Lose Cubs Lose
Cubs Would Benefit by Losing, Some Say

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We go to Cubs games to see them win, but some say it would be better if they lost. Why? The Cubs get a higher draft pick by losing. Given the track record of Tim Wilken, the Cubs' draft svengali, you have to think he'd nail a high pick. (Then again, Josh Vitters, the third pick of the 2007 draft, isn't exactly setting the world on fire.) As Tales from Aisle 424 notes, the Cubs won't likely get the first pick. But third? Maybe. Our thought: It's always tough to root for a loss.

Tales from Aisle 424: Sure, NOW the Cubs decide to play well
View from the Bleachers: In the news: Cubs Win! Booooo!

Managing Expectations
Girardi or Sandberg? Seems to Be a Two-Man Race
With the news that the Cubs interviewed former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge yesterday, the hunt for the next skipper is getting hotter. Who should it be? The Trib's David Haugh says Joe Girardi would be "perfect" because his engineering background would mesh well with Tom Ricketts' number nerdiness affinity for data crunching. SI puts Sandberg ahead of Girardi, saying choosing the Hall of Famer "makes a lot of sense." But Girardi is right behind him, and guess who comes in at number four (behind Mike Quade)? Tony LaRussa.

Chicago Tribune: Girardi too good for Cubs to let go
SI: Stage is set for seismic shifts on the managerial front this winter
Chicago Sun-Times: Qualities, quantity to be Cubs manager

Be Like Mike?
Don't Discount Quade as Next Year's Manager
While the focus is on Sandberg and Girardi for next year, the Sun-Times seems to think current manager Mike Quade should get a long look. For starters, he's had success wherever he's managed, winning seven championships in the minors. Also, he's been with the Cubs for four years, so he knows the territory. And while he doesn't have the big name of the two favorites, the paper argues that's a blessing. "The Cubs don't need a manager whose presence is going to ratchet up the expectation level at Wrigley Field," the paper writes.

Chicago Sun-Times: Chicago Cubs' next manager? Mike Quade might be right fit

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Time to Get Defensive
This Year's Cubs Lacking in Leather Department
Let's play fill in the blank: The Cubs' biggest problem has been __________. You could say timely hitting, solid pitching... or defense. The Cubs have committed a MLB-high 103 errors, and Starlin Castro is the biggest offender with 20, while Aramis Ramirez's 14 miscues is only four off the worst for third basemen. Goat Riders of the Apocalypse says it's up next year's skipper to fix this mess: "The next Cubs manager and his army of coaches will have to do a better job preparing the team defensively," the blog says.

Goat Riders of the Apocalypse: The defense, unfortunately, rests

Think Pink
An In-Depth Look at the Pink Hat Guy
You might think the guy who always sits behind home plate wearing the pink hat (which is cleverly emblazoned with the label "The Pink Hat Guy") is obnoxious. Lord knows the readers of Deadspin aren't fans. A new video tells us his name is Jim Anixter, he's tried to buy the Cubs a few times, and he's had season tickets since 1967. He made his kajillions selling wire and cable, and he's also trademarked "The Pink Hat Guy." Incidentally, the video appears to be produced by none other than... the Pink Hat Guy.

YouTube: The Pink Hat Guy of Wrigley Field [video]

The Harry Caray statue was moved yesterday in preparation for the Sept. 1 rededication ceremony... Adam Greenberg, the former Cub who was hit in the head in his first major-league at-bat (and Andrew's all-time favorite Cub), is trying to make a comeback... Kosuke Fukudome is 8-for-19 in Cincinnati this year.

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