Some spring cleaning for Cubs
MESA, Ariz. -- Even though the Cactus League season has just started, spring training is about half over.
The Cubs, who started so quietly in February, already have a host of issues. Here is how a few of them look:
Refresher course: Manager Lou Piniella had his team on the basepaths Tuesday morning, with bench coach Alan Trammell providing a review of sorts.
"We're just trying to make the players a little more aware," Piniella said. "We've had two or three bad days of running the bases. There's really no need for it. We've just got to concentrate a little more. We're just making them aware."
The Cubs have had runners thrown out at third base on grounders hit to the left side of the infield recently. Players gathered at second base Tuesday morning and were made to react to fungoes hit to shortstop.
Lineup roulette: As promised, Piniella moved right fielder Kosuke Fukudome from third in the batting order to second Tuesday, and Fukudome went 3-for-3 with his first homer.
Fukudome was 1-for-7 in his first four games, but his on-base percentage was .500, thanks to 3 walks and 2 hit-by-pitches.
"I told you we were going to move him around a little bit in the spring, just to see" Piniella said.
Fukudome seems OK with that.
"I will play wherever Lou puts me in," Fukudome said through his translator. "I don't feel any pressure hitting third in the lineup. Still, I'm trying to get used to American baseball. I couldn't care less about where I bat."
Moving Fukudome up has a chain reaction on the rest of the order. Specifically, the Cubs would have to move shortstop Ryan Theriot from second to seventh. Derrek Lee would move from fourth to third and Aramis Ramirez from fifth to cleanup.
"If that were the case, with the way we're put together, we'd have to hit (catcher Geovany) Soto sixth, Theriot seventh and our center fielder eighth," Piniella said. "I don't think we have many choices in that regard.
"You can see why I've been trying to stretch the lineup a little bit and getting a little deeper into the lineup. Let's just take a look at it here in spring training. Believe me, we're not going to play around with it too long."
Depth perception: Piniella has lamented all spring that the Cubs aren't deep in position players. The point was driven home this week when Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and Mark DeRosa went down with various ailments.
On the bright side for the Cubs, they have been able to get looks at such players as Mike Fontenot, Eric Patterson, Alex Cintron and Ronny Cedeno in various positions.
"I said one of our worries coming into this thing -- I don't want to use the word 'worry,' but concern -- is that we're not very deep," Piniella said. "And you can see that we've had a few problems here in the spring, and it shows.
"The problems that we've had in spring training, thank God they're happening now. Hopefully by the middle part of this game schedule we can get healthy and get our team on the field."