Chad Tracy Stomped on Kevin Millar’s Heart
Yesterday, the Chicago Cubs announced their final roster cuts for Spring Training, sending down Micah Hoffpauir, Sam Fuld, and Chris Robinson, and releasing Kevin Millar.
That meant that Chad Tracy, who’d been locked in a perceived struggle with Millar to win the last bench spot on the Cubs, would be making the team. For his part, Tracy was relieved.
“I’ve never been in this situation before,” Tracy said Tuesday. “As a kid, you’re doing the whole big league camp thing and you don’t expect to make the team. There’s expectations as you progress in your career. It’s a little different. I wasn’t used to these emotions and getting stressed.”
He can relax now. The Cubs picked Tracy for the final roster spot over Kevin Millar, opting to keep a left-handed bat who can play the corner infield spots. On Tuesday, he looked more at ease when he smacked his first spring homer with two outs in the eighth, a two-run shot.
“You never know what to think,” said Tracy, who found out before Tuesday’s game. “Your nerves are a little high, a little on edge. Now, hopefully, I can settle down.”
Tracy had been in the D-backs’ system until this year and was a non-roster invitee in the Cubs’ camp. How would he assess his spring?
“I’m not going to say it went really well,” said Tracy, who was batting .243. “I had some good at-bats, some bad at-bats. I proved I could play third base again, which is one of the reasons I’m still around here now. Hopefully, they have faith I can play either corner and help the team.” cubs.com.
There’s no debating that Millar out-hit Tracy in Spring Training this year. But there’s also no debating that Millar is a 38 year old with declining skills who can play a serviceable first base and little else. He was loved in the clubhouse, but the fact remains, he hasn’t been an average hitter in three years. The move may signal the end of Millar’s career.
Tracy, 29, hits left-handed, can play 3rd, 1st, and the corner outfield spots in a pinch, was clearly the better choice. Sure, he hasn’t hit for shit in three years either, there remains some upside, and he owns a .965 OPS as a pinch hitter. He even had a .984 OPS as a pinch hitter last year, when he was otherwise terrible.
Chicago Cubs Will, um, Probably Still Stay in Mesa
After this weekend’s statements from MLB Commissioner Bud Selig that he had “taken over” the plans to finance new Spring Training facilities for the Chicago Cubs, which would keep them Springing in Mesa, Arizona, there were some reasonable concerns about whether the Cubs would indeed remain there. New owner Tom Ricketts is trying to ease any concerns.
“It’s been a terrific spring training season, we’ve had great attendance and a lot of fun out here,” he said.
Ricketts, Gov. Jan Brewer and Mesa Mayor Scott Smith all spoke at the rally, held outside of HoHoKam Park before Monday’s Cubs-Reds game. Brewer also threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Ricketts thanked all the politicians for “trying to find a good solution to our issues here in Arizona.” The Cubs are hoping to build a new spring training complex with funding from the city and state.
“I’m highly confident that with all the people rolling in the same direction, as I think we are now, that we’ll have a great solution and something we can be proud of pretty soon,” he said.
Afterwards, Ricketts declined to address commissioner Bud Selig’s comment that the so-called “Cubs Tax” — a ticket surcharge on all Cactus League games — was dead.
“We’re confident that we’ll get a solution,” he said. “We’re working hard. So we’ll just play it through … and we’ll get it done.”
Smith said Selig “didn’t say anything that he hasn’t said for a long time” about his opposition to the Cubs tax.
“The commissioner, a month ago, said he was against the surcharge,” Smith said. “I think what everyone realizes is there is widespread opposition (to the tax) and the fact is we’re talking about alternatives to that.”
But Selig said for the first time on Saturday that the Cubs tax is dead and will not be part of any legislation. But the surcharge is still in the bill, which was sponsored by Ariz. Rep John McComish.
Smith was asked whether the Cubs tax was indeed “dead.”
“I think that needs to be answered by the legislative leaders, since they’re the ones that are running the bill,” Smith said. “But I think the reality is certainly, even Rep. McComish has said he’s not moving forward with the bill that’s in the Senate right now.
“Until there are some changes, or something is done, he’s not moving forward with it. So I don’t think Commissioner Selig was saying something that isn’t already out there.” Chicago Breaking Sports.
So maybe Selig knew that the “Cubs tax” was not moving forward anyway, and now he gets to look like the hero that stopped it. Of course, it’s also possible that he’s the reason it isn’t moving forward anymore.
In any event, things will get more difficult for the people of Mesa and Arizona to finance new facilities for the Cubs, who’ve said all along that they don’t care how the facilities are financed, as long as they come.
It’s Chad Tracy
As we predicted (I’m almost as good at predicting as I am at tooting
my own horn), today the Chicago Cubs selected Chad Tracy as their 25th
man, which led to the release of Kevin Millar. We’ll go into more
detail on the move later.
Are the Chicago Cubs Shopping Kosuke Fukudome?
Sometimes I come across a rumor from the far reaches of the ‘net that emanates from sources I don’t know. That is not to say it might not have a nugget of truth – I simply can’t vouch for it. But I figure you are all big boys and girls, and can decide for yourselves how much stock to place in the rumor based on its source and its internal credibility.
A Cubs blog called Hot Stove Cubbies has served up an extremely juicy rumor about the Cubs shopping Kosuke Fukudome. The writer claims that the source of the rumor is “a source close to the Cubs organization [who] has helped…break stories for the past 4 years…and I trust him/her very much.”
I don’t know how you can trust someone who won’t tell you their true gender, but whatever.
I kid, I kid. On to the rumor:
It is rumored that Fukudome is on the trading block and being “known to be available” by Jim Hendry with the emergence of Tyler Colvin. I have heard that the Astros, Dbacks, Giants, Mets, and White Sox all have some interest in Fukudome, but probably would expect the Cubs to pay a “good portion” of his contract.
My thoughts?
Unless one of those teams is prepared to take on all of Fukudome’s contract (two remaining years and $24 million), trading him seems like a risk the Cubs would not be willing to take. Tyler Colvin has had a swell Spring and all, but pinning the team’s hopes on him and Xavier Nady’s recovery is a stretch – even considering all of Fukudome’s foibles.
Further, the list of teams doesn’t make any sense. The Astros literally do not have a spot for Fukudome, and their payroll is maxed. The Diamondbacks have an outfield of Connor Jackson, Chris Young, and Justin Upton – in what universe is Fukudome an upgrade over any of those guys?
I suppose it’s possible that the teams might have interest in Fukudome as a fourth outfielder, assuming the Cubs eat a bunch of his contract, but in that case, why in the world would the Cubs do it unless they were receiving a premium player or two in return? And if that were the case, why would the other team send a premium player or two to the Cubs for a fourth outfielder?
As presented, this rumor just doesn’t make sense. Would the Cubs consider moving an outfielder given Colvin’s emergence? Sure. It’s more likely that the Cubs would move Xavier Nady once he shows he’s healthy, and once Colvin shows he can be an effective Major Leaguer – neither is a sure bet.
Ted Lilly Could be Back by April 19
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Ted Lilly is coming along nicely in his rehab from shoulder surgery, and once again, it looks like he’ll miss just two starts.
Ted Lilly is on track to return to the Cubs as early as April 19 in New York.
Manager Lou Piniella said Lilly will throw three innings Tuesday in minor-league camp and make one more start Sunday before heading to a “warm” weather site for his rehab stint. From there he’ll make two more starts, getting up to 90 pitches.
Piniella wouldn’t give a date for Lilly’s return, but the schedule points to the start of the road trip at Citi Field. Chicago Breaking Sports.
When Lilly returns, the Cubs will have to make another difficult bullpen and roster decision – one of Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny will be bumped from the rotation, probably in favor of the bullpen. Then, one of the bullpenners will have to go.
And Then There Was One
The Chicago Cubs have but one roster decision left to make before the start of the season, and manager Lou Piniella said he’ll be making it soon.
Cubs manager Lou Piniella said on Monday that the team will make final cuts sometime Tuesday or early Wednesday.
The only competition left is the 25th man on the roster. That battle includes Kevin Millar, Chad Tracy and Micah Hoffpauir. Hoffpauir has minor league options left, while Tracy and Millar have minor league contracts, but no long term commitment to stay in a minor-league deal. ESPN Chicago.
Seasons are rarely made or broken by the 25th man, but that player’s impact on the margins is often difficult to quantify. With apologies to Hoffpauir, the spot seems to be down to Tracy and Millar. The decision, therefore, comes down to Tracy’s versatility and lefty-hitting against Millar’s experience and intangibles. For my money, I’d much prefer Tracy’s upside, but I can see this decision going either way.
Just a Little More Milton Bradley
Each time I post a story on Milton Bradley, I sincerely believe that it will be the last one – at least for a long while.
But then newsworthy tidbits keep popping up.
Milton Bradley wasn’t in the Mariners’ lineup for Sunday’s game against the Cubs and when approached by Chicago reporters, the outfielder declined to talk.
“No chance,” Bradley said. “You guys ran me out of town.”
Bradley and Marlon Byrd were teammates in Texas, and when Byrd signed with the Cubs, Bradley called to tell him to “do what I couldn’t do there.” …
What drives Bradley?
“Being great,” Byrd said. “He’s a perfectionist. Sometimes when he doesn’t reach that, he’s very tough on himself. I think a lot of guys in baseball are like that.”
And Bradley has a different personality with his teammates.
“He’s a great teammate,” Byrd said. “I had one year with him. Everybody knows how he was in Texas. We had a great time and no run-ins, no nothing. It can happen with him. With [Ken] Griffey and Chone Figgins and those guys over there in Seattle, he’ll be fine.”
Obviously, there aren’t many media people on Bradley’s holiday card list.
“You have to approach Milton,” Byrd said. “You have to make sure every single day you talk to him and ask him how he’s doing. My locker was right next to him. Every game on the road, we were eating lunch. My relationship was a little different than everybody else’s. As a teammate, as a guy, you have to go up to him every day, ‘Hey, Milton, how are you doing?’” Muskat Ramblings.
Nothing quite like having to coddle a guy that probably wants to tear your face off (and eat/wear it). On the plus side, Marlon Byrd sounds like a hell of a nice guy and teammate.
On a related note, the Mariners recently announced that Bradley would be their cleanup hitter this year. That’s right. Bradley will be expected to be a run-producing, power hitter in the Mariner lineup – the very thing that he recently railed against the Chicago Cubs for doing to him. I sure hope he can survive under the weight of such unreasonable expectations – lest the good people of Seattle run him out of town.
Tyler Colvin Makes the Chicago Cubs
Yesterday, Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced that outfielder Tyler Colvin had won the 24th spot on the Chicago Cubs, and he’ll act as the team’s fifth outfielder behind starters Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd and Kosuke Fukudome, and fourth outfielder Xavier Nady.
“Everybody who is here has special merits,” Piniella said. “It’s just a question of which way we decide to go. We’ll probably sit down and talk about it at length. Everybody brings something to the table. They wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. We only have one spot. That’s the problem and there are four people left and we can only keep one.”
OK, if there are four left, then Colvin is in?
“If we can’t keep Colvin after the spring he’s had, something’s wrong,” Piniella said.
Colvin, the Cubs’ No. 1 Draft pick in 2006, said Saturday he won’t believe he’s made the big league roster until he’s traveling to Atlanta for the season opener. Has Piniella told him?
“I’ll help him today to get on the plane,” Piniella said. “He’s had a heck of a spring. My gosh, you should be rewarded for coming to Spring Training [like that]. Look at [reliever James] Russell — he hasn’t given up a run this spring and he’ll be with us. You reward the performance in spring. If not, there’s no sense in keeping statistics.”
It will come down to Piniella giving Colvin enough playing time to stay sharp. The Cubs have three veteran outfielders in Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd and Kosuke Fukudome.
“I have to do that,” Piniella said about playing time. “I’ve talked to Jim [Hendry, general manager] about that. I’ve got to find some playing time for him. We don’t want him just making the club and being a defensive replacement. We want him to do a little playing.” cubs.com.
We’ve said it enough, and it needn’t have extended discussion here, but it is hard to see how Colvin will get more than a handful of at bats per week.
Still, the kid has earned a spot on the big club if he wants it, and it will certainly be a good thing for the Cubs to have a left-handed bat like his coming off the bench.
