Ryan Theriot: Leadoff Hitter
Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella confirmed yesterday that there would be no leadoff platoon this year, and announced that Ryan Theriot would be the leadoff hitter.
Theriot batted .283 in 42 games in the leadoff spot last season when he took over for Alfonso Soriano, who was dropped to sixth. The Cubs, who used six leadoff men last season, began camp wanting to look at both Theriot and Fukudome there.
“I’m just glad he has the confidence in me to stick me up there,” Theriot said after Monday’s 5-2 loss to the Rockies. “I feel comfortable at the top of the order — one, two. One’s good, two’s good. Honestly, just as long as I’m in the lineup. I cannot get [Piniella] to let me hit fourth or fifth. I’m working on that, so we’ll see.” cubs.com.
Even though Kosuke Fukudome hits much better against righties than Theriot, and even though the case for a leadoff platoon has never been stronger, I can’t say I’m terribly angry about this decision. Having Theriot in the one-hole allows him to be the best kind of hitter he can be - i.e., a guy that works counts and tries to get on base. Theriot struggled when Piniella told him to start swinging hard. Presumably, as the permanent lead0ff hitter, Theriot will understand his role.
Further, the only real difference between the number one and number two hitters is a tiny amount of extra at bats over the course of the season. Fukudome’s goal will still generally be to get on base and see pitches.
ShareThe Cubs Clearly Think Mike Fontenot Can Be the Backup Shortstop
Mike Fontenot is locked in a battle with Jeff Baker to be the starter at second base (even though it’s a natural platoon situation, but whatever - I don’t get paid $4 million by the Chicago Cubs to make these decisions like Lou Piniella), but the Cubs are hoping he can also be the backup at shortstop.
And so far, so good.
Manager Lou Piniella also was pleased at something that didn’t show up in the box score: Mike Fontenot’s performance at shortstop.
“That’s one of the highlights of [Monday's] game,” Piniella said. “He made a couple real nice plays and felt real comfortable out there. We’ll continue to play him there from time to time. It gives us different options, if we chose.”…
“I enjoy moving around,” Fontenot said Tuesday. “It’s fun to do that. Most of the time, if I’m not starting, I’m probably at shortstop. It breaks up the monotony.”…
Fontenot had been slowed by a sore right shoulder, which he injured last Thursday in the Cubs’ first Cactus League game when he took a tumble at third base. He hasn’t had any problems since.
“I completely forgot about it,” he said.
The Athletics didn’t waste any time testing Fontenot’s throwing ability, as he fielded several grounders in the early going.
“They tried to get me right off the bat,” Fontenot said. “That’s usually what happens is you get out there and someone hits a missile at you. It was just good to get out on the field. I hadn’t played in a few days.”
The throw from short compared with second base is different.
“It’s a little bit further,” he said. “You just have to move your feet a little more and make sure you’re not just sitting back. You have to get your feet set.”
The left-handed-hitting infielder batted .305 in 2008 and was tabbed the Opening Day second baseman for ‘09. But he batted .236 in 135 games last year. The good news is that he never let his offensive struggles carry over onto the field.
Fontenot doesn’t mind moving back and forth in the infield.
“It’s always good to show the Cubs, or anybody else, that you can play multiple positions,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen. I look forward to any opportunity I can get on the field, even if they want to throw me out in the outfield. I’m available for anything.”
Last year, pitcher Sean Marshall was moved to left field for one batter so he could stay in the game in relief. If Marshall can handle the outfield, so can Fontenot. But the Cubs will worry about the infield for now.
“I was encouraged by what I saw,” Piniella said. “He feels comfortable with it, which is more important than anything else.” cubs.com.
Interesting that Fontenot said it’s good to show the Cubs or anybody else that you can play multiple positions.
To me, it’s pretty clear that the Cubs are not going to carry an extra infielder for defense. Andres Blanco’s knee injury didn’t make the decision, but it didn’t help. Piniella is already touting Fontenot’s ability to handle shortstop, and that’s really all he needs to know. Ultimately, it’s probably fine. Ryan Theriot will rarely sit, and if he’s out for an extended period of time, the Cubs will bring up a defensive shortstop - Starlin Castro or otherwise.
ShareAndres Blanco Injury Has No Effect on Starlin Castro
Chicago Cubs reserve infielder Andres Blanco, a dazzler with the glove, had a fair chance to make the Cubs, but a recent knee injury, which will keep him out for a couple weeks, put a damper on those hopes. But if Blanco doesn’t make the team, who’s going to back up shortstop?
If manager Lou Piniella has his druthers, it will be Mike Fontenot on the rare occasion that Ryan Theriot doesn’t play. But what about Starlin Castro? If Fontenot shows he can’t handle backing up shortstop, would the Cubs considering carrying Castro on the bench?
Praise Jebus, the answer is no.
The Cubs have no other veteran shortstops in camp to back up Ryan Theriot, but Piniella ended any speculation that Blanco’s injury would open the door for Castro.
“This will give me a chance to play (Mike) Fontenot at shortstop, which I said I needed to do,” Piniella said. “We’ve got (prospect Rex) Barney in camp. We’ve got enough.”
Any way the Cubs would keep Castro at short, and move Ryan Theriot to second?
Piniella laughed.
“No, no,” he said. “Starlin is going to start the season in Triple-A and play. Now the only way Starlin would come into this equation, and I’ve said this before, is if he shows he’s ready to play here and there’s a problem physically with Theriot.
“Now, we don’t want that. But I’ll tell you what, I’ve been very impressed with Starlin. He’s smooth up there, got a nice throwing arm, good hands. I’ll tell you what, he gives you a nice at-bat. But no, we’re going to go with Theriot at shortstop, and certainly (Castro) wouldn’t be up here backing up under any circumstances. We want this kid to play.”
So why not let him play at short?
“You guys are starting trouble already,” he said. “Four games into spring training. No, let’s just leave it the way we’ve said it (would be). … I’m happy with ‘The Riot.’ And remember, Castro has played only briefly in Double-A, and no Triple-A. Blanco is a two-week thing, tops. lf we needed a backup infielder, it would be more Barney than it would be Castro.” Chicago Breaking Sports.
The Barney to which Piniella refers is Darwin Barney, another slick fielding shortstop. What happens to him will be interesting - if he doesn’t make the Cubs, he would have been expected to be the starting shortstop for AAA Iowa, but Castro could put a crimp in things.
Most likely, the Cubs will start working him a bit all over the diamond at AAA, grooming him as a utility player, capable of replacing Andres Blanco on the roster, if Blanco - who is out of options - doesn’t make the Cubs this year, and is claimed by another team.
As for Castro, this is very good news. No sense in stunting the kid’s development just so the Cubs can have a maybe slightly better backup at second base.
Cubs Interested in Another Cuban Prospect - Adeiny Hechavarria
Studly 21-year-old Cuban prospect Adeiny Hechavarria has officially been unblocked by the authorities in Cuba (damn it’s good to live in the United States, huh?), and is free to sign with a team in America. The New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs have shown the most interest in the shortstop.
Hechevarria, 21, is excellent in the field, but questions remain about whether he can hit in the bigs. Unlike the Cubs recent Cuban signing - Serrano for $250k - Hechevarria is expected to get big bucks on the order of $10 million.
That said, it would be interesting to learn where the Cubs’ strong interest comes from. Sure, a guy like Hechevarria might not be ready to play in the bigs for a couple years, but are the Cubs looking at him to play in the middle infield soon? Say, perhaps in a double-play tandem with Starlin Castro? Ryan Theriot is under the Cubs’ control for two more years after this season, but could be non-tendered after this or next season.
What such a signing would mean for the Cubs’ other stud shortstop prospect, Hak-Ju Lee, remains to be seen. Thought of as the future of the middle infield, together with Castro, Lee is still playing A-level ball, so his future is uncertain. But he’s said to be better defensively than even Castro.
One thing’s for sure - it would be nice to have these kind of questions to deal with.
ShareNow Alan Trammell is Feeding the Starlin Castro Hype Monster
Like the potted plant in Little Shop of Horrors, the hype monster surrounding Chicago Cubs shortstop prospect Starlin Castro keep growing to nearly unwieldy proportions, screaming “feed me, Seymour” all the way. That is not to say that the hype is undeserved - it may very well be deserved - but soon, it will ask for our blood. I’m just sayin’.
Jumping on the bandwagon is Chicago Cubs bench coach, and former All-Star shortstop Alan Trammell.
“I’d say he’s ahead of the curve,” Trammell said of Castro, who played at Class A Daytona, Double-A Tennessee, the Arizona Fall League and Dominican Winter League last year. “I’m very anxious to see him in the games.”
Trammell, who turned 52 on Feb. 21, has watched Castro during fielding drills and had a few early sessions with him.
“Everything he does is what you’re looking for,” the Cubs bench coach said. “He’s quiet, attentive, he gets after it.”
Trammell was able to see Castro play one game in the AFL, but the shortstop didn’t get many chances. It was what Castro did when he didn’t have to make a play that impressed Trammell.
“I saw his ready-preparation was good,” Trammell said. “A lot of times, guys you watch are sloppy and they get careless.
“What he’s been taught — and I’ve talked to Ryne Sandberg and others — they say he carries himself a little bit above, not like a normal 19-year-old. Those are all good traits. Now we need to see him in a game to evaluate.”
Castro won’t start Thursday in the Cubs’ Cactus League opener against Oakland but is expected to sub for Ryan Theriot at shortstop at some point in the game. Some have projected Castro to be the Cubs’ first All-Star shortstop since Shawon Dunston.
“I know it’s a great story,” Trammell said. “I can remember back in the day, the one thing going against him is — unlike myself and a couple of my teammates who were moved through quickly — we were a rebuilding team, and this is not.” cubs.com.
It’s good to hear that:
1.) Castro’s defense continues to look good. As a shortstop, we’d love for him to hit, but being a supremely good defender is where his bread will be buttered; and
2.) The Cubs still seem very unlikely to bring him up too soon.
ShareFirst Spring Training Lineup Holds Clues for the Season
The Chicago Cubs will play their first Spring Training game tomorrow, and manager Lou Piniella has released the lineup for the game:
1. Ryan Theriot SS
2. Kosuke Fukudome RF
3. Derrek Lee 1B
4. Aramis Ramirez 3B
5. Marlon Byrd CF
6. Tyler Colvin LF
7. Mike Fontenot 2B
8. Geovany Soto C
9. Randy Wells P
Now, this lineup is, of course, both early and not necessarily indicative of the lineup Piniella has in his head for the regular season, but a few things should jump out at you.
First is, well, first. Ryan Theriot is batting leadoff, and not Kosuke Fukudome. This could be a sign that Piniella would rather have Theriot leadoff, generally, than Fukudome. Next, note that Marlon Byrd is fifth, with Tyler Colvin - who is holding Alfonso Soriano’s spot - batting sixth. This is almost certainly how things will play out at the start of the season, short of an offensive explosion for Soriano in Spring Training.
Then there is Mike Fontenot getting the nod at second base. This might mean nothing more than the fact that Fontenot was the presumptive starter last year, or that the Cubs expect to face a right-handed starter. But still, it’s interesting. It’s also interesting to see Geovany Soto all the way down in the 8 hole. Wouldn’t it be nice if he had a productive season?
ShareCubs Take Out Unsuccessful Hit on Ryan Theriot
The Chicago Cubs were clearly so upset that shortstop Ryan Theriot decided to take them to arbitration this year that they sent out youngster Rafael Dolis to plunk Theriot in batting practice. Fortunately for Theriot, he escaped with only a bruised hand.
“Everything’s fine,” Theriot said. “It happens sometimes in live [batting practice] but everything’s cool.”
Dolis, 22, who pitched at Class A Daytona last season, said he didn’t throw another fastball inside after the errant pitch to Theriot. This was the second day of live batting practice.
“The kid pitcher felt worse about it than anybody else,” Lou Piniella said. “He was almost apologetic and I heard the pitching coach say, ‘Get back up there and throw it.’”
Did Theriot consider charging the mound?
“No — that guy’s huge,” Theriot said of the 6-foot 4-inch, 215-pound right-hander. Muskat Ramblings.
These things happen, obviously, but it’s good news that no one was hurt. Live batting practice is always a little dicey because you’ve got two players on the line with every pitch.
SharePiniella Has No Plans to Use Starlin Castro as a Backup
Filed under: Chicago Cubs News, Cubs Minor Leagues and Prospects
When it comes to prospects, the Chicago Cubs have not always shown an appropriately level of restraint in promoting them to the bigs, only to have them sit on the bench. So, it is with some trepidation that we’ve watched shortstop Starlin Castro rocket through the system.
But good news: manager Lou Piniella says he sees Castro as a starter, not a backup. In fact, if anything happens to Ryan Theriot, Piniella says he’s ready to give the job to Castro full-time.
Piniella would have no problem going to phenom Starlin Castro if anything were to happen to shortstop Ryan Theriot.
“I mentioned that if Theriot were to get hurt, which we don’t want, obviously, you just put the kid at shortstop at let him play,” Piniella said of Castro. “That’s in case of an injury to Theriot. We don’t want to see that. We want Theriot to play.
“If the kid shows he can handle it and we had an injury at the position, why not? I want to see him in the spring. He played very well last summer, and he had a really good winter ball, and he’s a good-looking young guy. If he’s ready and somebody gets hurt, why not utilize hit talent? That’s all I’m saying. He wouldn’t be here as a backup at all.” Daily Herald.
Good-looking young guy, eh, Lou? Grrrrr. That’s my cougar growl.
Despite Lou’s comment, Castro could have an effect on the Cubs bench, but probably not until he’s ready to be a full-time starter. When Castro is ready, Theriot will slide to second, which will probably make one of Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker obsolete.
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