Hello again everybody and welcome back once again, to my blog CubbieFever'08.  Now as I stated I was in attendance at last Saturdays game at the Cell.  Unfortanetly it did not end up as I would of hoped, but hey you can't win them all and in this NL you probably only have to win just over half to be a playoff team, and thats what really matters.  Yes it would of been nice to win the season series against our southern side friends, but maybe the tie could end on a bigger stage in October.  Wouldn't that be a site in Chicago, they thought they had bad riots when the Bulls won their first championship, just imagine what it would be like with both Chicago teams playing for the rights of '08 World Champions.  You know that just the Cubs alone being there would bring out the extra patrols and riot gear in Wrigleyville, but oh man if both sides were there, too bad the World Series couldn't end in a tie maybe that would bring us finally together to rejoice something as one big fan base rather than just the Bears!  But back to my experience at The Cell.  It was a beautiful day for baseball in Chicago, and the Tailgaters were out in huge numbers and early.  There were bean bag toss games, everywhere you looked and grills, coolers, and lots of alcohol, and of course all the girls!  My three friends (two cubs and one sox fan) and I left early and made our 2 hour drive to the field, and then immediately started with the tailgating.  We also had Patio Party passes for this game (which I highly recommend for any fan going to the Cell, all the free food and beer you want two hours before the game up till game time, it was spectacular!!)  I think because of those passes I spent like $25 bucks during the game because I was already full of food and I just had to buy a round of beers for me and my friends, which we were already feeling very good, from slamming all the free drafts earlier.  But then the game started, and immediately I found that dreded White Sox fan, sitting right in front of me who I knew was going to be a problem.  The funny part about it, this fan was a female!  I've learned through my recent baseball experiences that women are some of the most spiteful and rude fans, and she was no exception.  During the White Sox first inning at bat, When they announced AJ Pierzynski I loudly booed, along with every other Cubs fan in the park, but for some reason the chick right in front of me, (well she wasn't cute or anything) wearing an AJ jersey, turned around and said shut up why are you booing him, what has he done to you?  I instantly said nothing sweetheart but he's a Sox player and I will boo him anytime I want.  So maybe just a little, trying to aggrevate her when they announced the next player Carlos Quentin, I stood up and booed again.  Then she turned around and said now your just doing this on purpose, shut the #$%& up and sit down.  I then calmly (which is surprising for me, considering how much I drank prior to the game), said I am sorry ma'am, but I paid for this seat just like you and have every right to yell and scream for my team or against yours, so please mind your own business and enjoy the game and atmosphere.  She turned around and instantly started complaining to her boyfriend or husband or whatever he was to her.  He pretty much told her to be quiet and watch the game, becaue the only person who is being rude here is you.  She then got all pissed off at him and started yelling and screaming at him, then she got up and didn't return the whole game!!!! THANK GOD!  It was a pretty good game, I thought we had a chance till Joe Crede made a great diving catch to rob Geo Soto of a probably 2 RBI single with the bases loaded to end the inning.  Then after that I knew it wasn't our day and I have a long car ride back home with a very happy Sox fan.  Who surprisingly didn't rub it in too bad, which is totally against his nature, but for some reason I think that the sweep last weekend at Wrigley kind of held him back a little from going off.  Thats why I titled this losing the series but not the war... because even though they don't want to admit it, Sox fans everywhere learned new respect for the other Chicago Team.  I think now that they know we are for real, and if the Sox want another World Series ring this year they might have to come back to Wrigley and pry it out of our hands!!   I think that we learned alot about our beloved Cubs this weekend, that they are mortal, and it will be along hard fought season, to get to all Cubs fans dream this season the WS.  But with Soriano coming back in a couple weeks and Zambrano on schedule to start this Friday, I think it will get better and just because we lost four in a row doesn't mean we are colapsing or choking or anything to that nature.  We are a baseball team and every single team this year will lose four games in a row, I am not worried.  We finally get to play the Cardinals this week and have some control of our own division standings and hopefully knock them down a game or two giving us a little more breathing room for more hiccups in the road, which I'm sure will happen, throughout the last half of the season.  But the biggest point of all is it's the halfway point of the season and the Cubs are still the best team in baseball, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.  Till next time this is Fro and Go Cubs Go!

Its getting closer and closer to the most thrilling time of year, baseball in October, and one of the stops before we reach there is the trade deadline.  I have heard quite a few rumors in the last couple weeks about the Cubs need this and that, that they should go after this hitter or this pitcher.  All in all, I am very happy at where we are sitting as a team, not completely confident, but happy.  I think we are legit contenders in the NL and that there isn't a team in baseball that could beat us in a 7 game series where we have homefield advantage.  But as you know from my very first blog, I am worried about our pitching coach ruining our rotation and bullpen that has been so stellar for us so far this year. So therefore I am definelty leaning towards the Cubs picking another solid starter for this rotation.  So no disrespect to Lilly, Marquis, or a surprising Gallagher, but if we want to win THIS year we need a #3 behind Zambrano and Dempster, that will put fear in any team taking us on knowing that they will be seeing Big "Z" twice, the resurging Demps twice and if needed this mystery #3 that the Cubs need to pick up.  Now I've heard all the talk about C.C. Sabathia and Erik Bedard (who I think will be a bust), and I really do like the idea of C.C. being in Cubbie blue, especially after he has proven that he can even hit!!  But let's say our #1 choice doesn't work, where do we go from there??  Well, we have a pitcher having a decent year in Toronto, who publicly said he would love to come pitch for the Cubs, in A.J. Burnett, or there is a very strong staff in San Diego whose team seems to be going nowhere and could have open ears for some talk for a Randy Wolf or Chris Young, I doubt Maddux will be going anywhere he seems content on ending his career on the West Coast.   There is also two who could be surprising names on the table, (and of course this depends on where each's respective team is sitting in the standings come July) and that's the dominant arms of Ben Sheets and Roy Oswalt.  Now i know what your saying that there is no way in HELL that the Brewers or Astros would trade one of them to somebody else in their division, but it has happend before, Lou Gerhig, Aramis Ramirez, David Weathers, Delino Deshields, Kenny Lofton, Carlos Lee has played on a couple of the central division teams and then traded to another in June/July, So why not.  I think it would be possible if the Cubs could catch those teams with the right offer at the right time.  We all know that the Brew Crew takes pride in developing young players and trying to sign them young, and we also know that the Astros are looking for some young good pitching and wanting to dump that big contract of Oswalts, while getting some support for that potent offense they have put together.  I think that if the Brewers start losing and/or the Astros keep losing, that one of these trades could be a possibility in the dead heat of July.  Let me hear what you think about this, comment me back!! Till next time this is Fro and Go Cubs Go!

Welcome back to CubbieFever'08, this is Fro and today I am going to discuss the acquisition of Jim Edmonds to the Chicago Cubs outfield.  Now let me be honest at first I was awfully upset about the Cubs, who I thought were trying to make a World Series run, picking up an aging, strikeout susceptible, hated Cardinal player.  I remember myself thinking What are they doing?  The Padres don't even want him and they don't have an outfield remotely close to comparsion of the Cubs why would we waste our roster spot.  But once again Jim Hendry has proven to me why he is the GM of the Cubs and I am not.  Since coming to the Cubs Jim has put on quite a show and actually won over the Bleacher Bums in Center field.  You should of heard them the first couple games, I actually felt sorry for him at the game I was at.  Jimmy Baseball has put together an outstanding .305 BA, .622 SLG, .376 OBP, 6 HR, and 21 RBI's, while only piling up 14 K's in 28 games since joining the Cubs.  He is now exactly were he was at in G and AB when San Diego dumped him and he was only batting a .178 BA with 1 HR and 6 RBI's in his first 26 games..  Quite the turn-around. He has played an above average Center Field for us and the bat is definitely heating up.  So now I can admit to you that I am eating my words of what I said about Jim when I first heard about the signing, and yes I was wrong!!!   To Jim Hendry keep up with the good work and let's go get us another pitcher at the trade deadline!! This is Fro, and Go Cubs Go!

Hello again everybody! (in a Harry Carray voice).. and welcome to my second edition of CubbieFever'08.  Today I want to discuss the good and bad sides of our cross-town rivals Chicago White Sox Fans.  First and foremost I want to talk about the thing that irk's me the most.... anti-cubs clothing and gear.  I mean this is the stupidest thing I have ever seen.  True Story- my best friend is a huge Sox fan and actually owns more anti-cubs clothing than Sox clothing, it's pathetic.  I'm talking about everything from a T-shirt with a Cubs symbol on it and instead of saying Cubs it says Curse, to a shirt stating "Wrigley Field World's Largest Gay Bar", cmon now how childish is that?  No wonder your team can't fill the seats, all the Sox fans are too worried about how the Cubs are doing and if they lost or not to crap on the Cubs fans then to go to the game and cheer their team to a victory.  Well I take that back they will have a sell out this weekend because the Cubs are coming there....lol.  I just don't understand I mean a little humor or poking fun is good competition but there is a line that crosses into unsportman-like towards others.  But you can't blame the followers when their leaders aare pushing it along.  The two biggest Cubs-haters are Kenny "won't sign anyone for more than 4 yrs" Williams and Ozzie "the Mouth" Guillen themselves.  Who disses a Jim Edmonds hitting .230 this season when just about everyone on their own team is in the range or worse!!!  Jim Thome is batting under .200 and the savior Nick Swisher is batting the same .230 as Jimmy Baseball anyways, so who is he to talk, we got him for practically nothing how much are you paying Thome and Swisher, check your own backyard before judging your neighbors!!!  Also, those unfriendly comments about our friendly confines are totally uncalled for.  It's called history Ozzie and just because you don't respect it doesn't give you the right to rip it.  Go back to Valenzuela or where ever your from and check out the rats there, don't tell me you haven't seen them.  AAAARRRRGGGGGHHH, okay that felt good to get that off my chest, but in the beginning I did say I would talk about the good and the bad things about the sox fans so here are some good points that I do admire about their fans.... LOYALTY, and I mean LOYALTY, you cannot shake one of these fans pride of their team if you tried every play in the book, Look at all the crap they've been through in recent failed seasons, and fallouts and you know what, even though they don't talk alot about their team, they are sure quick to tell you what they think about yours and how their team is better.  Another good plus is their faith in their players and coaches, I mean no matter how many players Kenny Williams and Ozzie chase away, or how many times Thome and Konerko strikeout with runners in scoring postion, you never here them boo! or rag on their players, because they know and you can really tell that they are giving 110% and that's all that the Sox fan asks for.  Well I hope you enjoyed edition #2, and will subscribe and come back and read edition #3 COMING SOON to a computer near you.  I will be at the game on Sat., just look for the Cubs fan with the sweet gray Soto jersey in right field.  Till next time this Fro and GO CUBS GO!

HELLO FELLOW CUBS FANS AND BLOGGERS!!! and welcome to my first blog on MLB.com.  Just a quick intro... my name is Fro and NO I don't have one, just a nickname from way back in the day.  In fact it was sooo long ago that I get all the stories on how I got my nickname mixed up, so don't ask... I'm a Cubs fan living in the outside suburbs (Peru, IL) and I try to attend as many games as possible.  This is my first blog ever!! So give me a little slack until I get the hang of it.  But back to what really matters right now, which is the best record in the majors Chi-Town Cubbies!!!  First off my main concern about what is down the road and rapidly approaching us.  THE PLAYOFFS.... I am really really really concerned with our pitching staff and more specific our pitching coach.  Rothschild, I am very afraid that he will ruin the arms if Zambrano and Marmol, just like he did to Prior and Wood.  WHAT??? you ask You thought that was Good ol' "In Dusty we Trusty" Bakers fault didn't you!  WRONG... Great example right out of the gate just to get you thinking take a look at Rich Hill.  Remember at the beginning of the year when they were just trying to "tinker" with his mechanics so he could get a faster delivery to the plate.  Well Larry really helped him with that one didn't he?  Now he isn't even in the minors anymore, he was just sent down to "Extended" spring training which means get your head straight or be released league.  His head is sooo messed up now this once pitcher with great accuracy couldn't strike out a little leaguer.   He would probably walk him.  But see this is where I am going with this.  Larry was here before Dusty and after, and now is still here with Lou and yes we have had a lot of pitching successes, over the years, most strikeouts for a team for like the last 10 years in a row, but no 20 game winner, no cy- young winner, and most of all no World Series Appearances, Most people praise Larry R. for what he has done for the pitching staff of the Cubs but really take a step back and look what has it accomplished, besides blowing out the arms of two of the games most feared young starters in the early 2000's.  Don't you think Dusty asked Larry what he thought about keeping Wood and Prior in games, you bet he did and all Larry did was take a stroll out to the mound and ask a player if they want to be taken out of a game?  Cmon what player will admit that!!  Maybe Erik Bedard from what I here but that's a later edition..lol..... So all in all what I'm trying to get at is take another look at the loveable losers pitching coach and maybe you will see what I see, and from what it looks like what no one else sees..... A BAD COACH, who is more of a "yes" man than a baseball coach who should be looking out for his players not throwing them to the wolves.  So let's all hope Lou is smarter than Dusty and really realizes that we will need Marmol's and Zambrano's arm down the road, and quit over using and abusing them and maybe just maybe there will be October baseball in Chicago that people will want to watch<---- Ouch Sorry Sox fans it's just that time of the year.  Thanks for reading my first ever blog and hope you subscribe and come back and check out my next edition.  COMING SOON!