Spring is here _ really
Well, not really, but the Cubs got lucky with a perfect backdrop today for their kickoff to spring training. While it was snowing steadily at Wrigley Field, the clubhouse crew was loading up the truck (sponsored, of course, this time by MasterCard, as every Cubs activity seems to be sponsored these days) for Mesa. A bunch of kids from a neighborhood school even stopped by to drop off letters to their favorite Cubs and sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
We'll have a story for tomorrow's paper online today, but here are a few tidbits:
--GM Jim Hendry wouldn't close the door on shortstop phenom Starlin Castro making the club out of camp, but he seemed to lean toward giving the soon-to-be 20-year-old Castro at least a little more time in the minors. If my math is correct, Castro was born in 1990. Yikes, where's the time go?
"Some of the best players in history came to camp at 19 or 20 and made it," Hendry said. "I think in a realistic world, he would probably need a little more time."
--Hendry gave optimistic-sounding health reports on left fielder Alfonso Soriano and third baseman Aramis Ramirez. Soriano is rehabbing from left-knee surgery, and Ramirez has been non-surgically rehabbing from the dislocated left shoulder that cost him two months last year.
--Aside from such veterans as Kevin Millar, Chad Tracy and a few other older nonroster players, the big Cubs theme of this year is the number of homegrown players they'll have in camp. That includes the last four No. 1 draft picks: center fielder Brett Jackson, pitcher Andrew Cashner, third baseman Josh Vitters and outfielder Tyler Colvin (who's on the 40-man). Among the others to watch are pitchers Casey Coleman, Mitch Atkins, John Gaub, Rafael Dolis, Thomas Diamond (obtained in a trade last year), Blake Parker and J.R. Mathes, infielder Darwin Barney and outfielder James Adduci.
Should be fun.
UPDATES: Our story is up, so check it out, including the note about a Theriot arb hearing seeming more and more likely:
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=357961
One more thing. We got a little walking tour of some of the Wrigley Field changes. The removal of the concrete "panels" along the Addison Street (right-field line) side of the ballpark should have a dramatic effect on the "feel" of the Wrigley Field experience. It should make for a more "open" and "airy" feeling to the park. Oh, and yes, the troughs are still in the men's rooms. And fans will get to watch hitters in the batting cages under the right-field bleachers as part of the renovation. Thanks to all on the Cubs who made the impromptu tour possible today.
Bruce,
First off, spring is always here -- in LA that is! Anyway, what is the current plan for Chris Huseby? Did he get an invite to camp? A 22 year old with a 7:1 K/BB and a sub 1.00 WHIP deserves some sort of look in the spring no matter what level he pitched at. Does he start the year at AA as their closer?
I doubt very much the Cubs have any preconceived notions about Huseby's assignment this season. He requires careful handling; his 2009 season ended in the worst possible way. From my notes at the time:
"Chris Huseby came into the 9th on 9/10 to save the game and keep Peoria alive in the playoffs. What followed had to be his worst nightmare: walk, walk, pop out on bunt attempt, strikeout swinging, wild pitch, walk, walk (blowing the save), hit batsman (ending Peoria's season). Huseby's first 9 pitches missed the strike zone. Oneri Fleita had called Huseby the Cubs' best strike thrower, and so he was during the regular season; but with the playoffs on the line, all of his old control troubles returned to haunt him. I'll keep hoping, but -- well, it didn't take anything much different to destroy Ricky Ankiel as a pitcher."
You'll note, if you look at the sequence, that it had gotten into his head even before the inning ended. After the popped bunt attempt, Huseby had rallied to strike out the next hitter and was one out from nailing it down -- and then he threw the wild pitch, after which he totally lost it.
It's worth mentioning that Huseby had terrible problems with control in 2008. He walked 17 men in 15 innings when the Cubs finally allowed him to pitch in rookie ball toward the end of the year; for much of the time before that, they wouldn't let him throw to batters for fear he'd hurt somebody. His turnaround to superb control in 2009 was amazing -- but it all got away from him again at the end when it mattered most, and then he had to go home and live with that all winter.
So the Cubs, who challenged a lot of minor league guys with aggressive assignments last spring, probably won't do that with Huseby this spring. Most likely he'll start spring with most of the other 2009 Chiefs in the Daytona group, and his performance there will determine his regular season assignment; and the Cubs won't hesitate to hold him back in extended spring for a while if he's battling his control at all.
At all events, Huseby was not invited to major league spring training this year. But I certainly hope that does happen for him down the road: from what I've been told (which was confirmed by the little I've seen of him in person), he's a really good guy.
He just turned 22, and as mlp points out, there's no point in rushing him into big league camp when you have so many others ahead of him. I did have a chance to interview him last year when I saw Big Z pitch in Peoria, and Chris really came off as a nice kid.
I especially like the fact of hearing that numerous #1's will be at camp.
... the not too distant past when the camp was populated with prospects like Kieschnick, Jennings, Valdez, Patterson, Choi, Cline, etc.
The last time it snowed on opening day was 2003, that turned out to be one of the most exciting and successful seasons in a long time. It was also the ONLY time the Cubs have won a playoff series in, I won't even mention, how long.
Bruce, I'm really hoping your editors at the DH have seen the light (and a positive on the balance sheet) and you will be covering the entire ST? AND all of the away games? We need your insight!!!! The people have spoken!!! PLEASE!!!!!!
I'll be there for a good bit at the beginning and again near the end for a good piece of spring training. We're working on the regular season.
Work really hard on travel for the regular season.....know what I'm sayin'? :-)