Ex-Notre Dame star gets back to basics

Jeff Samardzija struck out the first batter he faced in his big league debut at Wrigley Field in 2008 and compiled a career-low 2.28 ERA that season for the Chicago Cubs.

But the former Notre Dame football star has struggled with Chicago since then.

The 6-foot-5-inch right-hander went 1-3 with a 7.53 ERA last season in 20 games for the Cubs and is 0-1 with an 18.90 ERA with them this year.

Samardzija started the season with Chicago but was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on April 24 after four disastrous relief outings.

He allowed 11 runs, seven earned, on five hits in 3 1/3 innings, walked six and struck out two.

"I put a lot into spring training this year to be a starter. I worked hard in the offseason," Samardzija said Wednesday before Iowa's 6-1 win over the 51s at Cashman Field. "To go in the 'pen and not pitch how you wanted, it's not fun, so I'm down here working on what I need to work on to get right."

In his fourth season in the minors, Samardzija has excelled at Iowa (15-17). He limited Las Vegas (15-19) to one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings and earned the win in Tuesday's 15-10 victory to improve to 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA.

He has allowed only one earned run on five hits in eight innings, with seven strikeouts and seven walks.

"My arm feels good. That's the biggest thing. It's really coming around to midseason form," he said. "I'm just going back to the basics, really. Every time I come here, I seem to get right."

Just about everything went right for Samardzija in 2008, when he rose three levels to reach the majors and Cubs manager Lou Piniella predicted he might never return to the minors.

Samardzija got better as the competition stiffened that season, lowering his ERA from 4.86 at Double-A Tennessee to 3.13 at Iowa to 2.28 at Chicago.

He gave up seven earned runs on 24 hits in 27 2/3 innings for the Cubs, struck out 25, walked 15 and helped lead them to the playoffs.

"It was just coming up. I was on a roll," he said. "I came up from Double A to Triple A. I pitched real well in Triple A, and I just kind of kept the momentum going, really. I didn't even think about it. I went out, had fun and threw the ball.

"It was a great way to start, to get my feet wet and learn a lot."

After starring in baseball and football for Notre Dame -- where he set school records for receptions (179), receiving yards (2,593) and receiving touchdowns (27) -- the Indiana native planned on turning pro in both sports.

But after the 2006 fifth-round draft pick of the Cubs signed a $10 million, five-year contract with them in 2007, he decided to focus on baseball.

"I just wanted to do something that made me happy and I had fun doing every day, and for me that was baseball," he said. "Football was always close to my heart, but what you get to do in baseball every day, it was tough to pass up. Just playing this sport's a lot of fun."

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.