February 2009 Archives

Game Four - Cubs 13 White Sox 0
WP - Neal Cotts (1-0) LP - Ehren Wasserman (0-1) Save - None

Spring Training games are fun to win, especially against the White Sox, but it is the individual performances and tune-ups that are more important during the exhibition season. Several of the players Lou Piniella figures to depend on in the upcoming season played against the Sox on Saturday afternoon in front of a record crowd of 13,010 at HoHoKam Park....and none was more impressive than Aaron Heilman.

After much criticism of the Cubs' front office, Aaron Heilman made his Cub and pitched two impressive innings...just reading the box score will not due his performance justice. Heilman worked fast, seemed to find a solid rhythm and struck out four of the seven batters he faced on 23 pitches, 18 for strikes.

Aramis Ramirez turned in a great day defensively despite his 0-for-3 at the plate. Ramirez made a diving stop on a ball hit down the line by Carlos Quentin that took away extra bases in the first inning. Derrek Lee hit the ball hard in his three trips to the plate and the wind knocked down what should have been his first home run of the spring.

Lou Piniella's crew improved to 4-0 on the spring, in large part to a 9-run seventh inning, but the performances turned out by several of the regulars on Saturday were the true highlights....

According to a report from the Sun-Times, Carlos Marmol will pitch in the upcoming World Baseball Classic after all. Marmol made the Cubs aware of his decision on Saturday morning after announcing last week he would not participate.

Marmol will leave Cubs' camp on Tuesday to join the Dominican Republic team.

According to a report from the Sun-Times, the Cubs inked Corey Koskie to a minor league deal on Saturday morning. Koskie will compete for the backup third baseman job. Koskie says he is over the post-concussion syndrome that cut his career short during the 2006 season.

Updated 9:00pm C.T. - With Additional Information on the Signing

Game Three - Cubs 10 Rangers 4
WP - Ted Lilly (1-0) LP - Scott Feldman (0-1) Save - None

The Cubs improved to 3-0 on the young Cactus League season on Friday in front of 5,413 behind Ted Lilly in his only tune-up before the World Baseball Classic. The Cubs offense scored seven runs in the second inning to put the exhibition game away at beautiful Surprise Stadium.

Micah Hoffpauir started his third game at a different position and provided one of the defensive gems of the game and his second home run of the spring. Mike Fontenot added his first long ball of the year and a 2-run triple. 'Hoff-Power' and 'Little Babe Ruth' drove in seven of the Cubs' ten runs. Sam Fuld added a solo shot in the eighth that accounted for the Cubs' tenth and final run.

Ted Lilly was very good in his two innings of work. Lilly struck out a pair and showed very good command and velocity. However two defensive plays helped Lilly toss the two scoreless frames.

Micah Hoffpauir robbed Josh Hamilton of at least a double with a diving stop on a ball hit down the line. Reed Johnson and Ryan Theriot turned in a textbook relay that turned a run scoring double off the bat of Jared Saltalamacchia into an out at the plate to end the second inning.

The Cubs offense continued to swing the bats and pounded out 14 hits. The Cubs 3-0 spring record is their first under Lou Piniella.

Game Two - Cubs 7 Brewers 4
WP - Chad Gaudin (1-0) LP - Seth McClung (0-1, BS 1) Save - Angel Guzman (1)

In front of a small crowd of 6,711 on Thursday, Lou Piniella's crew improved to 2-0 on the spring with a solid victory over the Brewers. Rick Sutcliffe was calling the shots at HoHoKam on Thursday. Piniella named him the team's honorary manager before the game and the Red Baron pulled all of the right strings...with a little help from Jake Fox.

Many of Jim Hendry's off-season acquisitions took the field at HoHoKam Park against the Brewers on Thursday. The Cubs won the game 7-4, with the big hit coming off the bat of Jake Fox, a 3-run homer in the third. Joey Gathright was 3-for-3 with a walk, a run and a stolen base in his debut.

Milton Bradley made his brief Cub debut on Thursday as well. He walked in his only at bat before lifting himself for a pinch runner. The Cubs called it mild tightness in his left quad that he felt during warm-ups. Bradley is expected back in the lineup this weekend.

Here's more video from HoHoKam, including Milton Bradley's first at bat...

Spring Training Game Two: Cubs (1-0) vs. Brewers (0-0-1)
Game Time - 2:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: None - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 177
Location - HoHoKam Park, Mesa

Sean Marshall (0-0, -.--/-.--) vs. Yovani Gallardo (0-0, -.--/-.--)

The two teams that have finished atop the Central Division the past two seasons will face off for the first time in 2009 today. It is a new season and he Cubs and the Brewers have a much different look than they did last September at Miller Park.

The Brewers have a new manager in Ken Macha and several holes in their starting rotation. However, with the offensive team they will run out on a daily basis, if their defense improves they figure to be in the mix for the Central Division crown this season.

Game One - Cubs 5 Dodgers 3
WP - Ken Kadokura (1-0) LP - Ramon Troncoso (0-1, BS 1) Save - Jeff Stevens (1)

Ron Santo received the best birthday present possible...a Cubs Win! 7,916 showed up to HoHoKam Park on a beautiful day in the low 80s for the Cubs Cactus League opener against the Dodgers. And they did not leave disappointed.

Jeff Samardzija started the game and after a tremendous diving catch in right center by Reed Johnson helped him retire the Dodgers in order in the first, he stumbled a little in the second inning and gave a pair on three hits and two walks.

Mitch Atkins was charged with the Dodgers' third run in his two innings of work. Atkins, like Samardzija, looked good in his first inning of work. Ken Kadokura picked up the win after his scoreless inning of relief and Jeff Stevens picked up the save.

The highlight was clearly Micah Hoffpauir's grand slam in the fifth. Hoffpauir grounded into a double play in the first inning that accounted for the Cubs fifth run of the game.

Wednesday at HoHoKam Park was truly a beautiful day for a ballgame. Familiar faces filled the park, all in anticipation of the Cubs first game of the year. Granted it was just an exhibition, but to see the Chicago Cubs on the field after such a long, cold, strange winter was more than a welcomed sight to see.

The Cubs are back...and the CCO caught some of the first game on video.

Spring Training Game One: Cubs (0-0) vs. Dodgers (0-0)
Game Time - 2:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: None - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 178
Location - HoHoKam Park, Mesa

Jeff Samardzija (0-0, -.--/-.--) vs. Claudio Vargas (0-0, -.--/-.--)

Chicago Cubs Baseball is on the Air! It's the Cactus League opener...the Chicago Cubs versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. The five month wait is over, the 2009 exhibition season starts today.

Lou Piniella and Joe Torre will run out many of their regulars in the first game of the spring. Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Geovany Soto and Derrek Lee are expected to play on Wednesday against a Dodgers' lineup that will feature Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Juan Pierre, Casey Blake and James Loney.

Today also marks the beginning of a new chapter in Dodgers' history....this year will be the organizations first full spring in Arizona.