Chicago

What must a player do to enter the Hall of Fame? Let’s look at a player’s resume without the name attached.

He must have won awards; they tell us he was among the best in his era.

Rookie of the Year in 1977. National League Most Valuable Player in 1987—on a last place team. Eight-time All Star, eight-time Gold Glove winner, four-time Silver Slugger.

2009 was a disappointing year, once full of promise, but ended with drear.

Despite three consecutive seasons of winning ball, the Cubs once again failed to win it all.

Still we come out to Wrigley in record numbers, the fans cheering loudly while management slumbers.

Sweet Lou lived up to his name, that he seems so burned out is definitely a shame.

Randy Wells came out of nowhere to surprise, you could see the desire in his eyes.

Once washed up DLee was a sight for sore eyes, despite all the misguided Hoffpauir cries.

On New Year's Eve, almost exactly a year after Chicago last signed a free agent outfielder away from the Texas Rangers, the Cubs try again with Marlon Byrd.

The Cubs announced Thursday that they have agreed to a three-year, $15 million deal with Byrd.

Byrd's a nice complimentary player. As Danny Sisto will tell you, he'll play at least above average defense and will hit the ball fairly well. Last year in Texas, he hit 20 home runs and drove in 89 runs.

The 2000’s were a roller coaster of a decade for Cubs fans. From the excitement of the 2003 playoffs and the 97 win season in 2008, to the disappointment of the Bartman-led collapse and the futile effort against the Dodgers, there were many ups and downs.

ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting on Wednesday that the St. Louis Cardinals' offer to free agent outfielder Matt Holliday is in excess of $100 million.

In the wake of Jason Bay agreeing to a four-year deal worth $66 million with the Mets ($17 million per), it's hard to imagine another team throwing that kind of coin at Holliday.

Whether you agree with me or not, and no matter if you like my writing or you do not, I want to send a message to everyone in the Chicago Cubs community on Bleacher Report:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

And, if you happen to be Jewish, Happy Hanukkah and Rosh Hashanah.

After all, we're all Cubs fans, right? We may not see eye to eye, but we do have the Cubs best interest at heart.

I happen to think that, so far, this has been another horrible offseason for Cubs GM Jim Hendry. I also happen to think that the Cubs glass for 2010 is half-empty.

I hope Chicago Cubs fans are gearing up for another six months of disappointment, because this winter isn't giving any indication that 2010 will be any better than the season it will follow.

The Cubs closed their 2009 season with one singular goal: Unload Milton Bradley. The marriage was a failure almost immediately, and GM Jim Hendry made it clear when he sent Bradley home for the last few weeks of the season that he couldn't be back in Chicago next year.

THE 1926 TIGERS

Year: 1926

Record: 79-75

Win Percentage: .513

Win Percentage Change: -13

Run Differential: -37

Pythagorean Record: 74-80

AL Finish: sixth of eight

Manager: Ty Cobb

I know that many Cubs fans can't separate their heart from their head when it comes to MLB's Hall of Fame. From Ron Santo to Andre Dawson, Cubs fans everywhere let their fan loyalty cloud their judgement.

And that's okay. In fact, it is to be expected. But, as usual, I stand alone as a die-hard Cubs fan (since birth) who is not only willing but able to separate fact from fantasy.

More on Santo later. The main premise of this article is The Hawk, aka Andre Dawson.