Inside the Cubs

Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who was expected to make his spring debut in the team's second exhibition game today, still is bothered enough by a sore shoulder that he won't play until Saturday at the earliest, and possibly as the designated hitter against the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe.

The Cubs don't consider the soreness anything more serious than a typical spring ache caused by all the early camp activity.

Today's lineup against a San Francisco split squad in the Cubs' exhibition home opener:

LF Alfonso Soriano
SS Ryan Theriot
RF Kosuke Fukudome
1B Derrek Lee
2B Mike Fontenot
CF Felix Pie
3B Alex Cintron
C Henry Blanco
P Carlos Zambrano

Posted by Gordon Wittenmyer at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Piniella's lineup for the Cubs' Cactus League opener Thursday against San Francisco in Scottsdale:

SS Ryan Theriot
3B Ronny Cedeno
RF Kosuke Fukudome
1B Derrek Lee
LF Matt Murton
C Geo Soto
2B Alex Cintron
CF Felix Pie
P Ryan Dempster

Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez get an extra day before joining the lineup Friday when the Cubs open their home exhibition schedule.

Also scheduled to pitch after Dempster's two innings: Sean Gallagher (two innings), Jose Ceda (one), Neal Cotts (one), Carmen Pignatiello (one), Jose Ascanio (one) and Kevin Hart (one).

Posted by Gordon Wittenmyer at 02:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

Based on casual conversations among media at Cubs camp the past few days, some of the shine seems to have worn off new guy Kosuke Fukudome. Whether it's Lou creating a few more expectations by slotting him third in his projected lineup or just the fact we've all seen the guy every day for two weeks now, more skepticism seems to be creeping into the talk. Will he be able to hit those ``moving fastballs'' he says he's not used to seeing? Can he handle the hype and pressure that comes with batting third in his first year in the majors? And what kind of power does he have?

But just one day after Piniella publicly mentioned that he hadn't shown much power in early-spring BP and suggested that might take awhile to come, Fukudome yanked three balls over the fence Monday in BP.

Don't think for a minute this guy isn't paying attention to every detail in camp. Or that he isn't a serious enough and smart enough hitter to make an impact out of the gate. Despite modestly telling Japanese reporters that Monday's shots went out because of the wind and telling me that he only hit them because he happened to get some pitches in his wheelhouse, it seems pretty clear he made a point. And I wouldn't be surprised to see him go back Tuesday to slapping the ball to all fields and working on getting ready for this week's exhibition opener.

It reminds me of the story Piniella tells about Ichiro's first spring with Seattle. After watching Ichiro spend his first couple of exhibition games slapping balls down the third-base line with enough monotony that the third baseman and left fielder started hugging the line, Piniella asked Ichiro's interpreter whether the former Japanese star could pull the ball.

Next at-bat: Ichiro lined a ball over the right field wall. And uipon returning to the dugout, before Piniella could say anything, Ichiro said, in English, ``Happy now?''

Posted by Gordon Wittenmyer at 01:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Cubs manager Lou Piniella is considering and reconsidering where to bat Japanese free agent Kosuke Fukudome, even after saying last week he thought the lefty hitter would bat fifth to break up an almost all right-handed lineup. The most intriguing possibility is putting Fukudome in the No. 3 spot -- where he spent most of his time batting in Japan -- and moving Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez to the 4-5 spots.

Lee, who had a very informal discussion with hitting coach Gerald Perry about the possibility, said he has no problem moving down in the order. And Fukudome said he hasn't heard anything about it, but that it won't make any difference to him -- or his hitting approach -- in either spot.

This is probably just the beginning of what could be a very fluid issue for at least the next couple of weeks, with games not scheduled to start until a week from now and the possibility still looming that the Cubs might make a trade for a hitter who could fit into the top half of the order.

``I think Lou probably has 100 lineups in his head, just like last year,'' Lee said this morning.

Fukudome had a .397 career on-base percentage in Japan. If the roster stays as is, he would be one of only two left-handed hitters in the order (along with the center fielder who would bat eighth). So where should he bat? And how does the uncertainty of leadoff man Alfonso Soriano's recovering quadriceps impact the answer to that question? The Cubs have five weeks to come up with the right answer.

Posted by Gordon Wittenmyer at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

Cubs individual game tickets go on sale Friday. Here is a cut-and-paste of the Cubs' press release with all of the details.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

CHICAGO – Chicago Cubs individual game tickets for the 2008 regular season go on sale tomorrow, February 22 at the Wrigley Field Box Office (starting at 8 a.m. via a random-numbered wristband system detailed below), via the internet at www.cubs.com (starting at 10 a.m.) and by telephone (starting at 10 a.m.).

All media is invited to Wrigley Field for the on-sale event starting Friday morning. For assistance with coverage or interview requests, please contact the Chicago Cubs Media Relations Department at 773-404-4191.

Complete details regarding the purchase of 2008 Chicago Cubs single-game tickets are as follows:

¨ At the Wrigley Field Box Office: Tickets will go on sale at 8:00 a.m. and a random wristband system will be used. There will be no advantage to “camping out” at the ballpark, as initial position in lines will be established by a random drawing of all wristbands distributed prior to 6 a.m. Friday morning.

o Fans may pick up randomly-numbered wristbands at Wrigley Field until 10 p.m. tonight. There is a limit of one wristband per person. Fans will be required to show two (2) forms of identification, one of which needs to be a government issued photo ID. The wristbands will only be used at Wrigley Field on Friday, February 22.

o A random drawing will be held tomorrow shortly after 6 a.m. to determine the starting number for the ticket line. The winning number will immediately be announced on WGN Radio (720 AM) and on the Cubs official website, www.cubs.com. All other numbers will follow the selected number.

¨ By Telephone: Tickets can be purchased by telephone through Tickets.com beginning at 10 a.m. The Tickets.com phone number for Illinois callers is 800-The-Cubs (800-843-2827). The phone number for out-of-state callers is 866-652-2827.

¨ Via the Internet: Visitors to the Cubs website, www.cubs.com, can purchase tickets beginning at 10 a.m.

o A virtual waiting room will be used for all Internet orders. The virtual waiting room will begin accepting customers tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. At 10:00 a.m. customers will be randomly selected from the virtual waiting room to begin purchasing tickets. All internet customers will need a valid cubs.com account. We recommend that customers sign-up for an account prior to tomorrow.

Outlet ticket sales will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, February 25 at Chicagoland Tickets.Com Outlets.

Ticket Limits: On February 22, 23 and 24 various ticket limits will be put in place. These limits will be imposed based on various factors including customer name, household, credit card and e-mail address. Internet customers who use computer-based scripting language may have all orders cancelled.

· There will be a limit of six tickets per game.

· Wrigley Field Box Office orders will be limited to a maximum of forty two (42) tickets.

· Internet and Phone customers will be limited to one game per order of up to six tickets. Internet and Phone customers will be limited to a maximum of forty two (42) tickets for the weekend. All customers who order more than this limit may have all orders cancelled.

All bleacher tickets sold at Wrigley Field on February 22 will be by credit card only — Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express. Credit Cards used during the on-sale must be in the name of the ticket purchaser.

Dugout, Bullpen and Bleacher Box Seats will go on sale on Friday, March 14. Please visit www.cubs.com for any updated details.

– CUBS –

Posted by Chris De Luca at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Listening to Lou talk about giving his regulars more rest this year is just another reminder of what must be the biggest home-field disadvantage in big-league sports. Twenty years after turning on the lights at Wrigley Field, how about using them a little more than once in awhile?

The Cubs play just 26 night games at home this year, with three stretches of at least five straight day games and another six stretches of four straight -- counting road games that run into either side of those stretches, it's seven streaks of four or more and at one point there's a seven-game run.

I know it's an old, tired argument to a lot of people, but with the 100-year anniversary of the Cubs' last championship at the doorstep and the expectations on the North Side as high as they've been in years, isn't it time to find a way to even the day-night playing field for the Cubs?

Double the number of night games. Do what Oakland typically does -- day games both Saturday and Sunday and then on the occasional getaway day during the week.

This is one of those cases where it really is legitimate to say, ``Everybody else does it, so we should, too.'' Visiting teams get to come into Chicago, endure two or three day games and move onto the next city and catch up on their sleep -- while the Cubs grind through the early wakeup calls for another series then often hit the road grind.

It's not impossible to overcome, and there are worse injustices and imbalances in the game. But this is an unecessary competitive disadvantage that has endured for too long.

You can bet that whoever winds up buying the team is going to apply a lot of pressure to get it changed. But it shouldn't take a new owner. And the change should be made now.

Posted by Gordon Wittenmyer at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

During his first news conference of spring training Wednesday, general manager Jim Hendry seemed to be taking a shot at former Cubs manager Dusty Baker while heaping praise on Lou Piniella.

"A big key to us getting back on track last year was we had a manager who played the people who came up right away, which is very important,’’ Hendry said. ‘‘Lou plugged them right in the first two or three days and got the most out of them. So you don't have to have all these high-profile, superstar prospects. The guys who filled in the cracks last year really helped us win the division as much as the star players."

Piniella had no problem playing youngsters at different points of the season,  including spark plugs such as Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Sam Fuld, Geovany Soto, Carlos Marmol and Kevin Hart.

‘‘I’ve always believed in young kids,’’ Piniella said Wednesday. ‘‘You know, my reputation has always been, ‘Well, Lou’s tough on young kids.’ No, I’ve never been tough on young kids, but I expect young kids to come up to the big leagues and not be intimidated by the situation and relax and play.’’

Posted by Chris De Luca at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (25) | TrackBacks (0)

With news today that the agonizingly drawn-out trade of Baltimore pitcher Erik Bedard to Seattle is finally done, the long-discussed trade of O's second baseman Brian Roberts to the Cubs should come next. But how long will that deal take -- if it happens at all?

Cubs sources have said all week leading up to the anticipated Bedard announcement that while the Cubs' interest still is high, no deal in principal has been struck in the interim, and nothing appears imminent as the week comes to a close.

That doesn't mean a deal can't be put together relatively quickly. The sides have talked on and off for more than two months, and the pool of potential players in a package for Roberts has been narrowed significantly, centered around pitching prospect Sean Gallagher. And the Cubs are far and away the top suitor for Roberts, with ample strong prospects to deal.

But given the Orioles' track record of protracted trade negotiations, a process complicated by hands-on owner Peter Angelos -- and in this case Angelos' personal fondness for Roberts -- some in the Cubs' organization fear that what should be a several-days process could drag for a matter of weeks, if it gets done at all.

If nothing else, the days, and possibly weeks, of this potential saga should add some spice to a Cubs spring camp already humming with the anticipation of Fukudomania and a certain 100-year anniversary approaching.

So let the speculation and names begin flying.

Who would you give up to get Roberts beyond Gallagher? Would you give up three players? Four? Would you give up Felix Pie? Matt Murton? Touted AA pitcher Donnie Veal? What about AA outfielder Tyler Colvin, the all-but-untouchable hitter many project as a future all-star?

And where does Roberts' admitted steroid use -- he tried it years ago, he says -- come into play? Does it even matter if he can help the Cubs win now? Or should the Cubs take a moral stand on the issue and forget about Roberts?

Posted by Gordon Wittenmyer at 03:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (26) | TrackBacks (0)