Starlin Castro leaves today's game against Dodgers early with hamstring tightness; Cubs announce single-game ticket sales

The Cubs lost 11-7 to the Los Angeles Dodgers today at HoHoKam Stadium.  Not only did they lose their exhibition game, but Starlin Castro left the game in the fourth inning after injuring his left hamstring when he was running out a ground ball.  His injury has been referred to as hamstring tightness and his status will be day-to-day.

Starlin Castro bats during Wednesday's game against the Dodgers in Mesa (Chicago Sun-Times photo)

Starting pitcher Matt Garza, who has been out with a lat strain could start throwing again by Thursday, depending on how his workout today went.  Manager Dale Sveum is thinking that Garza should have enough time to recover by Opening Day, which is April 1st.

Third baseman Ian Stewart, who is sidelined with a left quad injury, was still able to participate in the bunting tourmanent today, but lost to first baseman Anthony Rizzo.  Stewart and Josh Vitters are rehabbing together, since they both have the same injury.  "Me and Ian are basically doing the same routine," Vitters said.  "We push each other."

Ian Stewart is rehabbing from a left quad injury, along with Josh Vitters (photo from Chicago Sun-Times)

Others that advanced in the bunting tournament today were Logan Watkins, Chris Rusin and strength coach Tim Buss, who beat pitcher Scott Baker.

The Cubs announced that single game tickets will go on sale at the ticket office at Wrigley Field on Friday, March 8th at 8am CT, with online and phone sales following at 10am CT.  Fans who wish to purchase tickets in person at Wrigley Field between 8-10am on March 8th must obtain a wristband, which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Sunday, March 3, from 10 am to 6 pm, and Monday, March 4, from 7 am to 7 pm, at the Captain Morgan Club on the corner of Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue. 

The winning numbers will be chosen two days in advance of the on-sale date so fans can plan to be at Wrigley Field for Friday's general on-sale event.  Winning numbers will be announced on WGN Radio (720 AM) and www.cubs.com Wednesday, March 6, at 8 am.  Winners of the wristband drawing will be able to purchase single game tickets in person at Wrigley Field on Friday, March 8th starting at 8am.  There is a limit of one wristband per person.  Fans will be required to show two forms of identification when picking up their wristband, one of which needs to be a valid government-issued photo ID.  Wristbands must be unaltered, intact and worn until the buyer has made their ticket purchase.  The same form of identification used to obtain a wristband must be presented at the time of purchase.  For more details on single-ticket sales, please visit this link.

Just 34 more days until Opening Day!

after pulling up lame running out a ground ball to short.

Castro was trying to beat out an infield single to short in the fourth inning when he grabbed his leg halfway down the line and began limping toward first.

After meeting with the trainer, Castro was removed from the game. The Cubs said the injury was left hamstring tightness. - See more at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-castro-20130227,0,6552536.story#sthash.lWvTgSJQ.dpuf

after pulling up lame running out a ground ball to short.

Castro was trying to beat out an infield single to short in the fourth inning when he grabbed his leg halfway down the line and began limping toward first.

After meeting with the trainer, Castro was removed from the game. The Cubs said the injury was left hamstring tightness. - See more at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-castro-20130227,0,6552536.story#sthash.lWvTgSJQ.dpuf

Cubs beat Rockies 4-2 to win third spring training game: Bunting Tournament down to Sweet Sixteen

The Cubs won their third spring training game this afternoon at HoHoKam Park when they defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-2.

Edwin Jackson made his pitching debut with the Cubs and gave up a pair of two-out hits over two scoreless innings.  Jackson said, "Today was pretty much evaluation, and see where I am.  It's all mental.  You keep the ball down and you execute pitches, and everything is pretty much good.  And you can have a lot of success with the ball down in the zone."

Here are the scores from the other Cubs spring training games so far this year:

2/25 - Cubs lost 7-6 to Dodgers
2/24- Cubs win 4-3 against Giants
2/23 - Cubs win 11-2 against Angels

Here are some photos from some of the spring training games:

Jeff Samardzija pitched the Cubs to a 4-3 win against the Giants on Sunday (photo from Chicago Tribune)

Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus in the outfield during Sunday's win against the Giants (Chicago Tribune photo)

An update on the Cubs' Bunting Tournament:

Brent Lillibridge, Michael Brenly, Jeff Samardzija and Blake Parker advanced on Tuesday.  The players who have reached the sweet 16 and their next match is listed below:
Pitchers: 
Travis Wood vs Nate Halm (video guy)
Jeff Samardzija vs Blake Parker

Position players:
Brent Lillibridge vs Michael Brenly
Edwin Maysonet vs Andy Lane (bullpen catcher)

On Wednesday, left-handed pitcher Brooks Raley will start for the Cubs against the Dodgers at HoHoKam Park.

A New Year Brings New Cubs faces, New Convention venue and exciting fundraisers

Happy New Year, Cubby News readers!  As we are almost finished with the first week of 2013, there has been a lot of Cubs news during the holidays.  Here's a list of some of the players the Cubs have signed in the last month:

OF Nate Schierholtz – one year, $2.25 million
3B Ian Stewart – one year, $2 million
P Scott Baker – one year, $5.5 million
P Shawn Camp – one year, $1.35 million
P Scott Feldman – one year, $6 million
P Kyuji Fujikawa – two years, $9.5 million
C Dioner Navarro – one year, $1.75 million
P Chang-Yong Lim - minor league deal
P Edwin Jackson - four-year, $52 million
P Carlos Villanueva - two years, $10 million 
P Dontrelle Willis - minor league deal
P Hisanori Takahashi - minor league deal

Here's a link to the current 40-man roster.

The 28th annual Cubs convention is less than two weeks away!  This weekend packed with all things Cubs will take place on Friday January 18th through Sunday January 20th at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, located at 301 E. North Water Street in downtown Chicago.  This is a new venue for the convention, which I think will be nice, as this will be my 4th year in a row attending the Cubs Convention.

The Cubs have yet to release the official list of current and former players and coaches that will be in attendance, but once that information is available I will post it on Cubby News.  Here's a link to purchase passes to the convention.  Included with each pass is weekend access to all of the hotel convention space, which will hold the autograph and photo sessions, question and answer seminars, interactive area, memorabilia and vendor booths, as well as exciting new exhibits.

Tying in with the convention are two separate fundraisers hosted by David DeJesus and Kerry Wood and their foundations, which are both listed below:

David and Kim DeJesus will host the inaugural "Strike a Pose" fundraiser on Thursday, January 17th, 2013 at the River East Arts Center in downtown Chicago.  Current and former Cubs players and their spouses will walk the runway and the show will feature fashion by 900 N. Michigan Shops.  There will also be a live auction and raffle, as well as heavy appetizers provided by some of Chicago's hottest restaurants, including Chicago q, RPM Italian, Bull and Bear, Shaw's and Glazed & Infused.  For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/community/strike_a_pose.jsp

Former Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will host his second annual "Woody's Winter Warm-Up" at Harry Caray's Navy Pier on Friday, January 18th, 2013.  Cubs players and local celebrities will serve as bartenders throughout the night and proceeds will benefit the Wood Family Foundation.  The night will also feature opportunities to meet and mingle with Cubs players, a silent auction, premium open bar, dinner buffet, and a raffle, as well as a concert, for which details will be announced soon,

I was at their inaugural event in January 2012 and it was definitely worth attending, so I hope to see some of you there!  Tickets are limited and can be purchased at:  http://woodfamilyfoundation.org

Spring Training tickets for games that will be played at HoHoKam Park went on sale Friday.  Here's a link to Spring Training tickets and info.  The Cubs will also play the Texas Rangers in Las Vegas, NV, on March 16 and 17.  Tickets for these two games will be put on sale at a date to be determined.

Meanwhile, only 35 more days until Cubs pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training!  Hope to see some of you at the Convention!

Cubs and Wrigley Field are officially decked out for the holiday season; Cubs roster changes; Spring Training schedule released

The Cubs were busy kicking off the holiday season today at Wrigley Field.  The day started early as Cubs outfielder David DeJesus and his wife Kim were at the Friendly Confines for a live broadcast on WGN-TV's morning show to support the Toy Drive.  The toys collected at Wrigley Field will be donated to Jennifer Hudson’s Julian D. King Gift Foundation.

The Tree Lighting ceremony took place at 5pm under the Wrigley Field marquee and had a good turnout, as I was there to join in the festivities.  David and Kim DeJesus helped light the tree, which was designed by Christy Webber Landscapes.  The funny thing is that Webber mentioned that she's actually a Sox fan (which Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts later joked that she "could have left out that piece of information").  Webber said the good part about her rooting for the Southsiders is that she won't be asking Ricketts for any Cubs tickets.  Haha.

Also present at the Tree Lighting was Cubs Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, Todd Ricketts (Cubs Board of Directors), Crane Kenney (President of Business Operations) and lots of Cubs personnel.  There was also complimentary hot chocolate and cookies for attendees, which was a nice touch!

After the tree lighting, the Cubs offered free skating at the Rink at Wrigley, as well as free popcorn and hot chocolate and coffee.  The rink is located in the Cubs’ parking lot at the corner of Clark and Waveland.  For skating fees and hours, visit www.rinkatwrigley.com.

Below are some photos I took at the Tree Lighting ceremony:

Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts addresses the crowd at the Tree Lighting ceremony (photo by Karen Burchell)

The DeJesus family at the Tree Lighting ceremony at Wrigley Field (photo by Karen Burchell)

The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Wrigley Field kicked off the holiday season (photo by Karen Burchell)

Before and after the Christmas tree lighting at Wrigley Field on Friday night (photo by Karen Burchell)

In other Cubs news, the team decided to non-tender third baseman Ian Stewart, who is now a free agent.  Stewart's 2012 season was cut short after only playing 55 games due to a wrist injury, which he ended up having surgery for.  There's still a chance the Cubs will still negotiate a new contract with Stewart, especially since there isn't an abundance of available third basemen both in and out of the Cubs organization.

The Cubs decided to non-tender third baseman Ian Stewart before Friday's deadline (Chicago Tribune photo)

Right-handed pitcher Casey Coleman cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week in order to make room on the 40-man roster for recently acquired right-handed pitcher Scott Feldman, who came to the Cubs from the Texas Rangers and signed a one-year, $6 million deal and is expected to be a part of the 2013 starting rotation.  Coleman was assigned outright to Triple-A Iowa today.

The Cubs signed a one-year contract with right handed pitcher Scott Feldman (AP photo)

The Cubs also signed right-handed pitcher Scott Baker to a one-year, $5.5 million contract on November 13th.  Feldman and Baker will join Jeff Samardzija, Matt Garza and Travis Wood in the Cubs' rotation, even though GM Jed Hoyer says the team may not be finished shopping for starting pitchers yet.

The Cubs signed a one-year contract with right-handed pitcher Scott Baker

The Cubs hired 25-year old Scott Harris as their new Director of Baseball Operations on Thursday.  Harris spent the last two years with Major League Baseball as the league’s Coordinator of Major League Operations.  Harris also interned for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 and the Washington Nationals in 2008. 

The Cubs released their spring training schedule earlier today, which includes 17 home dates at HoHoKam Park, 16 Cactus League road games and two games in Las Vegas against the Texas Rangers.  The Cubs will open their schedule on February 23 against the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe, AZ and end it on March 28 against the Seattle Mariners.

Individual tickets for home games at HoHoKam Park can be purchased starting January 4th at cubs.com or by calling 1-800-905-3315.  Below is the 2013 spring training schedule, with all games beginning at 1:05 p.m. Arizona time unless otherwise noted:

Date	Opponent	Location
Feb. 23	Los Angeles (AL)	Tempe
Feb. 24	San Francisco	Mesa
Feb. 25	Los Angeles (NL)	Glendale
Feb. 26	Colorado	Mesa
Feb. 27	Los Angeles (NL)	Mesa
Feb. 28	Oakland	Mesa
March 1	Arizona	Mesa
March 2	San Francisco	Scottsdale
March 3	Milwaukee (ss)	Mesa
March 3	Los Angeles (AL/ss)	Tempe
March 4	Cleveland	Mesa
March 5	Colorado	Scottsdale (1:10 p.m.)
March 6	Texas	Surprise
March 7	White Sox	Mesa
March 8	Cincinnati	Goodyear (7:05 p.m.)
March 9	Cleveland	Mesa
March 10	San Diego	Mesa
March 11	Arizona	Scottsdale
March 12	OFF DAY
March 13	Colorado	Mesa
March 14	Los Angeles (NL)	Glendale
March 15	White Sox	Glendale (12:05 p.m.)
March 16	Kansas City (ss)	Mesa
March 16	Texas (ss)	Las Vegas (game time TBD)
March 17	Oakland (ss)	Phoenix
March 17	Texas (ss)	Las Vegas (game time TBD)
March 18	San Diego	Peoria
March 19	Texas	Mesa
March 20	OFF DAY
March 21	Seattle	Peoria
March 22	Milwaukee	Maryvale
March 23	Los Angeles (AL)	Mesa
March 24	Cleveland	Goodyear
March 25	San Francisco	Mesa
March 26	Cincinnati	Mesa (7:05 p.m.)
March 27	Kansas City	Surprise (6:05 p.m.)
March 28	Seattle	Mesa (12:05 p.m.)

Hope everyone enjoys the unseasonable 'warmer' weather in Chicago this weekend, as there's sure to be more Cubs news next week!  And for those of you not in Chicago, hope you have a great weekend as well!

Cubs win 8-3 against the Diamondbacks; Kerry Wood is good to go

The Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-3 at Salt River Field at Talking Stick in Scottsdale today in their final Cactus League road game.  Jay Jackson started for the Cubs, followed by Jeff Samardzija.  Then, Kerry Wood pitched in relief for the first time in a week and said, "My body feels ready to go."

Cubs reliever Kerry Wood feels ready to go for Opening Day (USPresswire photo)

Darwin Barney was in the leadoff spot today, while David DeJesus got the day off.  Cubs manager Dale Sveum said they've noticed a mechanical flaw with DeJesus that they think they've corrected.  DeJesus is hitting .207 this spring.  Sveum said, "It could actually have a huge impact on why the numbers haven't quite been there the last year, and in spring training."

The Cubs have also been working on more aggressive base running this Spring.  Second baseman Darwin Barney said, "We're trying to take advantage of anything we can.  Being a good base-running team is something they've been preaching before spring training started, and everybody is really conscious about it."  Sveum said, "I think they're (the team) really buying into it. We've scored some runs because of it.  You make these mistakes early on, and now at the end of spring training, everybody is hovering and doing the right thing."  Let's hope this will pay off during the regular season!

The Cubs will play their final Cactus League game tomorrow at 2:05pm CST against the Milwaukee Brewers at HoHoKam Park, where Travis Wood (who is headed to Triple-A Iowa) will start.  Only 3 more days until Opening Day!

Paul Maholm makes final Cactus League start; Cubs tie 3-3 with Angels

Paul Maholm started for the Cubs, who ended up in a 3-3 tie after 10 innings against the Los Angeles Angels today at HoHoKam Park. 

Paul Maholm made his last Cactus League start today before the regular season starts next week (photo from Chicago Tribune)

Maholm will stay in camp and pitch against minor leaguers next week. Meanwhile, the team will head to Chicago on Tuesday, and Maholm will join them for Opening Day on Thursday against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field.  Maholm's first start will be on April 10th against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Only 5 more days until Opening Day!

Cubs get a "W" over the Mariners, 12-7

Randy Wells allowed three hits and two runs this morning in a rare "B" game against the Cleveland Indians on a cold and windy back field in Goodyear.  The Cubs lost 6-5 and first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run triple in the game. 

Manager Dale Sveum said, "Wells actually was fairly sharp down in the zone.  He got the outs when he needed to.  [Cristian] Guzman, trying to get the guy over, hooked the ball out of the park on him.  Other than that, he didn't give up any runs.  He got out of some big jams with bases-loaded ground-ball double plays.  It wasn't bad by any means."  Wells finds himself in the competition (along with Chris Volstad, Jeff Samardzija, and Travis Wood) for a spot in the starting rotation for the third year in a row.

Randy Wells is competing for a spot in the Cubs' starting rotation once again (photo from Reuters)

Travis Wood started in the Cubs game this afternoon against the Seattle Mariners.  He didn't have an impressive outing as he allowed 7 runs, 7 hits (including 3 home runs), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts in two innings pitched.  James Russell allowed zero runs, one hit, issued no walks, and threw one strikeout during two innings pitched.  Jay Jackson also didn't allow a run, but allowed 4 hits, one walk, and struck out one during four innings pitched.  The Cubs had a total of 18 hits from 13 different players and ended up beating the Mariners, 12-7.

Tomorrow the Cubs will face the Texas Rangers at 3:05pm in HoHoKam Park.  Only 17 more days until Opening Day!

Wrigley Field abuzz today; Cubs lose to the Giants; David DeJesus wins Bunting Tournament

The Cubs lost 3-2 to the San Francisco Giants today.  Matt Garza started for the Cubs and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and issued 1 walk over 4 innings pitched.  This was former Cubs infielder Ryan Theriot's first trip back to HoHoKam Park since he was traded from the Cubs.  Cubs.com has a complete game recap.

Former Cubs infielder Ryan Theriot is now playing for the San Francisco Giants (photo from Jennifer Hilderbrand/US Presswire)

The Cubs claimed right-handed pitcher Frankie De La Cruz from the Brewers today and added him to the 40-man roster where he will be competing for a spot in the bullpen.  The Brewers were hoping that De La Cruz would clear waivers and start at Triple-A Nashville. 

David DeJesus defeated Casey Coleman to win the Cubs' first bunting tournament, held today on a back field at HoHoKam Park.  DeJesus beat Wellington Castillo in the semifinals and Coleman beat Paul Maholm to advance.  Apparently, the players were treated to lunch on the back field.

Cubs Bunting Tournament winner David DeJesus today

Wrigley Field was abuzz today with people attending tours of the historic ballpark and buying tickets.  Here are some photos of the action at Wrigley from earlier today:

The right field bleacher patio construction is ongoing at Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field was busy today (March 16th) with people going on tours and purchasing tickets

The Cubs will play two split squad games tomorrow.  Jeff Samardzija will start against the Texas Rangers in Las Vegas, while Paul Maholm will start in Phoenix against the Oakland A's.  Both games will take place at 3:05pm CST.  You can listen to the game against the A's on WGN Radio or cubs.com.  Only 20 more days until Opening Day! 

Randy Wells pitches 3 scoreless innings in Cubs' 10-2 loss to the Brewers; 80 degrees in Mesa and Chicago!

The Cubs lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 10-2 today.  Randy Wells continued his case for winning a starting rotation spot by pitching three scoreless innings and only allowing two hits today, after pitching 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against the White Sox last Friday.  "I was really pleased today," Wells said. "I didn't throw a whole lot of breaking stuff and really worked on my fastball command and sinker. When I did get guys on, I was able to get the ground ball. That's the one thing I'm taking away from today."

Randy Wells has pitched five scoreless innings so far this spring (photo by John Antonoff for Boys of Spring)

Unfortunately, things changed for the Cubs when Travis Wood came into the game in relief in the 4th inning and gave up six runs while retiring one batter while pitching only 1/3 of an inning.  "What happened today was unacceptable," Wood said. "It can't happen. . .It's time to get it going."  A complete recap of today's game can be found on cubs.com.

A crowd of 11,682 (the largest of the spring so far) was at HoHoKam Park to watch the game today in the 80-degree weather in Mesa.  It was also 80 degrees in Chicago today, which definitely means that Opening Day in 22 days won't be as nice!

The Cubs and Rodrigo Lopez will face the Rockies at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale tomorrow, while Ryan Dempster will start against the Diamondbacks at HoHoKam Park in Mesa.  You can listen to the game in Mesa on cubs.com at 3:05pm.

Chris Volstad leads the Cubs to a "W" over the Giants; Cubs spring roster down to 55 players

The Cubs earn another "W" in the Cactus League by beating the San Francisco Giants, 5-4 in Scottsdale.  Chris Volstad started for the Cubs and continued to impress by pitching three scoreless innings while allowing just two hits.  Volstad even got a single and ended up scoring.  "I don't know what happened," Volstad said. "That first swing was pretty terrible. I guess I fooled them."  The Cubs now have a spring record of 6-4.  Here's a link to a complete game recap on cubs.com. 

Chris Volstad led the Cubs to a win over the Giants today (photo from cubs.com)

Alfonso Soriano bats in the game against the Giants today (photo from Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE)

Right-handed pitchers Esmailin Caridad and Casey Weathers were assigned to Minor League camp today, leaving the Cubs spring roster at 55 players.

Right-handed pitcher Randy Wells will start for the Cubs tomorrow against the Milwaukee Brewers at HoHoKam Park at 3:05pm CST.  You can listen to the game on cubs.com.

Only 23 more days until Opening Day!

Cubs win, 8-6 over the Reds

The Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds today 8-6 at HoHoKam Park.  Newly acquired left-handed pitcher Paul Maholm made his Cubs debut and allowed one run and two hits over two innings pitched.  Maholm hadn’t pitched in a game since August 17, 2011 because he missed the final six weeks with the Pittsburgh Pirates due to a left shoulder strain.  Jeff Samardzija pitched next, followed by Carlos Marmol, who allowed three runs on two hits, two walks, and also hit a batter.  It's Marmol's second blown lead in his last two outings.  Here's a link on chicagotribune.com for a recap of the game.

LHP Paul Maholm started for the Cubs-Reds game today

Former Cubs reliever Sean Marshall pitched for the Reds today

Chris Volstad will start for the Cubs when they play the San Francisco Giants tomorrow at 3:05pm CST in Scottsdale.  The game will be broadcast on cubs.com.

Only 24 more days until Opening Day!

Cubs get their first Cactus League win over the Rockies, 11-4

The Cubs have clocked their first win of the Cactus League this season against the Colorado Rockies, 11-4.  Matt Garza gave up two runs and three hits during the two innings he pitched.  Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs and a double, driving in three runs.  Brett Jackson also hit a three-run homer.

Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs in today's 11-4 win over the Rockies.

Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart tweeted today, "Fun playing against the Rox today. Good seeing my buds @DFowler24 and @JstyleP. #Rockies fans there were good too. U guys always were. Thanx"

The Cubs also held Round 3 of their bunting tournament.  David DeJesus, Randy Wells, Starlin Castro, and Paul Maholm advanced, while Jeff Baker, Jeff Samardzija, Joe Mather, and manager Dale Sveum were eliminated.  Maholm will face Wells in the next round and DeJesus and Castro will compete against each other.  Other final eight matchups include Jeff Beliveau vs. Casey Coleman and Adrian Cardenas vs. Welington Castillo.

Catcher Geovany Soto is expected to be able to make his spring debut on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers (he has been sidelined with a groin injury).

A trailer for Playstation's MLB 2012 video game shows what the city of Chicago might be like if the Cubs were to win the World Series.  Downtown buildings are lit up to spell out "Cubs win" and delirious fans are shown filling the streets to celebrate what would be the Cubs' first world championship since 1908.  Here is a link to the trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVGAfA15U1I

Jeff Samardzija will make his first start against the Kansas City Royals tomorrow in Surprise, Arizona.  The game is scheduled for 2:05pm and will be broadcasted on WGN Radio.  30 more days until Opening Day!

Cubs lose 8-7 to the A's; Agree to deals with 24 players; Bunting tournament continues

The Cubs lost their second Cactus League game, 8-7 to the Oakland Athletics today.  Ryan Dempster started for the Cubs and allowed one run over two innings.  Blake DeWitt hit a 3-run home run in the second inning to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead.  Darwin Barney, Steve Clevenger, Blake Lalli, and Josh Vitters each had RBIs in today's game.

Ryan Dempster had his spring debut for the Cubs today

The Cubs agreed to contracts with 24 players on the 40-man roster who have had 3 years or less of Major League service.  The league minimum salary this year is $480,000.  Five of those 24 Cubs players have agreed to deals over $500,000 and they are: Jeff Samardzija at $2.64 million, James Russell at $512,000, Starlin Castro at $567,000, Darwin Barney at $500,000, and Travis Wood at $505,000.

The full list of players who agreed to deals are:

Right-handed pitchers:  Alberto Cabrera, Lendy Castillo, Casey Coleman, Rafael Dolis, Marcos Mateo, Jeff Samardzija, and Casey Weathers.

Left-handed pitchers:  Jeff Beliveau, John Gaub, Scott Maine, James Russell, and Travis Wood.

Catchers:  Wellington Castillo and Steve Clevenger.

Infielders: Darwin Barney, Adrian Cardenas, Starlin Castro, Bryan LaHair, Junior Lake, Anthony Rizzo, and Josh Vitters.

Outfielders:  Tony Campana, Dave Sappelt, and Matt Szczur.

The Cubs Bunting Tournament continued into Round 3 today, where Wellington Castillo, Adrian Cardenas, Casey Coleman, and Jeff Beliveau advanced, while Steve Clevenger, Blake Lalli, Chris Rusin, and Trey McNutt were eliminated.

The Cubs will play their next Cactus League game tomorrow at 2:05pm against the Colorado Rockies at HoHoKam Park.  The broadcast can be heard on WGN Radio.  One month from today is Cubs Opening Day!!

Cubs open 2012 spring training with a 12-10 loss against the A's

The Cubs lost to the Oakland Athletics, 12-10 in their Cactus League opener today in front of a crowd of 10,366 at HoHoKam Park.  It sure sounded like perfect baseball weather (sunny, 82 degrees), from the way Len Kasper and Micky Gillespie described it on the cubs.com podcast.

The Cubs came back to take the lead from a 9-3 deficit in the 6th when Adrian Cardenas hit a stand-up triple that scored Jackson, Aducci, and Sappelt.  But the A's took back the lead in the 8th, making it 10-9.  Dave Sappelt's base running paid off in the 8th when he scored on a wild throw to tie the game at 10.  But the A's managed to score 2 more runs and take the win.  Here are some photos from today's game:

David DeJesus on-deck during today's Cactus League opener against the Oakland A's (photo from Ivy Envy)

Ian Stewart at the plate (photo from Ivy Envy)

David DeJesus steals second base as Oakland's Eric Sogard bobbles the ball (photo from  US PRESSWIRE)

 

 

Carlos Marmol pitches against the Oakland A's (photo from US PREESSWIRE)

Ryan Dempster is scheduled to start for Game 2 tomorrow at 2:05pm against the A's.  The game will be broadcasted on WGN-Radio.

Cubs to play another intrasquad game today; first spring training game tomorrow; Bricks & Ivy Ball

The Cubs will play another intrasquad game today at HoHoKam Park at 1pm Arizona time (2pm Chicago time).  The Cubs will also play their first spring training game tomorrow against the Oakland A's at 2:05pm Chicago time.  Rodrigo Lopez is scheduled to start tomorrow.  Manager Dale Sveum hasn't set the starting lineup for tomorrow's Cactus League opener, but did say that he plans on using his regulars.

Look at what came in the mail this morning:

Invitation to the Chicago Cubs Bricks & Ivy Ball that I received in the mail today.

This makes me really long for some Cubs baseball!  Is anyone planning on going to the Bricks & Ivy Ball?  It's on Saturday, April 25th at 6pm at the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier.  Individual tickets are $500. 

The Cubs Bunting Tournament will be reseeded with the 16 remaining players and will resume on Monday, with the championship slated for March 15th.

The 2012 Cubs Media Guide was released today.  Here's what the front cover looks like:

Front cover of the 2012 Cubs Media Guide

 Only 33 days until Opening Day! 

Cubs played intrasquad game today; Bunting tournament down to Sweet Sixteen

The Cubs played an intrasquad game at HoHoKam Park today.  Travis Wood gave up 6 R, 6 H, 2 BB over 3 IP for the White team, while Randy Wells gave up 3 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB over 3 innings for the Blue team.  The final score was: Blue team 10, White team 4.

The Cubs played an intrasquad game at HoHoKam Park today (photo from Chicago Cubs)

The White team's lineup (with Travis Wood starting and Andy Sonnanstine in relief) was:

LF Soriano
3B Stewart
SS Castro
1B LaHair
CF Byrd
RF DeJesus
C Lalli
2B Barney
DH DeWitt

The Blue team's lineup (with Randy Wells starting and Casey Coleman in relief) was:

CF Jackson
RF Szczur
2B Baker
1B Rizzo
LF Johnson
3B Vitters
SS Lake
C Brenly
DH Campana

Randy Wells pitching today (photo from Tim Sheridan)

 

 

Travis Wood pitching today (photo from Tim Sheridan)

It was a busy day for the Cubs today, as they also continued the bunting tournament.  Paul Maholm, Jeff Baker, Dale Sveum, and David DeJesus advanced, while Carlos Marmol, Geovany Soto, Ryan Dempster, and Marlon Byrd were eliminated.

The bunting tournament is now down to 16 players, including Jeff Beliveau, Trey McNutt, Chris Rusin, Casey Coleman, Jeff Samardzija, Randy Wells, Paul Maholm, and Dale Sveum in the pitchers' bracket, while Adrian Cardenas, Blake Lalli, Wellington Castillo, Steve Clevenger, Joe Mather, Starlin Castro, Jeff Baker, and David DeJesus remain in the position players’ half of the bracket.

The Cubs will play another intrasquad game at HoHoKam Park tomorrow at 1pm local time (2pm Chicago time) and their first spring training game against the Oakland A's will take place on Sunday at 2:05pm Chicago time.  Rodrigo Lopez is scheduled to start on Sunday.

Cubs to play two intrasquad games at HoHoKam; Bunting Tournament Round 2 Results

The Cubs will play two intrasquad games this Friday and Saturday at HoHoKam Stadium.  Travis Wood will pitch opposite Randy Wells on Friday and Andy Sonnanstine and Casey Coleman will pitch in relief that day.

Jay Jackson (a non-roster invitee) will pitch against another non-roster player, Chris Rusin on Saturday.  Trey McNutt and Alberto Cabrera will pitch in relief.  The intrasquad games will start at 1pm and will last five or six innings and are free and open to the public.

Round 2 results of the Cubs Bunting Tournament are:  Steve Clevenger, Wellington Castillo, Chris Rusin, and Casey Coleman advanced, while Bryan LaHair, Brett Jackson, Dae-Eun Rhee, and Scott Maine were eliminated.

Only 4 more days until the first Cubs spring training game!  Meanwhile, here's a photo of a shirt I saw when I was shopping near Wrigley Field earlier this year:

Can't wait to see what impact Theo Epstein will continue to have on the 2012 Cubs!

Cubs to play intrasquad games Friday and Saturday; Bunting tournament moves into 2nd Round

Paul Maholm, recovered from the flu, was victorious against Rodrigo Lopez in the Cubs Bunting Tournament today (photo from Chicago Cubs)

The Cubs Bunting Tournament continued into he 2nd round today.  Adrian Cardenas, Blake Lalli, Jeff Beliveau, and Trey McNutt advance, while Matt Szczur, Jonathan Mota, Lendy Castillo, and Rafael Dolis were eliminated.

The Cubs will play intrasquad games this Friday and Saturday at HoHoKam Park.  The games will be free and open to the public.

It looks like the 2012 Cubs have good team chemistry (photo from Chicago Cubs)

Cubs baseball is just around the corner!

Just 2 days until Cubs pitchers and catchers report for spring training in Mesa!  Here's a photo of Fitch Park from Tim Sheridan's twitter account (he writes the highly informative Boys of Spring blog and is also the Cubs PA Announcer at HoHoKam Park):

Fitch Park Complex in Mesa, Arizona

I had the pleasure of meeting Tim at the Cubs Convention this year and always look forward to reading his blog, especially during spring training.  You can find his blog at: http://journal.boysofspring.com/
The Cubs front office is having organizational meetings in Mesa today and tomorrow, and the official reporting date for pitchers and catchers is Saturday, 2/18, with their first workout on Sunday, 2/19.  Position players report on Thursday, 2/23 and the full team's first workout will be on Friday, 2/24.