Cubs

Late Orioles game: Last night's game between the Orioles and Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome, which went into extra innings, ended too late to be included in this edition. A complete report can be found in later editions or on the Internet at http://www.sunspot.net. CHICAGO - Former Orioles slugger Rafael Palmeiro still may be on the Chicago Cubs' radar screen, even though the former Cub doesn't appear interested in returning to Chicago. The non-waiver trading deadline passed yesterday afternoon with the Cubs making no moves, but their surprising pursuit of the Texas first baseman suggests they still are trying to improve the offense.

If you're a Houston Astros fan, you've got every right to cry foul, but just remember that your team plays in a little toy stadium and your star pitcher can't even keep track of all his Hummers. The Cubs and Cardinals have been going at it for about a century. End of debate. The addition of premier starting pitcher Mark Mulder has raised the stakes in St. Louis, where the Cardinals far surpassed preseason expectations last year. The Cubs will be without dynamic slugger Sammy Sosa for the first time since 1991, and they are hoping that loss of offensive potential will be offset by an improved clubhouse chemistry.

On the North Side of Chicago, they're feeling pretty good about the way things are going - and that's understandable. When the Cubs took a doubleheader from the Braves in Atlanta on Wednesday, it put Chicago at 26 games over .500, which hadn't happened in a quarter of a century. And the Cubs are setting the pace in the National League Central with the Milwaukee Brewers trailing. The Cubs' recent surge had ESPN.com shouting out this headline yesterday: "Catch Them If You Can." Well, enthusiasm over the Cubs is one thing, but tempting fate is another.

CHICAGO - It has been a dream season for the Chicago Cubs, but they might not be in the middle of this compelling postseason if not for the misfortune of the National League Central rival Pittsburgh Pirates. The three players that the Cubs acquired from the Pirates at midseason - Kenny Lofton, Aramis Ramirez and Randall Simon - all made significant contributions to the club's division title drive, and all have had an impact on the postseason. Lofton, in particular, has been the catalyst for a Cubs offense that entered Game 6 averaging 5.2 runs a game, even after factoring in Josh Beckett's overpowering performance in Game 5. Lofton came into last night with a .349 postseason average, 15 hits, 10 runs and four stolen bases.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Orioles and Chicago Cubs have not had any recent discussions about All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts, pushing the potential deal toward Opening Day or beyond. Despite engaging in trade talks for more than three months, the teams still have not agreed to a package that both find suitable. According to two baseball sources, the Cubs have offered infielder Ronny Cedeno, pitching prospects Sean Gallagher and Donald Veal, and one other player for Roberts, but the Orioles are holding out for a better offer.

It's time for your annual visit from Dr. Perspective, which - not coincidentally - comes as the Orioles prepare to play their first-ever game tonight at historic Wrigley Field. Dr. P has been lying low the past year, because even he knows it's hard to make a case for counting your baseball blessings after 10 straight losing seasons, but the Orioles' first interleague series in Chicago provides the perfect backdrop for a discussion - lecture seems like such a harsh word - of true loyalty and fan forbearance.

MILWAUKEE - Bernie Brewer wasn't at Miller Park last night, and the famous racing sausages decided to sit this one out, too. But the pro-Cubs announced crowd of 23,441 that showed up for the first makeup game of the hurricane-affected series between Chicago and the Houston Astros got a chance to watch Carlos Zambrano make history. Zambrano threw the Cubs' first no-hitter in 36 years in a 5-0 victory, stunning the Astros and making a triumphant return to the mound after an 11-day layoff since his previous start.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs, who had been searching for a president and a manager, hired a general manager yesterday.But not just any general manager. In a stunning move, they hired Larry Himes, who was fired 14 months ago from the same post with the White Sox. The Cubs made room by pushing Jim Frey into a powerless senior vice presidency.The club had spent a month hunting in vain for a successor to outgoing president Don Grenesko. But with critical baseball decisions for 1992 waiting to be made, the executives on the search team decided they needed to find a baseball man quickly -- and they decided Frey wasn't the one.The 51-year-old Himes, who officially will be called the executive vice president for baseball operations, will command the search for a successor to fired manager Jim Essian.

The Orioles, at least two months removed from Luis Matos' return from shoulder surgery and increasingly resigned to Eugene Kingsale's status as an eternal prospect, have shown interest in reacquiring center fielder Damon Buford, who cleared waivers yesterday after being released by the Chicago Cubs last Wednesday. Buford, 30, was hitting .176 with three home runs and eight RBIs after opening the season as the Cubs' starting center fielder. A season-opening 3-for-44 slump made Buford expendable, though he later hit safely in seven of eight games.

A Baltimore company with attitude is slapping its name on one of Chicago's most sacred landmarks. In a few weeks, Wrigley Field will become the latest stadium to carry the Under Armour apparel logo on its outfield wall. Given that the ivy-covered expanse hasn't featured advertising since the first vines were planted in 1937, some Cubs fans are a bit upset. "It's not going over real well at all," former Cubs public relations director Bob Ibach said. "There have been a lot of complaints about it because that ivy's kind of sacred."