House of Pain
Cubs Lose 5-3 in Excruciating Fashion

Jerry Lai/US PRESSWIRE

So where was yesterday's loss on Bill Simmons' Levels of Losing scale? We're thinking Level IV. Ryan Dempster gave up two runs over eight innings, and the Cubs led 3-2 in the ninth. Carlos Marmol came in and walked three (THREE!) Braves and struck out two. He got two strikes on Rick Ankiel, but Ankiel didn't whiff like he was supposed to. No, he tripled into the corner. The Cubs went down meekly in the bottom of the inning. The end. Oh, Derrek Lee went 0-4 with two strikeouts in his first game as a Brave. Whatever.

ESPN Chicago: Derrek Lee makes Braves debut in win vs. Cubs [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Marmol blows save in Cubs' 5-3 loss to Braves
Daily Herald: Marmol wild, blows save in Cubs' 5-3 loss to Braves
MLB: Marmol's generosity leads to Cubs' loss [+ video]

On Your Feet
Derrek Lee Gets Standing Ovation from Cub Fans
We Cubs fans are a fickle bunch — we love you one day and hate you the next. (Right, Sammy?) It's just how we roll. And not every player gets cheered by his former fans right after he's traded — we've already moved on. What kind of reaction would Carlos Zambrano get, for instance? So it speaks volume about the type of player and person Derrek Lee is when the Cub faithful gave him a lengthy standing ovation in his first at-bat at Wrigley Field yesterday. We'll miss you, D-Lee.

Chicago Tribune: Standing O for Lee in 1st game at Wrigley as a Brave
CSN Chicago: Mooney: A new beginning for D-Lee
Chi City Sports: Derrek Lee by the numbers

Flip-Flopper
Now Zambrano Wants to Stay in Chicago
Carlos Zambrano has taken a page out of the Brett Favre playbook of confusing the hell out of his team. A month ago, he said he would waive his no-trade clause if the Cubs found a sucker trading partner. After throwing a decent game on Thursday, Zambrano changed his tune: "I don't want to leave Chicago," he said. The ball is in Zambrano's court, but if the Cubs approve a trade only to have Z shoot it down, it could get hairy. Let's hope Jim Hendry's close to an EKG machine....

Bleacher Nation: Now Carlos Zambrano says he wouldn't waive his...
FanHouse: Carlos Zambrano wants to remain a Cub

Bringing the Heat
Cashner's Command Creates Commotion
Throwing hard has its perks: you don't have to be as precise as the poor old schlub throwing 82 miles per hour. But you need some nuance, or other teams figure you out pretty fast. Take Andrew Cashner. He burst onto the scene with a 1.98 ERA in June and a fastball pushing 100 mph. But his control got sloppy, and his ERA jumped to 6.26. Good news, though: pitching coach Larry Rothschild has tinkered with his delivery and it seems they've figured a few problems. We'll cross our fingers.

MLB: Cashner showing encouraging signs

The Great Unknown
Tribune: Next Manager Won't Be Big Name
The Cubs have gone after big names like Lou Piniella and Dusty Baker to manage the team lately, and where did it get us? Big names haven't led to the World Series, and it looks like ownership wants to change that. Kind of. Sources told the Tribune the next manager needs to be "someone who can be a teacher as well as push buttons," which leads to names like Alan Trammell, Fredi Gonzalez, Eric Wedge, and other outsiders. If that's true, then Ryne Sandberg better hope the Iowa players on the team kick some butt.

Chicago Tribune: Whispers

Cubs Fan Report will be making an appearance on WGN's (720-AM) Nick Digilio show tonight at 9pm. Make sure to tune in!... Tyler Colvin will debut at first base on Monday against the Nationals... Kosuke Fukudome is hitting .310 with two homers and a .420 OBP in August... Friday was only the third save opportunity in 25 days for Carlos Marmol... Check out one man's story of being a Cubs fan.

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