Much of what the Cubs love about Bobby Hill never will appear in a box score or even on the diamond.
It’s an attitude, a determination, a fire. Or, as manager Don Baylor puts it, “a swagger.”
“Everybody feeds off that type of player,” Baylor said.
But there has been no grazing since Hill joined a moribund Cubs team nearly a week ago. There has been nothing but losing and despair.
Hill finds himself in an unusual spot. The Cubs need a spark, but Hill realizes it’s best for him to keep his mouth shut.
“It’s tough,” he said. “I’m only 24. I’ve only been in the big leagues for five days and this team has been going through something since before I was here. For someone like me to try to wave a wand and work some magic, it ain’t gonna happen.
“There are things that rookies have to do. You get your work in, keep quiet, don’t disrespect anybody else. And you’ll gain respect that way. If I came in here and started opening my mouth, ripping and running . . . that’s not me. I’d rather lead on the field anyway.”
Maybe he would like to reserve his leadership for between the white stripes, but the Cubs are looking for more.
Hill is one of the cornerstones of the Cubs’ future, along with Corey Patterson, Hee Seop Choi, Sammy Sosa, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood.
Wood spoke out in St. Louis about the Cubs’ lack of passion and reiterated those sentiments Thursday during an interview on WMVP-AM 1000.
“If we got half as ready as Sammy Sosa did for a game, we’d be a lot better off,” he said. “Guys should just take a look at No. 21 in the clubhouse and see how he prepares.”
Hill’s passion for the game is unquestioned.
An example: Hill’s performance Monday night against Cardinals ace Matt Morris would have been enough to send some players into therapy.
First at-bat: Strike, strike, caught looking on a curveball.
Second at-bat: Strike, strike, frozen on a fastball.
Hill’s final two trips to the plate were marginally better. He grounded out to Morris and struck out–swinging.
“At first I was upset at myself, but then I said, `Tomorrow’s another day and I’m in the big leagues,'” Hill recalled. “I still woke up the next day smiling.”
He did more than that. Despite falling to 1-for-12 on the season, Hill called a few friends to remind them to watch Tuesday’s Cubs-Cardinals game.
Hill responded with his best game as a Cub.. He went 2-for-4 and scored both his team’s runs.
His opposite-field single in the eighth came on what hitting coach Jeff Pentland described as Hill’s “loosest” swing since being promoted.
“He has been really tight at the plate,” Baylor said. “He hasn’t had a chance to relax. Young guys get away from what they do. In the minor leagues, you see the baseball and hit it. Now all of a sudden you try to think. Sometimes they get overwhelmed by the crowd.”
Rest assured that never will be a concern with Hill.
“I’d rather play in front of 40,000 than 3,000,” he said. “Even in Little League, I loved big crowds.”
Santo accolade: Ron Santo is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Person of the Year and will be honored for his efforts to find a cure for diabetes at an award dinner Monday at the downtown Marriott. Pat Hughes, Santo’s WGN-AM radio partner, will be master of ceremonies for the event.
The annual Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes attracted more that 13,000 people last year and raised $4.1 million.
