Chicago Cubs News: Dexter Fowler returns, Opening Day Schedule, and more

Chicago Cubs fans will be seeing a lot more of former center fielder Dexter Fowler this season as after he announced his retirement from Major League Baseball earlier this week, Fowler will be joining the Marquee Sports Network this season where he will primarily be serving as pre and post-game analyst for Cubs games.

In his retirement announcement, Fowler did indicate that he would be looking for television work with the ultimate goal being owning a Major League Baseball team one day. There is no question that Fowler's addition to the Marquee Sports Network will boost their overall product.

The Marquee Sports Network has struggled since first debuting in 2020 and there is no question that the pandemic has undoubtedly played a factor in the network's rocky launch. Another issue is the lack of access that Cubs fans have to the Marquee Sports Network. With Major League Baseball inching closer to a direct-to-consumer streaming offering to fans, that should help the network become more accessible.

Major League Baseball Opening Day Schedule

The Cubs will open the season on Thursday, March 30 at home against the Milwaukee Brewers. For the Cubs, this will be an early test to see how they fare against the team that finished second in the National League Central last season. The belief is that with the moves the Cubs have made this offseason, they may have leapfrogged ahead of the Brewers regarding chasing the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Chicago Cubs lineup when Tom Brady made his NFL debut.

With NFL quarterback Tom Brady announcing his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday, take a look at the Cubs' starting lineup on September 30, 2001--the day that Brady made his NFL debut with the New England Patriots.

Chicago Cubs' president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer joins "The Show" podcast.

Among the topics that Jed Hoyer addressed on the podcast was the work that center fielder Cody Bellinger has put in this offseason as well as confirming the belief that baseball operations had to cut payroll during the pandemic.