Pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training camp in Mesa, with the rest of the team to follow soon. All pitchers had arrived as of today, except Dayan Diaz and Hector Rondon due to Visa issues, according to Cubs beat writer Carrie Muskat. Today was a day for physicals at Fitch Park and meetings with coaches. When pitchers and catchers show up in Mesa, it’s time for Cubs fans to look to the coming season, which has to be better than last season.
If you’re looking for information on who’s on the team and what to expect for this season, you’ll want to purchase a copy of the Bleed Cubbie Blue 2013 Annual. The annual, which replaces an annual that had been published by Maple Street Press, is edited by BCB”s Al Yellon and written by fans who follow the blog and the team.
Like previous annuals Yellon edited, this one includes player profiles, prospect profiles and even one piece on the Cubs’ history of spring training in Arizona and at HoHoKam Stadium in particular. This pieces particularly appropriate as this is the last year the Cubs will call HoHoKam their spring training home. Next year they will move into their own new complex, currently being built a couple of miles from HoHoKam.
Player comparisons, a look at the 1950 season when the Milwaukee Brave actually were referred to as the third Chicago team and alas, a look back at the worst Cubs team since 1990, are also covered in the annual.
The annual is available only in eBook format. It costs only $2.99 and is currently available in the Amazon Kindle Store for downloading on your Kindle device or using the Kindle apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. It should be available for iBooks and through Barnes and Noble later this week
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