Sports and Health – The Chicago Cubs’ clubhouse opened to reporters at 8 a.m. on Tuesday at HoHoKam Park, but Kevin Millar was not available. He was gathering his teammates for a version of “American Idol,” with Millar as a judge.
“Show’s about to start, boys!” he bellowed from his locker, then tapped out the number of a tardy teammate on his cellphone. “Let’s go, Simon! Eight o’clock audition!”
A lot of Millar’s statements end in exclamation points — like “Cowboy up!” his slogan for the 2003 Boston Red Sox, who fell one game short of the World Series. The next season, with Millar as the ringleader, the Red Sox ended 86 years of futility with a championship.
Now, at 38, he is facing the most daunting challenge of all, trying to help the Cubs break a 102-year title drought. But first Millar has to make the team. He is here on a nonroster contract.
“We like Kevin,” Manager Lou Piniella said. “He’s a versatile player that’s played on winning teams. He’s a loosey-goosey guy that could help with our chemistry and our makeup. We’ll see what he’s got left here this spring, but so far, we’ve been pleased.”
Millar did not show much last season, batting .223 with seven home runs in a part-time role for the Toronto Blue Jays. He said the Cubs were his first choice for this year.
Millar was teammates in Florida with Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster and first baseman Derrek Lee. He wanted to play in the National League, where pinch-hitting is more common, and he wanted to train in Arizona, where he has a home. He is 2 for 5 in four games during spring training, and was hit by a pitch in a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
“It’s a dogfight now,” Millar said. “It doesn’t make sense on paper. People are going: ‘Where does he fit in? They’re all right-handed.’ Well, yeah, they’re right. It doesn’t make sense. But it doesn’t have to make sense. You fight as long as you can and maybe you get the nod.” Read more »
