Today is the first spring training game for many teams. Coincidentally the Dodgers are playing the Cubs. This year MLB is touting their new MLB network as the place to see all games — even the blacked out Saturday Fox games. BUT, the MLB Network is only available to DirecTV and Time Warner Cable subscribers, leaving Dish Network and AT&T U-Verse subscribers in the dark. Worse yet, MLB.TV — the online stream, will continue to black out these games in addition to the World Baseball Classic. What’s a fan to do?

How will you follow your favorite team this year? Who will the Cubs beat in the 2009 World Series? Will MLB continue their restricting online media outlets and photographers from media access and privileges?

Photo by Seth William Page, 2/21/09, via CC-license.

UPDATE: The Brewers beat the Cubs and the Marlins beat the Mets, so for the second straight year, the Mets have been shut out of the playoffs on the last day of the season. The Brewers will play the Phillies in the NLDS beginning Wednesday and the Cubs will host the Dodgers Wednesday in that NLDS. The White Sox must beat the Tigers in a make-up game Monday to face the Twins in a playoff Tuesday for the AL Central Crown and a spot in the playoffs vs. Tampa Bay (starting Thursday).

I’m listening to WGN Radio’s broadcast of the Cubs vs Brewers, where the crowd is decidedly split, but while the Cubs are starting one-time prodigy Angel Guzman (who after all these years is still 0-7 and awaiting his first major league victory), The Brew Crew sent out CC Sabathia for the third time in 10 days. I’m watching the scores on the Mets/Florida game very closely, as well as the Sox/Indians and Twins/Royals.

Here are the possible playoff scenarios:

AL Central: If the Chicago White Sox (86-74) and Minnesota Twins (87-74) are still within a half-game of each other after play is completed Sunday, Chicago must make up a rainout against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. If the White Sox and Twins finish with the same record, they would play a tiebreaker game Tuesday in Chicago.

NL Wild Card: If the New York Mets (89-72) and Milwaukee Brewers (89-72) still have identical records after Sunday, they would play a one-game tiebreaker Monday in New York.

Personally, I’m pulling for the White Sox (yes, I’m a die-hard Cubs fan who doesn’t root against the Sox) and I’d like to see the Mets and Brewers go to a playoff on Monday. Why? Because the Cubs will face either the Mets (if they win the wild card) or the Dodgers (if the Brewers take the wild card) on Wednesday. I have tickets for the Dodgers home games in the NLDS and NLCS… not sure if I’d rather see the Cubs v. Dodgers sooner (in a best-of-five series) or later (in a best-of-seven). The Dodgers are at the top of their game going into the post-season with a resurgent pitching staff and the return of a healthy Rafael Furcal, Jeff Kent, and Nomar Garciaparra. This is the best Cubs team I’ve seen in my life, and I’m loving it. Granted, come Wednesday, I’ll be nervous as hell. Last year’s flop against the D-Backs wasn’t too surprising but this year, I want to be able to forget about 2003 once and for all.

**Some game times have been announced:

Game     Matchup     Day     Date     Time ET     TV
Gm 1    LAD @ CHC    Wed    Oct. 1    6:30 PM    TBS
Gm 2    LAD @ CHC    Thu    Oct. 2    9:30 PM    TBS
Gm 3    CHC @ LAD    Sat    Oct. 4    10:00 PM    TBS

Amazing night at — of all places — Miller Park. Much will be said about this night, and personally, I’m elated at the moment. But in the interest of getting out of the house, I’m going to post the audio highlights c/o WGN Radio, Pat Hughes, and Ron Santo. Yes, The Chicago Cubs, on the back of Carlos Zambrano — who nearly no-hit the Astros in the past — pitched his first career no hitter, the first no hitter by a Cubs since Milt Pappas in 1972.

Listen to the call of the 27th out:

[display_podcast]
Holy Shit Carlos!

And the Magic Number is 7!

Piniella, Zambrano talk to the media:

Game Highlights (WGN Radio):

Zambrano spoke to WGN TV’s Len Kasper after the game and according to the Sun Times, said:

“I felt good,” Zambrano said. “I think the rest helped me out a lot, and I was able to command my fastball today and all my pitches were working great today. I was watching the gun in the first inning and it said 99, 98 I said let’s get it on, challenge the hitter and be aggressive.

Geovany [Soto] just told me, ‘Just come on. Let’s go you and do it.’ The pitching coach [Larry Rothschild] in the ninth inning ‘use your leg,’ and that helped.”

photos via AP/Yahoo! Sports.

Manny Ramirez became a Dodger, Ken Griffey, Jr. became a White Sox, and the Chicago Cubs completed a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers all within a matter of a long lunch today. The sweep was the perfect punctuation to a few key acquisitions made by Jim Hendry, weeks before today’s trade deadline. Jim Edmonds had 5 RBI including a grand slam, and Rich Harden continued his mastery of the NL, with 9 K’s, allowing just one run (as a Cub, Harden has 39 strikeouts in 24 innings with a 1.11 ERA).

I love it. Hoping to see an appearance from Manny at the game tonight (Dodgers v. Diamondbacks). Tomorrow I’m off to Lollapalooza for the weekend, with an afternoon at Wrigley scheduled for Saturday (Zambrano Lilly on the mound). See you in Chicago?

Via MLB.

30-year-old left-handed outfielder Kosuke Fukudome is Chi-town bound after agreeing with the Cubs to a reported 4-year, $48 million contract.

Fukudome is everything that Corey Patterson never was and further indicates the Cubs organization’s newfound understanding that top talent on the farm (see Wood, Prior, Guzman) ain’t always what it’s cracked up to be. For Japanese baseball stars who’ve come to America, the results have been awesome. Suzuki. Matsui. Dice-K. Okajima.

I went to the awesome World Baseball Classic nearly two years ago and — while I primarily remember Japan’s incredible pitchers — Fukudome stood out as well, and not just because his name is so badass.

After Japan won the WBC championship, Fukudome returned to play for the Chunichi Dragons and turned out an MVP season, batting .351 with 31 homers and 104 RBIs.

This is exciting — and Lou can make it happen. I imagine Hendry making a couple more moves — pitching-wise — someone who could stay healthy all year. I don’t want to sit through another spring watching Guzman, Prior, and Wood go through the motions only to find out that they’re arms are bunk (and Kerry, yes, you’ve regained my faith — for now).

Cubs in ’08.

Words cannot explain the incredible joy and excitement I feel right now. I’ve been following the Cubs as close as ever this year, despite my current residence on the west coast and after 160 games, it IS HAPPENING! The Cubs are going to the playoffs and are the first National League team to clinch their division. Zambrano and Soriano were the heroes today — the two guys who got the fattest cash deals and boy do they deserve it. I don’t have cable, much less satellite but I am listening to the WGN radio stream and on a mad hunt for an Old Style. I am also loving the comment thread at Bleed Cubbie Blue as well as the Cub-cam at Clark and Addison showing the fans spilling out into the streets of Wrigleyville (the game was away in Cincinnati, btw). Soon to leave the house for a Friday night, but this is JUST the beginning of a great run. GO CUBS!