Rice took a look at the Cubs vs the National League Central and how they have performed against them up to date.

With the splurge of hot young rookies being called up this year, Rubio reminded you that most of the young studs in your farm system will break your heart.

Anno Catuli Speculated about a possible landing spot for Scott Feldman if he gets traded.

Anno also brought up that it might be time for Castro to have a day off.

Anno wrote about the newest Cub Henry Rodriguez.

Rubio broke down pitch sequencing of Carlos Marmol and Jeff Samardzija.

Rice took you on a magic carpet ride for the mythical Italian Beef Helmet!

Anno shared an idea on why some of the Cubs hitters may be struggling.

Well, there you have it. Everything you might have missed from World Series Dreaming over the past week! Book mark both of our pages, and you will never miss a step!

Speaking of money’s worth, the Ricketts family is finding out just how much Chicago politics can throw wrenches into even the simplest of home improvement projects (or so it would seem).  Since the night game ordinance was passed, one would assume that the restoration/renovation project would find some wheels and keep moving forward.  Of course, there were rumblings that the Cubs weren’t satisfied (why would they be?  They still have restrictions!) and that regions other than Rosemont in Chicagoland would put in emergency bids for the Cubs.  While it might be fun to have Anthony Rizzo hitting home runs off 747s in Rosemont or to have a Wrigley replicate in DuPage County, my opinion is that the most financially and organizationally advantageous scenario is for the Cubs to stay at a modernized Wrigley Field.

It appeared that Tom Ricketts and Mayor Rahm Emanuel met yesterday, which is a positive sign despite the overtures from DuPage County.  My guess is that DuPage County’s bid was unsolicited and merely fortuitous for the Cubs, who could use a bit of a push to ensure no other concessions are forced on them as they press for the renovation plan starting this offseason.  The Cubs have already started scheduling Friday 3:05 PM starts for this season and most interested parties are resigned to the fact that eventually, Tom Ricketts will get his way.  DuPage probably saw that the Cubs weren’t entirely happy about the night game restrictions despite the increase in game and event allotments and gave it a shot.  Ultimately I believe the Cubs can modify the deal after the initial renovations, and after the existing set of politicians have moved on.  By then Tom Ricketts and friends will likely learn how to grease the wheels better.

Not saying that this is ideal by any means, and not trying to make this a political issue, but when in Chicago, gotta do what you gotta do.

For the second consecutive season under Epstein and Hoyer, the Cubs passed on the opportunity to snag a first round pitching talent, instead selecting a third baseman/outfielder in Bryant.  Considered to be among the top bats in the draft, Bryant will join a position player-heavy Cubs system with Baez, Soler, and Almora.  The selection certainly adds another exciting bat to the system, but a top of the line pitcher would have been preferable and likely make a quicker impact at the major league level.

Here is a quick snippet from a scouting report on the Cubs newest elite addition to the farm system.  These great reports put together by BaseballProspectNation.com go much more in depth, and you can view the full reports on their website by clicking the link below the report.

Summation: College has been very good for Bryant as he has polished his game significantly and will be able to move very quickly through a professional system. Will have to adjust to higher grade pitching at professional level so hit tool can play, but should get there quickly and all tools should play. Doesn’t get talked about as a five-tool player, but projects for all five tools at average level or above, including one near elite tool with power. Hitting ability projects pretty well to average level with good bat speed, an ability to adjust, a solid approach and a level of intelligence that suggests continued improvements can be made. Power is exceptional and could make him a star-level player. Defensive profile fits best in right field with solid range, good instincts and an above-average arm. A team that tries him at 3B could delay his path through the minor leagues as he polishes the rough edges, and even then he may not show better than fringe-average defense at the hot corner. Potential role 6 player with All-Star potential and middle-of-the-order thump.

Relative Risk: Moderate. Polished player that needs very little development to make an impact in pro ball.

-Baseball Prospect Nation

The second round pick for the Cubs was LHP Rob Zastryzny, and a scouting report was put by Baseball America:

Though Zastryzny won just two of his first 11 starts this spring as Missouri got a rude welcome to the Southeastern Conference, scouts aren’t holding that against him. A lefthander who can really pitch with his fastball, he should go in the first three rounds. Zastrzyny effortlessly adds and subtracts from his fastball, usually sitting around 90 mph but capable of dropping down to 86 or elevating four-seamers up in the zone at 95. The 6-foot-3, 193-pounder can locate his fastball to either side of the plate and gets good angle, which helps it play up further. His most reliable secondary pitch is his changeup, which shows flashes of being a plus offering. His breaking ball is less consistent, as he will switch between a slider and curveball. Zastryzny throws strikes but will need to refine his command in pro ball.

Obviously the drafting of Kris Bryant was huge for the farm system.  The only question remaining in the near term, besides of course if he busts or reaches his potential and all that other wait-it-out major league impact stuff, is where to rank him in the farm system right now.  Without further ado, the updated Top 13 Prospects List after the draft, complete with two of of the organization’s newest members.

1. SS-3B Javier Baez
2. OF Jorge Soler
3. 3B Kris Bryant
4. OF Albert Almora
5. RHP Pierce Johnson
6. 1B Dan Vogelbach
7. SS Arismendy Alcantara
8. 3B Jeimer Candelario
9. RHP Arodys Vizcaino
10. LHP Rob Zastryzny
11. 1B/OF Rock Shoulders
12. RHP Dillon Maples
13. OF Matt Szczur

The list can be broken down into multiple parts.  The top four are the clear cream of the crop in the system.  The next seven form a clear second tier, and the remaining two form the beginning of a very large third tier, though Szczur has shown signs of potentially moving back into the second tier at some point in the future.

After their first two picks, the Cubs took a position player, and then a run of five straight pitchers.  In all, the Cubs took one first baseman, one third baseman, eight outfielders, a shortstop, six catchers, and twenty-three pitchers with their forty picks.

Complete list of 2013 Cubs draft picks:

1. 3B Kristopher Bryant, R/R – Beast
2. LHP Rob Zastryzny, R/L – In our Top 10
3. CF Jacob Hannemann, L/L
4. RHP Tyler Skulina, R/R
5. RHP Trey Masek, R/R
6. RHP Scott Frazier, R/R
7. RHP David Garner, R/R
8. LHP Sam Wilson, L/L
9. CF Charcer Burks, R/R
10. RHP Zack Godley, R/R – What a name!
11. C Jordan Hankins, L/R
12. RHP Trevor Clifton, R/R
13. RHP Trevor Graham, R/R – Back-to-back Trevors
14. RHP Daniel Poncedeleon, R/R
15. RHP Michael Wagner, R/R
16. C Cael Brockmeyer, R/R
17. C Kelvin Freeman, R/R
18. RHP Giuseppe Papaccio, R/R
19. C Will Remillard, R/R
20. LHP Zak Blair, L/R
21. OF Joshua McCauley, R/R
22. RHP Kevin Brown, R/R
23. CF Tyler Ihrig, L/L
24. C Tyler Alamo, R/R
25. OF Marcus Doi, R/R
26. C Carlos Pena, R/R – Not that Carlos Pena
27. CF Tyler Sciaccia, R/R
28. RHP Brad Renner, R/R
29. LHP John Garcia, R/R
30. RHP Zachary Hermans, R/R
31. 1B Sean Johnson, R/R – Not the Chicago Fire goalkeeper
32. RF Keaton Leach, R/R
33. RHP Chris Madera, R/R
34. RHP Jake Thompson, R/R
35. LHP Ramsey Romano, R/R
36. SS Derek Campbell, R/R
37. C Jeremy Martinez, R/R – Signability issues, but a long while ago even got mention as a potential first round pick, appearing on multiple mock drafts.  Committed to USC, but worth watching.  My assumption is that he’ll hold out for more money as a higher round pick in the future.
38. RHP Zack Brown, R/R
39. CF Josh Greene, L/L
40. LHP Bubby Riley, L/L

Thank you to Keegan Rush of ChiCitySports.com for helping us get initially set up for an actual blog site that we can call our own.  That first big step was huge and got the snowball rolling and now I hope we never stop.

Thanks to all the bloggers and guest writers who help out here to put out what I think is interesting content, and I hope you find it entertaining and educational too.  The amount of traffic through our small corner of Cubdom is a pleasant surprise and we certainly enjoy the attention.  Thanks also to YardBarker and ChatSports for sharing our stuff with the world.

And finally, the moment that we’ve been waiting for…thanks to Julie DiCaro, fellow Cubs fan and blogger, founder of AerysSports and governess of the ChicagoNow blog network, for inviting us to join the family at ChicagoNow to get more exposure and become connected to other fine Chicago and Cubs-themed blogs.  You can now find us at:

http://www.chicagonow.com/world-series-dreaming

Read our new welcome post at our new branch.  This doesn’t mean we’re abandoning WSD.com!  We’re still going to host our store, our podcast and other content here, so keep this in your bookmarks.  The bulk of our content will be at the new ChicagoNow site, but we will always be linking back and forth.  We cannot duplicate posts directly due to Terms of Service, but certainly there will be associations between the two branches of World Series Dreaming.

This isn’t goodbye.  It’s just a brand new direction and one that should be very fruitful and exciting for all of us.  Thanks for sticking around all this time.  And maybe Mr. Jay Nussbaum Jr. will also like us over there, too.

The Cubs have an off day today before heading back to Wrigley Field.  After a blah home stand and a split against the AngLOLs, we can take a look at the Cubs’ rankings through the end of last night’s games.

The 2013 Cubs up until today (D-Day) have scored the same number of runs as they have given up: 240.  While their actual record is 24-33, their expected record given run differential of zero should be around .500, but bullpen and lack of timely offense dictate otherwise.  The offense is still scuffling a bit, especially with two-time All-Star Starlin Castro, although Alfonso Soriano has returned to the land of the average with an OPS+ of 100.

The interesting thing about the Cubs’ splits in game decisions is that they are actually 3-2 in extra innings, and while they are horrid in 1-run games (7-13), they have been more likely to blow out their opponents than to be blown out (8-3 in games decided by five or more runs).  And thanks in part to their “sweep” (with one makeup to go) of the White Sox, the Cubs are 6-2 against American League foes.  How about dem apples?  However, they still haven’t scored 10+ runs in a game, so I’m looking for that at some point this month when the weather stops sucking and it really warms up.

The Cubs relative to MLB is solidly average.  I guess that’s what makes this season the most depressing, is that while we didn’t think they would compete, the Cubs should still be at or around .500 and their play suggests that too, especially given that most of their games have been close.  The Cubs score a bit below MLB average at 4.21 runs/game, and also give up 4.21 runs/game.  This is not a horrible team despite the patchwork construction; they’re excruciatingly mediocre.

So that’s that…stay tuned for an announcement soon, and we’re counting down to the Draft.

There are also those who are popular throughout Cubs history who do not have their numbers retired, for no other reason than the simple fact that they did not wear numbers back in those days. You Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance. A personal favorite of mine has always been Hack Wilson.

All of these men, though, are in the Hall of Fame (or in the case of Maddux soon will be).

But, the Cubs history is filled with players who will never even sniff the Hall of Fame that fans loved regardless of their level of talent.

Off Day Question #2 is…

Which non-Cubs Hall of Fame player is your favorite? There are several choices, and I hope to see a wide variety of answers. I just ask that you do not say Maddux as he will be in the Hall of Fame later this year when he gets voted in on his first ballot!

Today, the Chicago City Council officially approved the Chicago Cubs plan to add more night games to their yearly schedule. With winning the vote, they are now able to host up to 46 night games a year. While this is not as many as they would have liked, they are still able to host more than the 30 they are currently allowed to host.

Even though they are able to host up to 46 night games a year, and that does seems like a lot compared to years past, keep in mind that the Major League average for teams is a whopping 54 night games, which is eight games more than the maximum number the Cubs are allowed to host. I am sure that Tom Ricketts would have like to get a number closer to the Major League average, but I assume he will take what he can get to start out with.

However, the maximum of 46 night games a year is not really a concrete number. The Cubs may not be able to actually host 46 night games, even though they are approved to do so. In fact, there is a good chance the team may host a significantly lower number of night games.

Technically, the Cubs are only guaranteed to be able to host 35 night games a year. The difference in the number relies solely on the networks and if they want to feature the Cubs in prime time. Until the Cubs actually start playing better, the chances they will be able to take full advantage of that 46 total is slim. Not sure how often ESPN will look into any Cubs games to feature as the game of the week, but you never know. Perhaps they would like to feature a game where the Cubs play the St. Louis Cardinals or one of the East Coast mega powers, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

Also part of this new agreement, the Cubs are allowed to host four concerts a year, and are able to have six late Friday starts, which could see games starting at 3pm instead of the traditional 1:20 that we Cubs fans have grown accustom to over the many years.

Even though the increase of night games for the Cubs is less than significant in terms of numbers, this could very well be good sign that the rest of the Ricketts plans for Wrigley Field will also be approved. While the approval of the added night games is not a guarantee for the rest of the plans being approved, the Chicago City Councils approval of adding night games could be a sign they are willing to play ball with the Cubs.

I know Cub fans love their day baseball, but time to accept that times are changing. The Cubs are getting the additional night games, and they are likely also going to get final approval to do anything else they want to do with Wrigley Field, up to and including the dreaded jumbotron in left field.

Remember, the Cubs pick #2.  They’re going to hopefully get someone special, someone who could become the mythical magical unicorn worthy of carrying Neil Patrick Harris.  Or at worst, someone who becomes a solid MLB regular for years to come.

For best coverage, John Arguello over at Cubs Den is doing a live blog of the entire draft so I hope you check his stuff out.  John was kind enough to guest-star on one of our Dreamcast episodes and has agreed to hang out again after the draft signing deadline in July.  Give that episode a listen (excuse the poor quality, but you can still hear it fine) and keep your eyes peeled, more news is on the way.

Hooray!RT @fspielman ChiCitiCouncil License Committte approves up to 46 night games, four concerts and six… fb.me/2vmidtBrw

— WorldSeriesDreaming (@WSDreaming_Cubs) June 4, 2013

Fran also wrote a comprehensive article of the proceedings and you should go read it.  The Cubs aren’t happy because they wanted more night games and more flexibility in case MLB switches some games to night games due to broadcast demands (suggesting that the Cubs are either good or playing a team that is good, preferably the former).  The residents aren’t happy because they forgot that they lived next to a major league ballpark (a-herp-a-derp).  But at this point the night game issue is at a compromise, and the Cubs can hopefully earn significantly more revenue.

Next step: get the scoreboard and signage approved, then start actually doing stuff instead of talking about it.  Who wants to take bets on when the Wrigleyville residents decide to move out and forfeit their sweet property values?

The info is all there, but I love the wife’s reaction to the article today (since she subscribes to DNAInfo).  It’s hilarious to see how exasperated she got given how low her give-a-shit-o-meter is.  Here’s some relevant information:

Lake View Citizens’ Council, an umbrella organization for ten neighborhood organizations, sent a letter to the mayor’s office saying that the group still disagrees with the revival of six Friday 3:05 games and raising the night game limit to 40, with six more in case of broadcast requirements.

But if they can’t get their original requests — a 33 night game limit and no Friday 3:05 games — then a few “minimum” edits need to be added to the night game ordinance, they said.

For one, any game over the 40 limit should count against either future night games or Friday 3:05 games, the letter says.

And since Friday 3:05 games could happen as early as this season, LVCC asks that the team limit themsleves to three games in 2013 as a trial — with existing night game parking restrictions enforced, traffic studies performed during the game and local business surveys conducted to check the impact.

If Friday 3:05 games stay, the neighborhood organization wants night game parking restrictions enforced during all of them and for the team to host no more than one a month.

I keep thinking of Alyson Janney’s character from “Over the Hedge” where she voices the overbearing and OCD president of the homeowners’ association in the McMansion paradise that decimated the woodland creatures’ habitats while they were hibernating.  ”Your grass is a quarter-inch too long!  You can’t gather in the street!  What about our property values?!”  Lulz.

This one from Tom Tunney is interesting:

“The Tribune put zero dollars into Wrigley Field,” he said at one meeting last month. “While everyone else scrimped, renovated, what did we get? We basically got a kick in the ass.”

Hmmm, it sounds like maybe the Tribune wasn’t that good for the Cubs or the neighborhood after all.

The tone of the neighbors and Tom Tunney suggest that they know this is an inevitability and whatever flexibility they get would probably be at the whims of the Cubs at this point.  But as the wife says (some of which probably shouldn’t be printed), it’s like people forgot that they moved next to a major league ballpark that happens to be a business that needs to perform certain functions in order to stay solvent and competitive.  And now she’s going to move to Greektown and complain about the smell of gyros and baklava.