Instead, Sean Marshall, the 23-year-old emergency fill-in in the Chicago Cubs' rotation, sounds as if he's at the local museum on a class field trip.

"I'm really enjoying myself," the kid says.

And over here, you'll find the Impressionists.

 

First-time big leaguer Sean Marshall has the mindset of a kid on a field trip. (Getty Images)

Marshall, a lefty who is 1-0 with a 7.71 ERA two starts into his big-league career, wasn't supposed to be on this trip. Not even close. With less than three full seasons in the minors and only 44 professional games pitched, even a brief stop at, say, the Triple-A level, probably would have been educational.

Instead, opportunity met timing this spring, and together they met poise, and next thing anybody knew, with aces Mark Prior and Kerry Wood on the shelf, camp was breaking and pitching coach Larry Rothschild was telling Marshall that he would be starting against St. Louis on Sunday, April 9.

"He's a very consistent person," says Cubs manager Dusty Baker, who will send Marshall to the mound for just the third time Wednesday in Dodger Stadium. "You can't tell when he's high or when he's low. His demeanor, his mound presence ... to me, he's full of quiet confidence.

"He has a pretty good idea of what he's doing. I remember in spring training I talked to him after a rough outing and he said he wasn't concerned with anything other than that he walked a couple of batters.

"That's pretty good."

Three weeks ago, most of the talk surrounding the Cubs had them simply attempting to stay afloat in these early days of the season with Wood and Prior on the disabled list, positioning themselves to make a move whenever those two return.

But as the lineup jells, the bullpen excels and the bench swells -- Cubs pinch-hitters were clipping along with a .412 batting average, second in the majors -- things suddenly aren't as bleak as they seemed. Following Tuesday night's 2-1 loss to Los Angeles, they are second in the NL Central at 8-5.

The Cubs had always counted on Marshall, only not quite this soon. They picked him in the sixth round of the 2003 draft out of Virginia Commonwealth University and, by the end of the 2005 season, he had wiggled his way up to the sixth-best prospect in the organization, according to Baseball America.

Now look at him.

While your boys are figuring out how to wear their jeans even lower and expose their boxers even more, Marshall is studying at the feet of a future Hall of Famer.

"I've noticed he sits next to Greg Maddux in the dugout," Baker says. "And you can see Maddux talking to him a lot."

Marshall held up reasonably well for four innings of his major-league debut against the Cardinals, a nationally televised Sunday night game, allowing Scott Rolen a two-run homer in the first and then keeping St. Louis off the board until getting into trouble in the fifth.

He is coming off of his first big-league win, an 11-6 decision over Pittsburgh on Friday in which he allowed four runs and five hits in five innings. Again, he was fairly good early, allowing just two runs through five innings, before running into trouble in the sixth.

"It seems like one inning has gotten him in trouble," Baker says.

Various theories abound on this -- opposing lineups adjusting to Marshall the second time through the order, the normal jitters of a young person -- and they all find their way back to one in particular.

"In spring training, we weren't counting on him much," Baker says. "Then there was a sudden impact, and we were searching for somebody."

And now the heat is on, and there is less margin for error.

"We feel he'll get better and better," Baker says. "As he gets more comfortable and as the umpires get to know him."

Marshall may be 23, but he doesn't look a day over 16. It's as if someone crossed Beaver Cleaver with Eddie Haskell.

"I learn something every day," he says. "Especially yesterday, watching Greg pitch (Maddux's 4-1 gem over Los Angeles in the series-opener Monday). It's a great experience, learning-wise."

Particularly for a guy who whipped through the minors like wind rushes through a convertible.

Rookie-level Boise (5-6, 2.57 ERA in 14 starts in 2003)?

"Seems like a long time ago," Marshall says. "Great city. Very clean. Great atmosphere. The weather is nice and the people are very friendly."

Class A Lansing (3-0 in eight starts in '03 and '04 combined)?

"Quick in and quick out. It's a good park. The Lugnuts -- a good fan base."

Class A Daytona (4-4 in 12 starts in '05)?

"Hot and humid. I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could."

Double-A West Tenn (2-3 in 10 combined starts in '04 and '05)?

"Long bus rides. A nice park, a good place to pitch in."

Maybe it was the memory of those 14-hour bus rides between Jackson, Tenn. (home of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx) and Jacksonville, Fla., that spurred Marshall to hone his fastball, change-up and deceptively effective curve toward 10 2/3 scoreless Cactus League innings this spring.

He's gone from reporting to camp planning to prove he should begin the season at the Triple-A level -- rather than being bounced back to Double-A -- to something much grander.

Now the trick is hanging onto it.

"I don't feel any pressure," he insists. "I want to go out and do my best to help the Cubs win, to put a good taste in people's mouths -- players, coaches and fans."

In no way are the Cubs expecting any duplication of Wood's rookie feats -- including the vaunted 20-strikeout game in Wood's fifth major-league start.

All they ask is that Marshall throw strikes, give them a chance to win -- and help them buy some time until you-know-who is healthy enough to re-join the rotation.

"There aren't many Fernando's who overwhelm everybody right away," Baker says, gazing out onto the Dodger Stadium field and remembering the times when Fernando Valenzuela spun magic as a rookie. "The main thing is to get him deeper into some games.

"He's had some trouble in the fourth and fifth. That's the main thing."

Mostly, Marshall just remains that kid on a field trip.

"I want to learn," he says. "I want to learn what it's going to take to have a career in the big leagues. I want to go earn myself a job -- a job this year, and a spot for next year."