Thanks WBC. Could This Spring Be Any Longer?

I was so gonna do some kind of April Fool's thing, but figured lots of blogs will cover that so...

I'm here to complain.

If it was last year, we would have already seen Kosuke Fukudome's heroic beginning as a Cub in the Cub-like 3-4 10-inning loss to the Brewers on opening day.

That was on March 31st, 2008.

This year, with the extra long spring, we won't see any real baseball until April 6.

So my natural baseball body clock is complaining like it's got major jet lag.

I'm tired of the kiddy rides.

I am ready to watch real baseball with real players playing for real wins and real losses.

What did the WBC do for us, anyway?

It made D Lee angry, it messed with Carlos Marmol's head, it made Geo gain weight, it delayed Kosuke's arrival, it embarrassed the entire Dominican Republic, and it didn't mean a thing.

Would you have cared if the US won?

Did you care that they didn't?

Here's what it did do - it made you and me wait an extra week to start summer so that come October we can see the most important baseball games played in worse conditions than last year.

The Cubs regular season doesn't end until October 4th.

That means by the time the World Series is being played it's possible that the Bears will already be 1 and 6 and looking for a new head coach, that all the stores will be having their Christmas sales going on, and that Cub funnyman Ryan Dempster will have secretly teamed up with the Wrigley ground crew so that they leave a snowman on the pitching mound while clearing the rest of the field for game 7.

Hey, that last one would be okay I guess.

Comments

[Cire Ddot Nekliw]

This spring training has been so long that 2 former Cub managers, Whitey Lockman and Herman Franks, have passed away. Mr Franks was managing the Cubs in 1977, and on July 28th I got to see one of the greatest games, I think, ever played at Wrigley. Cubs 16 The Big Red Machine 15 in 13 innings. Pete Rose led off with a dinger off Ray Burris, one of TEN homers on the day. Rick the Whale Reuschel got the win, had a single and scored the winning run in the bottom of the 13th. I was all of 14 at the time, and I'll never forget how crazy the crowd went when Bruce Sutter started warming up, he was the MAN!!! He pitched 3 innings, gave up no runs, no hits, walked one and struck out 6! Any doubts as to why he's a HOF'er? Anyway, sorry to get on a nostalgic Cubs tangent. Oh yeah, let's get this season started!!!

[DB]

And this image perfectly encapsulates the long-suffering spring training that has been so far this year.

[Tim@Cubby Blue]

Eric - keep coming with the stories, bud. That one's awesome.
DB, This drawing took me about 1 1/2 weeks to finish. I drew that horsey ride but didn't know what to do with it. Finally figured it out.

[Maria]

Man, so freakin' true, everything you said. Got my first couple tickets that I bought yesterday...so...I'm even more excited!

[Tim@Cubby Blue]

Go here to download Cubs schedule: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/schedule/downloadable.jsp?c_id=chc

[Cire Ddot Nekliw]

What are y'alls plans for Opening Day? What is on the menu and in the cooler? Any rituals or age old traditions followed as we prepare for Cubs/Stros?

[Tim@Cubby Blue]

I'll be making a commercial, so most likely I'll be looking for a bar in LA where I won't feel foolish being loud.
Home opener - I'll be there.
The only thing I hope to accomplish at the home opener is to get and then to actually bring home my fridge magnet schedule - for some reason I LOVE the fridge magnet - and to wreck my vocal chords and stay warm.

[Sarah]

Season opener, I don't know where I'll be. I will be on spring break from work so I don't have to wake up early. Perhaps I'll go out.
Home opener, I hope to be at Wrigley. Just found out that my work meeting is canceled so at 12, whether I have tickets or not, I will be heading down to Wrigleyville. My cooler will be filled with beer, rather my money will be spent on beer specials (Old Style anyone?).

[Cire Ddot Nekliw]

I am envious as y'all are pointing towards the Wrigley opener. Sarah, you are awesome, and hopefully you'll be fully kreusened with some Old Style!! I like the fact that we open inside with the Stros and Brewhahas. As Harry always said, "Let's get some RUNS!"

[DB]

WOW

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_16&listing_id=22647401&ga_search_query=chicago+cubs&ga_search_type=tag_title&ga_page=2&min=&max=&order=

[Sarah]

Hey Tim! Looks like August 30 is going to be interesting when the Bear and Cutler visit the Broncos and Orton!!!
Go Bears!!!

[Donna]

Thank you Jerry Angelo for giving me something to get excited about while waiting for the longest Spring Training ever to end!

[Bud]

Magic moments anyone?

We played Cleveland in the last game of spring training in Mesa today. I was ready to see DeRo and maybe Woody and all the Cubs regulars who should be all fine-tuned and prepped for the trip north.

We get to Hohokam early and I get a gazillion calorie pork tenderloin sandwich, criss-cut fries, and an Old Style and head for our seats halfway down the left field line.

It's 81 degrees, sunny, light breeze...PERFECT! (Don't hate me!)

But it sure wasn't the lineup I was hoping for! Dempster on the mound, Soriano - LF, Gathright - RF and Fukodome - CF was OK. Next came Hoff-power at 1B hitting cleanup (with a big 0-fer), and Fontenot - 2B. Then we got Bobby Scales - 3B and Andres Blanco - SS (both non-roster players) and backup Koyie Hill catching.

So Lou gave Milton Bradley, Derek Lee, Ryan Theriot, Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto all a day off (to pack for the trip to NYC and get ready to kick the fat-cat Yankees asses in their new billion-dollar temple of extravagance?)

anyhow...we begin: Ryan Dempster gives up a 1st inning HR to the great Shin-Soo Choo, whom I must admit I'd never heard of (along with most of the rest of the Indians line-up).

Sorie then ties it with a leadoff HR in the bottom of the 1st. We get SIX more in the 2nd, including a 3-run triple by Koyie. After RD gives up another 2 in the 3rd and we get one in the 4th to make it 8-3, the substitutions start coming fast and furious. I knew then this was gonna be a crazy "getaway-day spring training game".

How crazy?...We used SEVEN guys in the 5-hole and the Indians had FIVE guys in the 6-hole! (They give you 2 lines per spot in the scorecard)

I gave up trying to score the game and focused on Old Style instead.

Our relievers sucked and gave up 5 ER's: Gaudin - 3, Marmol - 1, Fox - 0 and Patton - 1, and we're tied at 8-8 in the ninth.

Omigod, I'm thinking...not another 9-inning 8-8 tie like yesterday at Oakland! Too much beer, too much sun, too many no-name ballplayers, and no sign of DeRo or Woody added to my funk.

But Wait!...who steps in to lead off the Cubs ninth? Reed Johnson - a REAL major-leaguer! RJ proceeds to lace a single to right and Bobby Scales draws a walk. Then the "new" Blanco (Andre) gets a bloop single to right and Reed beats the throw home with a hook-slide for the walk-off win!

Now I'm standing on my seat, high-fiving the guy next to me and we're singing "Go Cubs Go"!

What could be better, I think?

Then some guy in the bathroom tells me that the Bears got Jay Cutler. Holy Moly...a REAL quarterback in Chicago?!!!

The long winter of our discontent may be over. I'm comin' home!

[Tim@Cubby Blue]

Hey guys, I'm all packed and out of here tomorrow.
Sarah - that's the spirit. Get to the park tix or not!
Eric, trust me - you'll be so much warmer.
DB - Wow is...the right thing to say there.
Hi Donna. Long time and good to hear from you.
Bud, thanks for sharing your spring training trip with all of us!
And Jerry Angelo, I think you're doing something with smoke and mirrors, bro. Yeah Cutler's a quarterback, but I think you just got yourself something shiny to point to 'cause everything else is rusty.