CHICAGO -- The World Baseball Classic, an endless string of rookie pitchers, a potential batting title, a nasty foul tip, and an even nastier punch highlighted Michael Barrett's 2006 season.

The Cubs catcher can only hope 2007 is more baseball, less distractions.

Barrett will make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start behind the plate for the Cubs, the first catcher to start the season opener that many times in succession since Jody Davis did so, 1983-88. Joe Girardi did start Opening Day four times for the Cubs, but they were not consecutive years (1989-90 and 2000-01).

Barrett, 30, is coming off an injury- and suspension-shortened season. He batted .307 in 107 games, his fewest at-bats and games since 2003. A foul tip suffered Sept. 2 limited him, as did a 10-game suspension for punching White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski on May 20.

The painful foul ball occurred in the fifth inning of the Cubs' game against San Francisco during pitcher Matt Cain's at-bat. Cain was the second-to-last batter in that inning, and Barrett hit for himself in the fifth before he was taken to the hospital.

"It's one of those things, as a catcher, you always have pain," Barrett said. "Not always, maybe, but occasional pain, and it happens frequently, and it'll come and go. ... [This time it] didn't go away."

He suffered an intrascrotal hematoma, and has vowed to find a cup that provides "bullet-proof" protection. Expect him to be touting a 2007 Barrett model this year.

Despite missing so much time, Barrett matched his season high in home runs with 16, and drove in 53 runs, which ranked fourth among National League catchers at the time of his injury. Barrett even challenged for the batting title once he had enough total plate appearances. He batted .388 in June and July with six homers and 16 RBIs. On Aug. 18, he was hitting .325, and ranked seventh in the NL batting race.

"My No. 1 job is to help the pitching staff -- defense, defense, defense," Barrett said at the time. "I'll continue to work on that, continue to stay focused on that. That's the area of growth that this team needs right now. I'm excited to be part of this growth."

The offense is not the issue with Barrett; it's his defense. He threw out 16 of 105 potential basestealers (15.2 percent), which ranked ninth in the National League. Teams stole 118 bases against the Cubs, second highest in the NL, and Barrett trailed only Mike Piazza in the league in terms of stolen bases allowed.

Barrett is very much aware of the numbers, and is devoting more time this offseason on his technique. The key is trying to improve his footwork and get in a better position to throw. The 2006 season also was a test in that Barrett often found himself working with pitchers for the first time because of all the rookies the Cubs used.

Chicago Cubs • Catchers: Barrett leaves '06 behind • Corner IF: Health is paramount • Middle IF: Stronger with additions • Outfielders: Soriano on board for CF • Starters: Blend of new and old • Bullpen: Dempster eyes redemption • DH/Bench: Lou to rely on depth

Last year began with Barrett being named to Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He had the opportunity to be paired with Roger Clemens, and talk hitting with Texas' Michael Young. But the time away also limited his innings with the Cubs pitchers. This spring, Barrett will need to learn newcomers Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis, as well as get a better feel for youngsters like Rich Hill and Sean Marshall.

White Sox fans will make sure Barrett knows they haven't forgotten the hard right he delivered to the jaw of Pierzynski during their Interleague game at U.S. Cellular Field last May. The punch followed a collision at the plate between the two catchers. There were no repercussions in the rematch at Wrigley Field, and the first regular-season meeting will be May 18-20 on the Cubs' home turf.

"I'm not happy about what happened, and it happened," Barrett said after his suspension ended. "To be caught up in the middle of it is awkward. At the same time, we all make mistakes."

The Cubs did not make the mistake of letting backup catcher Henry Blanco get away. In November, Blanco signed a two-year, $5.25 million contract with a mutual option for 2009. He is coming off a career-high .266 season, in which he hit six home runs and drove in 37 in 74 games. After going 2-for-21 in the first month, Blanco batted .283 in the last month of 2006, filling in for Barrett and at first base for Derrek Lee.

Blanco has thrown out 41.4 percent of potential basestealers in his career, the second-highest mark for active catchers in the Major Leagues behind Detroit's Ivan Rodriguez (44.3 percent). It will be up to new Cubs manager Lou Piniella to see who he pairs Blanco with.

Will Barrett be able to control his emotions better in 2007? Will opponents think twice before running against him? Will he be healthy? The last question was answered in early November. After the '06 season ended, Barrett traveled to Hawaii to host 150 kids in a free clinic at Waipahu's Hans L'Orange Field on the island of Oahu. Youngsters not only were tutored in baseball but also given free vision tests. The clinic was Barrett's first chance to test himself physically, and he was able to run, catch and throw, and reported feeling 100 percent. That's good news for the Cubs.

"It's been a crazy year," Barrett said. "It's been more than the perfect storm of things that could happen to this team after all the organization has been through. It's been an unbelievable year."