Easy Peasy
Cubs, Gorzelanny Make It Look Simple vs. Phils

Howard Smith/US PRESSWIRE

Not long ago, the Cubs were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates — the friggin' Pirates — and we thought the season was lost. Now, the Cubs have won four in a row, including last night's 4-1 victory over the two-time NL champion Phillies, and we're starting to wonder, "Hmmm, maybe...." Tom "Double Live Gorzo" Gorzelanny threw 6 2/3 shutout innings and Starlin Castro had a RBI and a key defensive play. After John Grabow let in his obligatory run in the eighth, Xavier Nady added a key two-out, two-run pinch single in the ninth. Carlos Marmol made it interesting (there's a shocker), but got the save... what's not to like?

ESPN Chicago: Gorzelanny helps Cubs win fourth straight [+ video]
MLB: Gorzelanny, Cubs slip past Phillies [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Cubs beat Phillies 4-1
Chicago Sun-Times: Some 4-ward thinking by Cubs
Daily Herald: Cubs win fourth straight as Gorzelanny stymies Phillies

The Name Game
Ricketts Says Wrigley Could Get a New Moniker
We've heard a lot of people defend the sobriquet (God, we love that word) "Wrigley Field" as if it were the Shroud of Turin. Looks like they might be unhappy, because owner Tom Ricketts yesterday responded, "That's a real possibility" when asked about selling the naming rights for Wrigley. He also expressed the possibility that Wrigley could get a Jumbotron, saying, "There's really two sides to that discussion." Looks like ch-ch-changes are coming to Wrigleyville.

ESPN Chicago: Ricketts' state of the Cubs
Listen to the full Ricketts interview with "Waddle & Silvy"
(Click on the play button in the ESPN 1000 box)

Follow the Money
The Real Reason for Alderman's Wrigley Stand? Guess.
So it looks like Ald. Tom Tunney, the one who objected to the Toyota sign at Wrigley Field because it wasn't "in keeping with the character of the neighborhood," might have had some other motivation here: Money. Scratch. Dinero. Jingle. Greenbacks. Biscuit. Cabbage. And so on. Tunney acknowledges he wanted to protect surrounding rooftop owners' views into Wrigley, saying they've invested millions of dollars into their businesses. Crain's notes that they've also poured money into Tunney's coffers, to the tune of at least $80k. Money: It's a hit. That said, Tunney doesn't seem that keen on helping other businesses, such as the iO Theater, Salt & Pepper diner, and others that will be displaced by the big-box that may come to southeast corner of Addison and Clark.

Crain's: Rooftop cash fuels latest Cubs battle
Gapers Block: Developers moving in on Wrigleyville

Hard Corey
Patterson Starts to Get It Together. Yeah, Congrats.
Former almost-phenom Corey Patterson was one of the most infuriating players we've ever seen. He had a pretty good bat and was crazy-fast, but never walked or bunted, preferring to try to hit the eight-run homer. He went to the Reds, then some other teams, and we kinda lost track of him. Well, guess what? He's back, and actually playing pretty well for the Baltimore Orioles, hitting two homers and earning a walk in four out of his first 32 at-bats. Good for you, Corey. Good for you. Grrrr....

Baltimore Sun: A new and improved Corey Patterson?

A Long Spiral
The Shattered Life of Todd Marinovich
Man does not live by Cubs news alone. So every now and then, we'll run a story that's worth reading on its own. Maybe it's about the Cubs, maybe not. Maybe it's about sports, maybe not. Today, check out Mike Sager's National Magazine Award-winning profile of Todd Marinovich, the one-time USC star QB who made it to the NFL then crashed and burned because he couldn't put down the weed (or the coke, or the ecstasy, or the smack, etc). Not exactly the feelgood story of the year, but a helluva read.

Esquire (May 2009): Todd Marinovich: The man who never was

In their never-ending quest for a setup man, the Cubs are looking at signing the well-traveled Bobby Howry. Look for Paul Assenmacher to come in for a tryout soon... Relief "pitcher" Esmailin Caridad and his 11.25 ERA were put on the DL with a strained right elbow. Iowa's Jeff Stevens got called up to replace him... X-rays on Tom Gorzelanny's finger were negative after a line-drive hit his hand last night.

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