Corey Koskie

So I take off for a few days and Cubnut takes out Corey Koskie's career...I hope he uses these newfound powers for good in the future. An article from Muskat at cubs.com does say that Koskie has made it official and has quit baseball for good.

My brush with baseball while I was in Las Vegas for three days was seeing Pete Rose at a "Field of Dreams" store doing an autograph signing. Appropriately he was counting the money he had made as I passed by...a shame I didn't have my 1972 Topps card of him on me.

Cubs take on the White Sox today and the game is on MLB.tv at least. Here is the Cubs' lineup courtesy of Muskat:

LF Alfonso Soriano, SS Ryan Theriot, CF Reed Johnson, DH Milton
Bradley, 1B Jake Fox, 3B Mike Fontenot, 2B Aaron Miles, C Koyie Hill,
RF So Taguchi.

Sean Marshall will be doing the starting.

Paul Sullivan reports in the Tribune that Sean Marshall has been officially anointed the Cubs' 5th starter.

Says Manager Lou:

"Marshall is going to be the fifth starter, and [Aaron] Heilman is going to pitch in that seventh-eighth inning role."

Less positive news on Corey Koskie, subject of our earlier post. Koskie came out of today's win over the Mariners in the third inning.

"I think when he dove for [a grounder] it caused him some problems,"
Piniella said. "He mentioned he wasn't feeling well, so we just took
him out."

Haven't seen a lineup yet for this afternoon's Cubs-Mariners game, but Lou Piniella's stated plan with Corey Koskie is to "probably play him every couple days and see how he does..."

Koskie started Tuesday's game against the Dodgers and ripped a double off the centerfield wall in his first at-bat. He also walked and grounded out.

In looking for some information on Koskie, I came across an mlb.com article from April of last year, when the longtime Twin, still suffering from the after-effects of a concussion he suffered as a Brewer, dropped by the Metrodome.

Apparently unhappy with what they've seen so far from Luis Rivas, the Cubs have signed 30-year old super-sub IF-OF Esteban German to a minor league contract, with an NRI to Spring Training. German was released by the Kansas City Royals last Friday.

In 388 MLB games (with OAK, TEX, and mostly KC), German has played 2B-3B-SS-LF-CF, and even has gone behind the plate on ocacasion. A right-handed hitter, German has hit 277/358/383 over his big league career, with 28 SB (14 CS).

German possibly has a chance to make the Cubs 25-man Opening Day roster, although it would probably require the Cubs going with an 11-man pitching staff. Otherwise he will probably end up at Iowa.

In addition, the Cubs have cut five players, optioning OF Richie Robnett (acquired from OAK in the Michael Wuertz deal) to AAA Iowa, and sending Pitchers J. R. Mathes, Brian Schlitter, and Matt Smith, and Catcher Steve Clevenger to minor league camp. None of the cuts are a surprise. Contrary to what it says in the Official Press Release, the Cubs big league camp Spring Training roster actually now stands at 54 (not 53). They didn't count Esteban German when they added up the total).

Also, veteran 3B Corey Koskie has arrived at Cubs camp, and will be given a chance to show what he can do and if he has anything left. The 35-year old Koskie was a member of Team Canada in the WBC, after missing the 2006 and 2007 seasons with Post-Concussion Syndrome.  

My guess is that Koskie will go to Iowa to start the season as insurance in case something bad happens to Aramis Ramirez, with the understanding that he can request his release every 30 days (after 30 days, after 60 days, etc). The Cubs have had that type of arrangement in the past with veteran players who agree to play at AAA. 

Aaron Heilman goes for the Cubs, Jeff Marquez for the White Sox.

Corey Koskie signed a minor league deal and will join the Cubs after Team Canada is eliminated from the WBC. The Cubs have been searching for someone that could play third base and spell Aramis Ramirez on occasion, and with his left-handedness he seems like the perfect fit if the game hasn't passed him by.