Interesting read in the Sun Times yesterday regarding the Cubs and Adam Dunn. According to Gordon Wittenmeyer, Dunn is a Wrigley fan. And why wouldn't he be, he's a career .282 hitter there with 25 home runs and 46 RBI in just 66 games.

The fact that Dunn likes the North Side isn't the interesting part of this article, the interesting part, to me, is the quote from Aramis Ramirez.

''I don't know if they're going to spend the money,'' third baseman Aramis Ramirez said recently. ''But Dunn would fit anybody's lineup. But they're going to have to spend a lot of money to get [him].''

Oh the irony in that quote alone. Isn't it Ramirez and contracts like his that would likely keep the Cubs from even being able to consider this move?

I would never begrudge a guy for taking money, a contract is a contract, but what we've seen from Ramirez in 2010 is a far cry from what is expected. I even heard him referred to as Roger Dorn at one point yesterday, which still makes me smile today.

Aramis' Contract:
5 years/$75M (2007-11), plus 2012 club option

• 5 years/$75M (2007-11), plus 2012 club option
  
  • re-signed by Cubs as a free agent 11/06
  • $5M signing bonus
  • 07:$8M, 08:$14M, 09:$15.65M, 10:$15.75M, 11:$14.6M player option, 12:$16M club option ($2M buyout)
  • full no-trade clause 2007-10, $1M assignment bonus if traded
    
  • Ramirez has right to void contract after 2010 & become a free agent
  • award bonuses: $75,000 each for Gold Glove or All Star selection, $0.25M for LCS MVP, $0.3M for MVP,$0.35M for WS MVP
    
  • Ramirez may void 2012 option, but doing so forfeits $2M buyout
    
  • 2012 option becomes guaranteed if Ramirez:
    • wins one MVP in 2007-11, or
      
    • places 2nd or 3rd in MVP vote twice in 2007-11, or
      
    • wins LCS MVP once in 2007-11, or
    • is an All Star 3 times in 2007-11, or
    • is traded & Ramirez exercises 2011 option

This was filmed sometime after Carlos Lee's second home run:

This was filmed sometime after the Brewers 18th hit:

This was filmed sometime after the Giants hit the sac fly:

This was filmed sometime after the Torres walk-off single:

I awake this morning to the news that Lil' Babe Ruth has been traded away to the Giants. My reaction: "Ok." I do however like to go ESPN.com and read the comment section of stories, ya know, to get the pulse of the fan as they say. I wish I could say that I was surprised at some of the reactions, but I wasn't. See for yourself.

ESPN - Conversations: Cubs deal Mike Fontenot to Giants via kwout

We're talking about Mike Fontenot...right?

We haven't seen much of the fired up Lou Piniella in some time, so I thought I would take us back...way back.

I have to be very careful how I say this, as to not seem insensitive, but doesn't the situation with Lou Piniella and the Cubs seem all to perfect right now to part ways?

With their loss last night the Cubs are 18 games under .500, just 3.5 games in front of the Arizona Diamondbacks and just 7.5 games in front of the Washington Nationals. They are the third worst team in the NL and the sixth worst team in all of baseball.

Lou plans to be away from the team for at least the next four days to be with his ailing mother Margaret Piniella (90), who has been in fragile health, and was hospitalized late Saturday for the third time within recent weeks. With his plans for the future already stated, and with the players having made this season irrelevant, why not just cut ties now?

The opportunity is perfect for Piniella to walk away, and no one could blame him. Returning to finish out this season will accomplish nothing but compile unnecessary losses on his overall coaching record, and the demeanor he possesses in the dugout (and can you blame him) will do nothing to help his image.

Lou is suppossed to return on Friday in St. Louis, but my hope, for him and the Cubs, however unfortunate the circumstances, is that they part ways on or before that day.

Bullpen Brian has a headline today that states: Starlin Castro Rookie of the Year. Brian writes:

"Since making his debut May 7, Castro has reached base 110 times, third-most of all rookies, and collected 88 hits, trailing only Marlins' rookie Gaby Sanchez's 89 hits.

Castro's .432 average since July 10 ranks second in the majors, including 13 runs scored, 11 doubles, two triples, one homer, 10 RBI and 13 multi-hit games."

Brian admits later that maybe Castro is bit short on the numbers to be ROY, but in Castro and Tyler Colvin the Cubs at the very least have two players that make 2010 palatable, even if just a little bit.

Amongst the non-pitching prospects in the NL this year, I'm not sure Colvin or Castro will win, but the numbers are there for both. These are the NL leaders in ABs with Buster Posey thrown in to the mix because I believe his name should come up in the debate. Colvin and Castro are 6th and 7th in the NL respectively in ABs.

Of course let's not forget the pitchers. Here are some names that should be considered as well.

I think Garcia is the front-runner, especially if he finishes strong and the Cardinals are able to hold on and win the NL Central.

If you're wondering why John Axford is on the list it's because of the 16 saves. The NL record for saves by a rookie is 36, set by Todd Worrell of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986. Worrell captured ROY honors that season. Axford will not break that record, but the number is still impressive for a rookie.

This "list" was thrown together rather quickly, but I think it gives you a good idea of who should be in the debate. If there is anyone I left off, please let me know.

"If the Predator monster promised that he wouldn't kill the other players, would you put him in the game?"

There is much to laugh about when it comes to the 2010 Cubs, but that wasn't the objective when the season started. However, since they started it, I thought this little nugget would be fun to revisit. Would you eat the moon if it were made of spare ribs?

Remember that Cubs team that was seventh in the NL in ERA pre All-Star break. You know, the team that had fans tearing their hair out wondering what could be if only the offense could do their job? Fear not Cubs fans, that team is dead.

In their place is a tired armed and manned down version that is last in the NL in ERA at 6.18 in 17 games since the break, up from 3.27 pre All-Star game.

Some of the numbers: 105 earned runs allowed, 115 runs allowed overall, an opponents batting average of .310, an opponent OBP of .375, SLG% of .463, a WHIP of 1.80 and an OPS of .838!

This is a team that allowed 12 consecutive hits in one game, 26 total hits in another and has allowed five or more runs 11 times in those 17 games, including at least six or more in their last six games.

Believe it or not the Cubs are actually the second highest scoring team in the NL since the break with 86 runs of their own and the NL's second highest batting average at .276 which is up 22 points from the first half of the season.

The Cubs have lost six in a row and are now in fourth place behind the Reds, Cardinals, Brewers and Astros. "It's a Way of Life" all right.

Paul Maholm is 6-8 on the season with an ERA of 4.13, yet he has dominated the Cubs

There have been a lot of disappointments in this 2010 season for the Chicago Cubs. But has there been anything more disappointing than watching them play the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Houston Astros?

Combined the Cubs are 7-17 against these two bottom dwellers of the NL Central. And for those of you doing the math that is 10 games under .500, exactly where the Cubs stand in their overall record. This against two teams who themselves are a combined 78-123.

Randy Wells is 0-3 versus Pittsburgh and Houston and has ERA's of 4.85 and 7.36 respectively. Andrew Cashner is 1-3 and has allowed seven earned runs in nine appearances.

The Cubs are batting .223 against the Pirates in 2010 and have been outscored 46-31 in 12 games. This is a team that is ranked 29th out of 30 in runs scored in the MLB. They have been out-homered as well 10-6 by a team that is ranked 26th in the MLB in home runs.

The Pirates have a 2.38 ERA versus the Cubs this season. Against the rest of the league that number is 4.95, good for 26th in the majors.

Houston averages 3.6 runs per game, yet against the Cubs that number jumps to 5.08. As a team the Astros hit 26 points higher against Chicago than they do regularly. And despite have a team ERA this season of 4.44, they somehow managed to drop that to 3.85 when facing the Cubs.

All of this amounts to a team that is 11 games games under .500 in the NL Central and now 10.5 games out of the division lead. How things might be different if they could just take care of Houston and Pittsburgh.