Cubs busy building team chemistry

MESA, Ariz. — How are the Cubs building team chemistry? They started by taking a hike.

The age-old question of whether team chemistry matters to winning or losing (the Cubs say they believe it does) came up Sunday as pitchers and catchers reported for spring training.

Veteran Ryan Dempster provided an example.

“We went on a hike up Camelback Mountain and had 25 guys show up,” Dempster said. “A lot of guys are minor-league guys, too, but whoever was down here all showed up, and I think that says a lot about everybody.”

Nice guys don’t always win or finish last. They can make life more bearable around a baseball team. And if they can play, all the better.

“I think you need good players to win,” Dempster said. “You need talent to win. There’s a lot to be said about chemistry and having a good clubhouse. You’re like a family. You lean on each other for 187 days a year plus spring training.

“Having a good mix of guys who know how to keep it loose but at the same time kind of demand guys give 100 (percent), I think you have to have guys in the clubhouse who hold each other accountable, but also they pull for each other and hope everybody does well.

“I think we brought back some great clubhouse guys, and we added some other ones.”

One of those players is veteran outfielder Reed Johnson, in camp on a minor-league deal.

“I think a lot of people say that chemistry is overrated, but I think not only in that city (Chicago), but when you’re in that clubhouse and it’s a small clubhouse, and you’ve got a lot of media every day, I think that it’s more important in that situation that you do have good chemistry,” Johnson said.

“I that it’s a good thing that guys like Woody (Kerry Wood) are back, good clubhouse guys and guys that can really mesh the clubhouse and bring guys together.

“I remember in ’08, just going out to team dinners with everybody, almost like a voluntary thing. You had 90 percent of the guys show up. That was a good thing, and hopefully we can get something like that going again.”

Colvin’s role:

Although the subject seemed dead, manager Mike Quade said outfielder Tyler Colvin will play first base at times this spring.

“He’s going to be a prominent part of this ballclub,” Quade said. “And he’s going to perform well enough to be a prominent part of the club, an important part of the club. I’m excited as heck for him.

“Performance matters, and I’m looking forward to him getting healthy and getting better. He’s also going to get a little work at first base.”

Colvin had a hitting line of .254/.316/.500 last year with 20 homers and 100 strikeouts before his season ended in mid-September, when he was hit by a piece of a broken bat and suffered a collapsed lung.

For openers:

Mike Quade isn’t ready to name his opening-day starting pitcher.

“There’s three guys involved in that, period, and we’ll see how thing plays out: Z and Demp and Garz,” he said, referring to Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza.

“I will milk that to the last because I have so much respect for all three of them. We’ll look into that, and we’ll see where we go. I’ve said all along my ace is the guy that’s pitching that day. I truly feel that way. We’re going to need all three of those guys.”