Ellipsesing

...with another Kerry Wood won't be ready story in the paper, will anyone foolish enough to waste their time (and dollars) at the Cubs Convention have the stones to ask Jim Hendry if allowing Wood to pitch in a meaningless August was a smart thing?

...and the Mike Tice firing was just brilliant. Zygi Wilf wasn't even interested in sharing a podium with this man. That's a smart business decision for Wilf. After all, Tice let his players run wild with cruises and Whizzinators. Those actions only cost Wilf a few hundred million dollars in stadium finance. All that and people still think Wilf should have fired Tice with a press conference and a podium? A memo showed the world (and the Minnesota state legislature) that Tice got what he deserved -- a kick out the door and nothing else.

...so Dave Kaplan's sources say that the Cubs for Tejada deal is not only not dead, but that Mike Flanagan is pushing Baltimore owner Peter Angelos for the kind of deal the Cubs could actually win. Flanagan knows the Orioles are no better than fourth place with Tejada given the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays. Getting a Mark Prior doesn't help. And with attendance is down by over 1 million fans since 1997, one player isn't going to bring fans back. Winning will. Kaplan says that Flanagan wants to trade Tejada for four top prospects. Now, the trick will be getting Angelos to agree.

...the ultimate irony is, of course, had the Cubs ever done such a dump back five or six years ago, they'd be a much better team right now. But, like Angelos, Andy MacPhail is afraid that the lack of a marquee name would result in lower attendance and lower profits. The further irony is that it's probably time for the Cubs to do what they want the Orioles to do.

Hell. Tradng vets for lotsa young talent has worked for Florida twice.