UPDATE: Today’s episode is up! Listen in iTunes or download the mp3.

Leave it to Cubs GM Jim Hendry to do exactly what we asked of him in Monday’s episode and make a big splash this week. In case you hadn’t heard, the cannonball-esque splash happened yesterday and is that Ryan Dempster re-signed with the Cubs for 4 years and $52 million.

We’ll have a special episode that covers the signing, comments by Demp on the Cubs’ preparedness for the playoffs, and another topic or two available at 5:00 PM CT today.

Stay tuned, and Go Cubs!

As announced on yesterday’s episode, the Cubscast Photo Caption Contest is back! To submit an entry, simply click on the photo below and enter your caption as a comment. Everyone is welcome to participate (even people whose may or may not be acquired by the Cubs this offseason). First prize this week is a Cubscast Prize Pack which includes a Cubscast t-shirt. Official Photo Caption Contest Rules.

Contest ends on Monday November 24th at 10 a.m. CT..

Thanks everyone that participates!

The Cubs front office’s decision to part ways with Kerry Wood had to be a tough one for Jim Hendry, but not because of all this wishy-washy b.s. about family and better opportunities elsewhere. Volunteering to lose a great player and team leader isn’t the same as volunteering in a breadline. Whatever spin and old-timey politeness is put on this, the fact is that this send off is weird.

Kerry is only 31 years old. Yes he’s been in the Cubs organization for 14 years, and yes he has donned signature facial hair that occasionally makes him look older, but the next several years should be some of his best. HE’S NOT AN OLD MAN.

Whatever you thought of Kerry’s performance on the field on his worst days last season, his average and better than average days more than made up for a few blown saves and other close calls. Compare Wood’s stats with newly acquired Kevin Gregg’s stats and it’s clear that the better pitcher just got the pink slip. Oh yeah, and Kerry Wood made just $1.75 million more last season than Gregg. Bobby Howry (cough cough), who is as good as gone, made $4.5 million last season. Money isn’t the issue.

That the Cubs want to go in a direction that doesn’t include Kerry Wood is fine. I personally don’t agree with it, but I understand it. Carlos Marmol is an awesome talent. Kevin Gregg is a decent insurance plan. I just loathe the way they went about this:

I think we all feel that Kerry is certainly deserving of a three- or four-year contract,” Hendry said. “He’s done everything this organization has asked for the last 14 years, been a warrior the last couple of years.

We felt it was time Kerry goes out and does what’s best for him and his family, and gets a huge multi-year deal if possible.”

Telling a man what’s best for his family isn’t courteous, it’s insulting. The Cubs turned on their PR machine last Thursday night and clearly they are working against any chance that Kerry would sign a 1-year deal, which he later said he would have entertained.

He doesn’t want to move, and his family doesn’t either.

The ball is in your court, Kenny Williams. The Cubs may be mannerly, but they’re also a little rude sometimes.

UPDATE: Congrats to Jen, this week’s winner. Thanks to all those that participated! To hear the winner announced on Monday November 17th’s show, click here, or subscribe to Cubscast in iTunes to be notified when a new contest is available.

As announced on today’s episode, the Cubscast Photo Caption Contest is back! To submit an entry, simply click on the photo below and enter your caption as a comment. Everyone is welcome to participate (even people whose may or may not be traded to the Cubs this offseason). First prize this week is a Cubscast Prize Pack which includes a Cubscast t-shirt. Official Photo Caption Contest Rules.

Contest ended on Monday November 17th at 10 a.m. CT..

Thanks everyone that participated!

After a brief hiatus in which we did our best not to think about what the Cubs did to us in the playoffs, Cubscast has returned.  Look for new casts every Monday in November. And then in December, we’ll start ramping things up with even more casts each week as the winter meetings and Cubs Convention take center stage.  We actually love offseason podcasting, the Cubs always give us a ton of topics to discuss.  So be sure to join us all offseason for great Cubs talk, contests (like the one below) and more.  Will the Cubs add another impact free agent this year?  Do they dare raise ticket prices?  For the love of everything, please tell us, Will Henry Blanco be back?!?   So many questions and thus so many new Cubscasts on the way…

Vote Early, Vote Often

Just a reminder that today, Tuesday, November 4^th, is election day in the U.S., so be sure to vote!  If you need help finding out where you can vote, check out this link.

And while we would never be partisan and back a candidate here at Cubscast, we can comfortably give a little love to our first place Chicago Bears—

Go Bara– I mean Go Bears!