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It's Samardzija Time
Written by wrigleyville   
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
OK -- the Cubs aren't doing well. If it ain't one thing, it's another. Lou is grasping for answers. And the best way to get out of this funk is to shake things up. And how better to shake things up than bring on the Kid -- Jeff Samardzija. The Cubs need to put him centerstage right now. He's talented. He's poised. And he's got an aura that will bring some electricity to the team, energize the clubhouse and get his teammates back on track again. And arguably -- or not so arguably -- there's few on the Cubs right now who have performed on a bigger stage, and delivered, than Jeff Samardzija. Whether you're a Domer fan or not (I'm not despite my Irish heritage), playing football for ND in huge games and major bowl games with overbearing, elitist alums bearing down on you is as big a pressure-cooker as you can find in sports. And Samardzija played in, and delivered big plays, some of the biggest, most exciting games in college football this decade. A playoff chase is nothing compared to the stage he played on for Notre Dame. He's not going to get rattled -- which is exactly what's happening to our friend Mr. Marmol. (Woodie... God bless him, but he's doing exactly what we all secretly knew he would do at this point in the season, but were afraid to say it out loud with hopes it wouldn't come true then. I think it's time for an "arm injury" and graceful trip to the DL for our hero.) So two options for The Kid: 1.) Make him the closer. Right now. No ambiguity. Lou needs to declare him the man. He's got the stuff. He's got the attitude. And he'll deliver. And when he does, it will bring a renewed energy that'll pump up the clubhouse and get some of the "older" guys off their duffs and back on track. 2.) Put him in the rotation. Let's put aside that it's ridiculous Marshall is getting the spot starts instead of Samardzija right now. But if Z is hurting and needs more time out -- who's going to bring the "lift" and the "spark" by stepping in for the Cubs emotional leader and winning? Marshall? First, he won't win; second who will care. No -- Samardzija starting will generate a buzz, and when he wins, he'll be a sparkplug for the team. I'd prefer Option 1 as that will get Samardzija into the action on a more regular basis, thus providing a more regular spark and sustained buzz for the team. I'd really only prefer Option 2 if Z truly is hurting and they need to shut him down for an extended period of time. Regardless, Samardzija is being completely underutilized as the setup man to the setup man for an erratic closer. Gaudin can play that role just fine. Perhaps the reason The Kid's not playing a more central role already is that Lou can't spell his name. Which is hard...keep mixing up the i and j, personally. I have it written on a piece of paper next to my laptop and have to look at it every time I type his name. Bottom line -- what do we have to lose? Cubs are in funk. Their manager doesn't know what to do. The old guys (Lee, Aramis, Dempster, Lilly, etc.) seem to be tiring and need a jump start. Instead of limping into the postseason, let's generate some electricity. And there's really only one guy on the team who can jolt them back to life: The Kid. Jeff Samardzija. It's time to bring a little rookie-mania to center stage. Plus, I still want 100 wins. That's the truly magic number that will break the curse!

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