Well, here we are — the calendar turns to March and Cubs baseball returns!
Yes, it’s a Spring Training game. Yes, it will run only seven innings. But baseball is baseball, and for the first time since a dull defeat in the Wild Card Series to the Marlins last October, Cubs players will take the field this afternoon in Peoria, Arizona.
I don’t have a lot more to say about this one, but I will have more to say tomorrow before I attend a game for the first time in almost a year.
Play ball!
Here are today’s particulars.
Cubs lineup:
Rizzo 1B, Contreras C, Pederson LF, Baez SS, Maybin RF, Bote 3B, Vargas 2B, Miller CF, Higgins DH
If this lineup seems oddly constructed to you, it’s likely designed to get the regulars the most at-bats by placing them at the top of the lineup. Don’t read anything else into it.
Padres lineup:
Pham DH, Hosmer 1B, Kim SS, Caratini C, Tanielu 3B, Mateo CF, Abrams 2B, Hassell RF, Marcano LF
Hey look! It’s our old buddy Victor Caratini... hitting cleanup. The Padres, like the Cubs, are putting the guys they want to get more at-bats at the top of the lineup.
Kyle Hendricks will start for the Cubs this afternoon. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled to throw today: Shelby Miller, Joe Biagini, Rex Brothers, Tyson Miller, Trevor Megill, Brendon Little
Chris Paddack will start for the Padres. Other Padres pitchers today: Daniel Camarena, James Reeves, Chase Johnson, Steven Wilson
There is no TV broadcast for today’s game. There will be an audiocast on MLB.com with the Padres announcers.
Please note that during spring training, Gameday doesn’t usually go pitch-by-pitch as it does during the regular season — usually, it will update after each at-bat.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball. If you do go there to interact with Padres fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
For spring-training games, we’ll have a first-pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time (because I know how you all like overflow threads!). For today, that will be 2:05 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. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
Discuss amongst yourselves.