Scoops

Lotsa Cub news in the Suntimes today. Mike Kiley has info on Kerry Wood, Pudge and Mad Dog. KW's agents have a negotiating session setup for next week in advance of the Cubs Convention. 3 and 4 year deals are being discussed with salary ranges between $9 million and $11 million per year. Given Kerry's history of inconsistent pitching and bad backs (since high school) combined with the lack of contract insurance for contracts of greater than 4 years in length, I give this guy no more than 3 years.

Kiley adds more in that Pudge and Maddux's agent Scott Boras and GM Jim Hendry continue to talk low level. Kiley guesses that Maddux WILL sign with the Cubs and Pudge won't. That would be great as it would create the ability to trade either Wood or Clement with Clement being the more likely trade.

As Clement will be a free agent at the end of 2004 and Maddux with a 2 year deal, I see no way Clement returns in 2005. Therefore, trade him and use Cruz or bring up one of the youths.

Conventional

I've never understood the appeal of the Cubs convention. I get to pay to sit around a hotel and do a rah rah thing? Indoors in January? Isn't a big part of the appeal of baseball is that it's a competition that's held out in the summer sun? I get to have a drink with Luis Salazar? I dunno, but it seems to Star Trekish to me. I liked that TV show, but that's it. No fake ears and such. Just a TV show. I'd as soon go to a Hughley's Convention as a Cubs convention. It's all entertainment. You'll never catch me at one. Seems just as interesting as waiting outside the hall where the Oscars are to catch a glimpse of Naomi Watt's cleavage.

Golf Juice?

In a little chart in the Trib today, they show the driving distance of some golf pros and compare their tee driving distances in 2000 to 2003. Tiger is now driving 1.5 yards fewer yards off the tee now. Ernie Els and Vijay Singh are an incredible 24.4 and 22.0 yards longer now than 3 years ago!

Anyon seen Mark McGuire's bottle of Andro anywhere?