Cubs to Play Sox at Cashman Field, Cubs '09 Spring Training Schedule

The Cubs and the White Sox have added 2 games to their spring training schedule.

The 2 teams will meet in Las Vegas on March 4th and 5th. Both teams will be playing split-squads during these 2 days. The March 4 game will be at 8:05 PM CT. The game on the 5th will be at 2:05 CT. The Cubs and Sox will now play 5 times during the spring.



Here is the Cubs full 2009 Spring Training Schedule:

Feb. 25 VS LAD, Mesa, 2:05 CT

Feb. 26 VS MIL, Mesa, 2:05 CT

Feb. 27 VS TEX, Surprise, 2:05 CT

Feb. 28 VS CWS, Mesa, 2:05 CT

Mar. 1 VS SD, Peoria, 2:05 CT

Mar. 2 VS ARI, Mesa, 2:05 CT

Mar. 3 VS OAK, Mesa, 2:05 CT

Mar. 4(ss) VS CLE, Goodyear, 2:05 CT

VS CWS, Las Vegas, 8:05 CT

Mar. 5 VS CWS, Las Vegas, 2:05 CT

Mar. 6 VS LAD, Mesa, 2:05 CT

Mar. 7 VS MIL, Maryvale, 2:05 CT

Mar. 8 VS TEX, Mesa, 3:05 CT

Mar. 9 VS KC, Mesa, 3:05 CT

Mar. 10 VS SEA, Peoria, 3:05 CT

Mar. 11 OFF

Mar. 12 WBC

Mar. 13(ss) VS Sea, Mesa, 3:05 CT

VS LAA, Tempe, 3:05 CT

Mar. 14 VS LAA, Mesa, 3:05 CT

Mar. 15 VS ARI, Tuscan, 3:05 CT

Mar. 16 VS MIL, Maryvale, 3:05 CT

Mar. 17 VS LAD, Glendale, 3:05 CT

Mar. 18 VS SF, Mesa, 3:05 CT

Mar. 19 VS SEA, Peoria, 3:05 CT

Mar. 20 VS SD, Mesa, 3:05 CT

Mar. 21 VS CWS, Glendale, 3:05 CT

Mar. 22 VS SEA, Mesa, 3:05 CT

Mar. 23 VS OAK, Phoenix, 3:05 CT

Mar. 24 VS COL, Mesa

Mar. 25 OFF

Mar. 26 VS SF, Scottsdale, 3:05 CT

Mar. 27 VS CWS, Mesa, 3:05 CT

Mar. 28 VS COL, Tuscan, 3:05 CT

Mar. 29 VS CLE, Mesa, 3:05 CT

Mar. 30 VS KC, Surprise, 3:05 CT

April 1 VS OAK, Phoenix, 3:05 CT

April 2 VS CLE, Mesa, 2:05 CT

April 3 VS NYY, New Yankee Stadium, 6:05 CT

April 4 VS NYY, New Yankee Stadium, 12:05 CT



The Cubs will host a luncheon with some of the Cubs players during the Cubs caravan. It will be held on Jan. 14 from 11 AM to 1 PM CT at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse. Tickets are $100. The money will benefit Cubs Care. Space is limited to 120 guests. Jim Hendry will speak about the upcoming season and one Cubs representative will be seated at each table. Tickets go on Sale Wednesday at 10 AM CT by calling 773-404-CUBS.



Also, the Cubs, NHL, and the Chicago Blackhawks will an open skate at Wrigley Field's temporary ice rink on January 4 from 9 AM to 4 PM CT. However, the event for neighborhood residents is already sold out. Find more information at Cubs.com.



And finally, several sources say that the Cubs are expected to sign Joey Gathright to add to the Cubs bench for next year. Gathright was non-tendered by the Royals last week.

I'll keep you posted.

My Cubs Roster 2009

Here's what I would like to see as the Cubs opening day batting order next year.
CF C. Figgins
1B D. Lee
3B A. Ramirez
RF A. Dunn
LF A. Soriano
C G. Soto
2B M. DeRosa
SS R. Theriot

Here's my Starting 5:
Big Z
Dempster
Lilly
Harden
Randy Johnson

And the Bench:
Paul Bako
Micah Hoffpauir
Mike Fontenot
Reed Johnson
Ronny Cedeno (or other back up infielder)

The Pen:
Jeff Samardija
Kevin Gregg
Carlos Marmol
Angel Guzman or Kevin Hart
Neal Cotts
Sean Marshall
Chad Gaudin

What do you think? Tell me what batting order you would like to see out there on Opening Day 2009 by writing a comment. It's easy to comment, you don't even have to log in. ☺

This is what I would like to see happen, however I think it is unlikely that Lou will shift Lee and Soriano spots in the order and that Jim will add both Figgins and Dunn. Right now it seem the Cubs will add Milton Bradley. Other possible lead off men for the Cubs in 2009 would besides Alfonso and Figgins are Orlando Hudson, Brian Roberts, and Rafael Furcal. (The Cubs have some degree of interest in all 3.)
I'll keep you posted.

Update: Milton Bradley, WBC

Bradley Rumors:

• It looks Milton Bradley is headed for either Tampa or the Cubs.
• Ken Rosenthal thinks that Joe Maddon's club would be a better fit than the Chicago media circus and Lou Pineilla.
• Bradley would like to DH in Tampa, but the Rays could add Giambi, Abreu, Anderson, or Burrell instead.

Here is the list of Cubs expected to play in the World Baseball Classic next March:

• Geovany Soto, Puerto Rico
• Kosuke Fukudome, Japan
• Ryan Dempster, Canada
• Derrek Lee, USA

Zambrano (Venezuela) and Ramirez (Dominican Republic) have not yet decided.

Also, former Cub Sammy Sosa is expected to play for the Dominican.

The final rosters for the WBC will be announced on January 19.

Recap of Talking Baseball

First of all, thanks to Byron from http://www.cubsblogarmy.com/ for adding my blog to his site.
Secondly, the Cubs have agreed to terms with Reed Johnson on a 1 year deal with a $3 million base salary and incentives. The Cubs have now avoided arbitration with Johnson, Cotts, and Gaudin but still need to agree to terms with Kevin Gregg, Ronny Cedeno, and Michael Wuertz. Also Kerry Wood has passed his physical and will be in an Indians uniform next year.

Every Saturday morning on ESPN Radio is a show with Bruce Levine and Carmen DeFalco starting at 10 AM CT. They talk Cubs and Sox the whole show all year around. Here's the link to the web page. http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/espnradio1000/show?showId=talkinbaseball It's a great show but in case you don't have time to listen to it or don't what to sit through all the commercials and Sox talk, then I'll have a full recap of the Cubs talk on many Saturdays.

• Bruce says that the Peavy situation is not over.
• Crane Kenney had to answer questions on Wednesday to talk about the Cubs involvement with Governor Rod Blagojevich.
• Levine still believes that unless Peavy is traded or the Cubs start making other deals then this deal could still be made.
• Towers has to move this guy and has to do it soon.
• A caller asked if not being able to move Marquis effected the Cubs Peavy deal. Levine says that the main road block was that the Cubs would lose 7 or 8 players that a role that would need filled for 1 guy.
• Levine thinks Milton Bradley will be in a Cub uniform by the new year.
• Carmen says that the Peavy deal is not dead forever.
• Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel joined Bruce and Carmen to talk baseball;
• Carmen asked about the Phills bring in Raul Ibanez. Charlie says that he should do well in their ballpark and says he look forward to having Raul on the club.
• Manuel says the Mets did a great job inproving their bullpen and says that the Mets could create a lot of problems next year for the Phillies.
• He says the Atlanta's real close to being good and suffered lots of injuries last year and he thinks the Braves are going to be pretty good next year.
• Charlie says the off season is a lot more relaxing being the World Champion manager.
• Manuel said Gavin Floyd of the White Sox can be a real good pitcher someday. (Floyd came up with the Phillies and then was traded for Freddy Garcia)
• Charlie said Scott Eyre was good pick up and by the end of the year their bullpen was very strong.
• Carmen says it doesn't make any sense that nobody else is made any offers to CC Sabathia besides the Yankees.
• Bruce said he met with Jim Hendry in his nice suite each day throughout the week in Los Vegas at the Winter Meetings.
• Bruce says that 2008 was an even better year for the White Sox than it was for the Cubs because the Sox rebuilt, got younger, and won on the fly.
• A caller asked about Adam Dunn and wondered why the Cubs would be more interested in Milton Bradley than Adam Dunn (I was wondering the same thing). The guys said Bradley had the best OBP in the league last year, and is a switch hitter. Carmen says that having Dunn and Soriano would be "brutal" as your corner outfielders defensively.
• Bruce says Dunn would have no chance in right field and says he can't run the bases. Bruce just isn't a big Adam Dunn fan.
• The Cubs are going after 2 left handed bats and Levine says that Bradley is already going to be one of them.

I'd like to thank everyone who has read the blog so far. Please leave your comments and scroll down to the bottom of the page to vote on our poll. As always, I'll keep you posted.

Gordan Wittnemyer talks with Memelo

Gordan Wittnemyer of the Chicago Sun Times joined Jim Memelo on Sports Central tonight to talk about the latest baseball news. Here's the recap:

• Gordan says that he has no problem with what Hendry said about Peavy not being a priority. The Cubs have depth with Marshall and Samarzija that could come into the rotation if there is an injury.
• Wittnemyer said the unbalanced lineup should be the priority.
• Jim asked if Marquis would be traded. Gordan says that he doesn't expect Marquis to be in camp next year, but he wouldn't be shocked. He says the Cubs could make a run at Randy Johnson.
• He said that Milton Bradley is the Cubs clear number 1 option for right field. Gordan says that with Ibanez off the table he would be surprised if a Bradley deal doesn't happen soon.
• Gordan says Bradley will give him something to write about with his running mouth. He says it'd be nice to see another guy like Z out there who wears his emotions on his sleeve.
• He said he'd be interest to know how DeRosa feels about being involved in the Peavy deal this year, after the Brian Roberts talk that would have took his position last season.
• Gordan and Jim both seem to think that Hendry made the right call on not trading for Peavy because the Cubs would have lost too many important pieces.

A few good Cubs links

check out these links:
WGN Radio Sports Central audio archive includes coverage from past conventions, interviews, and a lot of other good Cubs audio if you scroll through the pages;
http://wgnradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=121&Itemid=234
Cubs and Sox videos clips:
http://baseball.wgn.com/pages/video_c
A great podcast the covers the Cubs all year around is made by 2 Cubs fans.
http://www.cubscast.com/
Ron Santo reacts to Brant Brown dropping a fly ball in 1998.
http://www.northtonorth.com/pages/soundclips/santoohno.mp3

Raul Ibanez signs with Phillies

Today Raul Ibanez signed a 3 year deal with the Phillies. Milton Bradley is now clearly at the top of the Cubs list for left field, even with his bad temper. Also, today the Cubs resigned pitchers Neal Cotts and Chad Gaudin to one year contracts avoiding salary arbitration. The team also announced that it would tender the contracts of a group of players including Ronny Cedeno, Reed Johnson, Michael Wuertz and Kevin Greg.

Len Kasper and Bob Brenly will hold the 3rd annual Len and Bob Bash on January 15 at the House of Blues. They will raise money for charity.

Here's the Cubs rumors for today:

• The Cubs join the Rays, Dodgers, and Angels as the 4 teams interested in Abreu.


• Paul Sullivan says that Lou was upset at the thought of losing Mark DeRosa.


• Chris De Luca says that Kevin Towers kept putting Sean Marshall on the table, but the Cubs never agreed to it. He says that the 2010 Cubs payroll was the real sticking point.
  

That's it for Peavy, so the Cubs the Cubs will focus on acquiring a left handed bat. Feel free to vote at the bottom of the blog page on who you would like to see the Cubs aquire for right field. Let's hope they end up with a bat that can balance out the line up a little and has some power. Sources say the Cubs are still trying to trade Jason Marquis. I'd say if they do they'll end up with Randy Johnson. Who would you prefer Johnson or Marquis. I'd say the former. Anyway that's it for now, I'll keep you posted.