Hey Everybody, big day Sunday with Ryne Sandberg going into the Hall of Fame. It's appropriate Greg Maddux is pitching @ Wrigley at the same time Ryno goes into the Hall. He's a former teammate of Ryno's and will eventually join Sandberg in Cooperstown. I asked Maddux the other day what stood out the most about Sandberg's career and he said it was Ryno's defense in the 1989 playoffs. He said Ryno really elevated his game defensively vs. San Francisco that year.

I caught a good portion of the 1984 Sandberg game replay Saturday
night. What an amazing game capped by Ryno's incredible performance. It's interesting from a technical standpoint to watch how games were presented on television two decades ago. The main thing you notice, obviously, is no graphic with the score/ball-strike count/etc. continuously on the screen. It's like the cell phone--how did we live without it! But there was a simplicity to it as well that I liked. It certainly put me back in my youth with the Game of the Week.

The other thing I noticed is just how timeless Wrigley is. A few
differences, one being the pressbox in front of the upper deck, but for the most part, it looked just like it does today. You could feel the energy in the park during that magical game.

One of the great things I was able to do after I got this job was go on the Cubs caravan with Ryno, Bob Brenly, Jim Hendry, Larry Rothschild and Oneri Fleita, among others. We sat on the bus during one leg of the trip and just talked ball with Ryno. It was great - he talked about a bunch of different things, including how intimidating it was to face Nolan Ryan. I asked him about a couple of my heroes as well - Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker--and he said he admired those guys over in the other league when he played. Ryno was just a few weeks removed from being elected to the Hall and it was all still sort of sinking in. Everywhere we went, he was the center of attention. It was just a great trip, one of the huge perks of this job.

I'm really excited for Ryno and his family today. I know I'm new to
the Cubs, but I'm proud to be connected to an organization that will be represented by such a class act in Cooperstown.

Len

As Jim Hendry told us yesterday, Kerry Wood, Nomar Garciaparra, and Scott Williamson are all anticipated to be activated Friday. Obviously, something could change between now and then, injuries pop up all the time, there is a possibility of a trade, and the roster could look completely different by next Friday. But if all goes according to plan, all three of those guys will be back on the active roster on Friday.

Like a lot of fans will do, we also speculate about what that will mean for the guys who are on the roster right now. I'm sure the Cubs have an idea in mind right now for what they like to do next Friday when those three guys return. There's no point, though, in making any kind of judgments or announcements until next Friday, because you never know what's going to happen from day to day in this game. I've said it many times before - you don't make a move until you have to because a lot of times the move will take care of itself.

On the bench, there can be a lot of insecurity as you might imagine among those guys that have to be considered to be on the bubble. Unfortunately, that's part of the business of baseball. You only have 25 active spots at the major league level. When you've got guys returning from the disabled list, somebody's got to go, so there will be a lot of pressure and sleepless nights for some of those guys who are wondering about their future after next Friday.

As a manager, for those guys that are on the bubble, you have to try and impress upon them that, regardless of what happens a week from now, you're on the roster right now. We may need you to come into this ballgame today and make something happen or get some big outs. You don't know what's going to happen over the course of the next week. You still have a job to do. Be a professional, go out there and go about your business, and whatever happens next week happens. It's a very thin, tight line to walk with these guys because you know it's on their minds thinking about the changes that are upcoming. You want them to concentrate on the task at hand and if they do that consistently, then maybe they are the guy that is not on the bubble any more.

Bob

*It's Greg Maddux (8-7, 4.41) for the Cubs as they try to split the series with Arizona and Brandon Webb (8-8, 4.11) at Wrigley Field on WGN today.
*The Cubs are 5-5 in their last ten and 4 games behind Houston in the hunt for the wild card.
*Maddux at home is just 2-5 with a 4.53ERA in 10 starts.
*The Cubs are 10-12 in Maddux starts this year.
*Maddux has worked at least 6 innings in 16 of his 22 starts.
*The Diamondbacks at 51-55 are only one game back of San Diego after the Padres lost for the 11th time in 12 games yesterday.
*Webb went 5.1 innings against the Cubs on April 6 allowing 5 hits and 2 runs. He has lost his last two starts and has given up 7 HRs in his last 4 starts.
*Webb opened the year 0/30 at the plate, but now has 2 hits in his last 3 starts. He leads the D-Backs with 9 sacrifice bunts.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (48-57)
*Iowa scored three runs in the top of the ninth, beating Portland 6-5. The win snapped the Cubs five-game losing streak.
*CF Corey Patterson went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI with no strikeouts.
*Cubs left-hander Russ Rohlicek pitched 1.0 inning of relief, picking up his third win of the season.
*Infielder Mike Fontenot was 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (21-14)
*West Tenn lost to Carolina 8-3.
*Nomar Garciaparra went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
*RF Luis Montanez was 2-for-4 with a double.

A - Daytona Cubs (13-22)
*Cubs right-hander Anderson Tavares gave up three runs in 1.1 innings, suffering his 10th loss of the season.
*1B Brian Dopirak was 2-for-3 with a homer (11), 2 RBI and a pair of runs scored.
*RF J.J. Johnson went 3-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI.

A - Peoria Chiefs (16-20)
*Peoria routed Fort Wayne 12-2.
*LF Bo Flowers was 2-for-3 with a triple, 2 RBI and three runs scored.
*Catcher Oscar Bernard went 3-for-5 with a double, homer, 4 RBI and three runs scored.

A - Boise Hawks (18-21)
*Boise remains tied for first place despite losing to Vancouver 9-2.
*LF Jesus Valdez went 2-for-4 with a homer and 2 RBI.
*3B Brandon Taylor was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (0-3)
The Cubs resume play today against the Rangers.

Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry met the media before today's game to outline the next round of rehab for Garciaparra, Wood, and Scott Williamson. Hendry announced that barring any unforeseen circumstances, all three will be activated next Friday. Here is Hendry's opening statement:

I just wanted to catch everyone up on a lot of good news on our disabled list players. I think everyone knows the plan for Woody, but I think collectively I wanted to summarize it for you, because it looks like without any snags this week that we will activate all three of them on the same day, which would be very refreshing.

Woody, as you know, is going to pitch tomorrow in Fort Wayne and then Tuesday in Peoria out of the bullpen. Then, he will fly and meet us in Philly, work out with Larry (Rothschild) and be activated Friday at Shea Stadium.

Nomar is going to play tonight and tomorrow in Jackson, Tennessee. They have an off day on Monday. He will play Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon in Jackson. He will fly Wednesday night and meet the club in Philly, work out with the squad in pre-game on Thursday and be activated with the squad Friday night in Shea.

Scott Williamson, who threw two innings last night, will now have today and tomorrow off. He will throw back-to-back with Des Moines club on Monday/Tuesday and then meet the club in Philly, work with Larry on Thursday and be activated in New York on Friday at Shea Stadium. So if we have no snags, then we will activate Woody, Nomar, and Scott all on the same day, Friday night in New York.

As for the roster, things have a way of taking care of themselves. We just have to play well for the five days. Hopefully we will get a big lift from them. You know, obviously we're hoping Woody will give us a big lift in the pen. He threw very well the last two pens here with no discomfort. Scott, you never know how that's going to go. He's throwing very well - he's been working steadily at 90-93, working mostly at 92s. His slider is pretty good. Hopefully, we can get good fortune like we did last year with Ryan Dempster. Scott has already spent his whole career in the 8th and 9th innings, so it wouldn't be the same adjustment that Ryan had to come back.

For Nomar, Oneri (Fleita) was with him in Peoria and he really showed no signs of any problems. He looked just like the guy moving around in spring training. Obviously, we wanted to get him a few more at-bats. He's chomping at the bit to go now, but you do need more than 7 or 8 at-bats. Hopefully, we'll get a good taste of the old Nomar and that will give us a big, big boost.

As far as the roster goes, you know you might have some ideas today of how you're going to do it, but that can change by Friday. Somebody else could come down with some tendinitis and make the pitching decisions easier. I'm not really worried about it. I'm very hopeful that they will all come back and be at least a great percentage of what you would expect them to be.

Ryne Sandberg accomplished just about everything there was to accomplish during his 16 major league seasons (except play in a World Series). In fact, he is the only player in major league history to compile a 200-hit season (1984), a 50-steal season (1985) and a 40-homer season (1990) during the course of his career.
Ryne Sandberg - Career Achievements

Seasons Hitting .300+: 5
100-Run Seasons: 7
100-RBI Seasons: 2
30-HR Seasons: 2
30-SB Seasons: 5
200-Hit Seasons: 1
MVP Awards: 1
Gold Gloves: 9
Silver Slugger Awards: 7
All-Star Selections: 10

Sandberg's 282 home runs rank third all-time among players whose primary career position was second base, behind Jeff Kent (320) and Rogers Hornsby (301). But while second sackers with power have become more commonplace in recent years, Sandberg was a special breed in his day. In the 17 years that encompassed Ryno's stint in the major leagues (1981-97), there were nine unique cases in which a player who logged at least 80 games at the keystone finished the year with 25 or more homers. Sandberg was responsible for six of those efforts. But in the seven full seasons after Sandberg's retirement (1998-2004), there were 13 such cases, including four by Mr. Kent. ... Yes, the power certainly was there, but people sometimes forget that Sandberg also had better-than-decent speed. In 1985, he stroked 26 homers and stole 54 bases. The only other second baseman in history to hit at least 25 homers and record 50 steals in the same season is Joe Morgan, who did it twice (1973 and '76). And in 1984, when the Cubs won their first division crown of the expansion era, Sandberg collected 19 triples. Despite the offensive outbursts of two more rounds of expansion in the 1990s, only three players since '84 have surpassed Sandberg's 19 three-baggers.
Most Triples in a Season, 1984-2005

Year 3B
Lance Johnson, NYM 1996 21
Willie Wilson, KC 1985 21
Cristian Guzman, Min 2000 20
Ryne Sandberg, ChC 1984 19
Juan Samuel, Phi 1984 19
Carl Crawford, TB 2004 19

Sandberg also had some memorable RBI performances over his 16 seasons. The second baseman may be best remembered for his 5-for-6 night and career-high seven RBI on June 23, 1984. He hit a pair of big home runs off Cardinals closer Bruce Sutter in that affair to tie the score in the bottom of both the ninth and 10th frames of an eventual 12-11 Cubs win. Sandberg also enjoyed a pair of six-RBI games -- one in 1983 and another in '85 -- and he had a five-RBI performance in 1996, a year before his retirement, as well as 16 four-RBI games. ... Although the Cubs came up short in Sandberg's two trips to the postseason in 1984 and '89, Ryno hit safely in every postseason game he played, going 15-for-39 (.385) with seven extra-base hits (.641 slugging) and six RBI in 10 career LCS contests. His .385 average is the fifth-best mark in LCS history among those with at least 35 career LCS at-bats.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (47-57)
*Iowa lost to Tacoma 5-4, extending their losing streak to five games.
*Todd Wellemeyer started for the Cubs, going 5.1 innings and giving up 5 hits and 2 runs.
*Cubs left-hander Cliff Bartosh gave up one run in 0.1 innings of relief, suffering his second loss of the season.
*CF Corey Patterson was 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and one strikeout.
*Reliever Scott Williamson continued his rehab, giving up two runs on 3 hits in 2.0 innings pitched.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (21-13)
*Carolina starter Nic Ungs pitched a no-hitter as West Tenn lost 2-0.
*Diamond Jaxx relievers Federico Baez and Jon Searles pitched a combined 3.0 innings of scoreless relief.

A - Daytona Cubs (13-21)
*Daytona was edged by Fort Myers 4-3.
*LF Paul O’Toole went 2-for-4 with his 10th homer.
*Catcher Tony Richie was 2-for-3 with his 14th homer and 2 RBI.

A - Peoria Chiefs (15-20)
*Peoria lost to Fort Wayne 9-4, snapping their four-game winning streak.
*3B Anthony Granato went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base.
*1B Drew Larsen had a pair of singles, going 2-for-3 on the night.

A - Boise Hawks (18-20)
*Boise dropped back into a tie for first place after losing to Vancouver 5-3.
*DH Mark Reed went 2-for-3 with a double, 2 RBI and a stolen base.
*RF Jesus Valdez was 1-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (0-3)
*The Cubs scored five runs in the eighth inning, but fell short against the Athletics, 10-6.
*2B Eduard Serrano was 3-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs scored.
*3B Luis Rivera went 3-for-4 with three singles and a stolen base.

You have to give Dusty Baker a lot of credit. Henry Blanco was having a great day offensively, but Michael Barrett had some history against Brian Bruney and had some success against him. Dusty went against the grain and took the hot hitter out of the lineup and put in a guy who was familiar with Bruney and Michael Barrett came up with a big base hit. The Aramis Ramirez decision pinch-hitting was a little bit easier!

I think coming back is contagious. you just had to look at the guys in the dugout as we saw in the 9th inning. Everybody had their batting gloves on and their batting helmets on. Ronny Cedeno did a good job pinch-running and there were two pinch-hits. Everybody wants to be a part of it. Who's going to be the hero today? Nobody knows, but somebody has to be the hero and it does get contagious in times like this.

Bob

Nomar Garciaparra met with the media this afternoon before the game. Here's a brief bit of his comments:

How are you feeling after two games?
I'm not a big percentage guy so I can't give you one about where I am healthwise. It was a good couple days down there in Peoria. I think once again just to get into that baseball atmosphere and a game situation. From one day to the next I felt better. I felt better the second day as far as moving around. As far as batting, just seeing some pitches and getting my bat speed back as well.

When do you think you will be back?
They asked me that question when I was down there. "When would you like to be back?" I said "yesterday!" That's when I would like to be back. Unfortunately, I don't have answers for you guys about the next step with what we're going to do, because I haven't sat down yet with Dusty and Jim Hendry. We had said before that I would go to Peoria and be back here today to work out. Then, we'd sit down and talk as a group as we always have. That's one great thing about the organization to myself is that we've been on the same page as to the next step and what we were going to do.

Any tweaks?
Even throughout my rehab when I was down in Arizona getting back, there were tweaks and times you felt "oooh", but then all of a sudden I'd say "aahh" that didn't feel too bad.

I'm looking forward to just coming back and being around these guys. I miss these guys so much. They're great people, they're playing great and I just want to be part of it in whatever capacity is asked of me.

Hi Everybody, hope you've all gotten some good sleep the last couple nights after that quick turnaround Tuesday night/Wednesday afternoon. That was a crazy series vs. the Giants with a couple of thrilling
walk-off wins for the Cubs. Thursday vs. the D-Backs was one of those days in which you just kind of tip your cap to the opposition. Brad Halsey and company shut down the Cubs bats while Jerome Williams did a
great job battling through 5 1/3, allowing just one run. Unfortunately, the bullpen gave up some runs and Arizona ran away with a 6-0 win.

The Cubs are very much in the wildcard race, just 3 back of Washington and surging Houston. After this series with Arizona, the Cubs will go out on a rather huge roadtrip against two teams in that wildcard mix,
Philadelphia and the Mets. It's getting to the point now where you have to do some damage against those teams around you in the standings.

Nomar is scheduled to be at Wrigley today after a couple of games in Peoria. He'll be re-evaluated and then possibly head back out for some more minor league rehab games. Scott Williamson's next step is to go a
couple innings @ Iowa. Then after a couple days off, he'll go in back-to-back days. At that point, if he's physically ready to go, he could be back with the Cubs. Those two guys could end up being like
trade deadline acquisitions for the Cubs. And Jim Hendry could certainly make a trade here in the next couple days as well. A very interesting time to say the least.

It's a huge weekend here on WGN with all 3 to finish out this series, "This Old Cub" Saturday @ 1, and a special on Ryne Sandberg with Dan Roan and Rich King following Saturday's ballgame. Hope you enjoy it along with us.

Len

* For the second time this month, the Diamondbacks have picked up back-to-back shutouts, defeating the Cubs 6-0 yesterday, and the Brewers 3-0 on Wednesday. On July 10, the D’Backs defeated the Reds 2-0. Upon returning from the All-Star break, Arizona began the second half with a 6-0 victory over the Padres.

* On the morning of May 26, the Diamondbacks found themselves in first place in the NL West with a 28-19 record. Since then, however, the entire division has taken a turn for the worse.

NL West Standings

On May 26 Since May 26
Diamondbacks 28-19 Padres 24-32
Padres 27-19 Rockies 23-34
Dodgers 23-22 Dodgers 23-34
Giants 23-22 Diamondbacks 22-35
Rockies 13-31 Giants 21-35

Since May 26, the five worst records in the National League belong to the five teams in the National League West.

* Mark Prior is coming off one of his lowest strikeout performances of his career.

Mark Prior, Fewest Strikeouts in Game, Career

Date Opponent K IP
6/9/04 Cardinals 1 3.2
7/15/04 Brewers 1 1.2
7/24/05 Cardinals 2 6.0

* Mark Prior certainly has been enjoying the friendly confines of Wrigley this season.

Lowest Opponent BA, at Home, Since 1997 Season
(min 200 batters faced)

2005 Mark Prior, Chc .170 (32/188)
2001 Pedro Martinez, Bos .172
1997 Randy Johnson, Sea .176
1999 Scott Williamson, Cin .176 (31/176)
2000 Pedro Martinez, Bos .181

* The Cubs have a significant power edge on the right side of the plate.

Home Runs From Righthanded Batters, 2005 Season

Arizona Diamondbacks 37 (fewest in NL)
Chicago Cubs 90 (most in NL)

Diamondbacks lefthanded hitters have hit 76 homers this season – third most in the majors.

* Javier Vazquez would love to get some run support today. In 21 starts this season, Vazquez has received less than two runs of support 10 times.

NL Pitchers, Most Starts, Less Than 2 Runs of Support, 2005

Brian Lawrence, SD 12
Javier Vazquez, Ari 10
Esteban Loaiza, Was 10
Kip Wells, Pit 10

* Tony Clark is hitting a home run every 12.1 at-bats this season, but he may want to stop hitting home runs now for the sake of consistency.

Tony Clark, Home Runs

2001 16
2003 16
2004 16
2005 16

Clark’s 2000 (13) and 2002 (3) home run output magically add up to 16 as well.

* Perhaps a start against the Diamondbacks will wake up Todd Hollandsworth’s bat.

Todd Hollandsworth, Highest Career Slugging % by Opponent
(min 50 AB)

Vs. Arizona Diamondbacks .655 (95/145)
San Diego Padres .553
Colorado Rockies .526
Milwaukee Brewers .521

Hollandsworth’s 12 career homers against the D’Backs are also the most he has hit against any opponent.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (47-56)
*Iowa was shut out for the second consecutive day by Tacoma, 6-0.
*DH Mike Fontenot went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles.
*Outfielder Corey Patterson had the night off.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (21-12)
*West Tenn beat Huntsville 7-4.
*RHP Carlos Marmol started and went 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and 1 run.
*1B Brandon Sing went 4-for-5 with a homer (his 22nd), two RBI and a pair of runs scored.
*RF Luis Montanez was also 4-for-5 with an RBI.

A - Daytona Cubs (13-20)
*Daytona edged Fort Myers 7-6.
*Cubs right-hander Alfredo Polanco gave up two runs in 2.0 innings of relief, but picked up his second win of the season.
*1B Brian Dopirak went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI.

A - Peoria Chiefs (15-19)
*Three Peoria pitchers combined for a 3-hit shutout in a 7-0 victory over Dayton, led by starting pitcher Grant Johnson who gave up only 2 runs and 2 hits over 6 innings.
*Nomar Garciaparra went 0-for-1 with a pair of walks.
*Ryan Harvey was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

A - Boise Hawks (18-19)
*Boise edged Vancouver 4-3.
*2B Jose Rios was 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
*LF Carlos Quinones went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (0-2)
*The Cubs lost to the Mariners 5-1.
*DH Nikolaus Crouch went 2-for-3 with a double.
*1B Russell Canzler was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

We talked about this during the rain delay the other night - do the Cubs need to add another bat before the trade deadline?

In my opinion, starting with the three games before the All-Star break down in Florida, if the Cubs offensively can have that same kind of approach for the remainder of the year, I think they are fine offensively.

Earlier in the year, we saw a lot of quick innings and a lot of short at-bats. But since that series in Florida, the team has shown a lot more patience. They've worked counts and made the opposing pitcher really work. I think we've seen the results as far as the win column goes.

Jim Hendry has taken some criticism for not making some of the moves that the fans thought he should make in the offseason. But one move that he made during the season, I think is going to pay big dividends and already has: Latroy Hawkins for Jerome Williams and David Aardsma. For Williams, all he has done is keep the team in the game every single time he has pitched.

Bob

* The Diamondbacks opened their season by taking two of three from the Cubs in Arizona. Dating back to last year, the D-Backs have won six of their last nine meetings with the Cubs.
* Arizona avoided a three-game sweep at Milwaukee by beating the Brewers 3-0 on Wednesday.
* In four career starts against the Cubs, Brandon Webb is 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA and .213 opponent batting average.
* Luis Gonzalez has gone deep nine times against Greg Maddux, making him the player with the most career home runs against the future Hall-of-Famer.
* The Cubs have won four of their last five following a 4-3 win over the Giants on Wednesday.
* Rookie Matt Murton went 5-for-6 (.833) at the plate in the three game series with the Giants. Murton is now hitting .481 (13/27) on the year.
* Jerome Williams has won his last two straight starts and is now 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA since the Cubs acquired him from the Giants on May 28. Previously, Williams was 0-2 with a 6.48 ERA in four games with the Giants this year.
* Derrek Lee is hitting .414 (48/116) in the seventh inning and later this season, the best mark in baseball.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (47-55)
*Iowa was shut out by Tacoma 2-0.
*RHP Jon Leicester took the loss (1-5) going 5.1 innings while allowing 2 runs on 6 hits.
*Catcher Geovany Soto was 2-for-3.
*Corey Patterson did not have an at-bat, he came in as a pinch-runner.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (20-12)
*West Tenn routed Huntsville 7-2.
*Ricky Nolasco picked up the win (10-1) with 7 innings of work. He did not allow a run and gave up only 2 hits.
*3B Casey McGehee went 2-for-5 with a double and 3 RBI.
*CF Dwaine Bacon was 1-for-3 with a double, stolen base and a pair of runs scored.

A - Daytona Cubs (12-20)
*Daytona beat Dunedin 2-1 in 12 innings.
*Cubs left-hander Jordan Gerk pitched 3.0 scoreless innings, picking up his third win of the season.
*1B Brian Dopirak went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
*Catcher Tony Richie was 2-for-4 with a double.

A - Peoria Chiefs (14-19)
*Game #1: Peoria beat Dayton 7-3 in the front-end of the doubleheader.
*Nomar Garciaparra went 1-for-4 with 2 RBI in his first game with Peoria.
*2B Eric Patterson was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and a stolen base.

Game #2: Peoria completed the sweep of the doubleheader with a 5-1 win over Dayton.
*RF Ryan Harvey went 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of runs scored.
*Catcher Oscar Bernard was 1-for-3 in the contest with 2 RBI.
*Garciaparra did not play in the nightcap.

A - Boise Hawks (17-19)
*Boise edged Vancouver 3-2.
*LF Jesus Valdez went 1-for-3 with a homer and 2 RBI.
*SS Kyle Reynolds was 2-for-3 with a double.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (0-1)
*The Cubs lost to the Giants 8-2.
*LF Ryan Episcopo was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
*3B David Seara went 1-for-4 with a double.

*Carlos Zambrano (7-4, 3.42) looks to repeat Friday night's brilliance as he leads the Cubs against the San Francisco Giants and Brett Tomko (7-10, 5.03) this afternoon on WGN-TV.
*Tomko has struggled on the road this year with a 2-7, 5.88 mark.
*Moises Alou leads the majors with .429 averagein day games, along with 6 HRs and 16 RBI.
*Derrek Lee went 2/5 last night to raise his average to .366 and his slugging % to .721. Both are Cub highs since 1960 through 100 games.
*Greg Maddux became the 13th member of the 3,000 strikeout club last night. He is the 9th pitcher to have both 300 wins and 3,000 Ks. The Cubs are the only franchise to have two pitchers reach the exclusive milestone in their uniform.
*Last night's 9:48pm starting time was the lastest in Wrigley Field history.
*Left-hander Rich Hill has been announced as the Cub starter for Saturday's game.
*Happy 50th birthday to Cub General Manager Jim Hendry.

While we all get up a bit blurry-eyed today, it was a fascinating night at Wrigley:

*Anyone who perpuates the stupid notion that Cub fans don't know baseball and are just at Wrigley for the sunshine ought to pay attention to last night. At least 30,000 fans stayed for the game and were rewarded with a magic moment when Greg Maddux caught Omar Vizquel looking to record his 3,000th strikeout. The crowd had been roaring wildly each time Maddux got to two strikes on a batter, then demanded and got a curtain call from Greg after the milestone. Definitely a goosebumps moment for any Cub fan.

*Whether you like or hate booing, you have to admire the passion of the crowd when LaTroy Hawkins was pitching. As Bob mentioned, there's no way for a pitcher to totally tune that out. The chanting of "Hawkins" was incredibly loud after Barrett led off the inning with a home run.

*Thanks to former Cub and Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow for entertaining us during the rain delay. The short version of our favorite Krukow story: he had just been called up to the majors and was running in the outfield when a fan in the bleachers kept hollering "Hey #40, what's your name?" After about the sixth time, Krukow hollered up "buy a program, meat." The retort from the fan floored Mike. "I did buy one and you're not in it!"

*Bruce Sutter flew in to sing the 7th Inning stretch on a night when they were giving away his replica 1979 jersey. Not only was he gracious enough to come on and help us fill the rain delay, he stayed for another interview after he sang. I wonder if he's available for the Leadoff Man today?

*For anyone who missed it, Nomar Garciaparra's rehab stint was delayed by a day as the Peoria Chiefs were rained out.

*After the press dining room shut down, the Cubs ordered in a batch of McDonald's sandwiches at around 10pm. Needless to say, the working media went through them like piranhas and a re-order was necessary shortly thereafter. Those cheeseburgers never had a chance.

*You know it's late when the fans in front of the press box stop chanting "Santo, Santo" and turn to "Masur, Masur". Andy got a great laugh out of it.

bob v

AAA - Iowa Cubs (47-54)
*Iowa lost to Tacoma 5-3.
*LHP John Koronka started and took the loss (7-9) allowing 4 runs and 6 hits in 7 innings of work.
*RHP Scott Williamson threw 1.0 inning, allowing a run on 1 hit while walking 1 and striking out 1.
*CF Corey Patterson was hitless in four at-bats.
*LF Calvin Murray was 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (19-12)
*West Tenn cruised past Huntsville 10-1 to reclaim first place in the Southern League’s North Division.
*LHP Renyel Pinto got the win (6-2) going 7 innings and allowing only 1 run.
*1B Brandon Sing went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer (21) and 4 RBI.
*CF Dwaine Bacon was 2-for-5 with a triple, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored.

A - Daytona Cubs (11-20)
*Daytona lost to Dunedin 5-1.
*C Jake Fox doubled and drove in a run, going 3-for-4 on the day.

A - Peoria Chiefs (12-19)
*Peoria’s game with Dayton was rained out, it will be made up as part of a doubleheader today as Nomar Garciaparra begins his rehab assignment.

A - Boise Hawks (16-19)
*Boise came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Yakima 5-3.
*Hawks right-hander Kyle Holden threw 3.0 scoreless innings to earn the win.
*RHP Jon Hunton struck out 2 and walked 2 in 1.1 innings to pick up his third save of the season.
*DH Carlos Quinones was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (10-17)
*The Cubs lost to the Brewers 5-3.
*LHP Aleurys Lopez allowed a pair of unearned runs over 2.1 innings to take the loss.
*1B Nikolaus Crouch doubled twice and drove in a run, going 2-for-4.

Hi Everyone, hope you've been enjoying the Cubs' thrilling wins the last few days. What a great finish Monday night! This is a huge week for any team with post-season aspirations with the non-waiver trade
deadline coming up Sunday. Teams can still make trades after July 31, but the players involved have to be passed through waivers first. From the Cubs' perspective, with Nomar hopefully coming back soon and with Scott Williamson on the mend as well, it will be like the Cubs are making two moves without having to actually make a trade.

Now, the Kerry Wood situation adds another dimension because it forces the Cubs to come up with another starter. Maybe Rich Hill will keep the job and the Cubs won't have to worry about it. And hopefully Kerry comes back not too far down the road and helps the bullpen. Those are "ifs" that don't have definitive answers at this point.

I know some people talk about more outfield help, specifically an outfielder who can put up some big offensive numbers. I certainly think Jim Hendry will consider doing that, but if he doesn't, I still
think this offense is good enough. The Cubs went into Monday night ranked 5th in the NL in runs. That's solid enough to get the job done.

I think pitching is the biggest issue, especially now with Kerry Wood on the DL. Again, guys like Hill and Williamson could be keys for the Cubs. And another guy is Jerome Williams, who has pitched well kind of
flying under the radar as the 5th starter.

We'll see what Jim Hendry has up his sleeve this week and again, remember that if he doesn't make a move this week he still has time to make a trade in August as well. It just gets slightly more complicated
at that point.

Len

Nolan Ryan 5714
Roger Clemens 4440
Randy Johnson 4292
Steve Carlton 4136
Bert Blyleven 3701 (how is he not in the Hall?)
Tom Seaver 3640
Don Sutton 3574
Gaylord Perry 3534
Walter Johnson 3508
Phil Niekro 3342
Fergie Jenkins 3192
Bob Gibson 3117
Greg Maddux 2998

*Greg Maddux goes for career strikeout 3,000 on WGN-TV at 7pm Central tonight vs. the San Francisco Giants.

* With two strikeouts on Tuesday, Greg Maddux will become the 13th member of the 3,000-strikeout club. He’d accomplish the feat despite never fanning more than 204 batters in any season, although he has shown finer control than the rest of the group.

Pitchers With 3,000 Strikeouts

Maddux Next Lowest by 3,000 Club
200+ SO Seasons 1 Phil Niekro, 3
Strikeout HIGH 204 (1998) Don Sutton, 217 (1969)
Walk HIGH 82 (1989) Fergie Jenkins, 83 (1967)

-- Maddux’ career strikeout-walk ratio is 3.36. Randy Johnson has the next-best rate among those pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts, with a mark of 3.22.

* Reaching the 3,000-strikeout plateau in July would seem to make sense for a pitcher who has excelled this month over the course of his career.

Most Wins in July – Since 1920

Greg Maddux 63-26 (.708)
Phil Niekro 62-38 (.620)
Early Wynn 60-48 (.556)
Lefty Grove 59-25 (.702)
Robin Roberts 59-33 (.641)

-- Whitey Ford (50-17, .746) and Don Drysdale (44-18, .710) are the only pitchers since 1920 with higher July winning percentages than Maddux (minimum 50 decisions).

* Noah Lowry has enjoyed five days of rest since his last start. Although terrific run support has helped hide the damage, Lowry has struggled when working on long rest this season.

Noah Lowry by Days of Rest – 2005
4 Days Rest 5+ Days Rest
ERA 3.71 (33/80.0) 6.69 (29/39.0)
BA Allowed .236 (71/301) .317 (52/164)
HR/9 IP 0.90 (8/80.0) 2.08 (9/39.0)
Run Support/9 IP 4.50 (40/80.0) 7.85 (34/39.0)
Record 4-7 2-3

* Maddux has remained a very efficient pitcher in 2005, in contrast to Lowry

Pitches per Batter – 2005

Greg Maddux 3.38 (fewest in NL)
Noah Lowry 4.06 (most in MLB)

Pitches per Start – 2005

Greg Maddux 87.3 (2nd fewest in NL)
Noah Lowry 105.7 (4th most in NL)

* Lowry will be facing a Cubs team that has shown considerable improvement against lefthanded pitching when compared to last season.

Cubs Vs LHP – 2004  2005

2004 2005 Increase (MLB rank)
BA .249 .288 (244/848) +.039 (2)
OBP .317 .348 (325/935) +.031 (6)
Slg .418 .504 (427/848) +.086 (1)

* In Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, the Cubs boast the majors’ most dynamic home run duo.

Team’s Leading Home Run Duos – 2005

Cubs 59 Derrek Lee (32), Aramis Ramirez (27)
Rangers 52 Mark Teixeira (27), Alfonso Soriano (25)
Red Sox 51 Manny Ramirez (27), David Ortiz (24)
Reds 49 Adam Dunn (28), Ken Griffey Jr. (21)
Yankees 47 Alex Rodriguez (27), Gary Sheffield (20)

* The Cubs’ offense has been most prolific when Jerry Hairston has started in the leadoff hole.

Cubs Team Runs per Game, by Starting Leadoff Hitter – 2005
(with NL ranks #)

Jerry Hairston 5.04 (3)
Neifi Perez 4.62 (9)
Corey Patterson 4.04 (19)

# -- Ranks based on 23 qualifiers with minimum 20 games started as leadoff hitter.
-- The Cubs scored three runs in one leadoff start by Jody Gerut.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (47-53)
*Iowa lost to Oklahoma 6-4.
*Cubs left-hander Cliff Bartosh gave up five runs in 3.0 innings of relief, suffering his first loss of the season.
*CF Corey Patterson was 1-for-5 with three strikeouts.
*DH Scott McClain went 2-for-4 with a homer (his 22nd) and a pair of runs scored.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (18-12)
*West Tenn resumes play today against Huntsville.

A - Daytona Cubs (11-19)
*Daytona lost to Dunedin in 13 innings.
*Cubs reliever Alfredo Polanco surrendered two runs in 1.0 inning, dropping his record to 1-2.
*CF Chris Walker went 3-for-6 with a homer and 4 RBI.

A - Peoria Chiefs (11-19)
*Peoria beat Dayton 4-1.
*Starting pitcher Mike Billek went 5 innings, giving up 1 run on 5 hits.
*RF Ryan Harvey went 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBI.
*DH Aaron Smith was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

A - Boise Hawks (15-19)
*Boise was edged 6-5 by Yakima in ten innings.
*Hawks right-hander Jose Ortiz suffered his first loss of the season, giving up 1 run in 0.1 innings.
*Catcher Jake Muyco went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (10-16)
*The Cubs resume play today against the Brewers.

While our announcers enjoy a well-deserved weekend off (hopefully Len doesn't melt at Lollapalooza), here's a bit of follow-up to some recent posts:

Stephen and Diana want to see pictures on the blog again. It will happen very soon - we've been slowed the last week by a lost digital camera by the clueless blogger here. If anyone in SW Wisconsin finds a Nikon with pictures of Bob and Len on it, please return to WGN. We've tried to keep a steady stream of photo galleries going througout the season. Sorry about the picture drought.

Brian asked about Jeromy Burnitz, who is now wearing batting gloves when he went barehanded earlier in the year. Jeromy told Len at the time that he goes with what feels best, and due to the heat and humidity, the gloves probably help his grip at this point in the year.

Karen wanted seating information for an upcoming game. Go to www.cubs.com and click on Wrigley Field for a seating chart.

There were some posts about missing comments. Profanity of any sort gets you dinged (including "sucks"). Everything else should get through - occasionally I nuke one accidentally while clearing out all the spam in the comments.

Hope everyone stays cool and the Cubs win in St. Louis tonight.

bob v

With the Cubs and Cardinals matching up tonight in St. Louis on what should be a scorching hot evening, I thought I'd give you a brief look at what my gameday routine will likely consist of prior to this big
matchup.

I'll leave for the park around 2:30 or so. It's a short cab ride to the stadium from our hotel. I've walked to Busch Stadium before, but on a hot day like this, I might lose 20 lbs if I do that!

I'll get to the park, head up the elevator to the press box and get my "stuff" situated in our broadcast booth. What that means is, I'll fire up my laptop, get my scorebook set up and all my myriad of colorful
pens (yes, I'm a bit anal about my scoring system...I use different colors for different things...more on my scorebook in a later post). I'll check for stat packs and game notes in the press box, which I will peruse for interesting nuggets.

Around 3:30 or so, I'll head down to the Cubs clubhouse. The first thing I do in the clubhouse is get the lineup. That's the #1 most important thing I have to get in each clubhouse. That's the basis for
everything else we do. Usually, after I get the lineups, I'll check with the Cubs media relations staff to see what's going on, if anything, with the team and when Dusty will meet with the media. Then,
I head back up to the press box and fill out the lineups in my book. It takes me roughly 30-45 minutes to fill in the lineups w/season stats and other notes. Then I'll head back down to the clubhouse or field and talk to players/coaches/managers. The first day in, I'll normally go to the other clubhouse or dugout and get the scoop on what's happening with the other team. I typically have a few questions based
on what I've read just to clarify what I hopefully already know about the club.

The rest of the time downstairs is spent with the Cubs. Sometimes I have specific questions I come prepared with for certain guys; other times I'll simply get into a conversation and something interesting will come out of that. Then, around 2 hours before the game, Dusty will meet with the media for 10-15 minutes in the dugout. There's always something noteworthy that comes out of those sessions, whether it's related to the lineup or that particular game. I assume tonight, Dusty will be asked about the importance of this series and I'm sure he'll also be asked about Kerry Wood's status. That session is very
important in that whatever news there is that day usually is either analyzed or at least discussed by Dusty.

Around 90 minutes prior to air time, I'll head back up to the booth and go through the rest of the game notes and chat with Bob about what's going on. Pete Toma (producer), Marc Brady (associate producer) and
Skip Ellison (director) will likely stop by as well to discuss the open to the show and any other things we might want to focus on during the broadcast. Then, it's off to the dining room for a quick meal.

After dinner, I head to the men's room to...well, make myself look presentable...we'll just leave it at that!

Then we tape the open around 20 minutes before airtime. Then a few minutes to tie up any loose ends and eventually, a big baseball game to call. I'm so lucky.

Len

Monday, July 25th - Debbie Gibson - (80’s night)
Tuesday, July 26th - Bruce Sutter
Wednesday, July 27th - Denis Savard
Thursday, July 28th - American Girl Theatre Players - American Girl Day
Friday, July 29th - Ron Zook
Saturday July 30th - Gale Sayers
Sunday, July 31st- Mark Moses - Desperate Housewives

* The Cardinals have really beaten up the Cubs in their games in St. Louis for most of the last decade. Going back almost exactly nine calendar years, the Cards have won 48 of the last 63 home games over their division rival, and have outscored the Cubs by two runs per game in the process.

Cubs Vs. Cardinals in St. Louis – Last 63 Games
(since 7/21/96)

ChC StL
Wins 15 48
Runs PG 3.4 (214/63) 5.4 (339/63)
BA .239 (512/2144) .270 (556/2057)
HR 54 90
SB/CS 17/17 46/15
ERA 5.22 (309/532.2) 3.09 (198/577.0)
Bullpen ERA 6.04 (112/167.0) 2.36 (46/175.1)

* This season, two clubs (Cardinals and White Sox) are pummeling the teams in their own division more than any team has ever done since divisional play began in 1969.

Best Record Vs. Same Division -- Since 1969

2005 White Sox Vs AL Central .816 (31-7)
2005 Cardinals Vs NL Central .738 (31-11)
1994 Mariners Vs AL West .731 (19-7)
1995 Indians Vs AL Central .725 (37-14)
1995 Reds Vs NL Central .714 (35-14)

* The Cardinals will be counting the days until Yadier Molina is back behind the plate, though the time off may have the residual positive effect of keeping him fresher for the playoffs.

Cardinals With & Without Molina in Starting Lineup – 2005

With Without
Team W-L 51-22 10-12
Win Pct .699 .455
Runs PG 5.3 4.3 (95/22)
BA .272 .261 (197/756)
ERA 3.24 3.88 (85/197.0)

* One of the hidden aspects of Derrek Lee’s remarkable season has been his ability to take his show on the road. So far this year, he has the second-highest average on the road in the Divisional Play era (since 1969).

Highest BA on the Road in a Season – 1969  2005
(minimum 200 road PA)

Ichiro Suzuki, 2004 Sea .405
Derrek Lee, 2005 ChC .393 (72/183)
Tony Gwynn, 1994 SD .387
Barry Bonds, 2002 SF .386
Cecil Cooper, 1980 Mil .386

* Albert Pujols has a slight lead over Lee in the runs scored category, one of the few that the latter does not lead. Pujols is looking to become the first player in almost 30 years to lead his league in runs in three consecutive seasons (Pete Rose – 1974-76).

* Chris Carpenter has not lost since the eighth of June. In the six subsequent starts, he has allowed a grand total of two runs, both coming via solo homers (Felipe Lopez, Alex Cintron).

Carpenter – Last Six Starts

W-L 6-0
ERA 0.36 (2/50.2)
BA Allowed .121 (20/165)
K/W Ratio 7.7 (54/7)

In the Divisional Play era (since 1969), no Cardinal starter has allowed a lower ERA or batting average over a six-start span.

* Meanwhile, in his four career starts at Busch Stadium, Carlos Zambrano can almost match Carpenter’s recent run.

Zambrano at Busch Stadium – Career

Starts 4
W-L 1-1
ERA 0.61 (2/29.2)
BA Allowed .191 (21/110)

Albert Pujols has just five hits in 23 career at-bats versus Zambrano, though it should be noted that two of those hits left the yard. That .217 average is the slugger’s lowest mark against any pitcher (minimum 20 AB).

AAA - Iowa Cubs (46-50)
*Iowa lost to Albuquerque 5-1.
*John Koronka started and allowed 5 runs on 11 hits in 7 innings.
*CF Corey Patterson went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
*3B Scott McClain was 2-for-3 with a double.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (16-11)
*West Tenn was shut out by Tennessee 4-0.
*Renyel Pinto took the loss (5-2, 2.20) going 7 innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits.
*RF Luis Montanez went 1-for-3 with a double.

A - Daytona Cubs (8-17)
*Yesterday’s game between Daytona and Brevard County was suspended due to a power outage in the sixth inning. The Cubs resume play today against Brevard County.

A - Peoria Chiefs (11-16)
*Peoria lost to Lansing 7-6 in 10 innings.
*Chiefs right-hander Drew Dickson gave up two runs in 0.1 innings pitched, suffering his first loss of the season.
*RF Ryan Harvey went 1-for-4 with a homer (17) and a pair of runs scored.

A - Boise Hawks
*Boise routed Yakima 10-1.
*CF David Gregg went 4-for-5 with four runs scored, a double, homer and 4 RBI.
*1B Elvin Puello was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (8-15)
*The Cubs lost to the Padres 7-4 in extra innings.
*CF Randy Brown went 1-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, a double and an RBI.
*Cubs right-hander Jordan Crews gave up 4 runs in 2.0 innings of relief, dropping his record to 1-2.

We've been having fun talking a lot lately both on and off the air about superstitions in baseball.

We were talking about superstitions and no-hitters the other day and that always takes me back to Randy Johnson's perfect game. This is how crazy you can get thinking about things like that - I had happened to be sitting on the bat rack in Atlanta with my hand on Matt Kata's bat in the rack. It crossed my mind "gee, he's got a no-hitter going". So I took my knuckle and knocked on the knob of Matt Kata's bat, knock on wood for luck. Randy retired the next batter, so I thought I better not slight the baseball gods. I knock on the knob again for the next hitter and so on for the rest of the ballgame. My knuckles were raw and bruised. They were sore the next day, but you just get in that frame of mind where you don't dare change anything. Now obviously this had no effect on how Randy Johnson was pitching or how the Atlanta Braves were hitting, but in my mind, I had to continue to do what it was I did when things were going well and that thought crossed my mind. Our players were aware that I hadn't moved. Generally, in the course of a game, there were two or three spots I would move around to try and change our luck, but once I found that perch on the bat rack, that was it. I sat there the rest of the game.

I don't know if it's really superstition as much as it is an overwhelming belief in the baseball gods. They have a tendency to take those who disrespect the game and slap you around, so I always paid the proper respect to them.

It's just like a hitter who gets into a hot streak and the writers come down after the game to ask him about it. You will hear a lot of the same cliches: "I've better getting good pitches to hit and put a good swing on them." The baseball gods will accept that. But if you say: "Yeah, I am raking. I am the best hitter in the league right now", you've got a big O-fer coming. It's automtatic.

Bob

On Saturday, July 30, WGN-TV will present "Ryne Sandberg: Second To None", a live half-hour special from Cooperstown, NY, where Sandberg will be enshrined into Baseball's Hall of Fame the next day. Host Dan Roan will be joined by Rich King on the show, which will feature a retrospective of Sandberg's illustrious career.

At 1pm that day, WGN-TV will also feature an encore airing of "This Old Cub" presented by the Chicagoland and NW Indiana Chevy Dealers. At 3pm, the Cubs host the Arizona Diamondbacks on WGN, followed by the Sandberg special.

Following up on a few posts:

Tony wanted to know about the Cubs offseason trip to Disney. It is scheduled December 1-5 and it is too early to have a list of players attending. Contact AAA travel at 1-866-4AAA-CUBS if you are interested in attending.

Ruth had a question about Derrek Lee and the Triple Crown. Lee needs to lead the National League in all three categories to win the Triple Crown, not the majors.

Cassie wondered how to become a Walgreens bat kid. The contest info can be found at http://wgnradio.com/contests/batkidsrules.htm.

Robert and Holly both found the Vince Vaughn post distasteful, which is certainly their right. We have lots of folks who don't necessarily see every game, so we try and give them a flavor of some of things like our celebrity guests. Our take on the 7th inning is that we enjoy it - we try to make sure the so-so singer/guests don't interrupt the game, but the great ones are a lot of fun. Robert also mentions that he will get his info from Pat & Ron which is fine, although I would caution not to listen in the 6th then, since that is when they interview the celebrity guest each home game.

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday and that Kerry Wood can keep the Cubs on a roll.

bob v

We caught up with new Cubs outfielder Jody Gerut before last night's game. Although he grew up a Sox fan in the western suburbs, Jody is thrilled to be a Cub.

What was your reaction to the trade?
Shock. I was totally shocked by it, but I started to think about it and I just got real excited. To be back home playing in Chicago in front of my friends and family, the chance to go to Al's Beef and Mario's Lemonade - it's going to be great.

You grew up a Sox fan in Lombard, but your Dad was a Cubs fan so he has to be very excited.
His dream for me was for me to play for the Cubs in a World Series so now half of that dream has been fulfilled. I'm going to do my best to get the other half going.

The chance to go to Wrigley Field every day and do my job is so ideal that I can't even talk about it. It's unbelievable. I've got a lot of friends that are very jealous that this is what I'm doing for a living. I get paid to do this and it's going to be awesome.

Thought I'd tackle some recent posts today:

FROM ALEX: During yesterday's game, someone mentioned how the Reds led the National League in home runs AND strikeouts...Seems to me like a Catch 22 but it is evident that the Reds are suffering more so from
their strikeouts as opposed to benefitting from their massive power with only 38 wins to show for their efforts. With that said the Reds are always very pesky against the Cubs but I'm looking for the Cubs to
take 3 of 4 from Cincy.

LEN: Alex, the bottom line is this--the Reds entered this series 2nd in the NL in runs. Their offense is plenty good enough. The strikeouts are an off-shoot of a HR-hitting offense. The Reds' problem is simple--they haven't pitched well.

FROM DIANA: Since the Cubs are playing the Reds again, can you re-air the play from the April 18th Cubs vs Reds game involving Adam Dunn? In
the bottom of the 8th inning, things got weird and ugly. No outs and the Reds have the bases loaded, game tied at 5 apiece. Adam Dunn is the runner at second base. The batter hits the one bouncer to the Cub's
Ramirez, who tags third base for the force and throws the ball to the catcher Barrett who tags the runner for an out at home plate. Then Barrett spots activity heading to third and throws the ball that direction (for a potential triple play perhaps?) but it was a bad toss and rebounds off the wall. The runner from second base (Dunn) finishes rounding the bases and touches home plate. This was one of the weirdest
moments in this year's Cubs season.

LEN: Diana, yes, it was a bizarre play and I was upset at myself for not nailing it as it happened. Dunn was already forced at third, so Barrett's throw was unnecessary in the first place. Eventually we
figured out what happened. What a game...you always see something you've never seen before!

FROM DIANA (SAME ONE?): CHICAGO -- Greg Maddux is six strikeouts away from becoming the 13th member of the 3,000-strikeout club, and the Chicago Cubs pitcher also would become the ninth with 300 wins and
3,000 Ks.
Will the Cubs have herald trumpets play fanfares for this achievement? I love it when they play at Wrigley. Saw them play for Ron Santo's number retirement ceremony and also for Maddux's 300th win ceremony.
Trumpet fanfares mean something wonderful has happened. Love those fanfares!

LEN: Diana, he's so close that he might do it Thursday @ Cincinnati. I know one thing - Greg won't make a big deal of it. He downplayed his 300th win last year and likely will do the same with his 3,000th
strikeout. I believe Fergie Jenkins is the only guy to have 3,000 Ks and fewer than 1,000 walks. Maddux will soon join him.

FROM LENNY (I LIKE THE NAME!): THREE OF FOUR.... THREE OF FOUR....
This needs to be our MANTRA this week. Continue to win series and let those other teams beat up on each other. We have to take advantage of the weak Sally's of the division and make a move.

LEN: Hey Lenny, first of all, any team can be dangerous, particularly a powerful offensive club like the Reds. The bottom line for the Cubs is, it's not who they play, but how they play. If the Cubs are playing like this against the Cardinals, they'll do well. When the Cubs are clicking, they're as good as anybody. It's finding that consistency that's been the issue. Hopefully it's all comng together for an
extended run here.

FROM LEO: hey bloggers who are in are little contest to see who wins the 2nd half mvp,i went out and bought a cubs calender(ya i know big spender huh,lol) and after every game im gonna inital the persons name
whos player did the best every game and what the player did that way at the end i can kinda tally it up. gives me somin fun to do. boy can you
tell i got a busy life ha!!!anyway im not gonna say it everyday but like yesteday lenny would get the point or win or whatever,you know what i mean. then again at the end we all will prolly have all diffrent views on who won,that outta be interesting.i dont want everyone to think im taking it really serious,its all in fun,isnt it great to be a cubbie fan!!!!go cubs.oh ya and nomar when you get back HURRY UP!

Posted by leo s. at July 18, 2005 02:29 PM

LEN: Leo, have fun with this...I'll take Derrek Lee!

FROM CARRIE: I agree Bob, Cinci is a dangerous team -- any team that is rebuilding and has nothing to lose is a scary proposition. The Cubs *should* handle them well, but they'd better be careful not to let their guard down....we gotta keep the good mojo working!

Cake, Napoleon Dynamite, and your discussion on how to properly worship the baseball gods....you are too funny. You crack me up at least once each show -- I don't know if poor Len can keep up sometimes! :) You
guys are doing such a great job, thanks for making the games so entertaining.

GO CUBBIES!!!!!!!!!!!

LEN: Carrie, would you believe I'm actually younger than Bob? Sometimes he makes me feel like I'm 100 years old, he's so hip! Bob's the best...

FROM CHARLIE: The Dubois for Gerut trade is a sound one. Dubois has had previous chances to show that he deserves to be on the roster for the Cubs and has never quite made an impression. He sure looks like he's got a lot of power, but the strikeouts have been too many and the defense lacking. In the mean time, Murton has been looking great and has certainly got a spark that Dubois has not shown, so the need to
hold on to Dubois for the future has been steadilly dwindling. I have nothing against Dubois, but I certainly would rather trade the guy who has had chances to play and is still not proven than trade someone like Corey or Holly who have done great things for us in the past, and who seem to have some fire, even if Corey hasn't always shown it.

LEN: Charlie, I love this trade. Dubois can play some OF and DH w/Cleveland (i.e., he's well-suited for the AL) while Gerut is a solid player who can play anywhere in the OF. Plus, he's a Chicago guy, so
welcome home to Jody. It will be interesting to see where he plays and how much he plays. He has some speed, some pop and will take walks.

* The Cubs have now won 11 of their last 17 meetings with the Reds after their victory Monday night. Offensive production has been the key to the Cubs success.

Cubs vs. Reds, Last 17 Games

Cubs Reds
W 11 6
Batting Avg. .299 (187/625) .223 (131/588)
Slugging .570 (356/625) .393 (231/588)
Home Runs 44 22
Runs/Game 7.12 4.53

* The Cubs have followed an eight-game losing streak, their longest losing streak since dropping nine straight between May 8 - 18, 2002, by winning seven of their last eight.

Chicago Cubs, Last 16 Games

Last 8 Games Previous 8 Games
W-L 7-1 0-8
ERA 2.25 (18/72.0) 5.83 (46/71.0)
Opp BA .179 (45/252) .300 (85/203)
Batting Avg. .349 (103/295) .225 (61/271)

* Derrek Lee went deep twice Monday night and is now just two home runs behind his career best of 32 which he set last year.

Biggest Increase SLG, 2004 - 2005

2004 2005 Diff
Derrek Lee, ChC .504 .734 .230
Brian Roberts, Bal .376 .579 .203
Morgan Ensberg, Hou .411 .596 .185

* Ken Griffey Jr., who has reached base safely in 21 straight games, has turned his season around after a slow start.

Griffey - First 43 Games vs. Last 44 Games, 2005

Thru 5/24 5/25 & Since
Batting Avg .240 (40/167) .342 (54/158)
Slugging Pct .425 (71/167) .671 (106/158)
Home Runs 6 14
Runs 18 37
* Righty thrower Mark Prior has proven almost unhittable for lefthanders.

Best Opponent Batting Average vs. Lefthanders, 2005

Matt Wise, Mil .136 (11/81)
Mark Prior, ChC .151 (19/126)
Scott Schoenewis, Tor .154 (10/65)
Joe Nathan, Min .156 (12/77)
Rich Harden, Oak .169 (22/130)

* The Cubs belted five home runs in their win Monday night and now trail Reds by just one (121 to 120) for the National League lead. However, both teams’ pitching staffs have also given up their fair share of long balls.

Percent of Total Runs Allowed from Home Runs, 2005

HR-R Runs PCT
Philadelphia Phillies 195 442 .441
Toronto Blue Jays 172 401 .429
Cincinnati Reds 228 540 .422
Milwaukee Brewers 163 398 .410
Chicago Cubs 165 405 .407

* Adam Dunn is hitting just .194 (7/36) since July 4 with six of his seven hits in that stretch going for extra bases.

Highest Percent of Hits that are Extra Base Hits, 2005
(Min 3.1 PA/G)

XBH Hits PCT
Adam Dunn, Cin 45 72 .625
Jason Lane, Hou 37 70 .529
Jim Edmonds, StL 37 71 .521
Jay Gibbons, Bal 38 73 .521
Morgan Ensberg, Hou 46 90 .511

Dunn has hit more home runs against the Cubs (19) than any other team.

* Jeromy Burnitz has loved traveling to Cincinnati since the Reds moved into Great American Ball Park.

Highest Career Slugging Pct. at Great American Ball Park
(minimum 30 PA)

Jeromy Burnitz 1.059 (36/34)
Ryan Klesko .935
Randall Simon .848
Hee-Seop Choi .839

AAA - Iowa Cubs (44-49)
*Iowa was shut out by Albuquerque 4-0.
*CF Corey Patterson went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks, one strikeout and a stolen base.
*Left-hander Raul Valdez started and took the loss, giving up 10 hits and 4 runs in 5.1 innings.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (13-10)
*Three Diamond Jaxx pitchers combined for a 3-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over Tennessee.
*Right-hander Carlos Marmol evened his record at 2-2 by tossing 7 innings of 2-hit ball.
*2B Ryan Theriot went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and 3 RBI.
*1B Matt Craig was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and his 10th homer.

A - Daytona (8-16)
*Game #1: Daytona beat Sarasota 6-2 in the front end of the doubleheader.
*3B Scott Moore went 1-for-4 with a double, 2 RBI and a stolen base.
*SS Carlos Rojas was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
*Game #2: Daytona shut out Sarasota 1-0 to sweep the doubleheader.
*LF Jeff Culpepper went 1-for-2 with the lone run scored.
*Cubs right-hander Nate Sevier pitched 1.0 scoreless inning, picking up his fourth save of the season.

A - Peoria Chiefs (11-14)
*Peoria routed Cedar Rapids 15-4.
*Right-hander Sean Gallagher improved to 10-3 by going 6 innings, allowing 6 hits and 3 runs. His ERA is 2.03.
*LF Bo Flowers went 3-for-5 with a pair of homers and 5 RBI.
*SS Anthony Granato was 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored, a homer and 5 RBI.
*Ryan Harvey hit his 16th HR.

A - Boise Hawks (11-16)
*Boise was edged by Eugene 14-13 in extra innings.
*Hawks right-hander Jon Hunton gave up one run in 1.0 inning of relief, suffering his first loss of the season.
*3B Brandon Taylor went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a homer and 3 RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (8-13)
*The Cubs lost to the Angels 6-5.
*Right-handed reliever Erik Foor gave up one run in 0.1 innings, dropping his record to 0-1.
*RF Deryck Lewis went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.

The Reds have been rebuilding for a few years without much success. I think they've got a few areas they need to address. Number one, they changed ballparks. They had a ballclub that looked like they were going to try and build around speed and Adam Dunn's power, but now it looks like they are trying to go straight power with Willy Mo Pena, Austin Kearns back, and a lot of guys that can hit the ball out of the ballpark. I think they are a team in transition as for what kind of team they want in their new stadium.

The Cubs have to be careful as the Reds look at new players. It's a dangerous proposition because you get guys up from the minor leagues or have the chance to play regularly for the first time in their careers, and they will try to take every advantage of that opportunity. They have some guys who are very hungry who want to show what they can do. From a team perspective, they are a definitely a ballclub that's been struggling all year long and those are the type of teams that you have to go in and keep them down.

The Great American Ballpark is a huge improvement over Riverfront Stadium with the astroturf and the cookie-cutter 70's ballpark that seemed to flourish for awhile. This ballpark has a lot of character, although pitchers cannot enjoy pitching there. I'm not sure how you build a pitching staff that's suited to pitch in that park. The infield grass is very fast, the outfield fences are very short, and it seems that the wind blows out all the time. Everything about the ballpark seems to work against the pitchers. Let's hope the Cubs hitters can make them pay.

Bob

Actor Vince Vaughn was the guest conductor for yesterday's 7th inning stretch at Wrigley Field and spent some time with us in the booth. It was Vince's third time leading the crowd in "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" and he proudly noted before grabbing the mike that the Cubs are 3-0 in those games. He promised to bring that luck back for the playoffs this fall if the Cubs can find a way to get in. Here are some bits of Vince's visit:

Len: Your new hit movie hit the theatres, Cubs are winning 8-1, you got to throw out the first pitch and then sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", not a bad place to be.
Vince: Except for the singing. I apologize to the people for making them suffer. But, it's fun to be out there.
Bob: I don't think they suffered too much. They joined right in.
Vince: Aw, don't stop it, you know I'm fishing for compliments.

Len: You grew up in Lake Forest and you were class president.
Vince: Yeah, I was the only person who ever almost had to run for two terms. I almost didn't graduate. Part of the reason I ran for class president was to help me graduate. The class president speaks at the end of the year - they can't hold him back so why not give it a shot? Right after I graduated I went out to California and didn't go to college. I just started auditioning for stuff until me and Favreau made "Swingers".

Len: Tell us about "The Breakup" (currently filming in
Chicago with Jennifer Anniston). Where are you in the filming?
Vince: We're about halfway through - it's halftime. We're gonna plan on coming back in February about Valentine's Day. It's going really well. We have a bunch of great actors here and there's nowhere to be like Chicago, especially in the summertime. It's the best place in the world. You've got such friendly people here. I've put on about ten pounds here this summer because the food is so good and everyone has had a great time being here.

Vince: It's a lot hotter on that field than it is not on the field.
Len: It's the sun.
Vince: The sun? No, in the stands it's not as hot as it is on the field and I understand the sun plays a factor. That part I grasp. (laughter all around).
Len: That's a good question.
Vince: That's a great question. In fact, I'm going to ask it again. Why is so hot?
Bob: That's the energy down there. It just comes off the game itself.
Vince: Now I like the way you're talking brother. I like that language my man.

What a pleasure it's been to watch two wide-eyed rookies experience the big leagues for the first time - Matt Murton and Adam Greenberg. To be honest, it's become one of my favorite parts of the job -getting to watch guys make their major league debuts. They're always so excited about being in The Show that they're normally just about speechless.

Now, in Murton and Greenberg's case, they've had two different experiences. Greenberg's debut was marred by a very scary incident in which he was hit by the first pitch he ever saw as a big leaguer and is currently on the DL recovering from a concussion. The amazing thing is, he has remained as giddy and positive about his big league time as he was before that scary beaning. Forunately, he's feeling better physically every day.

In Murton's case, he had a great debut--2 hits, knocked in a run and helped the Cubs start their winning streak. He's going to play mostly vs. lefthanded starters in basically a platoon in left field. Matt said something the other day that I found interesting - he said that while he's VERY excited to be here, he wants to produce and help this team win first. I thought it was a rather mature comment from a rookie. Most say, "I'm just happy to be here," but Murton is very clear about it - this is all about the team and helping the Cubs on the field and he understands that it's all about production.

One thing for sure is that Murton and Greenberg both clearly understand what an honor it is to be in the big leagues AND to wear a Cubs uniform.

Len

*Today on WGN, the Cubs try to win the finale against the Pirates at Wrigley Field. Carlos Zambrano (6-4, 3.85) goes for the Cubs against Kip Wells (6-9, 4.46) of Pittsburgh.
*Zambrano is 3-1 at home in 8 starts this year with a 2.62 ERA.
*The Cubs are an even 45-45 on the season thus far. In their 45 wins, they have a team ERA of 2.37 and a .305 average. It's a different story in their 45 losses - the ERA is 6.24 and the batting average is .238.
*Cub pitching leads the majors in strikeouts with 696. The staff has led the major leagues in K's the last four seasons.
*In the last six games, Cub starters have allowed just 8 earned runs in 44.1 innings of work for a 1.61 ERA.
*The Pirates recalled outfield Chris Duffy today from Indianapolis. Craig Wilson was placed on the DL with a broken hand after being hit with a Greg Maddux pitch yesterday.
*Kip Wells has lost 5 of his last 6 starts.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (43-48)
*Iowa lost to Omaha 5-4. John Koronka started and went 6 innings, giving up 4 hits and 3 runs.
*Corey Patterson went 2/5 with a pair of runs scored and a stolen base.
*1B Scott McClain was a double short of the cycle, going 3/3 with a triple, homer, and 3 RBI. He is second in the PCL with 20 home runs.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (12-9)
*West Tenn took a doubleheader from Mississippi 9-3 and 4-3.
*Renyel Pinto went five innings to start the opener, giving up only 3 hits and no runs.
*OF Luis Montanez was 2-4 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBI.
*Aaron Sisk hit his first HR of the season.
*In the nightcap, Andrew Shipman picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief.
*Shortstop Buck Coats went 4/4 with 3 doubles and an RBI.

A - Daytona Cubs (6-15)
*Yesterday's game between Daytona and Sarasota was postponed due to rain.

A - Peoria Chiefs (9-14)
*Three Chiefs pitchers combined for a 5-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over Cedar Rapids.
*3B Aaron Smith went 3/4 with a solo HR.
*Walt Nolen started and got the win, throwing five innings of two-hit ball.

A - Boise Hawks (11-14)
* The Hawks routed Eugene 12-7.
*DH Elvin Puello was 3/4 with a double and 3 RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (7-12)
*The Cubs beat the Brewers 11-6.
*LF Deryck Lewis went 5/5.

With the second half of the season underway, we asked Len and Bob to take a moment and share some thoughts on the first half of their first season together.

Favorite Derrek Lee moment
Len: The 4-4 with 2 HRs @ Pittsburgh after a 1-13 weekend @ Washington. We wondered if Derrek was going into a slump. NOPE!
Bob: Every day he steps out of the dugout with a bat in his hand. I've never seen a player as hot for an extended period as he's been. Every time he steps to the plate, I expect something great.

I didn't know at Wrigley that...
Bob: The traffic was this bad right after the game. As a visiting player or manager, you don't leave here till about an hour and a half after game time on a bus that's led out into traffic. It's been tough to get home after games.
Len: The ivy grew so quickly in the spring. It seemed like the lush, green ivy appeared overnight. And that the regulars in the bleachers don't like to be called "Bleacher Bums." They prefer "Regulars." I read that in Sports Illustrated.

My favorite city to visit so far has been...
Len: I usually enjoy most of the cities, but New York is always great and that Southern California trip of LA and San Diego is pretty cool too.
Bob: Can I say Chicago? For the first part of the season, it still felt like I was going to a road game. Now, it feels like home and I promise to give a better answer in the second half.

I was really surprised that...
Bob: The attitude of the Cubs fans has changed considerably since I worked here 15 years ago. They are more demanding, they expect more, and I think that's fine.
Len: After 1 or 2 broadcasts people were recognizing me around town already.

The best game of the year was...
Len: The 2-0 win at U.S. Cellular Field to win the series against the Sox. Prior's performance was tremendous--Williams and Dempster shut down the Sox as well--and struggling Corey Patterson hit the game-winning HR.
Bob: I want to take this first win after the All-Star break. The Cubs started to build some momentum in Florida against a very tough team that is looking forward to the post-season themselves. They were able to come back after three days off and keep it going, so I want to go with that one.

2nd favorite Derrek Lee moment
Bob: I'd have to say the night he went 5-5 in Los Angeles. Derrek, for the great year he's had, until recently before the All-Star break had not gotten the credit he deserves. Doing that in Los Angeles, in front of their writers and media, went a long way toward establishing him as a national player to reckoned with.
Len: The walkoff HR vs. the Mets at Wrigley...crushed to left-center with the wind blowing in.

Most surprising person you've heard from
Len: Probably Ernie Harwell right after I got the job, but to be honest, considering what a wonderful person he is, it wasn't that surprising. Let's just say I wasn't expecting his call!
Bob: My college baseball coach's daughter who I had not seen since she was probably seven years old and is now in her 30s. I ran into her at producer Pete Toma's wedding.

Best sign you've seen
Bob: The one at U.S. Cellular where the wife was a Cub fan and her husband was a Sox fan. Her sign pointed to him and said "I'm With Stupid."
Len: Anything that spells out WGN on it because we usually find time to put it on the air!

Favorite 7th inning guest
Len: Bonnie Hunt on the first homestand. She's a big Cubs fan, she's from Chicago and she had so much fun with it. She just totally got into it.
Bob: I got a big kick out of Joe Nichols. I'm not a big country and western guy, but he did a great job singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". One of the hardest belly laughs I've had all year is when he told us the name of his new hit single "Tequila Makes Your Clothes Fall Off". That was a lot of fun.

Best meal you've had on the road
Bob: I'd have to say the pizza in New York and I had a couple different ones.
Len: I had a great steak in NYC (can't remember the name of the place...I'm bad remembering stuff like that).

3rd favorite Derrek Lee moment
Len: I saved the best for last--not only beating out Albert Pujols at 1B, but getting the MOST votes of any NL All-Star.
Bob: The home run into the wind against the Mets. I still don't know how he got that one out.

I can't believe I said...
Bob: I did it several times early in the season calling Jerry Hairston "Scott" Hairston, because his brother Scott played for me in Arizona. I've called Jose Macias "Henry" Macias countless times because I played ball in the minors with Henry Macias. Hopefully, I've ironed that out.
Len: Kasmir, Indiana (that's India Len, you dope!)

Biggest disappointment
Len: It's gotta be Corey Patterson. We're rooting hard from him, but it's been tough to watch him struggle so much.
Bob: Corey Patterson. I don't mean to beat up on the guy, but there's obviously a world of talent just waiting there to come out. I was hoping this would be the year and it may still be.

If I had it to do over again, I'd tell Jeff Gordon...
Bob: Two simple words: lip synch.
Len: I'd pull a Maurice Cheeks and grab the microphone and help him through it! I thought about it after the fact, but it wouldn't have been appropriate. Gotta let 'em do it their way. If it's a kid who's nervous, that's one thing. But I assumed he at least kinda knew the song.

Favorite Derrek Lee moment that didn't happen on the field
Len: Selfishly, when I saw him for the first time at spring training. He was so good to me in Florida and I was really pumped about being around him everyday again. He's as good a person in this game as you'll find. And as a player, he deserves all the accolades he's getting and then some.
Bob: Derrek Lee calls me Mr. Brenly every day. I'm not sure if he's being a smart-aleck or if it's respect and I'm afraid to ask him!

The best part of living in Chicago has been...
Bob: Just the people. The energy and enthusiasm that comes from this ballpark and the people who come here to watch their beloved Cubs - there's nothing like it in baseball.
Len: Where do I start! It's the best city in the world--what's not to enjoy? It has everything...I think if I had to pick one thing--it's a HUGE city, but it's not as pushy as other big cities. The people are just incredibly nice.

No one at WGN told me...
Len: ...just how vast our reach is. I mean, I was told how big the Cubs and WGN are around the country, but until you experience it firsthand, you don't really have a grasp on just how huge the Cubs and the Superstation are nationwide (and beyond for that matter).
Bob: ...that we'd have to do 10th inning shows.

???? is going to have a huge second half:
Bob: Wood and Prior. Both of those guys are poised to have big second halves.
Len: Mark Prior. No doubt in my mind.

So far this year, I have been mistaken for...
Len:....Bob Brenly's intern.
Bob: Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh. It's good for free donuts or a free beer from time to time. It happens without fail. In Atlanta, which is a hotbed for NASCAR, there's still people who say I remind them of Dale Earnhardt. I've thrown away my highway patrol sunglasses just to avoid that.

Favorite Cub highlight by someone other than Derrek Lee
Bob: The diving, sliding catch that Corey Patterson made against the Brewers, then he got to his feet and threw to second for a double play. At that moment in the game and the way the fans were into it, I thought that was a great moment.
Len: Dempster's emergence as the closer.

Some answers to various posts from the past few days:

Ann in Texas asked about no names on the back of the home jerseys and wants WGN to put them back on. Ann, we don't control that - the Cubs do. In the offseason, the team decided to return to a more traditional, classic home look with just the numbers on the back, much like Boston and NY Yankees.

Ross wondered about the announcers' shirts. We don't sell these, but the good folks at Ashworth are the providers of the shirts you see Len and Bob wear on WGN.

Stephen Verhaeren wondered if it was correct that the Marlins return to Wrigley Field next month for a third series this year with the Cubs. It's true - one of the vagaries of the unbalanced schedule combined with interleague play.

Brant asked about the Henry Blanco number change. As Henry explained in our postgame interview that day, he wore 24 in winter ball and had some success, so he decided to try and change his luck at the All-Star break. After his success Thursday, Bob B. wondered if there would be a stampede of players wanting to make a change, but so far no one has!

Margaret wants to remind Len and Bob that they promised to shave their heads if the Cubs win nine in a row. Actually, the bet is for ten wins in a row - Bob has to shave his mustache and Len has to grow one.

We get calls and letters from time to time about the Southwest Airlines "How Far Did It Fly" contest. It's only for WGN home games.

bob v

*Greg Maddux (8-6, 4.67) goes for career win #314 as he and the Cubs face Pittsburgh on WGN today at 3p. The Pirates send rookie lefthander Zach Duke (1-0, 1.93) to the mound.
*The Cubs look to extend their winning streak to six games. Their longest winning streak of the year was seven, 5/27-6/2.
*Maddux is closing in on the 3,000 strikeout milestone. He enters today's start with 2,988. Maddux would join Fergie Jenkins as Cub pitchers who have recorded their 3,000th K in a Chicago uniform. No other team has had two pitchers reach that milestone while in the team uniform.
*In their last 10 games at Wrigley, the Pirates have hit only 3 HRs.
*The Pirates lead the National League with 17 one-run losses.
*After going 12-9 in their first 21 road games, the Pirates have gone 5-20 in their last 25.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (43-47)
*Iowa scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth, beating Omaha 3-2.
*Rich Hill started and went 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits.
*Scott McClain hit his 19th home run.
*Corey Patterson went 0/3 with a stolen base.
*Jason Dubois went 2/3 with an RBI.
*Bobby Brownlie pitched a scoreless eight to get his 4th win.

AA - West Tennesse Diamond Jaxx (10-9)
*Yesterday's game between West Tenn and the Mississippi Braves was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up today as part of a doubleheader.

A - Daytona Cubs (6-15)
*Daytona edged Sarasota 8-6 in 12 innings.
*Cubs right-hander Nate Sevier pitched 2 innings of relief, improving his record to 3-0.
*Brian Dopirak hit his 9th homer.
*Third baseman Scott Moore went 4/6 with his 17th HR.

A - Peoria Chiefs (8-14)
*Peoria lost to Burlington 9-5.
*Grant Johnson took the loss, giving up 6 runs in 4 innings.
*RF Ryan Harvey went 3/4 with a double, HR, and 3 RBI.
*2B Eric Patterson was 1/4 with a HR and 2 RBI.

A - Boise Hawks (10-14)
*Boise beat Tri-City 8-5.
*Mitchell Atkins got the win, going 5 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits.
*3B Elvin Puello went 2/2 with a double and RBI.
*1B Chris Gaskin went 2/5 with a double and RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (6-12)
*The Cubs resume play today against the Brewers.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (42-47)
*Cubs center fielder Corey Patterson hit a solo homerun in his first game with Iowa in a 7-4 victory over Omaha.
*Todd Wellemeyer started and went 6 innings, giving up no runs on 4 hits.
*LF Jason Dubois was 3-for-4 a double, an RBI and a pair of runs scored.
*Catcher Geovany Soto had a pair of hits and drove in a run.
*Right-hander Jermaine Van Buren retired the only batter he faced to earn his 13th save of the year.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (10-9)
*West Tenn resumes play today against the Mississippi Braves.

A - Daytona Cubs (5-15)
*Daytona was edged by Tampa 7-6.
*Cubs right-hander Jason Wylie gave up 2 runs in 1.0 inning of relief, suffering his first loss of the season.
*DH Chris Walker went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a pair of triples.

A - Peoria Chiefs (8-13)
*Peoria lost to Burlington 5-4.
*Chiefs reliever Michael Jones surrendered one run in 1.1 innings pitched, dropping his record to 0-1.
*RF Ryan Harvey went 1-for-4 with a homer (his 13th) and 2 RBI.

A - Boise Hawks (9-14)
*Boise was beaten by Tri-City 5-3 in 11 innings.
*Hawks right-hander Roger Evenson suffered his third loss of the season, giving up 2 runs in 1.0 inning of relief.
*1B Chris Gaskin went 3-for-4 with a homer and 2 RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (6-12)
*The Cubs were shut out by the Giants 1-0.
*Cubs top draft pick Mark Pawelek started and went 3.1 innings, allowing 1 hit, 1 walk, and no runs.
*Stephen Bronder gave up 1 run in 5.0 innings of relief, dropping his record to 1-1.
*1B Russell Canzler went 2-for-3.

Hope everybody enjoyed the All-Star Break. Time to get back it with 4 vs. the Pirates, then 4 @ Cincinnati and St. Louis coming up. The Cubs play 18 of their next 27 against sub-.500 teams and it's critical they win a good majority of those games. With 75 to go, the Cubs can't sustain another rough stretch like the one they recently went through. Now it's time to rattle off a couple of 8-2 or 9-1 stretches.

One of the strange things about the first half is that the Cubs were
pretty much the same team record-wise at home as they were on the road. The Cubs finished the first half a .500 home team and went just 1 under on the road. You'll take the road record in a heartbeat, but not the home mark. The Cubs are 21-21 at home with 39 left at the Friendly Confines, so you'd like to see them win at least 25 of those games if they're going to really make a run. And even then it requires them to stay right around .500 on the road just to give themselves a shot at the wild card.

The bottom line is that the Cubs, at one game below break even, are
going to need to go 45-30 to give them the 88 wins it took to go to the post-season two years ago. That won't win the division, but it would put them in a position to possibly challenge for the wildcard. That means winning 2 more games in the second half than they did prior to the break, in 12 fewer chances. It won't be easy, but with Prior and Wood back and Nomar coming soon, this team is pretty healthy and hopefully ready to make a big run. Just remember that those wild card contenders in the NL East might be beating up on each other in September, giving a team from another division room to maybe break through.

Len

* The Cubs have defeated the Bucs three straight times and 13 of the last 15 times the two teams have met.
* Mark Prior is 5-0 with a 2.80 ERA all-time vs. the Pirates.
* Mark Redman is 0-4 with a 7.50 ERA in his last four starts prior to the All-Star break.
* Jason Bay did not get a chance to play in the All-Star Game and is 1-for-18 in his last five games.
* Derrek Lee has four home runs in his last seven games, including one in each of the last two games of the first half. Lee is currently three RBI short of leading each triple-crown category in the NL.
* The Pirates have scored a total of 365 runs thus far in 2005---tied for 2nd lowest in the NL.

* Pittsburgh is not the greatest team in the second half of the season and will be looking to turn things around this year.

Most Consecutive Seasons With Under .500 Record After All-Star Break

Pittsburgh Pirates 12
Kansas City Royals 8
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7
Milwaukee Brewers 7
Colorado Rockies 6

* Mark Prior takes the mound in Wrigley where he has pitched much better than on the road so far in 2005.

Mark Prior, At Home vs. On The Road – 2005

Home Road
Record 3-1 2-2
ERA 2.23 (11/44.1) 5.16 (17/29.2)
Opponent BA .186 (30/161) .228 (26/114)

* Derrek Lee’s performance at the plate this season has been one of the best ever for the Cubs since divisional play began in 1969.

Chicago Cubs, Highest BA Pre All-Star Break – Since 1969

Derrek Lee, 2005 .378 (119/315)
Bill Madlock, 1975 .353
Billy Williams, 1972 .342
Joe Pepitone, 1971 .340
Mark Grace, 1995 .340

* Ryan Dempster has converted on his last 13 saves opportunities and has not allowed batters to hit off him while acting as the Cubs’ closer.

Lowest Opponent BA As Reliever – NL 2005
(Minimum 10 Saves)

Ryan Dempster, ChC .195 (17/87)
Todd Jones, Fla .197
Brian Fuentes, Col .197
Billy Wagner, Phi .197
Chad Cordero, Was .203

* Derrek Lee and fellow teammate Aramis Ramirez have come up with some timely home runs this year.

Most HR To Tie Game Or Give Team Lead - 2005

Derrek Lee, ChC 13
Albert Pujols, StL 11
Jason Bay, Pit 10
Aramis Ramirez, ChC 10
Melvin Mora, Bal 10
Hee-Seop Choi, LAD 10

* All-Star Jason Bay has struggled against the Cubs throughout his career.

Lowest Career BA vs. Cubs – Active Players
(Minimum 100 PA)

Tino Martinez, NYY .183
Jason Bay, Pit .188 (15/80)
Rafael Furcal, Atl .206
Chris Widger, CWS .211
Rich Aurilia, Cin .213

AAA - Iowa Cubs (41-47)
*Iowa resumes play today against Omaha.
*Cubs closer Jermaine Van Buren was the lone Iowa player to see action in the Pacific Coast League All-Star Game. He struck out one batter in 0.2 innings pitched.

AA- West Tennesseee Diamond Jaxx (10-9)
*West Tenn resumes play tomorrow against the Mississippi Braves after the All-Star Break.
*Three Diamond Jaxx players appeared in the Southern League All-Star Game last night.
*The Diamond Jaxx were part of the North All-Stars which won 12-5.
*1B Casey McGehee went 1-for-5 with a 3-run homer, SS Buck Coats was 2-for-5 with an RBI, and right-hander Andy Shipman gave up 2 runs on 2 hits in 1.0 inning pitched.
*Seven players from the Diamond Jaxx were named to the Northern Division All-Star team for the Southern League:SS Buck Coats, 3B Casey McGehee, outfielders Matt Murton and Felix Pie, and right-handed pitchers Talley Haines, Ricky Nolasco and Andy Shipman.

A - Daytona Cubs (5-14)
*Daytona lost to Tampa 9-3.
*RF J.J. Johnson went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
*DH Tony Richie was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

A - Peoria Chiefs (8-12)
*Peoria beat Burlington 6-2.
*1B Drew Larsen went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
*2B Eric Patterson was 1-for-3 with 3 runs scored, a triple and an RBI.

A- Boise Hawks (9-13)
*Boise routed Tri-City 5-1.
*Hawks left-hander Scott Koerber pitched a scoreless inning, picking up his first win of the season.
*1B Chris Gaskin went 1-for-3 with 2 RBI and a run scored.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (6-11)
*The Cubs were edged by the Royals 7-6.
*Cubs right-hander Jordan Crews surrendered 2 runs in 1.2 innings pitched, dropping his record to 1-1.
*Catcher Mario Mercedes went 3-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBI.
*RF Ryan Episcopo was 2-for-5 with a homer and a pair of runs scored.

Cubs historian Ed Hartig was kind enough to follow up on several queries:

I have Several Pictures of my grandfather and a bunch
of his semipro buddies from Spartanburg in the early
1920s. My grandfather was smart enough to write their
names on the pictures. I was wondering how to find out
if any of them went pro. I also have a picture of my
grandfather with an unidentified Cub player or coach
who I would like to identify. I think it was taken on
the same day of Cardwells no hitter in 1960 because I
have a score card from that game...If I could only get
a beer for $.35 at wrigley now!!!! Any help would be
appreciated. Thanks

Posted by chuck at July 8, 2005 12:36 PM

MY ANSWER -

If Chuck can provide the names from the back of the
photo, I'll be glad to look the players up.
Identifying the player in the 1960 will be a little
tougher as I assume the WGN TV blog doesn’t accept
photos.

-----------------------------------------------------

COMMENT 2 -

Who was the Cubs radio booth in the 1940 and 50

Posted by Bob at July 10, 2005 02:34 PM

MY ANSWER -

1940
WBBM - Pat Flanagan and John Harrington
WCFL - Hal Totten and Jimmy Dudley
WGN - Bob Elson and Jack Brickhouse
WJJD - Lew Fonseca and Charlie Grimm

1950:
WIND: Burt Wilson and Bud Campbell

One quick reminder - we have a great weekend of Cubs baseball on WGN-TV this weekend.

Thursday-1pm Pirates at Cubs
Saturday-3pm Pirates at Cubs
Saturday-7pm "This Old Cub" broadcast premiere
Sunday-1pm Pirates at Cubs

One thing that came through from your comments at mid-season was the need for some more posts with answers to questions. We'll do what we can.

Chris Wilson wondered if the 1969 All-Star rainout was replayed - the answer is yes. It was played the next day at RFK and won by the National League 9-3.

Paul from Cary wants to no if Greg Maddux ever pitched a perfect game. Nope, and not a no-hitter either. He did throw at least one one-hitter (in 1995).

Jim Manis wonders what happened to the bottle bats such as Nellie Fox and Jackie Robinson used. My guess is one of the reasons they disappeared is the weight. MLB hitters have gone to lighter and lighter bats over the years - most use 30-32 ounce models now.

Carrie C. wondered about Derrek Lee's non-participation in the MLB HR Derby. He did bow out due to a sore left shoulder. It can be a grueling event as anyone who saw last night's three-hour marathon can attest. Jim Edmonds comes to mind as one hitter who actually went on the DL shortly after the All-Star Game with a Derby-related injury (shoulder).

bob v

Thurs 7/14 - Bill Buckner
Friday 7/15 - Mark Cuban
Saturday 7/16 - Northwestern 1995 Rose Bowl team
Sunday 7/17 - Vince Vaughn

* The American League hasn’t lost an All-Star Game since 1996 in Philadelphia (7-0-1 since---tie in 2002). The National League still leads the all-time series 41-32-2.
* The winner of this game will once again get the home-field advantage in the World Series. Even though the AL won last season, the Red Sox didn’t need home-field advantage as they swept the Cardinals in four straight games, winning the last two in St.Louis.
* Just two teams that were in 1st place at the All-Star break last season are in 1st place this season – Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees, Rangers, Phillies and Dodgers were all on top of their divisions at the time of the 2004 All-Star Game.
* Mark Buehrle (10-3, 2.58) was announced as the AL starter on Monday, despite losing his last two starts. Between April 16 and June 28, Buehrle was 9-0 with a 2.34 ERA.
* Chris Carpenter (13-4, 2.51) was chosen by Tony LaRussa over Roger Clemens and Dontrelle Willis to start for the NL. Carpenter has won each of his last five starts, posting a .43 ERA in the process. In addition, he has given up just two runs in those five games (both solo home runs).
* The Cardinals and Red Sox (last year’s World Series teams) both have four starters in this season’s All-Star Game.
* Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Piazza were both selected to represent their teams in the Mid-Summer Classic for the 12th time in their careers---most among all 2005 participants.
* It was also announced that Scott Rolen wouldn’t be playing in the All-Star Game due to a troublesome right shoulder. Aramis Ramirez will make the start at 3rd base in his place. Morgan Ensberg was added to the NL squad as a last minute replacement.
* A total of 2685 home runs have been hit in 2626 games this season as compared with 2826 in 2604 games pre-ASG last season (about a 5% decline)
* Team USA managed just four hits off the World squad’s pitching staff yesterday in the futures game won by the World, 4-0. Australia native, Justin Huber (1-for-2, 2 RBI) won MVP honors in the game.
* As of this writing, the remnants of Hurricane Dennis are not expected to hit Detroit with enough force to cause any problems. It’s expected to be in the mid-80s and humid at game time. The 1969 game in Washington was postponed because of rain -- the only complete rainout in All-Star history.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (41-47)
*The series between Iowa and N