Will Ohman the person . . .

Besides being a great player, why is Will Ohman the subject of this blog?

Lets count the reasons.

He has a great last name.

He has brought a fire and intensity often missing mild-mannered Cubs in the last two years (excluding the great Carlos Zambrano).

Also, Ohman seems like a great guy. I’ve have always seen him talking with players and fans on and around the field, but focused and serious when he is in the game.

If you didn’t know Will Ohman was born on Saturday, August 13, 1977, in Frankfurt, West Germany. Ohman was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 19, 2000, with the Chicago Cubs.

He was drafted after the 1997 and 1998 seasons with the Pepperdine Waves. He met the woman who would become his wife at Pepperdine University.

Regarding his choice of number Ohman hasn’t revealed too much. He switched from Number 50 to Number. 13. During the 2006 campaign the number 13 was being worn by Nefie Perez, until his trade to the Detroit Tigers, exactly one week after Ohman’s 29^th birthday.

Ohman had Number 13 early in his career, then lost his number while rehabbing from his elbow surgeries. Perez took it when he came to the Cubs.

There's no luck -- good or bad -- associated with it.

"It's simply the number of choice," Ohman told Cubs reporter Carrie Muskat.

During the winter of 2006-2007 things looked bleak for Will Ohman’s career as a Cub. He had been looked at as a trade candidate with the Cubs adding Neal Cotts earlier this offseason. He recently signed a two-year deal and although this doesn't rule out a deal, it looks like the Cubs are planning on keeping him in their bullpen.

Things started rough the spring of 2005 for Ohman as well. He pitched his way off the Cubs' big-league roster that spring, frustrating the Cubs who had a vacancy they expected him to fill.

Eight games at Class AAA Iowa to open the 2005 season was enough. Ohman was recalled in late April and seized the opportunity. That year he finished with a 2.91 ERA for the Cubs and help opponents scoreless in 58 of his 69 appearances.

Ohman has also battled back from 2002 elbow surgery proving he insint the type of player to just give up in the face of adversity.

"I'm not going to take anything for granted and assume I have a spot on the team," he said in a 2006 interview with the Chicago Sun Times. "But as opposed to trying too hard to impress, I feel I belong after having a decent level of success. I'm treating this spring as getting ready to compete at that level, rather than hoping I can."

He is also a team player. He said that the 2006 team had a lot of guys that are accessible, guys who are willing to talk with you. You can glean a lot of information and strategy off them.

Also proving that he is never satisfied with his game he spent 2006 trying to learn to throw an effective changeup. Cubs Pitching coach Larry Rothschild told him he might be brought in to start more innings rather than used only to retire one or two left- handed hitters.

In terms of issues, walks and control are two problems Ohman has been battling with.

Here is to hoping that 2007 is a great year for the Cubs leftie.

I know if he is on the team when the Cubs finally win the World Series that Mr. Ohman will have a great deal to do with that championship banner flying at Wrigley.