We’ve hit the dog days of Spring Training.
Opening Day is still two weeks away, the games are, if possible, getting LESS interesting, and I can’t possibly write one more headline about how much Dale Sveum loves Jeff Samardzija. I just can’t do it.
So, rather then doing our typical morning headlines, I thought we’d have some fun this morning. Those of you in Chicago are probably familiar with Red Eye’s daily 5-on-5 feature, wherein various people weigh in on 5 sports topics and attempt to be funny while doing so. No, this isn’t another contest (I’m well aware of what you all think of my choice of prizes . . SNIFF), just an attempt to break out of the Spring Training doldrums. So here we go. Answer in the comments, in 20 words or less for each question, if you please:
1. Soriano has 5 HRs and a .355 average so far this Spring. What gives?
2. Kevin Goldstein says the Cubs will win 71 games this year. How many will they REALLY win?
3. Jeff Samardzija is a legit candidate for one of two open spots in the starting rotation. React.
4. The Hunger Games opens today. Which Cub would survive a team-wide fight to the death?
5. Too many new faces on the Cubs this year. Pick a player and give him a nickname
The Cubs take on the Rockies this afternoon, and the current Golden Boy, Jeff Samardzija, will make his bid for a spot in the starting rotation. You can listen to a free live webcast this afternoon on Cubs.com
Friday means Wrigley Talk Friday comes your way today! For a special treat, you will get one of two options today: Tim and Adam at 1:00 pm CT or Tim, Adam, and Julie at 2:00 pm CT. Make sure you pay attention to Twitter to see which one shakes out.
Finally, it’s time to get back to our weekly iPod 5. This week, we need some songs to get us through the next two weeks to Opening Day. Fire up the ole iPod, hit “shuffle,” and give us the first five songs that come up. No cheatsies. No judgment.
We Are Young (Alvin Risk Remix) – Fun.
Clouds Up – Air
Trinity – Paper Tongues
Heavy 33 – The Verlaines
Helter Skelter – U2
My Five for Friday are:
Gear Daddies – I Want To Drive The Zamboni
Elvis Presley – Suspicious Minds
The Heavy – How Do You Like Me Now
Firefall – Strange Way
Harry Nilsson – Turn On Your Radio
http://www.billboard.com/features/the-hunger-games-soundtrack-track-by-track-1006515752.story#/features/the-hunger-games-soundtrack-track-by-track-1006515752.story
Also, I hadn’t realized that the Decembrists and Neko Case were among the artists on the Hunger Games soundtrack.
Dang. That soundtrack has some killer artists on it. Punch Brothers. Carolina Chocolate Drops. And the rest. Looks pretty sweet.
the Decemberists makes sense from what I understand of the book
Wow, it took me way too long to get that joke.
Too Brooklyn hipster for me- and no metal? In a post-nuclear wasteland, metal would be inevitable. Also no Taylor Swift for me….
As a Brooklynite, I take offense to your generalization. Just kidding. Totally agree on the Taylor Swift.
I feel sometimes that if I ever make it to NYC, they will not let me in certain areas like Park Slope or Williamsberg. I get the same impression if I ever go to Portland,OR again…
One of the great things and terrible things about New York is that no one really cares what anyone else is doing. It’s something I’ve never really seen anywhere else.
Park Slope is the baby capital of NY now. Nothing but families there. And Bushwick is the new Williamsburg. None of us are cool enough for that shit!
Too many 5s today…ugh.
iPod 5!
#18: Liars – This American Life
The Answer – Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
My Little Suede Shoes – Charlie Parker
Oh, Mona – Red Knuckles and The Trailblazers
Jackson – Lucinda Williams
5 on 5
1. I think it’s pretty obvious. HGH
2. Wow…I never though Kevin Goldstein was such an optimist. Cubs will win 53 games this year.
3. Please wake me up from this nightmare.
4. I think this is pretty obvious too…Soriano. He just won’t die.
5. Travis “Anti-Kerry” Wood
Friday 5
Eagles – Victim of Love
Guns N’ Roses – Don’t Cry
Aretha Franklin – Think
Def Leppard – Die Hard The Hunter
NIN – Perfect Drug
5 on 5
1. Small Sample Size
2. 75 Games
3. At least he won’t hold this team back from a playoff berth
4. Ted Lilly would emerge from the Cornucopia and kill everyone within the first 90 seconds.
5. I’m already calling Ian Stewart “I-Stu”, despite the fact that it is lame. I blame Jon Stewart.
Totally picturing Ted Lilly with some kind of axe now..
Def Leppard’s “Die Hard the Hunter’ is more my thinking for a Hunger Games soundtrack,at least sonically…
Lilly would be one of the careers. Trained killer.
5on5
1- Don’t need twenty words for this one: Performance Enhancing Drugs.
2- I actually more or less agree with that guy. And I hate agreeing with people. I’ll go with 72.
3- Spellcheck will have 2 or 3 good starts to make us all look foolish for doubting him and then regress to his norm. Which is to suck ass.
4- What’s a Hunger Game? I think REEDZ would do pretty well for himself in such a battle. I have no reasons.
5- Rizzo the Rat. This one is obvious and probably has been used. But I have not seen it. Therefore I claim it as my own.
1. Some gooooooood Dominican gold.
2. MLB 2K12 says 72 so that’s what I’m going with.
3. Gurg.
4. Either Suppelt because he would out-run everyone, or Rizzo the Giant because he would crush them under foot.
5. Rizzo the Giant. Or That Really Fast Guy Suppelt.
5 on 5:
1. Soriano’s pact with the devil kicks in.
2. 1 more than the worst expectations, but 10 less then any reasonable projection.
3. Spellcheck’s pact with the devil kicks in.
4. Dempster-he’s the Haymitch of the Cubs.
5. Chris Volstad=Voltron
Voltron….I like that.
Ipod 5:
1. “Criminal”- Britney Spears
2. “Give Me All Your Luvin’”- Madonna
3. “Morning Glory”- Oasis
4. “1985″- Bowling For Soup
5. “Behind The Wall of Sleep”-The Smithereens
Dempster is officially starting on opening day.
I don’t get it.
He has blackmail photos of Theo?
Told ya so
The new regime is going to bore me to death.
5 on 5
1. Dale Svuem in disguise
2. How can you put a number on such madness?
3. Spellcheck will need a hip check by May
4. Im going with Svuem again
5. Rizzo = Dr. FaRizzle
Ipod 5
Vacation — The Go Gos
Unloveable — The Smiths
Destination Unknown — Missing Persons
Day Tripper — The Beatles
This Is Where I Belong — The Kinks
5 on 5
1. He’s having the best two weeks of his season early.
2. They will REALLY win 40. The other 32 will be games the other team screws up enough for us to score more runs.
3. My reation to Spellcheck in the rotation is a Kiff Kroker-like groan of despair.
4. Hate to repeat others’ answers, but it’s Dempster.
5. David “Our Own Personal” DeJesus.
5: Has he made you a believer?
Truth be told, Depeche Mode was #7 on my shuffle. So fate presented me with an easy answer…
+1000 for the Futurama reference
5 on 5
1. Dance lessons. It would explain the lower leg kick and quicker hands. Cha-cha-cha.
2. I’m going to say 75. They’ll win four games they shouldn’t and leave everyone baffled.
3. Samardzija will be the starting pitcher I’m stuck with at least three of the four games I go to this season.
4. Who’s the quietest? It’s always the quiet ones.
5. I’m going to call Paul Maholm “Carlos”. It feels wrong to have only one Carlos on the team.
iPod 5
1. “We’re From the Country” -Tracy Bird
2. “When Doves Cry” -Prince
3. “Girlfriend” -Avril Lavigne
4. “Shorty Blackwell” -The Monkees
5. “Rockin’ Robin” -Jackson 5
>>”It’s always the quiet ones.”
That means TheRiot would be the first to die.
1. He’s a streaky hitter, and wasting this hot streak in the Cactus League.
2. The Cubs will sweep the final series to reach 70 wins, tying Houston for last place.
3. Good, it’s about damn time he made himself useful.
4. Campana would hide in Rizzo’s hollowed-out chest cavity, then ambush for the win.
5. Bryan “Thick and Lustrous” LaHair
1. Rag & Bone – White Stripes
2. Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
3. TP Parter – Butthole Surfers
4. It Tango – Laurie Anderson
5. Sexbomb – Tom Jones
5 on 5
1.Theo said “PLEASE!”
2.91 and squeek into a wildcard spot.
3.I love it.It brings out the best of Julie(LYH)
4.Have no idea what you guys are talking about.But I’ll go with Slackerano.It’s Spring and not the real deal yet.
5.Szczur-’Seizure’ I think this spring has been one
Haha Bobby Jenks arrested for DUI in Boston this morning, he should have stayed in the clubhouse where the drinking belongs….
Any KFC with him?
This is Bobby Jenks. He’s a walking extra-large bucket of KFC.
“The Cubs look like a team picked from the last three rounds of a fantasy draft” is the best WTF comment ever!
I’d rather see Spellcheck start opening day! lol
you and Julie
well . . they do.
Like ‘Major League’ come mid june “It’s all starting to come together…”
did you miss today’s WTF? Catch up here or download from iTunes: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wrigley-talk-friday/2012/03/23/wrigley-talk-friday
so fantasy draft # 2 was a disaster. I pre-ranked like 1-40, because ESPN kept losing my rankings. Eventually I gave up and set to auto-pick. I came back to a team loaded up with pitchers, relief pitchers, short-stops, and not much else.
UGGGHHHH.
I didn’t do much better, and I was actually drafting players live.
Looks like Soto is on fire….
whoopdie-doo
I’ve had drinks….
1. He found the fountaint of youth AND the golden city of el dorado.
2. 104, one for each year they haven’t won the WS. (Wait wins? I thought you meant losses)
3. As long as he can go 6 innings and not kill the bullpen.
4. Kerry Wood. Someone who wants to stay a Cub this badly must be crazy. And crazy wins.
5. David DeJesus’ wife: OMJesus
1. Clockout – Devo
2. Crosseyed and Painless – Talking Heads
3. The Passenger – Iggy Pop
4. Mekon Headman – Wire
5. Alphabet Street – Prince
Hey, Alphabet would be a good nickname for Samardzija.
Nice songs, spudboy…