Sunday, April 18, 2010

Sunday Radio Recaps: Jaramillo, Samardzija, and Hollandsworth

Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo joined the guys on Talkin' Baseball on ESPN 1000 yesterday:
  • Rudy is still in the process of trying to "win these guys over" and get them to understand his program.
  • He wants to have communication with his hitters because it is important in any sport.
  • Derrek Lee is a special athlete. Jaramillo thinks it is smart to stay out of Lee's way and let him do his thing.
  • Lee is a gentlemen that is fun to be around.
  • Alfonso Soriano is starting to gain some confidence. He's working really hard and comes into the cage twice a day. "We still have a long way to go, but at least he's going in the right direction," Jaramillo said.
  • His bat speed is there, but his foundation is out of whack.
  • Marlon Byrd plays hard, brings energy, and comes ready to play everyday. Right now, Byrd is not hitting for the average that they want him to, but that will improve.
  • At times he is trying to do too much, but that is pretty common when you come to a new team.

Jeff Samardzija joined the Danny Mac Show on Wednesday:

  • Samardzija felt a lot better once he got back out there for the home opener and pitched well.
  • Working a quick inning felt great.
  • There's always a little bit of pressure when you take the ball to pitch in a big league game.
  • Jeff goes out there every time looking for perfection.
  • He still feels like he is young and his arm has a lot left. He looks forward to getting as many big league innings as possible.
  • In the bullpen, everyday is different and you don't know when your going to get in the game.
  • Samardzija has gained respect for successful relief pitchers around the league. The hardest part is that you only have 5-7 minutes to get warm instead of the 45 minutes starters get.
  • Everyone in the bullpen is on the same page. The bullpen staff's goal is to work the middle innings and get the ball to Marmol.
  • Not too many guys are worried about what role they have in in the bullpen.
  • The more experience you get, the better.
  • Jeff hears football questions in every interview every day.

Todd Hollandsworth joined Dan and Matt on Friday to talk Cubs:

  • Holly never had the opportunity to support other pro teams in the city he was playing in during his big league career. Todd likes the fact that Dempster and the Cubs are rallying behind the Blackhawks.
  • Todd doesn't like the idea of having Carlos Marmol pitch more than 1 inning.
  • If you do that, you will get to the All Star Break and have an even bigger mess.
  • You want to be able to use your closer as much as possible but you don't want them to be overused early in the season.
  • Matt and Dan want Marmol to have a massive work load, but Holly points out that the future is an unknown. It's a manager's job to be cautious with your closer.
  • The most encouraging thing Todd has seen is 2-out hitting. There have been some good signs early in the year.
  • The Cubs look confident and look like they are believing in each other.
  • This offense is what it is. You might need to lean on the home run a little more than you should.
  • Tyler Colvin should get more of an oppertunity to play. Lou is not doing Colvin any favors by keeping him on the bench. If Alfonso Soriano is not hitting, there is not much else he brings to the game.
  • Colvin is earning the starting job. If your going to take Soriano out in the 7th inning, you might as well do it in the first.

A 4-2 homestand sounds pretty good. Let's got get a win.

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