Some updates on Shark!

[Shark Attack]

As an avid Jeff Samardzija fan, I feel obligated to start following baseball a bit more now that he's signed with the cubs, and just wanted to share a few articles on his up-and-coming baseball career, with some estimates that he may make it to the major leagues in 2 years!

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070301&content_id=1822332&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp

http://blog.uhnd.com/category/jeff-samardzija/

Enjoy!

 

[leprechaun4life]

Apparently Samardzija is doing very with his baseball profession. According to one scout, he has the best arm he has ever seen, with a great slider, and could be pitching in the bigs pretty quickly at this rate.

 

[notredomer23]

I hear his fast ball reaches 99 at its peak

 

[johnnd05]

I hear his fast ball reaches 99 at its peak

I hear he can throw 96 mph from his knees.

 

[Shark Attack]

Haha, whatever the case, I'm preparing to be a Cubs fan in a couple of years

 

[irish24notredame]

I love this because I'm already a Cubs fan, so this is just a plus. I think he'll be up in Chicago in 2 years, maybe 1 1/2. I think he did very well when he was in Major League camp.

 

[kjones]

I hear he can even throw a baseball farther than Russell can throw a football, and that's at least to the moon and back.

 

[goirish#1]

I was looking forward to seeing him pitch because our area just got a single A team, but I was a bit dissapointed to see him pitching fora team in Datona Florida, I hope he does well though.

 

[Newc]

I've heard from quite a few baseball "gurus" that Jeff is progressing much better than the Cubs could have expected and that a pro debut is very likely in the next couple years.

 

[Shark Attack]

Shark now has his own website: http://jeff-samardzija.com/index.asp

 

[goirish#1]

Shark now has his own website: http://jeff-samardzija.com/index.asp

Thanks for the website! That thing is cool, I will continue to go on it.

 

[goldendomer]

The cubs finally did something right? How bout that....This guy is a freak a real natural athelete....

 

[leprechaun4life]

Let's hope his arm is durable. We wouldn't want the Cubs to throw it out, like all their other pitchers.

 

[big daddy]

I wonder if he would consider playing football in the future.

 

[kjones]

I wonder if he would consider playing football in the future.

Nope. He won't.

(it's been pretty clearly stated)

 

[ackirl]

Think anyone takes a flier and drafts Samardzija in the seventh round? I just noticed that the Chicago Bears have two picks in that round.

 

[IrishGirl10]

i don't understand baseball really at all, how long does he have to play in the minors before he can go to the majors?

 

[Junkhead]

Think anyone takes a flier and drafts Samardzija in the seventh round? I just noticed that the Chicago Bears have two picks in that round.

It wouldn't matter, but someone could do that. I really do see him changing his mind now.

 

[goldendomer]

i don't understand baseball really at all, how long does he have to play in the minors before he can go to the majors?

he doesnt have to play anytime in the minors but every team does it so the player can mature and just adjust to more seasoned hitters as he progressed and isnt throw to the lions where he may lose confidence....smart thing is to let this guy stay about 2 years in the minors and learn to pitch and just wait for an sept. call up

 

[NDgettysburg]

I hear he can throw 96 mph from his knees.

Yes, I've heard. He kills men by the hundreds, and if he were here he'd consume the opponent with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse.

 

[goirish#1]

Jeff got moved up to the AA team.

 

[johnnd05]

From the SB Trib:

Former ND wide receiver Jeff Samardzija is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA as a starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate, the Tennessee Smokies, in two starts since being promoted from Class A.

Pretty solid!

 

[johnnd05]

Samardzija gains ground

Ex-Irish football star excels in Double A; Prior continues rehabilitation

August 16, 2007

The Cubs could use a hard-throwing, 6-foot-5-inch, 220-pound right-handed starter with good movement on his pitches.

They had that guy in Mark Prior when he won 18 games in 2003. But he has been nagged by injuries since and is out for this season following major shoulder surgery.

There is another 6-5 right-hander in the Cubs' farm system whose right shoulder is sound, and his career arrow appears to be pointing up. That would be former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, who has been performing better for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies (2-0, 1.46 ERA) than he was at Class-A Daytona (3-8, 4.95).

"I'm going to try to get up to Knoxville to see him pitch," said Tim Wilken, the Cubs' director of scouting.

Samardzija has allowed two earned runs in 12 1/3 innings in the Southern League.

"He's throwing better quality strikes," Wilken said. "He's more consistent with his delivery, his slider is improving all of the time and his changeup is coming around. The combination of getting a more consistent release point has helped him a lot. And he's not as visible (in terms of showing the baseball before throwing it) to the hitters. I think he's starting to feel it a little bit."

Could Samardzija be heading north next month?

"Once those things I mentioned become more and more consistent, then I think he's going to be pushing the envelope a little bit," Wilken said.

Meanwhile, Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild said he spoke with Prior a few weeks ago. He's been out of sight this season, but not out of mind.

In April, Prior underwent right shoulder arthroscopy, performed by James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. During the arthroscopy Andrews also performed a debridement of his right rotator cuff and repaired labral and capsular injuries in his right shoulder.

"He's not even throwing yet, so he's pretty much in the trainers' hands right now as far as the program," Rothschild said. "Until we get farther down the line, I just talk to him intermittently. I'll just let him get through this part of the rehab."

Rothschild said Prior's mental and emotional health are just as important as his physical rehabilitation at this point in his career.

"I think that is always the case, particularly for a younger guy after surgery," he said.

 

[NDboy15]

Good for Jeff. Hope Prior can regain his 2003 form.

 

[johnnd05]

Smokies pitcher used to crowds

Friday, August 17, 2007

By David Paschall
Staff Writer

Chattanooga baseball fans can make Jeff Samardzija feel at home this weekend, at least to some extent.

Samardzija, who last autumn became the leading receiver in University of Notre Dame football history, is scheduled to be the starting pitcher Saturday night for the Tennessee Smokies against the Lookouts at AT&T Field. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder routinely played football in sold-out venues and on national television, but the last time he took the mound before a packed house?

"That's a good question," Samardzija said. "The Big East tournament, maybe?"

After making 20 starts for Daytona in the high Class A Florida State League, where crowds are measured by the hundreds, Samardzija was promoted Aug. 2. He has made two starts at home before mediocre crowds, going 2-0 with a 1.46 earned run average, so Saturday will mark his Double-A road debut and his first professional outing before a sold-out audience.

Saturday is "Used Car Night" at AT&T, a guarantee all 6,340 seats will be filled.

"I don't think it will be that big of an adjustment," Samardzija said. "You've got to get yourself ready to play no matter if there are 100 people there or 100,000 people there."

Smokies pitching coach Dennis Lewallyn has given Samardzija pointers the past two weeks but is skipping the lesson of performing in front of big crowds.

"That will be a smaller crowd than he's used to," Lewallyn said. "He has played against USC in the (Los Angeles) Coliseum in front of 90,000, and the Sugar Bowl was in front of 80,000 or so. He's very easygoing anyway and doesn't let things like that affect him."

After amassing 78 receptions for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns in helping Notre Dame to a second straight BCS bowl, Samardzija picked baseball over football in January. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs last year in the fifth round after posting a 21-6 career record in 50 college baseball games.

Because he had a promising NFL career as leverage, Samardzija received a $10 million contract over five years.

Asked how baseball became his childhood love, the 22-year-old said, "I don't know. It was just something that happened. When you enjoy something, you don't dive into why you enjoy it. You just enjoy it. I enjoyed football and had a great time doing it, but when it came down to what I wanted to do with my life, it was a pretty clear decision."

Samardzija struggled this spring in Daytona and had a 3-8 record and 4.95 ERA at the time of his promotion, but Lewallyn said he got on a roll and earned the advancement. Lewallyn credits Daytona pitching coach Rich Bombard with adjusting Samardzija's mechanics.

"He's come up here throwing strikes and throwing three pitches over the plate," Lewallyn said. "His fastball has been in the 91-94 (mph) range. His breaking ball is better, and he's come up with a good changeup. We all know he's a good athlete, so he holds runners well."

Samardzija is nearing the unique predicament of a fall without football. He plans to keep up with former teammates in the NFL as well as in South Bend, but only on a limited basis.

"I really kind of want to stay away from that," he said. "I had my fun when I was there, and I don't want to be that guy who keeps hanging around and can't get away from it."

 

[The Polish Irishman]

There is a chance the Cubs will Bring Shark up when rosters expand on Sept. 1.

 

[johnnd05]

Smokies make it four in row

News Sentinel Staff
Sunday, August 19, 2007

Jeff Samardzija won his third consecutive Southern League game without a loss and the Tennessee Smokies defeated Chattanooga, 10-4, at AT&T Field on Saturday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Tyler Colvin and Nate Spears homered for the Smokies (31-24), who bounced back after dropping the opening game of the five-game series.

The Smokies have won 17 of their last 23 games and are off today. Their 10-game road trip continues Monday at Mobile against the BayBears.

The Smokies pounded 18 hits off Chattanooga pitching and saddled Lookouts starter Johnny Cueto (4-2), one of Cincinnati’s rising prospects, with the loss.

Colvin hit a two-run shot in the first and Spears’ solo blast in the third to trigger a four-run rally that snapped a 2-2 tie.

Jorge Cortes and Casey McGehee each had four hits for Tennessee.

Samardzija allowed four runs and six hits over five innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out seven.

The Smokies, who trail the first-half champion Huntsville Stars by two games with 15 to go, return home to Smokies Park on Saturday to open a five-game series against the Lookouts (29-26).

 

[NDboy15]

Jeff's doing pretty good.

 

[johnnd05]

From B&G:

Speaking of pitchers with solid futures, as unlikely as the idea seemed in May, former Notre Dame star Jeff Samardzija is garnering serious consideration as a September call-up by the Cubs. The word is that the Cubs’ organization is not concerned about Samardzija’s mental makeup, so the fear of harming the fragile pitcher’s psyches will not factor in the decision.

 

[Mattmags]

wow, that would be interesting. As excited as I am to see him in the show, I'd be a little more cautious about bringing him up already. Do you think the Cubs would really benefit from him now? Regardless of us all being fans of Jeff, would it be a smart thing if it was anybody?