MESA, Ariz. -- He had to change his phone number and deal with friends and family who were confused, but Tommy La Stella said he has no regrets about his decision last year to go home rather than report to the Minor Leagues when the Cubs sent him down.
"It was definitely an unusual situation," La Stella said Monday.
In late July, La Stella was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to open a roster spot, but instead went home to New Jersey. He eventually did rejoin the big league team on Aug. 31. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein admitted his initial reaction was to punish the infielder, but La Stella is back in Cubs camp this spring.