Reading "The Mental ABC's of Pitching" has only helped Rich Hill so much.

He can get himself in the best frame of mind possible in his craft. But in the end, it's where his left-handed pitches hit the bat -- or miss it -- that determine how good of a pitcher he'll be for the Cubs this season.

Hill is trying to combine aggressiveness and concentration, working on both approaches in camp in Mesa, Ariz., to smooth out the sharp fluctuations of his performance. The Cubs figure he'll do so. And thus his rotation spot going into this season has never been in question.

"It's being more consistent," said Hill, a semi-cerebral 28-year-old. "It's trying to make the peaks and valleys consistently the same throughout the season. Some of the situations, a few of the grand slams here and there, giving up the big home run.

"Usually giving up a home run is not a big deal. I have no problem with that.

Giving up the home run with a couple of guys on base (is a problem). Sometimes it happens and you can't do anything about it. Being able to get out of jams, stop the big innings. Consistently being able to do it is going to be the key this year."

Even though Hill was dogged by some of the most paltry run support in the majors throughout his 11-8 season in 2007, he was all over the map in what he could offer from start to start.

Hill began the season 3-0, giving up just eight hits in his first 22 innings. Soon, however, he was 4-4. He stayed around or just above the .500 mark most of the season.

On Aug. 11, he was knocked out by a grand slam in Coors Field. But over the next three starts, two of them wins, he allowed only six runs in 21 innings with 26 strikeouts against the Cardinals, Giants and Brewers.

In early September, Hill gave up 11 runs in 11 innings, with one loss, against the Astros and Pirates. Yet in his next start against Houston, he allowed just one run and three hits in seven innings.

Fortunately, Hill has a long memory.

"One of the best things is failure, to learn how to move forward," he said. "You can't learn if you don't fail. To be able to have situations where you've failed, to be able to move forward is very positive."

Hill has one of the majors' better curveballs -- but it's still a work in progress along with his overall consistency.

"It's establishing it for strikes to be effective," said Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild, a Homewood-Flossmoor alum. "Then the batters start swinging (and missing). He's got a good slider, but doesn't have a lot of experience throwing it. His changeup has come a long way."