DeRosa: 'I only call myself a Cubbie'

CHICAGO -- Mark DeRosa was at Wrigley Field on Sunday, but not for the Cubs' game. DeRosa was a guest judge on the Travel Channel show "American Grilled." This episode will be aired in the summer, so he can't give away any details. What DeRosa did admit is that he doesn't grill, but he does eat.

"I'm willing to try anything," DeRosa said. "I wouldn't call myself a grillmaster, by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know what good food is. I let the other guys judge on who used the grill the proper way. I'm going based on what would I eat, what would I order in a restaurant, what would I bring into the clubhouse for the boys to try. So far, I've been pretty spot-on with the judges. At the end of the day, it's taste."

DeRosa, 39, who played for the Cubs in 2007 and '08, is busy now on MLB Network.

"Life is good," he said. "I get to be home with the kids, get to still stay in the game, great network, treating me great. Good people all around. There's a passion for the game in that building, and it keeps my spirit going. I'm learning a lot about every team. I always used to just concentrate on what we had to concentrate on. I'm finding there are a lot of really good ballplayers in the game, and I am having fun diving into it."

He has been critical and heard from some of his former teammates when he is. He's just being honest.

"I can always put a positive spin on it, but my teammates always knew I knew where I fell, as far as a ballplayer," he said. "I was never a 3-4 hitter in any order. I'll never know the stress levels those guys deal with on an everyday basis. I was always a truthful teammate and always expected things done a certain way and done with your teammates in mind. I would expect nothing less of my teammates to come up to me. I'll never forget how hard it was to get in that box."

What about his days with the Cubs?

"The best in my career, by far," he said. "I played on eight teams, but I only call myself a Cubbie. That's what I believe. I want this team to do well. I always pull for them. It's hard for me to watch what's going on right now. I'm disappointed, especially when you have a microphone. I'd love to be all over them and loving them. They're going through a rebuilding process."