Hendry can't possibly be the GM next season, right?

[Chuck to Chuck]

Counterpoint

Great. It only took the guy hired to be the director of the minor leagues 15 years to get the system churning out prospects.

By all means, keep him.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Counterpoint

Great. It only took the guy hired to be the director of the minor leagues 15 years to get the system churning out prospects.

By all means, keep him.

Accurate take away as always...

Ricketts has every right to choose his own GM, and this season is disappointing enough for him to justify a change. But whether Ricketts retains Hendry or hires someone else, the Cubs will be in pretty good shape. Not today, not tomorrow. But soon.

[MAD]

I happened to catch the Sun-Times this morning where Gordo Busfield wrote a similar article.  When it came to Colvin, he mentioned his rookie-leading 12 home runs.  Not bad, but his batting average is down to .263.  I cringe to think what his OBP is--the Sun-Times insists on being a Luddite to their bitter final days and doesn't print it (though they do print SLG)--but I'm guessing it's not good.  I'm glad he's doing well but I suspect his value may never be higher.  Has a Rookie of the Year ever been traded after his rookie season?

[Slaky]

I happened to catch the Sun-Times this morning where Gordo Busfield wrote a similar article.  When it came to Colvin, he mentioned his rookie-leading 12 home runs.  Not bad, but his batting average is down to .263.  I cringe to think what his OBP is--the Sun-Times insists on being a Luddite to their bitter final days and doesn't print it (though they do print SLG)--but I'm guessing it's not good.  I'm glad he's doing well but I suspect his value may never be higher.  Has a Rookie of the Year ever been traded after his rookie season?

His on base is .313. His OPS+ is 114. Nothing special, really.

[Internet Apex]

I happened to catch the Sun-Times this morning where Gordo Busfield wrote a similar article.  When it came to Colvin, he mentioned his rookie-leading 12 home runs.  Not bad, but his batting average is down to .263.  I cringe to think what his OBP is--the Sun-Times insists on being a Luddite to their bitter final days and doesn't print it (though they do print SLG)--but I'm guessing it's not good.  I'm glad he's doing well but I suspect his value may never be higher.  Has a Rookie of the Year ever been traded after his rookie season?

His on base is .313. His OPS+ is 114. Nothing special, really.

I think he's either a speedy Mark Reynolds or a young Jeff Francouer. I'll tell you which I think more after I've seen him play 100 times in person.

[Saul Goodman]

Ricketts keeps positive outlook for Cubs

LOS ANGELES -- Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Sunday he isn't pointing fingers at anyone for the team underachieving in the first half and was still having fun in his first season as owner.

"I'm not going to assign blame to anyone or anything," Ricketts said. "The fact is we came into the season, we had what appeared to be a pretty strong lineup. It hasn't worked out for whatever reason and it seems like the guys are putting it together now and let's just keep winning."

The Cubs have the top payroll in the National League but headed into the last game of the first half of the season on Sunday 9 1/2 games back in the Central. Ricketts, who arrived Sunday and planned on attending Tuesday's All-Star Game in Anaheim, said he "had the highest level of confidence" in general manager Jim Hendry.

"The fact is right now, Jim is our general manager, I support him, I think he does a great job, and after that we'll just take it one day at a time," Ricketts said.

This is the Ricketts family's first season as the Cubs owners, having completed the purchase last October. Last week, Ricketts met with season-ticket holders at Wrigley Field to get their feedback.

"We're doing what we think we can," Ricketts said. "We've tried to support every level throughout the organization. I've been out talking to folks to see if there's anything else we can be adding to the mix. In the end, you put the guys on the field and in the right chairs and you support them and hope they do the best. That's all we can do at the moment."

"Al made some great points; alcohol is Satan incarnate."

[BH]

Ricketts is still having a lot of fun. That's what it's about ya'll. No one is to blame for the team's performance this year.

[R-V]

Ricketts is still having a lot of fun. That's what it's about ya'll. No one is to blame for the team's performance this year.

I'm going to choose to focus on the two words in this article that give positive.

"The fact is right now Jim is our general manager," he said. "I support him. I think he does a great job, and we'll just take it one day at a time."

Rozner has more on the African vacation.

Despite reports that the entire family was off the continent, one Cubs board member, Laura Ricketts, never left Chicago, staying on top of team matters and making sure communication to Africa was open.

"We all knew what was happening (with Zambrano) pretty quickly, and I think (GM) Jim Hendry took the right steps," Ricketts said. "I have confidence in our management, and we let them do the jobs they were hired to do.

"We're all disappointed with what's occurred this year, but I would have been no more disappointed had I been at Wrigley Field than I was in Tanzania."

The trip was indeed a vacation but planned with the dual purpose of visiting schools in Africa that the family has supported through a charity organization they originated called Opportunity Education.

"I'm a little surprised the trip caught people's attention to such an extent," Ricketts said. "It was a family trip that's been on the books for a couple years, since before we bought the Cubs, and it's not easy to accommodate everyone's schedule and make something like this happen.

"The first thing we did was visit the schools. Opportunity Education is not a publicity-seeking organization looking for money because it's funded entirely by our family, so we don't talk about it a lot, but it's important to us."

More than 1,000 schools in the impoverished countries of Africa and Asia would barely operate educationally without the Ricketts' funding.

[Quality Start Machine]

Rozner has more on the African vacation.

Despite reports that the entire family was off the continent, one Cubs board member, Laura Ricketts, never left Chicago, staying on top of team matters and making sure communication to Africa was open.

"We all knew what was happening (with Zambrano) pretty quickly, and I think (GM) Jim Hendry took the right steps," Ricketts said. "I have confidence in our management, and we let them do the jobs they were hired to do.

"We're all disappointed with what's occurred this year, but I would have been no more disappointed had I been at Wrigley Field than I was in Tanzania."

The trip was indeed a vacation but planned with the dual purpose of visiting schools in Africa that the family has supported through a charity organization they originated called Opportunity Education.

"I'm a little surprised the trip caught people's attention to such an extent," Ricketts said. "It was a family trip that's been on the books for a couple years, since before we bought the Cubs, and it's not easy to accommodate everyone's schedule and make something like this happen.

"The first thing we did was visit the schools. Opportunity Education is not a publicity-seeking organization looking for money because it's funded entirely by our family, so we don't talk about it a lot, but it's important to us."

More than 1,000 schools in the impoverished countries of Africa and Asia would barely operate educationally without the Ricketts' funding.

Finding future Cubs who can play day games.

[Kermit IV]

I happened to catch the Sun-Times this morning where Gordo Busfield wrote a similar article.  When it came to Colvin, he mentioned his rookie-leading 12 home runs.  Not bad, but his batting average is down to .263.  I cringe to think what his OBP is--the Sun-Times insists on being a Luddite to their bitter final days and doesn't print it (though they do print SLG)--but I'm guessing it's not good.  I'm glad he's doing well but I suspect his value may never be higher.  Has a Rookie of the Year ever been traded after his rookie season?

You think Heyward is available?  That'd be awesome.

[Yeti]

I happened to catch the Sun-Times this morning where Gordo Busfield wrote a similar article.  When it came to Colvin, he mentioned his rookie-leading 12 home runs.  Not bad, but his batting average is down to .263.  I cringe to think what his OBP is--the Sun-Times insists on being a Luddite to their bitter final days and doesn't print it (though they do print SLG)--but I'm guessing it's not good.  I'm glad he's doing well but I suspect his value may never be higher.  Has a Rookie of the Year ever been traded after his rookie season?

You think Heyward is available?  That'd be awesome.

Yea, basically THIS.. There's no way Colvin's ROY with Strasburg, Davis, and Heyward in the same league

[BH]

I happened to catch the Sun-Times this morning where Gordo Busfield wrote a similar article.  When it came to Colvin, he mentioned his rookie-leading 12 home runs.  Not bad, but his batting average is down to .263.  I cringe to think what his OBP is--the Sun-Times insists on being a Luddite to their bitter final days and doesn't print it (though they do print SLG)--but I'm guessing it's not good.  I'm glad he's doing well but I suspect his value may never be higher.  Has a Rookie of the Year ever been traded after his rookie season?

You think Heyward is available?  That'd be awesome.

Fukudome and theriot for strasburg? Get it done Jimbo.

[PenPho]

Not sure why the New York Daily News is trying to break this story that is a total non-story, but Sweet Uncle Lou, "is retiring as manager of the Chicago Cubs effective at the end of the season, the Daily News has learned."

[Internet Apex]

It's official. Press conference coming up on Comcast and teh Score. What time? um... Shit.

EDIT: 4:15

[Eli]

Get ready.