Spring is in the air, at least in Arizona
MESA, Ariz. — Whether the Cubs are ready or not — and many observers feel they are not — spring training has sprung on them.
Pitchers and catchers report to Fitch Park on Sunday and work out for the first time Monday. Although some stats-oriented people as well as many fans don't give the Cubs much of a chance to improve greatly from last year's record of 75-87, general manager Jim Hendry begs to differ.
He cites the team's 24-13 record under new manager Mike Quade at the end of last year and a few off-season tweaks as reasons the Cubs can get back into the playoffs after two years on the outs.
“I think the way we ended, I was encouraged by that,” Hendry said. “I was encouraged by the way Mike ran the club. I was encouraged by the way our young people got better the second half of the season. So that gives you a little optimism.
“Not that you put stock in it to make up for the bad first half of the year, what happened at the end of the year was pretty good.
“I probably get tired of saying this, but go no further than a year ago (2009), how Cincinnati finished, how San Diego finished. They added a little to the club in the winter, and you move forward with a contending club.”
The long season will bring out the truth, but the first stop is spring training. Here are five things to consider:
The Quade factor: Even though he says he will delegate to his coaches, the hyperkinetic Quade figures to be a much more hands-on manager in spring training than was Lou Piniella, who ran laid-back camps in each of his four years with the Cubs. Quade, who managed for 17 years in the minor leagues before getting his first big-league shot last August, won high marks from players and other baseball people for his poise and command since he took over and got the job full time last October.Now it's his gig to run with.#8220;I look at the challenges ahead and the excitement they provide,#8221; he said. #8220;I think the best part about this for me is that, yes, it's a big-league camp. Yes, it's my first major-league camp.#8220;But I've been through 30 of them or whatever. Now, how I go about my business or how involved I am, that may change a little. I'm excited because, unlike the six weeks of trial (late last season), we're going to play for keeps for a year and see how we do.#8221;Quade might not hit as many fungoes to outfielders as he did in his role as the Cubs' third-base coach the last four years, but he'll be a presence. The rotation: The Cubs feel their 1-2-3 of Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza is among the best in the National League.What happens after that is where things get interesting.Randy Wells is out to prove his solid rookie season was more the norm than was his sophomore slump. If not, he could wind up back in the minor leagues.Veteran Carlos Silva seems to think his job is guaranteed, despite battling a heart ailment and then arm problems late last year. But rookie Casey Coleman was 3-1 down the stretch, and the Cubs are going to give a serious look to fireballer Andrew Cashner, who could step up and win a job in spring training.The Colvin watch: Right fielder Tyler Colvin forced his way onto the roster last spring by batting .468.Colvin says he's fully recovered and back up to fighting weight after suffering a collapsed lung last September, when he was hit by a piece of a broken bat.The Cubs liked the 20 homers Colvin hit (it no doubt would have been more had Piniella given him more than four starts in May), but they'd like him to improve his on-base percentage from .316 and cut down on the strikeouts, which numbered 100 in 358 at-bats.The interesting byproduct is whether another kid can make a Colvin-type of impression and force his way onto the team. With position-player jobs all but set, the answer is likely no.But that doesn't mean the Cubs won't think long term.#8220;I hope there's five or six guys who emerge, and you go, #8216;Oh, my God, what are we going to do?' Quade said. #8220;Those are great problems to have. And you don't know if it's going to come in spring training or what.#8220;But I've always said that when you have a really good season and postseason, there's always two or three surprises. Whether they're young kids who step up, whether they're veterans that have comeback years that knock you off your feet, there are just a few guys that usually step up.#8220;You leave with 25, but you're going to need all 40. It's just incredible how your entire roster gets played during the course of such a long season.#8221;Ramirez's contract: Third baseman Aramis Ramirez chose to pick up the option year of his contract. That was a no-brainer, as Ramirez had a hitting line of .241/.294/.452 with 25 homers last year.In recent years the Cubs have gone as Ramirez has gone. When he's on, he's the Cubs' most potent offensive force. #8220;We need Aramis to be the guy he has been most of his career here,#8221; Hendry said. #8220;He's a high-end RBI guy, a clutch hitter.#8220;I'm sure he was disappointed in a lot of the areas he had last year, and he got hurt some.#8220;We need to get Aramis to play 135-140 games, and the numbers will take care of themselves. He's is a proven (commodity) in our contending years, and in division title years, he's as clutch an RBI guy as we've had in a long time, and the rest of the league respects that, too.#8221;The Pena watch: Much has been made of first baseman Carlos Pena's .196 batting average last year with Tampa Bay.The Cubs would prefer to focus on the 28, 39, 31 and 46 home runs Pena has hit in each of the past four seasons. Pena is reunited with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, with whom he worked in Texas early in his career. The Cubs will need 30-35 homers, no mean feat for left-handed hitters in Wrigley Field. #8220;I'm very optimistic about it,#8221; Pena said. #8220;It's a great opportunity, truly a blessing for me, just to come to Chicago, definitely my favorite city.#8220;I don't dwell on those numbers. I think going through difficult times brings out the best in us. It brings out strength and character. #8220;Rudy is actually an old friend. I've worked with him in the past. I can't wait to get in the cage with him.#8221;No Sales352480The Cubs need third baseman Aramis Ramirez to get back to the kind of seasons he had when helping lead the team to the postseason.MARY BETH NOLAN/mnolan@dailyherald.comNo Sales