Now, let's catch up on some TV and radio recaps relating to the Cubs.
Former Cubs outfielder Reed Johnson joined David Kaplan and company on Chicago Tribune Live on Tuesday after the Cubs signed Xavier Nady:
- Reed thinks the "door is pretty much closed" on his return to Chicago.
- He has nothing but respect for the organization and the city. There's nothing but good things to say about his experience with the Cubs.
- Johnson says that he's only gone on the DL twice because of his back in the last 3 years. In both those situations, he only took 15 days off. He does not see his back as an issue.
- He would still like to work his way back to Chicago in some way.
- Reed says that you pay your agent to take the responsibility of finding a team off you. Johnson is not doing anything differently than he would if he were signed with a team.
- The 2009 locker room chemistry was different. Part of that was the slow start and injuries. Winning cures all problems as far as chemistry is concerned.
After the injury, Dave Van Dyck says that he likes the move to sign Nady, but only if he recovers from his injury. Xavier brings a lot more pop to the bench then Reed would bring. Kap thinks that Nady could end up being the starting left fielder if Soriano doesn't play well. Van Dyck thinks that the Cubs are paying Soriano too much to sit him on the bench. The two Daves argued as to whether or not Nady will end up taking Sori's job.
On Wednesday, Andre Dawson joined CTL on CSN:
- The Hawk was not nervous before the decision as to what cap he should wear.
- The delay in the decision was that his preparation was against what the Hall decided.
- He respects the decision by the HOF, but he is obviously disappointed that he is not going in as a Cub.
- The cap issue was not the determining factor, but it was the Cub fans. Dawson thinks that had he retired as a Cub, it would be a no brainer, he would be wearing a Cub hat.
- Andre thinks that the Cubs fans are the ones who really embraced him, and Chicago was where his career really became a HOF career.
- Dawson doesn't think the cap decision will affect whether or not his number will be retired by the Cubs.
- The Hawk plans to do enough with his speech to make a point, but he wants to do it with class.
Jim Hendry talked about Xavier Nady on CSN:
- When you have a chance to get a guy like this, Jim doesn't think you worry about who's going to be playing where.
- A great doctor did the surgery, and Xavier's bat is expected to be ready to go to start the season.
Cubs TV broadcaster Len Kasper joined the Danny Mac show on 670 the Score on Thursday to talk Cubs:
- The Cubs discussed movie scenes and music first.
- Dan and Matt played a clip from Len singing at the annual Len and Bob Bash.
- Kasper confirmed that Nady prefers his first name to be pronounced eX-avier, not Zavier.
- Kasper likes the idea of platooning Nady and Kosuke. Len expects platoons in right field and second base this season.
- Nady and Tracy are very similar, because they will help backup the corner spots in the outfield and infield.
- If Ramirez or Soriano go down, the Cubs will have a backup plan.
- Len mentioned that Starlin Castro could be major league ready at some point during the 2010 season. We could see Theriot moving to second base if Castro comes up.
- Kasper expects better years out of Fontenot and Soto, and if Jeff Baker can play like he did last year he will be a good piece.
- Dan and Matt don't think the Cubs have had a good winter.
- Len thinks that the Cardinals are still the team to beat. They are basically the same team as last year.
- He doesn't think that it will take 97 to win this division, but if you can get up to 90 or 92 you could find yourself in the playoffs. The way baseball is built, you just have to find a way to get into the postseason, and you have a chance.
Earlier this month Ryan Dempster joined Boers and Bernstein:
- Demp has started a great foundation to help Di George Syndrome, which is the disease his daughter has.
- Riley cannot swallow, but the Dempsters are working on raising money and awareness.
- It's tough to watch a child go through what Riley is going through, but at the same thing it's amazing to see how strong the children are.
- Next the guys moved on to baseball. Boers and Bernstein wanted to revisit the Milton Bradley situation. Dempster thinks that a guy like Milton takes away from concentrating on baseball because you have to answer questions and issues that don't pertain to the game.
- Ryan wished Bradley nothing but the best in Seattle.
- The guys had a hard time understand how a guy like Milton really effects the team on the field. Dempster's answer was that it doesn't. Ryan thinks that as an individual you have to be prepared to help your team as much as you can on a daily basis. The lack of positivity from guys in the clubhouse was what they really bothered Ryan.
- Dempster thought that 2007 and 2008 were such great years in the clubhouse that anything else in '09 would be a disappointment.
- "You just have to go out there and try to have fun everyday."
- Ryan picks up a paper every once in awhile, but he's not a guy who's glued to his computer all winter reading baseball rumors. He likes to see moments like Andre Dawson being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
- He pointed out that the Cubs have a lot of the same players that they had in 2008, which he described as one of the best season's he's ever been a part of. The Cubs have lost some guys, but they gained some key people too.
- Soriano, Soto, and others have worked hard this offseason.
- Ryan never had the temptation to do steroids when he was on the way back from his injuries. "There's no substitute for hard work," he said.
Dave Van Dyck was with Mully and Hanley on 670 the Score last week:
- Van Dyck went from the Cubs to Cardinals to White Sox fan fests in the past few weeks.
- He thinks the White Sox fans are a little less rabid than the St. Louis and North Side fans.
- Dave says you get a little negativity and questioning from fans. At the Chicago fan fests fans ask questions, but at Cardinals' Winter Warm-Up most sessions have just the guests and the host talking.
- This was before the Xavier Nady signing, so the guys asked Dave who he would like A) Nady B) Gomes C) Dye. After joking about "D" non of the above, and saying that Reed Johnson he'd rather have Reed Johnson instead of Dye, Van Dyck says that Gomes would be fine.
- You'd like to get a pretty good player because all 3 of the Cubs' outfielders could go in slumps.
That's it for now!
