Thanks for the comment requesting more of Cubs team photographer Steve Green's photos. Steve has done a great job covering the Cubs on the field, in the clubhouse and behind the scenes since 1981. We plan on getting Steve to contribute photos more regularly as well as blog entries from time to time. Keep watching this space for exclusive moments from this historic season.

Anything else you would like to see here? Let us know in the comments!

Tonight's lineup

Soriano, LF
Theriot, SS
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Edmonds, CF
Soto, C
Fukudome, RF
DeRosa, 2B
Harden, RHP

Young right-hander Johnny Cueto (8-11, 4.90) takes the hill for the Reds.

Iowa Cubs (AAA): 77-52 Overall
Northern Division 1st Place (+8.0)

Iowa rallied past New Orleans, 2-1 ... the I-Cubs extended their winning streak to seven games, matching their season high (June 29-July 4).

RHP J.R. Mathes (W 8-5, 4.11) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

HOMERS - Micah Hoffpauir (23)

• CF Felix Pie scored the game-winning run as part of a 2-for-4 night that included a double and the run scored ... he is hitting .329 (27-for-82) since the All-Star break.
• Starter J.R. Mathes picked up his second straight win against New Orleans ... he allowed one unearned run on four hits, while striking out four in 7.0 innings ... he boasts a 0.60 ERA (1 ER/15 IP) over those two wins. 
• 1B Micah Hoffpauir went 1-for-4 with a home run, a run scored and his team-leading 86th RBI ... he is tied for the team lead and set a new personal season high with his 23rd homer.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 18'...

Iowa Cubs (AAA): 76-52 Overall
Northern Division 1st Place (+8.0)

Iowa blasted New Orleans, 8-2, thanks to a three-run first inning ... the I-Cubs extended their winning streak to six games, their longest winning streak since a seven-gamer June 29-July 4.

RHP Angel Guzman (ND 0-0, 0.00) 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

HOMERS - Jason Dubois (23), Micah Hoffpauir (22)

• SS Luis Figueroa extended his hitting streak to seven games, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI ... he has recorded multi-hit affairs in five of his last six games ... he is 33-for-91 (.363) with 42 RBI with RISP.
• Starter Angel Guzman made his fourth rehabilitation start, first at Triple-A Iowa ... allowed one hit and one walk, while striking out three in 3.0 scoreless innings. 
• LF Micah Hoffpauir went 1-for-4 with a home run, a run scored and his team-leading 85th RBI ... he tied his season high with his 22nd homer.
• RF Jason Dubois hit his team-leading 23rd home run as part of a 1-for-4 day with the homer, a run scored and his 44th RBI.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 17'...

A couple weeks ago, the Peoria Chiefs got the opportunity to feel like big-leaguers. And last night, the Cubs front office got the minor-league treatment with a three-hour bus ride to Peoria, Ill.

That's not to say that there was no glamour. What O'Brien Field lacks in scale it more than makes up for in modern-day amenities. Our entire group was impressed by the ballpark's individually decorated suites, spacious grandstand seating, views of downtown Peoria and mix of party porches. O'Brien Field opened May 24, 2002, and the city of Peoria did a fantastic job making the low Class-A ballpark into a facility suitable for any club.

Rocky Vonachen, the Chiefs' president and general manager, hosted the Cubs front office last night in the stadium club down the first base line. Pete Vonachen, Rocky's father and the owner of the Chiefs, also spent several innings with us while dressed in full Chiefs gear. Of course we took a front-office photo with Ryno on the field, too.

As for the game, it was a treat to be able to watch the game with Oneri Fleita, the Cubs' vice president of player personnel. Oneri travels all over North America to follow the organization's eight minor-league clubs, and he had spent the previous two days shuttling back and forth between Chicago and the Chiefs' games, including Tuesday night's in Beloit, Wis.

Though the Chiefs looked good at the plate, things went a little less smoothly in the field. With two outs and runners at the corners in the top of the fifth, the Chiefs caught Daniel Carroll straying too far off third base but failed to get him out when second baseman Jake Opitz covered second instead of getting involved in the pickle. With both runners safe, Alex Liddi sent the next offering onto the leftfield lawn to give Wisconsin a 5-2 lead.

"That's why they're here," said Oneri after explaining what went wrong. "The guys who don't make mistakes move up, and the guys who make them stay here."

Don't think we forgot about the big-league club, either: We were following the Cubs' slugfest win over Atlanta by phone and by peeking into the adjacent suite. And Dino Stiris was the brave soul we put up to lead the crowd in "Go Cubs Go" over the PA.

Aside from losing 7-5, it was another great experience in the minors. They work hard to put on a show for fans -- from the interns dancing on the dugouts to the players on the field.

So tell us, do you live by a minor-league ballpark? What are some memorable things you've seen with the Cubs' affiliates?

-- Sean Ahmed

Daytona Cubs (A+): 28-21 Overall
East Division 2nd Place (-1.0)

Game 1:

Daytona finished a 4-1 decision over the St. Lucie Mets, a game that was suspended in the top of the fifth inning Wednesday night because of rain ... the game officially ended at 7:18 p.m. Thursday night, 24 hours and 10 minutes after the first pitch was thrown ... in the process, the Cubs set a new season attendance mark as the first game's announced crowd of 1,583 pushed this year's total to 147,762, passing the previous record of 147,677 set in 2006.

RHP Jay Jackson (ND 1-0, 0.00) 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K

HOMERS - Yusef Carter (13), Robinson Chirinos (5)

• RF Yusuf Carter went 1-for-3 with his team-leading 13th home run, a run scored and an RBI.
• 3B Robinson Chirinos went 2-for-4 with his fifth roundtripper, a run scored and an RBI.
• RHP Brian Schlitter, recently acquired by the Chicago Cubs in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, notched his first save with Daytona by retiring the side in order in the ninth inning.

Game 2:

Daytona dropped the second game to St. Lucie, 4-1, falling a game back of the Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League East Division's second-half pennant race.

RHP Hung-Wen Chen (L 2-1, 3.35) 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

HOMERS - Russ Canzler (10)

• CF James Adduci went 1-for-3 with his team-leading 24th stolen base.
• 1B Russ Canzler went 1-for-3 with his 10th home run, a run scored and his 57th RBI.
• RHP Jordan Latham threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out one ... he is unscored upon in his last six appearances (8.1 IP).

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 14'...

Iowa Cubs (AAA): 72-52 Overall
Northern Division 1st Place (+6.0)

Iowa used strong starting pitching from J.R. Mathes and another offensive outburst by Micah Hoffpauir to defeat New Orleans, 5-1.

LHP J.R. Mathes (W 7-5, 4.34) 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

HOMERS - Micah Hoffpauir (20)

• Mathes earned the win with 8.0 solid innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out five, lowering his ERA from 4.57 to 4.34 ... it was his longest outing of the season.
• Hoffpauir went 2-for-3 with a walk, his 20th home run, three runs scored, two RBI and his first stolen base of the season ... he is 5-for-6 (.833) with a walk, a double, a home run, four runs scored, four RBI and a stolen base in the first two games of the series with New Orleans ... his 83 RBI lead the team.
• 2B Bobby Scales went 3-for-4 with his 51st RBI, raising his batting average to .309 and his on-base percentage to .406.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 13'...

The first week of the Olympic Games has proven more than exciting to watch--especially since the Cubs had an off day on Monday and rain out on Tuesday. So there was little else on TV for Cubs fans to watch. From the breathtaking Opening Ceremonies to the Men's 400m free relay, I've been transfixed. The thought of the games being held in Chicago in 2016 has me longing for a time machine that could take me there now!

But back to (a welcome) reality, as the Cubs sit in first place and have a big double-header today. Though the team is focused on their games, will they be watching the Olympics in their down time? I asked natural-born athlete Jeff Samardzija what events he will try to catch and what other sports we can add to the list of his innate abilities.

VL: What Olympic events do you most look forward to watching?

Jeff Samardzija: I really watch Track and Field a lot, like the 100m and 200m. They're exciting. Probably a more odd one...when Table Tennis is on I'll watch that. And actually Badminton is not too bad either.

VL: Which event could you compete in best, aside from baseball?

JS: Actually, probably Table Tennis. My skills are pretty good out there at Table Tennis.

VL: You must have quick reflexes.

JS: There you go.

VL: What event would you be the worst at?

JS: Diving. I don't think that I have a slender body to slide into the splash. And...I would probably just cannonball too.

VL: Do you think baseball should remain an Olympic sport?

JS: I would say so. I think if kayaking, or something like that, is an Olympic sport, then baseball should obviously be there too--since it is one of the biggest sports in the world. The only hard part is it runs along the same time as Major League Baseball and probably a lot of the other leagues, so it's kind of tough.

VL: If Chicago is to become the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games, what event would you like to see at Wrigley Field?

JS: Probably Handball. I've never seen it before, but they could play it off the ivy walls. I'd come see it.

VL: Since you can't travel to Beijing this year, what's the best Chinese food substitute?

JS: General Tsao's Chicken from Golden Dragon takeout back at school at Notre Dame, it's AMAZING!

-- Jen Dedes Nowak

After a move to the bullpen last year, Angel Guzman started to look like a key piece for the Cubs as they began their playoff push. Guzman had 26 strikeouts and only nine walks in 30.1 innings. He seemed to be thriving in his new role, holding righties to a .218 batting average. But on June 6, the Cubs were forced to place Guzman on the DL with a right elbow strain. Unfortunately, test revealed that the Venezuelan would require Tommy John surgery to fix the rupture in his right ulnar collateral ligament.

After the surgery and months of rehab, Guzman is back in the minors, currently pitching for the Tennessee Smokies, the Cubs Double-A affiliate. The 26-year-old is pitching well (stats below) and hopes to be healthy enough to make it back to Chicago for September call-ups. If so, the Cubs will have another weapon to use late in games in an already deep 'pen.

                                                             --Zach Martin

Tennessee Smokies (AA): 25-26 Overall
North Division 2nd Place (-8.0)

Tennessee relinquished an early six-run lead and fell to Birmingham, 10-8.

RHP Angel Guzman (ND 0-0, 0.00) 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

HOMERS - Jake Fox (20)

• Starting pitcher Angel Guzman pitched 3.0 scoreless innings in his first major league rehabilitation start for Tennessee ... he allowed three hits and struck out two, throwing 43 pitches, 32 for strikes.
• 1B Jake Fox hit a three-run homer in the first inning and finished the evening 1-for-3 with two walks, the homer, a run scored and four RBI ... his 20 roundtrippers lead the team.
• CF Sam Fuld was 2-for-4 with two walks, a run scored and two RBI ... his is 6-for-8 with three  walks, two runs scored and three RBI over his last two games, raising his average from .232 to .248.
• SS Matt Camp went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI ... the four knocks are a season high.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Angel Guzman'...

Iowa Cubs (AAA): 70-52 Overall
Northern Division 1st Place (+6.0)

Round Rock rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to squeak by Iowa, 7-6.

LHP Jason Stanford (ND 1-1, 6.00) 4.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K

HOMERS - Casey McGehee (12), Jason Dubois (22)

• LF Andres Torres went 4-for-5 with his 26th double, a run scored and two stolen bases ... he has 20 straight stolen bases after being caught in his first three attempts of the season ... he is 5-for-9 with three stolen bases in the past two games.
• SS Luis Figueroa recorded his second straight multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI ... he is 4-for-7 with an RBI over the past two games.
• 3B-C Casey McGehee went 2-for-4 with his 12th home run, two runs scored and an RBI ... his 79 RBI are tied for the team lead with Micah Hoffpauir.
• RF Jason Dubois crushed his team-leading 22nd home run as part of a 1-for-3 night that included a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 11'...

Tennessee Smokies (AA): 25-25 Overall
North Division 2nd Place (-7.0)

Tennessee snapped a three-game losing streak and returned to the .500 mark with a 9-7 victory over Chattanooga.

RHP Mark Holliman (W 2-4, 4.67) 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

HOMERS - Tyler Colvin (12)

• LF Tyler Colvin went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a grand slam, a run scored and four RBI ... his 69 RBI lead the team.
• Leadoff hitter Sam Fuld was 4-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI, raising his average from .232 to .244.
• Starting pitcher Mark Holliman picked up the win, limiting the Lookouts to three runs on seven hits and three walks, while punching out four in 5.0 innings of work ... he has allowed three or fewer earned runs in four of his last five starts.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 10'...

And a great pitching matchup, too. With temperatures in the low 70s, Ryan Dempster takes on Chris Carpenter on ESPN.

Tonight's lineup:

Soriano, LF
Fukudome, RF
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Edmonds, CF
DeRosa, 2B
Soto, C
Cedeno, SS
Dempster, RHP

The clubhouse TV was on the Brewers-Nationals game before batting practice today. The guys had their eyes on it as the two teams entered extra innings, but it's not currently at the point where they're reacting to every play.

With the Brewers taking the victory in the 13th on a walk-off home run, and with them now 3.5 games back, a win tonight against the Cardinals' ace would be a great way to head into tomorrow's off-day.

In our daily morning meeting we were weighing different options on how to properly commemorate the 20-year anniversary of the first (unofficial) night game at Wrigley Field. In 1988, Zach Martin, our intern was 3. So, of course it made perfect sense for him to reminiscence that night. 

Right.

So, instead, we decided to get the viewpoints of Cubs staff that were there at the time.

Also, you can see a very interesting recollection of the game in this month's Vine Line by former beat writer Joe Goddard. Also, take a look at cubs.com's Carrie Muskat's take on the game as well.

Scott Nelson, Director, Baseball Administration

Leading up to it
"Forever, nobody thought there would be lights at Wrigley Field. It was just something that Wrigley was known for -- the day baseball. There was such controversy getting lights in the first place. Then we finally knew there were going to be lights. We went through the process of the first half of the year with the lights going up. The lights being installed was exciting as everyone in the neighborhood could see the helicopters coming in and the lights going up in the anticipation of the light going up... In terms of playoffs and the World Series the commissioner [Peter Ueberroth] in 1984 when we made the playoffs told us If you plan on being in the postseason you needed to have those lights. It is just a necessity in today's world."

The Statler Brothers, seriously
"In fact the Statler Brothers used to have a song called "Don't Wait on Me" and it was all these things that would never happen and one of the lines in the song was "when the lights go on at Wrigley Field, I'll be comin' home to you." They had to change their song. At that point they said "when a dome goes over Wrigley Field." But it was funny. It was just one of those things -- lights at Wrigley Field, unheard-of. I might have that song actually." Scott then grabbed his I-Pod and played the song for me.

Actual Video of Statler Brothers singing "Don't Wait on Me"

Continue reading 'Remembering 8/8/88 with the Cubs Front Office'...

Daytona Cubs (A+): 26-17 Overall
East Division 1st Place (+1.5)

Daytona rode six shutout innings from its bullpen to a 5-1 victory over Palm Beach, and a 1.5 game lead in the Eastern Division.

RHP Angel Guzman (ND 0-0, 3.60) 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

HOMERS - Marquez Smith (2), Ty Wright (8)

• LF Ty Wright went 2-for-5 with a homer, a run scored and three RBI ... he has hit safely in seven straight games, going 10-for-27 (.370) with a double, four homers, four runs scored and 12 RBI over that span.
• Starter Angel Guzman was sharp in his second rehab appearance, tossing 3.0 innings of one-run, one-hit ball, issuing one free pass while striking out four.
• RHP Jay Jackson picked up the win in an impressive debut, hurling 4.0 innings of shutout ball, allowing just two hits and a walk while punching out nine.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 7'...

Never has the sport of bowling been cooler.

From the top shelf sports memorabilia being auctioned off to Ryan Dempster's '70s imitation of Roy Munson--the Woody Harrelson character from the movie "Kingpin"--Kerry Wood's Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling Tournament was the place to be.

At 10pin Bowling Lounge next to the House of Blues, Dearborn Avenue became a mini red-carpet event. The event went to benefit the the Organic School Project, which helps teach kids a broad spectrum of topics including nutrition, fitness, the environment, recycling, and respecting the earth.

However, last night seemed to serve a double purpose. Not only did it raise money for OSP, the players seemed to have a good time, too. They honestly seemed to be having plenty of fun, conversing, signing autographs, bowling, shaking hands.

I watched as Ted Lilly, spying a little girl too shy to ask for an autograph, gently bade her to approach with the baseball he eventually signed.

I saw Kosuke Fukudome, who I am told does not bowl at all, mug for photos at his lane with a handful of event sponsors, gap-toothed smile wide and welcoming. By the way, Kosuke happened to be wearing True Religion jeans, the same jeans our own Jen Dedes Nowak was wearing....

I watched as Mark DeRosa started his round with four straight spares, skunk one frame then throw two straight strikes. Pretty good, right? Well, Sean Marshall ended up beating him!

And with a day off following, they should be well-rested and de-stressed for the Cardinals.

The auction and the system with which they used to take bids was innovative. Completely digital, bidders submitted amounts on a laptop next to the item, and the top bid immediately went up on a 42" flat screen that detailed all the bids and the bidder. If a bidder is unable to get to the laptop, roaming assistants with Ipods would enter the bids for them from the bar or their tables.

The band Hello Dave was real good, sort of a Wilco-ish feel-good rock with a bit of country mixed in. I had seen these guys often; they played at a bar at which I used to bounce in my younger years. Lakeview Links--ever heard of it?

Probably the coolest auction item was #402: A Kerry Wood and Tom Morello (Audioslave/Rage Against the Machine guitarist) autographed Gibson Epiphone Les Paul Ultra Guitar. The bid I saw was $5,200....The highest bid I saw on the display was $8,050 for two hours of hanging with actor John Cusack....

Seen: Some old Cubs like former right-handed pitcher Jason Bere, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who was mobbed by the media.

"Hey, I'm here every year in support of Kerry and Sarah [Wood]," Cuban said. "You guys just happened to be paying attention this year."

The team of Media Relations Director Peter Chase, media relations assistant director Jason Carr, marketing director Matt Wszolek, marketing manager Dave Knickerbocker, and centerfielder Jim Edmonds took a third-place trophy home! Apparently Edmonds has some serious game...

All in all, a worthwhile and entertaining event for a great cause. Like Cuban quipped: "It makes sense. If the kids can't eat, they can't learn."

--Mike Huang

PS We just traded left-hander Scott Eyre to the Phillies for a Class-A right-handed pitcher named Brian Schlitter. As it turns out our own publications intern, Zach Martin, got a hit off of Schlitter back in high school. Zach, a baseball coach in Winnetka, had this to say about Schlitter's stuff:

"Schlitter threw hard, but straight (like 84-86. He was still a junior). I think he threw me a tight slider as well in the AB. I got jammed a bit on an inside fastball with a two-strike count. I fought it off for a base hit over second base scoring two. It was at Maine South (which on a side note, has the single most illegal mound I have ever seen. It is like 12 feet high)."

Iowa Cubs (AAA): 69-49 Overall
Northern Division 1st Place (+5.0)

Andres Torres propelled Iowa to a 6-5 win over Salt Lake with a game-winning double in the bottom of the ninth inning.

RHP Randy Wells (ND 8-4, 4.24) 6.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

• CF Andres Torres doubled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth-inning as part of a 2-for-4 day that included a walk, the double, a triple, his team leading 17th stolen base and a run scored.
• C Casey McGehee went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI ... his 76 RBI lead the team.
• RHP Kevin Hart earned the victory in relief, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth-inning of work ... improved to 3-2 on the year, lowering his ERA from 3.30 to 3.23.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 6'...

Iowa Cubs (AAA): 68-49 Overall
Northern Division 1st Place (+4.0)

Iowa scored seven runs over the first two innings, but it was not enough to beat the Bees, who improved upon their league-leading record with an 11-8 defeat of the I-Cubs.

LHP Jason Stanford (ND 1-0, 4.09) 6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

HOMERS - Micah Hoffpauir (15)

• 1B Micah Hoffpauir homered as part of his fifth straight two-hit game, going 2-for-5 with a double, the dinger, two runs scored and four RBI ... his 72 RBI are tied for the team lead (Casey McGehee), despite playing only 48 games for Iowa.
• LF Jason Dubois went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI ... he is hitting .421 (8-for-19) with a double, three homers, five runs scored and four RBI in August.
• 2B Bobby Scales reached base four times, going 1-for-2 with three walks and three runs scored ... he is 4-for-8 with five walks, a triple, seven runs scored and a stolen base over the first three games of the series.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 5'...

Soriano, LF
Theriot, SS
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Edmonds, CF
DeRosa, 2B
Fukudome, RF
Soto, C
Marquis, RHP

Right-hander Brandon Backe (6-10, 4.72 ERA) will take the hill for Houston.

Boise Hawks (A-): 30-17 Overall
East Division 2nd Place (-5.0)

Boise took an early 5-0 lead through two innings and held on for its second straight win over Yakima, 8-5.

LHP Jeffrey Beliveau (ND 2-1, 4.24) 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

HOMERS - Josh Vitters (4)

• 3B Josh Vitters extended his hitting streak to 12 games, going 1-for-3 with a walk, a sacrifice fly, a homer, a run scored and three RBI ... he has gone 20-for-55 (.364) with seven doubles, two homers, 12 runs scored and seven RBI over the streak.
• SS Ryan Flaherty went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and a run scored ... he has hit in four straight contests, going 9-for-18 with four walks, six doubles, a triple, six runs scored and four RBI.
• 1B Ryan Keedy went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI ... his .372 average leads the Northwest League.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 4'...

The Cubs activated Kerry Wood today from the 15-day disabled list. Wood has been battling a blister on his right index finger. Left-hand pitcher Scott Eyre was designated for assignment.

Jim Hendry said in a media session today that Eyre cleared trade waivers as of noon today, giving the team seven days to trade him somewhere. Any time a player is designated for assignment, thus replacing him on the 40-man roster, the club has 10 days total to move the player.

Scott was emotional today talking to the media and said how he really likes playing here. After a couple solid years with the Cubs, this year never got off on the right foot with injuries keeping him to just 11.1 inning this season.

Jim said he made the decision based on the 12 pitchers the team was going to need until rosters expand on Sept. 1. Though Sean Marshall could have been optioned to the minors, Jim said he gives the bullpen depth in being able to pitch multiple innings and with the job he has done so far.

Last night's game never got off on the right foot for the hitters, and once severe thunderstorms ravaged the area, there was little opportunity to get things started again. Give the groundscrew a lot of credit for squeezing in a few more innings -- playing seven-plus was a minor miracle.

Today's lineup:

Soriano, LF
Theriot, SS
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Johnson, CF
DeRosa, 2B
Fukudome, RF
Blanco, C
Harden, RHP

Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez (6-4, 3.61 ERA) is on the mound for the Astros.

Makes a difference

The Cubs still lead the majors in both on-base percentage (.356) and run differential (+132). ... They are second, only to Texas, with 593 runs scored on the year.

9:21 P.M., Monday, Wrigley Field

While there was a game here tonight, baseball wasn't the story.

Just after the sixth inning, a massive storm hit Chicago, bringing a down pour of rain and winds up to 44 mph. When rain is coming down sideways, there's a little trouble on its way.

I looked out the windows to see fans scurrying for cover. The only thing standing that wasn't buckling was the Ernie Banks statue. Trust Mr. Cub to be our rock amid a storm...

Most of the fans were huddled inside Wrigley Field's concourse, One person had the best line of the night: "It smells like Lollapalooza."

Others sat perched up underneath the mezzanine and the standing-room-only area. It drizzled just a little bit, but the ballpark's massive haunches held out most of the weather. In the distance, lightning shot down and thunder rolled hard.

I was talking to one out-of-town fan when he said: "Hey, isn't that your governor?"

Sure enough, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was strolling along shaking hands and seeing how people were doing.

I said: "Governor, is Wrigley Field our refuge of last resort?" I was joking, quickly realizing too late the non-political correctness of the question.

"Wow, it's that bad, huh?" The tornado siren just past centerfield had gone off twice during the first hour of the rain delay

"It's worse in the South Loop around Soldier Field and US Cellular," I said, referring to the big green and red blob hovering over Chicago I saw on weather.com.

"Well," the Governor said, "We'll just have to wait it out and hope we get the game in."

I had the unfortunate look on my face thinking "that's never going to happen."

But after nearly two hours, he was right--all signs pointed to the teams getting this one in. The tarp came off at about 9:30, with all groundkeeping personnel involved determined to finish the game. Those guys work hard.

--Mike Huang

For those of you holding ticket stubs from last Tuesday's Road to Wrigley game, a make-up date has been announced for the "kids run the bases" promotion that was washed out:

With the suspension of the game, the teams were forced to cancel the planned post game activity of having all children, 14 and under, run the bases of Wrigley Field. In an effort to accommodate all of those who wished to take part in this unique opportunity, the Cubs have offered ticket holders of the Peoria contest the opportunity to return to Wrigley and run the bases.

On Sunday, August 17th, the Cubs will host a high school baseball game presented by Under Armour. The game is scheduled to start at 1:35 p.m. Any person holding a ticket from the July 29th Peoria Chief vs Kane County game will be allowed into Wrigley Field for free to watch the 2008 Under Armour All-America Baseball game. Once the game concludes, all children 14 and under in attendance will be allowed to run the bases.

Don't worry if you missed out on the minor-league game: You still can get general admission tickets for Aug. 17 at just $5.

Iowa Cubs (AAA): 68-47 Overall
Northern Division 1st Place (+5.0)

Iowa used a commanding performance from RHP Mitch Atkins and a five-RBI day from Micah Hoffpauir to overwhelm Salt Lake, 7-3.

RHP Mitch Atkins (W 5-0, 3.90) 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K

HOMERS - Jason Dubois (20), Micah Hoffpauir (14)

• Starting pitcher Atkins allowed one run, three hits, struck out 11, walked none and retired the final 16 batters he faced before leaving after six innings ... won his 10th straight start (5-0 at Triple-A Iowa after he was promoted from Double-A Tennessee, where he won his final five starts).
• 1B Hoffpauir went 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double, a home run and five RBI ... he has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, going  25-for-63 (.397) with 10 doubles, five homers, 12 runs scored and 26 RBI over that stretch.
• LF Jason Dubois went 2-for-4 with a run, a double, his team-leading 20th home run and an RBI.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: Aug. 3'...

On July 11, comedian and actor Jeff Garlin visited the WGN-TV booth fresh off the heels of his new, critically acclaimed animated film, Wall-E, to lead a subdued Friday afternoon crowd in "Take Me Out To the Ball Game." In his subsequent interview with broadcasters Len Kasper and Bob Brenly, Garlin boldly guaranteed a Cubs win that day, though the team was not winning at the time. Luckily for him, Aramis Ramirez came through with a walk-off home run that sent the Wrigley crowd into a frenzied celebration. Jeff also took the time to sit down with us to talk about his deep passion for the Cubs and how he keeps tabs on the team.

-- Jennifer Dedes Nowak

Vine Line: What brings you to Chicago?
Jeff Garlin: Two things bring me to Chicago. Obviously, to sing today which is always an honor, and my sister-in-law is getting married tomorrow to her Cub fan fiancée. They are lovely and wonderful.

VL: What's your baseball background?
JG: When I was growing up, I played baseball. I was a huge Cub fan. I lived in Morton Grove [Ill.]. I pretended to be Billy Williams when I was batting and Ron Santo and Bobby Tolan and also Willie Stargell and Joe Morgan because they had very distinct batting styles. I didn't play Little League until I was older, but I played with my friends every day after school.

VL: What's the scouting report on you?
JG: Power-hitting first baseman with a high batting average but a weak arm. There you go.

VL: You have sung "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" a few times at Wrigley now. Is it something you get nervous about performing?
JG: No, no at all, zero. I was looking at ESPN and the list of all the people that sang before, and I think I am the record holder for singing it the most times of any actor or performer. Ernie Banks has sung it every year, and I looked at the other categories, but in terms of the actor categories I believe this is No. 5 for me, and I would be No. 1. I'm going to brag about that for a long time.

Continue reading 'Five minutes with Jeff Garlin'...

... and five games up on the Brewers.

Today's lineup:

Soriano, LF
Fukudome, RF
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Edmonds, CF
Soto, C
Fontenot, 2B
Cedeno, SS
Marquis, RHP

Iowa Cubs (AA): 66-46 Overall
Northern Division 1st Place (+4.0)

Iowa scored six runs in the first and never looked back, trouncing Colorado Springs, 8-1.

LHP Jason Stanford (W 1-0, 0.00) 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

HOMERS - Luis Figueroa (2)

• SS Luis Figueroa went 2-for-3 with a homer, a run scored, three RBI and a sacrifice fly ... after hitting only .225 in April, he has hit over .300 in each month since (.342, .313, .301).
• Starter Jason Stanford tossed five shutout innings of four-hit ball, walking two and fanning six to earn the win in his Iowa debut.
• The I-Cubs tallied 13 hits by 10 different players, including each of the starting nine.

Continue reading 'Down on the Farm: July 31'...