Chicago Cubs 4, Washington 0

Carlos Zambrano pitched eight shutout innings Tuesday as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals, 4-0.
Todd Walker was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and a run scored for the Cubs, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Michael Barrett went 2-for-4 and Juan Pierre ended 2-for-5 with a run.
Zambrano (2-2) gave up four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. He threw a season-high 122 pitches. Zambrano has given up only one run in his last 23 innings.
Wiki Gonzalez finished 1-for-3 for the Nationals, who have dropped five of six. Jose Vidro, Nick Johnson and Ryan Zimmerman each went 1-for-4 as Washington recorded just four total hits.
Veteran right-hander Livan Hernandez (1-5) allowed four runs - two earned - on eight hits with three walks and a strikeout in seven innings.

Cubs' need for speed starts with Pierre

There's never been a "Go-Go" Cubs team. The Cubs have been better known for home runs than speed. But did you see who ranks among the National League leaders in stolen bases?
As of Thursday, the Cubs were tied for second with 13 steals, one behind leader Los Angeles. The St. Louis Cardinals, whom the Cubs face this weekend at the new Busch Stadium, also have swiped 13 this season.
Why is this so un-Cub like?
In the 44 years since Major League Baseball expanded to a 162-game schedule, a Cub has stolen 20 or more bases in a season 44 times. In each of the last eight seasons, the Cubs' season leader did not reach 20 steals.
It gets even slower. Since the National League expanded to 16 teams in 1998, the Cubs have finished 10th or worst in the league every year, including 16th in 1999 and '02.
The last time the Cubs finished in the top half of the league in stolen bases was 1990, when they were fifth.
They've finished in the top 25 percent in the National League in stolen bases once since 1962, and that was in '85, when the Cubs ranked second. The next-best finish was fourth in the 12-team league in 1984. They've finished last 10 times since '62.
Give Juan Pierre credit for the team's quick footwork. The Cubs center fielder has seven steals so far, second in the NL to Cincinnati's Ryan Freel (eight). Derrek Lee is third with five.
With Lee injuring his right wrist on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, the ability to do the little things, like steal a base, will have even more importance for the Cubs.
Pierre thinks he's off to a slow start. Last season, he only had two stolen bases in April, but that was because he was slowed during Spring Training with a leg injury. He has averaged six steals in the first month since 2001, including a high of 10 in 2003.
"I missed all of Spring Training last year, so the first month was like Spring Training for me," Pierre said. "In years past, I've had eight or 10. I can't really explain it. If I got on base more, I could steal more. You can't steal first.
"We could talk about hitting better than stolen bases right now," he said.
OK, let's shift gears for a second and talk about hitting. Pierre is batting .271.
"I'm not happy with it," said the center fielder, who has picked up the pace and is 8-for-25 with five steals on the current road trip. "I'm confident it'll come around. I'll just continue to do what I'll do, and I think I'll be all right. I'm not by any means happy with what I'm doing at the plate."
He'll get it right.
"He's the hardest working guy I've ever been around," Cubs hitting coach Gene Clines said. "He does it religiously every day. He has a routine that he goes through and does it every day, home and on the road. It's amazing."
And Clines has been around a lot of hitters in what is now his 20th season on a Major League staff.
Night games begin at 7 p.m., but Clines is usually at the ballpark by noon. The two should share a cab. Pierre arrives a half-hour later. He has a set routine.
"I hit, then I stretch or do whatever," Pierre said, preferring not to reveal too many specifics. "Some days I'll bunt and get ready for the game. I don't do too much more than the rest of these guys. Guys just get it done at different times, that's about it. They've got three or four guys who beat me to the park this year."
In Spring Training, Clines and Pierre would meet at the batting cage at the same time every day. With day games at home, night games on the road, it's been tough to set a schedule.
"We'll coordinate and in a couple weeks, we'll have everything down pat," Pierre said.
Told of Pierre's frustrations, Clines smiled.
"You just keep giving him positive reinforcement," Clines said. "It's going to come around. You don't forget to hit overnight. Just keep a relaxed mode and keep the confidence up and knowing you're going to make us go. It's just a matter of time."
When Pierre goes, it makes a difference. His speed has forced teams to hurry throws, resulting in two errors so far. He has three three-hit games out of 14, and his on-base percentage keeps increasing.
And when he gets on base, he can run.
The last Cub to lead the league in stolen bases was Stan Hack, who swiped 17 in 1939. Times were different then. You have to go back to 1990 to find a Cubs team that averaged close to a stolen base a game (151 in 162 games).
Pierre stole 57 bases last year. The Cubs, as a team, totaled 65. The last time the Cubs stole 100 in a season was in 1997 with 116. Every National League team has had at least one 100-stolen base season since then, led by the Phillies (six times), Marlins (five times), Reds (five) and Astros (five). The Cubs and Diamondbacks are the only National League teams to have done it once since '97.
Fans concerned about Pierre can relax.
"Just tell 'em to be patient," Pierre said. "It'll come around."

Focused Scott Eyre says he's happy to join Chicago Cubs

Scott Eyre couldn't concentrate. A song would blast from the sound system between innings, and he'd sing it while trying to retire opposing batters.
He would forget game situations, too. And at home, he was "a lot grumpier, I guess." Eyre has reason to smile now. His attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is under control. And after going 2-2 with a career-low 2.63 ERA for the San Francisco Giants last season, the reliever agreed to a contract with the Chicago Cubs that guarantees him $11 million US over three seasons.
"I'll give everything I've got every time I pitch, which is hopefully about 80 times a year," Eyre said Friday during a news conference at Wrigley Field. "I do enjoy pitching. I hate sitting in the bullpen."
The 33-year-old left-hander gets a $1-million signing bonus, $2.7 million next season and $3.5 million in 2007. He has a $3.8-million player option for 2008 and possible bonuses that could total $2.4 million over the three years.
The contract also includes a no-trade clause for next season and a limited no-trade for 2007 and 2008 that allows him to block deals to 10 teams.
Eyre's 86 appearances last season led the majors and were a career-high. He stranded 66 of 78 inherited runners, struck out 65, walked 26 in 68 1-3 innings and held batters to a .200 average.
The Giants had offered a two-year deal with a club option, but Eyre wanted a third year and to be closer to his family in Florida.
"This game is about relationships," agent Tommy Tanzer said. "It's about relationships and trust, and there's not enough of that left."
Eyre played briefly for Baker with the Giants in 2002 and is close with Cubs bench coach Dick Pole. And Tanzer has a good working relationship with general manager Jim Hendry. Those factors helped push the Cubs to the top of a list of finalists that included St. Louis, Houston and Atlanta.
The Cubs were ninth in the NL with a 4.19 ERA last season and were without an experienced left-hander in the bullpen after releasing Mike Remlinger in August.
"Obviously, we needed to plug some holes in the bullpen," Hendry said.
The Cubs are also searching for a leadoff hitter and wouldn't mind adding another starting pitcher. They also are pursuing free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal.
"He's earned the right to decide to stay or leave," Hendry said. "If he has interest in not returning to the Braves, then we would have a good shot."
Whether the Cubs sign Furcal or not, Nomar Garciaparra's days as Chicago infielder appear to be over.
Garciaparra is a free agent and probably would move to the outfield if he returns, according to Hendry. A five-time all-star and two-time AL batting champion with Boston, Garciaparra hit .283 with nine home runs and 30 RBIs in his first full season with the Cubs, missing 3 1/2 months due to a groin injury. Normally a shortstop, he played 34 games at third base. The Cubs are also interested in A.J. Burnett, who was 12-12 with a 3.44 ERA for Florida but struggled down the stretch and was banished from the team in the final week after criticizing manager Jack McKeon and his coaches.
"I don't know a lot about A.J. personally," Hendry said. "Unless you're in that clubhouse, you don't really know what it's like. I remember when we made the trade with the Dodgers, I don't think I heard a lot of good things about Eric Karros before he got here. He was one of the finest guys I've ever seen in a major league clubhouse."
Eyre knows something about redemption.
He broke into the majors as a starter with the White Sox in 1997 and moved to the bullpen. He struggled during his four seasons on the South Side, never posting an ERA lower than 5.04, before being traded to Toronto after the 2000 season.
Eyre was diagnosed with ADHD in May 2002, three months before the Blue Jays waived him. Until then, he simply thought he was simply forgetful, a bit quirky.
"I was just me," he said.
On medication, things changed for Eyre.
In 3 1/2 seasons with San Francisco, he was 6-5 with a 3.18 ERA in 264 appearances.
"The psychologist I talked to said it's amazing you made it as far as you did in baseball," he said.

Cubs have eye on Howry to help bolster bullpen

Despite their need for outfielders and a leadoff hitter, the Cubs seem intent on improving their bullpen first this winter.Less than a week after signing left-handed setup man Scott Eyre, the Cubs may be close to landing right-handed setup man Bobby Howry, a free agent from Cleveland.Howry had been seeking $4 million for each of three years from the Indians, a price the Cubs apparently are willing to pay. The Indians would give him that much only if he were their closer, but right now they are pursuing free agent B.J. Ryan for that role.Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was not available for comment Tuesday and Howry's agent, Craig Landis, did not return a call. But according to a report in New Jersey, Howry was close to signing.Howry, like Eyre a former White Sox pitcher, was 7-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 79 games for the Indians, and had a 0.99 ERA in the second half. He allowed only four homers and 16 walks in 73 innings. The two relievers would replace the departed Mike Remlinger and LaTroy Hawkins in setting up closer Ryan Dempster.The rest of the Cubs' bullpen—left-hander Will Ohman and righties Michael Wuertz and Roberto Novoa—is young and inexperienced.

Tough offseason ahead for Cubs

Fans of the Chicago Cubs are hoping that some of that confetti from the White Sox’s World Series parade has fallen in general manager Jim Hendry’s eyes.
With the streets of south side Chicago now swept up from the mammoth celebration, the North Siders have their work cut out for them if they want to maintain their longstanding reputation as the city’s number one baseball franchise.
Until now, it’s been easy for the Cubs to dominate the attendance competition. They play in the “friendly confines” of Wrigley Field where people make pilgrimages for hot dogs and sun as much as they do for a competition. Winning hasn’t been a priority, but, now with the White Sox ascendancy, maybe the requirements have changed.This year, en route to 99 regular season victories, the “Pale Hose” drew a half million more fans to U.S. Cellular Field than the year before. This October, their management offered a promotion that enabled new season ticket holders for next year to buy World Series tickets they couldn’t buy otherwise. Three million fans for the White Sox next season isn’t a goal that’s unreachable.
Where the three million fans will come from begs a good question. Is Chicago big enough for both ball clubs to draw that lofty sum? Or will the underachieving Cubs, who now play to near 99 percent capacity, be hosting some smaller crowds? Here’s what the Cubs have to do over the winter in order to field a winning team in the spring.
Leading offThe Cubs have their sights on Atlanta free-agent switch-hitter Rafael Furcal, but the Braves won’t make it easy on them to steal him away. Furcal batted .284 with a .348 on-base percentage, hardly the numbers one would expect from a guy demanding $50 million over five years, but he would solve the departure of the once-coveted Nomar Garciaparra at shortstop. Moreover, with 46 stolen bases, Furcal would provide the speed at the top of the order that Chicago has been without.
Another source of speed could come from the addition of Juan Pierre, a left-handed hitting centerfielder from the Florida Marlins. Last summer, Pierre slumped fifty points in his batting average to .276, yet he stole 57 bases and had an on-base percentage of .326. If signed, Pierre would take the place of Corey Patterson in centerfield. Patterson, once considered a franchise player, batted .215 and was demoted to Triple-A Iowa in the midst of his biggest funk, only to hit.175 upon his return the big leagues.
With Furcal and Pierre in front of first baseman Derek Lee, third in the MVP voting, and hard-hitting third baseman Aramis Ramirez, in the order, the Cubs would score runs aplenty.
Shortstop and Second BaseIf Furcal isn’t signed — a distinct possibility now that Chipper Jones has restructured his contract to free up $15 million for the Braves to work with in resigning the shortstop — second year player Ronnie Cedeno becomes the shortstop, sharing duties there with Neifi Perez.This probably means that Todd Walker (.305, 40 RBI), who Hendry recently re-signed, would be, once again, the second baseman.
Walker is short of range in the field and didn’t drive in runs the way the Cubs wanted. Perez is fine as a utility man, but he can’t be expected to play everyday and perform at a high level. Cedeno still needs to prove that he can hit over the long pull of a full season; he batted .300 with 80 at bats in 40 major league games.
By signing Furcal, Hendry could solve two problems at once — the Cubs’ need for a leadoff hitter as well as a shortstop.
On a local radio show, Hendry promised, “We’re going to be aggressive in the trade market.” Walker appears to be one of the players he can deal, because Cedeno can play second base.The OutfieldThe Cubs had an unproductive outfield last year, so when rookie Matt Murton came on in the second half to hit .321 with seven home runs in 140 at bats, fans automatically penciled him in as next year’s left fielder on their lineup cards. Murton is the kind of hard-nosed player that would fit snugly into an outfield if the Cubs had a speedy centerfielder and a slugger in right.
Late in the year, the fans were crying out for free agent Johnny Damon from the Red Sox. Then the rumors that Juan Pierre was preferred began to surface. Felix Pie, a centerfielder already on the Cubs payroll, represents a possibility for center field, but he is also the player that every other team to which the Cubs are talking trade would want.
Pie is only 22 years old. He batted .304 with 11 home runs in 59 games at Double-A West Tennessee last year before suffering a stress fracture in his ankle. Ominously, he is touted with the same reputation as a five-tool man that propelled Patterson into “the Show” prematurely.At least in one regard, journeyman Jeromy Burnitz proved to be a capable substitute for Sammy Sosa in right. Nevertheless, Burnitz is now gone and he wasn’t productive enough anyway.
Now, Kevin Mensch of the Texas Rangers seems to be the “hot property” on the wish list. Although Mensch batted .264 with 73 RBI and 25 home runs last year, the Cubs believe that he is headed for a break out season and could hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs, a bit more Sosa-like than Burnitz.
PitchingIn Carlos Zambrano (14-6, 3.26 ERA), the Cubs have a stud. In Mark Prior (11-7, 3.67 ERA), they may have an adequate ace. Prior didn’t always perform like the sure-fire stopper that the Cubs thought he was last season, but he should be granted a reprieve from the all-star expectations placed on him, especially since he struggled with injury, not once, but twice, in last year’s ill-fated campaign.
After Zambrano and Prior, however, what can the Cubs expect from Kerry Wood (3-4, 4.23 ERA and only 66 innings), and how long can Greg Maddux (13-15, 4.24 ERA) get batters out?
Wood has a contract as heavy as his fastball, but an unorthodox delivery enables him to pitch only so many games before shoulder problems begin. Maddux is a Hall of Fame pitcher, all right, but an aging pitcher, too. Last year, for the first time in 17 seasons, he recorded fewer than 15 wins, yet logged 225 innings on the mound.
As for the fifth starter, blame manager Dusty Baker for screwing up Glendon Rusch, who used to be routinely good for six innings or more in that spot. Insistent that the team needed Rusch in the bullpen, Baker elevated Jerome Williams to the rotation and had Rusch going back and forth between assignments. Williams went 6-10 with a 4.26 ERA, which is par for a fifth man on a fourth place club, and Rusch slumped to 9-8, 4.52 ERA juggling roles, after being 11-9, 3.94 ERA as a starter the last two years.
When discussing the relief corps, Hendry has reason to say that Ryan Dempster’s “got the right stomach for it,” but Baker had Dempster in the starting rotation instead of Rusch last spring until the light bulb went on. Once the stubborn manager relented to the idea of why Dempster was acquired in the first place, Dempster saved 33 of 35 opportunities and the two that he didn’t save, the Cubs won anyhow.
Newly acquired left-hander Scott Eyre (2-2, 2.63 ERA) comes from San Francisco to Chicago to add strength to the bullpen as a middle reliever and gives Baker that left-handed arm that he wanted. In making a league-leading 86 appearances last year, Eyre held opposing hitters to a batting average of .200.
ChemistryThe Chicago Cubs can fix what ails them, but it won’t be a snap. “We had a bad year,” Hendry admitted about 2005. The Cubs won only 79 games and failed in many ways, including their attempt to field a team that was likable.
For the past two seasons, the Cubs have played selfish baseball, swinging for the fences when a simple hit would suffice, running the bases absent-mindedly, and pointing the finger of blame in other directions.
In the meantime, manager Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox proved what can happen to talented ballplayers when enthusiasm invades the dugout. Getting new players to play in a way that will lead to a title may be out of the grasp of current Cubs management, regardless of how visible the confetti.