Welcome to Fitch Park | Chicago Cubs Online

Charley Steiner once said, “There is something liberating about those magical words, pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.” The four-month wait is over….the Cubs’ baseball season begins today.

Pitchers and catchers will report to Fitch Park in Mesa, Arizona on Friday with their first workout scheduled for Saturday. Geovany Soto, Angel Guzman, Rich Harden, Jeff Samardzija, Neal Cotts, Chad Gaudin, Randy Wells and Koyie Hill are among the players that have already made their way to camp….Lou Piniella and Jim Hendry made appearances on Thursday and are scheduled to speak with the media on Friday.

Fitch Park will soon be filled with the sights and sounds of the game once again. The Hot Stove League has come to an end, it is time for baseball…..Chicago Cubs Baseball.

Here’s the latest and more photos of Fitch Park…. Zambrano’s LASIK Surgery

According to a report from the Tribune, Carlos Zambrano “will have LASIK eye surgery at the end of Spring Training.” At the end of Spring Training? What happened to January? The Tribune mentioned Zambrano “told no one about it before hand.”

The Cubs need Zambrano to have a bounce-back season but that would require Zambrano to grow-up….wonder how this one will be spun. Stay Tuned….

Kosuke Fukudome

A recent report on Cubs.com talked about the progress Kosuke Fukudome has made this off-season with his conditioning, but the most concerning sentence in the whole article:

“The Cubs won’t see Kosuke Fukudome until sometime in March because the outfielder is committed to playing for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.”

So the Cubs will not see Fukudome until the last two weeks of Spring Training….the last game of the World Baseball Classic is scheduled for Mar. 23 at Dodger Stadium.

Miller Park South

The Brewers’ fans invade Wrigley? According to a report from the Associated Press, “The Milwaukee Brewers and Amtrak are teaming up for a road game in Chicago. The first 100 Brewers fans who buy tickets to the Cubs’ Sept. 17 game at Wrigley Field will get a free, round-trip ride to Chicago on Amtrak.”

The Brewers are calling the promotion “Miller Park South“.

Dis-N-Dat from the Wire

According to Bruce Miles, Geovany Soto and Angel Guzman were “among the most impressive looking, from an in-shape standpoint.” Soto said his weight is down to 228-230, last year’s media guide listed him at 225 but reports indicated he came in heavier than that last Spring Training.

Reed Johnson told Dave Kaplan on Thursday night that he would be in Mesa by Saturday, two days before the first team workout

Jim Hendry was the keynote speaker for the LSU Baseball First Pitch Banquet Tuesday at the Maravich Center.

Jeff Passan previewed the NL Central on Thursday….the Cubs are the favorite, but don’t forget the Reds.

Ben Sheets

A report on NBC Chicago’s website titled, “Ben Sheets, A Cub?” discussed the pros and cons of the Cubs signing Ben Sheets to a contract. The big negative…shoulder surgery, the big positive, when healthy Sheets is one of the games best. Another negative…signing Sheets before June would cost the Cubs a first round pick in the draft.

Sheets’ surgery on Tuesday was a success according to Ken Rosenthal and the former Brewers’ ace is looking to pitch this season.

Fitch Park