For literally no reason at all, I always await the day pitchers and catchers report with bated breath. In my head, I know that absolutely nothing important happens on that day. Why on earth do I care that Carl Newhouse is checking into the Embassy Suites in Mesa today? However, deep in the cholesterol-laden valves of my heart, I still long for it. "This is the first day of the next season of baseball." "Everyone is in 1st place today." "This could be the year."
Of course, it isn't the year. It isn't even close to the year. We'd probably be deluding ourselves if we said "this is the decade." Still, this is the day we can be our most optimistic. People are showing up to camp in the best shape of their life! They've been working on a new pitch this offseason, a reverse curveball that bends upwards! Everyone had LASIK! It's an open competition, and your favorite prospect may even break camp with the big club. This is the life.
Here's the spring training schedule for the cactus league. The Cubs still have 2 weeks until they play their first game (and it'll be quite the garbagefest, with plenty of whomever this year's Brent Lillibridge is in it). For all of our readers who just can't wait to see their first glimpse of the Aaron Cunningham/Chris Valaika era, this is your chance.
This is the list of non-roster invitees. A sentence on each of them:
Marcus Hatley strikes a lot of people out, walks a lot of people, and is a dark, dark darkhorse to make the pen out of ST.
Kyle Hendricks had a season worthy of competition for the #5 role, but he's likely the first man up in Iowa.
Tommy Hottovy is maybe 4th on the LOOGY lists this year.
Eric Jokisch is just happy to be here. He'll head to Iowa during the second round of cuts.
Carlos Pimentel laid waste to his winter league. I'd like to see him get a shot because he's earned through upper minors service.
Armando Rivero took a hard left halfway through last season into "not-goodsville." He hasn't returned yet.
Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-hitter once and an 8-hitter 8 times (not that he finished those games).
Brian Schlitter is a decent pen option in a sea of decent pen options.
Tsuyoshi Wada was a guy I had high really high hopes for when he came over from Japan, and I still think he could eat some innings in the back of our rotation as the 2nd man up.
John Baker hasn't been useful in a while, but that's why he's going to be in Iowa.
Rafael Lopez is probably the starter in Iowa next year, and has some talent.
Eli Whiteside is a pure emergency contingency.
Javier Baez is lord, regardless of what Jason Parks might say.
Kris Bryant has yet to fail in professional baseball, and won't until he sees the majors May of 2015.
Ryan Roberts has yet to recapture the magic from 2011, but is a serviceable UTIL even excepting that season.
Chris Valaika is the first guy cut.
I haven't seen anything that would indicate Jeudy Valdez being a major-leaguer, and he'll be AAA depth this year a la Edgar Gonzalez.
Albert Almora probably has the most important minor league season this year, and I await his performance with some anxiety.
Chris Coghlan was a Rookie of the Year, now he's just a Guy Who Is Here.
Aaron Cunningham is a 7th outfielder, and we'll carry 5 so you do the math.
Ryan Kalish might be interesting.
Mitch Maier is the other competitor for 7th outfielder.
Darnell McDonald was serviceable last season, and is a 5th OF you can live with.
Casper Wells is stopping here on his 30-team world tour.
Baseball is here at last.
When's the trade deadline?
Comments
with bated breath
+1000 for not saying “baited” breath
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect wrote:
I did not even know this was a thing. Why would someone use baited breath? That doesn’t make sense, unless I’m trying to lure Spring Training to my face or something.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles wrote:
I dunno. Chad Gaudin is back on the market. And as far as I know, so are Marquis, Fontenot, and Harden. GBTS could still win with 3 of those 4.
Also, JimL has 10 on Hanrahan, who I don’t think has signed yet
GWQuote Reply
I heard it has double-spin mechanics.
Will CarrollQuote Reply
I’ve never cheered so hard to lose before. If the Cubs land Harden, Marquis, and Gaudin, I’d wet myself.
I’d also like Hanrahan on a split contract but I don’t foresee it happening.
MylesQuote Reply
Will Carroll wrote:
Well, you are the expert
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
Myles wrote:
Just do yourself a favor and don’t get so excited that you end up unconscious on a gurney somewhere.
GWQuote Reply
That’s where he hits 8 batters in a game, right?
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
@ Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect:
Health is a skill. So is bullshitting.
Will CarrollQuote Reply
GW wrote:
(dying laughing)
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect wrote:
I was hoping he came close to hitting 8 in a game, but his career high is 2 (twice).
Come on Jonathan, I believe in you!
He did uncork 3 wild pitches in a game, once.
MylesQuote Reply
GW wrote:
http://img.pandawhale.com/post-30203-Jaime-Lannister-NICE-gif-Imgur-dW3Y.gif
MylesQuote Reply
[img]http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1395320.1373491314!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/gaudin11s-2-web.jpg[/img]
MylesQuote Reply
Ginger Santa be scary
Suburban kidQuote Reply
This gave me a chuckle
JonKneeVQuote Reply
Jake Arrieta – > Shoulder Tightness
Cubs -> Cubs
MylesQuote Reply
Does Kyle Hendricks have a good alibi?
MylesQuote Reply
@ Myles:
Already? Dang.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
Hey, we went 13.5 hours without an injury to our starting rotation this year! That’s not so bad!
MylesQuote Reply
Upon further review it sounds like Arrieta had discomfort prior to camp and they’re just being careful, but it’s still amusing and a bit annoying.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Myles:
on a decent roster, that might be considered a plus
GWQuote Reply
GW wrote:
When are we going to have one of those?
MylesQuote Reply
Was Arrieta even going to be in the rotation? I doubt for too long if at all. Then again, this is the Cubs rotation.
dmick89, Sweatpants GuruQuote Reply
The grapevine suggests that Vizcaino is finally healthy. And of course the Cubs got James McDonald!
Hope Monster is gonna gobble on my soul.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Arrieta strikes me as Chris Volstad 2.0.
EdwinQuote Reply
Slightly off topic question, when did Jim Hendry take over as GM of the Cubs? I’m curious to see how his tenure started out compared to Epstein/Hoyer/that other guy. Obviously it’d be pretty far from an apples to apples comparison, since Theo and Hendry inherited diferent talent levels, had different CBA’s in place, and the opposing GM talent was probably different as well. Still, I wonder if the case could be made that so far the Hendry Era has been widely more successful than the Epstien era.
EdwinQuote Reply
@ Edwin:
Many Cub fans already argue this and even wish for the days of Hendry. It’s not an unreasonable argument given that Hendry got the Cubs to the playoffs and to the brink of a pennant, but Epstein’s story is incomplete so that’s why I don’t subscribe to that line of thinking yet.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Edwin:
Midway through 2002. There was a ton of turnover that first calendar year.
dmick89, Sweatpants GuruQuote Reply
Didn’t Hendry kind of get lucky in his first full year, and then the playoffs didn’t happen again until Year 5?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
They got pretty lucky in 2003, but they used they’re string farm system and some good buys to build a good team. Too early to compare to Thoyer.
dmick89, Sweatpants GuruQuote Reply
@ Myles:
It’s because nobody uses the verb “bate” anymore except in that one phrase. It’s understandable that people would spell it like its more common homophone.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
It’s like when people use the phrase “just deserts.” Few people are familiar with the term “desert,” so they assume it’s spelled “dessert.”
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(It also doesn’t help that “desert” when pronounced differently has a different meaning altogether. English is just weird. End tangent.)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
No Cubs presence, by the sound of it
GWQuote Reply
Ralph Waite/John Walton —> Big Farmhouse in the sky. Good Night, Pa
BVS, my dad drank Hamms and Buckhorn. Ick.Quote Reply
Whaddaya know, Sid Caesar was also still alive until this week.
Lots of SK’s cultural icons biting the dust recently
fang2415Quote Reply
fang2415 wrote:
fang2415Quote Reply
My favorite Sid Caesar sketch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNbT9Lf9xZo
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ dmick89, Sweatpants Guru:
I wanted to add more, but all I had was my phone yesterday. The two front offices took significantly different paths toward what one hopes is/was a successful organization. Things paid off early for the Cubs under Hendry, stalled a few years into his tenure and then took off again for a few years before coming unglued. Hendry chose, for whatever reason, to build the organization with MLB talent. That meant depleting the farm system of its prospects. Thoyer has done the exact opposite.
It’s hard to say what has been better to this point. The Cubs were more successful and a hell of a lot more fun early in the Hendry era, but if at some point they’re willing to spend money, I think there’s a good chance they’ll have more long-term success in the Thoyer era.
I’d have liked a mixture of the two strategies. Hendry went all out in one direction and Thoyer is going all out in the other. I think both ignored certain strategies that would have been worth looking into. Hendry could have done a better job with the farm system while employing nearly the same strategy he did. Thoyer, IMO, could have done better with the MLB team by not choosing to hold onto every single prospect that came his way.
dmick89, Sweatpants GuruQuote Reply
@dmick89: agree.
However, I get the vibe now that Epstein and Hoyer are two guys at a seedy craps table with only a few chips left, trying to roll a hard eight.
Marshall and Raley were probably going to be bullpen fodder, but at least they were healthy arms. The Cubs are gambling that Hammel and McDonald will be better than Marshall/Raley, but that optimism is based on what they did 2 or 3 years ago (pre-injuries). Maybe they are hoping for a repeat of last season: Feldman good and tradeable; Baker AWOL. But that still leaves the organization short at least one major league ready pitcher. That goes against Epstein’s mantra of building up “assets.”
TheStealthGMQuote Reply
Like I care.
Like You CareQuote Reply
@ TheStealthGM:
I have trouble with them even trying to acquire guys like Feldman who they can turn. I think Feldman was a pretty bad pitcher and they got lucky. I don’t quite understand it to be honest.
dmick89, Sweatpants GuruQuote Reply
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat wrote:
Really? This can’t be true.
dmick89, Sweatpants GuruQuote Reply
New Shit
http://obstructedview.net/commentary-and-analysis/quiet-optimism.html
MylesQuote Reply
Like You CareQuote Reply