Archive for February, 2009
Cubs find back up third?
The Cubs have signed former Twin and Brewer Corey Koskie, a potential answer to a third base back up. The Cubs have been looking for a right handed hitting bat off the bench that could play third base. If Koskie works out, the Cubs may still need a back up shortstop.
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Cashner in the pen? Lilly not worried about WBC
Lou Piniella thinks highly of first round pick Andrew Cashner. Cashner could make the jump to the pen quickly, being that relievers often do not take too much time to develop.
”He’s got a very, very simple delivery, and he can duplicate his pitches,” Piniella said. ”This kid’s going to come very quick. He’s not going to spend too much time in the minors.”
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Bears want bigger O-line
With the signing of Frank Omiyale to play guard, the Bears are still trying to re-sign tackle John St. Clair. Brad Biggs also thinks they could target a tackle in the first round
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Hawks looking at help up front?
Allan Muir of SI.com suggests the Blackhawks look at Nik Antropov of Toronto at the deadline.
The Hawks need immediate help with Patrick Sharp on the sidelines — and depth down the middle when he returns — but they can’t afford to take on significant salary or give up pieces of the current puzzle. Antropov is big, he can be physical, and he can play anywhere up front, giving Chicago valuable depth for their first playoff run since 2002 . . . and all he’ll cost is a pick.
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Omiyale at guard?
Newly signed Bear will likely play guard, granted the Bears can re-sign John St. Clair. If St. Clair bolts Omiyale will find himself at right tackle. Jerry Angelo was impressed with Omiyale’s play at the end of the season for Carolina, as were at least ten other teams.
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Sox getting new scoreboard
Hardball says the White Sox are making yet another improvement to the Cell.
The White Sox have replaced the U.S. Cellular Field out-of-town scoreboard with a more modern LED version that will be ready for the 2009 season.
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Lou denies report
Lou Piniella denies he had any rift with former Cub Mark DeRosa. Apparently DeRosa didn’t back the story either.
Cubs manager Lou Piniella and former Cub Mark DeRosa both expressed surprise Thursday to read a published report suggesting Piniella may have pushed DeRosa out of town. “I never had a problem,” Piniella said. “I liked the guy on the team. So did (general manager Jim Hendry). So did everybody. Sometimes you have to do things you really don’t want to do, but you do them.”
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DeRosa / Piniella rift?
Chris De Luca hints Lou Piniella may have been behind the dealing of Mark DeRosa.
Mark DeRosa was one of the last players lingering in the Cubs’ clubhouse at Dodger Stadium after Game 3 of the 2008 National League Division Series. As other Cubs were dressed and heading for the bus, DeRosa got philosophical. ”What will bother me the most,” DeRosa said while scanning the room that October night, ”is when you see guys go to other teams.”
”And now I’m one of them,” DeRosa said recently while standing in the Cleveland Indians’ spring-training clubhouse.
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Deng’s minutes reduced?
K.C. Johnson reports that Luol Deng is feeling the squeeze after the deadline dealings.
Three games hardly constitutes a trend. But the player who clearly appears most affected by the arrival of the new Bulls is Luol Deng. Not only has Deng seen his playing time cut from 34 minutes 39 seconds to 23:31 to 30:53 over the last three games, the fifth-year forward failed to score in the first half Wednesday and finished with just nine points. In one stretch, Deng sat from the 3:34 mark of the first to the 3:53 mark of the second as John Salmons thrived. For the second straight game, Salmons played the entire fourth quarter and more minutes overall than Deng, who played 6:34 in the fourth. “It’s been tough figuring out the system and then we had the trade, so you have to adapt to what’s going on,” Deng said. “I just have to figure it out.”
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Samardzija fighting for spot?
Jeff Samardzija clearly should make the Cubs opening day roster based on talent. However, Samardzija could still end up at Iowa, to continue developing as a starter, if he does not win the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation.
Jeff Samardzija isn’t sure what role he’s competing for. Could be a bullpen spot. Could be fifth starter. Could be that a good performance as a starter gets him an assignment to the minors. One thing he is sure of, though: ”Patience probably isn’t one of my virtues. But we’re working on it.” The former Notre Dame football star, who made the Cubs’ playoff roster last year after a late-summer call-up, was talking about a possible return to the minors — which the Cubs might consider if it means he can start every fifth day to stay sharp as the sixth starter they know they’ll eventually need.
”If they feel that’s the route they want me to go, then we’ll do it, but I want to be with this team, helping this team win games, from Day 1,” said Samardzija, who got the first chance to prove he deserves that Wednesday when he started the Cubs’ 5-3 victory over the Dodgers.
Samardzija pitched a 1-2-3 first inning and said he felt even better in the second despite loading the bases twice. He got a comebacker for a double play the first time but gave up a two-run single the second time. Manager Lou Piniella said Samardzija needs to work on some of his pitches, but he’s waiting to see how his split-finger pitch looks later in camp when Samardzija builds more arm strength.
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Soriano stealing 30?
One Cubs official told us the biggest disappointment between Alfonso Soriano leading off for the Nationals and the Cubs has been his lack of running. That was the plan of originally putting him in the one-hole. Soriano was coming off a 40/40 season for Washington. Paul Sullivan reports Lou Piniella thinks that part of Soriano’s game may be back.
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Newest Bears mock
Vaughn McClure has the lates projection for the Bears in the April draft.
Now that the NFL combine has concluded, it was interesting to see the mock draft posted by NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan. After analyzing combine performances, Kirwan has the Bears taking Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher in the first round.
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