Bruce Levine sets the scene for Cubs-White Sox opener in spring training
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What is the significance of the Cubs-White Sox spring training opener?
Layla Rahimi, Marshall Harris, Mark Grody, Rahimi, Harrison Grody on 104.3 The Score. Everybody. Can we sing? Can we sing? Sing to Bruce, yeah. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear food. Happy birthday to you. That's right. It's Bruce Levine's birthday. I want to know if Bruce knows who this is. That's what I want to know. This hour is sponsored by Riverfront Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram. This is 104.3 The Score, and that is how we bring in our baseball reporter here for the Cubs and White Sox on 104.3 The Score, the co-host of Inside the Clubhouse, Saturday mornings from 9 to 11, the birthday boy himself, Bruce Levine. Hey, Bruce. Marshall, it's cool in the gang, right? Yeah. Close enough.
Close enough, Bruce. Close enough. That's what I thought. Look, before we start talking baseball, does it annoy you when people wish you happy birthday, they just find out from other people five minutes before, and they're not really on your list of A friends? Wow. So you resent some of the people that were singing happy birthday to you? Is that what you're saying, Bruce? I asked you a question, Mark. Okay, so no. My answer is no because I don't tell people my birthday unless they ask. And if people find out, that's fine. And I'm just like, you know what? It is to be celebrated. You are to be celebrated, Bruce. You shouldn't be upset about that. You should be like me and just take the birthday wishes when they come but not be upset when people don't remember.
Did not say I was. But it's always interesting. And these birthday things, As I'm aging, they keep happening like once a year. It's amazing how that works. Yeah, the older you get. You're right. I am running into the same thing now. They're happening every year. They feel quicker, but for some reason, they're at the same time, and I don't get it. Bruce, this is when I grew up. Now, for the reason you really got me on, to talk about the first game of the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, where do you want to begin? Well, wait a second. Who got you the card? Was it Greg Council? Who did the presentation? No, it was Mark Gonzalez. Gonzalez out there? A friend on the A-list. Oh, man, tell Gonzo we all said hello. He's the best.
Former Cubs writer for the Tribune. We miss Mark. Former Sox writer for the Tribune as well. He'll be filling in on the Sun-Times beat on the weekends for both the Cubs and White Sox. Good man. Very good man. That's fantastic. Yeah, we do want to know about that spring training game that we are excited to hear in just a few minutes here on The Score. Bruce, the first thing that we noticed was the announcement that Will Venable made before today, talking about Munataka Murakami would be in the lineup. We find out he's batting cleanup. This seems like a real sign that they want to develop him and get him used to major league pitching as soon as possible. You know, Layla, that's a part of it, but he's leaving next week.
So that's a major reason why you'll see Suzuki for the Cubs in center and Murakami at first base is they want to get their eyes on them before they take off for Japan. You know, the 23rd, the Japanese players take off and you're not going to see them again maybe until the second week of March because Japan, I don't know if you guys know this, but they're really good in baseball and they're expecting to be right there at the end of with the United States for the World Baseball Classic. So, yeah, they need to see him. And, you know, I think the curiosity for White Sox fans off the chart as to how often there's a home run, how often there's a strikeout, can he play first base, all these things that we've been watching here in spring training.
Do you feel like this puts the White Sox at somewhat of a deficit, not seeing him firsthand, even though they will get to see him participate in the World Baseball Classic, where he was phenomenal, if I remember correctly, the last time he was in the World Baseball Classic? Yeah, I think it does, Marshall. And on top of that, I think it's... There's that great unknown of him getting to know his teammates, them getting to know him, just getting used to being in the United States.
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