rockin500
03-04-2003, 10:15 AM
MESA, Ariz. -- It was just one inning but it was a start for Rod Beck.
The veteran right-handed reliever who is trying to come back from elbow surgery pitched one inning of relief Monday for the Chicago Cubs in a 7-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
"For a guy who hasn't been out there in a year plus, he looked pretty good," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said of Beck, 34, who saved 51 games for the Cubs in 1998 and was with Baker and the Giants for five seasons.
"I wasn't pleased with my control but for the first time in a year and a half, I'll take it," Beck said. "If it was 15 years since I pitched last, I'd expect to get them all out."
Beck started the eighth and got the first batter he faced to ground out but then gave up consecutive singles, including a run-scoring hit by Mark Budzinski.
He missed the entire 2002 season to give his arm a chance to recuperate. The family time was great, but Beck said he felt back at home on the mound.
"That's where I'm supposed to be," he said. "I felt strange not being out there. That was the weird feeling."
In a perfect world, the right-hander would get 13-14 innings of work this spring. But he's a non-roster invitee on a minor league contract, and Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild keeps asking him about his arm. Beck had Tommy John surgery in October 2001.
"I keep telling him it's been 17 months (since the surgery). It's fine," Beck said.
"I know 'Shooter,'" Baker said. "He'd rather have a Major League contract. But at the same time, he's not afraid of the competition."
Aches and pains: A virus is working its way through the Cubs clubhouse. Bobby Hill apparently was first -- which is natural for a leadoff hitter -- followed by Kerry Wood and Mike Remlinger. First baseman Eric Karros was scratched from Monday's game because of a cold. "It happens every spring," Baker said. ... Sammy Sosa did not play Monday, still bothered by a sore right quadricep. ... Infielder Charles Gipson, who was hit on the left elbow by a pitch on Sunday, was sent home because he also had the virus. ... Infielder Kevin Orie had a MRI on his right shoulder and was waiting for results.
Step by step: So far, Baker likes what he's seen of young first baseman Hee Seop Choi.
"He can hit the ball hard," Baker said of the rookie. "Everybody has some holes and weaknesses, but the one weakness that I've heard about Choi I haven't seen yet."
And what weakness is that?
"I can't tell you that," Baker said. After all, a manager has to keep some things secret. Speaking of kids, Corey Patterson has two walks in three games this spring. In the second half last season, Patterson only drew two walks in 276 at-bats.
"We're just trying to have him confine his strike zone," Baker said of Patterson. "When you don't walk, you're fouling off pitches you should have put in fair territory or you're swinging at pitches that are balls."
Patterson, 23, who is coming off his first full season in the big leagues, is getting plenty of tutoring from Baker and hitting coach Gary Matthews.
"It comes from at-bats, it comes from experience, it comes from repetitions," Baker said of Patterson. "He'll figure it out. He'll get it. There's that need to win right now that puts undo pressure on some of these kids."
Learning the ropes: Minor league prospect Brendan Harris has decided the tools of ignorance are not for him. Harris, a third baseman who batted .329 at Class A Daytona and .321 at Double-A West Tenn last season, was encouraged to workout at catcher. Cubs officials suggested Harris, a fifth-round pick in the June 2001 draft, might get to the big leagues quicker that way.
Well, it didn't work.
"It's on the back burner now," Harris said Monday about catching. "It wasn't really for me at this point in my career."
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry and player development director Oneri Fleita told Harris that Jorge Posada once was an infielder and now is a successful catcher with the New York Yankees. Harris, 22, tried it for a week.
"Every catcher will tell you about the first time you get your thumb really banged and your knees and your legs in general are sore," said Harris, who last played catcher in Little League. "They're a different breed back there. Some are born with it.
"Looking at it now, I give those guys a lot of credit, not only the physical demands but calling the game and different things like that," he said. "There's so much more that goes into it than just catching and throwing. It's a real, real tough job."
On Monday, Harris played third base in a split squad game against the Brewers and hit a RBI single in the Cubs sixth. Is there a chance he'd change his mind about catching?
"Maybe, but I'd say probably not," he said. "You never know. They just wanted to introduce it and see how I liked it and go from there."
The skipper speaks: "The money does not make you any better. You cannot eat that money like Popeye eats spinach and it will make you better." -- Baker on whether higher paid players automatically play better.
Weather report: Forecast called for sunshine and upper 60s but it didn't quite get there Monday. Rain is not in the forecast until Thursday. Temps could get into the 80s by the weekend.
Coming up: Mark Prior was scheduled to start Tuesday for the Cubs against the Anaheim Angels at HoHoKam Park. The defending World Champs will counter with Kevin Appier.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.
The veteran right-handed reliever who is trying to come back from elbow surgery pitched one inning of relief Monday for the Chicago Cubs in a 7-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
"For a guy who hasn't been out there in a year plus, he looked pretty good," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said of Beck, 34, who saved 51 games for the Cubs in 1998 and was with Baker and the Giants for five seasons.
"I wasn't pleased with my control but for the first time in a year and a half, I'll take it," Beck said. "If it was 15 years since I pitched last, I'd expect to get them all out."
Beck started the eighth and got the first batter he faced to ground out but then gave up consecutive singles, including a run-scoring hit by Mark Budzinski.
He missed the entire 2002 season to give his arm a chance to recuperate. The family time was great, but Beck said he felt back at home on the mound.
"That's where I'm supposed to be," he said. "I felt strange not being out there. That was the weird feeling."
In a perfect world, the right-hander would get 13-14 innings of work this spring. But he's a non-roster invitee on a minor league contract, and Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild keeps asking him about his arm. Beck had Tommy John surgery in October 2001.
"I keep telling him it's been 17 months (since the surgery). It's fine," Beck said.
"I know 'Shooter,'" Baker said. "He'd rather have a Major League contract. But at the same time, he's not afraid of the competition."
Aches and pains: A virus is working its way through the Cubs clubhouse. Bobby Hill apparently was first -- which is natural for a leadoff hitter -- followed by Kerry Wood and Mike Remlinger. First baseman Eric Karros was scratched from Monday's game because of a cold. "It happens every spring," Baker said. ... Sammy Sosa did not play Monday, still bothered by a sore right quadricep. ... Infielder Charles Gipson, who was hit on the left elbow by a pitch on Sunday, was sent home because he also had the virus. ... Infielder Kevin Orie had a MRI on his right shoulder and was waiting for results.
Step by step: So far, Baker likes what he's seen of young first baseman Hee Seop Choi.
"He can hit the ball hard," Baker said of the rookie. "Everybody has some holes and weaknesses, but the one weakness that I've heard about Choi I haven't seen yet."
And what weakness is that?
"I can't tell you that," Baker said. After all, a manager has to keep some things secret. Speaking of kids, Corey Patterson has two walks in three games this spring. In the second half last season, Patterson only drew two walks in 276 at-bats.
"We're just trying to have him confine his strike zone," Baker said of Patterson. "When you don't walk, you're fouling off pitches you should have put in fair territory or you're swinging at pitches that are balls."
Patterson, 23, who is coming off his first full season in the big leagues, is getting plenty of tutoring from Baker and hitting coach Gary Matthews.
"It comes from at-bats, it comes from experience, it comes from repetitions," Baker said of Patterson. "He'll figure it out. He'll get it. There's that need to win right now that puts undo pressure on some of these kids."
Learning the ropes: Minor league prospect Brendan Harris has decided the tools of ignorance are not for him. Harris, a third baseman who batted .329 at Class A Daytona and .321 at Double-A West Tenn last season, was encouraged to workout at catcher. Cubs officials suggested Harris, a fifth-round pick in the June 2001 draft, might get to the big leagues quicker that way.
Well, it didn't work.
"It's on the back burner now," Harris said Monday about catching. "It wasn't really for me at this point in my career."
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry and player development director Oneri Fleita told Harris that Jorge Posada once was an infielder and now is a successful catcher with the New York Yankees. Harris, 22, tried it for a week.
"Every catcher will tell you about the first time you get your thumb really banged and your knees and your legs in general are sore," said Harris, who last played catcher in Little League. "They're a different breed back there. Some are born with it.
"Looking at it now, I give those guys a lot of credit, not only the physical demands but calling the game and different things like that," he said. "There's so much more that goes into it than just catching and throwing. It's a real, real tough job."
On Monday, Harris played third base in a split squad game against the Brewers and hit a RBI single in the Cubs sixth. Is there a chance he'd change his mind about catching?
"Maybe, but I'd say probably not," he said. "You never know. They just wanted to introduce it and see how I liked it and go from there."
The skipper speaks: "The money does not make you any better. You cannot eat that money like Popeye eats spinach and it will make you better." -- Baker on whether higher paid players automatically play better.
Weather report: Forecast called for sunshine and upper 60s but it didn't quite get there Monday. Rain is not in the forecast until Thursday. Temps could get into the 80s by the weekend.
Coming up: Mark Prior was scheduled to start Tuesday for the Cubs against the Anaheim Angels at HoHoKam Park. The defending World Champs will counter with Kevin Appier.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.