From the Chicago Tribune: "As recently as Sunday, Stone planned to call just 13 Friday Sox home games, serve as a three-days-a-week baseball analyst for WSCR-AM 670 and perhaps continue his postseason work for TBS. Then Sox vice president Brooks Boyer called to ask if he wanted a roster spot on the Sox broadcast team. Within 36 hours, the one-year contract was done."

(Hat tip: Baseball Primer.)

He's calling games for the wrong Chicago team. How did it come to this? Wrigleyville23 blames Dusty.

Here's a story that will likely go nowhere, but the Chicago Tribune's Fred Mitchell reports that Steve Stone becoming the Cubs' GM is "a distinct possibility if Chicago financier Lou Weisbach becomes the new owner." Two paragraphs later, Mitchell writes that Stone "would become the general manager if the Weisbach group were to land the team." (Emphasis added.)

When Stone returned in 2003 to save us from Joe Carter, he reportedly told Jim Hendry that he was no longer after his job, that he was content to be a broadcaster. That is presumably no longer the case after the 2004 fall-out. The Sun-Times' Chris De Luca reported in April that Stone was interested in a front office position following the change in ownership.

It doesn't appear that Steve Stone, previously involved in ownership bids for the Oakland A's and the Washington Nationals, will be an investor in the eventual new Cubs ownership group, reports the Sun-Times' Chris De Luca. But he clearly hopes for a front office position (senior advisor to the president?), which would make things interesting for Jim Hendry.

The call to arms is a very costly one

By Al Hamnik/Times Columnist

Sample:

"When you can throw the ball left-handed and get it over the plate with regularity, you're a very valuable commodity," former Cy Young winner Steve Stone said.

I wondered if retired big-leaguer Dan Plesac was considering a possible comeback.

Read entire article at:
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/01/24/...

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Photos from Ryne Sandberg's Chicago Cubs jersey number retirement ceremony at Wrigley Field

With Bob Brenly not getting much attention for the managerial openings and thus staying in the Cubs' broadcast booth, the Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan gives us an update on Steve Stone:

Phil Rogers weighs in on with his speculation on who will be the next Cubs manager: "My guess is the job is [Lou] Piniella's if he wants it, and he probably does."

There's no indication that Rogers has any inside information. Outside of his three years in Tampa Bay, Piniella does have a good -- though not great -- track record.

I do think that Rogers is right about one thing for sure: