Prose and Ivy BBA App Available For Your iPhone

First, iTunes became the gateway to The Beatles.  Now, naturally, Prose and Ivy is part of Apple’s next best thing.

Ever finish playing Angry Birds and think “That was fun, but I’d really like to read a sarcastic point of view of the Chicago Cubs’ latest news”?  Ever wrap up whipping your buddy at Words with Friends and wonder “How can I access all the Cubs information I need to know, and still be thoroughly entertained”?  Ever end your nether-region photo session and email your last pic to Jenn Sterger and think “Man, I could sure go for a little Prose and Ivy right about now”?  Well, two out of three isn’t bad!

And now, you can!  (Access incredible baseball news from bloggers around the country, including Prose and Ivy on your iPhone that is, not email pics of your junk to random former sideline reporters…well, you could, but that’s not what I was really referring to).

As the Cubs Chapter president within the Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA) I have some exciting news to share with you today.

Julian Levine of SplashingPumpkins.com has released the iPhone BBA app…and it is awesome!  Not only can you access the latest posts from this blog, but also the best baseball blogs on the web!  From passionate writers covering the Cubs and every other MLB team, you can see what everyone is talking about and join in on the fun.  There are a ton of blogs out there that deserve your attention and if you’re introduced to just one new quality blog, that on top of the article feed makes the app well, well, worthwhile!  You can get the app here.  It is rated 4+ which means all of the articles sent to you through the app contain no objectionable material…however the humor, analysis and baseball insight is like no other.  Some technical details of the app on iTunes:

• Free
• Category: Sports
• Released: Nov 30, 2010
• Version: 2.0
• 2.0
• 2.4 MB
• Languages: English, Spanish
• Seller: Casey Haakenson
• © NoticeSoftware, LLC

Rated 4+

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

Anyone who picks it up, let me know what you think!  Android version of the app coming soon!

Go Cubs Go!

Want To Make Starlin Castro Nervous?

From the folks over at The Beckett Blog, a photo of Derek Jeter, the Yankees’ pride and joy and captain…proudly featured posing in a Cubs uniform.  Hysterical.   Although it certainly would trump the Cardinals announcement that they signed Ryan Theriot to play shortstop for the next 2 years!  (How about that?  Theriot to the Cards.  2011’s Jim Edmonds.  Get ready for a bit of bizarre world Cards fans….and you better hope it’s not more like having Aaron Miles on your side again).  No need for Castro to sweat though.  Just another ‘Fun With Photoshop’ moment for bored baseball fans on the Internet.  Thank goodness for that.

Many people can’t understand why the Jeter talks are taking so long.  Many also forget that baseball is a business.  A huge, huge business.  Like all businesses, it’s all about your return on investment (ROI).  And when you are as old as Jeter is and coming off the career-worst year that Jeter is coming off of, your legacy is the only thing you have going for you in the boardroom.  And like many of the greats before him, that might not be enough for the Yankees to offer what Jeter is looking for.

It would seem wrong to see Jeter play on another team, but it happens.  The athletes that accomplish amazing things, setting them apart as the sport’s elite are few and far between.  How many of those players actually get to play for one team their whole career?  Even fewer.  Jeter wouldn’t look right in another uniform but if the numbers don’t look right to the Yankees front office, then it won’t matter.

I like Castro at short.  I love his upside and potential.  We aren’t simply a Jeter away from winning it all and to bring him on board would be silly in tampering with Castro’s development.  Still, the simple fact that they took the time to photoshop Jeter into all 29 teams uni’s is hilarious.  Perhaps fans of some of those teams who could upgrade at SS, without a true young up-coming talent, who is a Jeter away from winning it all, now have reason to dream the dream: spending the Winter daydreaming over what might be next Fall after landing one of the game’s premiere talents.  Jeter isn’t what he was in the 90’s, but still.  You could do a lot worse.

Too bad he doesn’t play first base.  Now that would be a move where the talent we currently have doesn’t stand a chance in measuring up against Jeter…’90’s or 2011 Jeter for that matter. 

Not much player news on the Cubs front.  Quade and coaching staff locked in and everyone’s looking forward to the upcoming December Winter Meetings.  Jeterless, sure.  Still, can’t wait to see what the roster looks like come Spring Training in February.

Go Cubs Go!

What would it take to make the Cubs unstoppable?

Yes, I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.  Yes, I have some ideas of my own.  Yes, I wanted a lame excuse to post this hilarious SNL digital short here on the blog because it’s hilarious.  Yes, I realize I used the word hilarious twice in that last sentence.  Yes, I know what a thesaurus is.

Things I believe would make the Cubs unstoppable in 2011: a miracle, an ace starting pitcher, more Colvin/less Fukudome, a power hitting first baseman, a repeat performance by Marlon Byrd, Soriano does his impression of Cocoon 3, Quade convinces Castro he’s up for rookie of the year honors again therefore avoiding any possibility of the young one having a mental sophomore slump, Marmol reaches 96 saves, Todd Ricketts appears on Millionaire Matchmaker, Say Yes to the Dress, International House Hunters and Celebrity Apprentice, the Cardinals close their doors forever, the Reds are moved to the American League and last but not least, we sign Mike Schmidt to manage our AAA club.  That’s right, take that, Phillies.

http://www.hulu.com/embed/cERl5D-flvffA27zxg1s9g

List in the comments what you think it would take to make the Cubs unstoppable in 2011!  Go Cubs Go!

No Wonder I Haven’t Heard from Keenan Cahill

Whether you are a regular reader of this blog or perhaps you follow my Twitter account @proseandivy you know that I have been trying to get Internet superstar Keenan Cahill to sign on and agree to doing one of my fan interviews, “Prosecards from Cubs Nation”.  The kid is hilarious, his videos are blowing up youtube and he’s a huge Cubs fan.  He’d be a great interview.

Well, I haven’t heard from him and now I think I know why.  He has bigger fish to fry.  Like hanging out and making music videos in his bedroom with none other than 50 Cent.  Ok, Keenan that’s cool.  No problem.  But you know he’s a Yankee fan, right?  Check out the video here (and you can save time if you’d like by jumping ahead to the 1:20 mark for the big entrance):

Go Cubs Go!

New Beginnings

Recent post on my Twitter page:

“Good thing about the Giants win last night? The Cubs are once again in the running to win the World Series.“

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants on winning the 2010 World Series.  Not many paid attention to the Series in comparison to other years but it does nothing to dampen the thrill of victory for the Giants or their fans, I’m sure.  A series, filled with pitchers with excellent resumes and two teams who would be providing a first if they were to take home the trophy, this one was something more fans should have enjoyed despite the lack of usual headliners.  Seeing as the All-Star game proves to be a very difficult thing for the NL to win year in and year out, it’s nice to have the championship trophy reside with a National League team.  Hopefully, next time it finds it’s way to the North Side.

And isn’t that the best part of the season ending?  YOUR team has a shot yet again at winning it all.  As soon as the ‘E’ is posted next to your team’s city in the standings, the rest of the season is for every reason OTHER than winning the World Series.  All valuable in their own way, however none worth as much as winning it all.  Once the season ends, the playoffs run their course and the final out of the Series is recorded with players dressed in laundry other than that of your favorite players spraying each other in champagne (or ginger ale as it were this season in the Texas locker room) all of a sudden, we’re looking at next year and what moves are necessary to elevate your team to the promised land.  The promised land of course is a bit much as nothing is promised, especially that of a World Championship.  Anyway, it’s a saying, so I said it…the point is, the beauty of the Giants finishing their parade route is that door has closed and a window of opportunity has opened for the Cubs.  Let’s hope the right moves are made so we’re thrilled it’s open.  The wrong ones could make us want to jump out of it.

Mike Quade will be our manager in 2011 and I’m excited at the prospect of what that means in a 162 game sample of what he’s capable of achieving.  There is something to be said about the way he handled young talent like Castro in his benching early on in Quade’s interim tenure and the way the veterans got behind him as a candidate for the one of the most coveted job in all of sports.  Coveted in that, the man the manages the Cubs to the World Series victory the city has been waiting for, for over a century, will be appreciated in a way no other coach or manager would ever be or has ever been in all of sports.

There is also something to be said for the way the organization kept on nearly the entire coaching staff, something I’m sure Quade had a say in.  To me it says that this team believes that with Quade and this particular supporting coaching staff, they have the leadership that can take the Cubs all the way.  At least the best that their money can buy right now and are willing to let ride on the small sample we were privy to at the end of 2010.  As a side question, what happens to Eddie Vedder’s Cub anthem if we do go all the way?  An ‘I Told You So’ remix perhaps?

The belief Hendry and the Ricketts have in this compilation of leadership in the dugout/bullpen and the loyalty the players and organization have displayed towards Quade in the early moments of this off-season makes me proud to be a Cubs fan.  I believe it’s setting a strong tone of all focused on one goal as it needs to be, as early on as possible.  Hopefully the small sample of success demonstrated in the last few days of 2010 translates into greater success with the opportunity to do so in a complete 2011 campaign.

The length of the Quade contract is also wise.  Enough to give Quade a shot but not enough to eliminate other options if it doesn’t work out.  Including I’m sure, giving Ryno a little more time getting experience under his belt in case he were interested in the position once again a few years from now and the Cubs thought he was ready.  Remember, Quade was passed over for the Cubs job once before.  Never say never and nothing is ever impossible when it comes to hires and fires and coming and going in major league baseball.  Makes me want to keep an eye on the length of contracts guys like Girardi sign with the mindset of perhaps the length of the deal they sign may show whether they’re still keeping the Cubs job prospect alive in the back of their minds.

The key lineup devisers and skill coaches are in place.  Now we have holes to fill and hopefully we land players looking to start anew with the Cubs and give themselves and us as fans, lots to cheer for and be excited about.  A starting pitcher, bullpen help, a power hitting first baseman and perhaps a strong utility infielder are all positions the club should be looking to fill this winter (a lot will be said for how the club feels about Hoffpauir and Vitters with their off-season moves).  As per usual, all eyes will be watching the news and reading the sports sites for updates on who may or may not be a Cub in 2011 and those resource outlets won’t disappoint when it comes to rumors and predictions.

The Cubs Convention tickets are on sale now, a great sign that 2010 is over and everyone is looking forward to 2011.  Especially the fans as we’re all ready for the club to land that elusive championship.  Time to start the clock over as winners when it comes to Chicago Cubs baseball.  It’s time to move the AC clock to read AC000000.

Speaking of ‘new beginnings’, on a personal note, my wife gave birth to our first born on Oct 23rd.  Below are a few pictures of our son, Rhys Lewis Maloney, all 9 lbs 6.5 ounces of him.  I’ve already started reading the sports section to him and telling him every story I can think of to assist in his love of baseball.  I can’t wait to enjoy games with him and am already planning our first trip to the ballpark.  Parenthood has already been a trip with a ton of diapers, multiple sentences uttered including the words ‘butt paste’ that I never thought I’d say and even a few occasions where I was unable to beat the clock and was as a result…peed on.  Good times.  Rhys has been a great baby though and it’s been awesome to have some time off to spend with him and my wife for a couple weeks after bringing him home from the hospital.

To new beginnings.  Go Cubs Go!