Vote for the all-time best Cubs roster
Dawson or Sosa? Sutter or Smith? Grace or Lee? Friends have waged verbal wars over questions like this for years. But now the debates can be put to rest. For the July All-Star issue, Vine Line is letting you determine the All-Time best Cubs roster. Vote for who you think the best Cubs players were, position by position, and the results will be featured in July’s issue of Vine Line.
Get your vote in
Don’t miss out on your chance to vote for Vine Line‘s all-time best Cubs roster. We’re letting readers decide who is the best-ever Cub at each position, and the results will be featured in the July All-Star edition of the magazine. Cast your vote now before the poll closes.
Now Playing: In the Dugout with Dale Sveum
In Vine Line‘s monthly conversation with Cubs Manager Dale Sveum, we cover everything from the breakout season of Bryan LaHair to the fate of erstwhile closer Carlos Marmol. To read the full interview, pick up the June issue of Vine Line, on sale soon at Chicago-area newsstands. Or subscribe to Vine Line for just $29.95.
Castro hits way into history
Starlin Castro had a pair of singles Monday, giving the shortstop 400 career hits in just 325 games. Among major leaguers who debuted after 1980, Castro tied Alex Rodriguez as the sixth-fastest player to reach the 400 hit plateau, behind only Ichiro Suzuki (268 games), Nomar Garciaparra (302), Kirby Puckett (310), Hanley Ramirez (317) and Wade Boggs (324). He leads all NL players with 74 multi-hit games since 2011.
Despite having just a .326 on-base percentage this season, the 22-year-old shortstop leads the Cubs in hitting (.316), RBI (25) and is tied for the lead in stolen bases (12). He also has a .333 average with runners in scoring position.
1000 Words: Number one fan
Kerry Wood steps off the Wrigley Field pitcher’s mound for the final time after striking out the White Sox’s Dayan Viciedo on three pitches. As he walked toward the dugout to a standing ovation, his son, Justin, ran out to embrace him.
“My favorite memory and probably my best memory of the 14 years was yesterday walking off the field and having Justin run out and meet me,” Wood said on Saturday. “You can’t beat that. I wasn’t expecting it. I knew he might be in the dugout, but I did not expect him to run out and hug me. And he didn’t want to let go. You can’t put anything above that.”
(Photo by Stephen Green)
Kid K walks away
Chicago Cubs right-hander Kerry Wood formally announced his retirement from baseball today at Wrigley Field with his family by his side, ending a 14-season big league career.
Originally selected by the Cubs with the fourth overall pick in the 1995 draft, Wood pitched 16 years in the organization, including his first 14 seasons. He retires with the third-most strikeouts in team history (1,470) and as only the fourth pitcher to spend 12 or more seasons with the franchise, joining Charlie Root (16 seasons), Guy Bush (12) and Rick Reuschel (12).
The 34-year-old Wood walks away with a career 86-75 record, 63 saves, 1,582 strikeouts and a 3.67 ERA (563 ER/1380.0) in 446 major league appearances (178 starts). He averaged 10.32 strikeouts per nine innings in his career, the second-highest total of any pitcher in major league history, behind only Randy Johnson’s 10.61 mark (minimum 1,300 innings pitched).
On a perfect, sunny day at Wrigley, Wood stood at a podium in front of home plate and thanked his family, teammates, coaches and colleagues. Here are some highlights from the ceremony:
“I’m excited for the future, and I’m excited to watch what these guys are going to be capable of doing. These guys are starting the journey I’m ending today, and I’m looking forward to watching these guys grow and learn this game and ultimately bring a championship to the city that deserves it.”
“I just love the city, love the atmosphere. I love the attitude of the people, love just everything about it. I’m a kid from Texas who showed up here at 17 or 18 years old and white-knuckled the cab ride all the way to the stadium from the airport. I just never thought I’d be able to do it. The place grows on you, and I just love everything about it.”
“I didn’t have to try to crank this thing up today and come in and stretch or do anything like that. I got to watch a little league game this morning and loved every minute of it.”
“You know when it’s time. The body was telling me and obviously the results were telling me. So I’ve got no regrets. I played this game as long as I could and as hard as I could. And I’m fine saying that.”
“This is home. This is why I came back. The fans, this stadium. Yesterday was the best weather day we had. This place was beautiful and rocking. That’s the way I want to remember Wrigley Field, and that’s the way I will remember it.”
The Crosstown Classic invades Wrigley Field
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After Friday’s 3-2 loss, the Cubs now sit 39-46 against the White Sox since Interleague Play began in 1997. They do still hold a 22-21 record against the Sox at Wrigley Field.
Prior to the game, Manager Dale Sveum discussed his excitement about getting the noteworthy series underway:
“You don’t want to say it’s different than any other game, but they really are. That’s just the way it is. … Everything’s more magnified, the fans are into it, they’re going to stay longer, it’s a whole different atmosphere than any other game. It’s like being in the playoffs but you’re not. … To me, it’s like Christmas morning. You can’t wait till that morning comes. You get up earlier. It’s different than any other game.”
Cubs center fielder Tony Campana discussed what it’s like to play in front of the Wrigley bleachers:
“I’m sure it’s [ going to be crazy]. They’re always pretty rowdy out there, so I’m sure it’s a little more so because you’ve got both sides out there.”
Finally, Cubs play-by-play TV announcer Len Kasper broke down the series from the booth:
“I think it’s neat that you have two major league teams in a city. It’s always fun. There’s always extra energy in the ballpark. I think it’s as close to a playoff atmosphere as you can get in the month of May.”
LaHair the All-Star?
The season is just over a month in, but it’s becoming hard for fans and opposing managers alike to ignore first baseman Bryan LaHair and his thunderous bat. Then again, baseball minds have been ignoring LaHair’s career for a while now.
The 29-year-old spent nine seasons in the minors, where he posted a .295 career average. His only two stints in the big leagues were 150 plate appearances in the second half of 2008 with the Mariners and a September call-up with the Cubs last year (after hitting .331 with 38 home runs and 109 RBI in 129 games for Triple-A Iowa). But prior to Spring Training, first-year manager Dale Sveum handed LaHair the Opening Day job at first base, where he’s capitalized on his opportunity and become the most recent poster child for never giving up.
If deciding the All-Star team was based on stats alone, the left-handed slugger would be a lock. Below shows where he compares with other National League first basemen who have played at least 18 games this year:
Batting Average:
1. Bryan LaHair – .384
2. Lyle Overbay, ARI – .333
3. Adam LaRoche, WSH – .316
On-Base Percentage:
1. Bryan LaHair – .476
2. Lyle Overbay, ARI – .440
3. Joey Votto, CIN – .439
Slugging Percentage:
1. Bryan LaHair – .767
2. Adam LaRoche, WSH – . 524
3. Garrett Jones, PIT – .529
Hits:
1. Freddie Freeman, ATL – 35
2. Bryan LaHair – 33
3. Yonder Alonso, SD – 31
Runs:
1. Freddie Freeman, ATL – 22
2. Joey Votto, CIN – 16
3. Bryan LaHair – 14
Doubles:
1. Joey Votto, CIN – 15
2. Yonder Alonso, SD – 11
3. Bryan LaHair – 9
Home Runs:
1. Bryan LaHair – 8
2. Freddie Freeman, ATL – 6
3. Adam LaRoche, WSH – 5
RBI:
1. Freddie Freeman, ATL – 26
2. Todd Helton, COL – 21
3. Adam LaRoche, WSH – 19
4. Bryan LaHair – 18
Walks:
1. Joey Votto, CIN – 27
2. Bryan LaHair – 16
3. Adam LaRoche, WSH – 15
Among NL first basemen, nobody’s name pops up at the top of the league’s most important stats as often as LaHair’s. With his feel-good story, the Cubs enormous following and his gaudy numbers, we shouldn’t be surprised to see the Cubs clean-up hitter taking the field on July 10 in Kansas City along with the rest of the game’s elite.
Cast your vote for LaHair or any of your other favorite Cubs here.
Hot off the presses: Vine Line May issue featuring Jeff Samardzija
Baseball has always been about reinvention. Even at the major league level, players change positions all the time.
But few have done so with the regularity, and consistent success, of Cubs No. 3 starter Jeff Samardzija. After an outstanding career on the gridiron at Notre Dame—and the promise of an NFL career as a wide receiver—Samardzija changed course when he was drafted in the fifth round by the Chicago Cubs.
After a few up-and-down years, the 6’5″, 225-pound flamethrower arrived as a major league pitcher in 2011, posting a 2.97 ERA in 75 appearances out of the bullpen. But there was one problem—Samardzija saw himself as a starter. So when the 2012 offseason rolled around, he headed to Arizona and dedicated himself to securing a spot in the Cubs rotation.
Five months later, Samardzija joined Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster as stalwarts in the Cubs biggest area of strength—their starting rotation. In the May issue of Vine Line, we look at Samardzija’s long road to the Cubs rotation, his mile-long competitive streak and how be became a more complete pitcher.
We also have an exclusive Q&A with the man who is reinventing what it means to play baseball the “Cubs Way,” General Manager Jed Hoyer. We go in depth about why he wanted the Cubs job (which he calls “the best in sports”) and his expectations for 2012 and beyond.
“If you acquire players who play hard—and we have a manager who is going to stress that—if you do the little things well, you always have that chance to catch lightning in a bottle,” Hoyer said.
Finally, we go inside the numbers with four key players—and the advanced metrics that explain why they are so important to the Cubs success.
This season, reinvent the way you get news from your favorite team by subscribing to vineline.mlblogs.com. If you live in the Chicago area, pick up the May issue at select Barnes and Noble, Jewel, Walgreens and Meier locations. Or subscribe to Vine Line today.
Now Playing: Cubs Clinic with Paul Maholm
The stolen base is returning to prominence in the major leagues. But nothing kills a rally faster than picking off a runner or keeping him firmly rooted to the first base bag. For the May issue of Vine Line, Cubs left-hander Paul Maholm shows Cubs fans how big league pitchers hold runners on first with a variety of pickoff moves. For more insider access to the Cubs, subscribe to Vine Line. And read the complete story in the May issue, available at Chicago-area newsstands now.
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