2007 Chicago Cubs season
Encyclopedia
The Chicago Cubs
' 2007 season
began with the Cubs trying to rebound after a season in which they finished last in their division for the first time since .
in a competitive NL Central
to win the World Series
for the first time since .
The first change was the signing of a new manager. On October 17, 2006, Lou Pinella signed a three-year deal with an option for a fourth season to manage the Cubs - the 50th manager in team history after Dusty Baker
was not offered an extension of his contract following the 2006 season.
On November 14, 2006, the Cubs improved their depth by signing Mark DeRosa
to a three-year, $13 million contract. DeRosa had played several positions for the Texas Rangers
and Atlanta Braves
earlier in his career. Two days later on November 16, Neal Cotts was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Chicago Cubs for David Aardsma and Carlos Vasquez (minors).
The Cubs made the largest acquisition in their teams history on November 20, 2006, as Alfonso Soriano
agreed to an eight-year contract worth $136 million, an average of $17 million per year.
On December 7, Josh Hamilton was drafted by the Chicago Cubs from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 2006 rule 5 draft. Several hours later, Hamilton was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs added two starting pitchers to the rotation, starting with the signing of Ted Lilly
on December 15, 2006, to a four-year, $40 million deal. This was followed on December 19, 2006, with the signing of Jason Marquis
to a three-year contract worth $21 million.
during the first weekend after Memorial Day. Derrek Lee
led a players only meeting on May 30 attempting to turn around the teams poor performance. On the Friday start at Wrigley, Carlos Zambrano
took the mound and the Cubs fell behind 7-1, including allowing five runs (four earned) in the fifth inning. Included in the inning was a passed ball and throwing error by catcher Michael Barrett. An altercation ensued between the pitcher and catcher in the dugout, in full view of the television camera crews. Zambrano was pulled from the game after the scuffle in which he gave up thirteen hits and had zero strikeouts, and Barrett was replaced by backup Koyie Hill
.
On Saturday, the weekend series continued to be interesting, albeit outside of the boxscore. The Braves took an early 3-0 lead in the fourth inning against starting pitcher Rich Hill, but the Cubs clawed back with single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, tying the game 3-3. The Braves regained the lead in the eighth against reliever Will Ohman
, but in the bottom of the frame, rookie Ángel Pagán
led off by lining a ball into the right-field corner, and stopped at second with a double. Two pitches later, Pagán attempted to advance to third on a wild pitch, but was thrown out on a close play. Both Piniella and third-base coach Mike Quade
argued the call with umpire Mark Wegner
, and Piniella began kicking dirt, throwing and kicking his cap until being thrown out of the game. Allegedly, Piniella kicked umpire Wegner, and was reported to the MLB offices by crew chief Bruce Froemming
. Play was delayed for seven minutes while the grounds crew cleaned up debris in the outfield. The Cubs lost the game 5-3, worsening their record to a season-low nine games below .500 at 22-31. Piniella was suspended for four games for the incident, and later recognized that Wegner made the right call.
Two weeks later, Barrett was recorded having a heated discussion with starter Rich Hill. Questions quickly surfaced to the level of friction between the two players due to the recent incident with Zambrano, but both players indicated that there was no issue, rather frustration due to the opposing pitcher Jarrod Washburn
hitting a hanging slider that put the Mariners up 3-2. The Cubs ultimately lost the game 5-3 in extra innings on another contentious play where Barrett dropped the ball on a throw to the plate. After the altercations with Zambrano and Hill, Barrett lost his role as the everyday catcher for the team. Just one week later, Barrett was traded to the San Diego Padres
for catcher Rob Bowen
The Cubs improved their play during the month of June, upping their record to 38-39 after a stretch of 16-8 after the Piniella ejection. They finished June with a key series at home against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers
starting on June 29. Rich Hill once again took the mound, but gave up five runs in the first inning and lasted just three innings. The Cubs relievers kept the game close, but they still trailed 5-3 going into the bottom of the ninth against Francisco Cordero
. Going into the game, Cordero led the league with 27 saves, and had blown only two. After retiring the first player in the inning, Cordero gave up back-to-back singles, and with runners at first and third allowing the potential winning run to come to the plate in the player of Derrek Lee
. Lee hit a deep fly ball, but the wind knocked it down and was caught for a sacrifice fly. That made it two outs bringing third baseman Aramis Ramirez
to the plate. Ramirez hit the first pitch into the left-center bleachers, winning the game 6-5. The victory pulled the Cubs back to .500, and trimmed the Brewers lead down to 6½ games. The Cubs ended the first half of the season 4.5 games out of first place, behind the Milwaukee Brewers
, with a record of 44 wins and 43 losses.
The Chicago Cubs
got off to a good start in the second half by sweeping the Houston Astros
at home and taking three of four from the San Francisco Giants
. In those series Ted Lilly
won his third and fourth starts in a row, helping pitch the Cubs to 9-3 and 9-8 victories. On July 22, the Cubs passed the two-million attendance mark at Wrigley Field
averaging over 40,000 fans per game at home through the first 49 games of the season and on pace to set a new home attendance record for the club. The Cubs spent a majority of July in hopes of claiming first place. After finishing the month with seventeen wins and nine loses, the team was merely half a game behind the Brewers by July 31. The Cubs won their final game in July and first game in August. The latter win, coupled with an earlier Brewers’ loss, allowed the two teams to be tied for first place in the NL Central. However, the Cubs began to struggle in their next outings. They failed to win three consecutive series, and later temporarily lost Alfonso Soriano
, Ángel Pagán
, and Will Ohman
to injuries. Despite the slump, the Cubs only managed to remain half a game behind the Brewers, who managed to lose thirteen of eighteen games. They closed out the final weeks of the season by having a successful home stand, where they won five of six games and took a three and a half game lead over the Brewers.
At their final home game, the Cubs' organization reported that they had set a franchise attendance record of 3,252,462 fans over the season.
During the month of June, the Cubs ended up winning seventeen games, making that their best month of the season: taking two of three from Milwaukee, two of three from the Seattle, sweeping the White Sox as well as the Rockies, and then taking another two of three games from Milwaukee. The Cubs won another seventeen games during that month; taking three of four from the Nationals, sweeping the Giants, two of three from the Cardinals, and two of three from the Phillies. During this three month long hot streak, the Cubs managed to sign Carlos Zambrano to a five year, ninety millions dollar contract. Also, the Cubs left fielder, Alfonso Soriano, was named the June National League player of the Month; followed by the Cubs ace, Carlos Zambrano, being named the National League Pitcher of the month. The team struggled throughout August, but managed to surpass the Milwaukee Brewers
and win the division.
Going into the last week of the season, the Cubs won ten of twelve games and had a three game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. However, the Cubs dropped three in a row to the Florida Marlins, a team that the Cubs did not win a single game against during the whole season. Meanwhile, the Brewers lost two out of three, hurting their chance at taking over the top of the division. On September 28, thanks to a Cubs 6-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds and a Brewers 6-3 loss to the San Diego Padres, the Cubs clinched the N.L. Central division.
with the third overall pick of the 2007 MLB Draft.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
' 2007 season
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
began with the Cubs trying to rebound after a season in which they finished last in their division for the first time since .
Offseason
In an attempt to rebuild the team, the Cubs were very aggressive in the free-agent market, signing a number of players with the goal of overtaking the World Champion St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in a competitive NL Central
National League Central
The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...
to win the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
for the first time since .
The first change was the signing of a new manager. On October 17, 2006, Lou Pinella signed a three-year deal with an option for a fourth season to manage the Cubs - the 50th manager in team history after Dusty Baker
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. is a former player and current manager in Major League Baseball, currently the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...
was not offered an extension of his contract following the 2006 season.
On November 14, 2006, the Cubs improved their depth by signing Mark DeRosa
Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...
to a three-year, $13 million contract. DeRosa had played several positions for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
and Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
earlier in his career. Two days later on November 16, Neal Cotts was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Chicago Cubs for David Aardsma and Carlos Vasquez (minors).
The Cubs made the largest acquisition in their teams history on November 20, 2006, as Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
agreed to an eight-year contract worth $136 million, an average of $17 million per year.
On December 7, Josh Hamilton was drafted by the Chicago Cubs from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 2006 rule 5 draft. Several hours later, Hamilton was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs added two starting pitchers to the rotation, starting with the signing of Ted Lilly
Ted Lilly
Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed...
on December 15, 2006, to a four-year, $40 million deal. This was followed on December 19, 2006, with the signing of Jason Marquis
Jason Marquis
Jason Scott Marquis is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously pitched for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks....
to a three-year contract worth $21 million.
Regular season
Season summary
The Cubs got off to a poor start after the first two months of the season, posting a 22-29 record going into a home series against the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
during the first weekend after Memorial Day. Derrek Lee
Derrek Lee
Derrek Leon Lee , or "D-Lee", is a Major League Baseball first baseman. Lee has played with the San Diego Padres , the Florida Marlins , Chicago Cubs , Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates . He bats and throws right-handed.Lee was a World Series Champion with Florida in 2003,...
led a players only meeting on May 30 attempting to turn around the teams poor performance. On the Friday start at Wrigley, Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Zambrano, who stands 6' 5" and weighs 260 pounds, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001...
took the mound and the Cubs fell behind 7-1, including allowing five runs (four earned) in the fifth inning. Included in the inning was a passed ball and throwing error by catcher Michael Barrett. An altercation ensued between the pitcher and catcher in the dugout, in full view of the television camera crews. Zambrano was pulled from the game after the scuffle in which he gave up thirteen hits and had zero strikeouts, and Barrett was replaced by backup Koyie Hill
Koyie Hill
Koyie Dolan Hill is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs.-Baseball career:While attending Wichita State University, Hill compiled a .355 batting average and 186 RBI primarily as a third baseman....
.
On Saturday, the weekend series continued to be interesting, albeit outside of the boxscore. The Braves took an early 3-0 lead in the fourth inning against starting pitcher Rich Hill, but the Cubs clawed back with single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, tying the game 3-3. The Braves regained the lead in the eighth against reliever Will Ohman
Will Ohman
William McDaniel Ohman is a left-handed pitcher, who is currently a member of the Chicago White Sox. He lives in Agoura Hills, California.-Chicago Cubs:...
, but in the bottom of the frame, rookie Ángel Pagán
Angel Pagán
Ángel Anthony Pagán is a Puerto Rican professional baseball player. He currently plays outfield for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. Pagan's original contract in Major League Baseball was with the Mets, but he was transferred to the Chicago Cubs when they bought his contract...
led off by lining a ball into the right-field corner, and stopped at second with a double. Two pitches later, Pagán attempted to advance to third on a wild pitch, but was thrown out on a close play. Both Piniella and third-base coach Mike Quade
Mike Quade
Mike Quade is the former manager of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Prior to this, he served as the Cubs' third base coach and was the former manager of the Iowa Cubs, the AAA baseball team for the Chicago Cubs....
argued the call with umpire Mark Wegner
Mark Wegner
Mark Patrick Wegner is an umpire in Major League Baseball who is in Crew B, where Dale Scott is the crew chief. Also in Crew B are Jerry Meals and Dan Iassogna. He has worked in the National League in 1998-1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000...
, and Piniella began kicking dirt, throwing and kicking his cap until being thrown out of the game. Allegedly, Piniella kicked umpire Wegner, and was reported to the MLB offices by crew chief Bruce Froemming
Bruce Froemming
Bruce Neal Froemming is Major League Baseball Special Assistant to the Vice President on Umpiring, after having served as an umpire in Major League Baseball. He is the longest-tenured umpire in major league history in terms of the number of full seasons umpired, finishing his 37th season in 2007...
. Play was delayed for seven minutes while the grounds crew cleaned up debris in the outfield. The Cubs lost the game 5-3, worsening their record to a season-low nine games below .500 at 22-31. Piniella was suspended for four games for the incident, and later recognized that Wegner made the right call.
Two weeks later, Barrett was recorded having a heated discussion with starter Rich Hill. Questions quickly surfaced to the level of friction between the two players due to the recent incident with Zambrano, but both players indicated that there was no issue, rather frustration due to the opposing pitcher Jarrod Washburn
Jarrod Washburn
Jarrod Michael Washburn is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and currently resides in his hometown of Webster, Wisconsin.-High school / college:...
hitting a hanging slider that put the Mariners up 3-2. The Cubs ultimately lost the game 5-3 in extra innings on another contentious play where Barrett dropped the ball on a throw to the plate. After the altercations with Zambrano and Hill, Barrett lost his role as the everyday catcher for the team. Just one week later, Barrett was traded to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
for catcher Rob Bowen
Rob Bowen
Robert McClure Bowen is a former Major League Baseball catcher.Bowen spends the regular season living in San Diego, California, but spends his offseasons in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. He also has a baseball camp each winter back in Fort Wayne, Indiana.-High school years:Bowen attended Homestead...
The Cubs improved their play during the month of June, upping their record to 38-39 after a stretch of 16-8 after the Piniella ejection. They finished June with a key series at home against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
starting on June 29. Rich Hill once again took the mound, but gave up five runs in the first inning and lasted just three innings. The Cubs relievers kept the game close, but they still trailed 5-3 going into the bottom of the ninth against Francisco Cordero
Francisco Cordero
Francisco Javier Cordero is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds...
. Going into the game, Cordero led the league with 27 saves, and had blown only two. After retiring the first player in the inning, Cordero gave up back-to-back singles, and with runners at first and third allowing the potential winning run to come to the plate in the player of Derrek Lee
Derrek Lee
Derrek Leon Lee , or "D-Lee", is a Major League Baseball first baseman. Lee has played with the San Diego Padres , the Florida Marlins , Chicago Cubs , Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates . He bats and throws right-handed.Lee was a World Series Champion with Florida in 2003,...
. Lee hit a deep fly ball, but the wind knocked it down and was caught for a sacrifice fly. That made it two outs bringing third baseman Aramis Ramirez
Aramis Ramírez
Aramis Nin Ramírez is an All-Star Major League Baseball third baseman for the Chicago Cubs.He started his professional career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998, before being traded to the Cubs in 2003. On November 12, 2006, Ramírez signed a five-year deal with the Cubs...
to the plate. Ramirez hit the first pitch into the left-center bleachers, winning the game 6-5. The victory pulled the Cubs back to .500, and trimmed the Brewers lead down to 6½ games. The Cubs ended the first half of the season 4.5 games out of first place, behind the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, with a record of 44 wins and 43 losses.
The Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
got off to a good start in the second half by sweeping the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
at home and taking three of four from the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. In those series Ted Lilly
Ted Lilly
Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed...
won his third and fourth starts in a row, helping pitch the Cubs to 9-3 and 9-8 victories. On July 22, the Cubs passed the two-million attendance mark at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
averaging over 40,000 fans per game at home through the first 49 games of the season and on pace to set a new home attendance record for the club. The Cubs spent a majority of July in hopes of claiming first place. After finishing the month with seventeen wins and nine loses, the team was merely half a game behind the Brewers by July 31. The Cubs won their final game in July and first game in August. The latter win, coupled with an earlier Brewers’ loss, allowed the two teams to be tied for first place in the NL Central. However, the Cubs began to struggle in their next outings. They failed to win three consecutive series, and later temporarily lost Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
, Ángel Pagán
Angel Pagán
Ángel Anthony Pagán is a Puerto Rican professional baseball player. He currently plays outfield for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. Pagan's original contract in Major League Baseball was with the Mets, but he was transferred to the Chicago Cubs when they bought his contract...
, and Will Ohman
Will Ohman
William McDaniel Ohman is a left-handed pitcher, who is currently a member of the Chicago White Sox. He lives in Agoura Hills, California.-Chicago Cubs:...
to injuries. Despite the slump, the Cubs only managed to remain half a game behind the Brewers, who managed to lose thirteen of eighteen games. They closed out the final weeks of the season by having a successful home stand, where they won five of six games and took a three and a half game lead over the Brewers.
At their final home game, the Cubs' organization reported that they had set a franchise attendance record of 3,252,462 fans over the season.
During the month of June, the Cubs ended up winning seventeen games, making that their best month of the season: taking two of three from Milwaukee, two of three from the Seattle, sweeping the White Sox as well as the Rockies, and then taking another two of three games from Milwaukee. The Cubs won another seventeen games during that month; taking three of four from the Nationals, sweeping the Giants, two of three from the Cardinals, and two of three from the Phillies. During this three month long hot streak, the Cubs managed to sign Carlos Zambrano to a five year, ninety millions dollar contract. Also, the Cubs left fielder, Alfonso Soriano, was named the June National League player of the Month; followed by the Cubs ace, Carlos Zambrano, being named the National League Pitcher of the month. The team struggled throughout August, but managed to surpass the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and win the division.
Going into the last week of the season, the Cubs won ten of twelve games and had a three game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. However, the Cubs dropped three in a row to the Florida Marlins, a team that the Cubs did not win a single game against during the whole season. Meanwhile, the Brewers lost two out of three, hurting their chance at taking over the top of the division. On September 28, thanks to a Cubs 6-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds and a Brewers 6-3 loss to the San Diego Padres, the Cubs clinched the N.L. Central division.
Post-Season
The Cubs played the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series. After falling 3-1 to Arizona on October 3 and an 8-4 loss on October 4, the Cubs returned on October 6 to Wrigley Field to lose the third game of the series by score of 5-1. The loss eliminated the Cubs from postseason play.In-Season trades
- On June 20, the Cubs traded catcher Michael Barrett to the San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
for catcher Rob BowenRob BowenRobert McClure Bowen is a former Major League Baseball catcher.Bowen spends the regular season living in San Diego, California, but spends his offseasons in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. He also has a baseball camp each winter back in Fort Wayne, Indiana.-High school years:Bowen attended Homestead...
and a minor league outfielder Kyler Burke.
- On July 16, the Cubs acquired Jason KendallJason KendallJason Daniel Kendall is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He is the son of former catcher Fred Kendall, who played in the majors from 1969–1980.-High school:...
from the Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for fellow catcher Rob BowenRob BowenRobert McClure Bowen is a former Major League Baseball catcher.Bowen spends the regular season living in San Diego, California, but spends his offseasons in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. He also has a baseball camp each winter back in Fort Wayne, Indiana.-High school years:Bowen attended Homestead...
and minor league pitcher Jerry BlevinsJerry BlevinsJerry Richard Blevins is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball.-College baseball career:...
.
- On July 19, the Cubs traded Cesar IzturisCésar IzturisCésar David Izturis is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He is the half-brother of shortstop Maicer Izturis, who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Julio Izturis, who plays in the minor leagues in the San Francisco Giants organization.Izturis' greatest...
, along with a cash settlement, to the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
- On August 23, the Cubs acquired Craig MonroeCraig MonroeCraig Keystone Monroe , nicknamed "C-Mo," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who most recently played for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Professional career:...
from the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
for Clay RapadaClay RapadaClayton Anthony Rapada is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball.-Career:...
.
- On August 31, the Cubs acquired pitcher Steve TrachselSteve TrachselStephen Christopher Trachsel , nicknamed "The Human Rain Delay", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is known for the long amount of time he takes to deliver the ball to home plate in between pitches. Games in which he pitches are known to be considerably longer than most games, leading...
from the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for pitcher Rocky CherryRocky CherryRocky Ty Cherry is a pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent.-Biography:Cherry pitched for the University of Oklahoma from 2000–2002. He was used mostly in relief his first season, but was a full-time starter by the time he finished at school...
and third baseman Scott Moore.
First-year player draft
The Cubs selected high school third baseman Josh VittersJosh Vitters
Josh Vitters is a third base prospect who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball 3rd overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft...
with the third overall pick of the 2007 MLB Draft.
Roster
| 2007 Chicago Cubs | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders Outfielders |
Manager Coaches (special asst) (hitting) (third base) (pitching) (first base) (bullpen) (bench) |
|||||||
NLDS vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
| Game | Score | Date | Starters | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Cubs 1 at Arizona Diamondbacks 3 | October 3 | Carlos Zambrano Carlos Zambrano Carlos Alberto Zambrano is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Zambrano, who stands 6' 5" and weighs 260 pounds, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001... (ND) vs. Brandon Webb Brandon Webb Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G... (1-0) |
10:07 p.m. |
| 2 | Chicago Cubs 4 at Arizona Diamondbacks 8 | October 4 | Ted Lilly Ted Lilly Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed... (0-1) vs. Doug Davis (1-0) |
10:07 p.m. |
| 3 | Arizona Diamondbacks 5 at Chicago Cubs 1 | October 6 | Liván Hernández Liván Hernández Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:... (1-0) vs. Rich Hill (0-1) |
6:07 p.m. |
Farm system
- Class AAA: Iowa CubsIowa CubsThe Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
(Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast LeagueThe Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
; Buddy BaileyBuddy BaileyWelby Sheldon "Buddy" Bailey is the manager of the Daytona Cubs of the Class A Florida State League and a veteran skipper in minor league baseball. In , Bailey will spend his third consecutive season as Daytona's manager...
, manager) - Class AA: Tennessee SmokiesTennessee SmokiesThe Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball as of the 2011 season...
(Southern LeagueSouthern League (baseball)The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
; Pat ListachPat ListachPatrick Alan Listach is a former Major League Baseball shortstop, minor league manager and bench coach.-Amateur career:...
, manager) - Class A: Daytona CubsDaytona CubsThe Daytona Cubs are a minor league baseball team based in Daytona Beach, Florida. The team plays in the Florida State League , and is the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs major league club. The Cubs play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark; opened in 1914, the park seats 5,100 fans.The...
(Florida State LeagueFlorida State LeagueThe Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
; Jody Davis, manager) - Class A: Peoria ChiefsPeoria ChiefsThe Peoria Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria, Illinois. They play in the Midwest League....
(Midwest LeagueMidwest LeagueThe Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
; Ryne SandbergRyne SandbergRyne Dee Sandberg , nicknamed "Ryno" is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During a 16-year baseball career, he played from 1981–1994 and 1996–97, spending nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren, and is recognized as one of the best...
, manager) - Class SS-A: Boise HawksBoise HawksThe Boise Hawks are a minor league baseball team, located in Boise, Idaho. The team is currently a farm team for the Chicago Cubs and play in the Short-Season Class A Northwest League.-History:...
(Northwest LeagueNorthwest LeagueThe Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
; Tom Beyers, manager) - Rookie: AZL Cubs (Arizona LeagueArizona LeagueThe Arizona League is a minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. It is a rookie-level professional baseball league run by Major League Baseball since 1989. Games are played at the spring training complexes of the team's parent organizations from mid-June until the...
; Ricardo Medina, manager)
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