Chicago Cubs News

CHICAGO (AP) _ Lou Piniella called upon decades of baseball knowledge when the Chicago Cubs were scuffling for the first two months. He watched intently, took mental notes and then started swapping out the parts. Finally, he used some theatrics to literally kick-start his team. Turns out, a dirt-kicking temper tantrum against umpire Mark Wegner on June 2 was just what the Cubs needed, whether it was premeditated or not, whether it was the old Lou resurfacing ...

Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry underwent an angioplasty Wednesday night at an Orlando-area hospital and was recovering Thursday and already working the phones. He is expected to remain hospitalized for two days after becoming ill at the baseball winter meetings. ``He's in good spirits,'' said Gary Hughes, a special assistant to Hendry. ``Was he shook up about it? No. Should he have been? Yes. Will he learn a lesson? ...

Alfonso Soriano wants to warm up for his Chicago Cubs debut by playing for his hometown team in the Dominican winter league. ``I'm going to ask permission to play for the Eastern Stars when I get back to Chicago for the press conference where they're going to introduce me next week,'' the slugger said Friday after arriving in the Caribbean country. Soriano's new US$136-million, eight-year with the Cubs is the fifth-richest in major league history. If he gets permission ...

Memo to the National League. The Chicago Cubs mean business. The team without a World Series title since 1908 has tackled the off-season with a fury and is on the verge of landing Alfonso Soriano, one of the game's top offensive players. Soriano has agreed to an eight-year contract worth about US$136 million, a major league official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The deal is contingent on Soriano passing ...

It took a trip to Florida for Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams and Cubs GM Jim Hendry to make a trade with each other. The White Sox dealt left-hander Neal Cotts to the Cubs on Thursday for right-hander David Aardsma and minor league left-hander Carlos Vasquez. ``Kenny and I sit next to each other at these meetings,'' Hendry said as the annual GMs gathering concluded. ``We started talking ...

The Chicago Cubs agreed to a two-year contract Wednesday with backup catcher Henry Blanco. There is a mutual option for 2009. Blanco batted .266 in 74 games last season. He served as a backup to Michael Barrett and filled in when Barrett missed most of the last month after being hit in the groin with a foul tip. Blanco spent the last two seasons with the Cubs and is known ...

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella completed his staff Wednesday when Gerald Perry agreed to a two-year deal to be the team's hitting coach. Perry, who was Oakland's hitting coach last season, rejoins Piniella. He served as the Seattle Mariners hitting coach from 2000-2002 when Piniella was managing there. ``Lou's a proven winner. We had a real good relationship in Seattle and we won. We averaged 100 wins a year,'' Perry ...

Lou Piniella was expected to be introduced Tuesday as the new manager of the Chicago Cubs, a baseball source told The Associated Press on Monday. Piniella's hiring was first reported by ESPN radio, which said he received a three-year contract. The source spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the hiring has not been announced. Piniella led the 1990 Cincinnati Reds to the World Series championship and replaces ...

Joe Girardi, considered a leading candidate for the Chicago Cubs' managing job, interviewed for the position on Monday. The Florida Marlins fired Girardi last week. Girardi guided them to a 78-84 record and kept them in contention for a playoff spot until late September despite having the majors' youngest team and lowest payroll. The Cubs chose not to bring back manager Dusty Baker when his contract expired after going 66-96. ...

Dusty Baker is out as the Chicago Cubs' manager following a last-place finish and a failure to take the team to the playoffs in his four years. The Cubs made the announcement a day after team president Andy MacPhail resigned and the club finished with a 66-96 record. Baker was in the last season of his US$14 million-to-$15 million deal and had hoped to resurrect the franchise that hadn't been ...

The end of the Chicago Cubs' miserable season brought the resignation of CEO Andy MacPhail. Now, manager Dusty Baker was to meet with general manager Jim Hendry to see if his run was over, too. ``My head's kind of spinning,'' Cubs outfielder Jacque Jones said Sunday after MacPhail ended his 12 years in charge of the club by resigning after a 66-96 season, the worst in the NL. Baker's future ...

Andy MacPhail resigned as president of the Chicago Cubs on Sunday after an 8-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies in what was likely Dusty Baker's final game as manager. Juan Pierre hit a go-ahead single in a three-run seventh inning for the Cubs, who rallied from an early 4-0 deficit. They finished 66-96, the worst record in the National League. After the game, MacPhail announced his resignation. He had been with the Cubs since 1994 as president ...

Juan Pierre hit a go-ahead single in a three-run seventh inning Sunday and the Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 8-5 in what was likely Dusty Baker's final game as manager. The Cubs rallied from an early 4-0 deficit and finished 66-96, in last place in the National League. Baker, without a contract extension after four years, will meet Monday with general manager Jim Hendry and is not expected to be retained. ``I have no regrets about coming ...

Jeff Baker singled in two runs with two out in the 14th inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 11-9 Saturday after seeing an eight-run lead disappear. The game lasted 4 hours, 53 minutes and included a 38-minute rain delay in the 11th inning. Jacque Jones' RBI single with two outs in the ninth tied it for the Cubs. Todd Helton doubled off Jae Kuk Ryu (0-1) to ...