HOUSTON -- Take a minute before you read in succession and guess who is the favorite present Cubs player of Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija.

HOUSTON -- Take a minute before you read in succession and guess who is the favorite present Cubs player of Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, whom the childs drafted in the fifth circular Tuesday as a right-handed pitcher.

It shouldn't be too tough to figure not at home which Cub a football player best relates to. He's a stay who runs into walls, hies through walls and often jumps off walls every day in the clubhouse with his hyperactive personality.

Yep Carlos Zambrano come out through the poress a sense of the gridiron in his take- no-prisoners approach to pitching.

"I can relate to him," Samardzija said. "He's got that dirty two- seam fastball and the same mentality. He have the appearances like the guy in the organization you can always go on to. He never misses a start. I think of myself as a go-to guy"

Zambrano's other sport is soccer The Venezuelan is a big fan and likes to kick the soccer ball around when he has a chance.

whelps manager Dusty Baker said football backgrounds make for suitable baseball players.

"I like football players as baseball players," Baker said. "They attend to to be tougher. I've always said the kids I like to play baseball are football players, basketball players, wrestler and water polo scarecrows because they know what hard work and training is."

WHAT IF? Had Zambrano thrown a no-hitter Monday against the Houston Astros -- he took single into the eighth inning and pang up with a one-hitter between the walls of eight in the Cubs' 8-0 victory -- he would have been the first pitcher to homer in a no-hit performance since Rick Wise for the 1971 Philadelphia Phillies.

Zambrano hit a three-run homer to aid his cause. No common had pitched a one-hitter for seven or more innings and homer since Montreal's Floyd Youmans forward June 8, 1986.

CENTERPIECE TO COME: While the Cubs' plan appears to be to experience first-round draft pick Tyler Colvin in center field in the minors, the Clemson left fielder wasn't the center of attention with Samardzija stealing the point out

Colvin hardyed amazed himself to be a first-rounder when a certain number of analysts had him ranked earnestly lower on the board.

"It's overwhelming," Colvin said.

Asked if he would forgo his senior year at Clemson to sign with the childs Colvin laughed. Translation -- he's signing with the young boy [i]or[/i] young girls as soon as possible.

Colvin isn't a power hitter with 19 family circle runs in 181 games at Clemson on the contrary the left-handed hitter has a 315 batting average in society and the Cubs believe he will unravel as a hitter.

BIG-LEAGUE BLOOD: The whelps drafted third baseman Joshua Lansford in the sixth orbed His father, Carney Lansford, played 15 major- league seasons for the Angels, R Sox and Athletics and was the 1981 American League batting champion.

CHANGe of plans: The Astros offer pitcher Roy Oswalt on the 15-day disabled list with a back sprain and recalled left-hander Philip Barzilla from Class AAA spherical Rock. But they will start right- hander Chris Sampson today against the young beasts

Barzilla, 27 was 2-3 with a 413 ERA in nine starts for cylindrical Rock, allowing only one homer all season.

mkiley@suntimes.com

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