Preparing for the Big Day

Tomorrow is Opening Day at Wrigley Field! The Cubs host the Washington Nationals at 1:20. The game will be televised on WGN-TV with Len Kasper and Bob Brenly and broadcast on WGN Radio with Pat Hughes and Keith Moreland. For the second consecutive year, Ryan Dempster will receive the opening day nod for the Chicago Cubs. Young right hander Stephen Strasburg will take the hill for the Nats.

Dale Sveum settled his bullpen today to figure out the final spots on his roster. In addition, infielder Luis Valbuena was claimed off waiver from the Blue Jays in a surprising move. He will fill a spot on the 25-man roster, serving as Starlin Castro's backup at shortstop. The Cubs will go with 14 position players and just 11 pitchers to start the season.

According to Carrie Muskat the six man bullpen will be made up of Kerry Wood, Carlos Marmol, James Russell, Rafael Dolis, Shawn Camp and Lendy Castillo. Rodrigo Lopez will not start the season on the roster but is expected to be called up quickly. Frankie De La Cruz was outrighted, while Manny Corpas was also cut from the big league squad.

Tomorrow's lineup is still pending whether or not Bryan LaHair, who stat out the last four Cactus League games with a back issue. Either Blake DeWitt, Joe Mather or Jeff Baker will start in his place if he cannot go. There is a 50-50 chance that LaHair will start. Tony Campana is still with the team in case a disabled list stint is necessary.

Today the Cubs worked out at Wrigley Field for the first time this season. According to multiple reports, the ivy is already green. Bill Murray will throw out the first pitch and sing the 7th inning Stretch on Opening Day. Friday is an off day before the series continues Saturday at 12:05.

The games that count are here! David DeJesus and Ian Stewart will make their Cubs debuts today.

"I don't care who wins as long as it's the Cubs!"

Game Preview: Opening Day 2011

Today another season of Chicago Cubs baseball gets underway as the Cubs battle the Pirates at Wrigley Field! The Cubs will do battle with fellow NL Central bottom dwellers from 2010, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates finished 2010 in last place with a record of 57-105. The fifth place Cubs weren't much better at 75-87. Both clubs are under new manager this season. Mike Quade takes over the full time gig after serving as the interim skipper for the final two months of 2010.

Clint Hurdle, a former Rockies manager, was named the Pittsburgh skipper this winter. Neither club has high expectations for the year, but the Pirates have a chance to finally end their streak of last place finishes. They have a chance to finish ahead of the Houston Astros for fifth place.

The Cubs are predicted to finish fourth in the division, also a notch up from their finish a year ago. However, the division is very winnable. The Cubs could surprise some people by making some noise this season. Their strong finish under Mike Quade provides some hope for a surprising playoff run.

Ryan Dempster will make his first Opening Day start as a Cub. For more on the Cubs right hander, check out my post from earlier in the week.

RHP Kevin Coreia was suprisingly named Clint Hurdle's starter for the season's first game. He will make his Pittsburgh debut today after going 10-10 with a 5.40 ERA for the Padres last season.

One key to 2011 for the Cubs will be beating the Astros and Pirates. A year ago, they went just 5-10 against the lowly Bucs.

Here is the starting nine that will take the field at Wrigley today:
1. Kosuke, RF
2. Starlin Castro, SS
3. Marlon Byrd, RF
4. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
5. Carlos Pena, 1B
6. Geovany Soto, C
7. Alfonso Soriano, LF
8. Darwin Barney, 2B
9. Ryan Dempster, P

Ron Santo will be in the thoughts of all Cubs fans today. It is going to be strange to start the first regular season without Ronnie up in the broadcast booth. Ron Santo Jr. will sing the 7th Inning Stretch.

The game will be on WGN-TV and WGN Radio at 1:20. TV coverage begins with "Next Year is Here", hosted by Dan Roan, at 12:30. Judd Sirott's pregame show starts at
12:45 on 720 AM.

The Cubs will be in for a bit of a shock when they take the field in the cold after spending the spring training in sunny Arizona. The high is 46 degrees and there is an 80% chance of rain in Chicago. The Cubs will do everything they can to try to get this one in.

As Ron Santo would say, "This is the year!"

Breaking News: Cubs Opening Day Lineup Announced

Mike Quade officially announced his Opening Day lineup today. The Cubs will play the Pirates to start the 2011 season tomorrow, and this is what the starting nine will look like.

1. Kosuke, RF
2. Starlin Castro, SS
3. Marlon Byrd, CF
4. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
5. Carlos Pena, 1B
6. Geovany Soto, C
7. Alfonso Soriano, LF
8. Darwin Barney, 2B
9. Ryan Dempster, P

Barney, who made his big league debut last season, earned a spot in the starting nine with a strong spring. He will become the first Cubs rookie to start on Opening Day since Soto and Kosuke in 2008.

Pena will make his Cubs debut, Byrd will be in center for the second straight Cubs opener and Soto will catch the opener for the fourth straight year. Castro makes his first opening day start, while Soriano and Ramirez have been fixtures in the starting nine.

Kosuke, who has started in the outfield for the Cubs that last three openers (two in RF, 1 in CF), will lead-off against the Pirates but Jeff Baker could see time in the No. 1 slot when he plays second base.

Chicago Cubs baseball is less than 24 hours away!

Dempster Set for Opening Day Start

Tomorrow at 1:20, Ryan Dempster will take the hill as the Cubs opening day starter for the first time. Demp will get the nod against the Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mike Quade announced that he would receive the nod to start the season a week before Cactus League games even began, ending Carlos Zambrano's streak of Opening Day starts.

Zambrano started the first game of the season every year from 2005 to 2010. Before that, Kerry Wood (2003-2004) and Jon Lieber (2000-2002) took the honor. Newcomer Matt Garza was also in the mix for the 2011 nod, but he will start the season's third game on Sunday.

Dempster does has previous opening day starting experience, but it has been a while. The last time he took the hill to start a season was in 2002, his second straight Opening Day with the Florida Marlins.

Ryan is set to begin his eighth year as a Cub. It is the final year of his contract, but he is expected to pick up his player option for 2012. A year ago, Dempster went 15-12 with a 3.65 ERA in 34 starts. Quade is not ready to call him the "ace", but he is expected to be the most consistent member of the starting five.

After spending three years as the Cubs closer, Dempster moved into the rotation for the first time in 2008. He had an outstanding year, posting 17 wins and an ERA of 2.96. Surprising performances from he and fellow starter Ted Lilly, who also won 17 games, helped the Cubs win their second straight division title.

Ryan is one of the more charitable and friendly Cubs. He rarely turns down an autograph seeker and raises lots of money for children with illnesses similar to his daughters.

The Opening Day honor is well-deserved for a great pitchers and a great guy. Although the Cubs do not open up until tomorrow, today is Opening Day for some Major League Baseball teams.

Here's the schedule:
Yankees VS Tigers Noon ESPN
Angel VS Royals 3:10
Braves VS Nationals 12:05
Brewers VS Reds 1:10
Padres VS Cardinals 3:15 ESPN
Giants VS Dodgers 7:00 ESPN

I will be at Fitch Park this afternoon to see Andrew Cashner's final tuneup in a minor league game. I'll let you know how it goes later.

Blogging from Mesa (#1)

I'm having a great time so far in Arizona. Here's all the latest, including news, my observations, personal experiences, and roster moves!

• Braden Looper announced his retirement today. He was told that he was not going to be on the Cubs roster so he decided to call it quits.
• James Russell, Andrew Cashner and Jeff Samardzija have all been told that they are on the team.
• The Cubs announced five more roster cuts yesterday. Scott Moore, Bobby Scales, Fernando Perez, Augie Ojeda and Matt Camp were all sent to minor league camp.
• Speaking of minor league camp, I went to Fitch Park to see the workouts this morning before going down the street to HoHoKam for the game. I enjoyed seeing the young guys practice, I would recommend stopping by Fitch Park if you're in the area.
• To relay another personal experience, I saw Cubs GM Jim Hendry at Don & Charlie's tonight. Don and Charlie's is a great place to go for a baseball fan. The restaurant is literally covered wall-to-wall in baseball memorabilia.
• Last night I went to Diamond's to eat. Ivan DeJesus was there hanging out and I've hear that Greg Maddux is a frequent visitor. Diamond's was originally called Harry and Steve's owned by Harry Caray and Steve Stone. It has been under several different owners and had several different names since then.
• Since Perez was sent down to Iowa, Reed Johnson will make the team as the Cubs fifth outfielder.
• I've been especially impressed by Darwin Barney during the two games I've seen. He was rewarded by being named the starting second baseman, to platoon with Jeff Baker, earlier this week. Blake DeWitt, who homered today, will start the season on the bench.
• The Sun-Times reports that Carlos Silva is expected to make the team unless he is traded.
• Randy Wells was officially told today that he is the fourth starter.
• The roles of Andrew Cashner and Carlos Silva have yet to be determined. One will be the fifth starter, while the other will pitch in middle relief.
• RHP Kevin Correia will pitch for the Pirates on Opening Day at Wrigley Field.
• Robert Redford, an actor, will throw out the first pitch for the opener. Ron Santo Jr. will sing The 7th Inning Stretch.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted from Mesa!

Breaking News: Ryan Dempster to Start on Opening Day

Updated 3:20pm CT with Spring Training Rotation Info

Today, Mike Quade named Ryan Dempster his Opening Day starter. Demp will take the ball against the Pirates on April 1 at Wrigley Field. This choice is very popular among Cubs fans.

Carlos Zambrano got the nod for six straight years as the Cubs Opening Day guy. The last time he didn't start on Opening Day was when Kerry Wood took the ball for Dusty Baker in 2004. Matt Garza was also in the mix to start the opener.

Quade made the decision this early on because he want to be able to set up the Spring Training rotation accordingly. Zambrano will essentially be the Cubs No. 2, starting the second game of the season. Garza will pitch the final game of the series with the Pirates on April 3.

Update: The Cubs also announced today that Matt Garza and Carlos Zambrano will both pitch in the Spring Training opener against the A's on Sunday. The first pitch is at 2:05 with Cubs Central Pregame on WGN Radio starting at 1:30. It is almost here!

Mike cited Zambrano's hot finish as a reason why this decision was so tough. Dempster status in the clubhouse was not a factor in the decision.

Shifting gears, the MLB Network has released its full 83 game Spring Training broadcast schedule. The first game will be on Saturday at Noon CT as the Phillies take on the Yankees. They will air a tape delayed version of the Rockies/D'backs game on Saturday night at 10:00. Next Sunday, the Angels and Dodgers will battle on the network at 2:00.

The Cubs will play on MLBN on March 11 against the White Sox, March 21 against the Angels, March 22 against the Dodgers and March 25 against the Mariners. The channel will air its "30 Clubs in 30 Days" series for the third straight year. The Cubbies will be featured on March 11 at 6:00 (after the air the Cubs/Sox game).

More to come...

What are Cubs Fans Thankful For?

It was a tough year, but there are still some things for Cubs fans to be thankful for!

• We can get our baseball fix this holiday weekend as a Cubs Classic airs on Comcast Sports Net at 11am today.
• The minor league system is full of bright young stars.
• Only two months until the Cubs Convention.
• Only three months until Spring Training.
• The MLB Network has great baseball coverage all year around.
• Site like Bleed Cubbie Blue, Chicago Cubs Online, and The Cub Reporter where Cubs fans can come together to discus their favorite team.
• Larry Rothschild is gone!
• The Cubs play the Pirates on Opening Day at Wrigley... sounds like a W!
• The Cubs get to play the Red Sox and Yankees next season, which will make for some fun series.
• Our roster includes talented players like Marlon Byrd, Carlos Marmol, Tyler Colvin, and Starlin Castro.
• We have the greatest fan base in all of professional sports. Someday we're going to go all the way.

Go Cubs Go!!! Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Opening Day Memories

We're just hours away from the start of the 2010 Cubs season! Today is the 135th Opening Day in Cub history. Let's take a trip back through some of the Opening Day starting lineups.


May 10, 1876

• Chicago Cubs first game ever.
• VS Cincinnati Red Stockings
• W 6-0
• Starting Lineup:
• 1. Ross Barnes, 2B
• 2. Cap Anson, 3B
• 3. Calvin McVey, 1B
• 4. Paul Hines, CF
• 5. Albert Spaulding, P
• 6. Bob Addy, RF
• 7. Deacon White, C
• 8. Johnny Peters, SS
• 9. John Glenn, LF

1908

• 1. Jimmy Slagle, CF
• 2. Jimmy Sheckard, LF
• 3. Wildfire Schultee, RF
• 4. Frank Chance, 1B
• 5. Harry Steinfeldt, 3B
• 6. Johnnny Evers, 2B
• 7. Joe Tinker, SS
• 8. Johnny King, C
• 9. Ovral Overall, P

1969

• 1. Don Kessinger, SS
• 2. Glenn Beckert, 2B
• 3. Billy Willaims, LF
• 4. Ron Santo, 3B
• 5. Ernie Banks, 1B
• 6. Randy Hundley, C
• 7. Jim Hickman, RF
• 8. Don Young, CF
• 9. Fergie Jenkins, P

1984

• 1. Bobby Dernier, CF
• 2. Ryne Sandberg, 2B
• 3. Gary Matthews, LF
• 4. Ron Cey, 3B
• 5. Keith Moreland, RF
• 6. Jody Davis, C
• 7. Leon Durham, 1B
• 8. Larry Bowa, SS
• 9. Steve Trout, P

Now let's continue our trip down memory lane with a look at the last ten years. Note the changes to the starting lineup!

2000

• Game was at Tokyo Dome in Japan.
• 1. Eric Young, 2B
• 2. Damon Buford, CF
• 3. Mark Grace, 1B
• 4. Sammy Sosa, RF
• 5. Henry Rodriguez, LF
• 6. Shane Andrews, 3B
• 7. Jose Nieves, SS
• 8. Joe Girardi, C
• 9. Jon Lieber, P

2001

• 1. Eric Young, 2B
• 2. Bill Mueller, 3B
• 3. Sammy Sosa, RF
• 4. Rondell White, LF
• 5. Matt Stairs, 1B
• 6. Ricky Gutierrez, SS
• 7. Damon Buford, CF
• 8. Joe Girardi, C
• 9. Jon Lieber, P

2002

• 1. Delino Deshields, 2B
• 2. Corey Patterson, CF
• 3. Sammy Sosa, RF
• 4. Fred McGirff, 1B
• 5. Roosevelt Brown, LF
• 6. Alex Gonzalez, SS
• 7. Todd Hundley, C
• 8. Chris Stynes, 3B
• 9. Jon Liber, P

2003

• 1. Mark Grudzielanek, 2B
• 2. Alex Gonzalez, SS
• 3. Sammy Sosa, RF
• 4. Moises Alou, LF
• 5. Hee Seop Choi, 1B
• 6. Mark Bellhorn, 3B
• 7. Corey Patterson, CF
• 8. Damian Miller, C
• 9. Kerry Wood, P

2004

• 1. Mark Grudzielanek, 2B
• 2. Corey Patterson, CF
• 3. Sammy Sosa, RF
• 4. Moises Alou, LF
• 5. Aramis Ramiez, 3B
• 6. Derrek Lee, 1B
• 7. Alex Gonzalez, SS
• 8. Michael Barrett, C
• 9. Kerry Wood, P

2005

• 1. Corey Patterson, CF
• 2. Todd Walker, 2B
• 3. Nomar Garciaparra, SS
• 4. Aramis Ramiez, 3B
• 5. Jeromy Burnitz, RF
• 6. Derrek Lee, 1B
• 7. Todd Hollandsworth, LF
• 8. Michael Barrett, C
• 9. Carlos Zambrano, P

2006

• 1. Juan Pierre, CF
• 2. Todd Walker, 2B
• 3. Derrek Lee, 1B
• 4. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
• 5. Jacque Jones, RF
• 6. Michael Barrett, C
• 7. Matt Murton, LF
• 8. Ronny Cedeno, SS
• 9. Carlos Zambrano, P

2007

• 1. Alfonso Soriano, CF
• 2. Matt Murton, LF
• 3. Derrek Lee, 1B
• 4. Aramis Ramiez, 3B
• 5. Jacque Jones, RF
• 6. Michael Barrett, C
• 7. Mark DeRosa, 2B
• 8. Cesar Izturis, SS
• 9. Carlos Zambrano, P

2008

• 1. Ryan Theriot, SS
• 2. Alfonso Soriano, LF
• 3. Derrek Lee, 1B
• 4. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
• 5. Kosuke Fukudome, RF
• 6. Mark DeRosa, 2B
• 7. Geovany Soto, C
• 8. Felix Pie, CF
• 9. Carlos Zambrano, P

2009

• 1. Alfonso Soriano, LF
• 2. Kouske Fukudome, CF
• 3. Derrek Lee, 1B
• 4. Milton Bradley, RF
• 5. Aramis Ramiez, 3B
• 6. Mike Fontenot, 2B
• 7. Geovany Soto, C
• 8. Ryan Theriot, SS
• 9. Carlos Zambrano, P

2010 (Expected Lineup, Includes Number of Cub Opening Day starts)

• 1. Ryan Theriot, SS (3rd)
• 2. Kouske Fukudome, RF (3rd)
• 3. Derrek Lee, 1B (7th)
• 4. Aramis Ramiez, 3B (7th)
• 5. Marlon Byrd, CF (1st)
• 6. Alfonso Soriano, LF (4th)
• 7. Mike Fontenot, 2B (2nd)
• 8. Geovany Soto, C (3rd)
• 9. Carlos Zambrano, P (6th)

"I don't care who wins... as long as it's the Cubs!"

Let's go get a win!