Dempster Opening Day Starter, Soriano possible comeback

Recently, Cubs manager Mike Quade named Ryan Dempster as opening day starter.   Quade choose Dempster over Zambrano and newly acquired Matt Garza.  For Zambrano this breaks a streak of him starting for 6 straight years.  When Garza and Zambrano found out through meeting with manager Quade they both accepted their roles.  Zambrano went on to say that “nothing lasts forever” and he also said that Dempster has pitched better than him the past 2 years.   Zambrano says his problem isn’t to be a good person but be able to solve his issues on the field when situations go south on him.  Zambrano also states that “off the field he considers himself a nice guy and that’s something he can talk about in public.”  As for Dempster he is excited about his third opening day start in his career.  Dempster, a fan favorite, may be the most popular teammate on the Cubs. He's always been about team first. But he admits an Opening Day assignment at Wrigley Field will be a thrill.  "It's going to be exciting," Dempster said. "It's going be more nerves of anxiousness than nerves of being nervous."  Dempster will have his hands full when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.  In the 2010 season Dempster had a 0-3 record and had a 6.88 Earned Run Average (ERA).  “They beat us up pretty good," Dempster said. "We'll have to be ready Opening Day to go out and play hard."

Hitting Coach Rudy Jaramillo was considered the top hitting coach when he was hired away by the Chicago Cubs from the Texas Rangers.   Rudy has said recently when asked if Alfonso Soriano will improve, falls on Soriano not Jaramillo.  Jaramillo is saying if Soriano wants to get better as a hitter he needs to put the time and effort in.  Jaramillo said when he works with Soriano in the batting cages he needs to put mechanics to the side and focus on swinging the bat.  The production in the 2010 season was down for Soriano but Jaramillo sees him making a comeback.   "When you're new it's going to take time -- the fact that you've got to win these kids' respect. That's what I was trying to do last year and get used to the approach we are trying to use mechanically and mentally," Jaramillo said. "This year now in spring training I can tell they've got a grasp. They can believe in it so I'm expecting some big things out of my hitters."

What’s everyone’s opinion on how the Cubs will do this year?    Also will Mike Quade be the one that brings us back to the when the Cubs made the playoffs back to back years?

Marmol Re-signs with Cubs; Zambrano News

Throughout the past month the Chicago Cubs have tried to re-sign Carlos Marmol.  Just recently Marmol agreed to a 3 year deal that is worth 20 million.  Marmol is scheduled to earn $3.2 million in 2011, $7 million in 2012 and $9.8 million in 2013. The deal also includes a limited no-trade clause, and $1 million of the $3.2 million.  In a statement Marmol says that "I wanted to secure my life, my family, my career.”  The Cubs closer made $2.25 million in 2010, his first year of arbitration. He set a record for strikeouts by a Cubs reliever last season with 138. He also posted 38 saves in 43 chances with a 2-3 record and 2.55 ERA.  The Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry said “Great closers are hard to find” and the numbers he put up last year helped put Marmol in the top closer category.  Just to refresh memories what a closer is.   A closer is a pitcher that is called into the game in late game situations to preserve the win for the starter.  Marmol would have average 16 strike outs a game if he would have pitched all nine innings in this past 2010 season.  Marmol was drafted as a non-drafted free agent in 1999 and was converted to a pitcher in 2002.  He started 13 games in 2006 before heading to the bullpen the following season where he excelled as a setup reliever with a 5-1 record and 1.43 ERA in 59 appearances. He made the All-Star team as a reliever in 2008.

After a lackluster 2010 season Carlos Zambrano has stated that he will let his play do the talking.  In the past Carlos has been a player that talks big but in the end it doesn’t happen.  Last season with the Cubs Zambrano was suspended in June after his dugout confrontation with teammate Derrek Lee and manager Lou Piniella during a game against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He later spent a month on the restricted list and underwent anger management therapy.  This past Monday he said that he would like to start his seventh straight opening day game but his play during spring training will determine his fate.  Right now, Ryan Dempster, newly acquired Matt Garza and Carlos Zambrano are the favorites to win the opening day starting position.  Zambrano has a 1-6 record when starting for the Cubs on opening day.

(espn.com)

Former Cubs Manager Lou Piniella, Damages to Wrigley Field and Harry Carry Statue

Many may think that former Cubs manager quit on the team last year in August.  Former Cubs manager Lou Piniella recently took a job with the San Francisco Giants as a scout.  Piniella states that he had opportunities to join a few organizations or do work on television, but that decision made sense for Piniella.  Lou also says that he and Giants General Manager Brian Sabean have been friends for a long time.   Piniella’s duties will involve scouting American League clubs for the 2010 World Series Champions.  He stated that the fact he will be able to stay at his home in Tampa Bay was the biggest key to accepting the position.  Another good thing about the new job Piniella said is that six to seven teams have spring training in the area, along with Tropicana Field that is the home of the Tampa Bay Rays.  Piniella retired as Cub’s manager during the 2010 season, his fourth year in Chicago, to return to his Florida home in Tampa Bay and help his suffering mother.  He also spent time away from the Cubs due to the death of his uncle in July of last year.  Lou also acknowledged that his fourth season and his last season wasn’t the success that he and the organization wished it would be.  Piniella stated that he thought the players sensed that at times he wasn’t there to give them 100 percent support that a manager should.  Despite a trying 2010 season, Lou left a legacy and one of the most successful managers in franchise history.  As a whole, Piniella is proud of his accomplishments.  In a statement by Lou, “I came here four years ago and the team lost 97 games, two years later they won 97.”  Piniella led the Cubs to the playoffs back to back years.  In those two playoff runs the Cubs were swept both times by the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The past winter storm that went through the mid-west damaged the press box at Wrigley Field.  The damages were tiles to fall from the top press box.  The damage was enough to close Clark Street between Grace and Roscoe streets and Addison Street between Sheffield and Racine avenues because of the wind blowing the tiles.

Recently the Harry Carry Statue was damaged outside of Wrigley Field.  The statue was vandalized with white spray paint; the word Sox and another illegible word on it.  Caray's statue was moved to the corner of Waveland and Sheffield avenues to make room for a new bronze statue of Hall of Famer Billy Williams. Caray's statue was rededicated in September.

Santo Replacements, Spring training invitees, and Wellemeyer signs with Cubs

The replacement for announcer Ron Santo could be named soon.   Santo lost his life from Diabetes on December 3, 2010.  He joined the Cubs in the broadcast booth in 1990 and was a color commentator for WGN.  WGN broadcasts most of the Cubs games along with Comcast Network.  Santo worked with play-by-play announcer Pat Hughes, and these radio broadcasts were also known as the Pat and Ron Show. He also worked with Harry Caray, Thom Brennaman, Steve Stone and Bob Brenly. Santo also briefly worked with Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers commentator Wayne Larrivee.  Santo struggled with Type 1 diabetes during his early playing days when he played baseball.  He played for the Chicago Cubs among other teams.  Since 1974, he has donated over $60 million to Juvenile Diabetes.  In the running for Santo’s replace was Cubs pitchers Rick Sutcliffe, Dan Plesac, former Cubs Keith Moreland and Dave Otto.  Since the four candidates were named the Cubs have dropped Sutcliffe and Plesac from being in the running for the position.  Moreland pinch-hit on television over the past few years when Bob Brenly was on vacation. Otto had been a regular replacement for Santo when he was scheduled for time off or sick days.  WGN general manager Tom Langmyer told the paper he would like to announce a replacement before spring training begins in late February. 

Former fan favorite Augie Ojeda and veteran pitcher Braden Looper are among the 21 non-roster players invited to the Chicago Cubs' spring training in Mesa, Ariz.  Ojeda played for the Cubs back in 2000-2003 and is a career batting average of .234. He played the past four seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and batted .190 in 59 games last season.  Looper, 36, last pitched in the big leagues in 2009, going 14-7 with a 5.22 ERA in 34 starts with the Milwaukee Brewers. Looper saved 28 or more games in three straight seasons from 2003-05 and won 12 or more games in 30 or more starts from 2007-09.  Looper has also pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals in the past.  Other invitees that the Cubs have invited for spring training is Chris Carpenter, Angel Guzman, Jay Jackson, Trey McNutt and Todd Wellemeyer and Scott Rice; catchers Steve Clevenger and Chris Robinson; infielders Matt Camp, Bryan LaHair, Scott Moore, Bobby Scales, Marquez Smith and Josh Vitters; and outfielders Jim Adduci, Brett Jackson, Reed Johnson, and Brad Snyder.  Pitchers and catchers are to report to spring training on February 13^th and other players will report on February 18^th.
Todd Wellemeyer and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a one year deal worth $800,000.   Wellemeyer has recently pitched for the San Francisco Giants and had a 3-5 record with a 5.68 Earned Run Average.

source ESPN.com