A’s for Effort

Miles and Fox were traded for not a whole lot to the Oakland A’s.  Good.  SOO happy that we got rid of Miles.  I was never all that thrilled when he came over to begin with and he didn’t deliver any results his entire time (as short lived as it was) in a Cubs uniform.  And Fox, he never got a chance to really contribute on the major league level due to too much talent in front of him.  Basically we’re getting some young cats that MIGHT contribute in the future which is better than having guys that HAVEN’T contributed in the past.

Good bye and good riddance.  I wish them both the best but I don’t expect to see a whole lot more out of them and neither should Oakland.  A’s for effort is about all you’re going to end up with if their time in Oakland is anything like what it was with the Cubs.

Still have Bradley and still lack a great center field talent who might be able to lead off.  First snow fell in New York today. Winter is just beginning.  Lots more to come regarding both baseball moves and unfortunately, snow.

Go Cubs Go!

Are we there yet? YES!!!

Thankfully, yes…FINALLY.  Tomorrow is:

And the games finally count!!!

Huge changes this year.  No DeRo.  Milton Bradley’s bat balances the lineup.  Gregg as our closer.  A possibly recently disgruntled Marmol as our setup guy.  More playing time for Fontenot and a new guy named Miles.  Soto with a solid all-star season under his belt raring to go in an effort to avoid the sophomore slump.  All this and more equals a very interesting prospect that is the 2009 Chicago Cubs MLB season.  And I am ready.

I got my new gear:

I got my new Cubs Club card:

I got my MLB.TV:

I got my New York Chicago Cubs Fan Meetup group:

And the Opening Day roster is set:

I’m ready.

I decided at the end of 2008 I would no longer expect anything, simply enjoy the ride.  That’s exactly what I’m going to do in ’09.  I have no expectations.  Zero.  Simply go out and enjoy the season, all of it’s ups and downs and bumps and bruises and highs and lows.  Come October, we’ll see where that brought us.  It will be hard to maintain this mindset for sure, but it’s my new approach to being a Cubs fan.  I think we have a great chance and I wouldn’t devote as much time to the team if I didn’t always think this was the year.  However, after 101 years of it not, it’s time to stop expecting a change and simply enjoy the ride no matter the outcome.  That’s going to be tough like I said, but it’s definitely worth a shot.

That being said, here are my 2009 MLB Predictions.  Predictions that is.  Not expectations.

AL EAST

1. Boston Red Sox

2. New York Yankees

3. Baltimore Orioles

4. Tampa Bay Rays

5. Toronto Blue Jays

AL CENTRAL

1. Cleveland Indians

2. Minnesota Twins (WC)

3. Chicago White Sox

4. Kansas City Royals

5. Detroit Tigers

AL WEST

1. Los Angeles Angels

2. Oakland A’s

3. Seattle Mariners

4. Texas Rangers

NL EAST

1. New York Mets

2. Philadelphia Phillies

3. Atlanta Braves

4. Florida Marlins

5. Washington Nationals

NL CENTRAL

1. Chicago Cubs

2. Milwaukee Brewers

3. Cincinnati Reds

4. St. Louis Cardinals

5. Houston Astros

6. Pittsburgh Pirates

NL WEST

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2. San Francisco Giants (WC)

3. Arizona Diamondbacks

4. Colorado Rockies

5. San Diego Padres

ALDS

Red Sox over Indians

Twins over Angels

NLDS

Cubs over Giants

Mets over Dodgers

LCS

Red Sox over Twins

Cubs over Mets

World Series

Cubs over Red Sox

And there you have it.  Your 2009 MLB World Series Champions, the Chicago Cubs.  Streak dead.  AC000000.  No expectations.  Simply a prediction.  Go Cubs Go!!!

What?!

DeRosa for three no-names???  What?!

I get Cubs updates sent to my phone.  No big deal…not bragging…just saying.  Today’s headline read Cubs Sign Miles, Acquire Three pitchers.

Oh, interesting.

Scroll down a little further…

…they got the three pitchers in a separate deal with Cleveland, which included MARK DEROSA!!!  What?!  No Peavy?  And still next year, NO DEROSA!?!  Why?  Who is this Miles guy?  Nobody special that I can tell, at least not special enough to send away DeRosa for.  Derosa is extremely valuable, perhaps the most valuable player on the Cubs team last year.  His versatility is a key component to the Cubs success year in and year out, and yet we deal him for three young pitchers.

What?!

Congratulations Cleveland fans.  You now have yourself two of the key players in last year’s division title.  A first year closer who earned over 30 saves and probably has a decent couple years left (which is all you signed him for anyway) and a versatile, do-whatever-it-takes everyday player in DeRosa.  Enjoy.  You’re about to see why DeRosa meant so much to Cubs fans.

As I write this, I thought of his nickname, The Pulse, given his erratic heartbeat condition from earlier in the year.  Hopefully this isn’t a case of Cubs doctors knowing something the rest of us don’t.  I don’t like the thought of DeRosa in another team’s uniform, but I really don’t want to find out he’s another Cuttino Mobley, yet nobody’s speaking up that something’s seriously wrong.  The physical exam is up next of course and I’m sure Cleveland’s doctors will make sure they’re not getting damaged goods.  Here’s to DeRosa having a healthy and successful 2009 in Cleveland.

As for these new guys?  Give me a break.  Looking forward to Spring to see if any of them are worth anything near what DeRosa can bring.  And Fontenot?  Looks like your time as a daily starting Cub is now.  Looking forward to seeing you in the Spring too.

This is so disappointing.  And if it doesn’t somehow result in Peavy in a Cubs uniform next year, SOMEHOW, it will be unbelievably disappointing.  Figures it happens on the last day of 2008.  This year bit it hard in more ways than one. What a fitting ending to 2008.  5 hours, 28 minutes and counting 2008. I won’t miss you when you’re gone.

Happy New Year everyone!  Go Cubs Go in 2009!