Derrek Lee sent Michael Barrett a text message on his cell phone the other day reminding him of what to expect during the long road ahead.
“He [said]: `This is our year,'” Barrett said Friday on the opening day of the Cubs Convention. “That’s the way we feel, and I know that’s the way the fans feel. We’re going to do everything we can to meet those expectations.”
Usually teams that finish with the worst record in the National League spend January talking about rebuilding toward respectability. But coming off a 96-loss season, the 2007 Cubs are making bold statements about turning into instant contenders, and they are putting it on the record for posterity’s sake.
“I can promise you two things,” general manager Jim Hendry told a packed ballroom at the Chicago Hilton. “We’re going to be good, and we’re going to stay good.”
New manager Lou Piniella compared the Cubs with a certain NFL underdog that shocked the world in less than 12 months.
“Look, the perfect example of what we’re talking about here is the New Orleans Saints,” Piniella said. “They were 3-13 last year, and on Sunday they’re playing for a trip to the Super Bowl. That’s how quickly things can turn around in sports, and that’s what we’re going to look forward to in Chicago this summer with the Cubs.”
The biggest cheers during the introductions went to Piniella, Cubs icon Ron Santo and a trio of popular players: Lee, Carlos Zambrano and newcomer Alfonso Soriano.
If not for the presence of Soriano, the Cubs could not so easily bury the bones of last year’s performance, a long-running nightmare that lasted from mid-April to October. When the Cubs spent $136 million to reel in the free-agent market’s biggest fish, the fog of ’07 began to lift. They’ve spent more than $300 million on free agents, a staggering change in philosophy.
“I’m like, `Spend more,'” Lee said. “I don’t know where they got it, but I was liking it.”
The Cubs’ survivors of ’06 are renewing acquaintances this weekend, while Piniella is spending time getting to know his team. So far, he likes what he has seen.
“I spent two days with six players, and my impression was, `What a good group of young men,'” Piniella said. “I hope they’re all not this nice.”
Piniella was joking, as he pointed out in case anyone accused him of preferring nasty boys over nice guys. In truth, he won’t have a shortage of either.
There was little actual news to report on the first day of the convention. Zambrano has a new perm and wants Barry Zito-type money, Mark Prior is throwing, Felix Pie will get a shot in center field this spring, Ryan Theriot will also get a chance to play center and Barrett had a Gino’s East pizza named after him.
Hendry will meet with Zambrano’s agent for the second time on Saturday, hoping to sign him to a multiyear deal before the end of March. Zambrano confirmed he’s looking for something in the Zito range–$18 million per year–and said he will play out his contract if no deal is worked out by Opening Day.
“Zito is a great pitcher, and it’s good for him he got that contract, and I think that will help me,” Zambrano said.
Prior threw a bullpen session at Northwestern on Friday and has been on a throwing program since November.
A visit to orthopedic specialist James Andrews after the season helped ease his mind in that it showed his shoulder problems were physical and not in his head, as the Cubs have hinted in the past. Andrews said Prior has looseness in his shoulder joints that’s genetic.
“It’s nice to get to see Andrews and get some answers,” Prior said. “We kind of had some answers before, but to see him put it in black and white, it was nice. We had a good game plan after that, and so far everything’s been good.”
As for the Cubs offering a pay cut in arbitration, Prior opted to take the high road.
“There’s always a business to everything,” he said. “My agent will deal with it.”
