Quade picks Dempster to start opener
MESA, Ariz. — According to Ryan Dempster, one of the best things about being named the Cubs’ opening-day starter is how manager Mike Quade told him.
Instead of calling the candidates in one by one, Quade called Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza into his office Monday morning and told them all that Dempster will start at Wrigley Field on April 1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“I thought that was really cool,” Dempster said. “It would be so easy to talk to us each as individuals, but isn’t that what we’re trying to get away from?
“I think we’re trying to be a team and unite as much as possible. I know Z was really happy for me. He told me that himself. That probably meant just as much as Quade telling me.
“I think he probably just put our three names in a hat, and whatever one came out first … he does a really good job of letting you know who’s in charge. He’s just doing it because he feels it’s the best thing for our team.”
Dempster, a Cub since 2004, gets the nod over Zambrano, who had made 6 straight opening-day starts for the Cubs. Zambrano will start the second game of the season with Garza going in Game 3.
Last season Zambrano gave up 6 hits and 8 runs in just 1 innings of a 16-5 loss at Atlanta.
Quade said a number of factors contributed to his decision. Those include Dempster’s consistency over the past three years and the early-season schedule.
“Consistency, workload and especially with the first two guys, understanding Wrigley and the environment and everything,” Quade said. “Garz, yeah, he’s been in Boston and New York and pitched in championships.
“But give him a chance to sit back and watch those two guys who have done it so many times and a chance to get the most out of him and let him experience it. Let him watch the Pirates and get familiar with them.
“There were a lot of reasons, I thought, to have Garz back those two guys up.
“Some instinct here, for me. Normally I do pay attention to numbers. You weigh it out and you keep looking. Finally, I just said this is the way we’re going.”
Quade also said he’s looking at the series at Milwaukee, which begins April 8. Zambrano is 9-5 with a 3.19 (including a no-hitter against Houston) lifetime at Miller Park.
By starting the second game of the season, Zambrano will open the series in Milwaukee. Dempster will miss the Milwaukee series as his second start will be April 6 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Garza said he was fine with the decision. Zambrano had to leave camp earlier in the day to take family members to the airport. He was not available to talk with reporters, but both Quade and Dempster praised Zambrano’s reaction.
“What he said to me and the feelings he shared about starting Opening Day meant a lot, that he was really happy for me, and he said that I deserved it,” Dempster said.
“It’s somebody that I look up to that goes out there and competes as hard as anybody as I’ve been around. It meant a lot to hear something like that from him. It’s a pretty respectful thing to say. It takes somebody big to say that especially when you’ve started that many Opening Days in a row.”
Quade expressed happiness for the way things played out Monday.
“They understand what I expect of them and how important those three are to anchoring this thing,” he said. “As far I was concerned, everything went well.
“I’m thrilled with it. I think it’s good. I respect the heck out of all of them. Their response to the discussion, and I talked to all three of them, I even respect them more.”
This will be Dempster’s third career opening-day start. He started the 2001 and 2002 openers for Florida, getting a pair of no-decisions, against the Phillies and Expos, respectively.
“Really, it’s not about one guy going out there and starting one game of the year,” he said. “It’s about our whole team leaving here at the end of March and trying to do it together as a unit.
“Whoever’s on the mound that day is great. It’s more important as a team that we’re trying to go out there and win on Opening Day. That’s kind of how I take it, and I’ll be ready whatever day of the year it is.”
ŸCheck out the Daily Herald’s baseball blog, Chicago’s Inside Pitch, for more discussion on the opening-day starter. You also can follow Bruce Miles on Twitter @BruceMiles2112.