Print

© 2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.

Cubs call up popular prospect Samardzija 07/25/2008 2:18 PM ET By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com CHICAGO -- Hopefully, Wrigley Field organist Gary Pressy knows the Notre Dame fight song. The Cubs called up right-handed pitcher and former Fighting Irish wide receiver Jeff Samardzija to the big league team Friday to take Kerry Wood's spot on the roster. Wood was placed on the disabled list Thursday because of a blister on his right hand. "Like I've said from Day 1, I didn't put any timetable on anything," Samardzija said. "I was going to go out and improve on what I needed to improve on, and work on the pitches I needed to work on, and whatever happened, happened. I wasn't going to put any added pressure on things. "The way I've been throwing the last month, month and a half, I've been very happy with it," he said. "It happened, I'm excited and ready to take advantage of it." The first member of the Cubs' 2006 Draft class to reach the big leagues, Samardzija was 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA in six appearances at Triple-A Iowa. In his last three starts, he had posted a 2.37 ERA, striking out 25 and walking five over 19 innings. "I've started to get into a rhythm, and go with it, and instead of doing it for two or three innings, I've carried it for six, seven innings," Samardzija said of the increase in strikeouts. "That's been the biggest difference, and throwing strikes early in counts, and getting through the first couple innings quick." He has a fastball, slider and split, and the Cubs had waited to promote him while he developed his offspeed pitches. "It's totally different now," Samardzija said. "Before, I would pick my spots to use my offspeed pitches, but it's probably toward the end of my stint in Double-A and in Triple-A I was throwing them at any time. It didn't matter who was hitting. I was throwing it because I knew I had confidence in it and could throw strikes. It's totally different now -- I can throw them at any time and I'm excited to do it." He will not be starting, but be added to the bullpen while Wood gives a pesky blister on his right hand time to heal. Samardzija has been groomed primarily as a starter. "I'm not worried about it at all," he said about starting vs. relieving. "I might take a couple extra throws. I'll try to keep my arm warm throughout the game, and when they tell me to get hot, I'll get hot as fast as possible. I'm not worried about it. The juices will be flowing. "I'm ready to throw -- I don't care when it is," he said. He may be a little groggy. Samardzija got the news when he was in Tucson, Ariz., with the Iowa team, and flew to Las Vegas, then took a red-eye flight to Chicago. He arrived around 5 a.m. CT on Friday. How much sleep did he get? "None," he said, laughing. The first thing Cubs manager Lou Piniella wanted to know was how long Samardzija's hair was. "We're going to put him in the bullpen, probably use him in the middle to get his feet wet," Piniella said. "The sooner we get him in there, the better. They say he's been throwing the ball very well. We've been looking at reports from Triple-A the last few weeks. He's throwing strikes, getting people out, has a nice, fresh arm. We're going to give him an opportunity and see how he can do." Samardzija has played in front of crowds of 100,000 plus during his days as Notre Dame's star receiver, so he should be able to handle 40,000 at Wrigley Field and a tight race. "It's a lot of the same -- I remember going to big games in college and not sleeping too much the night before and thinking about every possible situation," Samardzija said. "Sitting on the two planes last night, there wasn't a situation that didn't go through my head and my heart was racing the whole time. I'm sitting there on the plane, taking deep breaths. I was getting excited pretty easily. I couldn't ask for a better situation." The Cubs veterans are going to make sure Samardzija remembers he's a rookie. Pitchers Carlos Marmol and Ted Lilly watched as the young pitcher was being interviewed, and made faces from behind reporters. "That's the great thing about this team -- everyone's good buddies and everyone's competing and trying to win games," Samardzija said. "Everyone's here to do one thing and that's to win games. I understand that's why I'm here. I'm not here to develop, I'm not here to work on anything, I'm here to help the team win games. That's all I care about." He had family and friends scrambling to get to Wrigley for Friday's game against the Florida Marlins. "I've said since Day 1, I enjoy playing in front of a lot of people and enjoy having the pressure of big games on your shoulders," he said. "To be at this level, that's what you shoot for. I hope I get to be in big situations and it means a lot." He'll be wearing No. 29. When asked this spring, Samardzija told clubhouse manager Tom Hellman that Nos. 28 or 29 were numbers he wore as a kid. What about No. 83, which he wore at Notre Dame? "Not a chance," Samardzija said. "The only other possibility would be [No.] 38 but that's not a possibility." That's Carlos Zambrano's number. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.