ryno4ever
Mar 7th 2007, 8:46 pm
Miller wades to forefront in arms race
Seizes early edge as Cubs' 5th starter
By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter
March 7, 2007, 8:12 PM CST
MESA, Ariz. -- With one start down and five to go, Wade Miller is the front-runner in his bid to capture the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation.
Just don't tell Miller.
"I've only had one outing," he said.
Coming into camp, it was believed the fifth starter's spot was Mark Prior's to lose. But after Prior's erratic outing Monday, he could be in danger of losing it.
Miller will face the Padres on Thursday in Peoria, Ariz., where Miller will try to show he's back from the shoulder surgery that curtailed his career in 2005. Miller is confident he can win the spot if he puts up numbers that show he's in form.
"If you pitch well enough or pitch better than what people are competing for, you should earn it," he said. "You have to go out there and earn it, no matter what you did before, no matter where you were at before."
After spending most of last season traveling in the Cubs' minor-league system on rehab assignments, Miller, 30, was 0-2 in five September starts. He re-signed in November for $1.5 million, paying back general manager Jim Hendry for giving him the chance in the first place.
"We signed last year for the long haul," Miller said. "I knew it wasn't going to be a full season or my strongest season. But we knew I was going to get better. Jim and I talked, and we both kept our word."
Manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday he'd like to open the season with 11 pitchers instead of 12, giving him an extra position player.
"I don't know if we can do that," he said. "Let's see what happens here. It depends on the starters, depends on the health of our bullpen. I like the idea of that extra guy on the bench."
If the Cubs carried only 11 pitchers, Miller or Prior would be in jeopardy because Neal Cotts, the other starter candidate, can be a reliever. The other four starting pitchers are assured of roster spots, as are relievers Ryan Dempster, Bob Howry, Kerry Wood, Scott Eyre and probably Will Ohman.
Prior, who is scheduled to pitch in relief Saturday, has received more attention than Miller, though Piniella insists there is no front-runner for the starting job. But Prior won't be given the spot if his performance doesn't improve, and some have criticized the Cubs for coddling him.
In a commentary last month on MSNBC.com, former Cubs pitcher and current Giants TV analyst Mike Krukow wrote: "Everywhere Prior has been, he has been babied because of his golden arm. The time for that to stop is now."
Krukow also ripped Prior's approach to hitters, saying: "He has been in a strikeout mode since he first put on a big-league uniform, and that means he nibbles early in the count and throws a lot of pitches. He needs to learn how to pitch in the big leagues, and primarily that means understanding the most effective use of the fastball with the two grips—going up and down and to both sides of the plate with it so it actually becomes four pitches. Once he does this, he will … explode."
In Prior's outing Monday, he threw first-pitch balls to eight of the nine hitters he faced and reached 40 pitches in 11/3 innings, walking two. Only one hitter swung at and missed a pitch.
The Prior who showed up Monday was in contrast to the pitcher's first four years in the majors, when he struck out 718 and walked only 195, an impressive strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Last year he struck out 38 while walking 28, nibbling around the corners instead of going directly at hitters.
Miller has followed a similar path, striking out 562 hitters and walking 259 from 2001-04 before shoulder surgery negated his fastball. While rehabbing with the Cubs last September, he struck out 20 and walked 18 in 211/3 innings. His fastball is still in the mid-80s, as Prior's was Monday.
"My fastball is coming around," Miller said. "I threw a bullpen [session] a couple of days ago, and I feel great right now."
If Miller doesn't earn the fifth spot, he said, "I'll have to explore my options." Going to the bullpen isn't among them, and Hendry likely would accommodate Miller if he asks for a trade.
"Until that time comes, I'm a Cub," Miller said.
Is that something we want? But what other choice is there? If they go with 11 pitchers, someone has to go..... Nice problem to have, but it could be a fork in the road with consequences at both ends.
Seizes early edge as Cubs' 5th starter
By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter
March 7, 2007, 8:12 PM CST
MESA, Ariz. -- With one start down and five to go, Wade Miller is the front-runner in his bid to capture the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation.
Just don't tell Miller.
"I've only had one outing," he said.
Coming into camp, it was believed the fifth starter's spot was Mark Prior's to lose. But after Prior's erratic outing Monday, he could be in danger of losing it.
Miller will face the Padres on Thursday in Peoria, Ariz., where Miller will try to show he's back from the shoulder surgery that curtailed his career in 2005. Miller is confident he can win the spot if he puts up numbers that show he's in form.
"If you pitch well enough or pitch better than what people are competing for, you should earn it," he said. "You have to go out there and earn it, no matter what you did before, no matter where you were at before."
After spending most of last season traveling in the Cubs' minor-league system on rehab assignments, Miller, 30, was 0-2 in five September starts. He re-signed in November for $1.5 million, paying back general manager Jim Hendry for giving him the chance in the first place.
"We signed last year for the long haul," Miller said. "I knew it wasn't going to be a full season or my strongest season. But we knew I was going to get better. Jim and I talked, and we both kept our word."
Manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday he'd like to open the season with 11 pitchers instead of 12, giving him an extra position player.
"I don't know if we can do that," he said. "Let's see what happens here. It depends on the starters, depends on the health of our bullpen. I like the idea of that extra guy on the bench."
If the Cubs carried only 11 pitchers, Miller or Prior would be in jeopardy because Neal Cotts, the other starter candidate, can be a reliever. The other four starting pitchers are assured of roster spots, as are relievers Ryan Dempster, Bob Howry, Kerry Wood, Scott Eyre and probably Will Ohman.
Prior, who is scheduled to pitch in relief Saturday, has received more attention than Miller, though Piniella insists there is no front-runner for the starting job. But Prior won't be given the spot if his performance doesn't improve, and some have criticized the Cubs for coddling him.
In a commentary last month on MSNBC.com, former Cubs pitcher and current Giants TV analyst Mike Krukow wrote: "Everywhere Prior has been, he has been babied because of his golden arm. The time for that to stop is now."
Krukow also ripped Prior's approach to hitters, saying: "He has been in a strikeout mode since he first put on a big-league uniform, and that means he nibbles early in the count and throws a lot of pitches. He needs to learn how to pitch in the big leagues, and primarily that means understanding the most effective use of the fastball with the two grips—going up and down and to both sides of the plate with it so it actually becomes four pitches. Once he does this, he will … explode."
In Prior's outing Monday, he threw first-pitch balls to eight of the nine hitters he faced and reached 40 pitches in 11/3 innings, walking two. Only one hitter swung at and missed a pitch.
The Prior who showed up Monday was in contrast to the pitcher's first four years in the majors, when he struck out 718 and walked only 195, an impressive strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Last year he struck out 38 while walking 28, nibbling around the corners instead of going directly at hitters.
Miller has followed a similar path, striking out 562 hitters and walking 259 from 2001-04 before shoulder surgery negated his fastball. While rehabbing with the Cubs last September, he struck out 20 and walked 18 in 211/3 innings. His fastball is still in the mid-80s, as Prior's was Monday.
"My fastball is coming around," Miller said. "I threw a bullpen [session] a couple of days ago, and I feel great right now."
If Miller doesn't earn the fifth spot, he said, "I'll have to explore my options." Going to the bullpen isn't among them, and Hendry likely would accommodate Miller if he asks for a trade.
"Until that time comes, I'm a Cub," Miller said.
Is that something we want? But what other choice is there? If they go with 11 pitchers, someone has to go..... Nice problem to have, but it could be a fork in the road with consequences at both ends.