Early last season, life couldn't have been much better for Chicago Cubs slugger Derrek Lee -- a former Las Vegas Stars first baseman who will return to town tonight for Big League Weekend.

Coming off a career year in 2005 -- in which he contended for the Triple Crown with a .335 batting average, 46 homers and 107 RBIs -- Lee was rewarded with a five-year, $65 million contract extension April 10.

His perfect world started to crumble less than two weeks later, though, when he broke his wrist in a collision with baserunner Rafael Furcal. Lee was limited to 50 games last season, finishing with a .286 average, eight homers and 30 RBIs.

But missing most of the year was nothing compared to the devastating news Lee received in September, when his 3-year-old daughter, Jada, was diagnosed with Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, a rare genetic disease resulting in the loss of vision.

Lee, whose daughter has lost vision in one eye, joined forces with Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck -- whose son also is afflicted with the disease -- to start a foundation, Project 3000, to help combat LCA, which affects about 3,000 people in the United States.

"Jada is a little different in the respect that she still sees very well out of one eye," Lee told The Associated Press in September. "But you know we look at it as a positive. We just ask that everyone continue to pray for the miracle, that she continue to have good sight out of the one eye. We're still believing this can happen. As parents we just want to do our part and we feel our part is to raise awareness."

Lee will lead the new-look Cubs against the Seattle Mariners at 7:15 p.m. today and 1:05 p.m. Saturday at Cashman Field. It will be Chicago's sixth Big League Weekend appearance.

"The Cubs really like coming here," said 51s president Don Logan, who came up with the concept of Big League Weekend about 15 years ago. "They've got a big following everywhere they go."

In addition to getting a healthy Lee back, Chicago added fiery manager Lou Pinella and speedy center fielder Alfonso Soriano in the offseason, along with outfielder Cliff Floyd and left-hander Ted Lilly.

"Lou, to me, that's the guy. He's going to have a dominant impact, with his experience and personality," Logan said. "He's won a world championship before, and he's a no nonsense guy. And having a guy like Soriano, who is arguably one of the two or three best young offensive players in the game, to add to (Aramis) Ramirez and D-Lee ... if they can get anything out of (pitchers Kerry) Wood and (Mark) Prior, that's a pretty formidable group."

Chicago's pitching staff will be anchored by Carlos Zambrano, who could contend for the Cy Young Award, but Prior and Wood remain question marks. Prior was sent down to Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, and Wood -- who was scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen this season, possibly as a closer -- appears headed for the disabled list with a sore shoulder.

Ichiro Suzuki will lead Seattle this season, along with Richie Sexson, Jose Guillen and Adrian Beltre. Phenom Felix Hernandez will anchor the Mariners' pitching staff, along with Jarrod Washburn.

Lilly is scheduled to start against Seattle right-hander Miguel Batista tonight. On Saturday, Chicago sends right-hander Jason Marquis to the mound, and the Mariners will start either lefty Horacio Ramirez or righty Jeff Weaver.

Both games are sold out as Las Vegas gets its annual fix of major league baseball.

"It's a wake-up call that baseball is back and it's that time again," Logan said. "It's just a great thing for the community."