Weekend Wrap up

The Cubs continue the long prep work of Spring Training.

I hate to even say this, but the team has been mighty lucky in avoiding any serious injury problems thus far. There have been nagging bits here and there, a twisted sac, a heart concern, etc. Other than quietly rooting for Soriano to make it back to 100% without incident, there have been no real concerns.

Now, of course, Alex Cintron took a ball to the face this weekend. Gruesome to ponder, but ultimately, he came out of it OK. Now, I hear Rich Hill has a blister on his left hand (his throwing hand). Hill claims this happens every year, so presumably nothing to worry about. However, I've seen this kind of thing impact starter pitchers beyond what they like to admit. Either way, Hill is a step behind where he was last year, suffering some location issues.

The only other injury of concern is a strained hamstring for Cedeno. Not a huge deal, you might think. However, it is preventing him being on the field and with other players heating up (Hoffpauir, anyone?), he is missing his opportunity to earn a roster spot. That is bad news for the Cubs, who could use him if he performs to expectation. Additionally, it hampers his value in any trade scenarios.

As to Micah Hoffpauir, he is the 2008 Spring award winner as the "Unexpected Bonus Player". The first baseman has played every day during this spring and is betting .486 (tops in the NL as of Monday morning). The Cubs already have D Lee ensconced at first and the valuable Daryle Ward as backup. There is simply no room at first. However, the Cubs would love to find some way to keep Hoffpauir up with the club. He has looked very good and has the benefit of bringing a left handed bat.

On the pitching front, Kerry Wood is the leader in the closer race. Marmol still looks good, but Wood has been hitting the very high 90s with his fastball and adding the nice slider. Additionally, Wood has been efficient and on target, with no walks in seven innings, while Marmol has looked a little off with the fastball at times. Howry is likely out of consideration for the time being with his 11.81 ERA. The remaining question is how Wood will perform in back-to-back games. Sunday gave fans a taste of the potential of the pitching staff with Big Z pitching 6 stellar innings (0 runs). Marmol and Wuertz an inning a piece, with only a solo shot off Marmol to spoil it, and Wood closing the ninth.

The real tragedy of the weekend was having to watch the Cubs face the White Sox on Saturday, complete with coverage by the Sox broadcast team. Hawk Harrelson really grates on my nerves. The hokey (and tirelessly unimaginative) jive lingo and the utter disregard for what is happening on the field quickly turn the broadcast into a nightmare. I finally muted them after listening to Hawk announce the batter had singled in a run, even as I watched the man cruise into second with an easy double. Put that on the board, Hawk.