May 11, 2011 Tribune Pujols Takes Center Stage In
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May 11, 2011 Tribune Pujols takes center stage in Cardinals' 6-4 victory Speculation abounds about future home as slugger goes 4-for-5 against Cubs By: Paul Sullivan On the first pleasant night for baseball at Wrigley Field, everyone was feeling a little giddy. The locals booed one former Cub lustily, while one current Cub was greeted with mock cheers when he managed to catch a routine fly. But the biggest feel-good moment of the night occurred behind the batting cage before before the Cardinals' 6-4 victory when slugger Albert Pujols wrapped his big arms around Cubs general manager Jim Hendry in a photogenic bear hug. Was Pujols, who went 4-for-5 on the night, starting the negotiating process, or just saying hello to an old friend? Six months remain before Pujols can become a free-agent, but "the hug" was interpreted by some as a sign the Cubs will be courting the star in November. Hendry took pains to point out he and Pujols were just exchanging pleasantries, not dollar figures. Tampering rules prohibit the Cubs from talking about players on other teams. But hugging the opposition? "Well, he hugged me first," Hendry said with a laugh. "He's a lot bigger and stronger than me." Peppered with questions about "the hug," Hendry pointed out he hugged former Cub Ryan Theriot — the object of fans' derision — twice before the game. "I can't win," Hendry said. "I like Albert. We've always gotten along. He's a great, great player. I admire the heck out of him. He plays the game the right way every day." On the field, Carlos Zambrano was hurt by a poor defensive effort, including three misplays by Alfonso Soriano, a dropped ball by Koyie Hill that allowed a run to score and Starlin Castro's failure to cut off throws. "When you're playing at this level, you need to make the plays," manager Mike Quade said. The Cubs bounced back from a 4-2 deficit, tying it in the seventh on Castro's RBI single. But the Cardinals won it on Daniel Descalso's two-out, two-run, bases-loaded single off Kerry Wood in the eighth. "It (stinks) losing, no question," Wood said. "But it's tougher when your team comes back and has a rally and scores two and ties the game, and the next half-inning you give it right back up." Geovany Soto left with a groin strain and will have an MRI on Wednesday. Triple-A Iowa catcher Welington Castillo may be up Wednesday to take his place. The Cubs are 6-11 in their last 17 games, with seven of those losses by one or two runs. Does losing so many close games like that have a cumulative effect on the team? "I don't know," Zambrano said. "My job is to pitch." Carpenter scattered 13 singles over seven innings for his first win. Will the Cubs power hitters ever start hitting for power? "I'm not the hitting coach," Zambrano said. "My job is to pitch. They pay me to win games." -- Tribune Theriot tries to tamp down reaction to remarks Former Cub says it's 'dumb' to take his take on fans or rivalry with Cardinals too seriously By: Dave van Dyck Ryan Theriot wasn't sure which was more ridiculous, Cubs fans being upset or Cardinals fans being upset. Apparently he has become an equal opportunity upsetter, putting his foot in both sides of his mouth. Before this week's series began Tuesday night, Theriot sat in the visitor's dugout wearing formerly taboo Cardinals red and trying to explain himself to Chicago and St. Louis media. "A thousand percent too much is made of it," he told the Chicagoans about winter comments about being on the right side of the rivalry now. "… I think it's really dumb. C'mon, it's like who do you love more, your mom or your dad? It's extremely blown out of proportion." And this to St. Louis media: "I like jean shorts. What's wrong with tank tops?" That was in response to a blog on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website with the headline: "Another error for Theriot?" Columnist Bernie Miklasz took Theriot to task for joining the fun on WMVP-AM 1000 when the hosts characterized Cardinals fans as wearing tank tops and cuff jean shorts, with Theriot chipping in: "Tank tops, jean shorts and some Timberland boots." Wrote Miklasz: "Wow, dude. Taking shots at Cardinals fans? … And should Theriot be talking about boots, given all of the ground balls he has kicked around (eight errors)? Sheesh." So mild-mannered, usually-under-the-radar Ryan Theriot apparently has tossed more fuel on the age-old rivalry. Or maybe it was the rivalry that made either of his comments a big deal in the first place. Is he really stirring things up all by his little self? "No, not at all," he said. "I don't want to be the straw that stirs anything. I just want to go out there and win. … Apparently it's a lot bigger deal than I thought." We think he was talking about the "right side of the rivalry" comments there, although it applies to either one. So exactly what is the "right side?" "I was a Cubbie, now I'm a Cardinal. What do you want me to say?" he asked. "I guess there's no real right or wrong answer, but now I'm a Cardinal and I stand by what I said. "It's the right side of the rivalry for me now. You can't say you wish you were on the other side, that's not right." As for comments during the Cubs Convention, including those by ex-teammate Koyie Hill about throwing at Theriot during games, he said: "I know how the Cubs Convention is. They get excited and the fans are there. It is what it is. I talked to (Hill). I don't even remember the conversation." By now, there are several conversations Theriot he would like to forget. Cub fans booed his return Tuesday. He won't taste St. Louis reaction until Monday. -- Tribune Colvin's deep slump could end in Triple A Outfielder can't get needed at-bats with Cubs as long as others are hitting well By: Paul Sullivan The Cubs have no timetable on how long Tyler Colvin will get to turn his season around before they decide to bite the bullet and send him to Triple-A Iowa for more playing time. But general manager Jim Hendry conceded Colvin was in a "double whammy" situation where he needs at-bats but is not hitting well enough to earn regular starts. Colvin was on the bench at the start of Tuesday's game with a .121 average in only 58 at-bats. Manager Mike Quade has stuck with the outfield of Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd and Kosuke Fukudome, and Carlos Pena has started most games at first. "It's a tough call," Hendry said. "… All of us think he's going to hit down the road. (But) he didn't have nearly the spring he did last year and let's give the other guys their due. Fook is playing really well, Sori has 11 home runs, Marlon has been steady in center. "We're trying to get Pena going. … It's that age-old scenario. You would like to get him more at-bats to see if he can get going, but when he's in there, he's not swinging well enough to take the other guys' at- bats away. So it's a double whammy. … He's in a little rut. He's not swinging well and the other guys are." Colvin was in a similar situation last season at this time, but he was hitting much better and going to the minors was not an option. He wound up hitting .254 in 358 at-bats with 20 home runs, fourth all-time on the Cubs' rookie list. "The only thing different is that going into this spring I felt like I had a spot on the team," Colvin said. "What my role was going to be was still up in the air because we have the same (outfielders) here. But they're all hitting so you can't get too upset. … I'd be lying if I said I went up there every time like 'Oh, just relax.' There have been a couple of at-bats coming off the bench where I want to hit that first pitch. You can't go about it like that." -- Tribune Cubs' 5th starter for Saturday a mystery Signs point to Davis getting nod if he's called up from minors as expected By: Paul Sullivan The Cubs' plans for their fifth starter Saturday against the Giants remain a mystery for now. Veteran left-hander Doug Davis, who started Tuesday for Triple-A Iowa against Colorado Springs, is expected to be called up soon. But he would be pitching on three days' rest if called up Saturday. Davis was removed after two outs in the fourth inning against Colorado Springs, throwing only 59 pitches. He allowed two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Davis threw 6 2/3 shutout innings for Class A Daytona on Thursday in his first minor league start. Rehabbing starters Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner each threw two innings of live batting practice Tuesday at the Cubs' facility in Mesa, Ariz. Wells is expected to throw an extended spring training game Thursday and figures to begin his minor league rehab stint sooner than Cashner.