Spring Rumorless Fever

- First off let me give props to Bleacher Nation for stepping up and delievering a ton of content over the past couple days with Tom Ricketts speaking on a TV deal, Wrigley Renovations, among other things and the defense and baserunning pieceas well.

- CubsDenhas their Top 10 Most Valuable Cubs so check that out.

- BoysofSpring has more great photos so check it out.

- CubbieCrib asked if Randy Wells will be traded?

- Rodrigo Lopez will start the Cubs’ Spring Training Opener on Sunday followed by Dempster and Garza.

- Wood plunked Castro on the wrist but the two hugged it out and no one was hurt.- Congrats to Sean Marshall for signing a 3 year deal with the Reds. It does sting a little because I thought he may end up back with the Cubs after this season.

- Soto is still dealing with a minor groin strain while Maholm is battling the flu.

- Dale Sveum is liking how “young” Soriano looks in practices, he also really like Chris Volstad, and is working with Starlin Castro. I got to say I am really liking Sveum technic so far and can’t wait to see him manage.

- I had a source tell me that some of the familiar faces you see in Cubs camp right now maybe on another team by Opening Day which include the likely suspects of Garza and Byrd.

- I am hearing a lot of chatter about Jeff Beliveau having a good shot on making the team. Coaches and players are really intrigued by his work ethic and how good he already looks this Spring.

- Bryan LaHair won the Central Iowa Sports Award for best pro athlete of 2011.

- Here is the latest from Levine-
----------Brett Jackson will start in Iowa.
----------Bruce likes what he sees in Sveum so far
----------We should know the compensation for the Padres next week. He adds the communication and relationship between the Padres front office and the Cubs is really good. Something that lacked between the Cubs and Red Sox.
----------He thinks it will take two months after Opening Day for the Cubs to call up Rizzo and equally give LaHair a chance.
----------2nd base is Barney’s to lose according to Bruce and I disagree. I think it will be an open compentation since the Cubs do not have a legit backup for SS. Because of that you could easlie see Cardenas win the spot and Barney in the utility role.
----------Junior Lake has the potential of being a Sept. call up.
----------Soler is still not a free agent because he has not established residency yet.
---------- Paul Maholm maybe the big surprise this year.

- Here is a great joke forwarded to me by my sister-

A guy from Chicago dies and is sent to Hell. He had been a horrible man his entire life. The devil puts him to work breaking up rocks with a sledge hammer. To make it worse, he cranks up the temperature and the humidity.

After a couple of days, the devil checks in on his victim to see if he is suffering adequately. The devil is baffled as the guy from Chicago is happily swinging his hammer and whistling a happy tune.

The devil walks up to him and says: "I don't understand this. I've turned the heat way up, it's humid, and you're crushing rocks; why are you so happy?"

The guy from Chicago, with a big smile, looks at the devil and replies,"This is great! It reminds me of August in Chicago. Hot, humid, a good place to work. It reminds me of home. This is fantastic!

"The devil, extremely perplexed, walks away to ponder the remarks of the guy from Chicago. Then he decides to drop the temperature, send down a driving rain and torrential wind. Soon, Hell is a wet, muddy mess.

Walking in mud up to his knees with dust blowing into his eyes, the guy from Chicago is happily slogging through the mud pushing a wheelbarrow full of crushed rocks.

Again, the devil asks how he can be happy under such conditions. The guy from Chicago replies, "This is great! Just like April in Chicago. It reminds me of working out in the yard with spring planting!"

The devil is now completely baffled but more determined to make the guy from Chicago suffer. He makes the temperature plummet.

Suddenly Hell is blanketed in snow and ice. Confident that this will surely make the guy from Chicago unhappy, the devil checks in on him. Again he is shocked at what he sees. The guy from Chicago is dancing, singing, and twirling his sledgehammer as he cavorts in glee.

"How can you be so happy? Don't you know its 40 below zero!?" screams the devil.

Jumping up and down, the guy from Chicago throws a snowball at the devil and yells;

"Yahoo!!! Hell's frozen over! This means the Cubs won the World Series."