"Once he got up where he could smell it, his character kind of took over. It doesn't happen often, but it happens with a guy lilke him. He's one of those guys who likes to shine in the big moment. We thought he'd be a guy who, when he got here, could deal with the second deck. He likes the big stage. We understood that early on."
--General Manager Jim Hendry, Chicago Cubs, discussing the ability of Jeff Samardzija to succeed in the major leagues after a less than stellar year and a half stint as a starter in the minor leagues.
Jeff Samardzija, a former star Notre Dame college football wide receiver, is currently a relief pitcher with the major league Chicago Cubs.
As if Monday, August 11, 2008, he has a low earned run average of 1.59 in 11 1/2 innings. Refusing a potential career in the NFL, Samardzija, a boyhood fan of the Cubs, signed a 5-year, $10 million dollar contract in January 2007 with Chicago.
Excerpts from the New York Times 8/11/08.
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