Well, here I will take the questions and answer them without having to worry about any repercussions for criticizing the team or front office.

I think I speak for a lot of Cubs fans when I say that I'd like to see Fox in the lineup more often.  With third base and left field pretty tied up, any chance we see Fox get any time at second base?
                                                                                                —Mike P., Indianapolis

We would all like to see Fox in the lineup more.  It makes sense wanting to see a player who has been consistently producing with the bat in a lineup that struggles for offense.  Although Lou has said he will go with the experience, he's going with who's costing the Cubs the most money.

By all accounts, the team should be made up of the players who are likely to produce. Jake Fox went 4-4 with 4 RBI, so the solution is to drop the man.  Sam Fuld has been one of our only threats on the basepaths this season, and he plays well on defense, so we will drop him in order to play a struggling player with a bloated contract.

Can Jake Fox play second?  Why not give him a go?  Many said that he couldn't play third, but he got the job done.  He could put in similar service at second. 

This might just be me, but whenever the Cubs start Hill, they always seem to win.  Geovany Soto is not having a productive year and the Cubs seem to play better when Hill is in the lineup.  Is there any way Pinella will start Hill more games down the stretch and potentially give Hill more starts than Soto in September?
                                                                                  —Michael K., Highland Park, Ill.

The Cubs have won 31 games with Soto behind the plate and 31 with Hill behind the plate.  However, they have lost 20 more games with Soto behind the plate than with Hill.

Soto is getting a lot of attention because he came into spring training looking a little heavier after confessing to some marijuana usage.  I can't sit here and comfortably say that Soto rested on his Rookie of the Year award last year and didn't work as hard as he should.

However, Soto has found it more difficult this year at the plate, and it was to be expected with pitchers getting a more advanced scouting report on him.  The reason why the Cubs are starting Soto is because they need him to hit.  He is the catcher of the future.  We need him to get his form back, and although Lou will rotate them at points, but Soto will still start the majority of the remaining games.

With the way that Randy Wells is pitching, he has to be in the running for Rookie of the Year.  Last year, Soto won the award, and I thought of an interesting question.  When was the last time the Cubs had back-to-back winners of the Rookie of the Year Award?  And which two players accomplished the feat?
                                                                                            —Derek A., Wichita, Kan.

The answer to the question is Billy Williams in 1961 and Ken Hubbs in 1962.  Billy Williams would go on to his Hall of Fame place, but Ken Hubbs met a tragic end.  His promising career was cut short in 1964 when his plane went down.  At the time, he was considered one of the premier second baseman in the game.  It was a great loss to the Cubs organization and to baseball.

Randy Wells has been a welcome surprise this year and he will battle to the end for the Rookie of the Year Award with J.A Happ, who has been in fine form.  He will have to maintain that same pitching standard for the remaining month of the season.  There is no reason to think he won't be in the running when all is said and done.

Now that the Cubs picked up two lefties (John Grabow and Gorzelanny) for the bullpen, any chance Sean Marshall will move to the rotation for a while?
                                                                                       —Clint E., Hartford City, Ind.

Well, first of all, Marshall can't go back to the rotation unless we move to a six-man rotation; however, it's possible that he moves to the rotation next year.  John Grabow will be a free agent after this season, so if you are talking about long term, then I doubt Marshall moves from out of the pen.  It will depend what we do with the rotation after this year, but I would bet that Gorzelanny is moved into the rotation before Marshall.

Due to a confidentiality agreement that I was forced to sign, I can not reveal to you who handed me this video recording. However with talk of the new ownership and possibly Jim Hendry on his way out, i will say his first name rhymed with bomb, second with picketts.

That's all I'm saying, a man of honor will never break a confidentiality agreement

* Soriano walks into Hendry's office, adorned in Washington Nationals memorabilia*

Hendry: Sori my man take a seat, how you doing, you doing good, you feeling good?

Soriano: Legs are a little tight Jim, I got to be honest with you, I'm not sure that I can go on much longer.

Hendry: Well I talked with the owners, well I left them a voicemail but I'm sure they will be down with it....

Soriano: Give me your worst, what's the deal

Hendry: Eight at 136

Soriano: Jim I got to be straight with you, I got a family to feed, eight and $136 is a little low, I mean look at this blingage, it don't come cheap

Hendry: Eight years my boy, eight years

Soriano: You gotta be kidding, I aint playing eight years for 136 though, my wife will kill me, you know the spare room, I'll be living in that place. You gotta give me the even mill dude.

Hendry: No, no your not listning, eight years at $136 million

Soriano: hahaha, *long pause*....you do know that I'm.....

Hendry: Over 30 I know........ master plan right. Who would see it coming? I know, I can see it on your face, your amazed, its cool, you don't have to say anything, your humbled, that's what I'm here for, I move the pieces we all go home happy

Soriano: You know that I can't play for ever......

Hendry: You can and you will, I tried to swing a 12 year deal, you the same as my man Satch, I see you right now, you walking up to the plate with your zimmerframe, BAM, see ya later, madison avenue, I'll get the cab

Soriano: That doesn't even make any sense.....I'm being straight with you, I'm on the decline, I can't steal no 40 bases anymore

Hendry: You don't want to steal bases we got some kids, you smack it out of here, you tag little Sam Fuldy at first, he goes round the bases, you get on base, bam we bring in the youth

Soriano: You won't be able to add any pieces, to play with me.....you know that...

Hendry: Dude don't worry I'm hooked up, I've taken the necessary cut backs in the back room, you aint gotta worry bout a thang...

Soriano: cutbacks?

Hendry: Oh just some scouting ones, I got my little boys on it, there down there checking out the talent, I trust them.

Soriano: Talent???

Hendry: Yer some guys that will bring the national championship to the North Side, ya hear me...

Soriano: What guys??

Hendry: I dunno some guys like Aaron Piles, Kevin Eggs, Aaron Styleman.....good guys, would I lie to you.

Soriano: Alright let's make it happen

Hendry: Just sign on the dotted line............you can't get up? No, no good idea, way to think ahead. I will bring it to you, you save those precious legs.

The atmosphere around Peoria was electric—the ace was in town and he was ready to face some Single A hitters. All seating areas were booked, and only standing room was available as Zambrano took the mound to face the Clinton LumberKings, a Class A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

Zambrano wasted no time showing that he was ready to re-join the Cubs in their quest for a postseason place. A 1-2-3 first inning showed that he was not taking this rehabilitation assignment lightly.

Zambrano was breezing until the third inning, where Clinton managed to string a couple of hits together. With runners on second and third and only one away, Zambrano turned a ball into the dirt and raced to retrieve the ball to make sure the runner stayed on third base.

He proceeded to strike out the remaining two Clinton hitters to get out of the inning and maintain the 0-0 scoreline going into the bottom of the third.

Zambrano showed no signs of injury, as he got off the mound early in the game to cover first base after first baseman Ridling and second baseman Flaherty chased the same ball. He showed excellent quickness to get over and record the out.

He quickly moved through the fourth inning, throwing strikes and getting the LumberKings out in order on fly balls, with one going to each Peoria fielder.

The fifth inning started with a groundout to shortstop DJ LaMahieu, as the 2009 second-round pick of the Cubs ranged to his left behind second base and sent a strong throw over to first to get the first out of the inning. The second out quickly followed, with a ground out to third baseman Mathias.

But Zambrano was unable to get the third out, as Carrol sent the seventh pitch of the at-bat into right field for a single

Zambrano, who was on a 70 to 75 pitch count, threw his 72nd pitch upstairs, and Carrol stole second to get into scoring position. A wild pitch by Zambrano then moved the runner over to third base.

However, like every star on the stage, he finished with a strikeout to end the fifth, pointed to the sky in usual fashion, and returned to the dugout with 76 pitches thrown and five innings in the book. The game was tied 0-0.

Zambrano looked good, as he threw strikes and he got through five innings without any problems.

5 IP, 76 pitches thrown, 54 for strikes, 4 hits, 3 singles and a double, no walks and 5 K's

I am looking at Alfonso Soriano's contract while saying this.

However, with the Cubs' recent struggles, I have taken to looking at the minor leagues for a bit of hope that the future is bright on the North side of Chicago. Anyone who is looking at the Iowa Cubs will probably be more distressed by the second. The simple fact is that we don't have much talent currently pushing through at Iowa. Sure there are your Jake Foxes, Micah Hoffpauirs, and your Sam Fulds.

However, I'm really talking about the long-term future of the club, and while all three of the aforementioned players will do a nice job for you in spot starts and short-coverage duty, I don't think any of them are future everyday players, though I would love to be proved wrong.

So I thought that I would take a look at some of the other players down in the minors who could, given the proper time and coaching, make a splash for the Cubs from 2010-11 onward. What better place to start than our recently drafted first- and second-round selections who have both made impressive starts to their Cubs careers?

It's very easy to get lost in the current struggles, see the dark curtain falling, and think that we have to come out swinging. I don't necessarily think that is the case. I feel that Jim Hendry has mismanaged the salary of this team to such a extent he should be given his pink slip and marched out of town.

With the new owners coming in, I'm not sure that we are going to be put in a position where we can continually have a salary of over $100 million, so while we will, of course, need the seasoned veterans on the team, developing within has never been such an inviting idea as it is now.

With all of these prospects, I won't talk about their college careers. It's a different game, it's in the past, and now they need to show that they belong in the majors. Brett Jackson has the luxury of being on a very good Peoria team in Class A.

Currently leading their division by 3.5 games and winning on a regular basis, some Cubs fans could be excused for tuning in to watch these guys rather than the first team.

Jackson, while only playing a few games, has really taken a hold of the pitching at this level and started a lot better than anyone really would have expected.

Our 2009 first-round pick has started his Cubs career very nicely.

He started out with the Arizona Cubs of the rookie league, hit .455 over the three-game period and was promoted to Boise. In 24 games he hit .330 with a .443 OBP so he again was promoted this time to Peoria. So far he is hitting .313 with a .402 OBP, five home runs, 14 RBI, and eight steals in 18 games.

Hitting leadoff for the Chiefs, he has been a nice table-setter. He should be seeing some postseason action at Peoria as well.

Playing alongside Jackson in Single-A Peoria at the moment is our 2009 second-round draft choice out of the LSU championship team, DJ LaMahieu.

LaMahieu also started in the Arizona rookie league, where he hit .417 in three games just to get him going. Promoted to Peoria, he got off to a very hot start, though he has slowed down over the past 10 games. However, he stills holds a respectable line of a .284 batting average, .400 against lefties and .353 with runners in scoring position. That's a nice start to his career, and I think he and Brett Jackson will rise through the system together over the next two years.

Many people might remember us drafting a kid out of Vanderbilt, Ryan Flaherty, a shortstop/second baseman. Well, after not getting off to the best start, he has slowly started to turn his season around

He is putting together a nice year at Peoria: .271 AVG, .336 OBP, 19 HR, 69 RBI. However, he does strike out at a ratio of 2:1 against walks, with 81 strikeouts on the season to 40 bases on balls. He needs to improve against left-handed pitchers, hitting below .200 against them, and he's only hitting .234 with runners in scoring position.

You might find it a little strange that we are this far into the article and I have yet to mention perhaps our best known and most highly touted prospect—Josh Vitters. Before I post his stats, I just want to say that we must remember that he is very young and he will need time to develop.

I was a little bit miffed earlier in the season when I heard some fans saying that we should promote Vitters to substitute while A-Ram was out. Hendry might have little sense, but even he would not ruin this young prospect by pushing him three levels over his head while he is struggling at High-A baseball.

Although a little off-topic at this point, I would like to just say how disappointed I am with the treatment of Jeff Samardzija this season. We started with him in Iowa so he could be stretched out, because, like Hendry said back in February, we see him as a starting pitcher, not a reliever.

"How to ruin a good pitching prospect" should be co-written by Lou Piniella and Jim Hendry, with a foreword by Dusty Baker. Promoting him to the bullpen, then into the rotation, then down to Iowa to start, then back to Chicago as a reliever? If we were serious about Samardzija being a starting pitcher in the future, he should have been left in Iowa to get a full season of starting under his belt.

Back to Vitters. He is still struggling a little bit at Daytona and has missed some time lately. With a .241 average and a .261 OBP with two walks and 14 strikeouts in 31 games, he hasn't has a nice start to his Daytona life. Like I said before, though, he is extremely young, and patience is the key here. He has also had eight errors in 25 games at third base, so there is plenty of work to be done for him.

On the other side of the ball, our biggest pitching prospect, Andrew Cashner, started the year down in High-A ball in Daytona. He made 12 starts and amazingly had a 0-0 record. He did post a 1.50 ERA, though, as well as a 1.10 WHIP. He was promoted to Double-A Tennessee, where he has made eight starts and holds a 2.92 ERA with a WHIP of 1.14. Hoping he can finish the season strong at Tennessee, then either start at Iowa next year or be in line for a fast promotion.

Another player that I think warrants a mention is pitcher Jay Jackson. Currently pitching in Double-A, he started the season in Daytona and flat-out dominated anyone he faced. He compiled a 0.36 ERA in four starts and was promptly promoted to Tennessee.

He has started 16 games there and has a 3.70 ERA, which is commendable for his first stint at Double-A, and, as he is only 21 years old, there is still time to develop. However, he most definitely a prospect to watch out for.

While I am by no means saying that these players are all going to turn into future starters, I am saying that we should not forget that we do have talent in the minor leagues. While it is not immediately ready to break out in the majors just yet, it is there, and, with the right coaching and development, in 2011-12 we could have a lot of home-grown talent coming through.

There are players that I have missed out on this list, but these are just my picks of prospects to look out for. So while we all look at the free agent class that is imminent in the coming years, let's not forget that sometimes the best solution comes from within.

Gordon Wittenmyer said that the Cubs had explored the options of trading for either Mark Teahan from the Royals or Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins.

I'm sorry, but as much as Bradley has struggled, we already invested $30 million in our left-handed hitting right fielder; I don't think we should trade prospects as well.

It is no secret that Milton is struggling to hit left-handed pitching, he has a mere .209 AVG, but he does have a .376 OBP, which is more than respectable.

Earlier in the week, the question was posed to Cubs beat writer Carrie Muskat, why Milton doesn't just hit right handed, he is hitting .347 with a .407 OBP. The answer was...the Cubs invested so much money for a left handed hitter, and Bradley will continue to switch hit.

So reading this rumor today, I thought that it was very strange, by platooning right field, surely that would mean Teahan or Hermida would hit left-handed pitchers, and Bradley would work against right-handed hitters. So, really, Bradley would be doing exactly what we said he wouldn't or shouldn't do.

Teahan has been respectable this season, but Hermida's AVG and OBP is nothing to write home about, although the deal is said to be unlikely, I would be very disappointed in Jim Hendry—and not for the first time this season.

Sam Fuld should come up with Reed Johnson going on the DL, and we always have Jake Fox or Micah Hoffpauier who is battling a little bit of a slump right now to give Bradley a day off.

However, Bradley is hitting .294 with a .419 OBP so far this second half, so he is starting to show signs of being the man we thought we were getting. He has improved out in the field, in large part he is staying healthy (*knocks on wood*) and now with the offense rolling, now is the time to let him play.

What would bringing in a right fielder do to his confidence, just when he is starting to motor? There were rumors earlier in the week that he could be traded to Detroit, reports that were rubbished by Jim Hendry and the Cubs.

Basically what I'm saying is, let Milton play.

Like in most cases, the win total is very misleading. In his first four starts of the year he was 0-2. Some people would immediately look at that and say that he struggled, and that's why the win statistic is one of the worst measurements of a player's worth.

What you don't see there is that he had a 1.80 ERA, and had around a run per game in run support. If he had gotten every 2-3 runs per game, he would be sitting here on a 10 game winning season right now.

The fascinating thing about Wells is that he really doesn't over power anyone. He does not have a blistering fast ball that he can blow by people in any count to get himself out of trouble.

He is very much a finesse pitcher, in the mold of a Jamie Moyer or a Greg Maddux to some extent. He fields his position well and he throws the right pitch in the right count at the right time.

A student of the game, now I'm not for one second going to sit here and pretend like I know what he does in preparation for a game. I have absolutely no idea, he could watch hours of game tape, he could watch none at all.

However, by watching him pitch you can see that he knows the hitter, he knows where they like the pitch and where they don't. He doesn't walk a ton, but when he does walk people, you have a feeling it is for the better of the game.

Like somehow he knows that in a 3-1 count, throwing a get me over pitch to someone like Tejada is going to be crushed, so he throws it on the outside corner and deals with the consequence.

Today it was refreshing to see that he had run support from the start as the Cubs jumped out to a six run lead. He looked relaxed knowing that he runs to work with, and when a Astro did get on base, he seemed to get that ground ball to end any such threat.

If you look at Randy Wells history in the minors, nothing screams at you that he would be this effective in the Majors. In his first season at AAA in 2006 he had a 4.96 ERA, 4.52 ERA in 2007, a 4.02 ERA in 2008.

I managed to watch a few of his games during this period and it seemed to me that he was trying to do too much. He was trying to strike out every hitter, instead of pitching around their strengths and into their weaknesses.

Randy Wells should be sitting on a 10 win season with a ERA like 2.84. He is and should be in strong consideration for the NL rookie of the year.

Even winning seven games this season is some accomplishment. He is the first rookie to do this since Kerry Wood in 1998. We all know how that season turned out for Kerry.

If Wells receives at least respectable run support, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

I don't think that it is any secret that on his day, Rich Harden is one of the best pitchers in the Major Leagues. Today for example, he pitched six strong innings, giving up just one hit, walking none, and striking out eight.

However his injury past can not be ignored, he has constantly found himself on the DL with injuries in several areas, including back problems and a oblique strain along with many other ailments.

In the offseason the Cubs will have to make a very tough choice between taking the risk and giving him a multi-year contract that he is surely looking for, and chancing that he can stay healthy.

Although it has to be said for Harden, that since coming to the Cubs, he has never really missed significant time, he missed a little bit of time earlier this season with the back strain, but he has also started 17 games for the Cubs this season, and started 25 between the Cubs and the Athletics last season.

Could it be that his injuries are in the rear view mirror? it seemed to me that earlier this season, he was pitching with some sort of ailment, he never looked comfortable, and that can attribute to his unusually high ERA which was at one point over 5.00. However, back-to-back impressive outings after the all star break have him back on form.

So what I'm really asking, is how much should the Cubs offer? And for how long? Will he get the premium price that a player with his ability should get? If he stays healthy for the rest of the season, I don't see any reason why he shouldn't. If he pitches 25+ games for two straight years then his price will be high.

One thing that we can be thankful for, is that his agent is not Scott Boras, the man who will be inducted into hell's hall of fame as a first ballot plonker.

So how far should we go on a contract offer? I don't think you offer past four years. I think three or four years is a nice contract length for player and club. It shows commitment without really damaging the future of the club like I believe we did by signing Soriano to an eight-year deal.

However it's a little scary to think of his valuel.  We just saw A.J Burnett sign for five-years and $82.5 million, a figure that I believe he isn't close to being worth. Then we see the Yankees sign CC for seven years and $161 million, which is a stupid amount of money, really.

So where does Harden sit? somewhere in between those two, perhaps a four-year, $75 million type contract, is that enough? Zambrano signed a five-year, $91.5 million contract, and some could argue that Harden might be worth similar, but can the Cubs afford a contract like that, with ownership up in the air, we hope that it is completed, but then what?

I want to hear your thoughts on this. Will the Cubs re-sign him, and what will the sum be? I hope we re-sign him, he is a Cy Young type pitcher when he is on form, and his last couple of outings have shown us that he may be getting back to his best form.

When the cards are on the table, are the Cubs willing to pay up?

Browsing the general section, I noticed Freddy Sanchez being linked with the Mariners and several other teams, but there is no mention of the Cubs...why is that?

It's no secret that we have been struggling in offensive terms, much can be attributed to a certain someone out in right field, granted, I accept that. However we have gotten little production from the second base position.

First we have Mike Fontenot, a guy that I love, part of that comes from his playing in the 2000 LSU World Series championship. The other being that he is a good player coming off the bench. I just don't see him as a everyday type guy.

.235 BA, .305 OBP, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 25 runs, .676 OPS

Not awful statistics, but not eye opening either.

Then we have Aaron Miles, the highly valuable, multi-positional switch hitter, that allowed us to trade away Mark DeRosa. The less said about that the better, after all I think everyone (maybe excluding Jim Hendry) knows how Cubs fans feel about that particular decision.

46 games, .203 BA, .240 OBP, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 15 runs, .500 OPS

Now if you want to see some awful numbers, there they are. People can say that he has not played and that will effect him, but not playing is as big a knock on someone as playing and playing poorly is. Aaron Miles numbers are awful, a .240 OBP?? really!!

We also play Andres Blanco there, however it is fleeting and he is a defensive specialist. We didn't go out and get him, and we made no massive change to start him, he is not a starter by any means.

Now lets have a look at Freddy Sanchez, on a team that ranks 23rd in terms of runs scored, he holds a highly respectable line of:

.306 BA, .345 OBP, 6 HR, 34 RBI, 45 runs, .803 OPS

All nice numbers, especially when you consider that Sanchez is a stellar defensive player as well. In his 451 games as a second baseman, he has committed just 20 errors...that really is something special right there.

On July 19th, ESPN reported that contract talks had broken down between the Pirates and Sanchez. His contract is steep next season, but for a team that is paying a guy in right field $9 million next season, he seems to be well worth it.

Rotoworld has his contract at $6.1 million this season, and $8 million club option next season with a $600,000 buy out. So past this years salary, this doesn't seem to be a problem.

Of course there are a lot of if's and but's. However in principle, do you believe that Freddy Sanchez would be worth bringing to Chicago? Although I'm leaning towards saying yes, I'm just thinking out loud so let me hear your opinions on this.

When I first started following the Cubs, I was looking for a team with history. I didn't grow up in the United States with an affiliation to any state or team, I had no roots in Chicago or Cub fans in my family. I had to research to find a suitable team, rather than having it instilled in my psyche from an early age.

So I started reading, and I read a lot. However, there was one team that stuck out to me more than any other: the Chicago Cubs.

What started as research, became a long fascination with the history of the franchise, starting with it's establishment in early 1870.

The recounting of the team's history will be handled in four parts, starting with 1870-1875, and will continue with part two (1876-1878), part three (1879-1890) and conclude with part four (1890-1892).

I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.

Chicago White Stockings

On April 29, 1870, the Chicago White Stockings played their first game against the St. Louis Union, beating them 47-1. Across the summer of 1870 individual games were organized among the various teams that sprung up after the success of the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Each team set out to beat the Red Stockings.

After a summer of success, the decision was made that the Chicago White Stockings should join the first professional baseball association, the National Association of Professional Baseball Players, in 1871. Although close contenders throughout the season, the White Stockings were struck with disaster when the great Chicago fire destroyed the club's ballpark, uniforms, equipment and many other possessions.

The now renowned north—westerly winds have been credited as the reason why the Great Fire Of Chicago spread, along with the city’s dominant wood buildings.

The poor luck of the Cubs is ingrained into their history, and the fire is an example of just how unlucky the team was.

The fire started at 9:00 p.m., but the fire department did not receive the alarm until 9:40, at which point the fire guard continued to ignore the light in the sky, crediting it to a fire that was put out a day before. After the blaze grew, it was finally decided to send fire fighters to the scene, only for them to be sent in the wrong direction.

The Chicago White Stockings decided to drop out of the National Association of Professional Baseball Players while the city underwent a recovery period. 

Thankfully, the White Stockings were revived in 1874.

1874

On May 13, 1874, the Chicago White Stockings played the first game in Chicago since the great fire, defeating the Athletics 4-0.

They finished the 1874 season in fifth place out of eight teams in the league. Although the 1874 season was a disappointing one, Levi Meyerle did finish the season with the highest BA in the league, as well as the OBP and OPS while he played for the White Stockings, hitting .394.

On the 18th of June, the White Stockings were humiliated by the New York Mutuals 38-1.  The game was marred with error after error as the White Stockings committed 36.

George Zettlein also led the league for the White Stockings... but in a category that no pitcher wants to lead: walks. He was also second in losses with 30, two better than Tommy Bond of the seventh placed Brooklyn Atlantics, as well as being the joint leader in runs allowed with Tommy Bong, again allowing 176 runs in the 1874 season.

1874 Roster—Fergy Malone (Pitcher), John Glenn (Infielder), Levi Meyerle (Infielder), Davy Force (infielder), John Peters (Infielder), Ned Cuthbert (Outfielder), Paul Hines (Outfielder), Paul Hines (Outfielder), Fred Treacey (Outfielder), Jim Devlin (Unknown), Gilroy (Unknown), Dan Collins (Unknown), Terry Connell (Unknown), George Zettlein (Pitcher)

1875

In 1875, the National Association extended from eight to 13 teams. What followed for the White Stockings was another mediocre season, finishing in sixth place, 35 games back from the eventual champions, the Boston Red Stockings (who lost just eight games).

The White Stockings finished with a record of 30 wins and 37 losses with a .448 winning percentage. On May 11, 1875, they were part of the lowest scoring game in history at that point, when they defeated the St Louis Red Stockings 1-0.

Late in the season, the White Stockings suffered a great loss, when owner George Gagne passed away after suffering a stroke.  William Hubert would take over and make an outstanding contribution to baseball after the 1875 season.

Team Roster—George Zettlein (Pitcher), Jim Devlin (Pitcher), Mike Golden (Pitcher), Scott Hastings (Catcher), Paul Hines (Infielder), Warren White (Infielder), John Peters (Infielder), Oscar Bielaski (Outfielder), John Glen (Outfielder), Dick Higham (Unknown), Paddy Quinn (Unknown), Joe Miller (Unknown), George Keerl (Unknown), Fred Waterman (Unknown), Will Foley (Unknown), Mike Brannock (Unknown), Spike Brady (Unknown)

William Hubert and the National league

William Hubert took control of the Chicago White Stockings in 1875 and would go on to form the National League, sparked by the Davy Force case.

Davy Force, the shortstop for the White Stockings in 1875, was widely known as a contract jumper; he sold his talents at the end of each season and went to the club that offered the most money. Going against the rules, William Hubert signed Force to a contract for the 1875 season while the 1874 season was still taking place.

However, the Philadelphia Athletics offered Force more money and he signed a second contract with them. Although the initial ruling went to the White Stockings, a President from Philadelphia was elected and that decision was overturned, sending Force to the Athletics.

In a rebellious movement, Hubert vigorously protested and claimed that the Eastern based teams had a conspiracy to keep the western teams down. Even though Hubert anticipated a league disciplinary action, he signed star Boston pitcher Al Spalding as well as Cal McVey, Deacon White and Ross Barns from Boston, and Cap Anson Ezra Sutton from the Philadelphia Athletics (Sutton would late renege on the contract). 

He signed all these players during the 1874 season, and assuming he'd face disciplinary actions, he organized and developed his own league: the National League.

To make sure the league was a success, he would need to have other teams.  Enlisting the support of the Western teams in Cincinnati, St Louis and Louisville, he also held a meeting with the teams from the east, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Hartford, on February 2, 1876.

William Hubert managed to sell the idea of this league based on many factors, including; the integrity of business, and the recognition of, and upholding of contracts. Not only making the game better off the field, but also on the field, with prohibition laws on drinking and gambling.

William Hubert’s vision of a league with a more dominant central structure was realised and the founding charter members of the National league were:

Philadelphia Athletics
Boston Red Stockings
Chicago White Stockings
Cincinnati Red Stockings
Hartford Dark Blues
Louisville Grays
Mutuals Of New York
St Louis Brown Stockings

As of 1876 the National league was born.

We will pick up with the 1876 season in part two to come later this week.

Sure many people will know who Kevin Hart is now, well Cubs fans will know anyway.

However, how many people know who he played for in college and how he performed? How many people know which team drafted him and how he came to be on the Cubs' roster?

I couldn't answer any of the above questions, so I set off on a mission of discovery on Hart, just hours before he makes his first career start in the Major Leagues against the Atlanta Braves.

First of all, Hart was born in Cleveland Ohio, on December 29, 1982.

He played his high school baseball at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas.

Jesuit Preparatory school unlike most other private schools in Dallas does not compete in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial schools or the Southwest Preparatory Conference. Jesuit competes in District eight of class AAAAA, which also happens to be the state's largest classification.

While playing at Jesuit, Hart was named First Team All-State in 2000 and 2001. He also played a major role in Jesuit Preparatory School's 1999 State Championship.

As a senior at Jesuit, Hart went 9-1 with a 1.20 ERA, whilst also contributing heavily with the bat. He hit .487 with 10 home runs.

After completing his studies at Jesuit, Hart decided that his future lay at Navarro College.

Hart would play two seasons at Navarro before transferring to the University of Maryland. While playing for Navarro, Hart was named to the First Team All-Region and First Team All-Conference teams. He was the 2003 AABA tournament MVP hitting .448 with 11 HR and 42 RBI. Hart went 9-2 with a 2.54 ERA, striking out 81 batters in just 72 innings, while allowing just 12 walks.

With the 2004 season upon him and a new University to get used to, Hart made a contribution with the bat, while playing first base.

He would play in 44 games for the Terps, hitting .369 with eight home runs and 33 RBI. He would make 11 starts for Maryland in 2004 pitching to a less than impressive 3-8 record and a 5.16 ERA.

In the 2004 MLB Draft, Hart was selected in the 11th round by the Baltimore Orioles. He would finish the 2004 season pitching in the New York Pen League for Aberdeen, where he made nine appearances, all in relief. He finished with a 3-0 record and a 3.77 ERA.

In 2005, Hart spent his time in the South Atlantic League playing for the Single-A affiliate of the Orioles, Delmarva. He would pitch in 28 contests, compiling a 9-8 record and a 4.55 ERA.

In 2006, Hart pitched in advanced A-ball for Frederick of the California League, compiling a record of 6-11 and an ERA of 4.67, with a 122 K's in 148 innings pitched.

2006 would also see a move in Hart's career. Dec. 7, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for utility man Freddy Bynum.

The following year, would be the year of advancement for Hart. In 2007, Hart pitched at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels, before making his Wrigley Field debut in the major leagues.

Hart started the 2007 season at Cubs' Double-A affiliate Tennessee, where he started 17 games, compiling an 8-5 record and a 4.24 ERA. He was promoted to Triple-A, where he started eight games and pitched to the tune of a 4-1 record and a 3.54 ERA, including his first minor league complete game.

Late in 2007, the Chicago Cubs called on Hart to fill a void in the bullpen, where he appeared in eight games, pitching 11 innings, and impressing tremendously. He would allow just one earned run in his 11 innings of relief.

It seemed to Cubs' management that the higher he was promoted, the more efficient he became.

Perhaps he was a pitcher who needed an atmosphere to perform. The Cubs went into the 2007 offseason feeling quite good about themselves and the trade that had occurred a year previous.

Hart initially started the 2008 season back with Tennessee in Double-A ball. However, he made just one start as a tune up before joining Triple-A Iowa.

He would have his best season in Iowa, flipping between a starter and a reliever, making 26 appearances in total and 10 starts.

When he was called up by the Cubs, he had a 4-2 record and a 2.81 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP, his lowest WHIP in his minor league baseball career. This can be mainly attributed to a switch to a reliever.

However, when he was called up to the Cubs, he struggled extensively. His ERA was on the wrong side, 6.00, and his WHIP at 2.00.

In 2009, Hart started the season at Triple-A Iowa, where he again flipped between starter and reliever. He has compiled a 3-3 record and a 3.10 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. In the limited action he has seen as a major league reliever he has allowed one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched.

Today Kevin Hart is set to make his Major League debut as a starter. How he will do is any one's guess.

Hart has really clocked up the miles this year travelling between the Chicago Cubs and the Iowa Cubs. A right-handed sinker ball specialist is making his start at the right time with the Cubs' infield finally back to full strength.