Loads of Cubs links

• Corey Provus chats with Jeff Samadzija
• Corey catches up with Sean Marshall
• WGN TV page includes video from Cubs Convention and Spring Training Broadcast Schedule
• 670 the score click on Bob Brenly to hear his interview with Mully and Hanley.
• Click on Crane Kenny, Jesse Rogers, or Len Kasper to hear some Cubs talk.
• Kap talks with Tom Verducci of SI.com.
• MLB.com talks about Pie trade.

Plenty of good stuff to come.

Len Kasper and Ameet Sachbev on Sports Central

Big news: David Kaplan reports that the Cubs sale should be done by the end of the week.

Len Kasper talked with David Kaplan on Sports Central:

• Len says that Milton Bradley gets on base a lot. Len likes that he is a switch hitter who can split up Lee and Ramirez in the lineup.
• Kasper is hopeful that the Cubs offense could be even better than last year.
• Kap thinks that chemistry in the locker room is a bit over-rated at times.
• Len pointed out that nobody wanted to see Wood and DeRosa go, but pointed out that DeRosa is a free agent at the end of next year and Woody would have cost a lot of money.
• They pointed out that the core of this team has not changed.
• Len sees Hoffpauir filling Ward's role.
• Kasper really likes platoons and says Lou will use a platoon at second base and in center.
• He thinks that Lou will have more options off the bench in 2009.
• Kaplan thinks Andy Pettitte makes a lot of sense. Len agrees and says that Andy would be a 1 year deal and not cost you any players in a trade.
• Len points out that lots of guys don't have contracts yet for 2009.
• Dave and Len both watched the Cubs-Pirates game that was played on the MLB Network last night.
• The Len and Bob Bash is on Thursday night. The guys will have several good bands this year and says tickets are still available but going fast at hob.com.

David Kaplan is hearing that the Clap Group and the Rickets Group are out in front. He says that the Tom Rickets is most likely to get approval by baseball. The Rickets family is #1 in the running right now. Tom Rickets has been a big Cubs fan for a long time.

Kap had Ameet Sachbev of the Chicago Tribune on the show to talk about the sale of the team.

• Sachbev says there is more urgency to sell the teams since the holidays are over.
• He says that there is a push to get final bids in by Friday.
• Ameet thinks that the winner in the auction could be determined by the end of the week.
• He says the Trib. will be very careful before selling the team.
• Kap says that MLB could reject any owner that they don't want no matter who bids what.
• Sachbev says he thinks it would be very difficult for baseball to reject any of the 3 finalist who are bidding on the Chicago Cubs.
• Ameet doesn't want to give his opinion and favor any of the 3 candidates.
• He thinks that going back to last summer, the Rickets family is a very appealing bidder because they will keep family control of the Cubs and they want this to be a lasting generational investment for their family.
• Tom Rickets met his wife a Wrigley Field, Hersh Clapp also is a Chicago sports guy who has kept a low profile but he has a love of sports and the Cubs.
• Sachbev thinks Cub fans should be happy to get an owner who are fans of the team.
• The use the term "coming down to the wire".

Plenty coming up throughout the week.

I'll keep you posted.

The Latest Cubs Rumors

• The Rockies remain interested in Jason Marquis. Tracy Ringolsby says that the Cubs are anxious to move him to ease their rotation overload.
• XM Radio says that the Cubs could receive pitcher Jason Hirsh for Marquis.
• Paul Sullivan says that the Cubs are considering inviting 2 Japanese left handed pitchers to compete for jobs in spring training; Ken Kadokura and Shigeki Noguchi.
• Bleacher seats for the Cub-Yanks exhibition games will cost only 25 cents and it will be 1.10 to sit in the grandstand. Yes you read that right. Click here for the full story from the Daily Herald.
• Bleed Cubbie blue likes the idea of Adam Dunn going, I agree with what they say.
• Tom Krasovic says that Jake Peavy will likely remain a Padre despite the many trade rumors this off season. He added that Kevin Towers will still listen to offers and said that a potential deal with the Cubs has fall through.
• The Len and Bob Bash is set, but Len and Bob won't be singing this year! Len talks about the Bash in his recent entry to his blog on the WGN website.

This week schedule for my blog:

Sunday- will be busy, might not get a chance for an update

Monday- Will return, update any new links, news, and rumors; will have a CD recommendation for Cubs Fans; and Will have Trivia answer from the question earlier today.

Tuesday/Wednesday- Get Set for the Launch of the MLB Network and the Hawks game at Wrigley.

Thursday/Friday- My thought on Winter Classic and MLB Network

So, thanks for reading, please comment and vote on our new poll!

Len Kasper on Mac, Jurko, and Harry

Cubs play-by-play man Len Kasper was on the Mac, Jurko, and Harry show on ESPN 1000 yesterday.

• Len says that Joey Gathright rounds out the bench. He can play defense, run, and be a 4th or 5th outfielder.
• He doesn't think that they'll be that much more turn over before spring training.
• Kaper thinks the Cubs will go out and sign a starting right fielder.
• He thinks Reed Johnson is a grinder but he doesn't think he's an every day guy at this point.
• Kasper bought 2 tickets in the bleachers to the see the Blackhawks at Wrigley on New Year Day.
• Len and Bob will be at the House of Blues January 15 for the Len and Bob Bash. Len says the guys aren't going to perform this year but they'll just let the performers do their job.
• Len says he thought that Bob would get the job as the manager as the Brewers but he is trilled to have Bob back as his partner.

Raul Ibanez signs with Phillies

Today Raul Ibanez signed a 3 year deal with the Phillies. Milton Bradley is now clearly at the top of the Cubs list for left field, even with his bad temper. Also, today the Cubs resigned pitchers Neal Cotts and Chad Gaudin to one year contracts avoiding salary arbitration. The team also announced that it would tender the contracts of a group of players including Ronny Cedeno, Reed Johnson, Michael Wuertz and Kevin Greg.

Len Kasper and Bob Brenly will hold the 3rd annual Len and Bob Bash on January 15 at the House of Blues. They will raise money for charity.

Here's the Cubs rumors for today:

• The Cubs join the Rays, Dodgers, and Angels as the 4 teams interested in Abreu.


• Paul Sullivan says that Lou was upset at the thought of losing Mark DeRosa.


• Chris De Luca says that Kevin Towers kept putting Sean Marshall on the table, but the Cubs never agreed to it. He says that the 2010 Cubs payroll was the real sticking point.
  

That's it for Peavy, so the Cubs the Cubs will focus on acquiring a left handed bat. Feel free to vote at the bottom of the blog page on who you would like to see the Cubs aquire for right field. Let's hope they end up with a bat that can balance out the line up a little and has some power. Sources say the Cubs are still trying to trade Jason Marquis. I'd say if they do they'll end up with Randy Johnson. Who would you prefer Johnson or Marquis. I'd say the former. Anyway that's it for now, I'll keep you posted.