Cubs’ Marshall seems hooked on bullpen role

By Michael Phillips

Published: July 18, 2009

Former VCU standout Sean Marshall has allowed but three runs in 161/3 innings out of the bullpen in 2009. WASHINGTON Given a few days off for the all-star break, Chicago Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall returned home to Chesterfield to pursue his other passion -- fishing.

In fact, it's what first got the left-hander mentioned in The Times-Dispatch, 18 years ago.

The May 9 outdoors page that year carried a note that an 8-year-old Marshall caught a citation crappie while fishing at Pocahontas State Park with his twin brother Brian. Sean laughed at the memory.

"I remember that," the VCU alum said yesterday. "And that paper is still hanging on the wall at home."

He's still making news with his arm, but it's not his casting motion anymore. He's moved from the starting rotation to a spot as the only left-handed reliever for the Cubs.

The lefty reliever job is one of the most specialized roles in sports, with managers often calling the pitcher on short notice to throw to just a single left-handed batter.

"It took me a little time to get used to the bullpen," he said. "When the phone rings, you've got to be ready to jump off the bench and be ready to get in. I feel like I've adjusted to that now."

In 172/3 innings of relief this season, he's allowed just three runs. Last night, in the second game of a series against the Washington Nationals, he pitched to five batters. He threw 12 pitches 11 strikes and allowed just one hit before turning the game over to Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg, who protected a 3-1 Chicago victory.

The Cubs are 45-43 now, and since the season started Marshall has learned to be ready for whatever manager Lou Piniella throws his way including a stint in left field.

Last Sunday, Piniella moved Marshall to left field for one batter, to protect his eligibility in the game because he was the team's only left-handed pitcher. That put him within shouting distance of Wrigley Field's famed bleachers.

"They were great. They gave me a standing ovation," Marshall said of the fans. "They kept chanting, 'We are Marshall.'"

He had nothing but great things to say about the city as a whole and the storied ballpark in which he plays.

"This has got to be the best place to play baseball," he said. "You're just supposed to play baseball here."

He's proven to be an essential piece of the Cubs team, mostly because of his left arm.

Pinella said before yesterday's game that a move back to the starting rotation might be necessary due to injuries on the pitching staff -- but emphasized that it's not a move he wants to make. He feels that Marshall has found his groove in the bullpen.

"He's done a heck of a job," the manager said. "He's one of the keys to our bullpen functioning well, and we've been very pleased with him."

Piniella, one of the league's most quotable personalities, also weighed in on Marshall's fishing. Pinella was asked if he'd ever been out with the amateur angler.

"No. I only go out with professional fishermen," he said to laughter.

Marshall doesn't have much time for fishing in Chicago, which made the past few days at home that much sweeter. He said he reeled in some croaker on the York River.

After waiting as long as possible, he made the drive up to Washington for the series, and yesterday afternoon said that a large contingent of family was on the way to attend the weekend games.

His twin brother Brian pitched with him at Manchester and VCU, and still plays rec league ball in the Richmond area, where he keeps track of his brother's outings.

It's hard to keep track of exactly what Marshall is doing for the Cubs, given that his duties apparently are still subject to change. But his flexibility and dependability have ensured that Marshall will keep the biggest catch of all a Major League roster spot -- for quite some time.