll be pretty nice to shake someone's hand and know who your boss is."

The Cubs have yet to meet the new boss, but many of them are hoping he'll be the same as the old boss, at least when it comes to spending money.

"I'd like to see what kind of plans they have, but I'm pretty sure they'll be good," Aramis Ramirez said. "They're Cubs fans, and they know we've got a good team. Everything they do is going to be for the team."

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Chicago Cubs release pitcher Chad Gaudin

When the Cubs decided to tender Chad Gaudin a contract in December, they did so with the idea that he could easily be traded if he didn't make the roster.

But an ugly 10.26 ERA this spring ruined any chance of that, and general manager Jim Hendry bit the bullet Sunday and released the veteran in favor of keeping Rule 5 pick David Patton.

Angel Guzman also made the final cut. Jeff Samardzija and Chad Fox were optioned to Triple-A Iowa. All are right-handers.

Hendry ultimately decided that eating $1.6 million of Gaudin's $2 million contract was preferable to watching him drive manager Lou Piniella crazy with inconsistency.

"Truthfully, Gaudin didn't pitch well," Hendry said. "I think we did the right thing. The facts of the matter are the other guys just outpitched him."

Patton, 24, was low-key about the news, though he was bursting with pride inside. "This is what you devote all your time to and what I've wanted since I was a little kid," he said. "I'm excited about this, but this is just the beginning. I want to do something special."

Hendry credited the Cubs' scouts for noticing a prospect who had been overlooked in the Colorado organization.

"I applaud our scouts that stuck their necks out on a kid that was in A ball in the Cal League," Hendry said. "It was a long shot when he got here, and the kid deserves all the credit in the world for pitching himself [onto the roster]."

Zambrano backtracks: Carlos Zambrano denied saying he wished Chicago would build the Cubs a new ballpark, as he was quoted Saturday by the Associated Press. Many fans were livid over the comment, but Zambrano said they shouldn't be upset with him.

"Why? They don't have to be mad," he said. "I didn't say they have to build a new stadium. If the Cubs do, we will be much better and more comfortable as a player.

"It's my opinion, and sometimes when fans say something about a player, you have to respect it. But I didn't say we should move. I love Wrigley Field. Don't get me wrong. It's a nice ballpark, but if the Cubs think sometime, 10 or 20 years from now, if they think about [building] a new ballpark, it should be good."

The quote: Milton Bradley on his first Opening Day, with Montreal at Wrigley Field: "It was like 25 degrees and freezing, but guys had on no shirts and were talking about my mom. They were telling me I was going to be back at [Triple-A] Ottawa in a couple of weeks, and they weren't too far off. I let it get to me, but I know now it's going to be a different experience, being a Cub."

Extra innings: Samardzija will begin in Iowa's bullpen to stretch out and will go into the rotation after an outing or two. ... The Cubs are 73-58-2 all time on Opening Day.

Source: chicagotribune.com

Baseball enters 2009 with an eye on the economy

Phillies one of the few clubs to see a rise in season tickets

When the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies opened their title defence against the Atlanta Braves Sunday night, it marked the opening of a season fraught with uncertainty for the sport.

While the New York Yankees have been acting as though there is no economic downturn by spending $423.5 million US on free-agent signings while also opening a new $1-billion ballpark, the rest of baseball is simply hoping to get through the 2009 season relatively unscathed.

Teams have started to realize their financial situations need to be consistently monitored as the season progresses.

"The decisions that I would have made — or that we as an organization would have made — in October were different from the ones we would have made in November, and those were clearly different from the ones we would have made in January," Paul Beeston, the interim president of the Toronto Blue Jays, told the National Post on the weekend.

"It [the economy] just kept getting worse and worse. And not only didn't we hit the bottom, we didn't see the bottom," he said.

With the San Diego Padres leading the way by slashing about $40 million US from last year's payroll, 13 teams are coming into this year spending less, including Toronto.

Team Marketing Report — a leading on-line marketing service — released its annual survey of baseball on Thursday and listed the average price of a Yankees home ticket at a major league-high $72.97 US, a 76.3 per cent increase from last year's $41.40.

The major-league average is listed as $26.64, with Arizona possessing the league-low of $14.31.

Yankee Stadium not sold out

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Can Anyone Challenge the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central?

Come to Think of It: Can Anyone Challenge the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central?

by Bob Warja

I was asked to appear on a national overnight sports radio program last night, and was asked to dissect the NL Central division.

Of course, on paper, the Cubs are the obvious favorites. But we all know that titles aren't won on paper. Yet if you look at what the other teams in the division have done this offseason, you certainly have to like the Cubbies chances to three-peat this year.

Now, I recently wrote an NL Central preview for this site, so I won't go into detail. But in reviewing the challengers to the Cubs throne, two candidates emerge above the others.

And it may surprise you to learn that the Milwaukee Brewers are NOT one of them.

Oh sure, the Brewers have a talented lineup. Their offense is powerful and should be able to score runs in bunches.

And yes, I realize they won the wild card last season. But the subtraction of CC Sabathia is a huge loss for this team.

What he did in the later half of the season, and especially down the stretch is difficult to put into words. He was simply amazing, and they did not even try to replace him, though that would have been a difficult task.

The Brewers also lost Ben Sheets, and the end result is not enough starting pitching to seriously contend with the Cubs, assuming good health for the northsiders.

Meanwhile, starting pitching looks to be the key for two of the Cubs potential challengers in 2009. The St. Louis Cardinals are always tough—it's a great rivalry as well as a very well coached team. Tony LaRussa and his pitching coach, Dave Duncan, do more with talent than almost anyone in the league.

Their key for this season has to be the re-emergance of former ace Chris Carpenter, who has looked terrific this spring.

If Carpenter is healthy and productive, and Motte can close effectively, LaRussa's Cards could emerge as our main threat in the Central.

Likewise, there are a lot of "if's" for the Cincinnati Reds. But if (there's that word again) that rotation produces as well as it looks on paper, and their young players continue to develop, they could be a dark-horse sleeper in the division.

The Reds have talented youngsters like Joey Votto and Jay Bruce in their lineup. But it's the starting staff that looks most impressive. With Micah Owings named as fifth starter today, the starting five of Austin Harang, Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, and Owings has the potential to be very good.

Arroyo is battling carpal tunnel syndrome, but another youngster, Homer Bailey, who lost the battle to Owings, looked good in the spring and appears ready if Arroyo can't go. Arroyo has never missed a start due to injury.

The Houston Astros could conceivably contend, but a lot would have to go right for them. The Pirates seem to be heading in the right direction, but .500 is still a more realistic goal for them in 2009.

Speaking of the health of Carpenter, health could be a huge factor for our Cubbies this season as well. We all know that Milton Bradley can hit when healthy, but that's the problem. Keeping him on the field is a major question mark.

And Rich Harden needs constant monitoring as well. So, while the Cubs are the best team on paper, paper is fragile and can tear easily.

Let's hope we're made of construction paper this season, come to think of it, or the Cardinals and Reds may be knocking at the door.

Source: bleacherreport.com

Chicago Cubs set Opening Day roster

Cubs option right-handed pitcher Jeff Samardzija to Triple-A Iowa, release right-handed pitcher Chad Gaudin

The Chicago Cubs today set their Opening Day 25-man roster in advance of their 2009 season opener tomorrow against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

The Cubs optioned right-handed pitcher Jeff Samardzija to Triple-A Iowa and released right-handed pitcher Chad Gaudin.

The 2009 Opening Day roster includes 12 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders and five outfielders.

The Cubs open their 134th National League season tomorrow 6:05 p.m. against the Houston Astros to kick off a six-game road trip. After three with the Astros (April 6-8), Chicago heads to Milwaukee for three games with the Brewers (April 10-12) before returning home for their Wrigley Field opener Monday, April 13 vs. the Colorado Rockies.

Source: mlb.com

Ace Zambrano Wants Cubs To Abandon Wrigley Field

Standing in the plush visitors' clubhouse of Yankee Stadium, Carlos Zambrano made a plea for Chicago to replace Wrigley Field.

"You come into a ballpark like this and you see great things," the Cubs ace told the Associated Press before his team's 10-1 exhibition loss at new Yankee Stadium. "You wish that Chicago would build a new stadium for the Cubs," he said.

In 2008, their 100th season without a World Series title, the Cubs drew a Wrigley record of 3,300,200 fans, and thousands more peered into the field from rooftops near the neighborhood park.

"People are used to Wrigley Field," he said. "As a fan it's hard to think of a new ballpark."

Cubs manager Lou Piniella couldn't agree less with his Opening Day starter. The former Yankees outfielder and manager was enchanted by the new ballpark in the Bronx, but can't wait to return to Chicago for the first home game on April 13.

"I don't see why," Piniella said when asked if the Cubs need a new stadium. "Wrigley's got its own uniqueness. There's no question the facilities need to be redone but that's going to happen. My favorite time of year is when the ivy turns green. It's really a great environment to play a ballgame," he said.

-- RED SOX: Boston optioned right-handed starting pitcher Clay Buchholz to Class AAA Pawtucket and placed five players -- including regulars John Smoltz, Julio Lugo and Mark Kotsay -- on the 15-day disabled list. Just hours later, the Red Sox finished off a 9-3 rout of the Mets at new Citi Field, scoring six runs off Mets' starter Oliver Perez in the first inning -- four on a grand slam by shortstop Jed Lowrie -- and getting four shutout innings from starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

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Chicago Cubs eager for real games to begin

Long spring training leaves club rarin' to go

After seven weeks of near-perfect weather in the Valley of the Sun, the Cubs will say adios to Phoenix on Thursday after their Cactus League finale against Cleveland at HoHoKam Park.

"Arizona is a wonderful state," manager Lou Piniella said. "We've enjoyed it, but it's time to get back to the Midwest and start our season."

Or the Southwest because the Cubs open up Monday in Houston after a pair of exhibitions Friday and Saturday in New York to open the new Yankee Stadium.

Either way, Piniella and his players have had quite enough of playing meaningless games—36 to date, including one against Team Japan. The longest spring training in history is almost over, and everyone is ready to see whether the Cubs can live up to their advance billing as a World Series contender.

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Chicago Cubs have questions, but not with Geovany Soto

It's a strong club, but issues could develop

Geovany Soto knew something good was coming.

He was feeling better day by day as Opening Day approached, ready to turn the page on a great 2008 and get 2009 started. His timing at the plate wasn't there but it was coming.

On Wednesday, it got there.

Soto, who had been without a home run in his 21 at-bats for the Cubs this spring, hit a pair of long homers against the Oakland Athletics, the first of which was a grand slam. But when the game was over, it wasn't either of the blasts that had him smiling. It was his first of three plate appearances, when he walked.

Dallas Braden, scheduled to pitch Opening Day for Oakland, started him out one ball, two strikes, but Soto wound up drawing a walk. That told him a lot about his confidence.

"Today was good," Soto said. "I was squaring balls up, having good at-bats. The first time up I was down 1-2 and got a walk. It's really good to have those kind of at-bats, good at-bats."

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New Chicago Cubs closer Kevin Gregg strikes out side in 9th

Trade of Gaudin or Guzman is possible before the opener

Working the ninth inning for the first time since winning the job of Cubs closer, Kevin Gregg struck out the side against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday at HoHoKam Park.

"Not bad," he said. "Can't complain."

Now that Gregg has sealed that role, the only question is what to do with the final two bullpen spots. Chad Gaudin, David Patton, Angel Guzman and Jeff Samardzija are in the running.

General manager Jim Hendry is working on trading Gaudin or Guzman, and the final roster call could come down to Saturday's exhibition at Yankee Stadium. Samardzija can be sent down if he doesn't make the final cut. But Gaudin, Guzman and Patton are trade possibilities because they have no options left and would have to clear waivers to be sent down.

The Cubs would like to keep Patton, a Rule 5 pick who has compiled an 0.73 ERA despite never pitching above Class A.

Gaudin vs. Guzman: If Patton makes it, that could leave one spot for Gaudin, who makes $2 million, or Guzman, who was once the Cubs' top pitching prospect before injuries stunted his career.

"There will either be a trade, an option ... anything but [putting one of them through] waivers," manager Lou Piniella said. "We're just going to pitch everybody and see what happens. We have some depth."

The final roster doesn't have to be turned in until Sunday.

Extra innings: With one home game left, the Cubs set a Cactus League attendance record Tuesday with 195,172 in 18 games. The old record was 193,993 in 15 games, set by the '05 Cubs. … Rookie Mitch Atkins might be brought to New York to pitch. With rain expected Friday night, Ted Lilly may be left in Arizona to get his innings in. … Sean Marshall could switch with Rich Harden in the rotation the second week, with Marshall facing Colorado on April 15 and Harden getting an extra day's rest and starting April 16 against St. Louis. … Under Armour paid its tab for advertising on the outfield doors at Wrigley Field and will continue its deal with the Cubs.

Source: chicagotribune.com

Former Chicago Cubs manager Herman Franks dies at 95

By Dan McGrath

In some ways, Herman Franks personified the term "baseball lifer," spending 20-plus years as a scout, coach, manager and general manager after failing to distinguish himself as a player, a good-field/no-hit catcher who managed a .199 batting average and three home runs in six major league seasons.

He was no stranger to the salty language and coarse humor of a baseball clubhouse. But Franks was also a smart, worldly man with a knack for managing people and an eye for business, turning his modest baseball earnings into millions through shrewd investments.

Franks, who managed the Cubs for three seasons in the late 1970s but was best known for his work with the late 1960s San Francisco Giants, died Monday at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 95. The cause of death was congestive organ failure.

"Every day was an adventure for him," his son Dan Franks said.

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