The question that many Cubs fans are asking themselves right now is “Where do we go from here?” Well I don’t have the answer for that but I will be giving my input in this post. It was just a week ago when the Cubs and Dodgers opened up the NLDS and we were all jacked and ready to go only to have the unthinkable happen once again. Yeah, we all know how things ended up against the Dodgers but now it is time to look ahead and to the 2009 season.

The Cubs will be looking to re-sign closer Kerry Wood as well as starting pitcher Ryan Dempster. I agreewith both of thoe guys being resigned and hopefully Dempster will give management a little bit of a break as far as the money in the contract goes. Dempster was recently quoted as saying “I love the city. I love playing here. Hopefully, everything works out.”

Bob Howry, Jim Edmonds, Daryle Ward, Chad Fox, and Jon Leiber are all free agents as well. We are already pretty much sure that Fox and Leiber will not be coming back to the team. I doube that Ward will have a roster spot as Micah Hoffpauir showed that he can do just as good of job pitch hitting as Ward. The two question marks out of the group would be Howry and Edmonds I would think.

I can see management signing both players to one year deals. The Cubs could use Howry in the bullpen and hope that he comes back strong after a shaky 2008 season. As far as Edmonds go, I think it all depends on if Jim Hendry can pick up power hitting left hander via trade or in free agency. Edmonds is a nice veteran to have on the club and helped out a lot in 08, but who knows what he will do in 2009 as he is a year older. It could also come down to if Felix Pie is given the chance for the starting job in center field or if he is possibly traded in the off season.

I expect Hendry to try to move players like Jason Marquis,  Ronny Cedeno, and possibly Pie and Neal Cotts in trades. He can use those players and also include a couple minor leaguers like Jose Ascanio, Kevin Hart, Josh Vitters, and Tyler Colvin in deals. We would only move Vitters and Colvin if it brought a big name player I’m pretty sure.

One player that we don’t have to worry about any longer is Rich Harden as the team picked up the option on him for the 2009 season. Harden went 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 12 starts with the Cubs, and his .149 batting average against after the All-Star break led all Major League starters. Harden was unbeaten in his final 10 starts with the Cubs.

Needs for 2009 season in no particular order:

Left handed power hitter that can play in the outfield
One more starting pitcher (two if Dempster does not resign)
A couple more bullpen arms. One lefty and one righty.

It will be an interesting four months untl spring training talk really kicks into full gear.  We have the Winter meetings coming up in a few months so we should have some nice trade rumors etc around that time.

What do you think the Cubs should do for the 2009 season? Any players you would like to see traded or signed?

It’s a brand new season for the Chicago Cubs as they now have a 0-0 record. The Cubs will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series which will start off on Wednesday at 5:30 CT. The first two games of the best of five series will be played in Chicago and then game three will be played out in Los Angeles. If necessary, game four will be in L.A. while game five would be back in Chicago.

Even though the Cubs will mostly have a right handed lineup against the Dodgers pitching staff, I really like their chances. The Cubs can play small ball or hit for power depending on how the game is going. If Derrek Lee and Alfonso Soriano hit the ball in this short series, then I expect the Cubs to win the series three games to one. However, if Lee continues to struggle and ground into a lot of double plays and Soriano can’t get on base, it will make things a lot harder for the Cubs to advance.

You have to give the Cubs pitching the nod when you compare them to the Dodgers as well. The Dodgers will be sending Derrek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda to the mound as their starting pitchers for the first three games. The Cubs will counter back with Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, and Rich Harden. Ted Lilly will be used in game four if needed. I love the fact that we have Dempster going in game one as he been awesome at Wrigley Field.

One thing that the Cubs cannot do is let Manny Ramirez beat them. I don’t care if they intentionally walk him everytime, you cannot let him beat you. It will be interesting to see how the Cubs bullpen throws as well as they struggled in the later part of the season. I do not want to see Bob Howry with the ball in a crucial situation that is for sure. Hopefully we can see our starters throw seven or eight innings and then close the door with Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood.

Game 1 - Ryan Dempster / Derrek Lowe - October 1st, 5:30 CST
Game 2 - Carlos Zambrano / Chad Billingsley - October 2nd, 8:30 CST
Game 3 - Rich Harden / Hiroki Kuroda - October 4th, 9:00 CST

I say that Cubs win the series 3-1.  What do you all think? Leave us a comment and let us know your prediction!

Sorry about the lack of updates the past few days. We were busy moving the site to a new and improved server to handle some things we have planned for the future.

While we were not able to update, the Cubs won their last two games and now have a season record of 95-60. They are currently up by 10.5 games in the division over the Milwaukee Brewers and are closing in on home field advantage through the National League playoffs.

Lou is giving a few starters days off here and there for some rest but said that he will still field a competitive team because it would not be fare to the remaining teams in the playoffs if he did not put out a good lineup each day. I hope Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden get a few extra days off and only throw 3-4 innings when they do make their start just so they can stay fresh for the NLDS.

Speaking of the NLDS, how many of were able to score ticket today through the Cubs lottery? I was lucky enough to get selected and picked up two tickets for game 1. It does suck that not very many people got selected and they will now be forced to order through stubhub. What we like to tell people is check StubHub, but also check out the tickets that are available at places like Online Seats, Ticket Specialists and Vivid Seats.

I plan on having an update this evening after the Cubs and Mets game is over. The Cubs will be looking to take game two of the series against the Braves.

Cubs fans, the magic number is down to 2! Geovany Soto crushed a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth out to tie the game and then Derrek Lee came up with a huge rbi single in the bottom of the 12 inning as the Cubs beat the Brewers 7-6.

Some people will say it is a lucky win as Braun should have caught a line drive in the ninth inning. Good teams find ways to win and take advantage of other teams mistakes however. Right now the Cubs will take any win they can get, no matter how they get it!

Soto, who with a doubt should be the National League MVP came up huge with that three-run home run. He absolutely hammered a first pitch fastball to left field to tie the game at 6-6. Aramis Ramirez and Jim Edmonds also hit solo home runs for the Cubs.

I’ll give some props to Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood. Marmol tossed a scoreless tenth inning while Wood tossed two scoreless innings. Wood did run into some trouble with two runners on with no ots in the 12th inning, however he was able to work out of the jam and give the Cubs a chance to win it in the bottom of the inning. That is exactly what happened as Wood picked up the win and is now 5-4.

Starting pitcher Rich Harden only gave up one hit and one run over five innings of action. Harden’s pitch count was over 100 pretty fast as he walked six and struck out seven. The bullpen wasn’t that good after Harden left however as Jeff Samardzija gave up two runs and Neal Cotts walked in a run with the bases loaded. Marmol and Wood sure made the bullpen’s stats look a lot better then they probably should have been.

So now the Cubs have the St. Louis Cardinals coming into town for a series this weekend. I expect the Cubs to have no problems clinching the division this weekend. Hopefully it will happen on Friday night, and if not then on Saturday. It’s a good time to be a Cubs fan!

Wow, what a crazy game Thursday night as the Cubs and Cardinals battled once again in St. Louis. The Cubs held off the Cardinals in the eighth and ninth innings to win 3-2 and extend their lead in the division to 5.5 games over the Milwaukee Brewers. It was a win, but boy was it crazy in the last couple of innings.

Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood both had some problems in the final innings. Both Marmol and Wood gave up two hits but were able to get out of the jams by Cardinals base running mistakes as well as great defensive plays. This was a game where the Cubs got the breaks in the end unlike when they had lost eight of nine games the past few weeks.

Rich Harden was awesome through his six innings of action. Harden gave up five hits and two runs while improving to 9-1 with the Cubs. Hopefully Harden can stay healthy the rest of the year because he gives the team a lot of confidence and of course all of us fans.

Derrek Lee, Ryan Theriot, and Mike Fontenot all had one rbi each for the team. I’m still sitting here wondering what in the hell is up with Lee however. The guy just can’t hit a ball hard into the gaps or over the fence. Sure he almost hit a home run last night but it went just left of the foul pole but then hit a little dribbler in the infield to end the bat. Something is up with Lee as he just isn’t hitting the ball hard or in the air at all.

A win is a win like I have said before and with the Brewers losing we will take every win we can get no matter how ugly it is. Now we have to wonder what in the hell is going on with the Houston series. What we do know is that there will not be games on Friday or Saturday and they hope to play a double header on Sunday and then a single game on  Monday. If that is the case, Friday and Saturday will be the Cubs last off days of the regular season.

So what is everyone’s opinion on the Houston series as well as D. Lee sucking it up at the plate?

Another day, another Cubs win as the Cubbies took game two against the Phillies by the score of 3-2. It was a pitching show down between ex teammates in Rich Harden and Joe Blanton but both pitchers only lasted a little over five innings in the game. Once again it was the Cubs scoring late to win the game.

Alfonso Soriano crushed a home run off of Clay Condrey in the seventh inning for the winning run. Soriano absolutely  crushed the ball and it was a no doube about it home run. The first run the Cubs scored came in the fifth inning when Daryle Ward grounded into a fielders choice. It sould have been an inning ending double play, however Jimmy Rollins’s throw was high and Mark DeRosa was able to score. The second run for the Cubs came in the sixth inning when Kosuke Fukudome walked off of former Cub Scott Eyre and Ryan Theriot scored.

As for Rich Harden, he only lasted five innings as his pitch count got high right away in the game. Harden was wild as he walked four batters and struck out five. The Cubs bullpen was awesome as they held the Phillies scoreless the final four innigs of the game while the offense came from behind to get the win. Chad Gaudin, Jeff Samardzija, and Carlos Marmol all threw out of the pen. Samardzija tossed 1 1/3 innings to get his first win of his career and Marmol tossed 1 2/3 innings to get the save as he filled in for Kerry Wood. Marmol came in in the eighth inning and got the Cubs out of a jam as he struck out both batters. He added another strike out in the ninth inning as well.

So now the Cubs are up two games in the four game series and hope to make in three on Saturday afternoon. It will be Ted Lilly on the mound against Brett Myers for the Phillies.

Another series down, and another series win for the Chicago Cubs as the defeated the Washington Nationals on Sunday by the score of 6-1. After losing on Friday, the Cubs came back to win the two games over the weekend to win the series and win theit 80th game of the year. The Cubs are now 80-50 on the year and are 30 games over .500!

Once again Rich Harden was dominate on the mound as he struckout 11 Nationals batters and pitched seven innings to pick up the win. Harden has been a great pickup for the Cubs and I feel like he could be the guy that gets the team farther in the playoffs. Harden only gave up two hits over his seven innings of action and is now 4-1 with the Cubs.

Carlos Marmol pitched the eighth inning and loaded the bases but did not allow a run. Jeff Samardzija pitched a scoreless ninth inning as well to finish off the Nationals.

Mark DeRosa, Geovany Soto, and Kosuke Fukudome both hit home runs. It was DeRosa’s fourth straight game with a home run as he has been HOT at the plate. In his postgame interview, he said he has just been seeing the ball great and guessing right when he needs to and is making good contact. Fukudome did not start and had a long talk with manager Lou Piniella about his struggles at the plate lately. He did get the game and hit a two run home run in the seventh inning.

So the Cubs will be up atleast 4.5 games no matter what happens with the Brewers game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs will fly to Pittsburgh this evening for a three game series against the Brewers and then come right back to Chicago for a homestand against the Phillies and Astros. Lets hope for another series win in Pittsburgh and then a winning homestand against the Phillies and Astros. It’s a great time to be a Cubs fan!

Tuesday’s night game against the Cincinnati Reds could be the one game that really seperated the Chicago Cubs from the rest of the division. Behind seven strong innings from Rich Harden, the Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 and went up six games on the Milwaukee Brewers and eight in a half games up on the St. Louis Cardinals. I’m not saying the Cubs have things locked up, but if they can extend this six game lead into a an eight or nine game lead this week, things will be looking very good for the Cubs.

Harden through his best game in a Cubs uniform as he limited the visiting Reds to only two hits in seven innings of action. Harden once again struckout atleast ten batters which was his fourth time in seven starts for the Cubs. Harden also bunted in the first Cubs run when Geovany Soto scored from third in the fifth inning.

Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood had no problems shutting down the Reds in the eighth and ninth innings as the combination kept the Reds hitters guessing at the plate over the final few innings.

The Cubbies added four runs in the eighth off relievers Reds relievers Mike Lincoln and Bill Bray. Derrek Lee started things off with an RBI single, Aramis Ramirez then hit a double down the left field line that scored a run. Kosuke Fukudome then had a two run single to center field with the bases loaded to score two more runs.

The Cubs improved to a season-high 29 games over .500 at 77-48. Chicago has won seven of eight and 17 of its last 21.

Ted Lilly will be going to the mound on Wednesday evening against Bronson Arroyo. It seems that the Cubs either hit Arroyo very hard and score a lot of runs, or they have problems with his junk pitches and struggle at the plate. It will be interesting to see how the game turns out.

The Chicago Cubs finished up a day - night double header against the Atlanta Braves with a 8-0 win in the night cap.  Earlier in the day the Cubs crushed the Braves 10-2.  It was the first time since 1992 where the Cubs swept both games of a double header.  Chicago now has won seven straight road games for the first time since June 12-22, 2004, and is 26 games over .500 at 73-47 for the first time since the team finished the 1984 season 31 games up at 96-65.  The Cubs are also up 3.5 games on the Brewers in the division.

Rich Harden picked up his second win with the Cubs and is now 2-1 as he tossed five innings and only allowed two hits.  Harden did work out of a couple of jams and his pitch count was getting up around 90 so he was taken out after five innings.  The Cubs are being very cautious with Harden and if he can give them five or six innings everytime out there they will be happy with that.  Chad Gaudin, Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood, and Neal Cotts all threw one inning of relief out of the bullpen.  Cotts was the only reliever to give up a hit as the entire pitching staff limited the Braves to only three hits.

Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome led the team with two rbi’s each.  Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Jim Edmonds, and Mike Fontenot all chipped in with one rbi as well.  It was a big combined effort at the plate as the Cubs plated eight runs in the game.  The bats jumped all over the Braves pitchings from the get go and put a lot of pressure on the Braves bullpen.  I look for the bats to continue scoring runs and the Cubs to win again on Thursday night.

Now can we just start seeing the Brewers lose some games!?

It was an up and down game for the Cubs on Tuesday afternoon as they blew a 6-1 lead and then came back to defeat the Houston Astros 11-7.  Alfonso Soriano provided the big blast that broke the tie in the seventh inning when he hit a three run home run.  Soriano’s 20th homer highlighted a five-run burst and sent the NL Central-leading Cubs to their eighth win in 10 games.

Starting pitcher Rich Harden didn’t have his best game as he gave up eight hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings.  Bob Howry once again gave up runs as he was charged with two runs in 1 1/3 innings.  It was nice to see Kerry Wood back in action as he pitched a scoreless eighth inning before Carlos Marmol pitched a scoreless ninth inning.  To make room on the roster for Wood, the Cubs designated Scott Eyre for assignment.

General manager Jim Hendry had been trying to trade Eyre for quite a while but was unable to get anything done.  The team designated him instead of sending Neal Cotts or Sean Marshall down.

What does everyone think about the Eyre?