Blast from the Past
Sun-Times: Time for Cubs to Move Forward

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Many Cub fans were angry that the team chose Mike Quade instead of Ryne Sandberg to be the next skipper. The Sun-Times' Rick Morrisey says hiring Quade was the best thing for both the Cubs and Ryno, and he also asks: Why do Cubs fans love the past so much? Wrigley Field traditions are nice, but what do memories of 1969, 1984, 1989, and 2003 produce other than anguish? "In the Cubs case, the past is built almost entirely on disappointment," Morrissey writes. "In case you haven't noticed, the past isn't so great around here."

Chicago Sun-Times: Like Sandberg, Cubs fans need to break free of past

New Faces?
Cubs Might Make Splash at First Base
We've all heard the Cubs won't be spending mega-bucks this offseason. The problem: they still have holes to fill. For starters, who's going to play first base? Adam Dunn is probably too expensive, so maybe Aubrey Huff, the Tribune suggests. Alas, he might relish his leadership role with the World Series-winning Giants. Another name: Victor Martinez from the Red Sox. The Cubs also need pitching, and one-time Cubs first-round pick Jon Garland is available — as is, as you might have heard, some guy named Kerry Wood.

Chicago Tribune: First base tops Cubs' offseason priority list

Carlos in Charge
A Closer Look at Big Z's Numbers
It's easy to hate on Carlos Zambrano. From going all punchy-punchy on Michael Barrett in 2007 to freaking out in the dugout last year, Big Z is what we call, ummm, complicated. But the Daily Herald's Bruce Miles points out that Zambrano is better than his numbers suggest. Over a 12-start stretch in 2009, he pitched eight quality starts — yet he won only four games. Other complex stats (does fielding-independent pitching do anything for you?) indicate Zambrano is still going strong. And if Mike Quade can get through to him, well....

Daily Herald: Can the Cubs live with Carlos Zambrano?

James Says
Baseball Expert Predicts Cubs at .500 Next Year
Bill James is to stats fiends what William Shatner is to "Star Trek" fans. But the man does know his baseball, and he says the Cubs — as currently constructed — are a .500 team. Which isn't great, of course. But it's six games better than this past year, and would have been good enough for third place in the division. So if you take that, add some pitching depth, figure Carlos Marmol, Andrew Cashner, Tyler Colvin, and Starlin Castro will have another year of seasoning... maybe not so bad, right? Right?

Another Cubs Blog: 2011 Cubs: Bill James projections

Rank and File
Judging the Cubs, from Top to Bottom
Here's a question for you: Who's the Cubs' best player? Agony & Ivy says it's Carlos Marmol, and we'd be hard-pressed to argue. Who's the team's seventh-best player? Uhhh... it's Sean Marshall, A&I says. The blog ranks the 2010 team from 1 to 38, providing a remarkably thorough recap of the season. We might quibble with some of the rankings — Starlin Castro at #14, behind Jeff Baker? — but otherwise it's a good read and an excellent analysis of every player on the 2010 roster.

Agony & Ivy: Cubs player rankings

The Third Man
Is Ramirez Due for a Bounce-Back Season?
If you're looking for a reason the 2010 season was so painful, we wouldn't blame you if you pointed directly at Aramis Ramirez. The previously solid third baseman went into freefall last year — he hit .152 in April and .173 in May, and he posted a woeful .294 on-base percentage for the season. But Desipio thinks Ramirez is due for a rebound, pointing out he's "only" 33 and he'll become a free agent after the season. And as we know, nothing motivates some athletes like those magical two words, "contract year."

Desipio: E-Ramis has nowhere else to go

We got a kick out of watching Todd Ricketts and seeing how Wrigley Field really works on "Undercover Boss" last night. You can view the episode online if you missed it... Jon Heyman of SI predicts the Cubs will sign Adam Dunn... Wrigley Field will host the Northwestern vs. Illinois football game on Nov. 20, and the changes to the field have already been made... Feel like you know where this year's crop of free agents is going? May as well play The Cub Reporter's Free Agent Frenzy game... Check out these awesome baseball cards, including a mustachioed Greg Maddux... Derrick Rose and Chicago Bulls fan? Sign up now for the new Bulls Fan Report and you could win an autographed Derrick Rose basketball and photo!

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