Chicago Sports Stars to fill out Bears’ Roster

Before we continue with this series, I need to point out that I made an accounting error with the previous 3 projections. Each individual projection was accurate, but for some dumb reason I was thinking replacement level was .350 rather than .300. I knew this, but had it stuck in my head it was .350. A replacement level team would win 48.6 games rather than the 56.7 I had using...

The Tribune, citing Tribune sources, in the Tribune: After nearly two years of intrigue, the billionaire Ricketts family has emerged as the winning bidder to purchase the Chicago Cubs from Tribune Co. for about $900 million, sources close to the situation said this evening. The family will now complete negotiations with Tribune Co. The family edged out Chicago real-estate investor...

Vlad pointed out an article from The Hardball Times in the last thread and it led to the following search for answers: Turns out Alfonso Soriano might actually be good at baseball. http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/best-outfield-arms-of-2008/ ?vlad and then? So you add in Soriano?s 8 runs per 200 with his -3.1 UZR/150 and you have a left fielder that was worth about ...

The final bidder for the sale of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, and a 25 percent stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago has been selected by the Tribune Co. according to the Chicago Tribune. The details of the final selection, along with details from the other three bidders has been passed along to a committee for the unsecured creditors of Tribune, with the bidders names removed and...

2009 PROJECTIONS Rich Harden | Carlos Zambrano | Ryan Dempster | Ted Lilly | Kevin Gregg TED LILLY STATS Fan Graphs | The Hardball Times | ESPN | Baseball Reference | Cubs.com | Baseball Prospectus Ted Lilly wasn't as good in 2008 as he was in 2007, but he was still a good pitcher. In 2008 he gave up a few more hits and a few more walks (1.23 WHIP in '08, 1.14 WHIP...

Today was a day of minor-league signings and invitations to Spring Training. So far, the Cubs have invited the following non-roster players to the big league camp:Darwin Barney (SS)Andres Blanco (INF)Eduardo Campusano (LHP)Esmailin Caridad (RHP)Andrew Cashner (RHP)Wellington Castillo (C)Steve ...

As reported earlier today, the Tribune Co. has selected the final bidder in the sale of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, and a 25 percent stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Now the question is who is the finalist and how much is the final bid? It appears the answer is who it is not. According Reuters, Chicago real estate executive Hersh Klaff has taken a backseat to Thomas Ricketts...

With the 40-man roster and the 21 NRI, the Cubs big league camp will have plenty of arms going.Here's what I've got as of 1/21*NRI starter starter candidateLHP (11)Eduardo Campusano*Neal CottsRich Hill (not a chance)Ted LillySean MarshallJ.R. Mathes*Garrett OlsonMatt Smith*Mike Stanton*Jason ...

Last weekend, appropriately on the final day of the Cubs Convention, Kerry Wood said his farewell to Chicago and the fans of the Chicago Cubs with full-page ads in both the Sun-Times and Tribune."It has been an honor to have been a Chicago Cub for the last 13 years and to have played in the ...

If you?re living under a rock, you might not have heard that Barack Obama became President of the United States today. It certainly hasn?t gone unnoticed by his favorite baseball team, the Chicago White Sox, who are doing everything they can to align themselves with Obama?s The Sox had ...

The Sun-Times yet again scoops the Tribune on their own business affairs. Although heavily rumored for some time, there's now the infamous "person familiar with the process" going forward with Thomas Rickett - diehard Cub fan - as being the Tribune's bid of choice. The bid is rumored to be in the $900 million range and supposedly not the top overall offer, but would...

The Moondog weighs in on how Congress shouldn't get involved in a college football playoff in a reasonable, though chalk, assessment of the situation is this... this is the *perfect* situation for Congressional intervention. It's something with bipartisan support, since no one in their right ...

The Padres and Henry Blanco have agreed to a one year deal worth 750,000 dollars, ESPN.com is reporting. The Cubs reportedly backed off Blanco because they thought he was going to be too pricey! Blanco is one of the top backup catchers in the league, who did happen to hit .292 with 3 HR in 58 games this past season. The Padres signing of Blanco will likely bring back the Jake Peavy...

It is the custom of every sports blog worth its weight in paint for mother?s basement that, when news is slow, some inept local columnist gets the FJM treatment. It?s partly a tribute to what is possibly the greatest sports blog ever, and partly a reason to spew bile at said local scribe. Today?s victim: Fred Mitchell. From yesterday?s Tribune, an article entitled ?Cubs Undecided...

I've lamented several times about how slow the Cubs have been to add guys to the Marshall/Cotts pile. Now the Cubs add Mike Stanton and Bill White off the scrap heap. White popped up in my LOOGY post. Stanton, now 41, probably had his last good season in 2001.Both lefties were signed to ...