Steve Wilson walked into manager Don Zimmer`s office Wednesday morning as a Chicago Cubs reliever and walked out as an Iowa Cubs starter.
Wilson has been used mainly as a reliever since he joined the Cubs in the Mitch Williams-for-Rafael Palmeiro deal two years ago. For his career, Wilson is 5-4 with a 3.77 earned-run average as a reliever, and 5-9 with a 5.50 ERA as a starter. But Zimmer thinks Wilson`s arm is better suited to the routine of starting.
Wilson didn`t pitch well this spring-he had an 8.31 ERA and gave up three home runs in 13 innings. But he also was a victim of numbers. The Cubs don`t need three lefties in the bullpen (Williams and Paul Assenmacher are the others), and they don`t need another starting pitcher. The move sealed a spot on the roster for rookie righty Heathcliff Slocumb.
Pappas sticks: Zimmer officially named Erik Pappas to replace the injured Hector Villanueva as a backup catcher and first baseman. ”I liked Pappas when I sent him down (two weeks ago),” Zimmer said. Pappas hit .364 this spring.
Bombs away: Pitching woes continued in a 9-2 rout by Oakland in Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The victims included Shawn Boskie (three earned runs and eight hits in six innings), Williams (two runs and three hits in an inning)
and Assenmacher (three runs and five hits in an inning).
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