Quotes and Updates from Mesa

Here are a few updates...

• Lou Piniella told the players at a team meeting this weekend, "No predictions, let's just go play on the field."
• "We don't need predictions what we need is good performances." -Piniella
• Ryan Dempster still truly believes that the Cubs can win the World Series.
• Dempster doesn't dwell on his poor performance in Game 1 of the NLDS last year, but he will use it as motivation.
• Dempster feels he can win 17 games every year and continue to improve.
• Ryan tries to work hard and have fun when he goes out there.
• Lou said Dempster has leadership qualities.
• Ryan doesn't really panic on the mound, he has that closer's mentality.
• Carlos Zambrano has shaved his mustache.
• Harden's reports were good after throwing about 20 pitches off the mound yesterday.

Quotes from Milton Bradley yesterday (in the Sun-Times):

• "You might catch me on a day and I might blow you off, but hopefully that's few and far between," he told reporters.
• "In the past I haven't tried to be, like, friendly, I just was in there trying to play baseball. That's all I wanted to do."
• "But I fin that it kind of rubbed people the wrong way, and they'd get the wrong impression. You don't talk a whole lot, then they just assume things. The only way they're going to know you is if you talk to them."
• "I know what I've done wrong. I'm trying to do something right, so if we can get away from all the negativity and going back 4 or 5 years to stuff that I did then and just focus on what I'm doing now, I think I'm a positive influence. I'm a good guy to be around."
• "Who wouldn't want to play for the Cubs? They haven't won in 100 years, so you come in and know that you have that, I guess you call it, pressure, media word, pressure. But it's not really like that. It's just having the opportunity to come in here and win it after all this time. That excites me."
• "I've never met so many nice people in one place, it helps the transition for me when you're dealing with people that are this nice and appreciative and in your corner. It hasn't always been that way."
• "It's a new beginning, it's a home finally. I've been kind of rent-a-player for the most part over the years. I'd have a good year somewhere, and the next year some younger guys were coming along or they're trying to cut some payroll, and I'm always the guy to go. So to come here and feel I'm where I can get comfortable and relax a little bit, that helps."

Milton Bradley photo's.

Quotes from Rich Harden (from Cubs.com):

• "I want more, 30 (starts) is what I'd like to get. I haven't really gotten that yet, and that's kind of my goal. I definitely want more."
• "I never had the issues with my shoulder from throwing, how I initially hurt my shoulder and had these problems with it the last year and a half or so its because 2 years ago, I threw a pitch, had a come backer, it was a 1 hopper, and I tried to bare hand it. It was over my head, over my throwing shoulder. That's when I did it. It wasn't really throwing, it was doing that."
• "My number 1 priority is to the Cubs. They made a big commitment to me, picking up my option this year. My goal is to go out there and pitch as many games as I can win."
• Read the full article.

Quotes from Reed Johnson:

• I you lose the 11, 15 pounds and then you put on a 15 pound weight vest, you realize how much tougher it can be on you body."
• "I feel like I got to the point where I've conditioned my body where I don't have to eat as much any more."
• "If you take on a bigger workload, whether it's in the middle of Spring Training or halfway through the season, it's harder to lose weight."
• "Everybody know anything can happen, you're 1 injury away from being an everyday guy. If your not prepared and that opportunity comes up, it'll come and and it'll go just as fast."

I'll keep you posted.