Piniella skeptical of new replay system (AP)
Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella sounds ready to throw in the towel on baseball’s new instant replay system before it starts. At least he’d like to toss out a red handkerchief, like his counterparts in the NFL do. Piniella learned Tuesday from reporters that the Cubs‘ home game Thursday night against the Phillies will be the first in which baseball’s new replay system will be used.

Cubs beat Pirates with 7-run 8th, 7 Soto RBIs (AP)

Alfonso Soriano dropped a routine fly ball in Pittsburgh for the second time in four months, giving the Chicago Cubs flashbacks. The team with the majors’ best record need not have worried. Geovany Soto still had another at-bat to go. Soto drove in seven runs and his second three-run double of the game keyed a seven-run eighth inning, helping the Cubs rally for a 14-9 victory over the Pirates on…

One of the biggest stories of the Cubs‘ season can be told this fast: 77. That’s Mark DeRosa’s career-high RBI total, which ranks second on the team despite the fact that almost all of it has come while hitting …

Cubs vs. Nationals - really really short series preview

The Cubs have won 75% of their home games, and the Nationals really, really suck.

Piniella not that sweet on instant replay
Piniella worried about replay Lou Piniella is not convinced regarding instant replay. The Cubs manager said Tuesday that instant replay could become a “fiasco,” disrupting the flow of the game.

Assured starts, Theriot shines for Cubs
Theriot plays like a seasoned vet Assured in his role as Chicago’s starting shortstop, Ryan Theriot has been playing confidently all season, and has the numbers to show it.

Zell confirms Cubs bidders narrowed to 5

Tribune Company CEO Sam Zell says the media conglomerate has chosen five bidders for the Chicago Cubs.

Baseball’s final weeks should provide thrilling finish

The Angels and ace closer Francisco Rodriguez, right, are 17 games ahead of the Texas Rangers, the second-best team in the AL West, as the final month of the regular season approaches.

Pierzynski’s antics overshadow fact he’s had good year

A.J. Pierzynski has earned a reputation as the Bill Laimbeer of baseball, and he has paid a price for it, too.

Ramirez, Fukudome with 4 RBIs each in Cubs‘ romp

(News Directors: Please use this version of BBN–Cubs/Pirates, sted V0939 which moved at 10:10 p.m. Eastern time to correct lede to show Cubs have won three in a row, sted six).

PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Aramis Ramirez homered and drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs won their third in a row to retain the majors’ best record, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-3 Monday night.

Two Cubs hitters who were slumping, Jim Edmonds and Kosuke Fukudome, also had big games as the Cubs improved to 81-50 _ the first time they’ve been 31 games above .500 since they ended the 1984 season with a 96-65 record.

Cubs handling national attention well
Cubs handling national attention well Times have changed since Lou Piniella managed the Yankees in the late 1980s. Uniforms are baggier, players wear fewer mustaches and day by day, more media come knocking on the manager’s door. “I didn’t realize there would be as much media — national media — as there is with this club,” Piniella said.

Baseball to start using instant replay Thursday (AP)

Umpires will be getting a third choice on potential home runs down the line: fair, foul or replay. Umpires will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting Thursday after Major League Baseball, guardian of America’s most traditional sport, reversed its decades-long opposition to instant replay.

Baseball Today (AP)

Cubs sweep Pirates with shutout
Cubs sweep Pirates with shutout Starters Jason Marquis and Zach Duke moved swiftly through the first six innings, giving up no runs and 10 hits combined. But in the seventh, the Cubs struck first blood on their way to a 2-0 win and a three-game sweep over the Pirates at PNC Park.

MLB will begin using instant replay Thursday (Yahoo! Sports)
Major League Baseball reversed its long-standing opposition to instant replay and will allow umpires to check…

Cubs handling national attention well
Cubs handling national attention well Times have changed since Lou Piniella managed the Yankees in the late 1980s. Uniforms are baggier, players wear fewer mustaches and day by day, more media come knocking on the manager’s door. “I didn’t realize there would be as much media — national media — as there is with this club,” Piniella said.

Cubs sweep Pirates behind Marquis (AP)

Two bunts, one double and nine well-pitched innings. The Chicago Cubs proved on a Wrigley Field-like day they can win when their bats aren’t booming, and their by-the-textbook victory came before they begin what may be their toughest stretch all season. Jason Marquis shut down Pittsburgh’s batters on a cool, windy day that must have made the Cubs feel at home, and Chicago turned two well-placed…

Bidders for Cubs narrowed to five
Bidders for Cubs narrowed to five Tribune Co. CEO Sam Zell said Tuesday that the media conglomerate has chosen five bidders for the Chicago Cubs, and that he expects to present a sale to MLB by the end of the year.

Piniella not that sweet on instant replay
Piniella worried about replay Lou Piniella is not convinced regarding instant replay. The Cubs manager said Tuesday that instant replay could become a “fiasco,” disrupting the flow of the game.

Assured starts, Theriot shines for Cubs
Theriot plays like a seasoned vet Assured in his role as Chicago’s starting shortstop, Ryan Theriot has been playing confidently all season, and has the numbers to show it.

High-volt battery: Cubs take road series
Soto plates seven in Cubs win Geovany Soto drove in seven, and Carlos Zambrano drove in another — despite a rough night on the mound — to earn the Cubs their ninth straight series win, a 14-9 victory. Chicago has lost just one road game all month.

Cubs sweep Pirates with shutout
Cubs sweep Pirates with shutout Starters Jason Marquis and Zach Duke moved swiftly through the first six innings, giving up no runs and 10 hits combined. But in the seventh, the Cubs struck first blood on their way to a 2-0 win and a three-game sweep over the Pirates at PNC Park.

Assured starts, Theriot shines for Cubs
Theriot plays like a seasoned vet Assured in his role as Chicago’s starting shortstop, Ryan Theriot has been playing confidently all season, and has the numbers to show it.

Bidders for Cubs narrowed to five
Bidders for Cubs narrowed to five Tribune Co. CEO Sam Zell said Tuesday that the media conglomerate has chosen five bidders for the Chicago Cubs, and that he expects to present a sale to MLB by the end of the year.

Edmonds stays mum on Cubs‘ chance
Edmonds prescribes a fall surge Jim Edmonds won it all with the Cards in 2006, and knows that for the Cubs to have success in October, they must keep up their hot pace throughout the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Piniella not that sweet on instant replay
Piniella worried about replay Lou Piniella is not convinced regarding instant replay. The Cubs manager said Tuesday that instant replay could become a “fiasco,” disrupting the flow of the game.

1998 marked banner year for Cubs
1998 marked banner year for Cubs 1998 was a season to celebrate for Cubs fans, beginning with rookie Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game, and ending with a one-game playoff win over the San Francisco Giants to clinch the National League Wild Card.

The Cubs have won 75% of their home games, and the Nationals really, really suck.

Pierzynski’s antics overshadow fact he’s had good year

A.J. Pierzynski has earned a reputation as the Bill Laimbeer of baseball, and he has paid a price for it, too.

Piniella not that sweet on instant replay
Piniella worried about replay Lou Piniella is not convinced regarding instant replay. The Cubs manager said Tuesday that instant replay could become a “fiasco,” disrupting the flow of the game.

(News Directors: Please use this version of BBN–Cubs/Pirates, sted V0939 which moved at 10:10 p.m. Eastern time to correct lede to show Cubs have won three in a row, sted six).

PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Aramis Ramirez homered and drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs won their third in a row to retain the majors’ best record, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-3 Monday night.

Two Cubs hitters who were slumping, Jim Edmonds and Kosuke Fukudome, also had big games as the Cubs improved to 81-50 _ the first time they’ve been 31 games above .500 since they ended the 1984 season with a 96-65 record.

1998 marked banner year for Cubs
1998 marked banner year for Cubs 1998 was a season to celebrate for Cubs fans, beginning with rookie Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game, and ending with a one-game playoff win over the San Francisco Giants to clinch the National League Wild Card.

Edmonds stays mum on Cubs‘ chance
Edmonds prescribes a fall surge Jim Edmonds won it all with the Cards in 2006, and knows that for the Cubs to have success in October, they must keep up their hot pace throughout the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Assured starts, Theriot shines for Cubs
Theriot plays like a seasoned vet Assured in his role as Chicago’s starting shortstop, Ryan Theriot has been playing confidently all season, and has the numbers to show it.

Rookies shine for Cubs, Sox

Geovany Soto is this season’s NL Rookie of the Year. Few would argue with that statement.

Piniella not that sweet on instant replay
Piniella worried about replay Lou Piniella is not convinced regarding instant replay. The Cubs manager said Tuesday that instant replay could become a “fiasco,” disrupting the flow of the game.

Tribune Company CEO Sam Zell says the media conglomerate has chosen five bidders for the Chicago Cubs.

Cubs vs. Nationals - really really short series preview

The Cubs have won 75% of their home games, and the Nationals really, really suck.

Bottom of order coming through for Cubs

One of the biggest stories of the Cubs‘ season can be told this fast: 77. That’s Mark DeRosa’s career-high RBI total, which ranks second on the team despite the fact that almost all of it has come while hitting …

Cubs Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Although the Cubs won their division last year, they spent most of the summer trying to get to .500 and catch the Milwaukee Brewers.

Things are different this year, and manager Lou Piniella hopes that helps if and when the Cubs reach the postseason.

Piniella’s Cubs hold a five-game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central.

“It should keep us fresher in September,” Piniella said. “We’ve been resting this team since (Alfonso) Soriano’s come back. You look at us, and we’re pretty fresh just about everywhere. It should keep us fresher, but you never know about this business. All your best-laid plans can go awry. I hope they don’t. But you never know in this business.”

Soriano returned in late July from a six-week stint on the disabled list caused by a broken left…

Rookies shine for Cubs, Sox

Geovany Soto is this season’s NL Rookie of the Year. Few would argue with that statement.

Pierzynski’s antics overshadow fact he’s had good year

A.J. Pierzynski has earned a reputation as the Bill Laimbeer of baseball, and he has paid a price for it, too.

Ramirez, Fukudome with 4 RBIs each in Cubs‘ romp

(News Directors: Please use this version of BBN–Cubs/Pirates, sted V0939 which moved at 10:10 p.m. Eastern time to correct lede to show Cubs have won three in a row, sted six).

PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Aramis Ramirez homered and drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs won their third in a row to retain the majors’ best record, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-3 Monday night.

Two Cubs hitters who were slumping, Jim Edmonds and Kosuke Fukudome, also had big games as the Cubs improved to 81-50 _ the first time they’ve been 31 games above .500 since they ended the 1984 season with a 96-65 record.

Chris Coste was 4-for-4 off the bench and drove in the game-winning run with an RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets, 8-7, in the opener of a …

Bottom of order coming through for Cubs

One of the biggest stories of the Cubs‘ season can be told this fast: 77. That’s Mark DeRosa’s career-high RBI total, which ranks second on the team despite the fact that almost all of it has come while hitting …

Baseball Today (AP)

Baseball to start using instant replay Thursday (AP)

Umpires will be getting a third choice on potential home runs down the line: fair, foul or replay. Umpires will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting Thursday after Major League Baseball, guardian of America’s most traditional sport, reversed its decades-long opposition to instant replay.