Jeff Samardzija News

Jeff Samardzija, Reed Johnson, 300 home runs, and Wrigley Field upgrades are among the topics in this week's Inbox.

The Cubs say that Ted Lilly's surgery last week doesn't change their minds about allowing Rich Harden to become a free agent without making an offer.

Thomas Diamond's former college coach is hoping the right-hander can revive his career with the Cubs.

I had a great idea. I was going to attend the Ricketts family's pre-Halloween, we-just-bought-a-baseball-team news conference in a scary costume.

This has been the rainiest season in more than 20 years. Browse more photos>> "It doesn't look good on the radar," manager Lou Piniella said beforehand.

The Cubs have not made an announcement on the status of their coaching staff for 2010, but expect almost everyone back.

Lastings Milledge continues to go full speed ahead to the final day of the regular season.

A 47th anniversary? Of what? What's that all about? This all started with an email exchange on a SABR mailing list to which I subscribe.

If it weren't for some stellar defensive plays made behind him on Saturday, Maholm's last start likely would have turned out much worse than it did.

After the Brewers' starters failed to pitch more than two innings in each of the previous two games, rookie Chris Narveson took the mound on Wednesday evening and twirled an absolute gem against the Cubs.

After seeing Lidge had blown another , his 11th of the season, I had to head over to the 700 Level , which is where the great picture at right was found.

Jeff Samardzija has only 19 more homers to go to catch Carlos Zambrano. Samardzija notched his first Major League home run with his first hit but also served up two blasts, including Prince Fielder's 42nd homer, as the Brewers beat the Cubs, 3-2, Wednesday in the series finale.

Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer and Jody Gerut added a solo blast as the Milwaukee Brewers edged the Chicago Cubs 3-2 to avoid a three-game series sweep at home.

A federal bankruptcy judge cleared the way Thursday for the Tribune Co. to sell the Chicago Cubs and the storied Wrigley Field to the family of billionaire and longtime fan Joe Ricketts.

Jeff Samardzija will make his second Major League start Wednesday in the Cubs' series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers, and he's hoping it's the first of many more to come.

For the Cubs , most of September will be spring training in the fall. Jeff Samardzija made Wednesday's "tryout" start against the Brewers with a chance to show that he should be a candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation, the one likely to take the place of expensive free-agent-to-be Rich Harden.

The Cubs will attempt to win their fourth straight since suspending their beleaguered outfielder and continue their hot hitting Wednesday night against the host Milwaukee Brewers .

Ted Lilly will be skipped Wednesday because of tendinitis in his left shoulder, and Jeff Samardzija will step in for his second Major League start in the Cubs' series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.

It was one of the stranger postgames of the year for the Cubs, which is really saying something.

Jeff Samardzija's first major-league start turned into a disaster in a 12-5 loss to the Phillies as the Cubs lost for the sixth time in seven games.