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Before we begin, if anyone is interested in writing a blog about the Cubs farm system, MVN is looking. Please contact Evan Brunell, writer of Fire Brand of The American League and owner of MVN. Be prepared to submit a writing sample. There are currently 3 minor league blogs on MVN that you can check out, a general minors blog, a D'Backs one and a Red Sox one. You should also be prepared to be able to write once a week. Back to our regularly scheduled programming. Team Records updated through 8/14/05; Individual Stats updated through 8/14/05

Organizational Records

Team	W-L	GB/Pos.	Last 10
Chicago Cubs	57-61	(Div)17.0/3rd (WC)6.5/6th	3-7
Iowa Cubs	55-63	11.0/4th	5-5
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx*	26-23	5.0/2nd	3-7
Daytona Cubs	22-27	9.0/5th	5-5
Peoria Chiefs	24-24	4.0/5th	6-4
Boise Hawks	22-31	2.0/2nd	3-7
AZL Cubs	3-11	5.5/9th	3-7

Cubs Ex W/L: 57-61; (2003) 61-57; (2004) 63-55 * West Tennessee clinched the first half North Division title of the Southern League

The Tribune reported last weekend that Felix Pie, the undisputed number one prospect in the organisation, would be back playing for the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (Double-A) as of Tuesday. But it's now Saturday, and as yet Pie has still not returned. It appears not that Pie's situation has worsened, but that Paul Sullivan had some pretty poor sources, and that Pie was never slated to return this week at all. Instead, he's still in Mesa, and remains a ways away, as the deep bone bruise to the inside of his sprained right ankle is taking its time healing. Pie sustained the injury trying to stretch out a triple on June 16th. The injury has so far cost him the chance to go to the Futures Game and the Southern League All-Star Game. That said, Pie would have attended neither had he been called up to Chicago in early July, as was Jim Hendry's crazy plan. The injury got in the way of that, thank God, because Pie is nowhere near close to being ready, and Greenberg got the call instead. Speaking of Greenberg, he has still not fully recovered from his first major league pitch, July 9th, which of course hit him in the head. Greenberg returned to play a few games for West Tennessee, but, suffering from dizziness and headaches when he plays, he's been sent to Mesa for further tests. His only consolation is a career major league on-base percentage of 1.000. Greenberg projects as a very useful fourth outfielder, for he can hit for average, draw walks, run the bases well and play defence at all three outfield positions. At least Adam Greenberg has had a taste of the majors, even if it was a short and very painful one. Angel Guzman tore the labrum in his right shoulder in 2003 in what was supposed to be one of his final minor league appearances before promotion to the big leagues. Fully healthy again in Spring Training this year, and expected to be up for good by May or June, Guzman then went down with a strained right forearm and later developed inflammation in his elbow. The injuries had kept him sidelined all year, but on Thursday Guzman was finally back. He started for the Arizona League Cubs in Rookie Ball, throwing 2 innings and 25 pitches, allowing one single and striking out four, his power-sinker of a fastball averaging 94mph, just a tick or two down on his velocity before the injuries. Guzman will now pitch every fifth day the rest of the year, and then head to the Arizona Fall League. If he can stay healthy, his three plus pitches (fastball, curve, changeup), his superb control and his well-regarded makeup on the mound make him an extremely good bet to be an above average major leaguer.

GAME 115 REVIEW

CUBS 11 CARDINALS 4 Recap | Box Score | Play-by-play | Game Chart W: Greg Maddux (9-9) L: Mark Mulder (13-6)

Well thank god that's over and I knew that it would take some sort of bizarro world where Maddux pitches a complete game, Noseferatu (Neifi/Macias) go a combined 4 for 10 with 3 runs and an RBI and Korey manages to go a game without a K. Take them any way we can get them.

I have been, in my own small way, banging the drum for Davey Johnson to manage the Cubs since April of 2002. For the last few years, I've used all of my less-than-considerable resources to try to track Johnson down and figure out what he was doing, and why whatever he was doing was more important than becoming the Cubs' manager. Thwarted, I briefly turned my attention to Buck Showalter, but in my heart of hearts I always knew that Johnson was the right guy for the job. He finally surfaced in 2003 as the coach of the Dutch national basebal team. OK, I figured, he'll spend a year there, get fully re-infected by the managing bug, and be back in the majors in 2005. That didn't happen, though, and again I put his name out of my mind. Until now, when the manager-replacement talk is heating up on TCR again. When I asked Will Carroll about Davey the other day, he mentioned that Ray Knight told him on Baseball Prospectus radio that Johnson had heart problems. As this article points out, he did have health problems, but they weren't heart-related and they've been taken care of. Thom Loverro leaves all of us Davey-lovers with a tantalizing close to his article:

I asked Johnson if he would consider managing again, without referring to any job in particular. "I wouldn't rule it out," he said. "I really have enjoyed my time off. There are other things in life." But ... "I am getting a little bored," he said. "It would have to be someone I know and respect."

I don't know if Johnson knows Andy MacPhail and Jim Hendry, but I have to imagine he at least knows who they are. Does he respect them? I have no idea, but surely a few meetings with them would give him the oppotunity to get to know them a little better. I can't imagine that his work with Vantage Sports Management is really as challenging and rewarding a position as a guy like Johnson wants.