Reed all about hit
If you weren't sure who that strangely familiar stick-looking figure was leading off the game for the Cubs on Wednesday night, all you had to do was wait for the first pitch. And as soon as the bat left the shoulder, you knew Alfonso Soriano was back -- swinging at the first major-league pitch he'd seen since June 11, when the last one broke his left hand.
PHOENIX -- Amid the expected comings and goings on the Cubs' roster Wednesday was the lingering and worrisome issue of closer Kerry Wood's health status.
Five left in bid for the Cubs
David Roeder: The Chicago Cubs have culled the number of bids for the team to five, all at $1 billion or more, and tossed out an offer from a group regarded as the favorite of Major League Baseball, sources said Wednesday. Making the cut as the Cubs winnowed the list of bids from an original 10 respondents was Mark Cuban, owner of basketball’s Dallas Mavericks, said a source familiar with the process. The identity of the other finalists couldn’t be learned.
Hot Fan Contest is heating up!
Both of our baseball teams remain in first place, and our Hot Fans contest is hotter than ever. We've had more than 7 million online page views and nearly 50,000 votes as to whether the Cubs or White Sox have the hottest fans. Vote at suntimes.com/sports and send your pictures to webphotos@chicagosuntimes.com.
Don't count on seeing Steve Bartman next week at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Rosemont, where he's being offered $25,000 in cash to show up and autograph a photo of him beating Moises Alou to that infamous foul ball.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
On road to oblivion?
Early in the season it was easily explained away by weather or the rigors of an unusual schedule, or simply the fact that it was early in the season. But as the Cubs' massive home-road offensive disparity reaches four months -- creating more than a .340 difference in winning percentage home and away -- it is becoming a worrisome trend for a team with World Series aspirations.
Dirty pool: Sox, Cubs aren't playing by the rules
Jay Mariotti: To this day, the boom of Ken Williams' voice echoes through town: "Stay out of White Sox business!" He was warning a bitterly departed Frank Thomas not to go there, if you know what I mean, and his rebuke was typical of an organization so protective of its internal affairs that one all but needs a secret handshake and password to enter the front door.
A sports collectors Web site and a memorabilia convention are offering $25,000 for a single autograph to Steve Bartman -- the infamous Cubs fan known for knocking a foul ball away from Moises Alou during game 6 of the Cubs' National League Championship Series game against the Florida Marlins.
Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley is a Blackhawks fan. It goes without saying he hates the Detroit Red Wings.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Falling on Harden times
It was at least a little bit of old and new on display, if not a changing of the guard going on in Arizona. The old looked more like same-old, with 44-year-old Randy Johnson pitching shutout ball into the late innings against the Cubs -- a team that never had beaten him.
PHOENIX -- The Cubs hold out hope that closer Kerry Wood's finger irritation can be treated well enough in the next day or so to allow him to pitch later this week against Florida, if not Wednesday against Arizona.
PHOENIX -- Cubs officials were tight-lipped Monday about discipline levied by Major League Baseball against the club for breaking rules related to last month's amateur draft.
Listen up Cubs fans. Can't get enough of your favorite team? Follow Sun-Times Cubs reporter Gordon Wittenmyer as he covers the Cubs like never before. Keep checking back throughout the day for Gordon's updates.
So what is Twitter? Twitter is a free social networking service that allows readers like you to receive updates (or "tweets") from Gordon all day long via our Web site. Check back all-day long as Gordon updates you on the latest Cubs news -- from the game and practice to on the road and from the locker room. You can also get updates sent right to your phone or IM whenever Gordon has news to share -- for free.
