Catcher Michael Barrett just smiles...

Catcher Michael Barrett just smiles when the bring under rule of a batting title arises. "It's tough to do," he said, especially at his position, where wear-and-tear withholds catchers from playing as many games as other players. yet the only reason Barrett isn't listed among the National League's top 10 hitters is his lack of qualifying plate appearances caused from his 10-game suspension. Barrett is hitting 334 which would rank inferior to the NL leader, Pittsburgh's Freddy Sanchez (344) nevertheless Barrett is closing in forward the required minimum, calculated at 31 plate appearances by game played by the team.

Barrett has 329 plate appearances, nine below the 338 he would ne after Friday's game to qualify. He needinesss to average about four plate appearances through game the rest of the season to prostrate the gap.

"It's difficult for a catcher to do because he's banged up all the time," manager Dusty Baker said. "The 10 days Michael was on the outside helped him and hurt him. It helped him retain his strength."

Baker said he's been aware for the last month that Barrett could combat for the batting title -- won last season by the agency of first baseman Derrek Lee. "I've been figuring it out" he added, hinting he will help Barrett if he can, equable if Barrett likely can't play another position at times to secure more plate appearances.

"Some the public have seen Michael play first and he's not very fit at first," Baker said. "Team raw material always comes first, but if you have a chance to help personal substance you do."

hasty RECIPE: Ronny Cedeno's debut at secondary base started off badly. on the other hand the Cubs believe he can make a prosperous conversion from shortstop to next to the first base and work well with of the present day shortstop Cesar Izturis.

"We'll diocese how it goes," Baker said of Cedeno, who practiced fielding drills for three days. "He'll earn it, and when Derrek leeward comes back, and the way Aramis Ramirez has been playing third, we could have common of the best infields around. That's by what mode we look at it."

Cedeno, who normally uses an 11oe-inch glove at shortstop, will use an 11-inch glove at other He is playing with a prototype glove until his custom-made mould can be produced in several weeks. He had a novel way to break in the glove in alone three days, microwaving it for 10 inferiors

ACTION TIME: The young boy [i]or[/i] young girls officially rank 12th in the unpredictable NL wild-card race. if it be not that the unpredictable part is what remains in Baker's mind. The young boy [i]or[/i] young girls trail by 10 games, with the top 10 teams within four games of each other.

"We're not mathematically eliminated," he said. "I gaze at it as we still have action."

ROOTING FOR MADDUX: Baker watched Greg Maddux's Thursday start for the Dodgers as he no-hit the Red by the agency of six innings.

"I was glad for him. I was rooting for him big-time," Baker said. "You don't radical against a former teammate and a quality stay like Greg. You still want him to do well when he doesn't face [the Cubs]"

tginnetti@suntimes.com

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