Lots of notes from the first day of camp, from the Chicago Sun-Times and MLB.com:

Jason Marquis, Jon Lieber, Ryan Dempster, and Sean Marshall are battling for the final two rotation spots, after Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, and Rich Hill. One gets the impression that the best of the four--Marshall--is the least likely to get a job.

The Cubs won't take any action against Aramis Ramirez for being "dedicated entirely" to his cockfighting roosters when he is home in the Dominican Republic. "It's understanding and respecting what's acceptable in their culture,'' said Oneri Fleita, player development director and head of the Cubs' Latin American operations. ''We tend to think we have all the answers in our country, but there are people in other parts of the world that think their [customs] are better than ours.'' Moral relativism is alive and well in the Cubs front office.

"Piniella said former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija, who pitched his first full season of professional ball last year, will get a longer look in camp this year and could be ready to make his major-league debut this summer if his progress remains on pace." Samardzija pitching for the big league club this summer would be a miracle.

Angel Guzman might be pitching off a mound by July. Guzman almost became the Cubs' closer last May before going down with an elbow injury and having Tommy John surgery.

This is a good sign: "Eric Patterson was one of the early position players in camp. He has spent most of his Minor League career as a second baseman but will get some playing time in the outfield." That's a good sign because the last we heard from Patterson was that he was being demoted to double-A from the big league club for showing up late to the park last September. (That demotion resulted in Sam Fuld's promotion, which resulted in this, and after this, has Fuld fighting for the starting centerfield job this spring.)

Kevin Hart didn't have a job this winter other than working out, so he learned to cook mashed potatoes.

The Angel Guzman as future closer story is certainly on hold, following his being on placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday. Guzman has right forearm tightness. Assistant GM Randy Bush said, "He has some injury history going back [I'll say!], so we feel for his own peace of mind we'll let the doctor look at it."

Carlos Marmol will now be the new late-inning fad.

It is interesting that the Cubs decided to call up Sean Gallagher, 21, from double-A Tennessee to take Guzman's spot. Gallagher has only pitched out of the bullpen one time in his minor league career, that occurring with the Cubs' rookie ball team in Mesa in 2004. He will also have to added to the 40-man roster. Who will be taken off? Perhaps Wade Miller or Brian Dopirak. Meanwhile, the Cubs leave Neal Cotts, Clay Rapada, and Rocky Cherry -- all already on the 40-man roster -- in Iowa.

The Cubs are 4th in the National League in fewest runs allowed per game (4.19). Yet Lou Piniella has decided to throw the pitchers in a blender, open the lid, and allow everyone to fall where they may. Good strategy or no, it makes for exciting times. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Ryan Dempster might be entering the rotation within a week or two. Angel Guzman (0 minor league saves) will soon become the Cubs' closer.

The exact timing of this is unclear. After Sunday's game, Dempster said he was moving into rotation. Then, after a meeting, he emerged and said not yet. But, the move of Guzman to closer "is imminent, according to a source close to the manager."

It bears remembering that Dempster has been a successful starting pitcher in exactly one season, that being seven years ago when he was 23-years-old.

Meanwhile, the ostensible setup men, Bobby Howry and Scott Eyre, have been getting beat up this year, and new bullpen member Carlos Marmol is throwing bullets like no one in the Cubs' pen since Kyle Farnsworth.

Sunday's postponement of the Cubs/Cardinals game due to the death of Josh Hancock caused Angel Guzman to stay in the minors rather than take over the 5th starter's spot for the big league club. That may have cost him the 5th starter's spot altogether. Guzman started his third game for Iowa last night and only lasted 3 innings, giving up 7 runs on 4 hits, 4 walks, and a hit batter. Guzman has now started three games for Iowa and allowed 14 runs in 10.1 innings. Which has Lou Piniella saying, ''We might have to revisit this thing." Had Sunday's game not been postponed, the Cubs would have started Guzman against the Pirates yesterday. It's too bad Juan Mateo and Sean Marshall are recovering from injuries.

While Mark Prior became The Franchise in 2003, it was Angel Guzman who shined in spring training that year. Of course, everything unraveled for Guzman mid-season 2003. Now that things appear to have unraveled for Prior, Guzman is once again firing strikes in spring training. A 5th starter's job is up for the taking, and Guzman had his manager saying this after today's game:

Baseball America's Jim Callis discusses the Cubs' eight rookie starting pitchers this year in his latest "Ask BA" column. (Hat tip: Chicago Cubs Minor League Baseball.) He says Rich Hill (5-2, 3.05 ERA, 52/19 K/BB ratio, in 59 innings since the All-Star break) is the only "lock" to be in the 2007 starting rotation. Read the rest. Luke Jasenosky and Derek Smart also have praise for Hill.

"The Chicago Cubs placed Mark Prior on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with shoulder tendinitis, a move that could mean an end to the right-hander's season," reports the AP. His Friday MRI revealed rotator cuff tendinitis, which appears to be the same problem Prior had at the beginning of the season. "The Cubs want Prior to rest for three weeks before throwing again, which could mean the end of his season if he doesn't have time to make enough rehab starts before rejoining the Cubs."

"Angel Guzman . . . still is experiencing elbow soreness and likely will sit out the entire season," reports the Chicago Tribune. "The Cubs don't expect Guzman to need surgery and said he should be ready to pitch again in 2006 after resting his arm for the next six months."