From the Windup is Matt Snyder's weekly look at some aspect of America's pastime.
Instead of handing our hardware to Joe Girardi, Joe Torre, Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Zack Greinke and Chris Carpenter (yes, those would be my votes), I thought we'd mix it up a bit. Plus, being a Cubs fan, I'm plenty filled with negativity at this time of the year -- which, really, is normal. So these are the Bizarro World Awards. The Suck Awards, if you will. The envelopes, please ...
Everyone is out to get Milton Bradley. First it was the umpires, then it was Lou Piniella (or was it Lou, then the umpires? I can't remember). Now, the Chicago Cubs have sent Milton home for the rest of the season just for going to the media and talking about how much he hates the Chicago Cubs, people who like the Chicago Cubs, Chicago, bears, and humanity. When is this guy going to catch a break?
Tonight's Dugout gives you a sneak peek at what to expect when Bradley takes this issue to a higher power than Steve Bartman and his Mystery Goat, or whoever is in charge in Chicago.
In a season chock full of controversy -- which isn't anything new for Bradley -- everything came to a head Sunday morning when Bradley dissed the Cubs, Cubs fans and the entire city of Chicago. This following a game in which Bradley pulled himself out of the lineup, claiming his knee was too sore to continue, and then basically ignored probing reporters after the game.
From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
Every Hot Stove season, each team reshapes its roster in an attempt to better themselves. After each transaction, whether a free agent acquisition, trade or something else, writers and bloggers everywhere provide knee-jerk reactions on each particular move. Though the majority of the analysis is educated, it's still just conjecture. Today, we'll take the long view and look back at some of the maneuvering this past offseason and see how it played out on the field.
What was supposed to happen by the end of May, er, in February, er, in December of 2008 -- you get the idea. The sale of the Chicago Cubs from Sam Zell's Tribune Company has been dragging along at a sloth-like pace for as long as anyone cares to remember. Judging by this past weekend, though, it appears the finishing touches of the sale are coming to fruition.
Zell's group has agreed to sell the Cubs to the Ricketts family -- who made their fortune through TD Ameritrade -- for what is reported to be close to $900 million. The only remaining steps are that the sale must be approved by the rest of the baseball owners and then by a court (because the Tribune Company is operating over Chapter 11 bankruptcy).
The Chicago Cubs were the best offensive team in the National League in 2008. Statements like these are usually regarded as opinions, but it remains an absolute fact. There's no way to argue against it.
In 2009, the Cubs' offense has pretty much sucked. It's fairly tough to argue with that as well. Naturally, Jim Hendry -- the Cubs general manager who decided that 97 regular season wins was somehow a mirage and the ridiculously small three-game playoff sample meant the team needed to get more left-handed in the offseason -- fired hitting coachGerald Perry Sunday. The move reeks of CYA at its very worst, although with no real ownership in place, it's hard to see when Hendry will ever have to be accountable for his mistakes. Still, there's no way Perry was to blame for the '09 offensive woes.
Through the first 36 games of the season, it's been quite the bumpy ride for the Cubs. They've gone through as much adversity as they faced during the entire 97-win campaign that was the 2008 regular season. There have been myriad injuries, a suspension, many players suffering through extended slumps, excessive booing by the fans, bullpen meltdowns, and a much, much tougher division.
And yet, Lou Piniella's troops are 21-15. You know what their record was after 36 games in 2008? An identical 21-15.
Whether it's Steve Trachsel, Corey Patterson, Felix Pie or Rich Hill, the Cubs and Orioles seem to really enjoy talking trades with each other. It makes a bit of sense, considering Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail worked together as members of the Cubs front office for several years, because they probably feel very comfortable with each other and like many of the same players. The most recent rumor is utility player Ryan Freel.
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs are interested in the services of Freel, who was acquired in the offseason by the Orioles. Freel is a bit frustrated with sitting on the bench for the O's, and he's still owed over $3 million this season.
Sunday night, Milton Bradley pulled up lame on his way to third base after a Ryan Theriot base knock. He clutched his groin and the Cubs immediately removed him from the game -- said to be a precautionary measure. In the short term, the tweaked groin ended up being a blessing in disguise for the Cubs. Reed Johnson was inserted into Bradley's spot, and he made an unbelievable grand-slam-saving catch just a few minutes later.
Moving forward, though, Bradley's injury during the first week of the season is sure to draw the ire of the Cubbie-hating public and many Cubs fans alike. We know about his injury history, after all, and the Chicago media had a feeding frenzy on Jim Hendry when he granted Bradley with a three-year, $30 million contract this past offseason.
Everyone is out to get Milton Bradley. First it was the umpires, then it was Lou Piniella (or was it Lou, then the umpires? I can't remember). Now, the Chicago Cubs have sent Milton home for the rest of the season just for going to the media and talking about how much he hates the Chicago Cubs, people who like the Chicago Cubs, Chicago, bears, and humanity. When is this guy going to catch a break? 
After putting up with his antics for the past several months, the Cubs have finally had enough of Milton Bradley. Sunday, it was announced that general manager Jim Hendry has suspended the mercurial outfielder for the remainder of the 2009 season.
What was supposed to happen by the end of May, er, in February, er, in December of 2008 -- you get the idea. The sale of the Chicago Cubs from Sam Zell's Tribune Company has been dragging along at a sloth-like pace for as long as anyone cares to remember. Judging by this past weekend, though, it appears the finishing touches of the sale are coming to fruition. 
The Chicago Cubs were the best offensive team in the National League in 2008. Statements like these are usually regarded as opinions, but it remains an absolute fact. There's no way to argue against it. 
After the Cubs finally broke their crippling eight-game losing streak Tuesday, they made a slight overhaul to their bench and how it's going to be used. Aaron Miles is headed to the disabled list, while Bobby Scales and Neal Cotts (mercifully) have been optioned to the minors. In their place, the Cubs have recalled Jake Fox, Andres Blanco and Jason Waddell. 
UPDATE: The Cubs ended up trading Gathright for Freel straight up, after our original post, which appears below.
Sunday night, Milton Bradley pulled up lame on his way to third base after a Ryan Theriot base knock. He clutched his groin and the Cubs immediately removed him from the game -- said to be a precautionary measure. In the short term, the tweaked groin ended up being a blessing in disguise for the Cubs. Reed Johnson was inserted into Bradley's spot, and he made an unbelievable grand-slam-saving catch just a few minutes later. 
