Archiv » progress as he begins his third season in charge

MESA, Ariz. -- No matter what the record says, Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein insists he sees progress as he begins his third season in charge. It hasnt shown at the major league level. "The people that we have in place in this organization -- the coaches, scouts -- I believe are impact, and I believe in the processes that we have in place," Epstein said Thursday. "It takes time to turn our organization around. It takes time to build impact talent and to build requisite depth. But its happening. People in those meetings, the people in this organization, really believe that were on the verge of something special. And we understand that were perceived otherwise, and thats our fault because weve been a last-place club the last couple years. Were not protesting. We need to earn our way into a position where were championship contenders on an annual basis, and we feel like that is certainly moving in the right direction." It hasnt been an easy process, and while success might be on the horizon, it doesnt appear to be at hand. Pitchers and catchers reported on Thursday, and for the Cubs, it doesnt look like much will be different this season. They were relatively quiet in the off-season, although they did hire manager Rick Renteria to replace the fired Dale Sveum and made a run at star Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, but mostly it looks like they are in for more rough times at the major league level as they wait for their top prospects to develop in the minors. Their most recent winning season was when they went 83-78 under Lou Piniella in 2009. With four straight sub-.500 seasons, theyve matched their longest streak since 1984 to 1988. And another losing season would put them on their longest run since they finished below .500 six years in a row from 1978 to 1983. For now, the Cubs continue to sell hope, a promise that better days are coming. They tout their minor league system, and while renovations to Wrigley Field remain on hold, they can point to new facilities in the Dominican Republic along with a spring training home that just opened. As for the Cubs record, it cant get much worse. Theyve dropped 91 or more games each of the past three years and are coming off a two-year run under Sveum that produced a 127-197 record. Theyre hoping Renteria will provide the right atmosphere for young major league players such as shortstop Starlin Castro and first baseman Anthony Rizzo as well as top prospects Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Albert Almora and Kris Bryant. They believe they have three solid starters in Travis Wood, Jeff Samardzija and Edwin Jackson, although Jackson struggled last season and Samardzija is a potential trade chip after he was unable to reach a long-term agreement and took a one-year deal. Jake Arrieta, a candidate to start, might not be ready for the beginning of the season because of tightness in his right shoulder. General manager Jed Hoyer revealed Thursday that Arrieta, acquired from Baltimore last July, experienced some tightness this winter and is being brought along slowly. Hoyer announced Arrietas injury after confirming the Cubs agreed to one-year contracts with starting pitchers Jason Hammel and James McDonald. Both could be candidates to be traded before the deadline if they succeed, considering thats exactly what the Cubs did with Paul Maholm and Scott Feldman the past two seasons. "We know we have some numbers now," Hoyer said. They also have hope that better days are coming. "Theres a real dichotomy between how the organization is perceived from the outside and how we look at it internally and the morale that we have internally," Epstein said. NOTES: Renteria tabbed newcomer Jose Veras as the closer. ... Hoyer basically dismissed the idea of moving Castro to another position even though he and the White Soxs Alexei Ramirez led major league shortstops with 22 errors last season and Baez is in the pipeline. "Castros our shortstop," Hoyer said. "We have all the confidence in the world that hell remain our shortstop and hell keep working hard and keep improving. And he knows theres (room) to improve there." ... Hoyer said reliever Kyuji Fujikawa will soon start throwing off the mound. Hes coming off Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right elbow. ... Epstein said the Cubs will look to draft pitchers going forward, although not necessarily with their first pick. Dustin Colquitt Jersey . LOUIS -- Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks won the matchup of unbeaten teams. Custom Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys . -- Mississippis Andrew Ritter said his game-winning, 41-yard field goal felt good off his foot. http://www.officialkansascitychiefsfootball.com/authentic-eric-fisher-jersey-womens . After losing Brett Cecil to groin tightness on Friday, the Blue Jays watched as R. Chris Jones Jersey . Although Olivetti, a qualifier, had 13 aces, he failed to force a single break-point chance on Gasquets serve and lost his own three times. Gasquet next plays third-seeded Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, who won had 18 aces in a 6-2, 6-4 win against seventh-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France. Tony Gonzalez Jersey . His Brazilian opponents said he produced miracles. There is no doubt that Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was the one responsible for spoiling Brazils hopes of another World Cup victory at its home tournament.HAMILTON - The Toronto Marlies scored three goals in the second period en route to a 4-1 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs in the American Hockey League on Friday. Spencer Abbott had a goal and two assists, and Kory Nagy, T.J. Brennan and Brad Ross also scored for the Marlies (13-9-1). Drew MacIntyre made 28 saves. Louis Leblanc had the lone goal for the Bulldogs (12-11-3), while Robert Mayer stopped 20 shots in a losing effort. The Marlies enjoyed offensive pressure from the opening whistle Friday, but the Bulldogs were able to effectively limit their scoring chances early in the first period. That luck ran out at 11:08 of the period, when Andrew MacWilliams point shot bounced off the end boards and straight to Abbott to the right of Mayers net. Abbott easily slotted the puck into the empty net with the goaltender well out of position. Hamilton pushed back immediately, and nearly found an equalizing goal when winger Patrick Holland drove the net and one-timed a centring pass toward MacIntyre. The goaltender was up to the challenge, and dropped low to kick aside the slap shot. The Bulldogs began the second period with pace, and saw two quality scoring chances pass them by when Holland and Nick Tarnasky were both denied by MacIntyre from close range. After weathering the early pressure, the Marlies struck to double their lead at 7:24 of the second period. David Broll collected the puck in the left corner, and centred for the strreaking Nagy, who tipped the puck through the legs of Mayer.dddddddddddd The lead swelled to 3-0 with Toronto on the power play, after Hamiltons Gabriel Dumont was whistled for kneeing. Stuart Percy shifted the puck across the blue-line to Brennan, whose low wrist shot moved through a screen and the pads of Mayer at 9:03 of the second period. Momentum was clearly with the Marlies, who continued to threaten in the offensive end against a disheartened Bulldogs team. That pressure paved the way for a fourth goal, as Tyler Biggs carried along the left wing unguarded, and threaded a cross-ice pass to Ross at the far post. With Mayer sprawling to his left, Ross waited and lifted a wrist shot over the goaltenders outstretched glove at 10:35 of the second period. Friday marked the Bulldogs annual Toy Toss game, and Louis Leblanc gave the fans in attendance reason to throw their plush toys when he scored to break Drew MacIntyres shutout bid at 11:01 of the second period. The puck took a radical bounce off the foot of Martin St. Pierre behind the net, and rolled to Leblanc in front, who turned and fired a low wrist shot through the legs of MacIntyre. Leblanc had the Bulldogs best chance for a goal in the third period, stickhandling into the high slot on the power play and snapping a heavy wrist shot that clanged off the crossbar and lay in MacIntyres crease. But no Bulldog could poke the loose puck over the goal line. 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