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It doesn't matter if "angry" Prior shows up today. Wade Miller has already been named the 5th starter. The only thing left to decide is if Prior goes on the DL or straight to AAA.

Prior pitches today. If he says he's healthy, the Cubs will have no choice but to option him to AAA. However, if Prior comes up with an injury today he could be placed on the DL and sent to extended ST. I'm not saying it will happen, but if I were Prior, I might consider a last minute injury. Going to AAA will be culture shock; it's possible that he could spend more time there in 2007 than he did before he was promoted to the Cubs...

Bruce Miles / Daily Herald There's no way to know if Murton's performance was a coincidence or if Lou's talk helped his hitting, but it is nice to see that Lou is hands on with the players.

WGN could expand its CW programming which, currently, takes a back seat to Cubs games during the season. They could find plenty of ways to make it profitable. In business, that statement begs the question "so why aren't they already doing it?" Most businesses don't like to just leave dollars on the table when there is something more profitable available. It could be argued that since the Cubs are another division of the same company, they are using WGN to boost the profitability of the Cubs, and that that benefit is larger than the profit that could be made by putting other programming on instead of the Cubs. That explanation wouldn't explain why WGN carries Sox games though. Does anyone want to argue that the Sox have more fans outside Chicago than the Cubs. I think that the situation is actually the other way around. The Trib has used the Cubs, a team that has one of the largest national fan bases in all of baseball (just look at the locations on this message board for evidence of that) to boost the profitability of WGN by selling broadcast rights at below market value to another Tribune division, thereby transferring profit from the Cubs to WGN. On a side note, what is the "CW". I have cable so I rarely watch the usual TV networks and never watch WGN except for Cub games. WGN isn't doing it now because they are currently under the Tribune umbrella and, at the moment, Cubs baseball (and Sox games) is the priority. If the companies are made separate, WGN can choose its own programming. Its not like this hasn't happened before. TBS is making the transition to end all national Braves baseball broadcasts by the end of this season. I can see WGN continuing to run the games locally (which is fine for those of us that are local) but I am concerned about the greater effect on a potential loss of the national viewers. As I said earlier, I'm playing devil's advocate by looking at the worst case but I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. BTW, the CW is a network with new and rerun programs. In some areas, the CW is a stand alone station but in Chicago it shares time with WGN's regular schedule. Actually, the WGN Superstation (which is seen only outside of the Chicago area) may show more of the CW than we get locally; I learned in the game thread the other day that the show I was watching on WGN, before the game, wasn't being shown nationwide.

He's still not quite ready for The Show. The Cubs beat him up pretty good when he pitched against the ML team.

I read the whole article but if you read the Cubs.com piece you get a different take. It sounds more like Wuertz is safe and Guzman is on the bubble (Again, since there are no direct quotes from Lou, about Guzman, I have to think this is speculation from Muskat)--which is why I'm saying the Wuertz issue is most likely separate (and because Sullivan's article has concerning quotes from Lou about Michael). Wuertz can be sent down, because of lack of arm strength, and Pagan still not added to the roster if Lou decides to go with 12 pitchers. He also says this on Cubs.com This is why I said there could be an opening for Guzman and Cherry if Wuertz is optioned to get more work, and Lou takes 12 pitchers.

No it doesn't, the Pagan decision is separate. Sullivan is the one speculating that the decisions are linked. Lou said he's worried about Wuertz's lack of arm strength. Separately, he said he was also worried about the outfield defense late in games. If Wuertz is in AAA that still leaves one, possibly two, spots unaccounted for in the bullpen. In the Cubs.com article, Muskat hints that Guzman could be the odd man out if Piniella goes with Pagan. However, that article does not have a quote from Piniella saying anything directly about Wuertz (whereas the Trib article says specifically that Wuertz's spot could be in jeporady). In this article, Muskat assumes Wuertz position is safe... Who knows, Lou may have been caught up in the emotion of the postgame conference but Paul Sullivan certainly makes it sound like Wuertz could be optioned. 1. Zambrano 2 Lilly 3. Marquis 4. Hill 5. Miller 6. Dempster 7. Howry 8. Eyre 9. Ohman 10. Cotts 11. ? (Wuertz) 12. ??/ or utility OF (Guzman)

Wuertz may not have made the team afterall: Sullivan/Tribune If Wuertz doesn't make the team there could be an opening for Cherry and Guzman (assuming 12 pitchers).

LOL, he's trying hard Cubs.com

WGN could expand its CW programming which, currently, takes a back seat to Cubs games during the season. They could find plenty of ways to make it profitable.

Carrie Muskat / Cubs.com In other news, Coats is likely to open the season on the DL

Foxsports.com

Yes, I got my May tix last night.

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070327/capt.26bb0360d7b349d6b7d156067adb9fb8.royals_cubs_baseball_azmy101.jpg DLee watches his RBI double http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070327/capt.69d72d954e66476e845cc9db22b8c13b.royals_cubs_spriing_baseball_azmy105.jpg Rich http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070327/capt.3cd3788af8294fe59494cceb490d6fcf.royals_cubs_baseball_azmy103.jpg Izturis gets Pena trying to steal http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070327/capt.07b6a3a485404332b850c153210de148.royals_cubs_baseball_azmy106.jpg DLee congratulates Aramis after his 2 run homer

I voted 3 times.

33 years, to be exact. Actually, it's been far longer. The Tribune has been affiliated with WGN radio since the 1920's. The first Cubs broadcast was in 1924. The popularity of the Chicago Cubs is linked in great part to the national audience of WGN. While it is possible that WGN will continue to carry the games, it is also possible that they could go the way of TBS and end all national broadcasts. I'm playing devil's advocate a bit but it could happen... I was speaking of WGN TV rather than the radio side. It was in 1948 that they started showing games on TV regularly. Yes, but the same theory applies. From what I've read, the TV & radio are going to be sold. The new owner(s) may decide, like TBS, that they can get a more profitable deal by carrying other programming.

33 years, to be exact. Actually, it's been far longer. The Tribune has been affiliated with WGN radio since the 1920's. The first Cubs broadcast was in 1924. The popularity of the Chicago Cubs is linked in great part to the national audience of WGN. While it is possible that WGN will continue to carry the games, it is also possible that they could go the way of TBS and end all national broadcasts. I'm playing devil's advocate a bit but it could happen...

My guess is that they didn't see the race as that close. Even if Prior was brilliant tomorrow, they were more comfortable with starting Miller in the rotation at the beginning of the season. Because of this, they announced it now so the controversy wouldn't be as large if Prior does pitch great tomorrow. It just doesn't make sense considering what Lou said in yesterday's Tribune: That was before he officially committed, today, to Miller. Obviously. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic. I think Lou had already made up his mind; it was reported in the paper, a few days ago, that he slipped up and used Miller's name when talking about the 5th starter. Now it's official. Prior's start wasn't going to influence him and in all fairness, he hasn't pitched enough innings.... Bruce Miles/ Daily Herald Carrie Muskat / Cubs.com

The Cubs aren't going to turn off the walks just because the calender changes. RONNY! Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

i highly doubt he is going to spend that much money and run one of the most marketable teams into the ground. he is a buisness man, buisness men make money and therir goal isint to run a interest into the ground He has already said he isn't interested in the team; the media end is his desire. whos to say he wont sell it off himself then? there is no way he can own the Cubs while owning the Sox, plain and simple and from a money standpoint, MLB wont let a cash cow get run into the ground either. That isn't my point; I'm talking about splitting the Cubs from WGN which weakens the team (while helping the Sox indirectly). Even if he has to sell his Sox shares, he will be doing Reinsdorf (an old friend) a favor. It's possible that the Cubs would no longer have a national flagship station (Comcastsportsnet would be available locally). Edit: I found the quote and he only cares about the money end of the deal: Crain's Chicago Business

Cliff with an INF single. :lol:

i highly doubt he is going to spend that much money and run one of the most marketable teams into the ground. he is a buisness man, buisness men make money and therir goal isint to run a interest into the ground He has already said he isn't interested in the team; the media end is his desire.

Theriot's error contributed to the tying run scoring.

My guess is that they didn't see the race as that close. Even if Prior was brilliant tomorrow, they were more comfortable with starting Miller in the rotation at the beginning of the season. Because of this, they announced it now so the controversy wouldn't be as large if Prior does pitch great tomorrow. It just doesn't make sense considering what Lou said in yesterday's Tribune: That was before he officially committed, today, to Miller.

I think he's anti Cub. He'll some how try to split the team from its television and radio arms to weaken it (then he'll spin it off). :x