Unlike yesterday, when the Cubs made a couple of roster moves and announced other injury-related news, today is a quiet Cubs afternoon (although the weather could turn noisy before or during tonight's game -- and tomorrow doesn't look much better).
So, here's a random note from past history involving the Cubs and Mets.
On June 1, 1993, the Mets visited Wrigley Field. On the mound was Anthony Young, who had lost 18 straight decisions, tying a major league record.
The Mets fashioned a 3-0 lead after six innings and Mets manager Dallas Green -- see, I told you this would have lots of Cubs and Mets connections -- pulled Young, who had thrown only 84 pitches, presumably to preserve the win for him and break the streak.
Someone forgot to give the Mets bullpen the message. The Cubs scored eight runs off Mike Draper and Mike Maddux (there, another sort-of Cubs connection) and Young wound up with a no-decision. Young lost eight more games in a row before defeating the Marlins on July 28. Naturally, the next year he wound up with the Cubs, where he actually put up a competent 3.92 ERA for a bad team.
Random uniform number trivia: No. 39, which is now being worn by Lou Montanez, has been a pitcher's number for most of the last 50 years. The only position players to wear No. 39 since 1960, before Montanez, are: Eddie Zambrano (1993, second-best Zambrano in Cubs history), Robin Jennings (1996) and Willie Greene (2000), not a memorable trio. The same is the case for No. 41, now being worn by Tony Campana. The only position players to wear it since 1960 are Roberto Pena (1965), Adolfo Phillips (1966), Lou Johnson (1968) and Mike Martin (1986). Before this year neither number had been worn by a player since 2002.
Cubs lineup:
Fukudome rf, Barney 2b, Castro ss, Ramirez 3b, Pena 1b, Johnson cf, Sorianolf, Castillo c, Coleman, p
Mets lineup:
Reyes-SS, Thole-C, Beltran-RF, Bay-LF, Murphy-1B, Turner-3B, Pridie-CF, Tejada-2B, Gee-RHP
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Neither of tonight's starters has ever faced the other team before; Casey Coleman has faced Willie Harris (0-for-2).
Dillon Gee threw 7.2 innings of two-hit ball against the Nationals in his last start; Coleman threw 5.2 innings of shutout ball against the Marlins. Does that mean anything for this game? Probably not, as both had rough outings the start before that.
So instead, post in the comments who you think has the better facial hair.
Today's game is on CSN Chicago and SNY. Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Mets site Amazin' Avenue.
Today's first pitch thread will be up at 7 p.m. CDT (today, for sure!) and the overflow threads will post at 8 pm, 9 pm and 9:45 pm CDT. If you need more overflows due to extra innings or rain delays, post them in the fanshot section.
Discuss amongst yourselves.