Cubs' Colvin not coming to Chicago to sit on bench

Nothing gets baseball fans more excited in March than a young player having a phenomenal spring.

And nothing scares them more than the notion that it might be a Cactus League mirage.

The desert produces them every year, something Cubs GM Jim Hendry knows too well, so he says it's Lou Piniella's intention to make certain Tyler Colvin keeps playing and doesn't get cold sitting in a frigid Cubs dugout in April.

"I don't give a (darn) who makes what money or any of that. Whoever plays well will play," Hendry said Tuesday night by phone from Arizona.

"We had a lot of discussions about him and we certainly don't keep the young man unless he was going to play.

"He'll get two or three starts a week and the chance to earn more. He can play all three outfield spots above average with an above-average arm.

"The veterans will get their time and Lou will double-switch and there will be enough time for everybody, including (Xavier) Nady, who's a legit five-hole guy.

"I come from the school where you can't have too many good players. I hope all five of them play great and it's a problem for Lou. That's a great problem to have."

You have to think Piniella can find room for Colvin's glove and left-handed bat in an aging outfield that includes 32-year-old Kosuke Fukudome, 32-year-old Marlon Byrd and 34-year-old Alfonso Soriano.

"If the veteran guys are all playing great then we'd have to make some kind of adjustment," Hendry said, meaning Colvin probably would go to Iowa (AAA). "But it will sort itself out."

Colvin's monster spring was impossible to overlook, especially coming from their top draft pick in 2006 (13th overall).

"(Scouting director) Tim Wilken took a lot of grief because Colvin wasn't in anyone's top 50 or 100, but he told us to give the kid a couple years and let him grow," Hendry said.

"Last year Colvin came up at the end because we had some injuries, but he was on fumes and it was a good lesson for him.

"Instead of going to winter ball, which cost him some significant dollars, he came to Arizona and put on 24 pounds working with (strength coach) Tim Buss, and now look at him. He looks like a different guy."

So the 24-year-old jumps to the majors from Double-A, and he has a chance to stick if he can get enough ABs and hits.

"I'm happy for the kid," Hendry said. "He's worked hard. He's earned this."

Margin callsWhile Greg Aquino goes down despite a brilliant spring, you have to wonder how long the Sox can watch Scott Linebrink struggle. He's very popular among his teammates, and he has two years left at $5 million per, but he looks like a guy who's either hurt or lacking confidence after a bad 2009 and a rough spring.New balk rulesIt used to be that a pitcher had to step off the mound if he wanted to blow in his hand (or wet his fingers), except in cold weather when he could ask permission.Now, a pitcher can go to his mouth on the mound as long as he's not on the rubber, but he must wipe his hand on his uniform before touching the ball or it's a balk.Already this spring, guys have gone to their mouth while off the mound but haven't wiped off their fingers and have been called for a balk.It's probably designed to speed up the game and keep pitchers on the mound, but in the cold weather of Chicago in April, those habits are going to be hard to break.Besides, we all know pitchers who made careers out of making it look like they were wiping spit off their fingers when they weren't, or loading up their uniform with substances, and with moisture even more accessible now while on the mound, enforcement of this one ought to be interesting.And somewhere Gaylord Perry is planning a comeback.Class actPalatine High School legend and current Northwestern softball star Nicole Pauly has been named a finalist for the "2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award,'' often called the Heisman Trophy of collegiate softball.Student athletes are selected based on their contributions on and off the field, in the community and in the classroom.Pauly is third in NU history with 47 home runs, ranks in the top 10 in six other offensive categories, and is a two-time academic all-Big Ten award winner.For more info, and to vote for Pauly, visit seniorclassaward.com.The listIf West Virginia wins the NCAA championship, Bob Huggins will have as many coaching titles (1) as Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim, Lute Olson, Rick Pitino and Jerry Tarkanian.Double faultMiami Herald's Greg Cote: "Answer: Former tennis stars Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras evidently are feuding. Question: What has got to be the most boring bad blood in sports history?''And finally -Comedian Alex Kaseberg: "Basketball is not huge at Cornell. In fact, most students didn't know they had a gym until they attended a Jonas Brothers concert.''brozner@dailyherald.com