Now Bring Us Some Fuku-Pudding!

Sorry kids…no train under the tree this year. We needed to make room for the Fukudome! Merry Christmas Cubby! : )

Physically Impossible?

So now all that’s left for the Fukudome-to-the-Cubs deal to go through is his passing of a physical to be held next week. If you ask me, one thing Cubs’ team doctors will be particularly suspicious about?
His third arm.

(No, I couldn’t resist. Of course, without any way of telling how many hits this blog is getting, I may be the only one reading this…so really…as long as I find it funny, as far as I’m concerned, I’m pleasing 100% of my audience.)

Now that’s IMPRESSIVE.
Go Cubs.

Fukudome Must Have Seen ‘Anchorman’

FUKUDOME TO CUBS UPDATE, ESPN reports:
“The two sides have reportedly agreed on a four-year deal, but the exact dollar amount was still being worked out. Earlier media reports said that the Cubs were willing to pay the career .305 hitter between $12 million and $14 million per season.

The San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers were also rumored to have interest in Fukudome, who will likely play right field in Wrigley Field.

“I think we’re all in the same boat,” Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said earlier Tuesday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “We’re hopeful that the player chooses our place.”

After hitting .351 with 31 homers and 104 RBIs in 2006, Fukudome won the Most Valuable Player award in the Japanese Central League. His 2007 season was limited to 81 games due to an injury that required elbow surgery.”

…AND while he was watching “Anchorman”, his DVD player must’ve cut out right before Christina Applegate’s character explains that “San Diego” does not actually mean “a whale’s ******” leaving him longing for more attractive, renovated green pastures to call his baseball home…either THAT, or he realized hey, I’d be leaving everyone behind including family, friends, fans and moving to an entirely new world where who knows what will happen…who knows how it will go…and who knows if I’ll be happy I made this choice later on? Sure, $12-14 million a year will go a long way in making that adjustment incentive-wise, but just in case, why make such a huge change for just ANY team…I want one with potential, history, great fans, great stadium, and the best chance to win.

After all that, he’s chosen the CUBS! Way to go Mr. Fukudome. So far your career as a baseball player in America has you batting 1.000. Looking forward to seeing how this all plays out myself…and I believe your new manager, ‘Sweet’ Lou Piniella is looking forward to watching you play right field from the dugout without straining his neck.

Now lets just hope our doctors have correctly analyzed your bone chip surgery/issues as being 100% healed and that you’re ready to give us the US version of .351, 31 HR, 104 RBI.

And if that could be .351, 31 HR, 104 RBI…that would be more than acceptable to all of us.

Fukudome Eve?

Ok, so Fukudome and his agent, Joe Urbon, are supposed to be making their big announcement sometime this week, probably tomorrow or Tuesday regarding their oficial decision as to whether he’ll be playing in Japan or the US next season. As of right now, the reports are stating that he has declined the offer made by the Yomiuri Giants and he will likely be accepting one of three MLB teams’ offers.
Oh boy.

Apparently, he feels he has all the information he needs to make his decision and I, like many other Cubs fans can’t wait to find out what that decision will be. He’s reported to be a cross between Ichiro and Hideki Matsui, so I’m expecting a REALLY fast player with a REALLY big head. My favorite part of this entire situation is how Urbon has mentioned that it is possible that Fukudome will have to tour the stadiums he might call home before making his decision…well in the words of Kirsten Dunst…BRING IT ON!

The Padres and the White Sox are supposedly our biggest competition in landing Mr. Fukudome’s services and there is nothing they have in their stadiums that can compare to the friendly confines of Wrigley. I believe true greatness can sense greatness, they know when they are surrounded by it, and when you step into Wrigley, that’s exactly what you feel. It’s not corporate. It’s living, breathing baseball history, some of the greatest that ever was, is and will be. The history and the ambience is in the walls, the seats, the scoreboard, the brick, the ivy, the feel that the stadium gives off while you’re there that the stadium…it TOO, is another one of our beloved Cubs in and of itself.

Could it possibly be something Fukudome will feel, or sense, when visiting the Padres and White Sox?

Hmmmm…’US Cellular Field’. ‘PETCO Park’.

Um. No.

If it comes down to Fukudome’s new home field ringing true to the feeling of ‘home sweet home’…I like our chances. T-Minus who knows how long…but we’ll find out. And apparently…we’ll find out “SOON”.

Back to the Future

And now ladies and gentlemen, (with a little help from Tampa Bay) new to the Cubs for 2008, all the way in from MINNESOTA, the Cubs give up nothing but a little green and get…that’s riiiight…:
(big DRAMATIC drumroll please)

…TIM LAHEY!

“With the Rule 5 Draft’s first pick, Tampa Bay chose Tim Lahey out of the Minnesota organization, with the Rays promptly pivoting to deal the 25-year-old right-hander to the Cubs for cash considerations.

Originally a catcher, Lahey was converted to a pitcher in 2005, the year after having been the Twins’ 20th-round choice in the First-Year Player Draft, with immediate success. He earned 15 saves that season with Elizabethtown in the Rookie League, and is 15-6 with 38 saves in 123 Minor League appearances overall.”

Wait, what? You did say Minnesota right? Not quite Johan Santana to say the least and we had a little help from the Rays (I’d change my name too at this point) but hey, its always exciting to get what could potentially be a quality pitcher for the future. With a rotation of Zambrano, Lilly, Marquis, Hill, and Marshall/etc I personally feel we’re in pretty good shape right now for starters but since Lahey has to stay on the active roster for the entire season or else the Rays can buy him back for half price, he may be able to help out in the bullpen. So, that being said, welcome to the club Mr. Lahey, or as I could also refer to you…”FROM TAMPA BAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME “Not Scott Kazmir.”

Also, who knows, maybe Mr. Lahey could help us get the left-handed power hitting outfielder we’d love to land by including him in another move sometime in the future…I suppose that wouldn’t be so bad, now would it? And if you’re reading this Mr. Fukudome, forget about all that, sign the dotted line, let’s get you a locker…and put you in front of the best fans in baseball roaming the new grounds in right field at Wrigley!

(This must be the patience Sweet Lou has been talking about.)

“…root, root, root for the CUBBIES…”

The Leadoff Spot

Seeing this is my first official post on my newly created Cubs MLBlog let me start off by saying “Hey, hey!” I look forward to sharing my thoughts about the team and hearing from you regarding all the news that surrounds our boys on the North Side…The Chicago Cubs!

Coming off an amazing regular season and a rather disappointing postseason I can’t get myself away from the sports pages and any and all sports websites that are covering the Winter Meetings! I refresh the Winter Meeting updates more frequently than my email! Who will we use as a closer? Will we land Fukudome? Can someone explain to me why…if we’re going to replace Derosa at second (which I’m not even so sure is necessary)…why didn’t we start looking into Brian Roberts in the first place? I mean Kaz Matsui? REALLY? As Fukudome bait, sure…but more than that? One good postseason does not make Matsui a good choice otherwise.

I was SO happy to see Ohman traded although I am a little hesitant to buy into Ascanio just yet. I mean, they took Ohman to get rid of him (although I have a feeling he was a requirement of the Cubs that he be included in order to do the trade and that Infante was really the guy the Braves were targeting. Speaking of which…Detroit? Wow. That is going to be one unbelievably good team next year. I believe if Santana ends up in the National League then the ALCS next year between the Red Sox and Detroit may set a record for extra innings played in a series as that will be one close and exciting series.)

It’s interesting to see how much pull Santana has in this offseason. It’s like everything is waiting for one guy’s deal to go down and then everyone will move forward. Piniella says he was told he’d have his new players’ presence under the tree in time for Christmas. As excited as I would be to have all of our needs filled in time for the holidays, I don’t expect much to happen until Santana is either dealt or Minnesota makes it clear he’s staying put for now. Even though we’re not looking to get in the Santana mix…everyday it becomes more apparent that his is the first domino to fall this Winter to figure the rest of league’s rosters for 2008.

Curious to see what happens at 2B…interested to see who will join Soriano and, in my opinion Pie, in the outfield and also curious to see what we can do to the bullpen to strengthen our chances to repeat in the Central next year and capture the 100 year carrot that’s been dangling out there in front of us year after year for a century…some years dangled closer to our faces than others (and of course few of us have been around for all 100.)

Prose and Ivy will be something I’ll dedicate a lot of time to this offseason and then especially when Spring comes! I’ll get as much stuff up as I can as soon as I can…I’m still learning how to fully utilize all of the functions of these MLBlogs but I’m looking forward to it!

Thanks for checking out these e-friendly confines…GO CUBS GO!