Pignatiello, Petrick relieved to break in with Cubs

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said the best part was watching the tears stream down the faces of Carmen Pignatiello's family members, especially his grandfather.

"You couldn't beat that," Hendry said.

Pignatiello says there's a reason for that.

"He's been a lifelong fan of the Cubs; the whole family has," said Pignatiello, a left-handed reliever who got a cup of coffee with the Cubs last year and who wants more this season. "I guess it kind of made his life, by me getting out there and him seeing me pitch on that mound. It was pretty special to him.

"I don't think you could script it any better than that, being from the area, being with the Cubs my whole career. To make my debut at Wrigley Field, it was a special day for me and my family. I'm glad they got to share that experience with me."

Pignatiello is one of two hometown boys trying to stick with the Cubs. A graduate of Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Pignatiello was a 20th-round draft pick of Hendry and the Cubs in 2000.

There's a job open on the right side of the bullpen, too, and Billy Petrick would love nothing more than to grab it.

A graduate of Morris High School, southwest of Chicago, Petrick was a third-round pick of the Cubs in 2002.

Like Pignatiello, Petrick made his big-league debut last year. It was also at Wrigley Field with friends and family in attendance, including his dad, William, who got to spend time on the field before the game.

"It was great to get called up at the time," Petrick said. "I had been through four years in the minor leagues. I was in my fifth. I was always dreaming of the chance to get to pitch in Wrigley. It ended up happening. It was a great experience. It was everything I dreamed of.

"Just having my family there was great. That's the stuff you dream of in the minor leagues and as a little kid, pitching in Wrigley. It ended up happening. It was great to have them there and to have my dad on the field that day."

The goal for both pitchers -- and it looks to be a long shot -- is to get back "home" and stay at Wrigley Field.

Their paths to the big leagues have taken different paths. When the Cubs drafted Pignatiello, he was a slender lefty right out of high school. Hendry brought him into the Cubs' clubhouse and sought out another finesse lefty: Scott Downs.

"Scott, I want you to meet the next you," Hendry said to Downs, introducing him to Pignatiello.

Pignatiello began his pro career as a starter before being converted to a reliever, beginning in 2005.

Last year at Class AAA Iowa, Pignatiello was 1-0 with a 2.72 ERA and 2 saves. His WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) was a sparkling 1.06. Left-handed batters hit just .173 (14-for-81) against him. He appeared in 4 games for the Cubs, going 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA.

"It's kind of jolted my career, going to the pen," he said. "I was a starter the first five years. I've done well out of the bullpen, and that got me to the big leagues.

"Once I hit Triple-A, I went back to Double-A two years in a row, but that's just part of it. You've got to keep fighting through it and work hard, and now I'm getting the opportunity to pitch at this level."

Petrick was a hard-throwing, 6-foot-6 righty with a world of promise. Shoulder surgery ended his 2005 season at Class A Daytona, where he was a starter. After fighting his way back in '06, Petrick made the switch to the pen last year, first at Daytona, then at Class AA Tennessee and then with the big club before he went to Iowa.

At Tennessee, he tossed 12½ scoreless innings over his final 7 appearances. In 8 games with the Cubs, he was 0-0 with a 7.45 ERA.

"I hit a little speed bump when I had the surgery in 2005," he said. "I had a couple great seasons early on, and I thought I was going to be up a little faster. But that's just when I was young, thinking you could make the big leagues at any time.

"You've just got to work. I was in Single-A thinking maybe a couple of years. And it was about three years later that I was up there. It's been a good age to get called up."

Cubs manager Lou Piniella voiced concern Friday about the way "the ball was coming out" of Petrick's hand. Nevertheless, Petrick wants to feel he's part of the mix.

"I feel like I could be," he said. "I've got to put a couple good outings together and show the arm is healthy and show that the velocity is back and all that."

As far as Pignatiello goes, if he shows he can continue to get lefties out, there could be a spot for him in a big-league bullpen for a long time.

"That's what I'm here to do," he said. "We're all competitors. That's what I want. I want to make the team, and I'm going to be the best job I can to do that.

"I just think it's experience. You've got to be up here to experience it. This is my third spring training up here. It's confidence, also. I feel I have the ability to do it, and I think it plays a big role."