This and that: Derrek Lee to Braves, Brett Favre, break

Some bits from yesterday...

- Yesterday, the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves agreed on a trade that would send All-Star power hitting first baseman Derrek Lee to Atlanta for three pitching prospects.

Lee, 34, is in the final year of his big money contract and will be a free agent at the end of the season. Due to Chipper Jones' ACL tear, the Braves felt the need to revamp their offense, and acquiring Lee fit the bill. Lee has dealt with injuries this year and is struggling this season, hitting just .251/.335/.416 with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs and will not likely reach the .306/35/111 line he posted last season. He projects to be a Type-B free agent and is currently resting some sore lower back problems. Oddly enough, his first Braves start will be against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

The move for Lee allows current first baseman Troy Glaus (who was once a long time third baseman) to be placed on the DL to rehab some injuries and also take fielding practice at third base, where he will play in the absence of Jones.

In return, the Cubs get pitchers Tyrelle Harris, Robinson Lopez and Jefferey Lorick.

- I don't even want to write this one, but I have to: Brett Favre is coming back for another season. That's right. Again.

- Guys, I'm sorry about this once again, but I'm going to have to take another break from the blog. I've been swamped with work and school is starting soon so I really have to focus on that. I'm doing a whole bunch of things right now and just haven't had the time to write anything with the meaningfulness that I used to. I'm hoping a short break, as well as some relaxing time, can fix that. I'll be back writing soon enough, but until then the blog will be on temporary hiatus.

What's the best way to hit for the cycle? Just ask Carlos Gonzalez

I turned on MLB Network at the right time last night.

The network, which carries cameras in each ballpark, flipped to the Rockies game at exactly the perfect moment. I watched closely and witnessed history...

In last night's Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago Cubs match-up, Carlos Gonzalez came to the plate to lead-off in the bottom of the 9th inning, game tied 5-5, the pressure building.

But the pressure wasn't just to win the game.

As "CarGo" stepped into the box, he was one hit shy of the cycle. He had singled, doubled, and tripled in three trips to the plate (3-3) but was missing the big one. The big fly.

So yeah, you could say there was just some pressure on the 24 year-old outfielder.

Of course Rockies fans wanted to see Gonzalez hit for the cycle, but fans also wanted to see what was more important, which was winning the game.

Luckily the fans, and myself, got to see both live.

On the first pitch of the 9th inning from Cubs' reliever Sean Marshall, Gonzalez unloaded on a 93 mph hanging inside fastball which shot, like a cannon, into the upper right field deck at Coors Field. The fans went insane. Pandemonium in the Rocky Mountains. Not only had Gonzalez hit for the cycle, but he had won the game, also capping a 4-4 night.

"I put a really good swing on the ball," Gonzalez said. "The pitch helped me. It was 90-something, inside, and I put it right on the barrel."

"That was unbelievable," Gonzalez said. "It was a great feeling. All the crowd screaming, it's a moment you just want to pass out because you don't know what to do. Just try to get with my teammates and celebrate."

"He's a good hitter," Marshall said. "He's locked in right now. He's putting good swings on bad pitches and good swings on good pitches. He's probably the guy in the lineup that we didn't want to beat us. I went in and challenged him and he beat me."

For Gonzalez, he joined the club of four cycles this season, as well as hitting the sixth cycle in Colorado Rockies history. It was his first walk-off home run and his fourth home run in as many games.

Gonzalez, who was acquired by the Oakland Athletics from the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to 2008 in the Dan Haren trade, and was then traded to the Colorado Rockies for Matt Holliday prior to 2009, has blossomed into the player most thought he would become. This season has been a career-year for Gonzalez, as he's hitting .321/.350/.554 with 21 home runs and 68 RBIs in 92 games, a career-high in each category.

"I heard everyone saying I was going to do it," Gonzalez said. "You just believe in yourself. I guess it was meant to be. It was my night, it was the Rockies' night."

You can't do it much better than that. A storybook ending.

So, who are you gonna call when you want to know the best way to hit for the cycle?

CarGo.

News & Rumors: Oswalt's & Happ's debuts, Lilly, Theriot, Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, Dunn, Jackson, ChiSox

- Roy Oswalt made his Philadelphia Phillies debut tonight after coming over yesterday in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros. His first start with his new team, Oswalt looked to make a good first impression.

So much for that.

Oswalt gave up five runs, four of which were earned, seven hits and walked two while only getting four strikeouts while hitting two batters over 6.0 innings in his debut against the Washington Nationals, leading to an 8-1 loss.

"I came out amped up, held the ball a little tight," said Oswalt, "Didn't really start feeling better until the last two innings. Didn't really go my way."

Oswalt now falls to 6-13 with a 3.53 ERA. His 13 losses lead the majors.

- On the other hand, J.A. Happ, the young left-handed pitcher who was traded for Oswalt, also made his debut tonight for the Houston Astros. Happ also looked to make a good first impression with a new ballclub that valued him so highly as to trade Roy Oswalt for him.

How'd his night go?

Happ, for lack of a better term, dominated the Milwaukee Brewers in his first start for the Astros. Over 6.0 shut-out innings, he gave up two hits, walked four and struck out six. The Astros would hang on to beat the Brewers 5-0 to get Happ his first win as an Astro. It was also Lance Berkman's last game as an Astro, though he did not play.

Happ is now 2-0 on the season with a 1.27 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 21.1 innings.

- According to MLBTradeRumors, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers are discussing two trades: one that would send LHP Ted Lilly to the Dodgers, and one that would send Lilly and SS Ryan Theriot to the Dodgers. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse and Jayson Stark of ESPN report that the New York Yankees are also involved in the Lilly-Theriot talks, as they could either be involved as a third team in a three-team deal, or they could acquire Lilly and Theriot for themselves.

Lilly, a former Yankee, Expo, Athletic and Blue Jay, is 3-8 with a 3.69 ERA in 117.0 innings on the season for a dismal Cubs team. A workhorse who pitched over 200.0 innings back-to-back from 2007-2008 before missing some starts in 2009 with injury, most of his losses are due to poor run support and a lackluster bullpen. Lilly is a free agent at the end of the season and is making $4.3 million for the rest of the year.

Theriot, an infielder who has played mainly second base and shortstop in his career, is a "grinder." He's got wheels, stealing 16/22 bases in 95 games this season, and has stolen over 20 the past three seasons. A slap hitter, Theriot is a career .288 hitter who doesn't hit for much power, his career-high seven home runs coming last season. This season, he's hitting .285 with 1 home run and 21 RBIs as well as having 110 hits. Theriot is owed $867,000 for the remainder of the year and is under team control through 2012.

For the Yankees, Lilly, 34, would slide into Andy Pettitte's spot in the rotation until he returns from injury and join his former team, while Theriot, 30, would be the Yankees' utility infielder. If the Yankees were to acquire Lilly and Theriot, in addition to Berkman and Austin Kearns before the deadline, that would be one hell of a haul. Nothing's imminent yet.

Update, 10:53 - The Dodgers and Cubs are nearing a deal reports ESPN's Buster Olney.

- With the idea that they would flip him for slugger Adam Dunn of the Washington Nationals, the Chicago White Sox acquired RHP Edwin Jackson from the Arizona Diamondbacks for top pitching prospect Dan Hudson and another pitcher. The Nationals, who coveted Jackson, stated that E-Jax was key in a trade for Dunn, who the White Sox have been linked to. However, when the White Sox approached the Nationals about a trade for Dunn, Nats' GM Mike Rizzo was unsure if he still wanted Jackson, according to Buster Olney.

The White Sox, obviously frustrated, broke off negotiations with the Nationals for Dunn late Friday night and took themselves "out of the running."

You can imagine how upset they must be, trading their top pitching prospect for a pitcher that they never wanted. Ouch.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal finds it difficult to see an Adam Dunn trade happening, especially with the Yankees, who were interested in Dunn, acquiring Berkman today, and the White Sox taking themselves out of the running. The only team with "some" interest left is the Tampa Bay Rays, who balked at a demand of RHP Matt Garza (who just threw a no-hitter) for Dunn. It's unlikely at this point that Dunn will be moved.

Chicago Cubs' Manager Lou Piniella retiring after 2010 season

After 40 years in baseball, 18 years as a player and 22 as a manager, Lou Piniella has decided to walk away from the game.

Well, at the end of the season that is.

Today, Piniella announced that he would be retiring from baseball at the end of the 2010 season, once his contract as Manager of the Chicago Cubs expires.

"It's been a wonderful experience," he said. "There's no way that I won't cherish the memories here."

During his playing days, Piniella began his career with the Baltimore Orioles. He was traded twice, first to the Cleveland Indians and then to the Kansas City Royals. Lou won the AL Rookie of the Year in 1969 after he finished with a batting line of .282 with 11 homers and 68 RBIs with the Royals. In 1973, The Royals traded him to the Yankees and Piniella would play the rest of his career with the Yankees before retiring as a player in 1984.

Piniella played 11 of his 18 seasons with the New York Yankees, five with the Kansas City Royals and also had brief stints with the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians. Piniella retired as a player in 1984, finishing with a career batting line of .291 with 1705 hits and 102 home runs.

Retirement from the game as a player wouldn't keep Ol' Sweet Lou from being involved in it. In 1986, he became the Manager of the Yankees, leading the team to a 90-72 record, which was only good for second place in the AL East. Piniella again managed the Yankees from 1987-1988 before moving on to manage the Cincinnati Reds from 1990-1993. In 1990, Piniella's first year as Reds' Manager, he led the team to a World Series Championship. For the 1994 season, Piniella accepted a contract from the Seattle Mariners, a team he would manager for the next 10 years. Piniella was unsuccessful in bringing a championship to Seattle, even when the Mariners finished the 2001 season with a 116-46 record only to be eliminated in the playoffs. After the 2002 season, his last in Seattle, Piniella returned home to Tampa, where he would accept a job as Manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Piniella would manager the Devil Rays from 2003-2005 before being bought out for the 2006 season, finishing in last place two of the three seasons.

Piniella stayed out of baseball for the 2006 season, spending it at home and not managing. However, he had that itch to get back in the game again. Prior to the 2007 season, the Cubs offered Piniella a four-year contract to which he would accept to become the Cubs' Manager and was determined to help the club win its first championship in almost 100 years. In Piniella's first season in Chicago in 2007, he led the Cubs to the NL Central Division title with an 85-77 record. The Cubs however, would be swept and eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2008, Piniella led the Cubs to a second straight division title, this time the team finishing with a record of 97-64, good for third best in the league. However, the 2008 playoffs would yield the same fate for the lovable losers, as this time they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Piniella and the 2009 Cubs didn't exactly live up to expectations the following year, finishing 83-78 in second place in the Central and missing the playoffs.

This season, the 2010 Cubs have been the worst Cub team under Piniella's tenure. The team is currently at a 42-52 record, 10 games under .500 and are in fourth place in the Central and making it look more as if year 102 without a championship is not their year. One has to wonder if the wear and tear of the 2010 season may be the reason for Piniella's retirement.

"Why is the announcement now as opposed to September?" Piniella said. "For a couple reasons. First of all, I get asked all the time. I don't want to mislead anybody about my intentions. At the same time, more important, it gives Jim Hendry ample opportunity to find a new manager for this organization and he can do it where he doesn't have to be secretive about it, or anything else."

When asked why he didn't resign immediately, Piniella shot back with the response, "Why? I signed here for four years. I'm going to honor the contract."

Known for his classic rants on the field with umpires and even players (Rob Dibble in 1992), base-throwing, dirt-kicking, hat tossing, and screaming, Piniella has had a remarkable impact on baseball and will not be forgotten.

When asked if he would be involved as a special assistant or consultant, Piniella replied, "I enjoy this game, I really do. I love this game. So that would be a good way to stay involved, but not in an everyday basis. It could be anywhere. There are no plans one way or another." said Piniella during a press conference.

Piniella said that he wants to return home and is ready to call it a career.

"I've been away from home since 1962. That's about 50 years."

Piniella, now 66, ranks fourth among active managers with a career record of 1,826-1,691 (.519) behind Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, and Tony LaRussa.

Ryne Sandberg, longtime and Hall of Fame Cubs' second baseman, has been named as the favorite to manage the Cubs for the 2011 season. Sandberg, who is currently the Manager of the Triple-AAA Iowa Cubs, has expressed a desire to manage in the big leagues. It would be truly fitting for the longtime Hall of Fame Cub to manage the very team he played for.

"I need to focus on what I'm doing here in Des Moines with these players and what my job is right now," Sandberg said. "If the time came, if I was considered for that job in Chicago, I think that'd be a terrific thing just to be considered. The whole goal of any minor leaguer is to get to the major leagues, and I think that includes coaches and managers like myself."

Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Valetine, and Joe Girardi are other free agent managers who could be considered.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry has said that the position will be discussed prior to the 2011 season.

But there is one question....

Has Sweet Lou simply given up on the 2010 Cubbies?

Think again.

"I'm proud of our accomplishments during my time here and this will be a perfect way for me to end my career," he said. "But let me make one thing perfectly clear: Our work is far from over. I want to keep the momentum going more than anything else and win as many games as we can to get back in this pennant race."

"Look, we're still not eliminated," Piniella said. "We've got time. Stranger things … I managed a team in Seattle, for instance, that was 13 ½ out on Aug. 1 and went to the American League Championship finals. That could happen here, we just need to get hot."

Classic Sweet Lou.

Will pitching injuries force Yankees to make a trade?

First A.J. Burnett. Now Andy Pettitte.

After making a diving play in the field yesterday, New York Yankees' pitcher Andy Pettitte strained his left groin. The injury, which was unnoticeable until the third inning, was classified as a Grade 1 strain, requiring Pettitte to be taken out of the game and placed on the disabled list. He will miss four-to-five weeks.

The injury comes just a day after Pettitte's teammate, pitcher A.J. Burnett, suffered an injury of his own after slamming his hand on the clubhouse door in frustration. The slam created lacerations on Burnett's pitching hand and required him to leave his start early. The lacerations may cause Burnett to miss his next start.

Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman said yesterday that pitcher Sergio Mitre, who is scheduled to come off of the DL tomorrow, will take Pettitte's place in the rotation until he can return.

Many analysts believe that the injuries may force the Yankees to have to make a trade for a starting pitcher to plug in the void left by Pettitte, and due to the inconsistency of Burnett. One pitcher they've been linked to recently is Chicago Cubs' right-hander and former Yankee, (3-8, 4.07) Ted Lilly. Cashman, as well as ESPN's Buster Olney have said that the Yankees have no plans to trade for a starting pitcher after they lost out on Cliff Lee.

However, the injury bug is not the only issue that the Yankees have to worry about with their starting pitchers.

Phil Hughes, the Yankees' prized young pitcher, is on an innings limit for the season. The organization has said that they will let Hughes throw between 170-180 innings this season. Hughes has already thrown 101 innings this year. Once Hughes reaches his limit, a move back to the bullpen is most likely, leaving another hole in the rotation. The hole, for now, seems as though it would be filled by the aforementioned Mitre. If the Yankees decide to not make a trade, it seems as though they could go with Mitre, or other in-house candidates such as Ivan Nova, Jason Hirsh and Zach McCallister.

The loss of Hughes in the rotation due to the innings limit may be the deciding factor in if the Yankees trade for another starter. Hughes has been stellar in his first full starting season, (11-2, 3.65) making the AL All-Star team. The loss of Hughes will be a large blow to the Yankees' rotation and may force them to make a trade.

Carlos Zambrano's latest blowup

It's happened many times before, but this time the Cubs took action against Carlos Zambrano's recent tirade.

Zambrano had to be separated from teammate and Cubs' first baseman Derrek Lee, as a screaming match roared up. Zambrano walked into the dugout after the first inning against the Chicago White Sox, having given up 4 earned runs in the first inning, and began screaming at the team. Lee, in the first inning, missed a hard ground ball which allowed a run to score. Zambrano began screaming at Lee in the dugout before they had to separated. When Juan Pierre (the hitter) was asked if he thought Lee could have made the play, he responded:

"No, because he's in for the bunt and I hit it right down the line," Pierre said. "Due to the fact he was playing in for the bunt, it limits your range from side to side.

"Derrek Lee is a Gold Glover. If he can't get to the ball, then it was a hit."

Lou Pinella, the Cubs' manager, pulled Zambrano from the game. It was later decided by Cubs' management and GM Jim Hendry that Zambrano would be suspended indefinitely.

"His conduct wasn't acceptable," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "His actions toward his teammates and staff were not acceptable."

"He will not be at the ballpark tomorrow. We'll play with 24. We'll play with 24 before we tolerate that kind of behavior."

If that doesn't speak volume about how much the Cubs dislike Zambrano, than I'm not sure what does.

Hendry was later asked if he had any doubt that Zambrano would return this season: "Certainly wouldn't rule it out" and he later said "the rules of the game usually don't allow long, long-term suspensions."

"It becomes a bit of a tired act," Hendry said. "People think that he hasn't been spoken to by Lou and his staff or the general manager before. Things are sometimes construed as being let go or let slide by -- that's certainly not true. You have every right to say it like that, that it's a recurring situation. And every time it recurs, it is a little bit more disappointing."

Zambrano is in the fourth year of a five-year $91.5 contract, making $18.3 million per season. His actions certainly should not be rewarded with this kind of recurring theme with Zambrano. It's not the first time that the Cubs have had to deal with Zambrano's anger issues. In 2007, he and former teammate, catcher Michael Barret, got into a physical fight in the dugout before having to separated, only to later be continued in the clubhouse and both were fined. Last season, major league baseball suspended Big Z for six game after he lost his temper and flipped out during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he made contact with the umpire. It's become an embarrassment to an organization that invests so much in him.

"It's a serious matter," Piniella said. "There's no need for this, none at all. I'm embarrassed. Carlos should be embarrassed."

"We'll definitely stick together," Lee said. "Sometimes it's not easy. Right now, it's not an easy time. But you stick together, stay positive and fight through."

"He really hasn't been up to the standards that he was before for two seasons," Hendry said. "If you look at his last 50 starts, he probably ranks in the bottom third of the National League of overall performance, and I'm not saying that critically. That's not something that I'm tying in with today, but that's part of the decision that was criticized at the time, like we were taking our ace out of the rotation.

"At that time we did it," Hendry said, "I think it was a 40-start lookback that we did, and it really didn't wind up very well. ... I expect him to win more than nine wins like last year, and certainly, he deserved to be given a large contract. He was one of the best pitchers in the game for four, five years and did a tremendous job."

For the Cubs' and Zambrano's sake, hopefully a suspension away from the team can clear the air in the Cubs' clubhouse. Big Z is only 29, and his career is far from over, so you'd hope that he can turn it around and continue to have a great big league career and earn that contract. It's just too bad that this happened so many times before. Zambrano has been a club house cancer on the Cubs for years, despite being a good pitcher. I think the best thing for the Cubs would be to get Zambrano off their team. A good move by Jim Hendry. You have to pity the Chicago Cubs, not just because they haven't won the World Series in over 100 years, but because of Carlos Zambrano's anger.

You can watch how it unfolded here: