Cubs Single Game Tickets On Sale Now

For many die-hard Cub fans, yesterday was Opening Day.  Cubs single game tickets officially went on sale yesterday at 8 AM at the Wrigley Field Box Office and at 10 AM on cubs.com.  The ticketing frenzy that takes place on the first day of ticket sales is something quite remarkable.  And the Cubs actually do a decent job of taking extra measures to ensure that the process is as quick (and peaceful) as possible.  Well, somewhat quick.  In other words, don't plan on doing anything all morning if you plan to head to Wrigley to buy Cubs tickets next year on the first day of sale.  But thanks to the wristband system used there, it isn't excessively hectic.

The three Yankees games in June sold out with four hours of box office sales, meaning within two hours of online sales.  Two of the three Sox home games have also sold out.  Tickets seem to be selling relatively fast, a good sign that reaffirms the newfound optimism that's been lingering this offseason and into Cubs camp in Arizona.  And don't look now, but the Cubs could be on the way towards contending this year.  This morning on WMVP ESPN Radio Chicago, their baseball insider Bruce Levine (who also writes for espnchicago.com), said the Cubs would win between 85 and 88 games if they stay healthy and the key players perform to an acceptable level.  He followed that by saying that the NL Central will probably be won by a team that wins only 88 to 90 games, so the Cubs could very well be in the mix for the entire season.  And with the recent news of the Cardinals losing ace starter Adam Wainwright for the season, the playing field could be completely level.  Four teams all have a good shot at the division in the Cubs, Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers.  This means there should be plenty of intense battles going on down the stretch in a very tight race.

All of these are reasons to buy Cubs tickets.  But this isn't the Cubs website, nor is it a blog officially affiliated with the Cubs.  So I'm not going to bore you with clichés about how you should 'catch' all the action this summer at Wrigley, instead I'm here to tell you how to do that in the cheapest and most effective ways possible.  The Cubs and ticket sales websites may slap you with fees and heightened prices for big games and such, and we shall dub that 'the system' for reference purposes for now.  And although you can't beat The System, you can find the easiest path through it.  So here are some ticket buying tips for ticket-hungry Cub fans:

-Unless you're buying one of the packs of tickets (the 13 Game or 6 Game packs) or you've defied odds by not letting the economy whisk away your fortunes, it's probably smarter to wait to buy your tickets until late March or April.
-For the budget ticket shoppers (like me), don't buy from cubs.com.  Sure, cubs.com certainly offers the greatest selection of seats and ideal reliability, but not an ideal price.
-Stubhub.com is one of the most reliable ways to buy Cubs tickets, and also probably the cheapest.  Just hours before a home game, tickets on stubhub.com can found for less that $5 a piece in the upper deck.
-Speaking of the upper deck, budget shopping fans should buy there.  The view from the upper deck at Wrigley Field is one of the best in baseball due to the lack of suites which would elevate the upper deck. A close, yet broad view of the field is to be had from anywhere up there.  Also, the Cubs don't station ushers in the upper deck, so do what I do and buy the cheapest possible ticket and head down to grab a nice seat down closer to the field (but still in the upper deck).  Considering how the Cubs played most of last year, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I had no trouble finding better seats.
-Thinking about throwing a work party?  You better step up to the plate.  The minimum cost for a 15 person Mezzanine Suite is $3,200, but the price also extends up to $5,400.
-The Batter's Eye Lounge in center field ranges between $165 and $270 per ticket, so there's no bargains to be found there either.  With these premier seating options, it's probably just better off buying from the Cubs seeing as no one else can sell them.
-There are five different ticket pricing levels for Cubs games in 2011, but thankfully the cheapest one has been increased to 11 games.  On those such dates, upper deck tickets can be bought at a face value of $8, the only ticketing price tag under $10.
-In general, the Cubs overcharge for their tickets so the smarter way to go is stubhub.com.

Cardinals, Pujols Strike Out Looking

In what will be the most anticipated free agent in baseball history, Albert Pujols will probably become a free agent after this season just nine months after LeBron James served the same title for basketball.  Pujols and the Cardinals were nowhere close to a deal when his deadline of Wednesday at noon came and passed.   Pujols is looking to cash in the biggest deal in baseball history, which was not what the Cardinals were offering.  Pujols could very well likely become the first player ever to earn more than $30 million per season.

Statiscally, Pujols deserves the largest contract in the history of baseball especially considering that inflation has caused the dollars to mean less.  However, this is still disappointing to me to the point where I cringe when I hear Pujols could be paid $32 or $33 million per year.  To the point where I scowled violently at former Braves manager Bobby Cox last season when he suggested Pujols should earn $50 million a year.  Future Hall of Famer or not, I can't help but wonder if Pujols is worth any of these figures.  He has led the National League in the last two seasons, but had never done it before that.  Ryan Howard, who has actually outhomered Pujols by 22 since 2006, will only be making near $25 million per year on his new deal.  Sure, Pujols is a better average hitter with a much better eye and doesn't strike out much, but is that worth the near $10 million extra he will be paid?  Or is it just part of the fame of being a free agent in such a position of power?  Even with Pujols, is it arrogance?

I think Albert Pujols is a great person and although he isn't the funniest or most interesting guy to listen to in a press conference or interview, that's not a bad thing.  Pujols has never been pegged as arrogant before and isn't one to get into confrontations with anyone, including opposing players.  But with this stubbornness about getting the largest deal ever, I can't help but to be disappointed that he is turning down this path of greed and selfishness that many free agents go down.

Luckily for the Cubs, the ridiculous $32-$34 million price range could be money the Cubs would be willing to spend.  With plenty of money coming off the books after 2011, including the bloated contracts of Kosuke Fukudome and Aramis Ramirez, there will be room in the budget to go after Pujols.  Signing Albert Pujols would be unbelievable, and the media attention that would follow would rival insanity.  In case you were wondering, the contract with Carlos Pena is for only one year, leaving room for the Cubs to go after Pujols or their Plan B, Prince Fielder.  Was this an intention move by GM Jim Hendry for exactly that purpose?  Food for thought.  Many fans will be happy to see Pujols be paid 'what he deserves', but I won't be one of them.  I don't know how much money Pujols really 'deserves', and nobody does.  Nobody can.  But two-time MVP, World Series Champion, future Hall of Famer or not, $33 million a year is hard to stomach.

Also: Read Mike Wilbon's article on why his hometown Cubbies should sign Pujols.

State of the World Baseball Classic

I know what you're thinking; with everything going on in baseball, from Albert Pujols negotiations to Michael Young trade talks to pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, why pick such a dormant topic as the WBC?  Nearly two years ago, Japan took home the title in the 2009 Classic.  In just over two years from now, the next champion will be crowned.  But many have been critical of the tournament system.  Should changes be made?  Should the United States continue to host the final game?  Should the current field of 16 be expanded?

The results of the 2009 tournament can be found on this page.  As you can see, there was decent diversity in the first round with all four pools beginning in other countries (Tokyo, Mexico City, San Juan, and Toronto).  But after that, it's all in the United States.  The second round was played in Miami and San Diego, followed by the semifinals and finals played in Los Angeles.  In the first round, with the teams in pools of four, two teams advance by winning three games and two teams are eliminated by losing two.  Although there were plenty of exciting games, attendance was low for these games and they sometimes struggled to sell 50% of tickets.  However, the final game in Los Angeles drew over 55,000 making it probably the only sellout in the entire tournament.

The round should be rotated by tournament.  The locations of the rounds in 2013 haven't been announced yet, but I hope the final is in another country.  Just because the WBC was our idea doesn't mean we have to control it.  It would promote international baseball more in other countries because, as we can see with the first round attendance numbers, there is an unfortunate lack of interest.  What if the 2013 rounds looked like this (remember, warm weather climates only in March): First round in Houston, Atlanta, Mexico City, and Guadalajara, second round in Santo Domingo and Taiwan, semifinal and final in Tokyo.  Baseball may be America's 'national pastime' but that doesn't mean we like baseball more than Japan or Puerto Rico.  If this tournament is to be called the 'World Baseball Classic' it should celebrate the intense baseball culture of all countries involved.

A plan set in 2009 suggested the WBC in 2013 be expanded to 24 teams.  According to the International Baseball Federation's national team rankings, the eight teams that would be added would be Nicaragua, Spain, Thailand, the Philippines, Great Britain, Germany, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands Antilles.  This is a great idea because the more the teams, the more baseball pride around the world.  Many critics have deemed the WBC a failure to create interest in international baseball where interest lacks, but a change to the tournament format with more teams and a bracket simpler to follow would accomplish this purpose.  If you look at the World Cup, first of all there are 32 teams, and second of all the points system within each pool is simple to follow.  Perhaps the WBC should adopt a system where each team plays the other three in its pool, then advances or not based on a point system where a win is three points and a loss is one.  After just two tournaments, I think the WBC can't be dubbed a failure or success as of yet, but 2013 could be a pivotal point for baseball's most prominent international championship.    

Cubs 2011 TV Schedule

The Cubs have released their TV schedule for 2011.  For the seventh season in a row, the local broadcasts will be handled by Comcast SportsNet Chicago (CSN), WGN, WCIU, and Comcast SportsNet Chicago Plus (CSN+).  CSN and WGN both around something like 70 games, while WCIU and CSN+ both show around eight games.  WGN has broadcasted Cubs games on TV since 1948; CSN has since 2005; WCIU has since 2000, and I don't know how long CSN+ has but it can't be very long considering the main CSN only started broadcasting Cubs games in 2005 and CSN+ is an offspring of the main one.

Although it has been two and a half years since the Cubs were in the playoffs, they seem to be gathering more national attention with a younger group that showed promise late in 2010.  The Cubs have a few new faces replacing faces that had been there for quite some time, and this has made some noise around the league.  FOX has announced its MLB national broadcast schedule up until September, and so far the Cubs are scheduled to be featured nine times on their Saturday afternoon games.  ESPN has announced its Sunday Night Baseball schedule for only the first two months, and the only time the Cubs will be on it in those months is May 22nd at the Red Sox.  These leaves room for more Cubs games to be put on national television and they could be an interesting team to watch this summer.  The following is a list of FOX Saturday broadcasts of Cubs games April through August (all times CT):

May 7th: Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs, 12:10 PM
May 14th: San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs, 6:10 PM      
May 21st: Chicago Cubs at Boston Red Sox, 6:10 PM
June 4th: Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals, 3:10 PM
June 11th: Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies, 3:10 PM
June 18th: New York Yankees at Chicago Cubs, 3:10 PM
July 2nd: Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs, 3:10 PM
July 30th: Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals, 3:10 PM
August 20th: St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs, 3:10 PM

On May 14th, the Cubs will host the first weekend night game in the history of Wrigley Field (as far as I know).  Incredibly, the Cubs will be one of the six weekly teams (in three games) that FOX shows on Saturdays for six out of seven Saturdays in a row through May and June.  All 162 games this season, including the ones on national TV, will be broadcast in HD.  But beware, CSN+ is particularly hard to find in HD, so you might be stuck with standard definition for those games. 

Unlike most Major League teams, like the Tigers for example, the Cubs don't have an official 'TV home'.  WGN claims to be 'Chicago's Official Summer Baseball Station' but they don't even show half of either Cubs of White Sox games and that slogan is endorsed by neither the Cubs nor White Sox.  The Tigers, on the other hand, are the only team in their market and they have a main channel that broadcasts nearly every game.  Fox Sports Net Detroit shows probably more than 140 games, meaning Tigers fans know where to go when watching their team on TV.  Cub fans (and Sox fans), however, don't have this convenience.  The channel the Cubs and Sox are on each day seems almost random, especially considering the fact that to even see two days in a row where the same channel broadcasts the same team is uncommon.  This, however, is due to a battle for games between the two networks.  Both CSN and WGN fight for each game; WGN citing tradition as their broadcast motive, CSN citing that they are a regional sports network that should be home for all local teams.  This can be found in Bulls games as well.  The only team that either network has the edge is the Blackhawks, where CSN gets the majority of games because the Hawks negotiated specifically with CSN.
 
No matter which network logo is on the polo shirts of Len Kasper and Bob Brenly this season, the broadcasts are all done with usually great quality by the cameramen who, as is expected with the job, don't get the credit they deserve.  The 'super slo-mo' tactic first experimented with by both networks in 2010 should be back.  Between CSN and WGN, Cubs baseball on TV in 2011 should be very entertaining.

Links:
Cubs 2011 Schedule
Official cubs.com article on release of TV schedule
Cubs 2011 National TV schedule

Special Wrigley Field 'Ground Rules'

Take one look at Wrigley Field, and you know it clearly isn't like any another ballpark.  But did you know that Wrigley has its own set of special rules for balls going places or hitting things?  These rules are known by all umpires and can be found here.  Here we go:

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• "1. Baseball hits top or face of screen in front of bleacher wall and bounces back on playing field -- In Play
• 2. Baseball hits top of screen and drops between screen and wall -- Home Run
• 3. Baseball hits screen and bounces into bleachers -- Home Run
• 4. Baseball sticks in screen in front of bleachers -- Double
• 5. Baseball sticks in vines on bleacher wall -- Double
• 6. Baseball comes out of vines -- In Play
• 7. Baseball hits leftfield or rightfield foul markers above painted mark -- Home Run
• 8. Baseball hits foul markers below painted mark and bounces back on playing field -- In Play
• 9. Baseball goes under grates in leftfield or rightfield and remains there -- Double
• 10. Baseball goes in or under grates on either side of home plate and remains there:
  • Pitched Ball- One Base
  • Thrown Ball - Two Bases
• Also: Players cannot enter the dugout steps at Wrigley Field to catch any foul pop fly."

Perhaps the most common of these rules is #5, where an umpire's rule of thumb comes into play.  Hunter Pence did this in 2009 and although I don't have any video of it, we'll use him as an example.  When the ball was hit and rolled under the ivy in right center, Pence immediately ran over and put both hands up in the air as if claiming innocence.  Although I don't think this procedure is even in the MLB Rulebook, umpires understand this as a sign that the ball is stuck in the ivy and cannot be taken out, resulting in a double.  However, had Pence gone through the ivy looking for the ball, the play is still active and the hitter could keep running for an inside the park homer.  But also, had Pence just put his hands up even though he could get to the ball but didn't want to allow a triple, the umpire could deny his request for a double.  See when a player puts their hands up using this rule, the umpire closest to the spot has to run out and make sure the ball is not in a place the outfielder could get it, if the umpire can find it at all.


Many home runs over the years at Wrigley have bounced into the screen then to be grabbed by a fan from the first row of the bleachers.  These are only homers thanks to rule #2.  However, if the ball doesn't touch the wall or get into the bleachers, apparently, it's not a home run.  This is highly unlikely and I don't know that it has ever happened due to the angle of the screen, but according to rule #4 the ball must hit the wall or else it isn't a home run.  I don't really understand this rule because the yellow line to signify where the home runs must be hit past is on the screen, meaning any contact on the top of the screen should be a home run.  


I think the note at the bottom about foul pop flies is interesting as well.  In the event that a player had enough time to enter the dugout via the stairs to catch a foul pop up, which I have never heard of in any stadium ever, would he know that the catch would be voided by use of the stairs?  Who knows.  Besides, who needs stairs when you can just awkwardly tumble over the railing?  Well those were the main things I noticed in these rules.  While some of these rules might never come into play, there's something you didn't know.  


      

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Todd Ricketts on Undercover Boss

That guy you see in the video isn't just a Wrigley Field hot dog vendor; he's brother of Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts.  As part of the ownership group that bought the Cubs in October 2009, Todd is a well-known face around the Wrigley premises.  Thus the facial hair and glasses.  This episode of CBS' show Undercover Boss aired last fall and can be watched here.

If this is significant of anything, I think one thing that should be noticed is the remark made by Todd's 'boss' at the end of this promo.  "His handling of money was subpar."  Obviously, he's referring to dishing out change to hot dog-hungry fans at the park and not the dishing out of millions to free agents, but maybe it's a metaphor for Todd's skills with money in business.  Maybe now we know why it's Tom, not Todd, who's the leader of the ownership group that owns the Cubs.  Of course, just a metaphorical theory.

I think the fact that CBS chose the Cubs to be their first sports franchise episode (and so far, only) says plenty about this franchise.  If the Tribune still owned the Cubs, there's no way CBS does this.  With the Ricketts, we actually have real people as owners of the Cubs.  When the Tribune owned the Cubs, there wasn't a single figure that Cub fans could point to as owner of their team.  And that's because the Tribune didn't provide one.  Now Cub fans can point to four people as the main owners of the Cubs: Tom, Todd, Pete, and Laura Ricketts.  It's good that Todd got public exposure by doing show because Cub fans have not seen much of Todd, Pete, or Laura.  So here's 43 minutes of entertainment, courtesy of a Cubs ownership partner.      

2011 Cubs: Bold Predictions

This season's edition of the Cubs should be an interesting one.  With this season's fate to be most likely decided upon the play of unpredictable young players, it could really go anywhere.  I think these Cubs could win 90 games; I also think they could lose 100.  But the difficulty of these predictions is what makes them fun; one must visualize their own results, play it out in their own mind.  When I see these Cubs, here's what I see.  The following ten predictions, some more realistic than others, are in no particular order.

1. Starlin Castro will steal 25 bases.
Castro, known for his raw speed, didn't have much luck stealing bases at the Major League level in 2010.  Being thrown out eight out of 18 tries and being picked off multiple times, it was clear Castro has some work to do when it comes to knowing when to run and how to recognize pitcher pickoff moves.  This is something Mike Quade and his staff will surely work on in Spring Training, however, because Castro's speed may be the only real speed on this team.

2. The 2011 season will be Marlon Byrd's last as a Cub.
Byrd is known for his great clubhouse chemistry and attitude towards the game, and his fielding range in center field is outstretched by very few.  Clearly this sets a great example for young teams looking for a leader.  And although Byrd's contract with the Cubs runs through 2012, I see him being traded in most scenarios the Cubs could run into this season.  If the Cubs are well out of contention, he will be dealt at the deadline in July.  If the Cubs hang around and hover near .500, he will last the season but be traded in the offseason to beef up the pitching or veterans in the field.  If the Cubs win the division and play very well all season long, he will probably stick around.  But as we know, that's highly unlikely.  Why would the Cubs want to trade Byrd?  Because center fielder Brett Jackson, the Cubs' 2009 1st Round Draft Pick, is rapidly on his way towards the Majors.  Jackson's five tool ability makes him the perfect fit for the center field at Wrigley Field.  There probably isn't room for both Jackson and Byrd in this town.

3. Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, and Matt Garza will combine for 45 wins.
In the rotation for a full season barring injury, all three are locks for 10 wins.  Garza will be moving to the National League and out of the hitter-happy AL East, meaning he should only get better.  Considering he already wins 15 games in that AL East, there's no reason why he shouldn't in the NL Central.  Ryan Dempster also had a 15-win season in 2010, his first since 2008 but only the third in his career.  Dempster has never had a stretch of three seasons as dominant as the last three in his career, and actually posted a career high in K/9 innings at his 2010 age of 33.  He should be able to get there.  Carlos Zambrano for 15 wins?  I know it sounds like a stretch.  But Zambrano learned how to pitch last season; like actually learned to locate.  His fastball might top out at 90mph on a given night, but unlike earlier years, he can still win with that. Keep that in mind heading into this season, and I see these three being an a-okay trio at the top of the rotation.

4. The 2012 Cubs will make the playoffs.
It's as simple as that.  Although Carlos Pena is a free agent after 2011, this could mean the Cubs will want him back on a long term deal or, more likely, the Cubs will go after free agent Prince Fielder.  Either move should give the Cubs enough to contend in 2012.  2009 1st Round Draft Pick Brett Jackson should be in the Majors at some point in 2012, and he will be a special player who should make an impact immediately.  Another year of progression for Starlin Castro, who should be a star by then, will also help.  The Cubs' strong farm system, still strong despite dealing three of its top ten prospects to Tampa Bay in the Garza trade, has many pieces that will be contributing soon.

5. When the Cubs jokingly said they would have to retaliate by throwing at Cardinals shortstop Ryan Theriot for his criticism of the Cubs, they weren't kidding.
The scrappy Theriot isn't hard to miss, but his radio appearance on a St. Louis radio show was.  Theriot, just sucking up to Cardinals fans upon arrival, said that it felt great to "finally be on the right side" of the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry.  While it was no specific attack on the Cubs, Cubs players took offense to it.  Mike Quade is going to get his squad more emotionally pumped than Lou Piniella did, and retaliation to Theriot's comments could be an excuse for these Cubs to give the Cardinals a wake-up call and send a message that it isn't just St. Louis and Cincinnati for the division title.

6. By a wide margin, Kosuke Fukudome will lead the lead in bench warming, even if he is traded at the deadline. 
Tyler Colvin didn't show us all of his potential in 2010 and became less effective at the plate as the season went on.  Colvin will continue to develop and have an even better season in 2011.  While Fukudome can get on base, this is pretty much all he offers offensively.  That is a highly-regarded trait at the Trade Deadline, however, so he could be moved for his defense and on-base percentage.  Colvin's play will demand starting everyday while Reed Johnson actually offers more defensively than Fukudome does, making Fukudome dispensable.

7. These Cubs will prove that they actually do have emotions, and will show them.
This ties in to #5 as well.  The 2010 Cubs, for most of the season, appeared to be many of the 'living dead'.  The Cubs were on pace to lose well over 90 games, and yet with the exception of Carlos Zambrano there was no frustration to be seen on or off the field from the players.  This showed the fan base that the players didn't care enough, and the fans responded by not coming to games.

8. The current tandem at second base, Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker, will fail.  Neither will be starting at second at the end of this season.
It's already clear that second base will be a major offensive weakness for the Cubs, and two below average hitters won't cut it.  The plan is to play DeWitt against righties, Baker against lefties.  It won't work because DeWitt can't hit enough to sustain a starting job (or platoon for that matter) and Baker's power contributions probably will be few and far between.  For a hitter like Baker who can hit for power when he gets in a roll, it's hard to build an base of consistency when you play around every other day but could go five days without playing.
 
9. You will have a sudden urge to splurge for that $15 replica helmet stuffed to the brim with loaded nachos.
See?  Your mouth is watering already.  Whether the Cubs are winning or not, there's nothing like a nice distraction.  The food options at Wrigley Field are, slowly, getting better.  And if you haven't tried this monster bowl yet, do it just once.  It's more experience than food, and hey, it's a darn good conversation starter.

10. The Cubs will finish at .500 or above, but miss the playoffs. 
The Cubs have talent there; the key will be getting a swagger back.  The whole 'Sweet Lou' and 'It's Gonna Happen' swagger of 2008 took a huge hit with the playoff loss to the Dodgers and was gone after a depressing 2009 season.  There was little to no swagger of the 2010 Cubs and this is something every winning team needs.  These Cubs will be younger than teams before, and young players bring energy.  This energy could by what the Cubs are fueled by.  The talent the Cubs do have is not stronger than that of the Reds, Cardinals, or even Brewers.  But we haven't seen the potential of hardly any of the prospects yet, and these Cubs could go anywhere.  If I have to make a prediction, I say they're a .500 team.

Hot Stove Buzz #6

After a sad start to their offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays have turned it around and made some moves to possibly keep themselves in contention after all.  After watching the majority of the talent on the 2010 Rays leave in Rafael Soriano, Dan Wheeler, Carlos Pena, Randy Choate, Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Dioner Navarro, J.P. Howell, Brad Hawpe, and Carl Crawford all leave via free agency, the outlook for the 2011 Rays looked bleak.  But in the last week, the Rays and their fans have gotten some hope in the form of the signings of Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez, and Felipe Lopez.  Damon and Ramirez, former teammates on the Red Sox, both won World Series rings in 2004.  Damon got another one with the Yankees in 2009, although both have been all over the postseason in the past decade.  Lopez has never been in the playoffs, but has the same winning attitude that Damon and Ramirez have which is exactly what the Rays are looking for.  While I think Damon and Ramirez have a lot more potential remaining for offensive production, the motivation and confidence of the two have come into question in recent years.  Lopez has not had these problems, but definitely doesn't bring as much to the table at the plate or in the field.

When first reading that the Rays were close to signing such big names as Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, clients of superagent Scott Boras no less, I was surprised.  I'm sure many other fans were too, seeing as they are the Rays and have only been mentioned in the same breath as winning in the past three years.  However, after further review, the Rays actually have a history of going after high profile veterans.  Remember which team Wade Boggs got his 3000th career hit with?  Which team sluggers Jose Canseco and Greg Vaughn played on together in 2000?  Which team was the front runner to sign Barry Bonds after his finish with the Giants in 2007, although a deal was never reached?  Prior to now, it would be hard for me to see why a free agent would want to come to Tampa Bay considering how bad they were for the majority of the 2000s, but perhaps it was seen as a rebuilding challenge for an old veteran wanting a challenge.  Other recent news and notes:

-Jermaine Dye would rather retire than play in the Minors, a preference he also had last winter.  The Cubs and Brewers both gave him Major League offers last winter, but he didn't sign with either and sat out the season.  "I'm still working out.  I'm still in shape.  I'm still motivated," said Dye, although many teams aren't sure motivation is enough for him to earn a Major League contract offer.  Now 37, many scouts aren't sure Dye can hit well enough to deserve a full time job.  After a strong first half, Dye's second half of 2009 was very bad and that doesn't help his cause now either.

-In Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com's chat with fans regarding the Cubs and White Sox, there were a few interesting ideas thrown out there.  A fan asked Levine if the Cubs were "any closer" to signing shortstop Orlando Cabrera, to which Levine replied that he hadn't heard anything suggesting so.  But this sparked that idea to me; why not sign Orlando Cabrera to play second base?  Currently, the Cubs have three potential seocnd basemen in Blake DeWitt, Jeff Baker, and Darwin Barney.  DeWitt is only 25 but has little potential, Baker is 30 but never really had any potential unless he's facing a lefty, and Barney has potential but has little experience.  In a wacky and wild idea, the Cubs could dump DeWitt and Baker to anyone who will take them and let Cabrera and Barney man second base.  Just an idea.

-Albert Pujols on the Cubs?  Another idea from that chat is to have the Cubs make an aggressive push for Albert Pujols next winter.  Quite an interesting idea, especially considering the Cubs will have the financial flexibility to do it.  Prince Fielder will also be a free agent and has actually been realistically mentioned by experts as someone the Cubs could go after.  Could signing one of these two be the reason Carlos Pena was given only one season?  Will Tom Ricketts be aggressive enough to go after one of these two?  And finally, with Derrek Lee, Carlos Pena, and Micah Hoffpauir gone after 2011, who else would play first base in 2012?

-While the Cubs wanted to upgrade defensively at first base by signing former Ray Carlos Pena, the Rays also wanted to upgrade defensively by signing the best defensive first baseman of all time in Casey Kotchman.  That's too bad, because no matter what they'll have to downgrade after Kotchman.

-Alexei Ramirez was handed an extension of 4 years, $32.5 million with the White Sox.  At around $8 million per year, Sox fans are calling it a bargain.  It might be considering his offensive production power-wise is great for his position, and although he doesn't steal bases too well he is great defensively.