National League Capsules: Bigger and stronger, Astros OF Pence set for 2010
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Houston right fielder Hunter Pence showed up to spring training looking bigger, stronger and hungry for more success.
Though he's getting to be more of a household name, Pence is still the same affable, energetic kid who turned heads with a .322 batting average as a rookie three years ago.
Last season, the 26-year-old earned his first All-Star selection by hitting .282 with 25 home runs and 72 RBIs. He's had 25 home runs in each of the last two seasons, and he increased his batting average by 13 points and his on-base percentage by 28 points from 2008.
"I'm still trying to get better," Pence said. "I feel like I had a great season last year. I learned a lot. There's a lot more I can do better to help this team win. Not getting to the playoffs is something that eats at me and drives me even more. It motivated me to work harder in the offseason."
The Astros have certainly taken notice of his consistent production, as shown by the significant raise they handed him this offseason. The Astros avoided arbitration by signing Pence to a one-year, $3.5 million deal back in January. That's a far cry from the $439,000 he made in 2009.
"I think he has a chance to be our leader for a long time here," Astros general manager Ed Wade said. "From the skill standpoint, I said this time last year that he's about to enter the All-Star phase of his career and he made his first All-Star team. It'll be the first of many."
The money is nice, but it's of equal importance that the native Texan is living his dream, playing the game he loves in the state where he's spent his entire life. Pence was born in Fort Worth, went to school at the University of Texas at Arlington and lives in Houston during the offseason.
"It's phenomenal," Pence said. "I couldn't ask for more. As a kid growing up, I was a big fan of all the Texas teams. The opportunity to be in my home state, to be close to my family and where I grew up — it's remarkable. I'm very fortunate."
Pence is a throwback to a generation of hard-nosed baseball players of years past. He wears his socks high and his hat low, he runs out every ground ball, he hustles and gets his uniform dirty, he leads by example.
"I'm very impressed with his work ethic," said Jeff Bagwell, the former Astros slugger and current special assistant to the general manager. "He goes as hard as anybody I've seen. He's in the weight room and batting cage every single day during the offseason just trying to get better. You have to appreciate that from a kid his age."
Pence's success early in his career has elevated expectations among fans, the organization and his teammates. Veteran first baseman Lance Berkman says he's anticipating bigger power numbers from the young outfielder in 2010.
"I'd like to see him become more of a run-producer," Berkman said. "I'd like to see him hit a few more home runs and drive some more guys in. I think that's the next step in his evolution, is to move from that 70 or 80 RBI plateau up to 100 RBIs and be a consistent 30 home run hitter. I think he's capable of doing it."
Pence embraces the raised expectations.
"I know what my potential is," Pence said. "I don't worry about pressure or expectations. I probably have higher expectations for myself than anyone else. I use it drive myself."
NOTES: OF Carlos Lee will not be in the lineup on Thursday or Friday because he has headed back to Houston to attend to some business matters. Mills approved Lee's absence and says Lee will be back in the lineup on Saturday. ... Roger Clemens was on hand to watch his son, minor leaguer Koby, play in the Astros intrasquad scrimmage.
Berkman out for Astros' spring opener
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Houston All-Star first baseman Lance Berkman will sit out the Astros' spring training opener against Washington because of a bruised left knee.
Manager Brad Mills said Wednesday that he's being cautious by holding Berkman out of Thursday's game. Berkman injured the knee Sunday during team workouts as he was running the bases.
Berkman fielded ground balls and took batting practice during Wednesday's workout, but was told not to run. He said the swelling subsided after he got treatment on Tuesday.
Berkman, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in 1999, said it started aching in the offseason. He had an MRI on Monday that revealed the bruise, but the five-time All-Star said the swelling subsided after treatment on Tuesday.
"It's still a little sore, but the good news from the MRI is that whatever the problem is, I'm not going to be able to make it worse," Berkman said Wednesday. "There's no reason not to do as much as I can with it."
Mills said Berkman may return for Friday's spring game against Detroit.
"We're going to try to let it calm down and then, if I can get him in the lineup Friday, we will," Mills said. "But we're going to wait and see. We might take two days, we might take one day. We'll see how he is after today's workout."
Upton signs $51.25M, 6-year deal with Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz. — Justin Upton has lived with high expectations virtually since the day he picked up a baseball bat.
Now at 22, with two full major league seasons already behind him, he says he welcomes the challenge of living up to the $51.25 million, six-year contract he signed on Wednesday with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the second-largest deal in franchise history.
With his parents Manny and Yvonne looking on proudly at a news conference, the outfielder said he understands the responsibility that comes with this big a contract at such a young age.
"I do kind of put that pressure on myself," he said. "I want to be great, that's the thing. If you want to be great, then you set your goals higher."
Upton earned his first All-Star berth last season, when he hit .300 with 26 homers and 86 RBIs.
His statistics are compared favorably with those of some of the game's greats at the same age. His OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .836 compares with the early numbers of Al Kaline, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez.
"There's a lot to live up to," he said, "and I think I'm ready for that."
He gets a $1.25 million signing bonus, half on April 15 and the rest on July 15. He receives salaries of $500,000 this year, $4.25 million in 2011, $6.75 million in 2012, $9.75 million in 2013, $14.25 million in 2014 and $14.5 million in 2015.
"We view him as a core player, one of our key pieces," general manager Josh Byrnes said, "and as we view the next six years the kind of guy we want to build around."
The only bigger contract in Diamondbacks' history was the $52.4 million, four-year deal Randy Johnson signed in 1999.
"This is something you dream about. For it to come true, it really hasn't sunk in yet," Upton said. "My parents have definitely been a special part of my life to get me to this point. It's definitely a special day. I'm glad they could be here. I know they're as happy as I am."
Upton has had the pressure of high expectations for years, following the path of his older brother B.J., who was the No. 2 draft pick overall in 2002. Justin was one better, chosen No. 1 by Arizona in the 2005 draft.
He played less than two years in the minors before being called up by the Diamondbacks one in 2007 one month shy of his 20th birthday.
Manager A.J. Hinch was newly hired director of player personnel when Upton first was signed in January 2006.
"We know him very well. We have a great relationship. To be able to have him as a centerpiece of our organization is a great advantage," Hinch said. "He's already had productive seasons and he's still got a lot of room to grow, which is exciting to see and also scary for the National League."
While he has a quick, even picturesque, swing, his form in the outfield is a work in progress. Upton had played only eight games in right field in the minors before being installed there at the major league level in 2007.
Byrnes compared his outfield issues with "a young Vlad Guerrero," with the speed and talent to get to balls but not necessarily the finesse that comes from learning the position well.
Byrnes said that teams in markets like Arizona's have to make a move to keep their young talent as long as possible.
"We generally need to go early to deal with free agency, and we've done that in a number of cases," Byrnes said. "Their might be more risk because you're going early and you're going longer, but I think the reward justifies those types of moves."
The general manager noted that Brandon Webb would not be under contract and Dan Haren would be entering his final year had the team not signed them early. Webb is in the final year of his contract.
However, sometimes contracts can backfire. Outfielder Chris Young's performance at the plate was dismal in the wake of the $28 million, five-year contract he signed in 2008, although he did improve after a stint with Triple-A Reno last season.
Upton said he considered going year by year in arbitration and eventual free agency before choosing security.
"They made a comfortable deal with the years. That's something that definitely factored in," he said. "I was comfortable with their proposal and the direction that they're going."
Upton's father said he didn't sleep to well the past few nights knowing the agreement was close. Plainly proud of both sons, he said he has to work on Justin not being so hard on himself during times of adversity.
"Sometimes I have to be the sounding board to make sure he's not beating himself up," Manny Upton said.
Justin Upton said he hasn't been sleeping too well lately, either.
"But now that it's over with everyone's happy," he said. "That's all that matters."
-- Bob Baum
Lincecum adjusting to new level of attention
PEORIA, Ariz. — Winning the NL Cy Young Award in back-to-back seasons can put a pitcher at an entirely new level in terms of recognition by the fans and respect from opponents.
San Francisco Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum experienced both after his spring debut against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
Lincecum had a not-so-Cy outing, giving up three runs — two earned — on two hits while throwing 33 pitches in one inning.
But fans didn't care about the numbers. They just wanted to see him pitch and get an autograph from the 25-year-old who signed a two-year, $23 million contract just days before reporting to camp.
Lincecum obliged for dozens of fans on his way to the visitors' clubhouse at the Peoria Sports Complex, signing baseballs, shirts, pretty much whatever people stuck through the openings in a wrought-iron fence.
Later he sat on a stool in front of his corner dressing stall in the clubhouse, where he was surrounded by a large group of reporters. A member of the Mariners infiltrated the group, extended his arm and shook Lincecum's hand.
"What's up?" center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. said.
Now that's respect, having an opponent enter your domain to shake your hand.
Lincecum said he was caught off guard by the visit. He is a native of the Seattle area and grew up watching Griffey.
"It was the first time I had met him," Lincecum said.
His first meeting with Griffey on the field Wednesday came in the first inning, when Griffey hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. When Griffey made contact it appeared that the ball might go over the fence.
"I think he got it just off the end of the bat," Lincecum said.
Lincecum had an even more adventurous meeting with new Mariners acquisition Eric Byrnes, who kept fouling the ball off, including a couple of deep shots down the left-field line. Finally, Lincecum struck Byrnes out on a change-up.
"I was eating at a restaurant the other night when I ran into him (Byrnes). We said, "We'll see you on the field. 'I didn't know it would be for that long," Lincecum said, laughing.
Lincecum struggled out of the windup during his bullpen sessions this spring, so he told Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti that he wanted to try working out of the stretch Wednesday, figuring he could throw more strikes that way.
Lincecum characterized his outing "as being a little off with my balancing point." He said his body opened up toward third base more than following through toward home plate. He said he went through a similar stretch last season.
Adjustments should come with more work in games and on the side.
As for all the attention he is getting, "I certainly didn't expect all you guys standing behind me (while he signed autographs)," Lincecum said. "I'll just have to take it as it comes."
NOTES: Left-hander Barry Zito is scheduled to start Thursday's home opener in Scottsdale against Milwaukee ... Giants outfielder Thomas Neal was hit in the head by a pitch from reliever Ricky Orta in the top of the sixth. He remained standing and after a few moments to get his bearings, appeared to be OK. He walked off the field with manager Bruce Bochy.
Kuroda wants positive year after forgettable '09
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Hiroki Kuroda is coming off a season to forget, if only everybody would just let him get it out of his mind.
The Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander had to battle back from three serious injuries at age 34 last year, the most serious of which was a concussion suffered when a comebacker drilled him on the front right side of his head.
As he gets ready for his season of redemption, Kuroda goes through his daily workouts in the desert a mere 20 miles from the spot where the frightening incident took place.
Kuroda had been pitching well when he entered an Aug. 15 start at Arizona's Chase Field. Then came a Rusty Ryal comebacker that drilled Kuroda just to the side of the "LA" logo on his Dodgers cap.
Kuroda went to the ground instantly, while the ball rebounded toward the Diamondbacks' on-deck circle, took one hop off the warning track and bounced into the stands.
As it turned out, the long-distance carom was good news.
"He just got lucky," manager Joe Torre said. "I was told by a doctor that the ball landing so far away from where it hit him was probably the good news because it hit the part of the skull that had some give to it. The worst thing that could have happened was to hit and the ball drops straight down."
Kuroda never lost consciousness or his sense of humor.
He returned late last season and struggled, only to have a neck injury sideline him again as the Dodgers were struggling down the stretch. Kuroda joked the neck injury probably came from spinning around so fast while watching opponents hit home runs off him.
Even now he can generate laughs when asked if the concussion is something he can easily forget.
"I get asked that question every time I'm about to forget about it," he said.
He is about to start the final year of a three-year $35.3 million contract and is the Dodgers' highest paid pitcher at $15.4 million this season alone.
With spring training much shorter this season than it was last year because of the World Baseball Classic, Kuroda will be able to save his bullets for the regular season.
He was the Dodgers' opening day starter a year ago, but before start No. 2 he was already on the disabled list with a strained oblique that kept him out of action until June. He still made 20 starts, going 8-7 with a 3.76 ERA.
"There are many adversities and a lot of negative things that happened," Kuroda said. "I just want to make everything positive after what I went through last year and have a good season this year."
Torre has been impressed with Kuroda, especially with his resiliency. Kuroda spent just 21 days on the disabled list after getting hit in the head.
"For him to come back as quickly as he did — and he did have some testers during rehab with a line drive through the middle and a broken bat that came toward him — I thought he recovered from that well," Torre said.
Kuroda figures to be the Dodgers' No. 3 starter this season behind Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley. On Thursday, he will have an extended throwing session before making his debut in a spring game Tuesday.
"I just have to keep moving forward. I can't give up," Kuroda said. "This game is my destiny so I just have to move forward."
Rockies pitcher Smith hopes to rebound
TUCSON, Ariz. — Pitcher Greg Smith has been the other guy for the Colorado Rockies.
They acquired the 26-year-old left-hander from the Oakland Athletics in the November 2008 deal for left fielder Matt Holliday that also brought closer Huston Street and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to Colorado.
The latter two flourished last year and helped the Rockies reach the postseason as the National League wild-card team.
Smith languished, his 2009 season hampered by a succession of mishaps — flu, stomach virus, two staph infections, shoulder tendinitis and back spasms — starting in spring training that limited him to 11 starts and 49 1-3 innings at three Rockies farm clubs.
"Last year, it was whether or not I was going to be able to throw in my mind or if it was going to hurt or what was going to hurt," Smith said Wednesday. "This year, it's worrying about working hitters and the strategy of the game."
Being in recovery mode last year was bad enough for Smith. The success of Street and Gonzalez only made matters worse.
"Mentally, I beat myself up all last year," said Smith, who is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut and pitch two innings Friday at Tempe, Ariz., against the Los Angeles Angels. "Other than personally wanting to get out there and play, it was, 'OK, so the Rockies got two guys in a trade and a guy that was hurt all year.'"
As a rookie with the A's in 2008, Smith led the team in starts (32) and innings (190 1-3) while going 7-16 with a 4.16 ERA and allowing 169 hits. But toward the end of his trying 2009 season, Smith remembers telling roving pitching coordinator Bo McLaughlin, "'I just want a mulligan. I just want this year to be over. I want to go home and work on my offseason and I want to get healthy."
At home in Lake Charles, La., Smith got healthy and got heavier. He weighed 185 pounds when the 2009 season ended but reported to camp at 202. Smith's diet was high in proteins and included meals every three hours.
"This is definitely the heaviest I've been," Smith said. "I've never weighed over 200 pounds in my life. I tell myself it's going to be a durable heavy. Granted, we have yet to see that, but I think it'll help me physically."
Pitching coach Bob Apodaca said Smith's secondary pitches and his overall command aren't there yet. But that's more a function of spring training being in the early stages than anything physical.
"You do see a much, much healthier person," Apodaca said. "When (the ball) comes out of his hand, there's much more life. You could count the stitches on the baseball when he threw it last year. This year it's hard for me to see any of it."
With two minor league options remaining, Smith seems destined to open the season at Triple-A Colorado Springs, since the Rockies rotation seems set. Smith said he would be disappointed not to make the Rockies out of spring training as a starter or in any relief role but "can see what's in front of me."
Regardless, he at least has a chance to compete, unlike a year ago when spring training was the beginning of a downward spiral.
"You want to take the physical side of the year and just throw it away, totally forget about it," Smith said. "But the mental side of it was priceless. I learned so much last year from what to do to get healthy, what to do to stay healthy, an offseason program and how I tweaked that a little bit and how I put on weight."
NOTES: Street has inflammation in his right shoulder but said, "It feels like it's coming around." Trainer Keith Dugger gave Street a day off after he played catch Monday and Tuesday at 90 feet. Street said the plan Thursday is to long toss at 120 feet and throw off flat ground from approximately 60 feet, 6 inches. Street said he expects to make about 10 appearances in Cactus League games, which would be in keeping with past springs and have him ready for the beginning of the regular season. ... Center fielder Dexter Fowler worked out after missing two days with stomach flu. ... The Rockies open the exhibition season Thursday against the Diamondbacks. Jason Hammel and Jorge De La Rosa are each scheduled to pitch two innings.
Marlins hope this is breakthrough year for Maybin
JUPITER, Fla. — Florida Marlins center fielder Cameron Maybin considers himself a patient motorist — a valuable trait in Miami traffic.
"I'm never in a rush," Maybin says. "I was always told wherever you're going, it's going to be there when you get there."
Patience can be a virtue on the ballfield, too. Maybin was the Marlins' top prospect at spring training in 2008, and two years later he's still trying to establish himself in the big leagues.
At age 22, the former first-round draft pick's hardly a bust, and he says he's far from frustrated.
"Everything happens when the time is right," he says. "I've got to stay positive. I believe in my ability."
So do the Marlins. He was only 20 when they acquired him as a centerpiece in the trade that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Detroit Tigers, and the Marlins remain confident Maybin will fulfill their expectations.
"By no means is he a finished product," manager Fredi Gonzalez says. "But when he gets it, we've got a heck of a player on our hands."
Maybin was in Florida's opening-day lineup a year ago, but he hit only .202 in 26 games before being sent to Triple-A New Orleans. He hit .319 for Zephyrs, rejoined the Marlins on Sept. 1 and hit .293 with three homers in 28 games over the final month of the season.
Barring a dismal showing in spring training, he'll again be in center on opening day.
"It's his job to lose," president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest says.
Maybin's biggest challenge has been to lay off bad pitches, a familiar hurdle for young hitters. He started doing it in 2009.
When demoted to the minors last spring, Maybin's career strikeouts rate was 36 percent. After he rejoined the Marlins late in the season, the rate fell to 22 percent.
"He improved tremendously," Gonzalez says. "When he came back, there was a huge difference. He wasn't chasing the breaking balls in the dirt like he did early on."
While trying to exercise patience at the plate, Maybin says, he lost some of his aggressiveness during his early-season struggles last year.
"You start to second-guess yourself," he says. "When I went down to Triple-A and finished up with the Marlins at the end of the year, there was no second-guessing. I learned what I have to do to stay consistent — be patiently aggressive, look for a pitch I can handle and make good on it when I get it."
Right fielder Cody Ross says Maybin is more confident this year and on the verge of a breakthrough.
"His attitude is totally different from last year," Ross says. "I think he has figured himself out. He's such a good kid and so coachable, I think he was trying to take in so much information from everyone the last couple of years, and he got away from being his own person. I think now he's filtering it, letting some stuff go in one ear and out the other and doing his thing. I think it's going to be a good year for him."
When Maybin makes contact, he can be an offensive force. In four minor-league seasons, he has hit 39 homers with a .302 average and 81 stolen bases.
The Marlins hope to use that mix of power and speed in the No. 2 spot in the order, between NL Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan and All-Star Hanley Ramirez. That's where Maybin batted in Wednesday's exhibition game against the University of Miami, and that's where he hopes to stay.
"If I'm not hitting at the top of the order, I should be mad at myself," he says. "I would prefer it. But I've got to earn it. That's what I plan on doing."
Maybin underwent surgery in November on his left (non-throwing) shoulder, which bothered him late last season, and he says it's fully healed. Eager to succeed this year, he arrived in Jupiter in January to begin workouts.
Despite the roller-coaster 2009 season, he's more confident than ever.
"Last year was probably the biggest test of my character I've had to go through in professional ball," he says. "I was in a situation where I could have been mad and been upset and sulked, but I tried to figure some things out, and I was able to do that. It was a test, and I really like the way I was able to answer that test."
-- Steven Wine
Jacobs out to prove he can be everyday 1st baseman
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Mike Jacobs isn't just in New York Mets camp trying to make a team. He's out to prove he still can be an everyday first baseman.
The 29-year-old signed a minor league contract with the Mets in February, seeking to bounce back from what he called a down year with the Kansas City Royals. Jacobs, who spent the 2006-08 seasons as the Florida Marlins' first baseman, batted just .228 with 19 home runs and 61 RBI last year mainly as a designated hitter and struggled to find a team during free agency this offseason.
With the Mets trying to replace Carlos Delgado, Jacobs received his chance to show he can still be an effective first baseman.
"Just because I had a bad year last year doesn't make me feel like I can't be an everyday guy again," said Jacobs, who served as a designated hitter in the Mets' spring training opener Tuesday. "It may be a little harder to prove that, but it's an opportunity to open up eyes, and that's what I am looking forward to doing."
Mets manager Jerry Manuel recognizes he has some options at first base this season but said at the beginning of camp Daniel Murphy has the edge and even went as far as to say he didn't see the position as much of an open competition.
Right now, Jacobs, who also has some experience as a backup catcher, appears to be a likely candidate for a bench spot, but he's confident the Mets will give him a fair look.
"I think one of the advantages I've had is they know me well here," Jacobs said. "Playing against them for the three years when I was with Florida, they've been able to see me. ... It's one of those thing where I don't feel the pressure that I have to come out and have an unbelievable spring training to make the team. They know what I am capable of doing, and at the end of the day, hopefully that's good enough."
The Mets — at least some of them — also know Jacobs from his early days in their organization. The team selected Jacobs in the 38th round of the 1999 draft, and he spent more than six years in its minor league system before being called up in August 2005 during Omar Minaya's first year as general manager.
Jacobs said he wanted to come back to the organization mainly because he saw an opportunity to compete for a job and return to the National League, where he feels he belongs.
"I just feel like I know this league very well, and obviously I played three years (in the NL) before last year, so for me it was just a fit," Jacobs said.
Jacobs batted .310 with 11 home runs and 23 RBI in 30 games with the Mets in 2005, then was acquired by the Marlins in an offseason trade that sent Delgado to New York. He hit a career-high 32 home runs and 93 RBI in 2008, his last season in Florida, and owns a .254 career batting average.
This is Jacobs' first spring training in Port St. Lucie having major league experience, but ironically, it feels much the same as it did five years ago.
"It's kind of weird," Jacobs said. "I almost feel like a rookie again in the sense of not knowing I am going into the season as the everyday guy right out of the gate, so it's kind of different from recent years in the sense of truly having to make the team."
In Nats' arms race, Olsen out to erase pesky "ifs"
VIERA, Fla. — The qualifier comes up every time left-hander Scott Olsen is mentioned. Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman says that Olsen is a lock for the rotation, however the sentence never ends there.
Olsen is part of the five-man starting staff if he can show he's fully recovered from July surgery on his pitching shoulder that ended his first season in Washington. If he can regain the durability that produced three 30-start seasons and consecutive seasons with double-digit victories for the Florida Marlins between 2006 and 2008. If he can control his mid-90s fastball and keep the walks down.
Coming back from the injury would be enough of a challenge for most pitchers. Olsen not only has to compete for a rotation spot, but has to erase the "if" factor, too.
"I think it'll just come with more time, more long toss and more bullpen sessions," Olsen said. "Getting out in the game, getting your feet wet — it all plays into building up arm strength. ... Time. All it takes is time."
Riggleman is assuming the 26-year-old Olsen will be one of his starting pitchers, probably slotted after right-hander Jason Marquis, the team's big offseason free-agent acquisition, and lefty John Lannan.
Olsen's inclusion also gives the Nationals a second lefty in the starting five, something that comes in handy considering the amount of left-handed sluggers in the NL East.
"There's just a lot of left-handers who do a lot of damage," Riggleman said. "You want to have somebody to nullify it. If you've got a couple of guys in the rotation who can slow a lineup down, that's great. But just because they're left-handed doesn't mean they're going to get it done."
Another if for Olsen, who went 2-4 with a 6.03 ERA in 11 starts last year, to deal with. But as long as he's pitching, Olsen could care less where he's slotted.
"I just want to be one of the five," he said. "I don't care where I go. Put me fifth. I just want to pitch."
When you're coming off a long rehabilitation process after the first significant injury of your career, even the most confident of pitchers has self-doubts.
"It feels like forever since I've been in a game. I've never sat out this long. It feels like it's been a year — it almost has been — but it feels like forever," Olsen said.
Following surgery, Olsen mastered baby steps — simple tasks such as lifting 3 and 5-pound weights to regain strength.
"You're back at ground zero," Olsen said. "It's very boring and repetitive, very tedious. But it's got to get done."
Maybe that's one reason why Olsen reported to spring camp with a more businesslike approach to earning his spot on the roster.
"He's still maturing. Certainly, after what he's gone through, (Olsen) can't take anything for granted," Riggleman said. "He's just growing as a pitcher and as a person."
Being told he needed an operation to repair torn cartilage in his shoulder and couldn't pitch took some getting used to.
"I'd never had surgery before, never been seriously hurt before," Olsen said. "Initially, it was hard. Once that initial shock wears off and you realize you're not going to be playing baseball anymore, then you kind of push it aside and kind of try to figure out what the proper steps are to get better."
Now that he's feeling fit, Olsen feels more confident about his chances in 2010. He can even communicate his conviction without that troublesome two-letter word.
"They're just as good as everybody else's. ... I think it still comes down to performance on the field and health for me. Given those two things, anything can happen," Olsen said.
Notes: Riggleman will manage a Nationals' split squad Thursday in Kissimmee, Fla., against Houston, while bench coach John McLaren will lead the split squad traveling to Jupiter, Fla., to play the Florida Marlins. A designated hitter will be employed in the Nationals-Astros game. ... Riggleman said RHPs Craig Stammen and Miguel Batista, who are battling for a spot in the rotation, will be used as both starting pitchers and in relief during exhibition games.
Chicago Cubs have holes to fill
MESA, Ariz. — Even if Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez hit .082 in spring exhibition games, they are still likely to bat third and fourth for the Chicago Cubs on opening day.
"Yeah, but if I hit .082," Mike Fontenot said, "I won't play at all."
The pressure is on Fontenot, who slumped so badly last season that the Cubs brought in another second baseman, Jeff Baker. Fontenot will get the start in Thursday's spring opener, but the two will compete for the job all month.
There was no such competition among position players a year ago. One disappointing season later, almost 25 percent of the roster is up for grabs.
"There are jobs to be won here," manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday.
Ted Lilly is recovering from shoulder surgery and Rich Harden left as a free agent, so Piniella must fill two-fifths of his starting rotation. There also are at least two bullpen jobs and two bench spots available.
Among the interesting story lines:
— Carlos Silva's performance. To get Seattle to take mercurial outfielder Milton Bradley, the Cubs had to accept Silva and the $25 million remaining on his contract, which runs through next season. In his first two years with the Mariners, Silva was one of baseball's biggest busts: 5-18 with a 7.01 ERA.
Piniella, somewhat skeptical going into camp, was impressed with Silva during live batting sessions. The right-hander will start Saturday against the White Sox.
"He pitched in Minnesota quite well (from 2004-07) to warrant a four-year deal that all of us would have been very happy with," Piniella said. "He's got a wonderful opportunity to re-establish himself."
Silva's main competition will come from Jeff Samardzija. Piniella said the other spot probably will go to a left-hander, Tom Gorzelanny or Sean Marshall.
— Batting 101. After going through two hitting coaches last season, the Cubs paid big money to lure Rudy Jaramillo from the Texas Rangers. His many disciples say he's the best in baseball.
Although it's too early to tell what impact Jaramillo will have, Marlon Byrd predicted Wednesday that it will be huge.
"I was on my way out of the game ... before Rudy fixed me," said the center fielder, who signed with the Cubs after having a career year under Jaramillo in Texas. "He makes sure every batter is in position to have his 'A' swing every time. The hitter makes everything so mechanical, so difficult; Rudy simplifies it. He takes what you already do and makes it better."
— The young bullpen. Everyone knows about Starlin Castro, the 19-year-old wonder who could be the starting shortstop before the season ends. But it's the Cubs bullpen where young players can make their mark.
Either Gorzelanny or Marshall will get one spot. Samardzija or Silva might get another. Otherwise, Piniella has an open mind.
"How about if Cashner is lights out?" Piniella said, referring to 23-year-old right-hander Andrew Cashner, who has only 12 outings above Class A. "We're going to have to take some young pitching out of here. It's a wonderful opportunity for them."
— The bench. A relatively inexperienced group of pinch-hitters batted only .222 last season, leading Piniella to use pitcher Carlos Zambrano in the role seven times. So the Cubs have brought in veterans Kevin Millar and Chad Tracy to compete for backup jobs.
Eleven-year minor leaguer Bobby Scales was the team's top pinch-hitter last season (7 for 14 with two homers) but may be a long shot to get on the roster this time.
NOTES: Piniella said LF Alfonso Soriano will make his 2010 spring debut Saturday. The $136 million left fielder missed last season's final month with a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery.
Schumaker settles in at 2B for Cardinals
JUPITER, Fla. — Skip Schumaker will be feeling a lot more comfortable when he takes his spot at second base for the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training opener on Thursday.
Schumaker admitted the transition from the outfield last spring wasn't very smooth and at times he doubted the move would work.
"It's going to be a little less embarrassing this spring training," Schumaker said. "Just routine plays that high schoolers make look easy I was messing up. Our pitchers pitch to contact and I didn't want to be a liability. The biggest worry to me was not being trusted."
Schumaker learned a lot about humility on the way to finishing last spring with five errors. The hard work started paying off and by midseason Schumaker was feeling a lot more comfortable. By the end of the season he had manager Tony La Russa praising his work.
"It's the most impressive thing I have ever seen a player do on a club I've managed as far as the transition and the importance and the quality on a team that ended up winning," said La Russa, who is starting his 31st season as a big league manager.
Schumaker and the Cardinals recently agreed to a $4.7 million, two-year contract that gives the 30-year-old player some security. He hit .303 with four homers and 35 RBIs in 153 games last year.
La Russa was looking for a way to get Schumaker's bat in the lineup when he decided to move him from an overcrowded outfield. The experiment, though, required a lot of patience from both sides.
"It was a tough situation," shortstop Brendan Ryan said. "He only found out days before he got here. The guy is a perfectionist. Anyone who sees him in the cage sees that."
Ryan said there were days that he "wanted to go over and give him a hug." But that was before Schumaker said he slowed down and stopped overthinking.
"Tony expressed to me he was going to give me a long leash and let me go through the growing pains," Schumaker said. "Lucky he did. It was bad the first few weeks."
Schumaker finished the season with 10 errors, one while playing the outfield. The previous year he played all 151 games in the outfield, making just three errors.
Through it all, Schumaker never allowed the difficult transition to affect his offense. He solidified his spot as the leadoff hitter with a .364 on-base percentage. He walked 52 times and scored 85 runs.
With Matt Holliday hitting cleanup for the entire season behind Albert Pujols, Schumaker knows he has one job offensively.
"The whole point of the transition was the ability to hit around .300 and the ability to get on base for Albert and the big guys," he said. "If I didn't hit, the transition would have been pointless."
Harang gets Opening Day nod for 5th straight year
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Aaron Harang was selected by Reds manager Dusty Baker to be Cincinnati's Opening Day starter for a team record-tying fifth straight season.
Baker said Wednesday that he struggled with the choice between Harang and Bronson Arroyo, and he talked with both before deciding to hand the ball to Harang. Baker said Harang seems to pitch better against the other team's best starter and is confident in taking the hill for the season's first game.
"We wrestled with it big time," Baker said. "Confidence-wise and innings-wise, we decided it made more sense."
Harang is coming off a 6-14 season, while Arroyo led the staff in 2009 with a 15-13 record and 220 1/3 innings.
Mario Soto was the last Reds pitcher to open five straight seasons, from 1982-86, and Pete Donohue also started five straight openers beginning in 1923. The Reds host the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5. Soto holds the Reds' overall mark for opening day starts with six.
Opening Day is a big annual event in Cincinnati, with a downtown parade and on-field pregame ceremonies.
"You have to have a different approach with all the hoopla," Harang said. "After you've done it once, you know how to do it."
He was excited about the news, but said he believed Arroyo deserved the honor.
"Harang has been throwing the ball really well," Baker said. "By talking to both of them, we came up with the decision. Bronson doesn't care whether he's fourth or fifth."
Baker also said he doesn't plan to pitch Harang and Arroyo back-to-back in the rotation. Because they can be relied on to pitch deep into games, he thinks splitting them up will make sure his bullpen isn't overworked.
"If you have the two together and the others don't give you innings, then you have to use up your 'pen," Baker said.
Anderson agrees to minor league deal with Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — Garret Anderson agreed Wednesday to a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was invited to major league spring training.
If the outfielder is added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster, he would receive a $550,000, one-year contract and the chance to earn an additional $200,000 in performance bonuses. If he is not added to the big league roster by April 1, he could ask for his release.
The 37-year-old Anderson played 15 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before spending last year with Atlanta, hitting .268 with 13 homers.
The San Fernando Valley native is the Angels' career leader in hits, runs and RBIs, and played on their only World Series title team in 2002.
Anderson will compete with Brian Giles and Doug Mientkiewicz for a spot as the Dodgers' fifth outfielder and left-handed pinch-hitter.
Cubs, Cuban pitcher agree to terms
MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms with Cuban defector Juan Yasser Serrano, a right-handed pitcher.
The 21-year-old Serrano must pass a physical exam and complete all necessary paperwork before Wednesday's deal becomes official. The Cubs hope the process will be finished well before the end of spring training.
The 6-foot-1 Serrano, who defected last year, would start the season at Class A Daytona after going through extended spring training in Arizona.
