Today will be the first "Throwback Day" at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have decided to go with 1948 as the throwback year, despite the fact that '48 was one of their worst seasons; they went 64-90 and finished last for the first time since 1948, finishing 27.5 games out of first place.
There are other reasons for choosing '48 -- primarily WGN, as this is their 60th anniversary and thus, also the 60th anniversary of televised Cubs baseball. WGN will celebrate the occasion:
The game should be a treat for TV viewers, who can watch the first two innings in black and white with fewer camera angles. The telecast will try to go without a center-field camera and use basic graphics at the start, and then add a camera or another technical advancement as the game progresses. Commentators Len Kasper and Bob Brenly will don appropriate 1948 garb in the booth. The 1948 Braves won the NL pennant for the first time since 1914. Let's hope these teams remember their 2008 roles, not those from 60 years ago. The weather may also be a factor:Today: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. South wind around 15 mph.
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South southwest wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
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This wasn't done deliberately for the throwback day, but we have lucked into one of those old-fashioned pitching matchups, between the teams' aces. Apart from Jair Jurrjens, who got scratched from last night's game, Tim Hudson has been the Braves' best pitcher all year. The Cubs hit him pretty hard the last time he started against them last June 9 in Atlanta, but the Braves won that game anyway. The good news is that Jim Edmonds is the Cub who's probably had the most career success vs. Hudson (.444/.565/.667, 8-for-18, a double, a HR, five walks).
Z is 2-2, 4.88 in nine career starts against the Braves, the most recent being the Barrett/Zambrano Fight Game last June 1, after which Z went on a tear. Chipper Jones, who returned to the lineup last night and went 1-for-3, "dropping" has season average to .419, is .263/.440/.474 against Z (a double, a HR, four walks).
Today's game is on WGN, also SportsSouth (so on EI) and at the MLB.com Mediacenter.
MLB.com Gameday (2007 version)
MLB.com Gameday (2008 version)
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Today's overflow comment threads will post at 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm CT.
Discuss amongst yourselves.