Wednesday Radio Recaps

Todd Hollandsworth on Waddle & Silvy today:

• Holly agrees that Opening Day left a bad taste in a lot of Cubs fans mouths.
• The Cubs did not get their 2008 "swagger" back on Monday.
• There were a lot of errors and mental mistakes in the game.
• The bar is not set too high for Carlos Zambrano. Big Z is getting payed a lot of money, so he needs to step up and be the number one starter.
• The question is, "Will the next 33 starts be quality?" You cannot lower the bar for Z.
• If he can't step up, you have to find somebody else to be that guy.
• Hollandsworth thought Zambrano's stuff on Monday looked "flat".
• Todd still thinks that it's "between the ears" with Zambrano.
• He thinks that the Cubs are already starting to feel the pressure. The pressure is coming from new ownership, the fan base, and the fact that some guys are nearing the end of their contracts.
• 83 wins is not going to get it done this year.
• The players understand that the rope may not be all that long. Soriano knows that he cannot get off to a slow start and keep his position.
• Tyler Colvin is a kid who needs at bats. You don't want him getting rusty.

Len Kasper was on Afternoon Saloon Yesterday

• Kasper got out of Turner Field as quickly as possible yesterday.
• The disappointing thing about Jeff Samardzija is that he was very good during Spring Training. He was not throwing enough strikes yesterday.
• Justin Berg was also all over the place and he's usually a strike thrower.
• Len likes the Cubs young bullpen because when the guys go through struggles you can send them down the minors to get stuff worked out.
• It's been proven that you should not overspend on middle relief pitching.
• He likes Marlon Byrd, but he does not expect him to be a star who carries the team.
• The Cubs have had a different Opening Day center fielder each of the last six years.
• Sean Marshall is in the perfect role for him. His ERA as a starter is around five, and out of the pen it's in the low threes.
• Marshall is simply better in relief. Len doesn't think you should mess with him if he's having success.
• Mike Fontenot and Geovany Soto need to contribute a lot more production than they did last year.
• Lou is not going to hesitate to put Tyler Colvin into the lineup.
• Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny each will have two starts to prove that they need to stay in the rotation. Kasper thinks the Gorzelanny will probably stay so that Silva can be a sixth or seventh inning guy. The Cubs need someone from the right side in the pen.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!