[First Cub Fan ex-Governor Blagojevich might still be in office had Wrigley voted on his impeachment.]
Your Cub Update stands still for a lot (I have a choice?), but seeing Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich impeached today was too much. Jeez, the Senate even handed Cub Fan #1 a shut-out: 59-0. But I have to speak out: Why is it a Cub fan Democratic office holder who lies, abuses power, and defies Federal investigators is impeached, yet GOP Cub fans like Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Henry Paulson retire with dignity and mountains of money? Possibly this has something to do with our Sox fan President’s first official gaffe in office (I’m not counting the oath) when he attended the Commander’s Ball last week and asked several members of the Illinois National Guard serving in Iraq, “Cubs or Sox?” What was Obama thinking? Of course the Commander in chief was humiliated, and today’s news indicates he’s still smarting. The Daily Herald carries a nice Inauguration wrap-up of Bush’s exiting office to a classic Sox fan “Na-na-na, na-na-na, hey hey, good-bye” thru Obama’s tarnished moment in front of the troops.
Meanwhile, across town, Jerry Reinsdorf is still trying to weasel his way into White House respectability. First he tried slipping the President’s daughters some merch for their dad, and now he’s offering the Go-Go-Gobama hat, a basic White Sox logo on black cloth cap with the tiniest expense given to adding Obama’s name. Most telling is the Sun-Times‘ FREE ADVERTISING FOR THIS STUNT masquerading as a news story. It reports, “Any proceeds from the sale of the special Obama hat would most likely be donated to a White Sox-related charity.” “Most likely.” The same story also says, “Brooks Boyer, the White Sox vice president and chief marketing officer told SBJ, ‘We don’t want to be overly opportunistic and exploit this.'” No, not at all. While, same day, the Trib reports that Reinsdorf invited Obama on Day One to throw out the first pitch at the Cell this year. Can’t wait for Disco Demobama Night.
A twitter post from the Sun-Times Gordon Wittenmyer (a twittermyer?) says “Report from Baltimore: out-of-options, lost-in-space Rich Hill headed to O’s for PTBNL once Balt. GM MacPhail juggles roster.” Indeed, with Kerry Wood and Hill gone, the on line wait for training room jacuzzi time will be seriously cut down in 2009.
And finally, right-handed pitcher Aaron Heilman is leaving his beloved Seattle Mariners. After spending nearly six-weeks there (including his first Seattle Christmas), we can expect Heilman in Cub pinstripes Opening day, unless a loophole is found in Jake Peavy’s contract. All I know of Heilman is that he was a key player on the Mets 2008 season. Is he an all-star waiting to happen on a contending team or just good on a so-so team? How will he adapt to Wrigley? For insight, I turned to CSTB’s own Gerard Cosloy, a noted Mets enthusiast. Says Gerard: “I can only assume his Notre Dame lineage will make him an instant fan fave. The real loser in the deal? The Joe Strummer estate. If Heilman’s a starter, Tannoy play of ‘London Calling’ drops dramatically.”