As usual, the media assembles to ask all the All Stars about being named to the respective All Star teams, playing in a historic field, Yankee Stadium and all that fine jazz. Kerry Wood came away with the blowout remark that pretty much says: some people shouldn't be sports journalists.

When asked about playing at Yankee Stadium (all the mythology of it, etc) Wood responded to some wet behind the ears journalist: "I seem to recall that I play in one every day."

TOUCHEE! And it's older than Yankee Stadium too. There's a lot of mythology at Wrigley. Including Babe's famed "called shot."

I had heard rumors over the weekend that the Cubs were working to get Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from the A's. Harden's a good quality starter with a low ERA and the ability to strike out almost 11 per game. The Cubs don't give up much in return with Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson and catcher Josh Donaldson going to the A's.

A nice way to match the Brewers CC Sabathia. A Zambrano-Harden combition is almost as lethel as a Sheets-Sabathia.

Here come the Cubs in 2008!

The Cubs exited their trip to St Louis the same way they went in: three and a half-games up. It could have been five and a half had it not been for Kerry Wood in the bottom of the ninth. That was a disappointing loss.

The Cubs have the day off today and will battle the Reds on Tuesday followed by the Giant for the weekened series before the Midsummer in Spankee (er Yankee... ah hell.. Spankee) Stadium.

Speaking of the All-Star Game, how about sending seven players to the classic? WOW! Sorioano and Fukudome covering the corners (note: Soriano is still a big IF for the game) and Soto behind the plate. Ramirez a reserve with Dempster, Wood and Zambrano rounding out. The most ever for the club. Congrats guys!

Now we move onto blogs... You know, I love the whole free blog thing and all. But I think if people are going to have a blog they should at least make an attempt to update it or at least post. Perhaps MLBLogs should do a purge of blogs that  haven't been activate or updated for a year.

That brings me to another issue---I miss the team blogs where you could look at all the blogs associated with a team. It was a nice thing to have. Oh well... Beggers can't be choosers.

Rich Hill is struggling and is now warming a bench in Arizona. Carlos Zambrano is on the DL and he is very questionable. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Cubs are expected to call up Sean Marshall from Triple-A Iowa to fill Z's spot. That leaves Iowa a man short with Hill in Arizona.

So the Cubs call up the Shark, Jeff Samardzija to Iowa. Never mind the fact that the Shark has a 4.86 ERA at Tennessee. To Samardzjia's credit, he had a rocky May. The ERA has improved.

But it does present a serious hole in the Cubs rotation.

So that brings up the question: Should the club pursue C.C. Sabathia?

From the outside, he's a good fit for the club. However, he's having an off year. And there's another problem: he's not going to come cheap (either in trade or money). The Cubs are going to have to try to get him "cheap" (meaning make the Indianas pay his salary or at least a good portion of it) and I don't see the Indians doing that.

So who's left? Well. No one. And that's the problem. Hopefully Z's shoulder will not pose a big problem. And here's hoping the staff down in Arizona can correct Hill's problem. 

Let me preface this by saying that I'm a duel Chicago baseball fan (sorta). While my true faith lies for the Cubs, I do have a soft spot for the White Sox. It goes back to the days of Carlton and when Ozzie wasn't pompus and arrogant. But I digress, the Cubs-White Sox always brings about the agressive side in me. I dislike A.J. more now than ever before. Luckily, anything he did today didn't really matter.

Guillen gets under my skin, especially when he takes potshots at European Cubs fans. He says they come to Wrigley to "tour" the field. It came across as an insult. (Luckily, I'm an American---but still. I have friends in Europe that are Cubs fans.)  I can tell you why: historical significance. Unlike the Cell, Wrigely has some history. There's something to be said. Unlike Comiskey, Wrigley probably will never fall prey to a wrecking ball (or dynamite).

Don't get me wrong, Guillen is certainly entitled to his opinion. I just don't agree with it.

(Personal note to self: Next year, go to a Cubs-White Sox game to live the riverly. Hopefully I can wave a World Champions hat in the faces of White Sox fans. )

Having said all that: I'm going to a White Sox game in July. They're playing the Royals. It's Harold Baines day. Should be fun.

Back to the Cubs-Sox series. After the disappointing road trip, I was feeling a bit worried. Then again, the Cubs are back at Wrigley and that's always a good thing.

Just a quick recap. Zambrano was taken out of the game on Wednesday after experiencing some stiffness in his shoulder. Good news is, it's minor. Bad news is, he's missing two starts.

On other injury notes, Alfonso Soriano is well on the road to recovery and it looks like Darryl Ward is about ready to come off the DL.

The Cubs scored nine runs in the fourth inning and that was the team needed to beat the crosstown rivels, the White Sox 11-7 Saturday.

The White Sox went ahead early in the first with a two-run home run by Jermaine Dye. The Cubs would score in the bottom half, cutting the White Sox lead by half.

DeWayne Wise would follow in the fouth with a two-run shot. It was his first home run since 2004. Oddly enough, it also came against the Cubs. Wise was playing for the Braves at the time.

But the fireworks was just about to begin. The Cubs scored nine runs in the bottom of the inning. It what has to be a moment of oddity when Mike Fontenot came back around the second time in the inning, Cubs manager Lou Piniella pulled Fontenot for a pinch hitter.

Fontenot didn't care. He figured it was strategy.

Piniella said in a post game interview that he didn't realize that he done that to Fontenot. He certainly wouldn't have done that had he known about the home run. Piniella chalked it up to being one of "those senior moments."

Several Cubs players stated later they didn't realize it was the same inning. 

Jason Marquis gave up five runs on eight hits over seven innings of work. He struck out four and walked one. Kerry Wood got save number 19 after Carlos Marmol couldn't close it out. Wood is now tied with Brian Wilson of the Giants in the NL for the lead in saves.

The Cubs called up Eric Patterson from Triple A Iowa to fill the spot vacated by Zambrano. Patterons went 3-for-5 with an RBI with a stolen base.

Jim Edmonds has proven to be the hidden weapon in the Cubs lineup. In Saturday's game he connected as one-half of a four home run inning (all four home runs came as back to back. First time around was Edmonds and Mike Fontenot and the second one was Aramis Ramirez and Edmonds). He's improved his batting average since coming to the Cubs in May.

While with San Diego, Edmonds batted .178. He's average as a Cub is .311. His season BA is now .238. What's impressive is that he's improved his slugging average to .390. All around, Edmund's has proven to be worthy acquisition.

He gives the Cubs a left handed bat that's been known to be ratherly unfriendly to pitchers at Wrigley. He's still got some good defensive ability. And he provides some veteran experience to the Cubs organization.

The Cubs have now gone back to back three times in the past two games. It helps when the wind blows out.

The Cubs go for the sweep Sunday. Ryan Demptser will go for win number nine. The White Sox send Javier Vazquez to the mound. First pitch is 8:05 Eastern. It's the Game of the Week on ESPN.

They almost lost in the ninth, but the Cubs came back to win Monday against the Padres 7-6 after being down 3-0 in the first.

Carlos Zambrano got his eight win of the season. Go Cubs!

The Cubs ended may with a 7-0 homestand sweeping both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies. This is the first time since 1908 that the Cubs have ended May with the best record in baseball (both AL and NL).

The Cubs now head west for series with the Padres and Dodgers.  Carlos Zambrano kicks the west coast trip off at 10:05 PM (Eastern) against the Padres.

In other non-related Cubs news, the San Diego Padres announced Sunday that pitcher Mark Prior will have season-ending surgery.

Here's the article from MSNBC:

SAN FRANCISCO - San Diego Padres pitcher Mark Prior will undergo season-ending surgery on his injured right shoulder, the latest medical setback to a once-promising career.

Padres manager Bud Black announced the decision to operate before Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Prior, one of the top young pitchers in the game for the Chicago Cubs just a few years ago, has not pitched in the majors since Aug. 10, 2006.

He had been trying to make a comeback with his hometown Padres this season, but his rehab process was shut down at extended spring training about two weeks ago when he had more soreness in the shoulder. Prior, 27, had surgery on the same shoulder in April 2007 while with the Cubs.

"I can't imagine how frustrated he is," Black said. "It looked like everything was on course. Then to have this happen I'm sure is extremely frustrating. I'm upset for him just because there was such confidence from him about how he felt."

The operation to repair the anterior capsule in Prior's shoulder will be performed at Scripps Clinic as early as this week by team orthopedics Dr. Heinz Hoenecke and Dr. Jan Fronek.

The Padres won't know when, or if, Prior will be able to pitch again until after the operation.

"I think that will be determined once they go in and see what they have to repair," Black said.

Prior began throwing in January and was slowly making progress in hopes of a return to the majors. As recently as last month, the Padres still hoped Prior could make it back to the mound this season. But he never made it far enough to appear in a game at any level.

"You never know until you really step up the intensity," Black said. "And the fullest test of intensity is game action and he didn't get that far."

Prior, who is 42-29 with a 3.51 ERA in his injury-plagued career, last pitched in 2006 when he went 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA in nine games for the Cubs. He was the second overall pick in the 2001 amateur draft out of Southern California and went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA in 2003, finishing third in NL Cy Young Award balloting in his first full season in the majors.

But he has made only 57 starts since 2003 because of injuries to his shoulder, elbow, oblique and Achilles.

Black also said that right-hander Cha Seung Baek will start Monday against the Cubs in place of injured lefty Shawn Estes, who broke the thumb on his pitching hand when he fell on the tunnel stairs between the team's clubhouse and dugout Friday in San Francisco.

Baek was acquired last week in a trade with Seattle. He struck out the side in the 12th inning to get the win in his Padres debut on Friday night against the Giants.

When the Friars cut Jim Edmonds loose last weekend, talk immediately turned to the Cubs who are in dire need of a left-handed bat in the line-up. Late Wednesday, it became official. Former St. Louis Cardinal and former San Diego Padres center fielder, Jim Edmonds signed with the Cubs.

To make room for the move, the Cubs optioned a struggling Felix Pie to Triple-A Iowa.

Now, there's going to be a lot grumbling about going for a guy who'll be 38 in a couple of months. Going for a guy who's having a rough start. Going for a guy who's injured. However, I see this as a bonus for the Cubs.

One, they're getting a veteran player who's been a Cub killer at Wrigley. Ywo, he's a left-handed bat. Right now, the Cubs only have Fukudome. Edmonds brings his ability to hit (and his bat is showing signs of waking up) and good, solid fielding ability. This is a chance for the Cubs to get someone now before the season gets deeper when the pickings might not be as good.

I look forward to seeing Edmonds in Cubbie blue. He could start in Thursday's finale against the Padres.

The Cubs still hold a one-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central. The Cubs are 6-4 in the last ten games.

Former Cub Greg Maddux starts on the mound for the Padres. Ryan Dempster is looking for his 5th win for the Cubs. Game time is 2:20 Eastern.

Paybacks are a pain aren't they? Cubs get swept in the NLDS last year. Cubs come back and sweep the Dbacks in their first series of the year. Awesome!

Went to the game on Friday! IT WAS COLD!

Here are some pics:

Mark Derosa making a headslide into first in the 5th inning:

Eric Byrnes swings and misses:

Cubs swept the Pirates for the second time in almost in little over a week with a 13-6 victory. The Cubs have scored 26 runs in two games. They've had 30 hits with 10 of those as extra base hits.

The Cubs take on the Mets at 7:05 PM (Eastern). John Maine is on the hill for the Mets. Carlos Zambrano looks for his third win of the season for the Cubs.