Castro gets a day off, but Soto homers to help Cubs beat Astros 5-4

Posted September 06, 2010 11:00 pm

By Bruce Miles

We're past Labor Day now, and that means school is in session.

So it's been for Cubs rookie Starlin Castro.

Castro got another lesson Monday, when manager Mike Quade benched him for the series-opening 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros. Quade also said Castro is likely to sit Tuesday night, as well.

The manager talked about a "teaching moment" for Castro in Saturday's game, when he had the rookie bunt with two on and nobody out and the Cubs ahead 5-3 in the eighth inning.

In Sunday's 18-5 loss to the Mets, Castro was caught off first base after grounding into a forceout in the seventh. He apparently thought there were three outs when there were only two, and he wandered off the bag. The Mets threw to first base picking him off.

Castro on Monday called the play a "mistake."

Quade, who acknowledged Castro's overall stellar season, said it wouldn't hurt for the rookie to sit and reflect.

"Every so often, it's better for a player to observe than participate," said Quade, who has had extensive experience with young players as a former longtime manager in the minor leagues.

"I thought he needs to watch a game or so, and he can sit with some very smart people on my staff and keep an eye on things and maybe reflect a little bit.

"He's had so much thrown at him. I think sometimes, step back and take a look at things and give a guy a couple days to take a look at what's going on, lapses of concentration and stuff that maybe he can reflect on and get through."

Since coming up from Class AA Tennessee for his major-league debut, Castro has played in 106 of the Cubs' 108 games.

He entered Monday third in the National League in batting with a .317 average. He has a respectable on-base percentage of .360 to go along with 29 doubles, 5 triples, 3 home runs and 40 RBI.

Castro has committed a team-leading 22 errors, and he has had trouble at times getting tags down at the second-base bag.

Castro went along with his manager on the break.

"I think it's going to help me," he said through third-base coach Ivan DeJesus. "Something happened, and I'm going to learn from it.

"That's why I'm sitting down. I'm going to learn from my mistake. Sometimes you need to get one step back so you can watch and learn more."

Quade has used veteran shortstop Miguel Tejada as a comparison with Castro. While in the Oakland system, Quade managed Tejada at Class AA Huntsville in 1997.

"I talked to Castro a little bit," Quade said. "With what he's gone through here at this level - and we talked about it the other day - it's not usual.

"I brought up Tejada the other day. I had the same type of situation with Miggy. For whatever reasons, the player's got so much on his plate that mistakes will be made and just the lapses in concentration.

"I want the guy to take a step back and take a look at what goes on around you from a different perspective sitting with us or his teammates.

"It give him a chance to clear his head and figure out he can compartmentalize, if that's the right word, all the different tasks that go with that position playing at that level. And I think the break will help him.

"I said this reminds me exactly of the situation I had with Miggy. However, it was at Double-A. I'm a lot more patient and a lot more understanding that this is not Huntsville, Ala. This is Wrigley Field and the National League, etc."

Castro said he is not thinking about winning the batting title or winning the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Quade acknowledged Castro's potential as one reason for talking with him and sitting him.

"This kid has a chance to be so incredibly valuable, obviously, to this franchise, that the more he can do to help himself, clear his head and be consistent with what he does is going to determine just how good he's going to be," Quade said.

Bruce Miles' game tracker

Casey at the mound: Rookie right-hander Casey Coleman worked 6 innings, giving up 8 hits and 4 runs, with all the runs coming in the second inning. He has worked at least 6 innings in each of his last 3 starts. He threw 117 pitches, 60 strikes.

Byrd is the word: Marlon Byrd hit his 12th homer of the season in the third. It was his first home run since Aug. 11 at San Francisco. He had a career-best 20 homers for Texas last year.

Shakin' Bake: Jeff Baker led off and played third base. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI double. He is 10-for-16 (.625) with 2 walks, 2 doubles and 3 RBI in five games as the leadoff hitter.

Starlin gazing

Cubs rookie shortstop Starlin Castro is getting a couple of days off to "observe," according to manager Mike Quade. Here are Castro's stats:

Batting average: .317

On-base percentage: .360

Slugging percentage: .438

Doubles: 29

Triples: 5

Home runs: 3

RBI: 40

Walks: 24

Strikeouts: 59

Errors: 22

Note: Castro's batting average ranked third in the National League entering Monday.

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