If you want, click hear to go straight to the montage.

I could go ahead month by month and talk about everything that happened this season, and Lord knows it was a lot.  There were so many highs and lows throughout the season that if felt like a rollercoaster ride. There were the lows; the Barrett/Zambrano fight, the Lou hat kicking incedent, the injuries to Soriano, our bullpen unable to hold a lead in the first two months, Zambrano blasting the fans, the post season flop, etc.  There were the highs; resigning Big Z, the span between June and July when the Cubs were the hottest team in baseball, Lee’s grand slam to beat the White Sox, Ramirez’s homer off Milwaukee, some unbelieveable comebacks,  clinching the Central.

When I look at all my pictures of 2007, it reminds me that win or lose, nothing beats a day (or night) at the beautiful ballpark. I have tried to capture all these memoriesl in my new photo montage, "Someday We’ll Go All The Way". Thanks to all my friends and fellow Cubs fans for all the great memories this past season.  It’s wonderful to share something you love with people you care about.  Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.  Get ready for some more fun in 2008.  This is going to be the year.

1908-2008-One Hundred Years in the Making!

It was over before it truly ever began.  The Mark Prior era is officially over.  Prior is returning home to San Diego after signing a one-year deal with the Padres on Wednesday for $1 million with another $4.5 million in incentives.  Prior became a free agent earlier this month when the Cubs opted not to offer him a contract for 2008. Prior qualified for salary arbitration and the Cubs had to offer at least 2.86 million dollars since MLB rules prohibit more than a 20 percent pay cut from a player’s previous season salary.  Last year the Cubs paid Prior 3.575 million dollars, and Prior did not pitch a single game for them.  The Cubs also paid Prior 3.65 million in 2006, when he went when he made nine starts and went 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA.  The Cubs were willing to pay him, but only if it was a two year deal with the Cubs having the option the second year.  That way they wouldn’t be paying Prior to rehab (again).  Yet, after the Cubs decided to non-tenure him, there were anywhere from 11 to 14 teams interested in Prior even though he hasn’t pitched well in four seasons.  Why would a team pay so much for a guy who hasn’t done anything in a while?  Potential.

Meteoric Rise

Prior  was the second pick in the June 2001 draft, the year he was 15-1 with a 1.70 ERA, 202 strikeouts and only 18 walks for USC.  Prior flew through the Cubs’ minor league system, starting only six games for Class-AA West Tenn and three starts for Class-AAA Iowa.  I was lucky enough to be at Wrigley Field for Mark Prior’s first start as a Cub on May 22, 2002. The cameras were flashing with every pitch and Prior didn’t disappoint, striking out 10- Pirates as the Cubs won the game 7-4. He then went on to record six 10-strikeout games, striking out 11.34 batters per nine innings, second in the National League only behind Randy Johnson. Mark completed his rookie season with a 6-6 record and an ERA of 3.32. He had 147 strikeouts in only 116.1 innings pitched.  It was a small glimpse of what was yet to come.

The Year It Was Supposed To Happen

In his second start in 2003, Prior began pitched a four-hit shutout against the Montreal Expos, striking out 12 and walking none.  Prior started out the season 8- 5 before a collision with the Braves’ Marcus Giles forced him to miss 3 games.  When he returned for the the second half of the season, Prior went an amazing 1901, finishing the regular season 18-6 with an ERA of 2.43 while striking out 245 batters in 211.1 innings pitched. His dominance continued in the postseason, as he defeated Greg Maddux and the Braves by pitching a shutout in Game 3 of the Divisional Series.  He dominated the Marlins in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, going 7 innings and giving up 2 runs, tying the series at 1 game a piece.  Some people questioned after the game why Prior was still pitching with the Cubs up by 11 runs.  Prior would watch as the Cubs would build a 3-1 lead, before Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs lost game 5 against Josh Beckett, returning the series to Chicago.  With the Cubs still up 3 games to 2, and Prior and Wood the next two pitchers in the rotation, it looked like a done deal, that the Cubs were going to return to the World Series for the first time since 1945.

A Moment That Will Live in Infamy

I was there for Game 6.  There had never been such an electric feeling around the ballpark.  The bars, the streets, the stadium all were packed for what everyone felt would be the clincher.  Prior did’t disappoint.  The Cubs held a 3-0 lead going into the top of the eighth inning in Game 6 and, after Mike Mordecai hit a high pop fly to left field for the first out of the inning, the Cubs had only two outs left in the inning—leaving the team a mere 5 outs away from the World Series.  Do this day, I can still here the fans chanting "Five more outs."  Prior had retired the last eight hitters and had allowed only three hits up to that point. The next batter, Juan Pierre, then hit a double off Prior to get to second base.

On the eight pitch of his  at bat, Luis Castillo hit a high foul ball toward the left field wall. Cubs left fielder Moises Alou headed toward the stands to catch the ball for the potential second out. As Alou reached for the ball, Cubs fan Steve Bartman along with others near the area, did the same. The ball bounced off Bartman’s hand and into the stands. Alou was furious, as was Prior, screaming and pointing to the stands.  Though the Cubs pleaded for a call of fan interference, the umpire ruled that the ball had left the field of play and was therefore up for grabs.

As a result, Castillo remained an active batter at home plate. On the next pitch, Prior walked Castillo with a wild pitch that got away from catcher Paul Bako, also allowing Pierre to advance to third base.  At that moment, panic filled the air.  I looked at the Cubs dugout, hoping Dusty would come out to settle everyone down, or that Rothchild would come out to talk to Prior; nothing.

Next, Ivan Rodriguez hit an 0-2 pitch hard into left field, singling and scoring Pierre, giving the Marlins their first run of the game and making the score 3-1. Then, with the Cubs still in the lead and a chance to get out of the inning, Miguel Cabrera hit a  ground ball toward Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez, that could have ended the inning on a double play. Gonzalez, who led all NL shortstops in fielding percentage, closed his glove a little too early and the ball landed in the dirt, allowing Cabrera to get on base, loading the bases. On the next pitch, Derek Lee drilled a double into left field, scoring Castillo and Rodríguez to tie the game at 3-3.  That ended Prior’s night, and five more runs would cross the plate that dreadful inning.  When that eighth inning was over, the score was Marlins 8 Cubs 3.  The Cubs lost the game and eventually the series.

Never The Same

The next season, the Cubs were supposed to be even better, keeping the same starting four, Wood, Clement, Prior, Zambrano, but adding Greg Maddux as the fifth starter was supposed to help win it all.  But for the next four sesons, neither Prior or Wood could remain healthy.  After pitching 211 innings in 2003, Prior only pitched 118 in 2004 due to a variety of injuries.  He missed the first two months of the season with a tear in his Achilles’, but there were also rumors that something was wrong with his arm and that he may need Tommy John surgery.   After coming off the disabled list Prior did not pitch up to expectations, leading to more speculation about the health of his arm. However, towards the end of the 2004 season, Prior seemed to return to form. Prior struck out a career high 16 Cincinnati Reds in his last start of the season, leading Cubs fans to believe he would return to his 2003 form the next season

2005 started the same way as 2004, with Prior on the DL. He missed the first month of the season with an elbow strain, but when he returned, he looked like he might be fully recovered.   However, on May 27, Prior was hit on his right (pitching) elbow by a 117-mph comeback line drive off the bat of Brad Hawpe, giving him a compression fracture. This sent him to another stint on the DL.  Prior finished the 2005 season with an 11-7 record in 27 starts.

His bad luck would continue in Spring Training of 2006 when he was put on a slow throwing program and the infamous towel drill. After feeling stiffness in his throwing shoulder, was diagnosed with a strained shoulder. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list, missing the first two months of the 2006 season. His 2006 debut came on June 18th, Father’s Day, when he was shelled by the Detroit Tigers, giving up six runs in the first inning and lasted just 3.2 innings before being pulled. Prior was 0-4 in four starts with a 7.71 ERA, until he was once again put on the disabled list July 14, after straining his left oblique muscle while taking batting practice. He returned on July 21 to play against the Washington Nationals.  He pitched 3.1 innings before he was pulled out of the game.  On August 14, Prior was again placed on the disabled list (tendinitis) for the remainder of the season. He finished 2006 with a 1-6 record and a 7.21 ERA.

The End

The Cubs finally woke up and decided not to rely on Wood and Prior to be everyday starters. GM Jim Hendry signed Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis, and had Prior competing for the fifth starters spot.  Prior was obviously not healthy in his preseason starts, getting hit like a pinata and having no speed or movement in his fastball and was unable to control his breaking pitches.  He lost the fifth spot to Wade Miller, and was sent to Triple-A.  To vent his anger in the decision, Prior said sarcastically in the Chicago Tribune

“I’m just an employee. The goal now is to go down and help that team win and try to make the Triple-A All-Star team. Maybe I can get invited to the Futures Game or something. I’m still 26.”

Prior missed the rest of the 2007 season after going through season-ending surgery. After one start in the minors, which he won despite giving up 3 runs, Prior had Dr James Andrews, a noted orthopedic surgeon perform "exploratory surgery" on his right shoulder, which, not surprisingly to the fans and media, showed Prior to have structural damage that the Cubs had never properly diagnosed or treated and Dr. Andrews immediately addressed the issues.

The Risk

Questions still remain about Prior’s health.  Some reports see him coming back after the All Star Break, others have him coming back earlier.  It was an easy decision for the Padres to sign Prior.  They don’t lose much if he continues to have injury problems, but if he get healthy, he could be dominant.  In his career, Prior has tallied 21 double-digit strikeout games and 65 outings in which he has issued two or fewer walks. He is averaging 10.37 strikeouts per nine innings over his career.   Prior would love to prove everyone wrong and become the great pitcher everyone thought he would be.  He will join former Cubs Greg Maddux, Shawn Estes (the fifth starter in 2003), and Glendon Rusch in San Diego.  For Cubs fans, there is that fear that he will now become an All Star wearing a different uniform, but they made the right decision. The Cubs had invested plenty of money in Prior and they could no longer pay to rehab him, especially since he probably would have left after being eligible to become a free agent next season.  Let’s hope this doesn’t come back to bite the Cubs in the butt.

Welll, Christmas time is finally here.  A time to celebrate with your loved ones.  Jim Hendry must have been a good boy because he got what he always wanted; A Japanese right fielder with a high OPS and who can play defense.  Hopefully Santa or Andy MacPhail can drop off Eric Bedard also!  The enjoyable thing about the holidays is it gives you time to reflect.  I remember watching the classic Christmas movie "White Christmas" starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, and listening to Bing sing "If you are worried and you can’t sleep, count your blessings instead of sheep." 

A lot of people want to know how we can be Cubs fans after all those years of losing and heartcrushing defeats.  Sometimes I wonder myself, but then I look back at all those pictures I have taken over the years.  Pictures that show smiling faces; families, friends, even strangers.  There is something strange and beautiful about being a Cubs fan that is hard for the non-Cubs fan to understand.  Wrigley may look like an old ballpark, falling apart, but to us Cubs fans, in brings back memories of years past.  It reminds us of our youth, and of Cubs fans who have gone to the old box seats in the sky.  There is the joy of seeing the generations of Cubs fans who pass down this joy, and the hope that every Opening Day brings.  I hope to see the Cubs win it all, I hope that I am there to see it, and I hope I am still young enough to enjoy the celebration!  Right now, I am just glad to be a Cubs fan and couldn’t imagine rooting for any other team in any other sport than the Cubs.

                                                                                      Merry Christmas!

I am taking a break at analyzing the Mitchell Report to look at some events that have occured recently in Cubdom

So Fukudome has landed in Chicago.  If you watched his press conference, you know Kosuke Fukudome was officialy introduced to reporters and Cubs fans.  He will be wearing number 1, but he will not have his first name on his jersey like some people thought (like Ichiro)  Good. I can’t wait to see Fukudome jerseys.  The press conference was a combination of fun facts and old cliches’. 

He started out saying (through an interpreter);

"Hi, my name is Kosuke Fukudome and I’m very happy to be able to finally sign my contract and play with this historic team, and I look forward to playing in such a historic ballpark and playing in front of such ecstatic fans."

Sounds good to me.  When asked why he chose the Cubs over other teams, Fuku replied

"After I declared my free agency, the Cubs were one of the only teams that wanted to get me from the beginning to the end in this whole process.  I felt they really, really wanted me, and they promised me I could play my position in right field."

So much for playing him in center.  It’s better to have a leftie in right anyway.  He also mentioned that Chicago had a strong Japanese community, though I wonder if he was talking about Chicago or one of the suburbs (Arlington Heights and Schaumburg both have large Japanese communities. 

When asked about the American pitching he faced in the World Baseball Classic, Fukudome replied

"How I thought when I played against American pitchers is that they pitch with a lot of movement on the ball.The biggest thing for me in the beginning is to adapt to those pitches, make contact with those pitches. I’ll probably start out with a more compact swing than try to hit for the fences."

Wow, a guy talking about making compact rather then swing for the fences?  Refreshing.  He also added

"I haven’t thought about those necessary adjustments too much. Every day I play I will find out little changes and the difference between American and Japanese ball and I think I will make my adjustments as I play the game," Fukudome said. "I think I can hold my own in right field. I don’t know how my batting will translate into stats over here, but I’m pretty confident I will be able to get on base."

Defense, on base percentage, good, good.  When a reporter asked him how he will be affected by the number of day games the Cubs play, Fukudome pointed out that his stats were better in day games than night.

Jim Hendry was beaming at the press conference, knowing that he got his man.

"All the years we needed an outstanding player in right field who had to play right and had to hit left-handed and hopefully played good defense and hopefully was athletic enough to run, that list wasn’t too long," Hendry said of the free-agent options. "We could say, ‘If we didn’t get him, we could make a trade and get that [other] guy,’ but that doesn’t always work. It wasn’t a secret how bad we wanted him.  He was not only our No. 1 target in the free-agent situation in right field, he was our only target."   

Hendry also pointed out how important this move was from the standpoint that the Cubs are finally a player in the far east Asian market. 

"Our intent was to get into the Japanese market and make a big strike with the guy we wanted, which we did," Hendry said. "We’ll continue to enhance our scouting in Japan and other Asian countries. We would certainly be remiss to not think this is a very global game."

Hendry taked about Fukudome’s attitude and ability (aka Cubbie Swagger)

"What we think about him is one, to choose here, knowing the environment, knowing the big-city market and where we want to go, I think by choosing here, he makes a statement by himself," Hendry said. "He wants the action. There are no other Japanese players [on the Cubs]. He could’ve gone to other markets. It never seemed to be an issue with him. The way our scouting department always described him to me was that in the big international competitions, he played with the attitude that he belonged, and he wanted to show the world he belonged at the highest level."

Apparently Hendry forgot to mention that the Cubs haven’t won the World Series in 100 years.  Does Fukudome care?  No. 

"My only target is to help my team win a championship."

"I always wanted a challenge and to come over here and see how I could do over here," Fukudome said. "Actually, honestly I’m not too concerned about how I play in the major leagues. I’m just going to do the best I can and play the same way I’ve played my whole career."

He has the right attitude.  Cubs fans need to be patient (trust me, I know that I am asking a lot), and Fukudome will be a great addition.  He adds a high baseball IQ, which was sorely lacking last year.  This is a guy who plays the game the right way, team first, not worried about "his numbers".  He comes through with a lot of clutch hits and will be a great influence on younger players.  This is the first time I will be excited to see our right fielder for the first time since Sammy left.  Good Luck ***!

Go Cubs!

Part 2 in a 3 Part Series About the Mitchell Report. 

The Players Named

There were no current Cubs players on the list, but ten former Cubs were named in the report.  Most were former customers of former Mets clubhouse attendent Kirk Radomski;

Sammy Sosa

The "Steroid Era" began before Sammy, mainly with Jose Conseco from the bash brothers, but it was the famous (or infamous) 1998 chase of the single season home run record that really helped increase the popularity of performance enhancing drugs.  Baseball attendence and revenues were very down after the strike of 1994.  It was that magical race in 1998, between Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Ken Griffey Jr. that brought fans back to the ballpark.  While Griffey’s name isn’t mentioned much in connection with steroids, it is believed that McGwire and Sosa were both juiced up.  McGwire was mentioned in Jose Canseco’s book "Juiced" and there was an incident where Sosa had $20,000 stolen from him when he left  the cash in a plastic bag wrapped inside a towel in the lobby of the Caracas Hilton.  But you didn’t need proof, just look at their numbers.  From 1989 to 1992, his first four season, the most home runs Sammy ever hit was 15.  He hit 8 in 1992, but in 1993, he hit 33 home runs, in 1995 he hit 36 home runs, 1996 he hit 40 home runs, 1997 he hit 37 home runs, and then things really got crazy.  Although McGwire became the single season home run record holder in 1998, Sosa also broke Maris’ 37 year old record by hitting 66.  He hit 63 in 1999, 50 in 200, and 64 in 2001.  Not only was Sosa hitting home runs, he was crushing the ball.  The most famous display was the 2002 All Star Game in Milwaukee.  Sosa hit seven 500-foot homers in the first two rounds, including three that left Miller Park on the fly (ironically, he lost the competition to fellow juicer Jason Giambi).  I admit that I cheered Sammy even though anyone could see the obvious physical transformation that happened before our eyes.  The face that Sosa and McGwire were barely mentioned in the Mitchell Report just shows what a waste of time and money that report was. 

Glenallen Hill
Hill, who played for the Cubs in 1993 and 1994 and again from 1998-2000, admitted he bought steroids and HGH from Radomski but never used them. Right, and Clinton never inhaled.  Hill was famous for hitting a home run on May 11, 2000 that landed on top of the rooftop on 1032 Waveland, over the left field bleachers.

Rondell White
A photo copy of a check for $3,500 from Rondell White, who played for the Cubs for two years in 2000 and 2001, appears in the report. White really only played one full season with the Cubs, playing in 95 games and hitting .307.  According to Radomski, White started buying performance-enhancing substances from him in 2000.

Todd Hundley
According to the report, "Radomski stated that, beginning in 1996, he sold Deca-Durabolin and testosterone to Hundley on three or four occasions." The son of legendary Cubs Randy Hundley and a graduate of Fremd High School here in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Todd was one of the biggest jerks and hated by  most Cubs fans.  Hundley started his career with the Mets, where he was hated by most New York fans.  Hundley struggled with the Mets, and was criticized by then Mets manager Bobby Valentine for his late nights, smoking, and drinking.  In his first four full seasons with the Mets, Hundley never hit more than 16 home runs.  Then, in 1996, the year he started by ‘roids from Radomski, Hundley broke the single-season home run record for catchers by hitting 41.  He hit 36 the next season and was named to the All Star team in 1996 and 97.  He came to the Cubs in 2001 and hit .187 with 12 home runs.  He did only slightly better in 2002.  Somehow GM Jim Hendry convinced the Dodgers to take Hundley and they gave us Mark Grudzielanek and Eric Karros, both important in the Cubs 2003 playoff run.

Benito Santiago
The former Cubs catcher is mentioned in the portion of the report dedicated to the BALCO investigation. He stunk while he played for the Cubs, hitting .249 with seven home runs.  He had a resurgence later in his career with the San Fran Giants, courtesy of Victor Conte and Barry Bonds.

Kent Mercker
Lefty reliever who played for the Cubs from 2004-05, is named but didn’t respond to Mitchell’s questions. According to the report, Radomski said he sold one kit of HGH to Mercker in October 2002. The pitcher had recently undergone surgery and, according to Radomski, was seeking HGH because "he believed it might accelerate his recovery."  Mercker, like Hundley, was hated by the fans while he was in Chicago.  The guy was a total jerk.  On August 28, 2004 he called the broadcast to complain about the way Steve Stone and Chip Carey were calling the game, especially Chip praising Houston’s Roy Oswalt.  He also had an incident on a charter plane during a road trip where he cussed out Carey and Stone.  After the 2004 season, Merker was gone, as were Carey and Stone.

Jerry Hairston Jr.
According to the report, he was referred to Radomski by David Segui, a teammate of his on the Baltimore Orioles, and Radomski said he sold HGH to Hairston on two or three occasions during 2003 and 2004. Jerry’s father played for the White Sox and he was born in Naperville, another Northwest suburb of Chicago.  Hairston came to the Cubs in the Sammy Sosa trade.  The Cubs sent Sosa to Baltimore and the Cubs got Hairston, David Crouthers, and current Cub Mike Fontenot.  He didn’t play much in the 1 and a half season as a Cub, playing behind Todd Walker and Neifi Perez.  He was traded for Phil Nevin in mid-2006.

Gary Matthews Jr.
The former Cubs outfield’s name has surfaced in the past linked to the Signature Pharmacy investigation.  Matthews came to the Cubs in 2000 from the San Diego Padres.  He was the son of former Cubs Gary Matthews, known as "The Sarge".  He only hit .190 in 2000, and hitting .217 in 2001 before the Cubs put him on waivers.  Pittsburgh picked him up for the rest of the season.  He bounce around for the next few years before finally landing in Texas. He had a "breakout season" in 2006, batting .313 with 19 HRs, 79 RBIs, and 194 hits.  Matthews Jr always played great defense, but he couldn’t hit.  2006 was also his free agency year, and he signed a 5 year 50 million dollar contract with the Anaheim Angels.  On February 27, 2007, his name was mentioned in the the Signature Pharmacy investigation.

Matt Franco
A former Cubs draft pick who played who played 16 games for the Cubs in 1995, is alleged to have bought steroids once in 2000. Franco spoke by telephone to investigators and denied the accusations and evening knowing Radomski.

Matt Karchner

For years, Matt Karchner was known as the guy the Cubs got for Jon Garland.  Now, he will be known for much more.  Karchner’s story was the most interesting as far as Cubs’ fans are concerned.  Karchner alleges that while as a member of the Cubs he witnessed two teammates inject steroids in an apartment the three shared during spring training before the 1999 season. According to the report;

"Karchner declined to identify the players. He said that one of the players brought the steroids to the apartment but was afraid of needles and therefore asked the second player to administer the shot. The second player injected the first player with steroids in the buttocks and then injected himself. "

"Later that season, Karchner was offered steroids by certain of his Cubs teammates. Karchner would not disclose the names of players who offered him steroids, but he said that the conversations he had with them involved the general cost of steroids and discussions of "stacking" to build lean muscle necessary for pitchers. Karchner did not report either of these incidents to anyone at the time."

Who were these players?  Who did Karchner share the apartment with.  I have heard that it was Kyle Farnsworth and Rod Beck.  I’m sure someone will dig up the info.  Speaking of Farnsworth;

The CNBC List

One of the big controversies about the Mitchell Report is the belief in the existence of a second list,  one that MLB did not want to come out.  CNBC "leaked" the list of players more than an hour before the Mitchell Report was released on Thursday, and soon pulled it from its Web site. Here was the list that CNBC had put up {disclaimer:CNBC later retracted the list} ;

Brady Anderson
Manny Alexander
Rick Ankiel
Jeff Bagwell
Barry Bonds
Aaron Boone
Rafael Bettancourt
Bret Boone
Milton Bradley
David Bell
Dante Bichette
Albert Belle
Paul Byrd
Wil Cordero
Ken Caminiti
Mike Cameron
Ramon Castro
Jose and Ozzie Canseco
Roger Clemens
Paxton Crawford
Wilson Delgado
Lenny Dykstra
Johnny Damon
Carl Everett
Kyle Farnsworth
Ryan Franklin
Troy Glaus
Rich Garces
Jason Grimsley
Troy Glaus
Juan Gonzalez
Eric Gagne
Nomar Garciaparra
Jason Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Jose Guillen
Jay Gibbons
Juan Gonzalez
Clay Hensley
Jerry Hairston
Felix Heredia, Jr.
Darren Holmes
Wally Joyner
Darryl Kile
Matt Lawton
Raul Mondesi
Mark McGwire
Guillermo Mota
Robert Machado
Damian Moss
Abraham Nunez
Trot Nixon
Jose Offerman
Andy Pettitte
Mark Prior
Neifi Perez
Rafael Palmiero
Albert Pujols
Brian Roberts
Juan Rincon
John Rocker
Pudge Rodriguez
Sammy Sosa
Scott Schoenweiis
David Segui
Alex Sanchez
Gary Sheffield
Miguel Tejada
Julian Tavarez
Fernando Tatis
Mo Vaughn
Jason Varitek
Ismael Valdes
Matt Williams
Kerry Wood.

Among the current/former Cubs that were on the "leaked list", but didn’t make the "Official list" were Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Nomar Garicaparra, Farnsworth, Matt Lawton, and Julian Tavarez.  Where did this leaked list come from?  How was it so similar to the "Official List" except with some glaring omissions?  Anyone that saw Kerry Wood this last year at the Cubs Convention saw a huge size difference.  The Mitchell Report has given us more questions then answers.

This is the first in a series of posts about the Mitchell Report

Are you kidding me?!  We waited this long for this?!  The Mitchell Report came out today, and it was a total joke.  It took a year and a half and a multimillion dollar task force for this?  When I first started paying attention to the news today, I was shocked when I saw that Roger Clemens and Andy Petite’s name were on the list.  I thought that maybe this report was going to be serious and that baseball truly wanted to do the right thing and punish the cheaters.  There were close to 80 names on the list, and with Clemens and Petite both on there, I was wondering who else would be named.  Turns out that it was a dud, like a firecracker that lights but doesn’t explode.  Once the shock value of Clemens and Petite wore off, there were few other big name players.  Of the big names, most are players at the tail end of their careers, have always been suspected, or have already been in the press, either through the BALCO scandal or the Mets Clubhouse Attendent scandal.  None of this was new.  Bonds, Sheffield, the Giambi brothers, and Benito Sanitiago were all mentioned through the BALCO trial.  Rick Ankiel, Paul Byrd, Jay Gibbons, Troy Glaus, Jose Guillen, Scott Schoeneweis, Matt Williams, and former Cub Gary Matthews Jr were all named through the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center internet HGH sting that was uncovered by the Albany DA’s office.  Miguel Tejada was implicated in Jose Canseco’s book Juiced.  Tejada, Brian Roberts and Gibbons were all mentioned in a Los Angeles Times report that alleged the three were named as steroid users by ex-Orioles reliever Jason Grimsley in a 2006 federal affidavit. Also mentioned in that September 2006 story were Pettitte and Clemens. 

What’s my point?  There is nothing new here that we didn’t already know. Baseball could have saved time and money by just hiring some intern to Google a couple of investigations and gotten the same results.   All the big stars that were named have all come up before.  The rest of the 85 names are players that are no longer in the league or players that never really had much of an impact on the game.  What about everyone inbetween?
Where are all the big name juicers we were supposed to hear about?  Think about it; Obviously Bonds, Scheffield were on it.  But what about Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, two long time suspected steroid users?  What about guys like Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Ivan Rodriguez, Paul Konerko, Jeff Bagwell, or Luis Gonzalez?  Where are they?  There are many more missing here too. (Feel free to post any big names I may have forgotten about)

The Radomski Report?

One of the most explosive sources was supposed to be the names given to investigators from former Mets clubhouse worker Kirk Radomski from 1985-95.  Radomski was considered by authorities to be the chief supplier of drugs for baseball players after the feds shut down BALCO in 2003.   According to a an anonymous source who was working on the federal case said the Radomski report involved "dozens" of players, and after seeing the affidavit indicated that Radomski told investigators — to paraphrase — that if they thought the allegations in Jose Canseco’s book were explosive, they would be blown away by what Radomski could report.   Mitchell supposedly had access to all these names.

Anyone blown away by anyone of these names from the Mitchelll Report other than Clemens and Petite?  Didn’t think so.  So where are the other names?  Where is the other list?   According to Sports Illustrated,  "sources close to the Albany investigation believe the litany of names released on Thursday was "not at all a full and final" compilation." 

Senator Mitchell, the Comish Bud Selig, and Don Fehr could all agree on just one thing-It’s time to move forward. But it’s not.  Not when baseball won’t come clean. 

Don’t buy into the move forward line.  Demand that baseball come clean.  Thay owe it to the fans.

Whoooo Baby! The Cubs and Jim Hendry pulled it off!  I wonder what the Tshirt vendors at Clark and Addison are coming up with this instant.  My best friend Jim Hendry went "all in" on Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome and came out a winner.  Fukudome and the Cubs agreed to terms on a four-year, $48 million contract through the 2011 season, pending his passing of a physical.  Hendry put it best when he said;

"He’s exactly what we needed for our ballclub moving forward.  He’s been our target acquisition from Day One. … We couldn’t be happier. It changes the dynamics of our club in a lot of ways. We certainly needed a quality player in right field that can hit from the left side, and he plays the entire game so well that we’re thrilled to have him. This was option 1-2-3 as far as we were concerned. We couldn’t be happier. He changes the dynamic of our club."

Had Fukudome stayed in Japan, the Cubs would have had question marks in both center and right field.  Now with Fukudome, the Cubs have improved in so many ways.  Fukudome has spent his entire nine-year pro career with the Chunichi Dragons, where he batted .305 with a .397 on-base percentage and a .543 slugging percentage.  He led the league in on-base percentage three times and won four gold gloves for defensive excellence.  Fukudome was the 2006 Central League MVP, batting .351 with 31 homers and 104 RBIs.

Not only does he improve the team from a baseball standpoint, he will also help the Cubs become a recognizable name in the Far East Asian market.  Management will have new revenue streams for the organization that can now market the team back in Japan (hopefully allowing the Cubs to lower the prices of season tickets again!)  Think of the number of Japanese companies that will want to buy advertising space with the Cubs now that Fukudome is on the team. 

There may be an adjustment period, but one thing about Fukudome is that he is a gamer.  He is not scared to play for a big market team and seems to have that mental strength that is necessary to play for the Cubs.  Hendry said;

"This guy wants to play here. He wants the action. He’s looking forward to it. He played in the World [Baseball] Classic and he played in the Olympics with a strong air of confidence. He knows how good a player he is and he demonstrates it in the way he plays."

More Cubbie swagger.  He is also a Lou-type player.  Good defensive skills and a good on base percentage.  Mentally tough.  Speaking of Lou, Joe Urbon Fukudome’s agent,said Fukudome began his decision-making process months ago, and that he was in contact with other Japanese players who have played in the U.S. Piniella, who managed Ichiro Suzuki in Seattle, received high marks.

"The comfort level Japanese players have had and have with Lou certainly played a role in Kosuke’s decision," Urbon said. "That was in the plus column for the Cubs"

Remember when former Cub and current Reds manager Dusty Baker first signed with the Cubs and how it was said that all the big free agents would supposedly come to the Cubs because of him? And who came to the Cubs because of Dusty? No one (and no I will not count Neifi Perez!) Well, here is proof that Lou is a draw to certain players. 

The Cubs now have the outfield looking better then it has since Alou and Sosa patrolled the corners at Wrigley.  No more garbage like Jacque Jones, Jeremy Burnitz, Matt Murton, Craig Monroe, Jason Dubois, Todd Hollandsworth, Matt Lawton, Jody Gerut, Phil Nevin, Freddie Bynum, and many other wastes of space on the field.  We now have a healthy Soriano in left, Fukudome in right, and Felix Pie in center.

How much fun are the tshirt vendors going to have with Fukudome’s name? Imagine the tshirt possibilities!  How many time will Ron Santo be fined by the FCC for mispronouncing Fukudome’s name?  Will  they have a ***-o-Meter in right field?  Will the bleacher bums bow when Fukudome  runs out to right?  What about the signs in the stands?  Do you see where I am going with this.

Now the Hot Stove Rumor is that the Cubs may get Brian Roberts and Eric Bedard from the Baltimore Orioles for Sean Gallagher and Ronnie Cedeno or Eric Patterson. With Miguel Tejada being traded for prospects, the Orioles need a shortstop, and Andy MacPhail would also like some pitching.  Having Roberts and Fukudome would give the Cubs two more left handed bats, better defenders, more speed, and a higher on base percentage.  Cubs fans saw how pitching changes in the playoffs.  Lots of guys can his bad pitchers, but in the playoffs you need to work the count, make pitchers throw a lot of pitches.  In the playoffs the Cubs swung at every bad pitch that Arizona threw.  Adding guys like Fukudome and hopefully Roberts and Bedard will make the Cubs contenders.  As Hendry put it earlier,

"We think we have the whole package.  We feel we have a high-average player, a high-on-base-percentage player. He certainly has enough power, and he can hit the ball out of the ballpark. He’s a Gold Glove-caliber defender with a tremendous arm in right field, and he can steal bases. All the things we felt or we hear about on a regular basis that we might have lacked — on-base percentage, more speed, better defense in the outfield — he fits the bill for all of us."

Hats off to Jim Hendry and the Cubs!

*** Yeah!

Well, I said it wouldn’t take long.  Now comes word from local radio station ESPN 1000 here in Chicago that Kosuke Fukudome has agreed to sign with the Cubs.  According to ESPN 1000, the two sides have reportedly agreed on a four-year deal, but the exact dollar amount was still being worked out. Earlier media reports said that the Cubs were willing to pay the career .305 hitter between $12 million and $14 million per season.

Stay close for more breaking new on Crawly”s Cub Kingdom Fuku-Watch 2007!

After taking his sweet *****’ time (The first of possibly thousands of Fukudome jokes on this blog), Japanes free agent Kosuke Fukudome has finally announced what everyone and their brother knew; that Fukudome was coming to America.

"I won’t be playing for a Japanese club next season, I’ll play in the Majors," Fukudome told the Associated Press. "I appreciate the fans who supported me for nine years. I hope that the fans continue to root for me when they see me playing in the United States."

Finally.  Jeez, that took forever.  Now it is being reported that Fukudome will make a quick choice on which team he will play for.  An announcement is expected by Wednesday.  The Padres have reportedly offered Fukudome 40 million, and some people believe that the Cubs have offered 50 million.  As I wrote about yesterday, with Milton Bradley signing with Texas, San Diego may choose to become more aggressive.  Don’t forget about the White Sox either.  After a disappointing season and watching Detroit improve themselves, could the Sox try to swoop in? 

As the Tribune pointed out, if the Cubs sign Fukudome, they can immediately add to their revenues by selling advertising space at Wrigley Field to Japanese companies, as Boston, Seattle and other clubs with Japanese stars have done in their parks.  Of course that would be more ads in Wrigley.  The only thing that has me nervous are all these backloaded deals that Jim Hendry has made.  With the Tribune aware that they won’t have to pay the bills on these contracts, they have given Hendry their blessing to award large contracts to Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis.  Will they do the same with Fukudome?  How will the new owners deals with all these fat contracts later?  Additional increases in ticket prices?  PSL’s? 

I guess we can’t worry about that now.  Let’s just hope Hendry gets his man and his master plan actually works.

Go Cubs!

p.s. ML Blogs has censored my Fukudome joke in the beginning of this post.  That won’t stop me from use Fukudome’s name is my *****’ jokes!

Japan’s Nikkansports reported Sunday that free agent outfielder Kosuke Fukudome  has decided not to play for the Yomiuri Giants and will sign with a Major League team instead.  Fukudome’s agent, Joe Urbon, continues to deny these reports, but it is believed that Fukudome will make his decision late Monday night, Tuesday morning in Japan.  It is 10:30 now and there has been no announcement as of yet. 

"If the report was accurate, you would have seen quotes from the player or the [Yomiuri] club," Urbon said. "He hasn’t made up his mind yet. When he does make up his mind, the first point of communication will be to the clubs in Japan."

The phrase you continue to hear from MLB teams and Fukudome’s agent is  everyone has "respect for the process" of getting a Japanese player to commit to playing in the Majors.  I really don’t care about the stupid process, I just want this guy to make a decision.  The Cubs, White Sox, Padres, and the San Fran Giants are all interested in Fukudome.  Today, pychopath Milton Bradley, surprised the Padres by signing a deal with the Texas Rangers.  Besides that, they are still struggling to resign Mike Cameron.  Anyone who watched San Diego last year knows they have a great pitching staff, but can’t hit.  With Bradley bolitng, might the Padres reup their offer?  The Cubs are supposed to be the most aggressive of all the teams, so let’s see if it pays off.

Bonzai!