CHICAGO -- When asked about Ted Lilly's hitting style, Cubs hitting coach Gerald Perry smiled, then laughed. The left-handed pitcher has a very unique approach that shouldn't be copied, but shouldn't be missed.
Before last year, Lilly had one hit in 26 at-bats over seven seasons, and that was in 1999. In 2007, he went 10-for-73, including his first double. This year, he's 3-for-13, including an RBI single he delivered May 9 in a win against Arizona.
In his last start against San Diego, he was 0-for-2, but did reach on a wild pitch on a third strike. His swings are legendary in that they're so different. In Thursday's game against the D-Backs, he swung so hard, he came off his feet.
Who's his coach?
"I don't know if they would want to admit to who was working with him," Chicago outfielder Reed Johnson said. "He's been putting the barrel on the ball, and doing a decent job at the plate. I don't know how he's getting hits. He's finding a way to do it."
Lilly spent most of his career in the American League, so hitting is still fairly new. Before his last start, he borrowed one of Kosuke Fukudome's bats. He's tried to copy the right fielder's stance, among others. Lilly can relate to all the AL pitchers who will find themselves at the plate this weekend in National League parks for Interleague play.
"I'm just trying to figure out anything that feels comfortable," Lilly said of his style. "I'm not trying to emulate anyone. My mentality and my approach is just to put the bat on the ball."
Has he watched his swing on video?
"A little bit," Lilly said.
We're not trying to make fun of the lefty, but it is different.
"People have said that, I've heard that," Lilly said. "It's entertaining. That's what I'm there for. I can handle it.
"It's fun," he said about hitting. "The challenge of it is fun. I feel like I can get better. One of the things is being able to recognize off-speed pitches and being able to recognize strikes more."
"He competes," Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa said of Lilly. "Teddy's nickname is 'Teddy Ballgame.' He competes."
At least Lilly tries to stay on his feet even if he doesn't all the time. Ryan Dempster found himself facefirst in the dirt on Thursday after a sacrifice bunt. Somehow, the Cubs pitcher got tangled up with Padres catcher Luke Carlin.
"He completely tackled me," Dempster said of Carlin, who was scrambling to get to the ball. "I told Lou [Piniella] to throw the red flag and challenge the play, but I guess my foot was out of bounds."
No harm, no foul.
"I was watching the bunt," Dempster said, seriously now, "and the next thing I know, I thought, 'I better run in case he goes to second,' and we bumped a little bit, and I'm not a ballerina, I'm not very graceful."
The Cubs' top hitting pitcher is Carlos Zambrano, who is batting .296 this season. Has Piniella considered using him as a designated hitter when the Cubs make their American League swing in Interleague play next month?
"No, we've got people who would do that," Piniella said.
Zambrano would probably volunteer.
"He'll volunteer everything," Piniella said. "When he doesn't pitch, he'll volunteer to go pitch in Iowa [for the Triple-A team]. I'm sure with this Hall of Fame Game coming [on June 16], he might want to get into the home run-hitting contest. Anything to do with the bat, Zambrano is ready to charge forward."
Pitchers all over the National League seem to be better hitters, and Piniella said they've asked the advance scouts to include them in the reports.
Chicago's Jason Marquis is a good-hitting pitcher, and has a .206 average. He's watched Lilly's at-bats. No one in the dugout wants to miss them.
"On the competitive side, we're all competitive, and we want to do our best to help the team and look good while we're doing it, and hold our own," Marquis said. "He's gotten some big hits this year and driven in some runs. I know it's an unorthodox way of doing it, but he's working in the cage just like everybody else."
Unorthodox?
"He looked like a cartoon character," Perry said of Lilly's at-bats against the Padres.
"He's trying everything," Marquis said in Lilly's defense. "He's working the Fukudome [stance], Will Clark, Ken Griffey sometimes. I think he should stick with one thing and get consistent at one. He's putting the bat on the ball in key situations. As long as you come through in the clutch when it matters, that's all that matters."
