Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs 1:20 PM WGN 3-31-08

Posey H8er · Post #41 » by **Posey H8er** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:09 pm

DeRosa will hit ahead of Soto.

Murton and Marshall were optioned to Triple A, so the roster looks like this:

PITCHERS (12 + 2 D.L.):

21-Jason Marquis, RHP
22-Kevin Hart, RHP
30-Ted Lilly, LHP
32-Jon Lieber, RHP
34-Kerry Wood, RHP
37-Angel Guzman, RHP (60-day DL)
38-Carlos Zambrano, RHP
43-Michael Wuertz, RHP
46-Ryan Dempster, RHP
47-Scott Eyre, LHP (15-day DL)
49-Carlos Marmol, RHP
53-Rich Hill, LHP
62-Bob Howry, RHP
63-Carmen Pignatiello, LHP

CATCHERS (2):

18-Geovany Soto
24-Henry Blanco

INFIELDERS (7):

2-Ryan Theriot
5-Ronny Cedeno
7-Mark DeRosa
16-Aramis Ramirez
17-Mike Fontenot
25-Derrek Lee
33-Daryle Ward

OUTFIELDERS (4):

1-Kosuke Fukudome
9-Reed Johnson
12-Alfonso Soriano
20-Felix Pie

Towel Manager · Post #42 » by **Towel Manager** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:10 pm

Piggy made it??? Well deserved.

SportsWorld · Post #43 » by **SportsWorld** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:23 pm

Yeah I would rather have Piggy than Marshall on our team because Piggy had a solid spring.

Post #44 » by **Bleeding Green** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:40 pm

SportsWorld wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

I think it is:
Theriot
Soriano
Lee
Aramis
Fukudome
Soto
DeRosa
Pie
Zambrano

Not sure if Soto and DeRosa were flip-flopped

Wow, really? That's horrendous. You couldn't construct a worse lineup if you tried. Lou Piniella is gonna ride this 95-win team to 91 wins and be hailed a genius for it. Luckily for the Cubs Dusty Baker is also managing a team in the division so it evens out.

Why aren't people outraged at this? Or that Ryan Theriot starts or Matt Murton was sent to AAA to make room for...Reed Johnson? The Cubs have all the pieces for a championship caliber team and they refuse to use them correctly. They sign Fukudome, a great decision, and then bat him fifth, a horrible decision. He just led the league in spring with 15 walks and how power is middling. Hello, McFly! This is the prototypical 1 or 2 hitter.

And what is with Ronny Cedeno? Play him every day, trade him or put him in AAA. He's just stagnating if he's gonna be a bench player. This is how careers are ruined.

God I hate baseball.

SportsWorld · Post #45 » by **SportsWorld** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:53 pm

Our lineup against lefties will be:
Johnson (CF)
Fukudome
Lee
Aramis
Soriano
?
?
?

We have given Cedeno plenty of chances and SS at he sucks every time he comes up to the Majors. His numbers look good in the minors but he hasn't shown me anything in the big leagues.

Posey H8er · Post #46 » by **Posey H8er** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:15 pm

Cedeno should get the chance to play because he has a high ceiling while we pretty much know Theriot will never be an All Star shortstop. Both have struggled a bit in the majors, although Cedeno did have a higher SLG% last year in limited at bats.

Post #47 » by **Bleeding Green** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:28 am

Posey H8er wrote:Cedeno should get the chance to play because he has a high ceiling while we pretty much know Theriot will never be an All Star shortstop. Both have struggled a bit in the majors, although Cedeno did have a higher SLG% last year in limited at bats.

Yes. You know for a fact that Theriot will be one of the worst SS in baseball with absolutely zero upside to be anything more. Cedeno has the potential to be well above average.

Athletic SS who put up a 950 OPS in AAA in two different years just don't stop hitting when they get to the majors. He sucked in 2006 and hasn't gotten regular time at any other point. Play him or trade him.

IlliniNRG · Post #48 » by **IlliniNRG** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:21 am

Bleeding Green wrote:Why aren't people outraged at this? Or that Ryan Theriot starts or Matt Murton was sent to AAA to make room for...Reed Johnson? The Cubs have all the pieces for a championship caliber team and they refuse to use them correctly. They sign Fukudome, a great decision, and then bat him fifth, a horrible decision. He just led the league in spring with 15 walks and how power is middling. Hello, McFly! This is the prototypical 1 or 2 hitter.

And what is with Ronny Cedeno? Play him every day, trade him or put him in AAA. He's just stagnating if he's gonna be a bench player. This is how careers are ruined.

Everyone hates that Theriot starts. We don't have anyone better.

Johnson can play CF; Murton can't. They aren't ready to hand Pie the job in CF yet full-time.

I think most Cubs fans want Fukudome 2nd instead of 5th. We're not "outraged" because the Cubs are contending (somewhat rare) and Piniella is still a much better manager than Dusty. Plus....I dunno. Genocide "outrages" me. Terrorism "outrages" me. Fukudome batting 5th instead of 2nd is "annoying" at worst.

SportsWorld · Post #49 » by **SportsWorld** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:39 am

From Bleed Cubbie Blue:

And for those of you watching on WGN they will have special programming tomorrow:

WGN-TV is your home for Cubs Opening Day from start to finish.

6-9a - WGN Morning News from Wrigleyville

10-11a - "Honoring Ernie" special as the Cubs dedicate the Ernie Banks statue at Wrigley Field. This special will also be available live on www.wgntv.com.

12:30-1p - "Next Year Is Here" pregame show live from Wrigley Field

1:00p - Cubs vs. Brewers Opening Day

Posey H8er · Post #50 » by **Posey H8er** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:02 am

You can see those new "bullpen seats" in that picture. And I would guess the tarp has been moved to the first base side.

I have one question. With the resodding of the grass, are the foul lines elevated near the bullpen still? I cannot tell with that picture.

Post #51 » by **Bleeding Green** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:49 am

IlliniNRG wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Everyone hates that Theriot starts. We don't have anyone better.

Johnson can play CF; Murton can't. They aren't ready to hand Pie the job in CF yet full-time.

I think most Cubs fans want Fukudome 2nd instead of 5th. We're not "outraged" because the Cubs are contending (somewhat rare) and Piniella is still a much better manager than Dusty. Plus....I dunno. Genocide "outrages" me. Terrorism "outrages" me. Fukudome batting 5th instead of 2nd is "annoying" at worst.

:D

:)

Fukudome played CF in Japan and I think he was at least average based on reports. Reed is average in CF. Murton in RF and Fukudome in CF is a lot better than Johnson in CF and Fukudome in RF. Murton is really, really nice.

Cedeno offers some upside at short. If you're going to relegate a position to suck ass you may as well put a guy there who has an outside chance at being pretty decent. So what if he might hit .210. He has the potential to do a lot more than Theriot.

It's not a matter of contending. They're contending in spite of really bizarre moves. The Cubs could be so much better.

SportsWorld · Post #52 » by **SportsWorld** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 3:15 am

Posey H8er wrote:You can see those new "bullpen seats" in that picture. And I would guess the tarp has been moved to the first base side.

Yes, on SportsNite they showed the changes they made and one of them was the tarp moving to the first base side.

bobsampson · Post #53 » by **bobsampson** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:14 am

My first Cub post!! I'm excited as hell for this season.. Cub's got a good ass squad, hopefully they can make up a little bit for this terrible sports winter in Chicago.. The game better not get rained out..

Lets go Cubs start the season 1-0

Posey H8er · Post #54 » by **Posey H8er** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:22 am

[quote="Bleeding Green"][/quote]
One of the reasons Fukudome signed with the Cubs was because he was promised that the right field position was his. Yet over the past week there have been some rumors about him playing center a little, so I do not know what to say...

Theriot and Cedeno have both been bad at shortstop, but Cedeno's minor league numbers from last year (.359/.422/.537) show that he has WAY more potential and this is why many Cubs fans want him to start.

IlliniNRG · Post #55 » by **IlliniNRG** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:00 am

Bleeding Green wrote:Murton is really, really nice.

Is he? Reminds me a lot of a Rondell White. Decent enough, I guess. He'll never get his shot in Chicago.

Offensively, Murton/Fuku is a little better than Johnson/Fuku, but defensively I like Fuku better in RF than Murton. I'll give you that Murton's much younger than Johnson, so he could improve. But you know how managers love grit, and Johnson gets his uniform dirty.

Could be worse re: Reed Johnson. Personally, I was scared to death Coco Crisp would be our opening day CF.

SportsWorld · Post #56 » by **SportsWorld** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:03 am

Reed Johnson was a great pick-up because he didn't cost much at all.
And we are only 13 hours away from the first pitch.

Rodanlee · Post #57 » by **Rodanlee** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:09 am

SportsWorld wrote:Reed Johnson was a great pick-up because he didn't cost much at all.
And we are only 13 hours away from the first pitch.

god do i love wgn superstation... i get to skip my 1:10 class, drink some old styles, and watch the cubbies do work!

SportsWorld · Post #58 » by **SportsWorld** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:13 am

I will be here at about 3:30 but luckily I can sneak a radio into a class or two and listen during my downtime.

aaprigs311 · Post #59 » by **aaprigs311** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:54 am

here's a little pay back for the video you posted on the brew crew board sportsworld.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCMiOEVyoIM

2poor · Post #60 » by **2poor** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:54 pm

I will be busting out of work early for...no reason at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meGgSOl8470

Glad to have the Cubs back!