Oh, Happy Day! Spring Training Games Begin: Cubs vs. Athletics Preview, Thursday 3/4, 2:05 CT
by Al Yellon on Mar 4, 2010 12:00 PM CST
in Game Threads
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PrintIt's been a long, cold, snowy winter in the Midwest (I feel particularly bad for Cubs fans in Iowa, who got slammed much worse than we did in Chicago). The snow hasn't all melted, but today, we get Cubs baseball!
HOORAY!
Since all of you seemed to get so excited about following non-Cubs games the last couple of days, I'll make sure you have enough space to discuss this one. This thread will serve as a couple hours worth of pre-game warmup. Then, a "first pitch" thread, similar to what you found here last year, will post at 2 pm CST, and I'll have an overflow post an hour and 15 minutes after that, I figure all the pent-up baseball talk will probably fill all of that. If you need more, someone post them as FanShots.
Just FYI, if you are new to this, the first pitch thread will post on the front page. Overflows will NOT post there, but you can find them in the "Recent Stories In Game Threads" box on the right sidebar, easy to link/jump to.
Speaking of jumps, some game info after the jump.
The fancier pitcher boxes, stats, etc. that usually appear here will return when the regular season does. Until then, just some information.
The Cubs will start with Randy Wells today; he'll probably go two innings. Here's an article from today's Sun-Times showing that Wells has the right approach and attitude toward his second major league season.
Also scheduled to appear on the mound for the Cubs today are Sean Marshall, J.R. Mathes, Mike Parisi and Esmailin Caridad.
The A's will counter with Trevor Cahill. According to this link on the A's website, some of the following will also pitch: Clayton Mortensen, Jerry Blevins, Justin Souza, Fernando Hernandez, John Meloan, Brad Kilby, Lenny DiNardo and Cedrick Bowers. (Blevins, of course, is a former Cubs farmhand who went to Oakland in the Jason Kendall deal.) Also, according to this blog post on the Oakland A's website (their equivalent to Carrie Muskat's blogs at cubs.com), ex-Cub Jake Fox will bat cleanup today for them and play third base.
One more link today worth checking out: Bruce Miles has a nice article today about three Cubs prospects with baseball-playing fathers: Jim Adduci, James Russell and Casey Coleman.
The game will be on radio stations for both teams: KTRB in Oakland and WGN in Chicago. If you have XM, it's on XM 186. Here's the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
You won't find MLB Gameday links on the MLB.com scoreboard because Gameday is unofficial during spring training -- practice for them, too, I suppose. However, I will post the unofficial Gameday links here each day.
Cubs baseball is back! Go Cubs!
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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I'll miss the first few innings.
I have a new job orientation first, so y’all will have to bring the web to it’s knees without me ;)
Mrs. Zeke and I are having homemade Chicago Dogs for dinner to celebrate.
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
I've always wanted to be a stripper...
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
Forecast
is for highs of 72 today and tomorrow (it’s 65 in Mesa as I write this) and 75 on Saturday. Sunday is iffy as a front is supposed to come thru Saturday night.
It's about time.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
That's the over/under number on the number of game thread posts today...
So get cracking, people…
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
That's a bunch more than last season's ST opener
We only had something like 1200 comments in those.
Just >slightly< mad around here….
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Slightly mad? Reminds me of the old joke:
Mickey and Minnie Mouse are visiting a marriage counselor.
Counselor: “So Mickey, how long have you suspected that Minnie has been losing her mind?”
Mickey: (in a high pitched voice) “NO, NO, NO! I didn’t say she was losing her mind! I said the was f***ing GOOFY!”
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
Seriously trying not to post picture...
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
by eths on Mar 4, 2010 1:48 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
yippie!
I hope the ledge-jumpers have their sneakers on and are ready to “go”!
"...to the home of the brave, the land of the free, and the dooooooooormat of the National League." -Steve Goodman
And i'll stand on the grand below with a stick...
… ready to whack anybody who isn’t finished off by the fall.
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
Any day is a beautiful day for baseball
On second thought, after coming to the last 2 ODs at Wrigley, not really…
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
Let's Play Two!!
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. ~Earl Wilson
School is for suckers.
I have degrees up the culo and I’m stuck in a menial job. Have fun while you can.
And our long national nightmare is over.
Cubs Baseball is BACK!
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
Someone slap me.
I’m actually excited to hear Judd. He’s doing the pregame at 1:30pm.
"Fasten those seat belts."-Pat Hughes
Oh, that's just wrong.
You can do your pregame activities here. Then join Pat & Ron at 2.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
So you're adding an audio pregame stream to BCB Al?
Will you be doing the pregame show?
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
Actually I just logged onto the WGN feed via the MLB multimedia page and got:
Tone.
Shudder…
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
Geez.
It’s still more than an hour to game time!
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
One of my favorite quotes
“I’m not into instant gratification…it takes too long.”
by azjazzman on Mar 4, 2010 12:54 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Mine is:
“NOTICE: Today’s meeting of Apathetics Anonymous has been cancelled due to lack of interest.”
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
Or how about Procrastinaters Anonymous?
They’ll get around to having a meeting one of these days…
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
You can be excited now to hear him do pre game
by 1:33pm, I’m betting you’ll be excited to turn your radio off until 2.
"I cherish this dream I had as a little kid to play baseball,'' Ted Lilly
by Madison Cub Fan on Mar 4, 2010 12:46 PM CST up reply actions
Can't listen and gameday is blocked here at work...
What is the best way to follow along online? These has to be a better way than refreshing a scoreboard.
Bingo.
What we Cubs fans should live by: "I found that if you have a goal, that you might not reach it. But if you don't have one, then you are never disappointed. And I gotta tell ya... it feels phenomenal" ---Vince Vaughn in Dodgeball
It's easy enough...
… all you have to do is put the right date and the team abbreviations into the URL. Presto — instant Gameday link.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
As hard as it is for me to transition to baseball while NCAA hoops is just heating up,
I’m glad this day has arrived. Hoping for an injury-free ST from here on out.
Follow me on Twitter: @brandonrifkin
Amen
Aren’t we all
"Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can't get you off." ~ Bill Veeck
Exactly
I’m never really able to pay full attention to baseball until after the NHL playoffs are over.
Chicagoan in the Lou.
never been into hockey
but what an amazing Olympics. If I was ever to get into it, I would have to be a Buffalo fan due to the awesomeness of Ryan Miller.
"I cherish this dream I had as a little kid to play baseball,'' Ted Lilly
by Madison Cub Fan on Mar 4, 2010 12:54 PM CST up reply actions
Spartan Ryan Miller, thank you very much.
29 career shutouts in college.
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
I was happy to see he was from the Big 10. :)
Him and Drew Brees both doing awesome job of representing the Big Ten.
"I cherish this dream I had as a little kid to play baseball,'' Ted Lilly
by Madison Cub Fan on Mar 4, 2010 12:58 PM CST up reply actions
How do you not win a title with him in net?
Having a hot goalie is so money. Brian Elliott was huge for UW in our title run in ’06. Man that was a lot of fun. I love college hockey.
Follow me on Twitter: @brandonrifkin
It's also worth noting...
That the Hawks have 3 former Badgers, with Adam Burish with the big club, and Jack Skille and Jake Dowell in Rockford… :)
Chicagoan in the Lou.
Yup. And we were all over the Olympic scene as well.
Joe Pavelski, Brian Rafalski (who was unbelievable), Dany Heatley, Ryan Suter…
Follow me on Twitter: @brandonrifkin
never gotton into college hockey
We wanted to watch a little play offs next weekend somewhere. It’s tape delay Friday and no coverage at all Saturday. So our idea of splitting basketball and hockey next weekend not so much.
Baseball and football are hands down my favorite anyways.
"I cherish this dream I had as a little kid to play baseball,'' Ted Lilly
by Madison Cub Fan on Mar 4, 2010 1:12 PM CST up reply actions
Hey fellow SCH & BCB'er
I agree. When the Hawks were terrrrrible, I was tremendously excited for a day like today. Not to say I’m not excited today by any means…but since the Hawks are so freakin’ good now, I can’t focus entirely yet on the Cubbies. Last spring was the first time in a long time I honestly wasn’t 100% focused on the Cubs/baseball…and that might happen again this year…maybe until June this time (closing eyes and folding hands)
Either way…GO CUBBIES!!!
"What the hell, let's review it." - Dale Tallon
"They are!" - Pat Foley
"What a farce." - Dale Tallon
That was my condition last season
Last years NHL playoffs really got me back into hockey full time again. With as well as the Hawks are playing now, my attention will be partially diverted in their direction until their deep playoff run ends (hopefully with the cup).
"Respect" ~ Ryne Sandberg
I know there has been a few fan posts about Cubs Annual
But I wanted to add how awesome it was. To read about Pat’s day, was so interesting as from April to October he is often a part of my day/evening
"I cherish this dream I had as a little kid to play baseball,'' Ted Lilly
by Madison Cub Fan on Mar 4, 2010 12:49 PM CST reply actions
Haha, this reminds me of "America, F#%* Yeah"
McDonalds!
Wal-Mart!
The Gap!
BASEBALL!
I think the rest of the lyrics might be a tad inappropriate for this place.
Follow me on Twitter: @brandonrifkin
Thanks Al for getting me through the winter.
I really enjoyed the history, etc.
Unlike many of you that love other sports too, I only follow baseball.
"Fasten those seat belts."-Pat Hughes
They are illusions
It’s ok – you can wake up now
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
AWESOME
Back in the Cubs fevor…..
Still loving my Bulls but now i have another team to be disapointed about, woot woot.
DA CUBS DA BEARS DA BULLS
Thanks for the Iowa shout out
We have had no snow for a couple of weeks and actually been above freezing. We losing some snow after setting every snow record in the history books or coming close to every one. We’ve had over 5 inches on the ground for over 90 days.
YA THINK I’M READY FOR SOME BASEBALL?? Man that has a good sound.
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
Wow.
That’s a LONG time to have that much snow on the ground. We haven’t had a winter like that in Chicago in more than 30 years — even in winters when we have had a lot of snow, there were thaws.
This winter was worse than most. It wasn’t all that cold, but it never really warmed up at all — after late January, the temperature never hit 40, until today.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
In Michigan, October's weather was like November,
November was October,
December was January,
January was December
and February was, well, just plain s****y…
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
IMO this was a pretty mild winter for Chicago
You’re right that we never really got any decent thaws in Jan/Feb, but we only had a couple of real cold snaps, and less snow than usual. Of course, compared to last winter, living at the North Pole would probably seem pretty mild.
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.
I live 30 miles from North Pole...
Alaska, and it’s been a VERY mild winter. Unusually so.
GO CUBS!!
you can’t get much by that #$%@ ballhawk -- LT
Cubs signing!
http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2010/3/4/1356543/cubs-sign-juan-yasser
DA CUBS DA BEARS DA BULLS
hey hey
im sure it will wear off but im so psyched about listening to baseball that I’m listening to the pirates – braves game right now.
def switching to the cubs at 2 though.
---AC 00 00 00 - Believe
I love listening to baseball, no matter who the teams are.
I was listening to Yankees/Phillies for a while. Will switch to the Cubs @ 2, of course.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
It's the sounds. Wooden bats striking baseballs,
the crowd chatter, vendors hawking their wares, … ahhh…
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
Don't forget the organ, and the smell of popcorn, hotdogs FTC. etc.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
by eths on Mar 4, 2010 1:53 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
My plans to go to Mesa got cancelled
I planned on going the weekend of March 27-28 but a conference in Orlando ruined my plans. I’ll take the HohoKams and the Hooters Girls over DisneyWorld and the (We Really Mean A) Killer Whale Show at SeaWorld.
These guys
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
For those who haven't seen the Line-up, here it is
SS Theriot, RF Fukudome, 1B Lee, 3B Ramirez, CF Byrd, LF Colvin, 2B Fontenot, C Soto
Be careful, it's my heart.
Uh, oh. The WGN radio feed on MLB multimedia is a Baltimore Sportstalk station...
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
go here
http://www.wgnradio.com/about/listen/
I think the spring training games are streamed, even though the regular season games aren’t.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 1:30 PM CST up reply actions
or maybe not.
sigh.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 1:31 PM CST up reply actions
I really hate that
It’s a spring training game, for crying out loud!
tHAT’S WHAT the crap im hearing is
Because Fox Entertainment has been posessed by Cheese Smokie Monsters Bones returns in April so B&B have to wait.
by puckishcubsfan on Mar 4, 2010 1:46 PM CST up reply actions
there are Ron Santo t-shirts?
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 1:33 PM CST up reply actions
The one I have is like
this.
Only I think I got it cheaper from a vendor across from Wrigley.
"Fasten those seat belts."-Pat Hughes
oh, a jersey shirt. :D
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 1:39 PM CST up reply actions
The bottom 1/4 is cut off
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
I'm rocking...
… this one today. My favorite cubs shirt.
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
Riot says
“my 2009 was good. I’ve improved in a lot of categories.”
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
and caught stealing.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 1:45 PM CST up reply actions
his double clutching was really sharp as well
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
Santo says
“Soto is on a mission. The ball is jumping off hist bat.”
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
2010 Meme's
What meme’s will happen this year? Last year it was Erin Andrews with Jake Fox. Anyone have any other ideas?
That was Hoff
We’ll have to come up with something new and wacky
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
it should.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 1:45 PM CST up reply actions
Well gee...
Ronny hasn’t seen a game in four months, he’s bound to forget. Surprised he remembers his own name at times.
by Steven Schweickert on Mar 4, 2010 1:49 PM CST up reply actions
That's what happens when you put two guys who have no business in broadcasting
in the booth
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
OMG, a honest to god pre-pre-game thread
It sure has been a long winter.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
by eths on Mar 4, 2010 1:46 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Wondered where you were...
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Waiting for the bus and freezing my b*** off.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
by eths on Mar 4, 2010 1:55 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Have mercy
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
trouble getting WGN
When I click on the WGN listen now I get a talk show and not Cubs, here in WI the signal on the radio is a little too fuzzy, any suggestions?
I'm not getting it either from MLBTV.com
just dead air
you can’t get much by that #$%@ ballhawk -- LT
not the game
not legally.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 1:54 PM CST up reply actions
I mean with a subscription to MLB.com cuz I get nothing but dead air
you can’t get much by that #$%@ ballhawk -- LT
oh
maybe they don’t start till the game actually starts.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 1:55 PM CST up reply actions
I just re-upped
for the audio portion and all I am getting is dead air as well.
"Respect" ~ Ryne Sandberg
Cubs sound coming up, sounds like someone dropped a mic.
by Steven Schweickert on Mar 4, 2010 1:58 PM CST up reply actions
Sound up.
“Now the voice of the Cubs, Pat Hughes.”
… while the anthem continues. Brilliant. Off to a fine start to 2010.
by Steven Schweickert on Mar 4, 2010 2:00 PM CST up reply actions
it's TRADITION!
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 2:01 PM CST up reply actions
they shut it down during the game
anyone having problems with MLB audio, though? I’m getting nothing but silence for my $19.95
working now
must have been a mix up on gamedays part, people should try to reconnect adn then they can hear Ron and PAT!!!
Santo now talking to
the FOINE pitching coach for the chicago cubs.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
"FOINE"??
"Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living." ~Alvin Dark
by DamonBerryhillsMitt on Mar 4, 2010 1:54 PM CST up reply actions
he's a good Irish lad he is...
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Mar 4, 2010 1:55 PM CST up reply actions
I liked it...
"Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living." ~Alvin Dark
by DamonBerryhillsMitt on Mar 4, 2010 2:00 PM CST up reply actions
But if I may let my inner BLou to come out for a moment...
…major fail on the intro music. Don’t know what it was, but it… well, BLew…
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Not positive
But it might have been O*A*R
"Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living." ~Alvin Dark
by DamonBerryhillsMitt on Mar 4, 2010 2:03 PM CST up reply actions
First Pitch Thread is up. Click the pic to
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
isn't it just wonderful how ron and pats voices raise the temperature 20 degrees?
gotta love it!
by munale on Mar 4, 2010 2:05 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Happy Days!
It’s funny how we always can’t wait for spring training games to begin. Then, as soon as they start, we can’t wait for them to end and start the real thing…
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