Carlos in Charge
Would-Be Ace Finally Lives up to Billing

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Ahhh, so this is the Carlos Zambrano the Cubs signed to a $800 bazillion dollar contract. Zambrano struck out seven last night, allowed three hits, and even hit a two-run homer in the 14-2 win. Are we sure we want to trade him? After all, he's 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA since returning to the rotation. Then there was the offense, which was led by Aramis Ramirez's four RBIs (too bad this isn't May, eh Aramis?). Indeed, everyone got in on the act — only two Cubs, both pitchers, didn't get a hit.

ESPN Chicago: Cubs pound Pirates thanks to Carlos Zambrano's... [+ video]
Daily Herald: Quade comes home, gets another Cubs victory
CSN Chicago: Zambrano stays in the picture, Cubs crush Pirates [+ video]
MLB: Cubs rout Pirates to win Quade's home debut [+ video]

'Hawk' Soars Again at Wrigley
Cubs Honor Andre Dawson's Hall of Fame Career
There are many reasons to love Andre Dawson — signing with the Cubs for just $500,000, 49 homers in 1987, and plays like this in right field — so it was good to see the Cubs honor the Hawk, who entered the Hall of Fame this year. The surprisingly small crowd (particularly in the bleachers) loved when Dawson came onto the field from his familiar spot of right field, and later told the fans "This is my home." We're huge fans of the Theo Huxtable shirt he wore for the occasion, and we'll anxiously wait and see if his No. 8 is retired in the future...

Chicago Sun-Times: Hawk shares Cubs love
CSN Chicago: Cubs honor Andre Dawson... [video of ceremony]
MLB: Cubs' ceremony brings Dawson 'home' [+ video]
ESPN Chicago: Dawson discusses getting No. 8 retired

Weighing In
Dawson Ambivalent About Sandberg as Cubs Manager
We're not sure how to read Andre Dawson's comments about his former teammate Ryne Sandberg as the Cubs' manager. On the one hand, Dawson said Sandberg "has prepared himself for this moment" and that "it seems to be falling into place for him" on ESPN 1000's Waddle & Silvy show. On the other hand, Dawson called the idea of Sandberg managing the Cubs "far-fetched." So... which is it? Dawson also seemed skeptical that Joe Girardi would bail on the Yankees, saying, "I can't really envision him leaving the setup that he has."

ESPN Chicago: Andre Dawson weighs in on search
Chicago Tribune: Dawson says Sandberg will manage just fine

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That Ain't Peanuts
Wrigley Section Goes Peanut-Free, Elates Allergic Fans
Turns out baseball fans who have peanut allergies pretty much can't come to Wrigley Field. (Harsh!) Allergies to peanuts are serious business, so if a fan opens a big-ass bag of peanuts 10 feet away from someone who's allergic and the wind kicks up, well... it's not pretty. Thankfully, the Ricketts family designated the centerfield skybox area as a peanut-free zone last night, which made at least one fan euphoric. Maybe this will counteract all the pointless ire the team faced when news broke that they served caviar (horrors!) in the clubhouse.

Yahoo! Sports: Wrigley's peanut-free suite clears way for one fan's special day

Prior Restraint
What We Talk About When We Talk About Mark Prior
Mark Prior seems to be undergoing a renaissance lately. Why? First, he's making a comeback and is actually pitching fairly well for the Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball League. He's got 20 strikeouts in 10 innings and a 0.00 ERA. Also, he's the go-to guy for quotes about phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg's arm injury. Almost 30, Prior wished Strasburg well and is surprisingly introspective about his own career: "Is it because of mechanics that I broke down?" he asked. "I'm beyond the point of asking if that's the reason."

New York Times: For two once-in-a-generation pitchers, similar misfortune
Deadspin: Mark Prior doesn't know why you keep asking him about Stephen...

Geovany Soto got an MRI on his sore right knee and it was negative. He is listed as day-to-day... Following last night's 3-for-5 effort, Starlin Castro now has enough bats to be eligible for the NL batting crown. He is currently fifth with a .313 average... The crowd of 29,538 was the smallest this season at Wrigley.

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