Good evening everyone. It’s been a while since I have blogged anything partly due to it being Spring Training and partly because I’ve been out of town lately. Just got back from a great trip in Las Vegas for the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament but now it is time to get into the baseball mood. Opening day is getting closer and closer as the Cubs are only 11 days away from kicking off the 2009 season down in Houston.

I just can’t get into Spring Training this year for some odd reason. I don’t know if it’s the heartbreak postseason of last year or what, but that is another reason for the lack of updates. But rest assured, we will be here throughout the entire season once opening day comes around and we get closer to throwing that first pitch!

As far as Spring Training goes, the Cubs currently have a 16-12 record in Cactus League play. Sean Marshall has nailed down the #5 spot in the rotation while the bullpen still has spots up for grabs. Chad Gaudin has pitched terrible while rule 5 draft pick David Patton has thrown the ball very well. Carlos Marmol, Kevin Gregg, Neil Cotts and Aaron Heilman have all notched spots in the bullpen Lou Piniella has said. Will it be Gaudin, Jeff Samardzija, or Patton that gets another spot?

The latest round of roster cuts seen Jake Fox, Sam Fuld, Jose Ascanio, Jason Waddell and Bobby Scales be sent down. Fox, Fuld and Ascanio were all sent to the Triple-A camp file Waddell and Scales were assigned to the Minor League camp. The Cubs currently have a 37 man roster as they head towards the last ten days of Spring Training.

So how do you see things shaping up for the Cubs as opening day nears? Will it be “The Shark” be in the pen or back at Triple-A in the rotation? Will it be Gaudin or Patton? Leave us a comment and let us know!

It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post here at ChicagoCubsBlog.net so I figured I would start off my Monday morning with new post. Spring Training is still going on down in Arizona for the Cubs and they have lost six straight and eight of nine after starting off with a 4-0 record. I never put a lot of thought into Spring Training as you can probably tell with the lack of updates so far but the recent slump does of manager Lou Piniella worried.

The team isn’t hitting the ball that well at all. They are missing two starters (Soto and Fukudome) who are playing in the World Baseball Classic, but I don’t think that is the reason for the slump. I think they players think that they have 28 days until opening day down in Houston and they will start hitting the ball before then. This Spring Training is way too long, I wish that the teams would have started it a couple of weeks ago.

Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez have combined for two home runs and four extra-base hits in 54 at-bats so far this Spring. That’s just terrible production out three power hitters on the team. I’ve been reading articles in the newspapers this morning about Lou meeting with team and if the team losses two out of the next three I expect him to call a team meeting and really call out the veteran players that are not producing.

Here are a few Piniella remarks from an article in the Tribune:

“Look, spring training wins and losses don’t mean anything,” Piniella said. “But you don’t want to get in the habit of getting your [butts] kicked every day either. That I can tell you, and that’s exactly what’s happening here.”

“We’ve got some work to do,” Piniella said then. “This is no push-button operation, I can tell you that. I’m beginning to find that out.”

So how long until Lou unleashes his first tirade of the season? Will it come before opening day?

The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers opened up Cactus League play on Wednesday afternoon as both teams got their 2009 season under way. We all remember the last time the Cubs and Dodgers played, the Dodgers beat the Cubs 3-1 and swept our beloved Cubbies out of the playoffs. Well today anyways, the Cubs got a little bit of revenge even though it was just spring training as they beat the Dodgers 5-3.

Micah Hoffpauir who is hoping to make the active roster as a backup first basemen and outfielder led the way for the Cubs as he hit a grand slam in the fifth inning off of Dodgers pitcher Ramon Troncoso. The grand slam came right after an error by the Dodgers and Hoffpauir sure made them pay just like you always want to do. Hoffpauir also had a hand in the Cubs first run when he grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the first inning.

Jeff Samardzija was the starting pitcher for the Cubs and he pitched two innings while giving up two runs on three hits and two walks. It wasn’t the outing that the Shark was hoping for but I won’t put a lot of thought on it as it was the first game of spring training and he will have a lot more chances to show he has command of the ball.

Mitch Atkins was charged with the other run that the Dodgers scored.

Hoffpauir wasn’t hte only only player to collect hits for the Cubs at the plate as Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto both had a single in the game. Soriano also added on a walk to his totals. Ryan Theriot also finished the game two of three at the plate.

Up next for the Cubs is an afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Lefty Sean Marshall will get the start for the Cubs and he needs to show the team that he can control the ball and would be a good option for the fifth starter position.

Cubs spring training record: 1-0

The Chicago Cubs will kick off the 2009 Spring Training season on Wednesday afternoon when they take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at HoHoKam Park. Jeff Samardzija will be getting the start and is expected to throw two innings before Mitch Atkins takes over to pitch two innings.

Samardzija is hoping to make the 25 man roster which he is expected to do, however he is not taking any for granted and will be working his butt off to make the roster. He had this to say to Carrie Muskrat of Cubs.Com about the upcoming season:

“I love being around these guys so much and after getting a taste of last year and seeing how these guys play the game, I want to be here,” Samardzija said. “Guys like [Derrek Lee] and Reed [Johnson] are playing the game with a passion and it’s great not only to have that, but to have them play on your side. It’s not bad having D-Lee at first and hitting third.

“If I could pick a team to be playing with on the field, whether it’s out of the bullpen, whether it’s starting, this is the team I want to be playing with,” he said. “If I can help this team win some games, whether it’s throwing an inning every day or every third day, I feel I can do that.”

One thing that is for certain is young pitchers like Samardzija and Atkins will get plenty of changes to show that they can throw the ball and should on the 25 man active roster. The Cubs will be without Ted Lilly who is throwing in the Winter Baseball Classic and the Cubs will also be playing 39 Spring Training games this year.

Let’s all hope that it is an injury free spring training for the entire team and the Cubs play some good baseball while getting ready for the start of the 2009 season in April.

**photo courtesy of Getty Images**