Theriot leaves no doubt as a shortstop and a hitter
Though nearly infatuated with future shortstop Starlin Castro, Cubs manager Lou Piniella likes present shortstop Ryan Theriot plenty too.
What's not to like about Theriot? He is batting .533, best in the majors this spring.
His average actually fell slightly Saturday after he went 1-for-2 with a 3-run double in the Cubs' 4-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals in a matchup of split squads at Mesa, Ariz.
Asked for a theory about Theriot's hitting, Piniella mentioned the player's work with new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. Piniella also said: "Maybe having Castro around had something to do with it too. You've got a nice young player pushing you."
Theriot, entering his fourth season as the starting shortstop and his first as the leadoff hitter, has been reluctant to discuss the teenage phenom who was trying to take his job.
While acknowledging recently that "competition brings out the best in all of us," Theriot said "it takes a little bit more than just ability" to handle big league expectations.
Castro handled those expectations superbly, batting .423 before he was sent to minor- league camp after Saturday's game. The Cubs want him to play every day at Triple-A Iowa rather than be a backup in the majors.
"Castro just had a phenomenal spring," Piniella said. "Nineteen years old, to come in here and look like a veteran and do the things he did ... he came in here highly touted and he left here even more touted, as far as I'm concerned."
On the mound, meanwhile, Carlos Zambrano displayed the form that once made him the Cubs' most highly touted pitcher. The $91.5 million right-hander, who reported to camp in excellent shape after winning only nine times last season, allowed 3 hits, walked two and struck out four in 5 innings. He has given up 1 run in 9 innings after yielding 5 on March 10.
He's tired of talking about 2009 - both when it comes to his disappointing season and that of the Cubs, who fell to second place after winning two straight division titles.
"We don't care about last year, man, it's already in the past," Zambrano said. "I'm happy the way spring training is going. Not only me, but everybody is taking care of business."
Sheets shuts down Cubs: Ben Sheets pitched 4 solid innings, allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits and 3 walks to lead the Oakland Athletics to a 7-4 victory over the Cubs in a split-squad game for both teams at Phoenix. Sheets, who had struck out one batter in 3 prior starts, struck out four and walked three.
Micah Hoffpauir scored a run and had 2 hits for the Cubs. Eric Patterson and Cliff Pennington had 2 hits each for the A's.
Tom Gorzelanny, one of four pitchers competing for two rotation spots, made his third appearance and second start of the spring for the Cubs. He threw 32/3 innings, allowing the 2 unearned runs on 4 hits. He walked five and struck out five.
"There were quite a few times out there when I could have ended an at-bat and instead I extended it," Gorzelanny said. "I threw a lot of good sliders that you would expect them to bite on, but they were extremely patient out there today."