Missed Opportunities
Cubs Can't Seal the Deal in 4-3, 11th-Inning Loss

Jerry Lai/US PRESSWIRE

Just when it seemed the Cubs might mount a miraculous second-half comeback, their bats again went flaccid in the clutch. After going up 3-2 in the fifth, the Cubs stranded eight men on-base until Felipe Lopez homered off Brian Schlitter in the 11th. The Cubs blew an opportunity in the 10th, when Marlon Byrd struck out with the bases loaded. Similarly, the game ended when Kosuke Fukudome struck out in the 11th with a runner on second. Well, they say two outta three ain't bad....

ESPN Chicago: Lopez's extra-inning blast helps Cardinals avoid sweep [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Cubs lose to Cardinals in 11 innings
Chicago Sun-Times: Cubs waste scoring chances in loss to Cardinals
Daily Herald: Cubs just can't swing a sweep...
MLB: In extras, Cubs thwarted in attempt to sweep [+ video]

Dawson's Peak
The Hawk Takes Cooperstown by Storm
Andre Dawson played for four teams over his 21-year career, and he was forced to wear a Montreal Expos hat into Cooperstown. But the Hawk made it clear during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech that he loved playing in Chicago almost as much as we loved cheering for him. "I knew there had to be a place where the game could be fun again. I found that place. It's called Wrigley Field," said Dawson, who endured 12 knee surgeries over his career. Excuse us, we have something in our eye....

Chicago Tribune: Dawson's Hall speech thanks Cubs, fans
Chicago Breaking Sports: Dawson's Hall of Fame induction speech [video]
Daily Herald: Dawson pours his heart out and has message for kids on the edge
A League of Her Own: The Hawk's Hall of Fame induction: LIVE!

The Hawk in Flight
Our Favorite Dawson Memories
You've undoubtedly read many laudatory articles about Andre Dawson lately, and he earned every word. But sometimes, pictures — and by "pictures," we mean fuzzy YouTube videos — do the job even better. So with that in mind, here are some of our favorite Dawson moments:

1) The time he threw out the runner at first on a single to right. Totally bad-ass.
2) Hitting a triple to go for the cycle at Wrigley.
3) Dawson chasing Eric Show all over the field after the Padres pitcher beaned him in the face. (Probably not a great memory for Dawson, but man, did his fire burn hot.)
4) His sweet revenge when weasely Mets manager Davey Johnson asked the ump to check his bat.
5) His dramatic homer in his last at-bat of the 2007 season. Bonus Harry Caray voiceover: "Boy oh boy, I got goose pimples all over," the late announcer said.

Swap, Meet
Should Cubs Trade Z for Peavy?
It's pretty clear that the expensive Carlos Zambrano has worn out his welcome on the North Side. And on the South Side, the White Sox have Jake Peavy, a pricey, injured pitcher who's talked a bigger game than he's thrown. So SB Nation Chicago has an idea: trade them for each other. It makes sense for the Sox, since Ozzie Guillen and Zambrano seem to be kindred spirits. But why should the Cubs look into it? "Because the relationship between Big Z and the Cubs and Cubs fans seems irreparably broken," the blog notes. Discuss.

SB Nation: Zambrano for Peavy? A modest proposal

The People's Court
The Case of Cubs Fans vs. Jim Hendry
We used to be Jim Hendry haters. And you can point to many moves that didn't work out — particularly the pickup of someone whose name rhymes with Shmilton Shmadley. But as View from the Bleachers notes, he has made some solid moves, too, such as getting Marlon Byrd for a song, and signing Ted Lilly for a reasonable price. Then again, there was the trade for Juan Pierre, losing a solid Ricky Nolasco and Sergio Mitre. But he did get Derrek Lee for Hee Seop Choi. It's a tough call. Where do you stand?

View from the Bleachers: The case for/against Jim Hendry

Carlos Zambrano threw two scoreless innings in Iowa on Saturday night... Count Bobby Valentine among those interested in the Cubs managerial job.

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