SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- The Cubs complete their first season at Cubs Park in Mesa this afternoon, before finishing spring-training games at Chase Field against the Diamondbacks Friday and Saturday.
One storyline after the game will be the new Cactus League (and, in fact, all of spring training) attendance record that the Cubs will set. Today's game is sold out, and that will mean the team will break their existing record (set in 2009 at HoHoKam Park) by about 10,000. I'll have more to say about that in the game recap.
Otherwise it's simply one final tune-up. I wouldn't expect most of these players to play more than a few innings today; they'll get more work in over the weekend.
Cubs lineup:
Bonifacio SS, Kalish RF, Rizzo 1B, Olt DH, Sweeney CF, Castillo C, Ruggiano LF, Valbuena 3B, Barney 2B
Justin Ruggiano returns to the lineup after missing a couple of games with a minor ankle issue.
White Sox lineup:
Eaton CF, Semien 2B, Abreu 1B, Garcia RF, Dunn DH, Viciedo LF, Ramirez SS, Gillaspie 3B, Flowers C
This is probably the White Sox opening day lineup, as Gordon Beckham is supposedly starting the year on the DL.
Travis Wood will have his final spring tuneup for the season this afternoon.
Felipe Paulino goes for the White Sox.
Today's game is on WGN radio with Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer. It will be televised live on WGN-TV (White Sox announcers), and you can also watch online if you have a MLB.TV subscription.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
For spring-training games, we'll have a first-pitch thread at game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time (because I know how you all like overflow threads!). For today's game, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT. These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked "Chicago Cubs Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page. They will also appear in this StoryStream™. The pitcher box and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
Discuss amongst yourselves.