Or so says what I just heard on the 11:15 PM WBBM-AM sports report.    I knew it was nonsense to think Dempster would gladly accept a hometown discount to come back to the Cubs.   But if the bidding is going to get north of 4 years and $50 million for Ryan Dempster????    Well then I'm sorry I think the Cubs have to think very seriously about taking  a pass and looking at other options.   Like for instance Randy Johnson on a 1 year deal.   Or maybe look into the medical condition of Brad Penny.  

Priority # 1 is re-signing Ryan Dempster

Cubs are not willing to give Kerry Wood a three year deal which might spell the end of his career in Chicago (very surprising to me)

Rich Hill is back on the Cubs radar -- organization still has faith in his talent

Organization would like Alfonso Soriano to bat 5th or 6th next year

Kosuke Fukudome stands good chance of being platoon mate with Reed Johnson in CF, dependent of course on his ability to hit

Derrek Lee will likely not be traded on recommendation of Piniella

Jake Peavy is not on the radarscope but the Brewers will be very hot and heavy after him

Raul Ibanez is not really a target because of his inability to play right field

Bob Brenly shapes up to be finalist for the Milwaukee job

Interesting news in Crain's suggesting that the current credit crisis will likely cause Sam Zell to slow down the sales process of the Chicago Cubs.   Why?   Because for Zell's financial manueverings to work and for him to realize the greatest tax benefits from the sale of the Cubs he needs the new owner to heavily finance the purchase with debt.   Well, credit is significantly drying up.   It's being suggested that Zell will therefore delay the sales process until the financial markets ease up.   That could take a couple of years.   So we might be looking at Sam Zell as owner for a lot longer than anybody would have first envisioned.  

You seriously could not script a more tragic trainwreck if you were a St. Louis Cardinal fan who had hatred in your veins for the Cubs.    The Cubs failed on all cylinders tonight.    They puckered up and failed to hit, field, pitch, execute.   The best performance of the game was actually turned in by Carlos Zambrano of all people because he was the only one who sucked it up and at least tried to persevere.  

And now I'm listening to Lou on the radio and he says these have been the two worst games played by the team all year.   He has no answers, not that I expect the manager to have answers for this.   Yes Lou made a few tactical moves that raised my ire, but make no mistake this was a total failure of the players on the field.   The players who form a $110 million plus payroll.        

P.S.   Yes, it is official, Kosuke is in the doghouse.   Lou was the most critical of a player that I have ever seen him be in public.   Basically suggesting that Kosuke is useless and he's all done being out there on the field anymore.    A little too late for that revelation Lou !!!    Mike Fontenot should have been in the damned lineup tonight and Mark DeRosa and his bad wheel in right field where he couldn't possibly have been any worse than he was at 2nd base.  

Starters....Dempster, Zambrano, Harden, Lilly (I think Lou will use all four if need be)

Pen....Wood, Marmol, Howry, Samardizija, Marquis, Cotts, Marshall

Lineup....Soriano, Theriot, Lee, Ramirez, Edmonds, Soto, DeRosa (RF), Fontenot (2nd)

Bench...Johnson, Kosuke, Ward, Hoffpauier, Cedeno, Blanco

Micah "hey look ma, I just hit for the cycle" Hoffpauier will be picked over Felix "I just called myself safe and still can't hit" Pie.   In light of Lou's love of left handed run production and the presence of two defensive plus guys on the bench in Johnson and Kosuke.  

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I will assume we face the Dodgers in the NLDS.   We can figure on facing Derrek Lowe and Chad Billingsley.   Lowe has historically come up huge in the postseason.   I doubt Greg Maddux gets a starting nod.   Hideki Kurodo probably figures in their rotation set-up.   I am under impression that Brad Penny is hurt, which is advantage us.  

The storm surge is now estimated to be in the 22-25 foot range, which is above previous estimates.   If anybody thinks the city of Houston is going to be in a position to host a major league baseball game by Sunday or even Monday then they are nuts.   It is time for Bud the Dud Selig to intervene and for this series to be moved to another city so something of weekend baseball can be salvaged.    This isn't Drayton McLane being selfish but rather Bud Selig suffering yet another crisis of leadership.  

Okay Pie lovers, why hasn't he been called up now that the Iowa Cubs are finished in the Journeyman Wonder League playoffs, er I mean Triple A playoffs?    Lets see what that pile o' crap Pie can do this go around.   Even Pie deserves a farewell tour before he heads off to play for the Triple A team of the Washington Nationals or Yomuiri Giants next season.   

75 words are about 73 more words then I want to waste on Felix Pe.   But duty and honor necessitate that I keep on typing until the warning box goes away.     

Alfonso Soriano not running out of the batter box on what he thought was a home run today was inexcusable.   It's not the first time this garbage has happened with Soriano.   And I understand completely why Bobby Cox and the Braves might be peeved off and want to fire a fastball into Soriano's earhole the next chance they get.  

My admiration and support of Lou Piniella is unwavering.   But he has horrible blind spot with Soriano that needs to end.   What needed to happen today was for Piniella to PUBLICLY make spectacle of Soriano.   Like in the same vein as Billy Martin yanked Reggie Jackson from a game in 1977 when Reggie played a ball hit to right field on about the 50th hop.   Sweet Lou was on that team by the way.   Because obviously Soriano isn't getting the message via other means.  

If my detractors want to make this an argument of me having long-standing disdain for Soriano, then so be it.   This viewpoint of mine has nothing to do with overall opinion of Soriano.   I would say the same thing if it were Ryan Theriot who did what happened today. 

Officially a done deal.   No details yet on the other players involved.    Ned Coletti is the worst baseball executive in baseball so it will be interesting to see what the Dodgers sent to the Red Sox for what will amount to as a 2 month rental before Manny signs $800 billion deal with the Yankees in order to torment the Red Sox for the duration of his playing career and give the Steinbrenner brothers more World Series trophies.        

75 words on the wall, take one down 74 words on the wall, 74 words on the wall, take one down 73 words on the wall, 73 words on the road, take on down 72 words on the wall, 72 words on the wall, take one down 71 words on the wall, tra la la tra la la tra la la ....75 words, 75 words,  75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words, 75 words.  

For whatever reason the feast or famine offense that has alternatively gifted and killed the Cubs over the past decade has made it's return.   First couple months of the season it was like watching a brand new ballclub.   Taking pitches, working the count, hitting the other way, laying down the bunt, being aggressive on the basepads....   Lots of us pointed to the addition of Kosuke having some magical transformational powers.  

But now what?   Well, all I know is that going back to a feast or famine offense is sad recipe for major disappointment (again) in 2008.   Cubs have got to get back to being a diversified offense.   Two things I would do.     

1.   Coincidence or not neither Ramirez or Kosuke have been the same hitter since the later was moved up in the lineup.   Therefore with Soriano coming back lets put Kosuke back in the 5th hole hitting behind Ramirez.   Ramirez is the absolute most important member of the Cub lineup.   He is our best and most clutch run producer, a title that he has held since his arrival in mid-2003.   Getting back to offensive consistency starts with getting Ramirez back on track.      

2.   Ryan Theriot needs to stay at the top of the lineup.   And when I say top of the lineup, I mean leadoff spot.   Lets try something bold and put Soriano in the two hole.   It's not like Theriot steals bases (or at least should be stealing bases).   But he does run well and Soriano would surely see a heavier dose of fastballs given the fact that Theriot is always on base.