Just after I posted the last entry in which I said there wouldn't be much news till Wednesday, I learned from this Arizona Republic article that 15 Cubs had already reported as of Thursday, including Jason Dubois and Corey Patterson, thrilling some of the early-bird fans who braved cooler-than-normal Phoenix-area weather to see some of the players take batting practice.
Corey in particular knows that he has to work on getting better in the leadoff spot:
Patterson said he knows he needs help during the 16-game regular season and added that he values his relationship with [coach Gene] Clines, who hit .334 for the Pirates in 1972.
16 games? Sheesh, is Corey thinking football already?