As expected, Cubs pitcher and former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, pictured here after Cubs manager Lou Piniella forced him to get his hair cut, will not be heading north with the team when they break camp at the end of this month. Samardzija was one of 14 players cut from the big club on Monday as the Cubs optioned him to the single-A Daytona Cubs.
Before Samardzija was cut, however, he had a chance to face San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds. Bonds was allowed to wear his traditional body armor as he faced the hard-throwing Samardzija. Perhaps thrown off by the sight of Bonds' exoskeleton and the gravitational pull of Bonds' massive head, Samardzija gave up a single to the obvious steroid abuser.
Samardzija said of the at-bat, "It was cool. I tried to keep cool and just make some pitches. I kept the sinker up a little bit, and he put the bat on it."
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry seems impressed with the young Samardzija. "It was very entertaining," Hendry said, "but I've been excited about this kid since the day we got him. He handled himself like a pro with a lot of poise. He's a big-time guy."
Piniella was similarly impressed. "He's pitched like a veteran really," Piniella said. "You could see that he's had big-time exposure playing football at Notre Dame. This hasn't fazed him too much. I think he's looked at some of our veteran pitchers and how they go about their business, what it takes to be a big leaguer, and he'll take that with him. I wouldn't be surprised that he'll have good, steady progress in the Minor League system."
Samardzija had an impressive spring, giving up only one earned run in 3 appearances and 5 innings pitched, good for a 1.80 ERA. He walked only one batter, struck out 3, and gave up 6 hits. Kermit's wild prediction of the spring? Shark will be in the Cubs' rotation by July of 2008. I'm not quite wild enough to say he'll start a game as a Cub before Mark Prior does. Yet.
By Trey March 13, 2007 - 9:06 am
Im betting he’ll be on the team at one point or another this year. With as awful as the Cubs are and their history of pitcher injury, a spring like this will make Piniella eager to call him up if a spot opens.
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By Bad Kermit March 13, 2007 - 1:29 pm
You may be right, Trey, but they have so many arms lined up right now. Granted, none of them are particularly good, but there are just. So. Many. Right now, you have to figure at least Guzman, Marmol, Miller, Prior, and Marshall are ahead of him. My hope is that by mid-season he’s in AA West Tenn, and that at the beginning of 2008, he makes a few starts in AAA Iowa and is up before the All Star Break.
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