A Visual Depiction of a 6,000 Square Foot JumboTron at Wrigley and Other Bullets

Tomorrow night, the Season Three finale of ‘The Walking Dead’ airs opposite the Season Three premiere of ‘Game of Thrones.’ What is a nerd to do?! I guess I’ll opt for TWD, since it’s a finale, which would suffer more from incidental Twitter spoilers than a premiere. Which means I probably won’t get to GOT until the next day, which means I’ll have to be vigilant to avoid any mention …

  • The Cubs tied the Astros 6-6 last night in Houston, with Cubs regulars surprisingly going the whole way (and the Astros digging deeply into their bench much earlier – although, on the Houston roster, it can be hard to tell who’s a “starter” and who’s a “holy crap that guy is seriously on a big league roster?” bench guy. Not that I’m in a position to throw stones …). Edwin Jackson struck out nine in just four innings, which is incredible. He also gave up five earned runs in those four innings, which is incredible. Dioner Navarro homered for the fifth time this “Spring,” which I’m setting as the over/under for his homers all season. I’ll take the under.
  • The Red Sox are letting 28-year-old outfielder Ryan Sweeney go, and I wonder if he might be an interesting pick-up for the Cubs on a minor league deal, if that’s the best he can find. Right now, the Cubs’ AAA outfield depth consists of Brian Bogusevic (if he sticks with the Cubs), Darnell McDonald (if he sticks with the Cubs), Jae-Hoon Ha (a very young player who isn’t ready for the bigs), and, of course, Brett Jackson, whom the Cubs would prefer not to call up until he’s ready, rather than in a pinch. Seems like there’s a pretty wide opening and need for Sweeney as depth. He really struggled in Boston after being dealt by the A’s last year, but, hey, depth-ers can’t be choosers. He’s good defensively, can play all over the outfield, bats lefty, doesn’t strike out, sees a lot of pitches … I’d like him in the organization. Smart money says the Cubs are feeling him out.
  • An anonymous veteran scout offers his take on the Cubs, and it’s mostly what you would expect (if you can ignore that “Darwin Barney is clutch at the plate” thing – the scout is definitely dating himself). Many of the Cubs’ starters would be bench players on a good team.
  • Keith Law has the Cubs winning 77 games this year, which would be an impressive 16-game improvement from last year (how depressing is that?). Law wisely caveats his prediction on the Cubs not having a sell-off midseason, which, if they’re on a mid-70s win pace by midseason, they’re going to have a sell-off. That’s the primary reason I have a hard time predicting the Cubs to win more than 70 games this year.
  • (Apropos of little more than certain conversations that take place in the comments from time to time: Tyler Colvin did not make the Rockies, and has been sent to AAA.)
  • With all the JumboTron talk, I wanted to see just how large a 6,000 square foot video board – the minimum size the Cubs reportedly want – would look in left field at Wrigley, located in such a way as to not block any rooftop views. Here’s a rough mockup, to scale, of how big a 6,000 square foot board would look (and, yes, that is Mark DeRosa!):
  • It definitely looks very big, but I’m not sure it’s too big. I’ve been of the “bigger is better” mindset when it comes to the video board, but this might be just about as big as is reasonably possible. Any bigger, and it would really look out of place.
  • (Because one thing that Facebook actually does well is pictures, I shared that on Facebook as soon as I’d made it yesterday. In other words: you should “like” BN on Facebook so that you can catch things like this immediately. The Facebook version of the picture is also much larger, which would not fit here.)
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

    For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

    Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

    What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

    CRAAAAAP: Cody Bellinger to the Injured List (UPDATES)

    So much for all those words of optimism and negative X-rays. After colliding with the outfield wall last night, Cody Bellinger fractured his rib (Update: It's actually TWO fractured right ribs) and will hit the injured list today. Chicago Cubs...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: What is it, June 2023?

    CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs took Game 1 against the Houston Astros in convincing fashion last night. So tonight, they'll go for the quick series win against Spencer Arrighetti at Wrigley Field (it'd be a good idea to win...

    Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Ed. Note: Since this article was published, a CT scan revealed a rib fracture for Cody Bellinger, who is now on the Injured List. You can find all the details of that news in our most recent article right here....

    Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

    With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

    Is Mike Tauchman the Best Player in Baseball? An Exploration

    Hey, we're just having some early-season fun. So allow me to present the 'Mike Tauchman Is Clearly Better Than' list. As of this moment, Mike Tauchman has ... ... a higher wRC+ (151) than Pete Alonso, Fernando Tatis Jr., and...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 24, 2024: Kevin Alcántara Cannot Miss Right Now

    Name a player hotter than Kevin Alcántara right now. Go ahead, I'll wait. (He's already raking again today. Literally as I type this.) More on Alcántara's big day and the Smokies home run parade last night in today's Cubs Farm...

    Oof: Blake Snell to the Injured List Just Three Horrible Starts into His Giants Career

    Just three starts into his San Francisco Giants career, Blake Snell is heading to the injured list with a left-adductor strain. Oof. You hate to even say it — and who really knows if this was related — but early...

    It’s Gotten Impossible to Not Comment on the White Sox Making Futility History

    In 1997, I was a miserable Chicago Cubs fan. I mean, that was true a lot of the time, but I mean it in a very specific way that year: the Cubs had started the season 0-14. They had literally...

    Latest News

    Nuggets vs. Lakers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Denver Nuggets are slight 1-point favorites in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, starting at 10:00 PM ET on TNT. The Nuggets have a 2-0...

    76ers vs. Knicks Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Philadelphia 76ers are 4.5-point favorites for Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, tipping off at 7:30 PM ET on TNT. The Knicks lead the...

    Oilers vs. Kings NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 Prediction: Picks, Live Odds and Moneyline – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Edmonton Oilers are moderate favorites (-130) away at the Los Angeles Kings (+110) on Friday at 10:30 PM ET.Oilers vs. Kings Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Oilers (-130)Underdog: Kings (+110)Total: 6Best Oilers vs. Kings Promo Codes[lasso type="table" id="1" link_id="1597816"]How to Watch...

    Brewers vs. Pirates Probable Starting Pitchers – April 25

    The Milwaukee Brewers (15-8) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (13-12) square off in Pittsburgh on Thursday. First pitch is at 12:35 PM ET at PNC Park.The Brewers will call on Freddy Peralta (2-0) against the Pirates and Mitch Keller (2-2).Brewers vs....

    Golden Knights vs. Stars NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Saturday, April 27, 2024

    The oddsmakers have the Vegas Golden Knights at -120 on the moneyline, and the Dallas Stars at +100, for their matchup on Saturday, April 27 at 10:30 PM ET.Golden Knights vs. Stars Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Golden Knights (-120)Underdog: Stars (+100)Total:...

    How to Watch Guardians vs. Red Sox: Live Stream or on TV

    On Thursday, Josh Naylor and the Cleveland Guardians (17-7) contest a rubber match against Tyler O'Neill and the Boston Red Sox (14-11) at Progressive Field, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 PM ET.Keep reading to see how to watch the...

    Maple Leafs vs. Bruins NHL Playoffs First Round Game 4 Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Saturday, April 27, 2024

    The sportsbooks are expecting a close game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins when they clash on Saturday at 8:00 PM ET, with the Maple Leafs at -112 on the moneyline, and the Bruins at -108.Maple Leafs vs....

    How to Watch Mariners vs. Rangers: Live Stream or on TV

    Caleb Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners (12-12) visit Adolis Garcia and the Texas Rangers (13-12) on Thursday in a rubber match, with first pitch at 2:35 PM ET.The article below will give you everything you need to watch Seattle play...

    Padres vs. Rockies: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Thursday, Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres (14-13) face Ryan McMahon and the Colorado Rockies (6-19), with first pitch scheduled for 3:10 PM ET at Coors Field.Keep reading to find out how to watch the San Diego-Colorado...

    2024 Las Vegas Raiders Big Board: Potential First-Round Fits Including Tackle & Cornerback

    The desert heat is rising in Las Vegas, and so are the expectations for the Raiders. The 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and the Silver and Black hold the 13th overall pick. Will they prioritize shoring up the offensive...

    more cubs news