Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball. 

Today, and forever, he is the 2008 National League MVP.  As we all know, he played on a fourth-place team.  He was the best player in baseball this past year, on a team that finished below Houston.

Some of you may know where I'm going with this, so hang on.  But first, Brad Lidge was the MVP of the National League this past year.  He saved every game he was asked to.  Without him, the Phils do not win the East, let alone the whole bowl of chips.  I understand the voting took place before the playoffs, but as we well know here in Cubland, a bad closer equals lots of games pissed away equals a poor record and no postseason play.  Lidge was the Beast from day one to day last, and he should have been the MVP this year.

But Pujols was the best player in the league. Just like Andre Dawson was the best player in baseball in 1987, and of course, he won an MVP for a LAST place team.  Albeit, a team within 3 games of fourth. 

The difference?  Naturally, I am preaching to the wrong choir here, since none of us probably followed Pujols as closely as I followed Dawson in 1987.  I know that Dawson did not hit .220 in September, as Pujols did this year.  Yes, Pujols has a bad elbow.  Dawson's knees (rather infamously) were "bone rubbing against bone" as Harry Caray pointed out a million times that summer.

Anyway, if anyone did in fact follow Pujols day in, day out, this year, you can let us know.  Yes, he pretty much Led his team's offense this year, but I did not notice that he literally picked his team up and carried them on his back,as Dawson did that year.  Dawson had about 15 more homers and 20 more RBIs in an deader offensive era.  The Cubs won 77 games that year.  Without Dawson, they might have not won 60.

Pujols is the best player currently in baseball.  In 1987, Dawson was a Force of Nature.  He simply wasn't human.  That's why he deserved an MVP and Pujols doesn't.

Reports from the SEC have Mark Cuban accused of insider trading.  Cuban supposedly saved $750,000 back in 2004 by dumping stock shortly before a transaction.

Cuban lives in a country where people are innocent until proven guilty, but he's walking shaky ground here.  It's way too early to speculate on what will happen, but if he's convicted then he's at risk of losing control of his company, he's at risk of going to jail, and obviously he'll probably be officially out of the running to buy the Cubs.

I've said all along that Cuban is a sexy choice to own the Cubs because he represents something the team hasn't had in decades - a face for the team.  People know him, they know what he represents, and that flies in contrast with the Tribune, a company of people whose names I do not know and faces I would not recognize.  He also has the kind of competitor's spirit and pride that Cubs ownership has lacked since the time of the Depression.

But if Cuban fails to purchase the Cubs - something that is becoming more likely with every passing day now - then I can only hope that whoever buys the team shares his pride and desire to win.  The Cubs need - and Cub fans deserve - a guy like that.  But who knows if we'll ever see one?

It’s currently 4 a.m. and I’m surfing Jeff Samardzisoiajsdkj’s (that was actually easier than trying to type his real name) personal website, so cut me a little slack if my grammar is lacking.

Wait what’s that I just said about a Samardzija website? Did you hear that correctly? Yes friends, young Jeff does indeed have his own website and here it is. Enjoy it and all its Modest Mouse glory. Seems a bit much for someone who has only pitched 27.2 innings of big league baseball, but so does a no-trade clause in your first professional contract.

Anyway, Samardzija made his first and somewhat highly anticipated MLB appearance of the season on July 25 against the Marlins and Cubs fans instantly fell in love despite the fact that he blew a save in said game. Maybe it was his flowing locks or his high 90’s fastball, but the collective boner Cubs nation got lasted for much longer than any male enhancement pill could ever provide. Maybe we should see a doctor?

Lou seemed to find a nice spot for the hard-throwing righty somewhere around the seventh inning(depending on the situation) and he would often use Jeff as a lead in to fellow flamethrower Carlos Marmol. While command was an issue at times, Samardzija provided some fire and timely strikeouts from the ‘pen. He wasn’t as dominating or intimidating as the aforementioned Marmol, but he was a nice appetizer for the bigger meal to come.

Despite struggling in the Cubs minor league system, Samardzija was called up from Iowa to replace a shelved Kerry Wood who was suffering from a blister on his throwing hand. Many thought Jeff would return to the land of corn soon after Wood’s return, but the move proved to be a permanent one and a good one at that.

While Jeff’s success might have come as surprised based on his minor league performances, maybe we all underestimated his ability to play in front of a large crowd. Unlike so many young players, Samardzija already had a wealth of experiences in playing before huge stadiums from his days as a member of Touchdown Jesus. In a way, maybe the Wrigley crowd helped him. Maybe he felt more at home on a mound in front of 40,000 people.

In the brief time that the Cubs have been in the postseason, Samardzija’s name has already come up several times as a possible piece of a trade that would bring San Diego’s ace Jake Peavy to the North Side, but now those rumors seem to be dead as Jeff was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause. Supposedly the Cubs are now exploring the idea of letting Samardzija compete for a spot in the rotation.

While I find this idea intriguing, I feel there are many factors that could affect Jeff’s role next season – namely the status of Peavy and Ryan Dempster. With Kerry Wood now out as a member of the Cubs, it also becomes more important for Samardzija to stay in the bullpen and perhaps take on the role of set-up guy if the Cubs are to use Marmol as their closer.
Either way, 2009 is sure to be a much more important year for Samardzija than 2008. Based on what we’ve seen (which is not much) that might be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your point of view.

Don’t worry though. If he sucks then the Cubs can just trade him away…oh wait.

As you are all aware, the latest Cub rumors are about the possible acquisition of Randy Johnson, The Big Unit.  Johnson is 5 wins shy of 300 and 211 strikeouts shy of 5,000.  He's also undefeated at Wrigley Field and, earlier in 2008, his season basically turned around after he drubbed the Cubs on July 21.  Before that date, he'd been 6-7 with a 4.89 ERA.  After that date, he went 5-3 with an ERA of 2.16, and it all started with an easy victory against the Cubs in Arizona.

In the long history of the Cubs organization, the team has acquired Cub Killers fairly often, and usually once they come to the North Side they see their success and production level off.  The obvious reason why is because they no longer have the Cubs to pad their stats against.  Like Adam Dunn, Randy Johnson is a legendary Cubs killer who probably will not have the same level of success as a Cub.

Actually, write that down.  Johnson will not have a spectacular 2009.  Chances are that, at 46 next year and with a history of back and knee problems, he'll be inconsistent at best and will likely be mediocre.  Don't get me wrong, I'd expect him to still put up numbers that compete with those of Jason Marquis, but considering that he'd probably make as much or more money as Marquis, and considering that he'd be essentially replacing Ryan Dempster in the rotation, then it seems fair to say that the Cubs would be stepping sideways - if not backwards - in signing the Unit.

Hopefully the Cubs make it a moot point by acquiring Peavy, although that seems to remain a long shot.  Or maybe they will moot it by bringing back Dempster, although that also seems unlikely.  But Randy Johnson as a Cub will not be what this team needs to win, of that I feel certain.

And I'm already missing Kerry Wood.