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The Kid in the Hall
Piniella and Cooperstown: Point/Counterpoint
Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
Lou Piniella is pretty much a baseball institution, and as we noted yesterday (twice!), one who's not afraid of showing his junk to reporters. Awww. So now that the issue of "Will he go out with a World Series win?" had been answered, we're left with this question: "Will he make the Hall of Fame?" ESPN's Rob Neyer says yes, noting that every manager with more wins is enshrined in Cooperstown. But the New York Times says no, that his .519 winning percentage and lone World Series trophy will leave him out. What do you think?
ESPN: Is Cooperstown next for Uncle Lou?
The New York Times: Keeping score: Piniella for Hall is tough call
Coulda Woulda Shoulda
If Only Cubs Hadn't Said 'Bonjour' to Pierre
What's that saying, "If if's and buts were candy and nuts...."? Yeah, we hate that saying. But sometimes it's fun to look at what might have been. Bruce Levine rates the Cubs' deals since 2005 and says the best was getting Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin for Matt Murton and a bag of Funyuns. The worst: Trading Ricky Nolasco and Sergio Mitre for Juan Pierre, who was what we in the business call "crappy." Then there's the fact the Cubs actually had Josh Hamilton for a few minutes, but it's better to not think of that.
ESPN Chicago: Pierre deal still hurts for Cubs
Crane Damage
Cubs' Prez Is THE Problem, Blog Says
To some, Lou's retiring is the biggest story the Cubs have had in a while. But Goat Riders of the Apocalypse says it's irrelevant, and the bigger story is the Cubs' front office. More importantly, the blog seems to take exception to Crane Kenney, calling him a "corporate lawyer with no baseball background." Instead, GROTA wants "a baseball man in Kenney's place." It goes on, "We need a direction first, and Kenney is not the guy to set it." To each his own, but we're more concerned with Carlos Silva's slide into awfulness.
Goat Riders of the Apocalypse: Why Lou's retirement announcement is...
Pretty in Pink
The Case of the Pink-Hatted Man
If you watch Cubs games (and we're guessing you do), you may have noticed a man sitting behind home plate wearing a pink hat. "Who the eff is that?" You may have asked. Well, Deadspin set out to answer that very question, and learned that his name is Jim Anixter. One thing we know: Baby, he's a rich man, and he doesn't mind if people know that. He's tried to buy the team a few times, but since his last name isn't "Ricketts" clearly it didn't quite work out. Case closed.
Deadspin: Pink hat-wearing Cubs fan identified, loathed
Field Notes
Take a Little Trip and See Seven Stadiums
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. Today's Good Read is from Chicago magazine, in which senior editor Jeff Ruby writes about going to seven baseball parks in seven days. Ruby notes he's a Sox fan, but he clearly enjoyed his day at Wrigley Field. He even grudgingly admits, "On this trip, we find no fans more spirited and knowledgeable about the game than the Cubs faithful." Nice.
Chicago Magazine: Playing the fields
Carlos Zambrano pitched a shaky scoreless inning in Iowa last night... Remember Rich Hill? He's in the Red Sox farm system and doing OK... Noted Cubs fan Bill Murray went dumpster diving on "The Late Show with David Letterman" — we especially liked his last words before jumping in.
"On their off days, I hope the Cubs score at the bars, since they can't seem to do so on the field."
-Don Becker
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