--The Cubs opened a season without anybody on the disabled list for the first time since 1986.
--RHP Jeff Samardzija is expected to work as a starting pitcher for Class AAA Iowa once he gets settled, but the Cubs expect to limit him to two or three innings at the beginning. Samardzija went to spring training battling to become the fifth starter, a job that went to LHP Sean Marshall. After Marshall won the job, Samardzija went to the bullpen, where he worked in short stints. So the Cubs want to stretch him back out before letting him go long as a starter at Iowa. Samardzija was 0-1 with a 7.63 ERA in the Cactus League. --C Koyie Hill broke camp with the Cubs for the first time in three years in the organization. Hill spent most of the last two years at Iowa. He beat out veteran Paul Bako for the backup catcher's job. The Cubs said Hill was familiar with their pitchers. They also like the job he did helping to mentor Geovany Soto at Iowa in 2007. Hill also is a switch hitter. He batted .392 with a homer in the Cactus League.
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- RHP Carlos Marmol is the only holdover from the Cubs' opening-day bullpen in 2008. Gone are LHPs Carmen Pignatiello and Scott Eyre and RHPs Michael Wuertz, Bob Howry and Kerry Wood.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It looked like the stars and the moon and the sun and everything was aligned." -- Manager Lou Piniella, lamenting the Cubs reaching the 100th anniversary of their last world championship but failing to deliver last year
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