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

GAME 117 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT] ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (73-43) @ CHICAGO CUBS (56-60) WRIGLEY FIELD, 12:15 pm CDT, TV: FOX

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 116 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT] ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (73-42) @ CHICAGO CUBS (55-60) WRIGLEY FIELD, 1:20 pm CDT, TV: WGN

Carlos Zambrano, RHP 8-5, 3.30 ERA 134/65 K/BB, 12 HR in 150 IP	Jason Marquis, RHP 9-10, 4.24 ERA 68/55 K/BB, 19 HR in 142.1 IP
SS Little Davey Eckstein	LF *Matt Lawton
3b #Abraham Nunez	2B *Todd Walker
1B Albert Pujols	1B Derrek Lee
CF *Jim Edmonds	3B Aramis Ramirez
LF *John Rodriguez	RF *Jeromy Burnitz
2B Mark Grudzielanek	C Michael Barrett
RF So Taguchi	SS #Neifi Perez
C Mike Mahoney	CF *Corey Patterson
P *Jason Marquis	P #Carlos Zambrano

I hope the Cubs don't face too many more lefties. I can't handle Jose Macias at the top of the order like he was yesterday, and I don't care that got two hits yesterday or that he's hitting nearly .300. MLB.com resident Pollyanna, Carrie Muskat, writes of how the Cubs are now "unburdened," like the fact that the Cubs managed to string hits together a few times will suddenly turn the season around and put them on the road to a stirring last-minute grab of the wildcard prize. It must be tough to be continually upbeat about your team like that, and never question them. At least the Cubs managed to end the losing streak before the double shot of national TV this weekend, so we'll be spared Tim McCarver and Joe Morgan droning on about the problems of the team, like they have any freaking clue what's wrong with them. I'm sure Morgan will have lots to say (or, more precisely, he'll have one thing to say and he'll say it over and over again) about Corey Patterson coming back; Patterson strikes me as just the type of player that a guy like Morgan, forgetting everything about what got him into the Hall of Fame, loves. On another note, keep a good thought for Mike Cameron; he's in the hospital after the most horrific collision I've seen in a game and even though he's a Met I wish him a speedy recovery.

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.

GAME 115 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT] ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (73-41) @ CHICAGO CUBS (54-60) WRIGLEY FIELD, 1:20 pm CDT, TV: Fox Sports Midwest, CSN

Greg Maddux, RHP 8-9, 4.57 ERA 91/26 K/BB, 20 HR in 147.2 IP	Mark Mulder, LHP 13-5, 3.79 ERA 79/50 K/BB, 15 HR in 147.1 IP
SS Dave Eckstein	RF #Jose Macias
3b #Abraham Nunez	2B #Neifi Perez
1B Albert Pujols	1B Derrek Lee
CF *Jim Edmonds	3B Aramis Ramirez
2B Mark Grudzielanek	SS Nomar Garciaparra
RF *John Mabry	C Michael Barrett
LF So Taguchi	LF Matt Murton
C Einar Diaz	CF *Corey Patterson
P *Mark Mulder	P Greg Maddux

So are our arch-rival Cardinals the antidote to this poisonous play that has afflicted our poor Cubbies? I'd say we'll have to wait one more day. Z is due to pitch tomorrow and happened to be on the mound the last 2 times we ended long losing streaks. Save your energy complaining about the lineup, at this point, you might as well try anything. There's a bunch of rain in the forecast today, so they might not even play this one. If the game is rained out, we can try and lose 2 games tomorrow. Twice the fun! Also, John Koronka was called back up today and Rich Hill sent back to Iowa. Another interesting choice by the Cubbies. Todd Wellemeyer is actually pitching well, Sergio Mitre is a better pitcher, Glendon Rusch should be in the rotation, but the Cubs choose Koronka, I assume only cause his day in the rotation coincides with Hill's. If anything I hope for some good baseball this weekend, cause the last week or so has been anything but that. Go Cubs!

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.

GAME 114 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT] CINCINNATI REDS (51-62) @ CHICAGO CUBS (54-59) WRIGLEY FIELD, 1:20 pm CDT, TV: CSN

Rich Hill, LHP 0-1, 7.00 ERA 19/9 K/BB, 2 HR in 18.0 IP	Eric Milton, LHP 5-12, 6.75 ERA 87/40 K/BB, 33 HR in 133.1 IP
2b Ryan Freel	LF Matt Murton
SS Rich Aurilia	2B *Todd Walker
CF *Ken Griffey Jr.	1B Derrek Lee
LF Wily Mo Pena	3B Aramis Ramirez
1B *Adam Dunn	SS Nomar Garciaparra
RF Austin Kearns	RF *Jeromy Burnitz
C Jason Larue	C Michael Barrett
3B Edwin Encarnacion	CF *Corey Patterson
P *Eric Milton	P *Rich Hill

Another day, another random lineup. The team is actually closer to last place in the division then it is to gaining a playoff spot. Mighty, mighty sad. PLAY WITH SOME PRIDE boys. You know what you do when you're in a losing streak? Other then pull out the old Mark Grace slump buster. You make things happen, steal when no one is expecting you to steal, force the action, what do you think the smartest player on our team was trying to do on Saturday? And don't give me, we don't have the talent to do it with. Yes we do. You don't need a bunch of gazelles to know how to run the bases or realize which pitchers and catchers are easy targets to run on. Hit and run once in awhile, you have a lineup full of guys capable of putting the bat on the ball (besides Corey and Burnitz). Do something, the Reds are third from the bottom in defensive efficiency, make THEM score runs for you. My second favorite team are the Anaheim Angles, mostly due to the AngelFan wife. I watch them quite a bit (probably more then the Cubs since they're on everyday), and they're a joy to watch. Every single player on that team knows how to run the bases, knows when to take an extra base. Scioscia will send ANYONE on ANY count, just to keep the other team on their heels. It's a fun brand of baseball to watch and it's a winning brand of baseball. The Angels have HAD MORE INJURIES then us this year and are still in first place. Every single starter, minus Darrin Erstad and Garrett Anderson, has spent time on the DL. (and Erstad has been out the last few days as well) Their second and third best pitchers are on the DL right now, their closer was on the DL, but still they're in first place, weak division or not. Sorry for the rant, I'm beyond frustrated. I can handle losing, I can't handle a total lack of effort. A loss today and we match our season long eight game losing streak along with the dubious distinction of getting swept AT HOME by the god-awful Cincinnati Reds. If that's not enough to get some people fired, I don't know what is. Has anyone figured out how many days until Opening Day 2006?

GAME 113 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT] CINCINNATI REDS (50-62) @ CHICAGO CUBS (54-58) WRIGLEY FIELD, 1:20 pm CDT, TV: WGN

Mark Prior, RHP 7-4, 3.64 ERA 112/35 K/BB, 17 HR in 106.1 IP	Aaron Harang, RHP 7-10, 3.90 ERA 118/41 K/BB, 12 HR in 145.1 IP
SS #Felipe Lopez	LF *Matt Lawton
C Jason LaRue	2B *Todd Walker
CF *Ken Griffey Jr.	1B Derrek Lee
LF *Adam Dunn	3B Aramis Ramirez
1B *Sean Casey	RF *Jeromy Burnitz
RF Austin Kearns	SS Nomar Garciaparra
3B Edwin Encarnacion	CF *Corey Patterson
2B #Ray Olmedo	C Henry Blanco
P Aaron Harang	P Mark Prior

Looks like they're still playing games at Wrigley, I mean the Cubs stopped playing baseball about a week and a half ago, but they still dutifully put on the uniform and sleepwalk through 9 innings so as to pretend to make an effort. Well at least seeing Corey back up gives us something to watch for the remainder of the season. It would bring me great joy if he would return to being a useful part of this team. If we could only ship off Matt Lawton or Jeromy Burnitz and get Matt Murton some regular playing time and then find a way to get Sergio Mitre back in the rotation (I'm looking at you Maddux), we can start working on next year. In due time I suppose. And can we give Derrek Lee a day off? Is Dusty just waiting for him to actually collapse on the ballfield before he realizes he could use a day of rest? Because I would very much like for him to muster up one more hot streak and make a run at the Triple Crown. Harang made us look silly last time and a look at his peripherals say that he's a MUCH better pitcher then the ERA and win/loss record show. For you folks who play fantasy baseball, keep an eye out for him next year. Chances are that ERA is a result of a whole lot of bad luck and bad defense which tends to equal itself out in ensuing seasons. Prior tries not to suck as much as he did in Philly and maybe he's got another 16 K game in him like last Septemeber versus the Reds. Amusingly enough the opposing starter that day was Aaron Harang. Go Korey!!!

The Cubs have recalled Corey Patterson from Iowa, sending Ronny Cedeno down. It's a good, bad and ugly wrapped up in one single transaction. Good When the Cubs first promoted Cedeno on April 21st, I commented...

Cedeno, still only 22, is not yet ready for the major leagues, and at this stage sitting on the major-league bench and getting infrequent playing time [Ö] is the last thing his development needs. The major-league bench may well be where in the long-term his future most probably lies, but, here and now, as long as thereís a still chance that Cedenoís bat may be good enough to ultimately justify something more than that, the Cubs have to give it that chance. If that means a woeful veteran instead, for once, so be it.

Thankfully, the Cubs soon signed Enrique Wilson on May 17th, and Cedeno was allowed to return to the minor leagues, where he unfortunately hit so well that the Cubs decided on June 28th to outright Wilson and give Cedeno another chance in the majors. Then I wrote...

Regarding Cedeno, my take on him is this: whatever happens, I want him playing everyday this year, working on his game, upon adding the walks and the power that in the long-term he needs if heís to not precariously rely too heavily on average as his sole source of offensive productivity. Obviously that is something that would assuredly happen at Iowa. But whether thatíll now happen in Chicago with Dusty around is much more debatable, and whether it should happen, whether Cedenoís capable of outperforming even Neifi right now by an extent large enough to justify the service time heíd accrue doing so, is another matter too. Iím sceptical on all counts, and as bad as Wilson was, he did have two things going for him: he wasnít just 22, and he had fully established his performance level, albeit at ìuselessî. Thereís a danger Cedeno could go the same way if the Cubs arenít careful, but letís hope the Cubs know what theyíre doing.

Apparently they didn't, or they disagreed on what they were doing, because Cedeno amassed a meagre 7 starts and 41 plate appearances in six weeks on the major league roster. And, for what it's worth, those six weeks, in conjunction with his stint in the majors earlier in the year, mean that Cedeno has more than fifty days of major league service time, and thus he'll not be eligible for Rookie of the Year honours next year. This is, officially, his rookie year, and the Cubs have had him waste it as Neifi's bat boy. Cedeno now, finally, goes back to the minors. So that's the good aspect to this transaction. He'll doubtless be back up again if Garciaparra re-injures himself or when rosters expand in September, whichever comes first. Bad Well, the Corey Patterson bit of the transaction. I wrote about this just last Friday...

It's possible the Cubs for a while considered recalling Corey Patterson [to replace Hairston on the roster]. Such a move would be a mistake. The Cubs sent Patterson down in order that they could work on his game and get him to the stage where he could once again be a good major league hitter. While Corey has reportedly been working on the processes - being more selective, laying off the high fastball, going the other way and not pulling everything, and so on - the results as yet haven't been entirely forthcoming. His walk and strikeout rates have importantly both headed very much in the right directions (7 walks and 15 strikeouts in 86 plate appearances), but he's still not hitting the ball particularly well, as evidenced by his .234 batting average. Given that we've heard all this talk about Patterson working on his game before, in camp this spring for instance, waiting until Corey's supposed new processes are yielding exactly the kind of results that'd make even Corey sit up and take notice is the right way to go. It's only that way that the processes will stick and the confidence return.

Corey Patterson has had a good four days since, with a couple of multi-hit games (including a multi-homer game last night) boosting his line at Iowa to .297/.366/.505 with 8 walks and 19 strikeouts in 102 plate appearances. All the same, that's still more strikeouts than is preferable, reports from those at the games suggest that not much has changed as far as Corey's approach goes, and the fact that three or four days can have such a profound effect upon his numbers is proof that the sample size isn't particularly significant, nor the success or the confidence anything more than transitory at this stage. He should have stayed in the minors as long as was necessary for them to become a little more permanent. Ugly It's the only word to describe the way this season has turned these last few games. And because things here have become so ugly, it wouldn't really have mattered had Corey stayed in the minor leagues, because, contrary to Dusty's assertion over the weekend, we don't need him in Chicago at all. Murton, Burnitz and Lawton from left to right is acceptable in every aspect save outfield arm, and even if it wasn't satisfactory, with the Cubs not making the playoffs, what difference would that make anyway? What freaking difference will Corey make? The biggest one as far I can see is that Matt Murton will find his backside glued to the bench once again. Murton isn't a great prospect, for he lacks the customary power of corner outfielders, but he's a decent one, and he deserves a shot this year to prove he should be here next year and beyond. In limited time so far he's been passing with flying colours. As a reward, he'll now sit and watch, seen and not heard, unloved.

Left-handed reverse-split reliever Mike Remlinger, who was designated for assignment last Friday to make room on the roster for the players returning from the disabled list, has been traded to the Boston Red Sox for "a minor league pitcher" whose identity has yet to be confirmed. Expect a far lesser name than the likes of Anibal Sanchez, Jon Papelbon, Jon Lester and Abe Alvarez, and the Cubs to be chipping in some money too. We'll have an update and a profile of the prospect as soon as we get a name. [Update: Olivio Astacio is the name, and the extent of the profile I can give you on him is that he's Dominican and 21 years old. When signed as an international free agent by the Red Sox a few years ago, he was considered a good prospect with a live arm. His numbers though have been relatively unimpressive, he's apparently been suspended and sent back to the DR this year, and he's still a long way away from the majors regardless.] The Red Sox are making a habit of acquiring elderly lefty relievers from us. Last year, the Cubs traded journeyman Jimmy Anderson to the Red Sox for a minor league reliever named Andrew Shipman and a player to be named later that ended up being Anderson himself. Anderson made just five appearances out of the Boston bullpen, pitching six ineffective innings, before the Red Sox dispatched him from whence he came. He spent the rest of the year in our minor league system, and right now you can find him pitching for the Devil Rays' Triple-A affiliate in Durham, North Carolina. Let's hope, for the Red Sox's sake, that a better fate awaits Remlinger. Andrew Shipman though, aged 23 but blessed with unremarkable stuff, is having quite a season at Double-A, posting a 54.0 IP, 47 H, 0 HR, 26 BB, 56 K, 3.00 ERA line. Indeed, not a single home run allowed in over fifty innings. It may be a pitcher's league and a pitcher's park, and he may not ever project as a major leaguer, but he's certainly giving those in West Tennessee some enjoyable innings. If only the fans in Chicago could say the same more often.

...today spat out, well, this... GAME 112 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT] CINCINNATI REDS (49-62) @ CHICAGO CUBS (54-57) WRIGLEY FIELD, 7:05 pm CDT, TV: WGN, Fox Sports Ohio, ESPN

Jerome Williams, RHP 3-4, 4.60 ERA 37/21 K/BB, 8 HR in 44.0 IP	Brandon Claussen, RHP 6-8, 4.85 ERA 70/29 K/BB, 20 HR in 98.1 IP
SS #Felipe Lopez	RF *Matt Lawton
2B Ryan Freel	2B *Todd Walker
CF *Ken Griffey Jr.	1B Derrek Lee
LF *Adam Dunn	3B Aramis Ramirez
1B *Sean Casey	SS Nomar Garciaparra
3B Rich Aurilia	C Michael Barrett
RF Austin Kearns	CF *Jeromy Burnitz
C #Javier Valentin	LF Matt Murton
P Brandon Claussen	P Jerome Williams

A quite serious malfunction has occured. Technicians will be working through the night to try to rectify the problem such that normal service can be resumed tomorrow. Apologies for the obvious inconvenience. Rob G: I suppose we all know the season is over by this point. Sure, we'll all be keeping an eye on the games, looking for just the slightest sign of hope. If the team manages to string a few victories together, we'll once again glance at the standings, then start figuring out what-if scenarios in our head. But the reality is that the ship is dead in the water and I just hope that Hendry isn't passing on any waiver wire deals that may make the team better for next year. We rocked Claussen something silly last time out in Cincy and maybe he's the cure for what ails this offense. All I want for the rest of this season is some FREAKIN effort, cause those games in New York were some of the most pathetic baseball I've ever seen. And I wouldn't mind Derrek catching fire one last time and making a run at the triple crown. Trans: The season is over. "Spat out" is a good way to describe how this lineup was concocted. I was thinking it came out from a different direction, however... Ruz: Over? Did somebody day over? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Oh, wait, I guess we just did decide. Yeah, I think it's time to shut Kerry down and figure out what the team needs to figure out for next year. Like: is Murton an everyday player? Who's going to play centerfield next year (yes, I think that means recal Corey)? Does Sergio deserve a spot in the rotation? Wait 'til next year, take 97...

Team Records updated through 8/8/05; Individual Stats updated through 8/8/05

Organizational Records

Team	W-L	GB/Pos.	Last 10
Chicago Cubs	54-57	(Div)16.0/4th (WC)6.0/7th	2-8
Iowa Cubs	52-60	9.5/4th	5-5
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx*	25-17	2.0/2nd	5-5
Daytona Cubs	18-23	9.5/5th	7-3
Peoria Chiefs	20-24	6.0/7th	5-5
Boise Hawks	20-26	0.0/1st	3-7
AZL Cubs	2-7	5.5/9th	2-7

Cubs Ex W/L: 55-56; (2003) 57-54; (2004) 61-50 * West Tennessee clinched the first half North Division title of the Southern League

For the first time in a long time, I'm glad that I haven't seen a Cubs game in a while. I spent the weekend back at the old homestead, cleaning things up (literally and figuratively), and the only contact I had with the Cubs was reading TCR, yesterday's New York Times, and a little bit of ESPNews this morning. It looks like I didn't miss much. Or, rather, it looks like I missed a lot -- defensive lapses, poor judgment, anemic bats, a cranky back, etc etc etc blah blah blah. The net result is that the Cubs are now losers of five straight, three games under .500 in fourth place, a game and a half behind the frickin' Brewers, and six back in the wildcard, behind six teams. Is this the low point of the season? Probably. At a time like this, decisive action (or at least action that looks decisive) must be taken. That's why I'm predicting that Dusty Baker will be fired this week. All the signs are there, and in fact what's been hapening over the last few weeks closely resembles what happened during the endgame in San Francisco. You have the rumors of his interest in another job, the denial by Dusty of said rumors (with typical Bakerian anti-media comments thrown in), the dreaded vote of confidence from the GM, allegations of racism, and attention from the media outside Chicago. The only things missing are a feud between Dusty and ownership and team-leaked rumors of unsavory financial doings, and I wouldn't put it past TribCo to be looking for them. Oh, and I almost forgot about the bizarre spectacle of Dusty asking the team to extend his coaches' contracts. Is this really the right time for that, do you think, Dusty? Plus, you know, you've got the team playing badly, and not only badly but lacklusterly, which isn't a word, I know, but it fits. From the outside, this looks like a team that's quit on its leader. That's why I think it's going to happen, because something has to. I'm not saying it's the right thing to do (though it might be), mind you -- I'm just saying that all signs point to yes. All an antsy GM needs to do is look back at Florida in 2003 and Houston in 2004, and he might think that a managerial change might be just the thing a team needs to light a fire and get it back into contention. Again, I'm not saying that's going to happen; I'm simply saying one could see how one might think that could happen if one were to change managers. If it were to happen, who would replace him? I chatted briefly with Will Carroll about this very subject this afternoon, and here's what he and I had to say: christianruzich: I'm predicting Dusty gets fired this week Will Carroll: No chance christianruzich: No, huh? Will Carroll: As much as I'd like it, it's just not in Hendry's character to do it. He was a coach Will Carroll: I don't think Dusty will be back, but doing it now doesn't make much sense christianruzich: I think it does, it at least gives the perception of trying to get things done Will Carroll: The move now would be Little and I think they want a shot at Girardi vchristianruzich: Grady Little, eew Will Carroll: Exactly christianruzich: Girardi wouldn't be a bad choice christianruzich: What about Speier? Will Carroll: Possible Will Carroll: He'd probably get an interview. Who's the token interview choice? christianruzich: Do you need a token if the guy you're firing is black? Will Carroll: I think so. Sad that we refer to it that way christianruzich: Yeah. How about Terry Pendleton, then Will Carroll: Hmm. OK Will Carroll: Maybe Pat Listach Will Carroll: I just hope Rothschild is gone christianruzich: Where is Listach right now? Will Carroll: Iowa, isn't he? christianruzich: Really? I had no idea christianruzich: I'll be damned, he's the hitting coach there Will Carroll: He was interim mgr last year christianruzich: One thing i worry about: Lou Piniella Will Carroll: Not a Hendry guy Will Carroll: Esp if they're going young christianruzich: True christianruzich: Where the hell is Davey Johnson? Still in Holland? Will Carroll: Heart probs according to Ray Knight on BPR christianruzich: Did he say it means Johnson won't manage again? Will Carroll: No, just that he wasnt available right now christianruzich: I think Speier is the guy Will Carroll: Speier's got the quals...maybe Brenly christianruzich: God I hope not Will Carroll: I still think Girardi's the right guy Will Carroll: Maybe Sandberg? christianruzich: No experience christianruzich: That's the type of thing a team like the Reds or Orioles does, not the Cubs Will Carroll: Think Alan Trammell. If you're going to rebuild, you can distract and instill the "right way" christianruzich: Cubs don't need to rebuild, they have the talent, they're just not getting the most out of it christianruzich: Plus he doesn't strike me as a good communicator. Too quiet. And coming on the heels of his "today's players are whiny brats" HOF speech, I don't know if this is the right time to make him a mgr Will Carroll: I agree, but its the kind of thing Hendry would like. He's old school christianruzich: True. Which is why Girardi would be perfect, plus you have the Cubs connection Will Carroll: Right Will Carroll: And a bit more experience christianruzich: Hendry wouldn't be so "old school" as to bring in Larry F'ing Bowa, would he? Will Carroll: Yeah, but again, wouldnt be the right fit if he's going young Will Carroll: Bobby Dickerson! Will Carroll: With the season West Tenn is having, maybe he'd get it christianruzich: Maybe, but the last time the Cubs promoted from within it didn't work out so well Will Carroll: Exactly christianruzich: How much juice does Brenly have w/the Cubs front office? It might be tough to hire Speier over him if he (Brenly) wants the job Will Carroll: I just don't see it. He's too close to Dusty and this next phase is about player development. Oneri's the golden boy right now christianruzich: That's good at least, i don't think Brenly is who the Cubs need right now christianruzich: Another token possibility: Von Joshua, currently hitting coach at West Tenn Will Carroll: Tough to go that deep christianruzich: I guess i'd rank the guys I'd want to see Johnson, Girardi & then Speier. Even if he's not available, I still put Johnson at the top of my wish list Will Carroll: I'd go Girardi, Speier, Sandberg

GAME 111 IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT] CHICAGO CUBS (54-56) @ NEW YORK METS (56-54) SHEA STADIUM, 7:05 pm CDT, TV: ESPN

Victor Zambrano, RHP 5-9, 4.19 ERA 76/57 K/BB, 10 HR in 118.0 IP	Carlos Zambrano, RHP 8-4, 3.24 ERA 132/64 K/BB, 12 HR in 147.0 IP
LF *Matt Lawton	SS #Jose Reyes
2B #Neifi Perez	2B Miguel Cairo
1B Derrek Lee	CF #Carlos Beltran
3B Aramis Ramirez	LF *Cliff Floyd
SS Nomar Garciaparra	3B David Wright
RF *Todd Hollandsworth	RF Mike Cameron
C Michael Barrett	C Mike Piazza
CF #Jose Macias	1B *Marlon Anderson
P #Carlos Zambrano	P #Victor Zambrano

Both Zambranos are switch hitters. That's pretty cool. Enjoy the Joe Morgan broadcast...