Read Between the Lines
Did Ricketts Give Away the Next Cubs' Manager?

Cubs Fan Report

Cubs' GM Jim Hendry has been interviewing anyone and everyone for the Cubs' open managerial job. But yesterday, Tom Ricketts gave some clues about where the team is leaning. At a conference with some of Chicago's brightest sports minds (and Bears' president Ted Phillips), Ricketts said the next skipper "must understand what it is to be the Cubs manager, the pressure, the scrutiny you get... we have to have someone who understands what they're getting into." As Bleed Cubbie Blue says, we have a pretty good idea who he's talking about....

Bleed Cubbie Blue: Tom Ricketts: Next Cubs manager must understand...
Chicago Breaking Sports: Ricketts: Manager must understand Cubs' history

Pride (In the Name of Mediocrity)
Soriano: I'm Great Because I'm Healthy!
Here at the Cubs Fan Report, we try to be measured and thoughtful. But sometimes, we lose it. Like when we read Alfonso Soriano said about this season: "The most important thing is that I haven't gone on the [disabled list]." No, the most important thing is this: You're batting .256, you field like your contact lenses are inside-out, and the Cubs are paying you $18 million FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. Health is about the 17th most-important thing you should be proud of. OK... deep breaths... rainbows, lollipops, kittens....

MLB: Soriano's healthy year brings slugger pride
Agony & Ivy: Taking off the Cubbie blue-colored glasses

Put a Cork in It
Sorry, Sammy: Corked Bats Don't Help Hitters
So it seems Sammy Sosa may have ruined his reputation for nothing. Some eggheads scientists did an extensive analysis, and they found that corked bats, while lighter, don't make the ball go any further. "We conclude that there is no advantage to corking a bat if the goal is for the batted ball speed to be as large as possible," the nerds researchers found. They also learned, however, that a batter might be able to hit the ball with more accuracy. Because yes, Sosa was all about placement and not trying to hit the ball to Minnesota.

Technology Review: The misleading myth of the corked bat

The Unusual Suspects
Bruce Levine: Cubs Could Have New Names Next Year
ESPN's Bruce Levine had a chat recently, and he gave some good insight into where he sees the team going next year. For starters, he predicts next year's starting second baseman won't be Darwin Barney or not Blake DeWitt, but Orlando Hudson. He doesn't seem to think the team is going to pick up a stud starter (like Cliff Lee or Zack Greinke). He also says any Cub is likely available for trade, including Carlos Marmol and Tyler Colvin. Who's the only player likely off-limits? Take a guess...

ESPN Chicago: Chat with Bruce Levine

You Better You Bet
An Inside Look at the Shady World of Gambling
Man does not live on Cubs news alone. So every now and then, we run a link to a story that's not about our beloved North Siders. Today's good read comes from Deadspin, which excerpts from a book about a woman who found herself working for a professional gambler in Las Vegas. There's a lot of good stuff here, from the strip mall where she works to the perpetually flexing co-worker. But the best part: The writer's boss, the unforgettable "Dink" — the six-foot, four-inch, home-perm-sporting gambler — wears a Cubs shirt. Nice.

Deadspin: A woman begins her odyssey through sports gambling's underworld

The Cubs are 9-3 on the road (and 14-7 overall) under interim manager Mike Quade... Andrew Cashner has a 1.54 ERA in 11 appearances under Quade... By missing games with his recent hip injury, Starlin Castro has fallen out of the NL batting title race... Things are pretty slow with the Cubs these days, so in light of the Cardinals sweep, why not take a moment to check out our Hookup video again?

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