Daryle Ward

Earlier this month I raised the possibility that Daryle Ward may retire this spring. Last year Marquis Grissom, a great player in his prime, was brought to spring training but retired during the last week, opening a spot for youngster Angel Pagan.

The truth is, Daryle Ward is not going to be retiring. He will be turning 32 this June and showed yesterday that he has a lot of baseball left in him. Whether he will play more than a year in Chicago is another question for another day.

Despite a .216 average for the spring, Ward’s spot on the roster is secure. Piniella and his staff know what Ward can do. He started in the Houston outfield in 2002 hitting twelve home runs and knocking in 72 RBIs. He is a career .262 hitter that will not steal any bases and will strike out a lot.

In other words, he is a good left-handed stick off the bench. Last year, for the Washington Nationals, he played in 78 games, but only started 14 in the field. He gathered most of his 104 at bats coming off the bench.

Any player wanting innings does not have to worry about Ward. Any manager wanting a serious left hand pinch hitter will be pleased. You need a guy like Ward around to play “fill-in” and who can do some serious damage from time to time.

Look at yesterday. The Cubs trailed most of the game until Ward showed up. In the seventh inning, he hit a tie-breaking, two-out single. In the ninth inning, he came up with the bases jammed and slammed everyone home. Final score: Texas 7, Cubs 11. Thank you, Daryle.

During the season, these moments will be few, but may be memorable. With an outfield full of hungry youngsters (Matt Murton, Felix Pie, Buck Coats, Ryan Theriot, Pagan), and more on the way, I questioned why General Manager Jim Hendry would pick up an older outfielder/first baseman for this club. After watching Ward play, I may have discovered what he was thinking.