Well, we made it. Chicago Cubs pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training today. This is how I feel about it:
Per Carrie Muskat, a bunch of players reported early:
Nearly all of the Cubs pitchers have reported to Fitch Park for early workouts, and they’ve been busy. Kyuji Fujikawa threw off the mound around 8 a.m. on Friday. Matt Garza has had no setbacks and Edwin Jackson was spotted headed to the cage to work on his bunting.
Pitchers and catchers must be in Arizona by Sunday, but the first workout will be Tuesday at Fitch Park, beginning around 9:30 a.m. The workout is delayed one day so players can undergo physicals on Monday. There will be some working out early.
About 30 players were at Fitch on Friday, including early birds David DeJesus, Anthony Rizzo, Darwin Barney, Logan Watkins, Darnell McDonald and Steve Clevenger. The first full squad workout is scheduled for Feb. 17.
So, from Carl and me to you . . . Happy Baseball Is Back Day!
Don’t forget that Wrigley Talk Friday returns today at 3 pm CT. You can listen here at 3 pm, listen here later, or download the show from iTunes.
Yay! Baseball is back! Its spring!
Now, I will go continue shoveling out my car.
Your pictures from yesterday were nuts!
Thanks, its been wacky. The South Shore got hit super hard with power outages, coastal flooding & evacuations. But up here we were pretty lucky just lots to shovel.
Yay! Go nationals!
Thumbs Down
Its never a good idea to leave your gun loaded while cleaning it..just saying
I’m back.
Play ball!
Welcome back…how was vacation?
Very nice, relaxing and fun.
I missed the “Why Cubs Baseball” threat earlier this week so thought I’d contribute, better late than never.
Not my words, by from Darth Vader’s speech in “Field of Dreams” as I think it encapsulates the essence of baseball as well as the Bart Giamatti quote…
“People will come, Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won’t mind if you look around, you’ll say. It’s only $20 per person. They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack.
“And they’ll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.
“People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh… people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.”
“THREAD” not “threat,” dumbass. Although, “the threat of Cubs’ baseball returning” is pretty funny, too.
That video was worth installing flash player for.
Hairston officially signed and added to the roster. Campana designated for assignment.
Please please please please please have the Brewers take him off waivers.
Shit.
I believe there is a good chance that he’ll clear waivers and be assigned to Iowa. Most teams will have to DFA a player in order to claim him. Once Soriano is traded, he’ll be back. I only see the Braves or even possibly the Cardinals taking him…but I still hope the Brewers would snatch him up.
The amount of crap I’m getting on Twitter for not being sad to see Tony Campana go. Unbelievable.
Oh my, there are a ton of fans that are truly pissed about this move. I don’t get it…TC sucks badly. He can run and that is it. Honestly he don’t belong anywhere near the major leagues. It’s truly a fucking miracle he made it this far.
He hit .264 last year. Damn near the league average.
Every single became a triple if the bases were clear in front of him.
The Rays went to the playoffs with Sam Fuld in left. SAME player.
Look up the 62-73 Dodgers and see what Maury Wills did for the Dodgers. He totally destroyed pitchers once he got on base. A .280 hitter with close to 700 stolen bases. Hall of Fame stuff.
His first season in the ML he hit .260.
Vince Coleman stole 752 bases with a lifetime .264 average.
Guys with that kind of speed do not come along often. It is STUPID to let one go.
He had a total of 0.6 WAR…
And that was almost entirely due to his baserunning…and in the second half of the season that was almost entire set around pinch running.
With his OBP he is a below average hitter.
He is a below average outfielder.
A 25 man roster is not big enough for a guy that is nothing more than a good pinch runner.
That’s why the team should let him go.
And he is no Sam Fuld…a player who can take a walk and is a far superior defender.
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