February 3, 2015

Cubs.com Groundhog Day: What do Cubs wish they could do over? By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Friends have asked to see Todd Hollandsworth's , but as soon as they do, things get a little heated. Hollandsworth won his ring in 2003, a year Cubs fans would rather forget.

Mention Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, and Cubs fans begin to mutter. Chicago had a 3-2 lead in the NLCS against the Marlins, and a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning. Mark Prior was on the mound, and the Cubs needed six outs to get to the World Series for the first time since 1945. There were 39,577 at Wrigley Field on that 57-degree night on Oct. 14, and several thousand more on Waveland and Sheffield avenues rimming the ballpark.

What if the Cubs could have a Groundhog Day moment? What if they had retired the Marlins in order in the eighth?

"It was such a tight series -- who knows? If they catch that ball right there, I can, in all honesty, say maybe the Cubs win the World Series," Hollandsworth said. "Maybe they win that [NLCS] and maybe they win the World Series."

But he doesn't blame the most famous foul ball in Cubs history. Quick flashback: The Marlins had a runner at second and one out in the eighth. Luis Castillo hit a pop up that drifted toward the left-field line. Moises Alou gave chase but fans reached over and the ball was deflected. Upset at what he felt was interference, Alou slammed his glove on the field in disgust.

"[Alou] was navigating the most difficult wall of all corner walls in baseball," Hollandsworth said. "Even when you go over to find that wall, you're really not sure. In your mind, you're giving your best to time the wall, make the play, make a leap, give it a chance. But you still don't strategically know how high to get off the ground."

It didn't matter. Prior ended up walking Castillo, and Juan Pierre, who was on second, advanced on a wild pitch. Ivan Rodriguez followed with a RBI single. And then Miguel Cabrera hit a ground ball to shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who tried to make a backhand grab but the ball hit the heel of his glove. E-6. Everyone was safe.

That's the moment the Cubs need to do over.

"When Alex booted that ball, we felt like destiny was on our side," Hollandsworth said. "It wasn't spoken, but it was like, 'Things are going our way, guys, let's capitalize on it.' That's the momentum you feel in the dugout.

"If [Gonzalez] would've gotten one out, it would've been a different series. Even if he could've knocked it down and thrown to second base and gotten an out there, it probably would've been completely different."

Instead, the Marlins scored eight runs in the eighth, and won the game, the series and the World Series. Don't blame any fans, Hollandsworth said, particularly Steve Bartman, who was sitting in left and had to be ushered out of Wrigley Field by security after the crowd became unruly.

"If you ask any of us who were in the [Marlins'] dugout, they'll tell you to a man that the Bartman play wasn't what it was about," Hollandsworth said. "When that double-play ball went awry, that was the game changer."

If the Cubs turn a double play, the inning is over, and momentum is back on their side. There would've been a celebration in Wrigleyville like no other. Instead, there was a deciding, and deflating Game 7.

The next year, Hollandsworth and Marlins teammate Derrek Lee found themselves with the Cubs. In an awkward moment, a Marlins representative presented the pair with their rings in the Cubs' clubhouse prior to the home opener at Wrigley.

"It's like, 'Can't you find a dark room? Find a tunnel at Wrigley, and we can shake hands, give hugs and reminisce for a couple seconds before we go out there for Opening Day?" Hollandsworth said. "But they came right through the clubhouse."

Hollandsworth has a morning show on MLB Network Radio, and is an analyst for Comcast SportsNet, doing the Cubs' pre- and post-game television shows. He doesn't wear his World Series ring often but will show it when asked. And then the conversation becomes uncomfortable.

"It felt like the Cubs were the team of destiny, not us," Hollandsworth said. "We didn't have the army behind us that the Cubs have but things started going our way and we just got it done a little more."

And the Cubs haven't won a playoff game since.

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ESPNChicago.com Hoyer Q&A: 'Expectations are the fun part' By Jesse Rogers

Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer hit the road for spring training this past weekend. In between paying his respects at Ernie Banks' memorial on Saturday and arriving in Mesa, Arizona for a two-month stay, Hoyer talked all things Cubs -- and a little football.

Jesse Rogers: I’m curious, being an outsider from the New England area, whether it was growing up or once you got into baseball, what was your perspective on Ernie Banks before you got to know him?

Jed Hoyer: What struck me with guys like (Roberto) Clemente or (Stan) Musial or Banks is how much they meant to one city. That always stuck with me. Ernie Banks is Cubs baseball and his demeanor and his enthusiasm, even from the outside, was obvious. Like everyone said at the funeral, it seems so cliché, but he had no enemies. The first thing I thought of when he passed on that Friday night was every Cubs fan from that era probably felt like he lost a relative.

JR: OK, let’s talk baseball. Are you, like the rest of Cubs nation, as excited as you’ve been in years for spring training?

JH: It’s really exciting. We knew over the last three years it was really a puncher’s chance to compete. We knew that our best days were ahead. We were focused on developing players. A lot of those things haven’t changed, but certainly our talent level and our expectations have changed and that’s exciting. We do these jobs because you want to win. So it’s exciting to make that transition and it does feel different coming out here from Chicago than the last three years.

JR: The unknown, of course, is when does it all come together? There is talent there but does it come together on April 1, 2015. July 1 or even April or later of 2016? Are you curious like the rest of the baseball world?

JH: Our biggest challenge is going to be how young hitters adjust to big league pitching. Some guys have started to make that transition, some guys haven’t. That’s our biggest unknown. I think anyone’s guess is as good as ours. We want it to happen as soon as possible but we’re also not naïve, we know there will be some ups and downs. Hopefully the veteran guys perform at or above expectations to help ease what our young players are going to go through. But yeah, when it happens we don’t know exactly.

JR: The vibe with this team has really done a 180. Even though some have been on-board with your plan from the beginning, last-place finishes bring out negative feelings no matter what the future holds. But seemingly overnight, everyone is loving the Cubs' potential here. Did it happen that way in Boston?

JH: The (fan) convention felt a lot different. There is a lot more excitement going into the year. Boston in 2001-02 did have some negativity. They weren’t rebuilding but there was negativity and then quickly that 2003 team really came together and made Boston a destination people wanted to go to. I really look at Jon Lester taking a chance on us, he had a lot of great options, he believed in our vision and what we were doing. That meant a lot to us and will be big for others going forward.

JR: What I think is interesting, as hard as it was to rebuild and bring in the right young players over the least three years, is now comes the hard part, right? Finishing this 100-plus year quest off is the hardest part. And now you have a lot more people believing in you and eyes on you.

JH: No question. We haven’t won anything or done anything. Yeah, we feel good about the health of the organization and it’s nice to get recognized from various prospect rankings and stuff, but ultimately that doesn’t mean anything. This is about winning and losing. You’re right, that is the hardest part. Putting those final pieces together. And we’re still far from those final pieces. We’re still very much in that developing stage. But the expectations are the fun part, because you do want people looking at you and saying this is a good team and good organization.

JR: Here’s an important question in my mind, how do you balance those high expectations with letting this -- using a word you guys have used -- grow organically? You don’t want guys squeezing the bat too tight because they feel like they have to do it all right away.

JH: Joe Maddon is going to be a big part of that. In Tampa he did a great job of transitioning those guys. We knew that Rays team was going to be really good. Now, they didn’t have the same expectations, but they made that transition. Joe has a lot of skills, but one of his main attributes is creating a great atmosphere and creating a great dynamic where guys want to play. You know his saying: Don’t let the pressure exceed the pleasure. I think he’ll stress that so guys aren’t squeezing the bat too tight.

JR: Is it something you and Theo do as well when you talk to players? Remind them to relax and let the game come to them?

JH: Yeah, we meet with every player every spring and that’s the forum for that. There is a balance. You want people expecting you to win every year and it's something these guys need to get used to but at the same time the Rizzos and the Castros and the veterans like that, they can take some pressure off the young guys.

JR: I know there are things ongoing with Cuban players like Yoan Moncada but can you count the Cubs in or out in regards to him about anything?

JH: I really can’t comment on that right now. It’s ongoing.

JR: OK, let’s talk pace of game. Fox Sports had a report recently that you or Theo may have brought up the idea of relievers having to face more than one batter to limit pitching changes, speed up the game and even increase offense, I suppose. What can you tell me in regards to this issue?

JH: I’ll be honest. All ideas should be on the table. Baseball is the greatest game, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t tinker with the offense/defense balance. Run scoring is dropping a lot and I do think we should be at least willing to explore new ideas to increase offense or quicken things up a little bit. We can’t pretend we operate in a bubble so I think it’s important to have those discussions. Given the trend line of offense in the game I think it’s right to put some ideas on the table and see how they would impact us going forward. Other sports do it.

JR: In terms of pace, would you agree it’s not the 10-9, three-and-a-half hour game that’s the problem. It’s the 2-1 game that goes that long.

JH: There’s that, but more than anything what fans want to see is excitement. The more the ball is in play, the more action that’s happening, the better. Whether that game is 2-1, 3-2 or 10-9, having the ball in play more and things happening is really important. Having significant lulls in the at-bat or lulls with pitching changes, that’s not good for the experience. To me, the more we can take care of some of that dead time is better for everyone.

JR: It sounds like you’re also talking about too many strikeouts which, of course, applies a little bit to your own team. Too many swings and misses, right?

JH: Yeah, the ball is in play less than ever before. I don’t think that’s a positive for the game. Some of that is based on trends but some is based on how we are teaching our hitters. I’m not one to sit here and comment specifically on strikeouts but the game on a whole is better when the ball is in play.

JR: Last thing, I know we’re talking on Sunday but people are going to read this on Monday or Tuesday or later in the week, give me a final score for your beloved Patriots against the Seahawks and we’ll see how it turns out after the fact.

JH: With my New England roots I’m going with the Pats and will say they win by four and it will be a great game. This is the matchup that we wanted and expected all season. I think the Patriots win by four. Hopefully I don’t look bad tomorrow morning.

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CSNChicago.com Addison Russell ready to start new chapter with Cubs By Tony Andracki

It hasn't taken long for Addison Russell to endear himself to Cubs fans.

Or the prospect gurus and their ranking systems that play so well on the Internet in the middle of winter. ESPN slotted Russell as the game’s No. 4 overall prospect, while MLB.com had him at No. 5. Kris Bryant, the organization’s biggest prospect, came in at No. 1 and No. 3 on those same lists.

While Bryant’s profile is as high as almost anyone on the big-league roster, Russell is still something of an unknown. The 21-year-old shortstop admitted he was a little overwhelmed at the beginning of last month's Cubs Convention, trying to get acclimated in a new environment with all his teammates and thousands of fans.

But by the end of the weekend, Russell was opening up about his idol growing up (martial arts legend Bruce Lee) and why he wears No. 27 (for Eddie George, the former Tennessee Titans running back).

And you’ll be hearing a lot more about him now that the Super Bowl is over and Cubs pitchers and catchers are only 17 days away from reporting to spring training.

The prize of the Fourth of July Jeff Samardzija trade with the Oakland A's, Russell has only been a part of the Cubs system for roughly seven months, but he's already felt the impact of the media market and the fan base.

"It's definitely a whole lot different," he said. "The fans here, they actually pull for you. And there's a lot more fans.

"Especially over Twitter. The fans are absolutely amazing. They stand behind the Cubs all the way. I absolutely love the fan base."

Russell has been a Top 50 prospect since coming into the league and was actually named the Cubs' top prospect by Baseball Prospectus, even over Bryant.

He only played 68 games in 2014 after missing time with a torn hamstring in spring training and then re-injuring it later in the year. Still, he hit .295 with an .858 OPS, 13 homers and 45 RBI in that span, including 12 homers in 50 games at Double-A Tennessee.

"It was tough [to endure the injuries]," Russell said. "The whole rehab ordeal was pretty tough. It was hard being in Arizona and not playing.

"I was looking forward to having a good year and it just kinda got shut down. I was really happy that rehab went well. And as soon as I got back into the swing of things when I came back, the trade happened. I'm just really happy to be in this organization now."

Russell doesn't have to be THE guy with the Cubs. Not with young position players like Bryant, Jorge Soler, Javier Baez, Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo around.

Russell said his goal this season is to have some fun and go out and play his game. He's working to keep his head out of the clouds and focused on the task at hand in the minor leagues, instead of what could be in Chicago with the other exciting prospects.

If all goes well, Russell could make his big-league debut at some point in 2015, though we don't yet know at what position. He may be the smoothest-fielding young shortstop in the organization, but Castro is already a three-time All-Star and Baez has shown his defensive skills at shortstop, too.

For what it's worth, Russell said he has no problem switching positions.

"I'd like to be a versatile guy," he said. "If I have to move, then I have to move, and then I'll have that new position added on to my resume.

"I take it as a challenge. The whole game is fun. I'm just trying to keep it fun and do what I do and things will work out."

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