Because I eat, drink and sleep baseball, I guess I’m supposed to love free baseball on Marquis regardless of the circumstances. After the goofy series in Japan and return to Arizona for fake games, I’m not as into the faux exhibition games with the Braves at Mesa.

I get that the Cubs can’t fly east to any of the minor league affiliates to play some charity games for the locals and that they are confined to Arizona as they prep for Thursday’s opener with the Dbacks, but I dislike watching the regulars get eviscerated this close to the regular season.

If we’re to believe everything they feed us, the Cubs don’t need any more tuning up. I’d still prefer seeing the young guys that might reappear in Wrigley sometime this summer. I’m also tired of the third string announcers that Marquis has been trotting out this spring.