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BYLINE: Paul Sullivan
PITTSBURGH— It didn't take long for Cubs fans to get into an uproar.
Despite a sterling performance by Jeff Samardzija and an opening day win over the Pirates, the spring struggles of closer Carlos Marmol took center stage in the minds of many discerning viewers.
Last week in Mesa, Ariz., manager Dale Sveum said he had "no worries" about Marmol's inconsistent performance in the Cactus League. But Sveum apparently was worried enough to pull the plug on Marmol four batters into his first appearance.
The decision paid off for the Cubs, as James Russell and Kyuji Fujikawa retired the final two hitters to give Samardzija a well-deserved win.
But now Marmol once again has a target on his back, and angry fans on Twitter begged Sveum to bury his closer once and for all and hand the job to someone else.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon tweeted that he turns off his TV when Marmol enters the game, adding: "You must be cursed to keep handing him the ball all these years … or dumb?" Comcast Sports Net's David Kaplan, the Cubs' hand-picked pre- and post-game TV host, sent out a barrage of tweets criticizing both Marmol and Sveum's decision to use him. "Definition of insanity is seeing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."Sveum's nickname may be "Nuts," but he's not insane. He was willing to risk damaging Marmol's ego in order to get the win, something most managers would be reluctant to do with their closer on opening day.
So what did the move say about Sveum?
"He wants to win," starter Edwin Jackson said. "It's known he wants to win. You see your starter go out and go deep into the ballgame like (Samardzija) did. He's going on how we feel. If he thinks you're looking strong, he'll keep you out. If not, then he'll go to whomever he feels like he has to go to get the job done."
Samardzija was outspoken in his support for Marmol, which is why he is considered one of the new leaders on the team. Despite fan outrage, the players can't abandon one of their teammates after one shaky performance. Asked how much of a letdown it would've been had the Cubs blown it in the ninth, he said: "Yeah, well it didn't (happen). We won. Nothing happened in the ninth."
Theo Epstein grew up a Red Sox fan before he began a career in baseball, so he can empathize with frustrated Cubs fans. But Epstein believes there's a big difference between the two fan bases, and that Chicagoans are more "optimistic" than their peers in Boston.
"As a Red Sox fan, especially before 2004, there was always a sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop," he said. "So even when things went well, you could never fully enjoy it, because you were always on the lookout with a sense of dread for something to go wrong.
"There might be some of that here, threads of that here, but I think there's a more dominant overriding sensibility of appreciating when things do go well, having a good time, hoping for the best. It's our job to provide a consistent winner where you can take that optimism, fulfill it for the fans and create something truly special."
On opening day of 2004, Red Sox fans cried incessantly about reliever Mike Timlin, who gave up three runs on three hits and two walks while retiring only two batters in a 7-2 loss to Baltimore. The Red Sox wound up winning their first World Series in 86 years, and Timlin was a valuable contributor out of the pen.
No one expects Marmol to lead the Cubs to a championship in 2013; most believe he'll be gone by the end of July.
But until Marmol is no longer a Cub, the team has to continue to support him, even if pitchfork sales drastically rise on the North Side.
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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."
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