Cubs' bold talk gone: Piniella prefers more low-key approach now

Posted April 05, 2009 11:00 pm

By Bruce Miles

Cubs 101.

Longtime fans of this storied franchise need no introductory course. Nor do they need to be reminded that 101 is the number of years it has been since the Cubs won the World Series.

While the 100th anniversary was all the buzz this time last year, 101 was greeted with barely a notice this spring, and that seems fine with everybody concerned.

"It's nice not to," manager Lou Piniella said of the focus on a milestone year. "Everybody saw us win 97 ballgames, and at the same time, it was 100 years.

"It looked like the stars and the moon and the sun and everything was aligned."

You don't need a doctorate in Cubology or Cubs History to know that they went three-and-out at the century mark last fall in the National League division series.

Out the window went the bold prediction of pitcher Ryan Dempster, who last spring said the Cubs would win the World Series.

There was none of that this year, neither from Dempster nor from Carlos Zambrano, who starts tonight's season opener against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

"No predictions," said Zambrano, who has been known to forecast Cy Young awards for himself.

No. 2 starter Dempster only went so far in February to "boldly predict that we're going to have a breakfast spread tomorrow and peanut butter and jelly for lunch; I'm pretty sure it's going to happen."

Dempster still was mum on predictions after his final spring-training start. But he did say he likes where the Cubs are heading into 2009.

"Perfect," Dempster said of the spring. "Everybody's healthy and ready to go. Everybody in here seems to be kind of firing at the right time. We just need to carry that over into the regular season and get off well out of the gate."

Dempster took over as the ace of the Cubs' staff last season, but Zambrano will be making his fifth straight opening-day start.

The last time he faced the Astros, he tossed a no-hitter in a Houston "home" game at Milwaukee's Miller Park on Sept. 14. The Astros were displaced because of a hurricane, and Zambrano warns that other things are different this time around, too.

"It was good," he said. "You have to remember that Carlos Lee wasn't in the lineup, and Ivan Rodriguez, also.

"Now, they have Carlos Lee back; he was injured at that time. I have to be careful with him. I think he has pretty good numbers against me. That's the adjustment as a pitcher, when you see a hitter that's got your number, you have to make the adjustments."

Against Astros righty Roy Oswalt tonight, the Cubs figure to send four left-handed batters to the plate: Kosuke Fukudome, switch hitters Milton Bradley and Zambrano (who likes to hit as much as he likes to pitch) and Mike Fontenot, who takes over at second base.

With the new year, Zambrano hopes for a new experience on Opening Day. He has yet to win in 4 previous starts and has suffered a couple of first-game implosions.

"It's an honor to be the opening-day starter, especially with the Cubs," he said. "This is the organization that brought me up and gave me the opportunity to be somebody.

"To be out their the first day of the season and try to get the first victory for our team is an honor and a privilege."

Cubs vs. Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park TV: Comcast SportsNet today; Channel 9 Tuesday; Comcast SportsNet Plus (CLTV) Wednesday Radio: WGN 720-AM Pitching matchups: The Cubs' Carlos Zambrano (14-6) vs. Roy Oswalt (17-10) today at 6:05 p.m.; Ryan Dempster (17-6) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (9-7) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.; Ted Lilly (17-9) vs. Brian Moehler (11-8) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. At a glance: The Cubs were 8-9 vs. Houston last year, 4-4 on the "road," which included a pair of games in Milwaukee. Zambrano is making his fifth straight opening-day start. He's yet to post a win. Carlos Lee is 17-for-46 (. 370) vs. Zambrano with 4 homers. Zambrano has held Lance Berkman to 9-for-63 (. 143), but Berkman has 4 homers off Zambrano. Lilly, a lefty, is 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA at Minute Maid, a park that favors right-handed hitters. He's held Berkman to 1-for-16 and Lee to 5-for-24. Expect Reed Johnson to play center field against lefty Rodriguez on Tuesday. Next: Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, Friday-Sunday

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