April 22--PITTSBURGH -- Addison Russell didn't expect to be promoted this soon to the Chicago Cubs.
But after making a favorable impression in spring training and spending less than two weeks at Triple-A Iowa, Russell is ready to make a favorable impression for a long time.
"It gets me excited," said Russell, 21, who now becomes the youngest player in the National League. "I'm ready to perform with these guys."
Russell, who batted .318 at Iowa, eagerly looks forward to the challenge of playing second base despite his lack of experience.
"I'm getting more familiar with second base," said Russell, who said he turned two double plays while in Iowa. "I'm starting to learn all the responsibilities at second base and the things I need to do to help my team win, and it's going well so far."
Russell admitted he was nervous before the game.
"I'd lie to you if I said I wasn't nervous, but it's a good nervous," Russell said.
Manager Joe Maddon said the decision to promote Russell went deeper than his lack of Triple-A experience.
"When you're going to promote someone with limited experience, you have to look at the person and what you thinking about the guy," Maddon said. "Do you think the guy can handle this?
"I'm not worried about handling success. How do you handle failure, and I think he can."
