Cubs veterans have hope that changes will pay off

MESA, Ariz. - President Obama will hit Mesa on Wednesday, bringing his message of "change" to Arizona.

"Change" also was the topic at Cubs camp Tuesday as position players reported for spring training.

Whether it's change Cubs fans can believe in will be determined throughout the course of the season.

Although veteran Cubs players expressed surprise that a 97-win club from a year ago required some big changes, they seemed to vote for it.

"A little bit, but I kind of like that," said first baseman Derrek Lee, expressing his surprise at some of the moves. "It shows a sign that they want to do whatever it takes; they're not satisfied with just getting to the playoffs. They've got bigger goals. So that's kind of exciting.

"They definitely switched it up. A lot of core guys (are gone), a lot of guys who had been here for a while. Little different look, but I still like our team. I think we'll have a good product on the field. We won 97 games. I wasn't expecting that many changes, honestly. Sometimes change is good."

The Cubs have gone three-and-out in the playoffs over the past two seasons. This winter, many fans called for wholesale changes so that the Cubs could be a better "playoff team," perhaps forgetting they have to get their first.

As it was, the Cubs turned their roster over significantly, bidding goodbye to fan favorites Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa, and not bringing back other players such as Jim Edmonds, Daryle Ward, Ronny Cedeno, Bob Howry, Michael Wuertz and Henry Blanco.

The Cubs brought in right fielder Milton Bradley, who is known as a "fiery" player. Lee endorsed that move.

"Big," Lee said. "This guy is one of the best hitters in the game when he can stay on the field. So I'm excited to have him. I like the edge he brings, the way he plays the game. He plays with a little bit of an edge. I think that will help us."

Did the Cubs need some "edge?"

"I think we did, a little bit of mental toughness and just a little bit of a fiery guy out there every day," Lee replied.

Players such as DeRosa, Lee and even superstar Alfonso Soriano always have been readily available to the media. Lee was asked whether the Cubs were too nice.

"I don't know about too many nice guys," he said. "I think nice guys can win. But I think there are just days- it's a long season. Some days you have that guy who's playing out there with a little bit of an edge when everyone else is dragging. It just picks you up.

He (Bradley) is such a competitor. It'll rub off on guys. He's obviously out there trying to win and doing whatever it takes."

Lee got no disagreement for manager Lou Piniella, who surveyed a workout that was limited because early-morning rains left the fields wet.

"It's a small clubhouse, too," Piniella said of that fire catching on with other players. "There's nothing wrong with that, there really isn't. I like competitive people, I really do. The more competitive, the better."

Piniella also seemed weary of the emphasis on the Cubs bowing out of the postseason early the last two years. He noted the Cubs were big losers in 2006, the year before Piniella came to Chicago.

"Look, you can't over-analyze, either," he said. "We've done a lot of things right here. Let's remember that. When I came here a couple years ago, if you'd have told our fans that we were going to win two divisions, I think they were going to be happy with that.

"Well, we've done that. Now, you tell them we're going to win a third and not have success, they're not going to be happy with that, and I don't blame them."