Interesting article on pro sports, particularly baseball, as entertainment and not just a competition. Cubs' management probably thought long and hard about the impact of losing their top "entertainer", Sammy "Me Me" Sosa, on ticket sales before trading him. Or maybe not, since Wrigley Field seems to have cult status now, and it would take a few solid years of pathetic losing by the Cubs (not that that has ever happened!) before attendance is significantly affected.

Anyhow, the article looks at Jose Canseco's take on how the fans "want" the players to take steroids - so that they can see more home runs.

And like a logician, he takes his philosophy to its inevitable conclusion. Baseball is not a contest or competition between two teams—the traditional understanding. Instead, "[Baseball] needs to remember that this is a game about individual athletes … . It needs to encourage players to turn themselves into entertainers, and look for new players who are born that way. And the teams have to learn how to market their players that way—the same way pro wrestling does" [ital added].

Vince Gallero at Chicago Sports Review posted a Q&A with Cubs beat reporter Paul Sullivan (of the Chicago Tribune) and White Sox beat reporter Scot Gregor (Daily Herald). (HT: The Cub Reporter, via BTF Newsblog.) The difference in the two is significant.

Morris Benton Thacker played four years for the Cubs. He came up in 1958 and in 11 games hit two home runs, and hit 250. In the next three years he didn't hit any home runs and never hit over 200. He was a back up catcher. Makes Paul Bako look like Pudge Rodriguez.

My friend Rick (Probably his dad) and I took to calling him "Moe Thacker the Whacker". He was emblematic of the mediocrity of the Cubs in the late 50's early 60's. Slow and untalented.

Moe died in 1997.

Moe

Neil Young expresses my attitude towards the Cubs. I have been a cub fan all of my 51 years, and have been repeatedly misled, more likely held illusions about their chances for success. Spring Training is traditionally the best time of year. Our rookies are phenoms (Who can forget Gary Scott, Ty Griffin, Tarzan Joe Wallis, Mike Harkey and countless others). Our veterans are all in great shape and poised to have career years. Lo and behold, by June our hopes have been cruelly crushed by the reality of mediocrity that has been the hallmark of the franchise.

Last year was goind to be different. Everyone , even Las Vegas, said we had a good chance to get into and win the World Series. We all believed it. Well it took longer but you all know what happened. (Still it was nothing compared to 69). I vowed I was through.

There has been much disputing down in Jackson, Tennessee regarding the Cubs' Double-A affiliate West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. The Jackson Sun (Dan Morris, "Jaxx still trying to find new host city," 2/26/2005) has the latest news, reporting today that "Diamond Jaxx owner Bob Lozinak told the city of Jackson on Friday he will not withdraw his letter of termination."

? I am trying to do this right

The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers reports in his latest "On Baseball" column ("Bagwell, Biggio at heart of plan," 2/26/2005) that "[t]he Nationals are worried that Francisco Beltran, whom they acquired from the Cubs in the Nomar Garciaparra trade, could have serious elbow problems.

OurSports Central has posted an interview with new Boise Hawks manager Trey Forkerway. Unfortunately, we do not learn a whole lot about Forkerway, other than that he's got the cliches down. On his baseball philosophy:

We here at CubsNet.com have now added an page to the stats index listing the top 50 all time seasons in Cubs history since 1901 in Adjusted ERA+.

Top 50 individual seasons in Adjusted ERA+* in Chicago Cubs history, since 1900:

Carlos Zambrano has a more optimistic outlook than most. MLB.com quotes him as saying, "[W]e won 89 games last year without Prior and Wood when they were hurt. This year, if we can count on 10 more wins from each of them, we can win 116 games, 120 games. I know we can do it with the pitching we have and the hitters."

It's no secret that the Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan didn't like Sammy Sosa's boom box (see here and here, e.g.). But now that the boom box has been destroyed and Sosa has departed, Sullivan still can't quite get over the excitement. Exhibit A: an entire article in Thursday's Tribune on music in the clubhouse (

In numerical order:

No. 23 will be wore no more. The Cubs announced today that they will retire Ryne Sandberg's number on Sunday, August 28. The other numbers that have been retired are Ernie Banks (#14), Billy Williams (#26) and Ron Santo (#10).

Steve Treder of The Hardball Times concludes his excellent look at the Williams-Santo Cubs, perhaps the greatest team to never win anything, with an examination of 1970-1973. How about this statement?: "In the bittersweet lore of Cub fandom, 1969 is the season nearly always seen as the tragic defeat, the golden missed opportunity for glory. But in truth, 1970 is the one that deserves such status." (See parts one and two, noted here and