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MLB Network analyst Kevin Millar, who was one of the Chicago Cubs' last cuts heading into the 2009 season, said Monday that there was something lacking in Lou Piniella's managing style last year.

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Kevin Millar said finding out that he did not make the Chicago Cubs roster on Tuesday was "the toughest day I've had in this game."

"I've never been released," Millar said Wednesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "Fortunately, I've had an opportunity to play with a couple of different teams and play for a long time, but [Tuesday] was the first time I've ever been released. You knew that day was going to come. I still felt confident going into the clubhouse [Tuesday] that I was breaking camp with the Cubbies. It was still a situation where I felt like I was a nice fit for that spot."

The Cubs picked left-handed hitting third baseman/first baseman Chad Tracy over the right-handed hitting Millar. From a statistical standpoint, neither player stood out this spring, with Tracy batting .243 with six RBIs and Millar batting .242 with a home run and three RBIs.

Soon after general manager Jim Hendry told him the news Tuesday morning, the 38-year-old Millar said the reality of the situation hit him.

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Listen to Millar's interview on "Waddle & Silvy"

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The last bench spot on the Chicago Cubs came down to two veteran newcomers.

Chad Tracy beat out Kevin Millar in a move that didn't seem clear cut coming down the stretch. Tracy's inclusion on the 25-man roster was announced Tuesday afternoon by general manager Jim Hendry before the Cubs' game against the San Francisco Giants. The Cubs also announced that rookie reliever James Russell made the club.

Neither Tracy or Millar, backup infielders signed to add experience to the Cubs' bench, had been in this situation before. Millar had never been released and Tracy hadn't had to fight for a job since 2004, three years after he was drafted. Signed in the offseason, Tracy will back up Aramis Ramirez at third and spell Derrek Lee at first, while giving the Cubs a valuable left-handed bat off the bench.

"Everybody had merit, everybody had different contributions," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "We talked about it long and hard, and decided to keep Tracy."

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It was a really busy day in Cubs camp as new owner Tom Ricketts and other team officials made the rounds, schmoozing with the media and Cubs personnel.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig also attended the Cubs-Padres game in Mesa and pronounced the Arizona legislature’s attempt at establishing a “Cubs ticket tax” to provide funding for future spring training facilities, like the Cubs’ planned venture, is dead. Selig appointed Major League executive John McHale Jr. to lead the way for baseball in its quest to find other revenue in order to build new Arizona baseball facilities as well as keep the Cactus League viable.

The commissioner said he had the 2012 and 2013 All-Star Game to try to fill before he broached the idea of the Chicago Cubs getting the All-Star Game to mark the the 100th anniversary of Wrigley field in 2014. The Cubs have hosted the Mid-Summer Classic in 1947, 1962 and 1990.

Selig had many nice things to say about the Ricketts family, who he spent time with in the morning before attending the game. After talking to the media, Selig spent some time conversing with his friend, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry before he left the Cubs' complex.

The Cubs traded infielder Andres Blanco to the Rangers for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The move opened up a spot for either Kevin Millar or Chad Tracy to make the team. “I feel confident,” Millar said. “We have a great group of guys here. I just want these guys to believe that.” Millar was asked if it was a friendly competition between him and Tracy for that 25th spot on the roster. “You root for each other, and you pull for each other,” Millar said. “He’s done a great job (Tracy). Ultimately, they’ll have to make a decision.” Manager Lou Piniella said he would make his final roster decisions on Tuesday with the likely announcement coming on Wednesday.

There were a number of reasons why the Cubs traded Andres Blanco to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later on Saturday afternoon.
General manager Jim Hendry filled in some of those blanks.

“He was out of options; he couldn’t go back to the minor leagues,” Hendry said. “We felt like he wouldn’t have gone through waivers and cleared, and even if he did, he would have been able to elect free agency, since he’s been outrighted before. At least this way, we can get a player to be named later or cash considerations.”

The Cubs decided earlier in the week that second baseman Mike Fontenot would be able to sufficiently back up shortstop Ryan Theriot. That decision made Blanco expendable, which also opened up a spot on the roster for either Kevin Millar or Chad Tracy to take. A decision on the other bench players, including Millar and Tracy will come sometime Tuesday, according to manager Lou Piniella.

Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry talked at length on Tuesday about the impact of special assistant Greg Maddux and his contribution during spring training.

"When Greg is on your team you're better," Hendry said. "He's exactly what I wanted him to be, and I have no doubt that he has helped a lot of people in this camp. He'd be the last guy to take any credit for that or talk about himself."

Hendry was pretty right-on about his commentary about Maddux. I asked the 355-game winner what spring training has been like for him.

"This has been a fun spring training, one I've enjoyed and learned a lot," Maddux said. "I enjoy being around the players and exchanging ideas. I hope to continue to keep learning at this level."

Hendry went on to talk about the impact Maddux has had during his first spring training as a front office executive.

"I'm thrilled he's here," Hendry said. "It's been a positive in every capacity. He's going to be capable of doing a lot of important jobs down the road, if he chooses. He's about as smart a player as we've ever seen."

Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny, and Sean Marshall are just a few of the pitchers who have given Maddux credit for technical and psychological support.

"He's the most successful non-promoting person I've ever met," Hendry said of Maddux.

Maddux will be with the Cubs' minor-league affiliates the first couple months of the season. He will also spend time with assistant general manager Randy Bush and super scout Gary Hughes, learning how to break down games from a scouting perspective. Maddux will also spend time with the Cubs' big-league team as well as have some flexibility to go back to Las Vegas and California for family time.

Hendry and manager Lou Piniella said the Cubs will trim the roster to around 30 players on Friday. At that time they are expected to also name their starting rotation and bullpen pitchers. A battle for the bench role will continue until late next week. The candidates include Chad Tracy, Micah Hoffpauir, Kevin Millar, Sam Fuld, Andres Blanco and Tyler Colvin. Fuld and Colvin are competing for the fifth outfield spot.- The Cubs had a front office and coaches meeting on Monday afternoon to go over roster moves and trade possibilities. Piniella said that the meeting lasted an hour and a half. Participants in the meeting were Piniella and his coaching staff along with Hendry, Bush, Hughes, Maddux and baseball administrator Chuck Wasserstrum. The Cubs usually have one or two of these meetings during spring training.

Xavier Nady will begin playing in the field over the next 10 days. The plan is for him to play in major- and minor-league games in the outfield and first base. Nady is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, replacing a ligament in his right arm for the second time in his career. The plan is for Nady not to overextend himself as far as throwing for now and in the near future. Nady will come out of games for defensive replacements in late game situations during the season in an attempt to prevent him from overthrowing as well as for the team to be able to protect one and two-run leads.

Piniella said Ted Lilly will pitch in his first minor-league game on March 27. The plan for now is for Lilly not to pitch in any Cactus League games. Lilly will continue to work on building his innings up in minor-league competition. His first outing he will be held to two innings pitched. Piniella said they are expecting Lilly back with the team some time in the second half of April.

Carlos Silva was removed from his start on Sunday after two innings with tightness in his right quadriceps muscle. Silva was originally scheduled to throw at least five innings as he attempts to win a rotation spot. The veteran pitcher was not thought to be hurt too seriously.

Silva was able to go to the bullpen after coming out of his start and throw 45 pitches. Silva said that he felt a twinge of pain in the quad while warming up in the bullpen before his start. The veteran pitcher said he wanted to stay in the game, but the coaching staff had him come out and throw in the 'pen instead.

Silva calls the injury “just a cramp.”

Cubs management will have a big meeting after the game on Monday in order to discuss final roster spots going toward the regular season. At that time, general manager Jim Hendry will update the coaches, manager and front office on where the team stands on possible trades and options for their 40-man roster. The Toronto Blue Jays continue to scout all of the Cubs’ spring training games, and the Cubs have had their top scouts looking at right-handed pitcher Jason Frasor, a 31-year-old relief pitcher from Oak Forest. Frasor would go right into the role of the eighth-inning set-up man for the Cubs if he is acquired.

Manager Lou Piniella spent time at the Blackhawks-Coyote game with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and his family Saturday night. Contrary to reports, the Guillen family did not teach Piniella how to tweet. However, MLB.com reporter Carrie Muskat did give the Cubs manager a rudimentary quick lesson on how tweeting works, showing him on her BlackBerry. Piniella said he and Guillen talked about Ozzie’s son, Osney, who has accepted a scholarship to Florida State University to play baseball. Piniella is a friend of the baseball coach at the University, and told the Guillens that they made the right choice.

Piniella will pare down his choice of the five rotation pitchers by late this week. “We have Silva going [Sunday], [Jeff] Samardzija on Monday, [Sean] Marshall Wednesday and [Tom] Gorzelanny on Thursday. After that, it’s decision time. We’ll put people in their prospective roles and go from there.” The team’s bullpen will be impacted by Piniella’s decision on March 24. It’s assumed the two starting pitchers who don’t’ make the rotation will go into the team’s bullpen. However, if Samardzija doesn’t make the rotation, the club will have a tough decision to make as to whether to put him in the bullpen or return him to Triple-A Iowa in order to continue his progress as a starting pitcher.

The Cubs left third baseman Aramis Ramirez and the entire starting lineup behind, except for Mike Fontenot at their complex instead of playing in Sunday’s game. Ramirez’s strained right triceps still have him listed as day-to-day.

Veteran Kevin Millar played left field for the first time this spring on Sunday. Piniella was once again asked about his chanced of making the team. “I like chemistry,” Piniella said. “I’ve always like chemistry. I’ve always liked to have teams nice and loose. He (Millar) brings a lot to the team in regards to veteran experience. There’s no substitute for it, especially on a bench.”

Piniella said trainer Mark O’Neil advised him that he could use outfielder Xavier Nady in the outfield sometime by the end of this coming week. Piniella doesn’t want Nady to throw all out, but insists that the outfielder needs to play in order to get his legs game-ready for the season. Piniella said unequivocally, that Nady will be on the 25-man roster, not on the disabled list to start the season.

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella made it official on Saturday -- rookie right-hander Justin Berg has made the pitching staff to start the 2010 season. Piniella said there’s still a battle for the last bullpen spot between left-handers John Gaub, James Russell and Marcos Mateo, as well as right-hander Mike Parisi.

Parisi was a Rule 5 acquisition. If he doesn’t make the team, he has to be offered back to the St. Louis Cardinals for the waiver price.

Fuld vs. Colvin: The Cubs are leaning toward keeping a defensive outfield specialist for their Opening Day roster. It appears it will come down to a battle between Sam Fuld and Tyler Colvin.

Colvin has been the team’s hottest hitter this spring, however, there’s some in the organization that aren’t convinced he can handle center field for any extended period of time.

Fuld is a wizard at handling all three outfield positions and also adds a little more speed to the bench if he makes the team.

Millar vs. Tracy: Veterans Kevin Millar and Chad Tracy are both trying to make the 25-man roster. For Piniella and his staff, it’s a difficult choice to make. Piniella was asked if both could possibly make the team.

“It’s hard,” Piniella said. “I’m not saying it’s not possible. We like both players a lot. There’s a lot to say about contributions and leadership from your veterans.”

The rotation: Piniella and pitching coach Larry Rothschild have mapped out an Opening Day plan where the starters will get three starts apiece in April. After that, the Cubs are hoping that rehabbing left-hander Ted Lilly will be able to return to the rotation.

The leaders for the fourth and fifth spots appear to be left-hander Tom Gorzelanny and righty Carlos Silva. Piniella said he’ll make a decision on the rotation by March 24.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Chicago Cubs' bus ride from Mesa to Tucson on Monday was more like a "National Lampoon's Vacation" movie than the usual two-and-a-half hour monotonous ride.

Forty miles into the trip the bus had to stop and wait for a mechanic to come out and change a broken radiator hose. Kevin Millar helped the team pass the 45-minute delay by doing his Frank Caliendo routine, imitating numerous celebrities, including John Madden and Charles Barkley.

"He really nailed the Barkley imitation," outfielder Sam Fuld said of Millar, who also did his best Clint Eastwood from "Gran Torino."

The Cubs missed batting practice due to the delay.

Left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly will return to the Cubs on Thursday after he went home for the birth of his child on Sunday. Manager Lou Piniella reiterated on Monday that Lilly is progressing nicely while rehabbing his surgically repaied left shoulder.

Piniella said he will most likely lead off with Ryan Theriot and hit Fukudome second in his lineup this season. Piniella said he is 80 percent certain that Theriot will be the lead-off man.

Relief pitcher Jeff Gray should face live hitting some time by the end of this week, according to Piniella. The former Oakland Athletics pitcher strained a groin two weeks before spring training began on Feb. 17.

Jeff Samardzija will pitch in a minor-league intrasquad game on Wednesday. That happens to be the Cubs' official day off during spring training, however the team wants him to pitch in order to get his work in as he continues to compete for one of the two rotation spots available.

Piniella said that Jeff Baker and Millar will get some playing time in left field over the next few weeks. Piniella said Mike Fontenot has taken the lead over Baker for the second base job.

Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez are not expected to play until Thursday. The Cubs have a home game Tuesday at HoHoKam Stadium before Wednesday's scheduled off day. Ramirez asked Piniella if he could DH on Tuesday, but Piniella wants Xavier Nady to get those at-bats. Ramirez is recovering from a strained right triceps. Lee is working his way back from a sore left foot after that he fouled a ball of it last Wednesday.

The Cubs will start right-handed pitcher Carlos Silva in Peoria, Ariz. against the Padres on Thursday. Manager Lou Piniella said that the regular lineup will be held back to hit at Ho-Ho-Kam Park while players battling for bench positions like Kevin Millar, Chad Tracy, Bryan LaHair and Micah Hoffpauir will play in the game.

Outfielder Xavier Nady played in his first spring training game on Wednesday, getting three at-bats as the team’s DH. Piniella said Nady might not be ready at 100 percent until June. Nady will still be able to play with his arm at less than 100 percent, however. The Cub outfielder is recovering from a second Tommy John surgery on his right elbow ligament. Nady said he’s not sure of a timetable, either, as to when he’ll be ready to throw at a 100 percent. At this juncture, Nady is throwing at 120 feet.

Right-handed pitcher Carlos Zambrano's second outing of the spring was a success until the third inning, when according to Piniella, Zambrano lost some of his velocity. Zambrano said that he was pleased with the outing and got in some valuable work.

Cubs team president Crane Kenney is back in Mesa for his third trip to Arizona this spring. Kenney was in town, along with owner Tom Ricketts, on March 5 to converse with Arizona legislators about the team’s planned $84 million new stadium in East Mesa. A site should be chosen in the very near future.

MESA, Ariz. -- The Chicago Cubs have tried pretty much everything else over the last century, so why not bring in a certified curse-buster?

Why not Kevin Millar, one of Boston's most celebrated title-winning "idiots" of 2004? Why not one of several Red Sox players who took part in pre-game whiskey-sipping rituals to facilitate the end of the dreaded Curse of the Bambino? Why not the dude who made "Cowboy Up!" a Beantown rallying cry?

"I agree," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Tuesday. "The situation you've alluded to, I think we're all aware of it ... so your question is answered with a yes."

Piniella can't even bring himself to utter the word "curse." Nevertheless, he acknowledges that the most championship-starved franchise in sports -- 101 years and counting -- could do worse than enlist the fun-loving Millar as a good-luck charm.

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First baseman Derrek Lee spent his first day in camp doing multiple interviews before and after the team’s first practice. The veteran Cub said he wasn’t interested in approaching the team about a contract extension.

Lee, a free agent after 2010, did say he’d be happy to listen to the Cubs if they did have any offers. He also said he’d prefer not to negotiate any contract during the season because he doesn’t want it to become a distraction to the team.

Manager Lou Piniella said that Lee, Ted Lilly and Ramirez, all potential free agents in 2011, are no concerns of his. The Cubs skipper said he had no worries that any of the three would be distractions due to pending free agency, calling them consummate pros.

• Team owner Tom Ricketts and his family spent the morning talking to the team and coaching staff about the present and the future of the organization. Ricketts, along with sister, Laura, and brothers, Pete and Todd, spent the afternoon looking at possible future sites for the Cubs’ future spring training complex. According to sources, all the sites they looked at are in the East Mesa area, somewhere between eight and 10 miles from the current complex.

• Utility man Kevin Millar continues to impress Chicago Cubs veterans and rookies alike with his uncanny ability to make people laugh and keep them loose. If Millar can beat out other candidates as the team’s 25th man, it will be a big positive in a clubhouse that sorely needs the type of fun and leadership Millar brings to the game.

• Third baseman Aramis Ramirez arrived in camp and admitted the Cubs’ chemistry in 2009 was way off. Ramirez pointed to the offseason additions of Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady as big improvements going into this season.

• The team’s second base competition will be between Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker, according to Piniella. Fontenot will also get a look as a potential backup shortstop early in camp. The Cubs coaching staff wants to be able to determine if Fontenot is capable of playing shortstop well enough to back up starter Ryan Theriot. If the consensus is no, then either infielder Andres Blanco will get the job or the team will pursue a trade for a backup shortstop during Cactus League play

• Nineteen-year-old prospect Starlin Castro made a strong impression on his new teammates and manager Piniella in his first day of camp. Piniella said Castro reminded him of a young Edgar Renteria.

• Former Comcast producer and operations director Lissa Druss Christman was the point person for the Ricketts family’s trip to Mesa, doing all the PR. Druss recently left Comcast to join the PR firm headed by Dennis Culloton, who handles all the PR for the Ricketts family.

• Cubs radio broadcaster Ron Santo told me that he feels great and looks forward to 2010. Santo said his wife is planning a big birthday bash for him on Feb. 25 as Santo celebrates his 70th birthday. The likable Santo said 15 friends are flying in from Chicago for the party.