Agony & Ivy

Pujols Right Guy for Cubs

I wish Chicago Sun-Times columnist Joe Cowley would stick to telling White Sox general manager Ken Williams how to do his job.

In Thursday's Sun-Times, Cowley, a former longtime White Sox beat writer, advised Cubs fans to not get their hopes up in regards to the North Siders signing St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols. He suggested that any Cubs fan who dares dream of Pujols donning a Cubs uniform in 2012 should "pick up the nearest stapler and punch it into your chest to help snap you back to reality."

April 26, 2011: Aisle 313, Row 1, Seat 101

In my visits to Wrigley Field in recent years, I have enjoyed a wide variety of vantage points.

I had the pleasure of watching the great Greg Maddux pitch from a second-row club box seat. I've also sat in the field boxes, terrace boxes, terrace reserved seats, and upper deck boxes - behind home plate and down both lines. I've even watched a couple games from rooftops across the street. But I had not sat in the bleachers since 2004 - two years before the seating area was renovated and named the "Bud Light Bleachers."

Cubs 10, Dodgers 8

Hero: Starlin Castro - the best player the Cubs farm system has produced since perhaps Billy Williams - went 4-for-5 with a double and a clutch two-run single during the Cubs' five-run eighth. It was the fifth career four-hit game for Castro, who is now hitting .393, and his second four-hit effort this season. He has a major league leading 10 multi-hit games in 2011 and leads the majors with 35 hits.

Book Review: A Perfect Season

So much has been written about the Cubs' 103-year world championship title drought that it has become cliche. So much venom has been directed at Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, club management, and many of the team's players in the blogosphere that it makes one wonder why they are fans.

April 1, 2011: Aisle 233, Row 8, Seat 110

I turned 41 on April 1 and I can't think of a better birthday present than the one my wife, Denise, gave me this year - three tickets to this year's Opening Day game between the Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Time for Cubs to Walk the Walk

When spring training opened last month, Cubs manager Mike Quade let it be known that there would be open competition for a large percentage of the spots on his team's Opening Day roster.

102 Years and Counting... Why Us?

My grandfather turned 90 earlier this year.

Pops is no saint, but I have always been struck by his ability to make friends. It's a testament to his talent for relating to others that a week does not go by when somebody in our neighborhood asks me how he's doing or tells me a story about a good time they had with him.

But the fact that he has been a Cubs fan since at least the 1930s has to be penance for something. The man has been subjected to more bad baseball in his lifetime than anybody else I know and has not even enjoyed the experience of watching his favorite team play in the World Series since 1938. He was serving in the Pacific while the Cubs participated in the 1945 Fall Classic.

"Wait 'til next year!" my late grandmother would mutter whenever she'd hear a Cubs fan speak those words. "It's always wait 'til next year with those Cubs!"

Cubs Make Right Call with Quade

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry made the right call Tuesday in announcing that Mike Quade would manage the team in 2011.

Building a Winner is Not a Zero-Sum Game

Much of the debate regarding how the Cubs should go about building a winner has centered on whether the team should "play the kids" or pursue a quicker fix.

The Inside Story Behind Lou's Early Departure

According to sources close to The Cub Factor.

Cubs 14, Astros 7

Hero: Aramis Ramirez hasn't yet made us forget about his sorry first half, but by all means he can continue to try to make amends.

What The Cubs Did Over The All-Star Break

According to this week's Cub Factor:

Aisle 231, Row 9, Seat 12

It had been some time - May 25th - since our previous visit to Wrigley Field.

Ricketts Has "Confidence" In Hendry

When Tom Ricketts hired Ari Kaplan as the Cubs' statistical analyst manager, it was an indication to many - including us - that the new owner was ready to move his franchise's baseball operations in a different direction.

Wait 'Til Next Year

Ken Rosenthal, who ruffled Lou Piniella's feathers earlier this season when he called for Uncle Lou's dismissal in May, will be the dugout reporter for Fox's regional telecast of Saturday's Cubs-Dodgers game.

The Cub Factor: How Lou Keeps His Job

Marty Gangler recaps the week in Cub Nation and previews the week to come.

Enjoy The Noodle, Though

"Yep, Year 1 of Ricketts family Cubs ownership is off to a smashing start at Clark and Addison," former Tribune sports editor writes for the Chicago News Cooperative in the New York Times today.

How The Cubs Killed 18 Minutes

The Cubs game on Wednesday night was delayed for 18 minutes when the power went out at Wrigley Field and in parts of Wrigleyville. Here's what various members of the Cubs did to pass the time.

The Bleacher Aristocrat

Len Kasper and Bob Brenly called Sunday's WGN telecast of the Cubs-Pirates game from front-row seats in the left field bleachers and Cubs chairman and "bleacher veteran" Tom Ricketts, sporting a white Cubs polo shirt, stopped by to once again demonstrate to the fans that he is a man of the people.

The Cub Factor: How The Cubs Can Fix It

Just like the White Sox, the Cubs' season is going exactly according to plan.

Unfortunately, it's Jim Hendry's plan.

True, Hendry didn't expect Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee to disappear, but that's just because Hendry's not really paying attention. They always disappear.

Here's how the Cubs can fix their season before it's too late: