Quade optimistic about pitching
MESA, Ariz. — It’s all over except for a late-morning intrasquad game Wednesday.
The Cubs finished Cactus League play Tuesday with a 15-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
That gave them a record of 14-19, but manager Mike Quade was in an upbeat mood, shaking off preseason predictions that have his team finishing, at best, at .500.
“I hope they’re wrong,” said Quade, entering his first full year as a big-league manager. “I’m a big fan of whatever underdog status people want to give. It’s all good.
“I’m a big fan of all sports, and I know how this goes. We hope to prove those who don’t think we’re very good wrong, and those guys (the players) will be the reason we do that.
“I’m optimistic, very optimistic, and it starts with pitching. If you’ve got good pitching, and I think we do, there’s no reason not to be optimistic, and I don’t care what anybody else says. We’re going to lean heavily on that.”
We’ll find out beginning Friday, when the Cubs open regular-season play against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.
Here are the final returns from spring training.
News-cycle driver: Whether it was calling it “ridiculous” that he had to fight for a job or nearly fighting one of own teammates to paving his own way off the team, Carlos Silva kept an otherwise quiet camp interesting for reporters. And even they won’t miss Silva.This year#146;s Colvin: Darwin Barney played his way onto the team and maybe even into significant starting time, much as Tyler Colvin did last year.Barney put up a hitting line of .340/.411/.440, played solid defense at second base, and impressed the staff with his baseball smarts.Pleasant surprise: Marcos Mateo missed significant time in the middle of camp after the death of his mother. Still, he managed to make the team.Mateo was 1-0 with a 1.12 ERA, having given up 4 hits in 8 innings. He pitched in 21 games last year for the Cubs, who obtained him in a 2007 trade with the Reds for Buck Coats.Biggest disappointment: Blake DeWitt looks to have played himself out of a platoon role at second base. He had a line of .186/.197/.305 and was shaky in the field.Quade wanted DeWitt to take grounders at third base as a possible backup there to Aramis Ramirez. That could lead to an all-right-handed platoon at second between Barney and Jeff Baker.Starlin gazing: Second-year shortstop had the offensive spring of the year for the Cubs, Marlon Byrd#146;s .431 batting average notwithstanding.Castro#146;s hitting line was .348/.386/.621, and Quade said he looks more #147;calm#148; around the bag at second. Of Castro#146;s 23 hits, 4 were doubles, 1 was a triple and 4 were homers.It is what it is: Carlos Pena struck out 20 times as did Colvin, and Alfonso Soriano fanned 18 times. Pena#146;s .196 batting average of last year probably was the most overhyped stat. If Pena, along with the other aforementioned hitters, can keep his slugging percentage, home run total high, the RBI total should be high, and the batting average and strikeout totals shouldn#146;t be a concern.Pena slugged .441 this spring.It is only spring #8212; right? Matt Garza pitched 3 innings Tuesday. He gave up 11 hits and 7 runs. For the spring, Garza is 1-4 with a 10.38 ERA.In 21 innings, pitched, he gave up 35 hits and 25 runs while walking 14 and striking out. His WHIP (walks plus hits per 1 inning pitched) was a feverish 2.26.#147;It is what it is,#148; Garza said. #147;The next ones count. It#146;s go time. It#146;s time to go.#148;