Michael Wuertz

PITTSBURGH — Lou Piniella insists the Pittsburgh Pirates are "a nice ballclub," and they actually played like one on Saturday night. Pittsburgh got a good effort from its starting pitcher, Phil Dumatrait, a two-run homer from Jason Bay and a rally...

When Felix Pie was called up to the Cubs on April 17, Alfonso Soriano invited him to stay at his new home in Chicago. But unlike Oscar and Felix from the "The Odd Couple," Alfonso and Felix have a lot in common, and neither one is a particularly messy...

It probably won't pass muster with Cubs management, and it's not as family-friendly as "Don't Stop Believing," the theme song adopted by the 2005 White Sox. But when the old-school rap song "Insane in the Membrane" blared over the Cubs' clubhouse...

The Cubs have until 10 a.m. Wednesday to finalize their 25-man roster for the division series, and general manager Jim Hendry might wait until Tuesday night to make the final decisions. Can Sam Fuld sneak in? Will Kevin Hart make the cut? Hendry wasn't...

Perhaps the low point of Lou Piniella's term as Cubs manager came one year ago Friday at Wrigley Field, after a 9-0 loss to Florida left them seven games under .500 and gasping for air. Piniella's club held a players-only meeting in which the manager was...

Ask Paul returns to address relevant issues like Fukudome's slump, instant replay, and whether Zambrano and Edmonds are best buddies: Paul, I know all of these teams will be tough to beat in the playoffs but how would you rank the following teams from...

When the Cubs entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing Cincinnati by two runs Monday night and with Milwaukee's win already posted on the center-field scoreboard, it was time to see just exactly what this team was made of. They hadn't won a game...

After winning eight of their first nine games without Alfonso Soriano in the lineup, the idea that Soriano's absence was beneficial to the Cubs gained acceptability in some quarters. "Listen, if we hadn't been winning, they'd say, 'Boy, these guys really...

The Cubs still are tied for first place in the National League Central, despite themselves, thanks to the New York Mets. And guess who comes into Wrigley Field for a three-game series starting Friday? Those same Mets who helped the Cubs climb into first...

The Cubs and the White Sox emptied their holsters Saturday as if they were battling for a playoff spot on the last day of the season. And Cubs manager Lou Piniella hit the bull's-eye at the right time. Ryan Theriot's squeeze bunt scored pinch-runner...

There's no place more tranquil than an empty Wrigley Field at 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning in September. Ted Lilly was out throwing a football around in the outfield. Jason Marquis was stretching near the bullpen while listening to his iPod. And the...

History repeated itself Monday when the Cubs announced Kerry Wood was out with a shoulder problem and headed to the disabled list for the 11th time in his major-league career. Whenever news this big happens, the cone of silence immediately drops at...