Cubs

Despite a rocky couple months peppered with setbacks and controversy, the Chicago Bulls remain guardedly optimistic about the future.

Carlos Zambrano has positioned himself as the Cubs ace heading into the 2006 campaign. He recently signed a one-year $6.5 million deal that sets the stage for a huge payday next year. Read on as Zambrano shares his enthusiasm for the coming season, his goals for the year, and what it's like playing for Dusty Baker.

Thank you, Barry Bonds. Now I may have company in the "this guy is such a jerk, we won't elect him to a Hall of Fame that already has Ty Cobb as a member"-class of MLB greats. If you want to grab lunch sometime, give me a call. We can discuss ways to get back at Selig. I've always been a big fan of flaming bags of dog poop on his doorstep, but I'm open to suggestions. In the meantime, let's gamble!

From his well-known practical jokes to his deadpan humor, Cubs closer Ryan Dempster is the kind of guy who is always one step ahead of you. In the course of a conversation, you can never be sure if he’s telling the truth or pulling your leg.

JULY 15, PITTSBURGH PIRATES @ CHICAGO CUBS, WRIGLEY FIELD Things went so bad for the Pirates that even Jerry Hairston Jr. contributed to the onslaught with a grand slam (albeit off the foul pole), and then got into a heated, bench-clearing exchange with Pirate reliever Jose Mesa after his next at-bat. Of course, 39,000 suburban frat guys home for the summer left happy after the Cubs' 11-1 win, many of them singing the world’s most annoying tune. I’d appreciate the song much more if the lyrics "Go Cubs go! Go Cubs go!" were a command relating to the franchise’s geographic location. Chicagoans: There’s only room for one playoff team in this town, and we all know who it is in 2005.

Dusty Baker came to the Cubs after a successful career managing the San Francisco Giants. His signing signaled the Cubs were serious about trying to win. Two years later, not everyone is enamored with the job he has done. Here he answers his critics, reflects on the past, and looks forward to the future.

The walls may be crumbling at Wrigley Field, but nothing can chip away at Steve Stone’s baseball acumen. Widely respected as perhaps the best ‘color man’ in the game today, Stone doesn’t hedge when it comes to speaking his mind. Sit a spell and read this one. You youngsters (and not-so youngster) out there may learn something.