If there were any doubt, Lance Dickson put it to rest Tuesday.
He won`t be in the starting rotation when the season opens next week.
In what probably was his last chance to change some minds, Dickson struggled Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians. He gave up eight runs on 12 hits in just 4 1/3 innings and picked up his third loss without a win this spring.
Dickson, a first-round draft choice of the Cubs in 1990, came into camp as a top contender for either the fourth or fifth starter`s spot. He pitched well but got the loss in his first outing, then was shelled for six earned runs in four innings his next time out.
After Tuesday`s performance against Cleveland, Dickson had worked 20 1/3 innings, allowing 17 earned runs for a 7.52 ERA.
He seems certain to start the season with Triple-A Iowa, where he was 4-4 with a 3.11 ERA last year.
One counts: The Cubs played two games Wednesday, the one against Cleveland, which they lost 8-2, and one at home against a minor-league all-star squad. Most of the regulars went to Tucson, where the loss dropped the Cubs to 11-16 in Cactus League play. The rest of the squad beat the minor-leaguers 8-4 behind Frank Castillo, who pitched seven innings, the longest a Cub starter has lasted this spring. Castillo gave up three runs on three hits and struck out six but came away without the decision. Reliever Chuck McElroy got the win when the Cubs came back to win it in the ninth on a grand slam by Dwight Smith.
Warmer climes: Castillo and Shawn Boskie, the apparent Nos. 4 and 5 starters, probably will stay behind in Arizona when the team heads north Thursday night. Manager Jim Lefebvre said the two could throw in minor-league games and catch up with the big-league club after the season-opener next week. But Lefebvre and his pitching coaches still are weighing that option. If things stand as they are now, Castillo likely would pitch the home opener against St. Louis April 10, and Boskie would go the next day. But nothing`s official yet.
Roster counting: With Les Lancaster gone, the Cubs are down to 29 players-four above the limit. Two of the four who will go are pitchers-probably Dickson and non-roster tryout Jeff Robinson, although Robinson has pitched well this spring and could stick if the Cubs come up with another trade.
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