Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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irish in the pros ���It gets you to keep working hard and keep improving. You get a little taste of success and you want that to keep going. I really feel that���s where I���m at right now. I want to keep the ball rolling for sure.��� He turned down a fiveyear contract extension during the offseason, but the Cubs were able to retain him for 2013, after which Samardzija will enter free agency if a long-term extension deal isn���t reached. The plan was to use this summer, one where he hopes to improve his numbers further, as a bargaining chip. He showed up several weeks early to spring training to ensure that happens. Off to a 1-0 start to spring ball, he allowed three hits and an earned run in a 4-3 victory over San Francisco Feb. 24 in Mesa, Ariz., and gave up one earned run and a hit in three innings of work (no decision) in a 6-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks March 1. ���Jeff looks a little better than he did last year when he reported for camp,��� Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio told ESPN in late February. ���The solid year he had last season, learning how to set up hitters and learning how to change speeds, has carried over. He is in great shape. After running an hour and a half up Camelback Mountain, he threw a solid 30-pitch bullpen. He is in a pretty good place right now.��� MLB Notes ��� Looking to claim the fifth spot in the New York Yankees��� starting rotation, right-hander David Phelps (2005-08) had allowed just one earned run in four starts (14 innings) for a 0.64 ERA as of March 11. He had given up 10 hits, three walks and collected six strikeouts while compiling a 2-1 record. ���I proved to myself last year that I���m capable of getting bigleague hitters out,��� Phelps, who wasn���t expected to battle for a starting spot this year, told the New York Daily News. ���There are definitely things I need to work on, but I���m taking the positives from last year and trying to build on it. Everyone is out there just trying to make an impression.��� Phelps was solid out of the bullpen last season. He had started 86 of his 87 minor league games prior to the 2012 campaign, when he notched a 2.76 ERA in 421���3 innings over 22 relief appearances for the Yankees. ���Whatever is best for the team is what I want to do,��� Phelps said. ���I don���t want to be selfish and say I want to be a starter no matter what, because if that���s not the role they need me in, that���s not what���s beneficial for the team. I���ll just go out there and do my job, let it fall where it may.��� ��� After four seasons with the Minnesota Twins organization, jumping back and forth between the majors and Triple-A, righthander Jeff Manship (2004-06) signed a minor-league deal with the Colorado Rockies during the offseason. Colorado was last the majors in ERA (5.22), quality starts (27), batting average against (.290), and walks and hits allowed per inning (1.55) in 2012. He had a 6.00 ERA in three innings pitched through March 10. He posted a 7.89 ERA in 12 games, striking out 12 in 212���3 innings as a reliever for the Twins in 2012. ��� Looking for at least a role as a reserve outfielder with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the versatile 25-year-old A.J. Pollock (2007-10) hit .247 in 81 at-bats last season. He was hitting .267 in spring training with three RBI in 12 games through March 10. ��� Right-hander John Axford (2002-05), the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers, got off to a rough start with a 13.50 ERA in three games (22���3 innings) as of March 11. He posted a 4.67 ERA and registered a 5-8 record with 46 saves (48 opportunities) last season. ���