Mini Ted Lilly Update
Chicago Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly threw 35 pitches off the mound this week and is still feeling good.
The left-hander, coming off arthroscopic surgery in November, will have another throwing session Saturday and was expected to throw 40 pitches. He’s still hopeful to get into a Cactus League game.
“I think he’ll surprise people with how well he does,” Ryan Dempster said of Lilly. “If he had his way, he’d probably pitch tomorrow.” Muskat Ramblings.
Obviously it would be a great sign if he made it into a Spring Training game, but temper those expectations even if he does - he’s still going to start the year in recovery mode.
ShareInitial Spring Training Rotation Set
All of the Chicago Cubs’ expected starting pitchers, and those competing to be in the starting rotation, will get a shot in the first week of Cactus League games.
The Cubs have their Cactus League rotation set for the first five games. Randy Wells will get things started Thursday vs. the A’s, with Carlos Zambrano scheduled for Friday vs. the Diamondbacks. Carlos Silva will go Saturday vs. White Sox, and Jeff Samardzija and Tom Gorzelanny will both start Sunday in split squad games. Ryan Dempster goes Monday at Oakland. Sunday is the first of five scheduled split-squad games. Muskat Ramblings.
Mike Parisi and Sean Marshall, who are also gunning for a starting spot, will follow Wells in Thursday’s game. Keep an eye on who keeps starting as the Spring Training schedule wears on - most teams don’t keep their offensive starters in the game much beyond the first half, so getting pitching starts, as opposed to relief appearances, is the best way to test a guy’s starting mettle.
ShareTed Lilly Wants to Be Back By Opening Day
Chicago Cubs Manager Lou Piniella expects pitcher Ted Lilly to be back from shoulder surgery by May 1. Chicago Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry expects pitcher Ted Lilly to be back from shoulder surgery by April 15.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly expects to be back from shoulder surgery by Opening Day.
“I don’t know what the date is,” Lilly said Wednesday. “I’d like to be ready when all the other healthy guys are. That would be good for me. If I can’t, I’ll be disappointed.
“I have to understand that sometimes you take one step back to gain a couple forward. The whole idea is to not only come back as soon as possible and be out there contributing but be productive, too.”
Lilly is coming back from arthroscopic surgery in early November on his left shoulder. It was a minor procedure. He has yet to throw off a mound but is playing catch, and on Tuesday he was able to throw from about 120 feet. On Wednesday, the day pitchers and catchers report to Fitch Park, Lilly and Ryan Dempster went for a long run.
“It feels pretty strong,” Lilly said of his shoulder. “I expect to be ahead of schedule, whatever schedule comes out. I think the real test is first, when you get on the mound and start throwing downhill off the slope and after that when you get into a game situation and you try to really dial it up with runners in scoring position or whatever it is — that’s when you find out how healthy you really are.” cubs.com.
Realistically, there’s no chance Lilly is back by Opening Day. Not because he might not be recovered by then, but because the Cubs will take no chances with a guy as important as Lilly. This does make it more likely, however, that the Cubs will be able to go without a fifth starter for the first couple of weeks of the season, and then will get Lilly back before May rolls around.
ShareJeff Samardzija Really Wants to Start for the Cubs
Jeff Samardzija came to the Chicago Cubs on a major league contract when he was drafted a few years ago. That means that he came with big expectations.
And although he’s performed well in his way up the minor league chain, and was great in a brief stop with the Cubs in relief at the end of 2008, he was very disappointing last year in his first chance to really claim a full-time gig at the big league level. In his mind, that was at least partly because he never felt certain about where he was going to be - in the majors or the minors, in the rotation or in the pen. Hopefully this year, wherever he ends up, is where he ends up.
The right-hander had three stints with the big league team, April 23-May 6, June 30-Aug. 13 and Sept. 8 through the end of the season. He was looking for a chance to settle in one place. Shuttling back and forth didn’t help last season.
“That’s probably No. 1 on the list,” he said. “Just knowing in my head I wasn’t going anywhere and I had a solid month or however many starts to make the adjustments I wanted to make and go from there.”…
In 2008, Samardzija was used strictly in relief with the Cubs and posted a 2.28 ERA in 26 games. Last season, he made his first Major League start Aug. 12 against the Phillies — one of two starts in 2009 — and served up seven runs on eight hits over 3 1/3 innings. Not exactly an outing worth celebrating, but Samardzija said now it was all positive.
“I’m pretty good at ‘in the moment’ and being kind of stubborn with myself and being set in my ways and what I want to work on,” Samardzija said. “I took a lot out of last year. Was it tough and how I wrote it up? It wasn’t how I wrote it up, and it was tough. But I learned a lot and learned how it works growing up in this league and just playing baseball in general.
“I’m happy with where I’m at now with where I’m pitching and how the ball’s coming out. I really haven’t put the ball down this offseason, which feels great. It’s the first time I’ve done that. I’m ready to go.”
He’s still young baseball-wise and knows it. Samardzija made a name for himself on the football field, catching passes as a stellar wide receiver at Notre Dame. The Cubs selected him in the fifth round of the 2006 Draft, and he has committed full-time to baseball.
Now, it’s a matter of finding the right role. He succeeded as a reliever in ‘08 but wants to start.
“The future — you never know,” Samardzija said. “I want to give starting a fair enough shot. I feel with my body and with my arm I can be a successful starting pitcher who goes deep into games every fifth day. I feel that can happen.
“Being a young guy, there’s still stuff I need to work on, and coming from a football background, maybe there’s even more to work on. I want to give [starting] its fair shot. I’ve done it my whole life.
“I wouldn’t qualify last year as giving it a full shot to be a starter. I thought at the end of the season it went pretty well, but it was only two starts, and you can’t take too much from that. I want to do it. That’s how I’m looking at it.”
There is an opening in the Cubs rotation. Ted Lilly could miss the first month, maybe less, after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in early November. There are three starters set in Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells, and lots of candidates for the vacancies, including newly acquired Carlos Silva.
Samardzija, Gorzelanny and Sean Marshall are all friends. But they’re all competing for the same thing.
“As a young guy, that’s how you look at it first is that they’re buddies,” Samardzija said. “Obviously, they’re good friends and they’re on your team and you want to win with them. The older you get, the more you understand what this game is about. In the end it’ll make you stronger.” cubs.com.
Given that Samardzija, more so than Gorzelanny, Silva and even Marshall, is thought of by the Cubs in their long-term plans, you have to believe he’ll be given every opportunity to claim that fifth starter spot. Many believe, however, that his future is in the bullpen. He’s always looked like a guy who can be dominant in bursts where he can let it all hang out, but struggled a bit when he had to hold something back in order to pitch 6, 7 innings.
ShareSpring Training Participants
Here’s a helpful recap of the players participating in Spring Training with the Chicago Cubs this year - pitchers and catchers report this week. Thanks to Bruce Miles for putting this together.
Pitchers: Mitch Atkins, Justin Berg, Esmailin Caridad, Ryan Dempster, Rafael Dolis, John Gaub, Tom Gorzelanny, John Grabow, Jeff Gray, Angel Guzman, Ted Lilly, Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall, Marcos Mateo, Mike Parisi, Blake Parker, David Patton, Jeff Samardzija, Carlos Silva, Jeff Stevens, Randy Wells, Carlos Zambrano
Catchers: Welington Castillo, Koyie Hill, Geovany Soto
Infielders: Jeff Baker, Andres Blanco, Mike Fontenot, Micah Hoffpauir, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Theriot
Outfielders: James Adduci, Marlon Byrd, Tyler Colvin, Kosuke Fukudome, Sam Fuld, Xavier Nady, Alfonso Soriano
Nonroster invitees
Pitchers: Andrew Cashner, Casey Coleman, Thomas Diamond, Jeff Kennard, J.R. Mathes, Vince Perkins, James Russell
Catchers: Robinson Chirinos, Steve Clevenger, Chris Robinson
Infielders: Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro, Blake Lalli, Kevin Millar, Chad Tracy, Josh Vitters
Outfielders: Matt Camp, Brett Jackson, Bryan LaHair, Bobby Scales, Brad Snyder
Obvious player to watch: Starlin Castro
Dark-horse candidates to watch: Darwin Barney, Blake Parker
Pitching prospect to watch: Andrew Cashner
Annual Rule 5 pick: Mike Parisi
I’d also suggest watching John Gaub, a lefty with a chance to make the pen, Jeff Stevens, a righty with a chance to make the pen (received from the Indians, together with Gaub and another prospect for Mark DeRosa), and Casey Coleman - the Cubs’ minor league pitcher of the year last year, whom I think could have a very outside shot at landing the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation.
ShareRyan Dempster and His Daughter Are Doing Much Better This Year
Last year, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster welcomed a daughter into the world. Riley Dempster was a light in his life and an obvious blessing, but she suffered from a relatively rare disorder - DiGeorge Syndrome - which prevented her from swallowing on her own. Her needs were great, and Dempster was understandably distracted, which probably explains some of his early-season struggles. By the end of the year, Riley was doing much better, and so was Dempster.
Cubs fans - and folks with basic human compassion - hope the same is true this season.
Dempster was the picture of a doting dad recently as he played with his daughter on the floor of the den in their Wrigleyville home. Riley, a 16-pound bundle of contentment, is a natural as the center of attention. Her future as a daddy’s girl seems assured.
The photos, framed jerseys and signed baseballs decorating the room speak to Dempster’s life in sports, and in two weeks he will be off to spring training. Physically, he will be in Mesa, Ariz., getting ready for the Cubs’ 2010 season. Emotionally, he will still be with Riley.
She has spent more than three months in hospitals in Chicago, Philadelphia and Phoenix, and has undergone four surgical procedures. But her parents marvel at her resilience and draw strength from her progress since returning home in late summer from Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
On days he wasn’t pitching, Dempster immersed himself in Riley’s care. He and his wife studied DiGeorge syndrome and consulted with experts to determine the best course of treatment for their daughter.
Save for the tubes, Riley resembles a normal child her age: cheerful, alert and eager to get up and play with her big brother, Brady, who is 3.
“We had our moments, seeing her hooked up to those machines and thinking of all she was going through, this tiny, little baby,” Dempster said. “That was hard, and I almost lost it a couple of times. But now compared to then, it’s pretty awesome.” …
Dempster had a career-best 17-6 record for the Cubs and made the All-Star team in 2008. He missed two starts with a broken toe and went 11-9 last season, admittedly distracted by Riley’s condition, especially in April as she struggled to survive.
“This doesn’t change the way I think about baseball — no matter what’s going on in your life, you have to be a professional and do your job,” Dempster said. “If anything, I think it makes me a better competitor. I draw a lot of inspiration from thinking about Riley while I’m on the mound. I’m going to stay strong for her. I have to.” NYTimes.com.
All the best to the Dempsters this year and beyond.
For the Cubs’ part, the team hopes Dempster pitches like he did in the second half of the year last year - 6-4 with a 3.15 ERA - this year, so that they can lean on him with other question marks in the rotation.
ShareCarlos Zambrano is in Shape, and in Arizona
Pitchers and catchers report to Mesa, Arizona in 10 days, but that doesn’t stop them from showing up early if they’re so inclined.
And Carlos Zambrano is so inclined. And I am so inclined to say that is so awesome.
“We did it quietly,” general manager Jim Hendry said. “I don’t think he wanted any publicity for that. He’s going about his business well. I think you’re going to get a very well-focused guy who’s determined to rectify last year’s season.”
With Ted Lilly out until May, the onus will be on Zambrano and Ryan Dempster to get off to good starts and stay healthy, keeping the front end of the rotation afloat until Lilly returns. Zambrano stuck to his offseason workout routines, and the Cubs believe he’s committed to staying in shape.
“Carlos was a little heavy last year, there’s no question,” manager Lou Piniella told fans at the Cubs Convention. “He’s another player (besides Geovany Soto) we had a nice conversation with toward the end of the year.
“We said, ‘Look, we need for you to step up and give us 200-plus innings. We need for you to win 18-20 ballgames, the way you’re fully capable of. But to do that, you have to get yourself in better shape, where we don’t have to worry about pitch counts with you.’ ”
Piniella said Zambrano “promised” he would be in better shape and more focused.
“He looks absolutely wonderful, and I think you’ll see a heck of a better performance from him just because of that,” Piniella said. “The mental part of it? He’s mentally strong. He fights himself at times. He needs to harness that a little bit. But you want competitors on the mound, and Carlos certainly competes.” chicagotribune.com.
We’ve been hearing all offseason that Zambrano was in perhaps the best shape of his career, but to hear that he is also kicking it in gear this early probably proves it. Health is always the wild card, but clearly Carlos Zambrano is committed to dominating this year. If he can just keep it fit between the ears, he might just do it.
The status of his upper lip for this Spring Training - recall that Zambrano showed up last year looking like a mustachioed mix of Zorro and Ron Jeremy - has yet to be reported.
ShareCubs Looking at Mark Mulder
Hooray! The Chicago Cubs are looking at a starting pitcher!
Oh … it’s Mark Mulder?
The Cubs, Dodgers and Cardinals are among the teams still monitoring the progress of left-hander Mark Mulder, one major league source said.
Mulder hasn’t remained healthy over a full season since 2005. He is 6-10 with a 7.73 ERA in only 23 games since then.
Milwaukee has been linked to Mulder throughout the offseason and has a built-in edge: Rick Peterson, the Brewers’ new pitching coach, worked with Mulder during his best years in Oakland. FOX Sports.
Mulder hasn’t even thrown off a mound yet this year, so obviously this is very preliminary. And even if it weren’t preliminary, Mulder isn’t the guy you’d be counting on to fill in a spot in the rotation - he’d be a low risk flier. And even if Mulder was throwing as well as he was when he was healthy five(!) years ago, it’s not like he was a superstar. His last great season was in 2003.
But, um, he could be the next Ryan Dempster! So get excited.
Share
