 |
| Once a Padres prospect who played ball in Las Vegas |
For
they were in Las Vegas on Thursday and Friday – playing a pair of exhibition games
against the New York Mets that bring to an end this year’s spring training
session.
BOTH
THE CUBS and Chicago White Sox begin playing games that matter in the standings
come Monday. I suspect this is the high point of 2016 for the Cubs – everybody goes
about talking about how wonderful a ball club they are without them having to
do anything to prove it.
And
they got what many people would consider to be a fantasy vacation – a two-day
trip to Vegas. They had to play ballgames Thursday night and Friday afternoon.
But
surely they were able to spend some of their time in the casinos during the
rest of their stay. Let’s only hope they didn’t bust themselves financially.
Or
then again, maybe it’s better if they do. Because that could make them eager to
receive the next paycheck that they will get for playing baseball for the first
of 162 games,
WE’RE
ON THE verge of the regular season, the games don’t count yet. But spring
training proper is ovah (as The Hawk would say)!
The
Cubs broke camp in Mesa, Ariz,, while the White Sox said so long to Glendale
Heights (as in suburban Phoenix). They’re in that part of the schedule where
historically ball clubs headed back to their home cities would play a few
exhibitions in places that usually don’t get to see major league teams in
action.
Hence,
the Cubs are in Las Vegas for a couple of days and also will play one game
Sunday in Anaheim, Calif., before beginning the regular season schedule – oddly
enough, in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels.
While
the White Sox will get to play their just-before-the-season-starts exhibitions
in San Diego against the Padres. Once, that would have been a novelty, playing
a National League ball club.
YET
NOW, THAT is just another team they get to play every few years through
Interleague play. I have to wonder how many San Diegans think this a boring way
to kick off their season.
It
certainly isn’t the type of pre-season jolt the White Sox would like to have
prior to their Monday first game in Oakland against the Athletics.
Of
course, the key to comprehending 2016 is the home Openers – this Friday for the
White Sox against the Cleveland Indians and April 11 for the Cubs against the
Cincinnati Reds. Our first dose of baseball in months that hasn’t been seen on television
will come from the Ohio ball clubs.
This
has the potential to be an intriguing year for Chicago baseball – particularly if
the Cubs actually live up to all the pre-season hype (which is never a safe bet
for the Cubs).
ALTHOUGH
SOME POINT out that even the White Sox managed to have a winning record during
their spring training exhibitions. Though people with sense realize that
winning and losing in the Arizona sunshine doesn’t mean a thing about how the
ball club will do during the regular season.
It
certainly isn’t something that ought to make us think Chicago will get its
first all-city series as a World Series in 110 years.
Which
probably would be the ultimate nightmare for Cubs fans-types – going through
all the hassle of winning a National League championship (the first since 1945)
only to know it could be undermined by a loss to the Sox in the World Series!
 |
| 110 years (and counting) since last all-Chicago World Series |
But
that’s probably a long-shot scenario anyways. It’s enough to make the Cubs wish
things could remain as they are now – all the potential in the world, and a
trip to Las Vegas.
-30-
No comments:
Post a Comment