Estes hopes to have finally found a new home in Windy City

MESA, Ariz. -- Chicago Cub pitcher Shawn Estes, who is one of the more cerebral pitchers in professional baseball, has even found a way to explain why playing on his fourth team in three years was meant to be.

"Ever since I was 18 years old, the Cubs have shown in interest in me," said Estes who signed a one-year contract with incentives with Chicago on Dec. 20. "If I hadn't been drafted No. 11 overall (by Seattle in 1991), I would've been drafted No. 12 by the Cubs. So it's kind of funny how things come full circle. And now we're full circle. The team that was originally suppose to get me, got me."

Estes, who was named Nevada Player of the Year following his senior season at Douglas High in 1991, was let go by the San Francisco Giants after the 2001 season. After spending six seasons with San Francisco, he was picked up by the New York Mets for 2002, but was traded last August to Cincinnati in a five-player deal.

"I don't really like to talk about last year because it's in the past," Estes said. "To talk about it means I'm dwelling on the past. I'd rather just talk about the present. Last year was a character builder. I learned a lot from it. I really felt I pitched a lot better than the results showed. For me to go back and start talking about all the negative stuff would be defeating the purpose of what I'm trying to accomplish here and that's to stay in the present."

Last season, he was 5-12 with the Mets and Reds and had a 5.10 ERA. In perhaps another example of things coming full circle, Dusty Baker, who managed the Giants during Estes' entire career in San Francisco, was hired by the Cubs and is signed through the 2006 season. Like always, Estes, who won 19 games in 1997, is focusing on becoming more consistent in Chicago. That way, he might still be here when Baker's contract expires.

"I'd love to play in Chicago for a long time. I would love to stay here but as everybody knows, the only way that's going to happen is to see what happens on the field," Estes said. "I'm not as concerned about what the future holds but more about getting better on a day-to-day basis. I had spurts of being able to do that last year. It's a new year."

Estes has a career record of 69-62 with a 4.37 ERA and needs just 96 strikeouts this season to reach 1,000 for his career. The Cubs would like nothing more than for Estes to blossom into the team's most productive left hander since the early 90s. The last Chicago pitcher to have a double-digit win total in a season was Greg Hibbard in 1993. The Cubs haven't had a lefty throw more than 10 strikeouts in a game since Steve Wilson did in 1990. Estes has had 10 double-digit games in his seven-year career. However, Estes knows that Cub fans would like nothing more than a World Series title, even if it meant him having an average year for them to get one.

"I think that's what they've been waiting for for a long time," Estes said. "And to be able to give that to them would be enjoyable, to finally give Chicago something to cheer about this year."