Cubs 2010 Season Preview: Let Me Hear Ya...a 1...a 2...a 3!

With this blog having turned into hockey central (which I'm sure drove away the handful of real life friends of mine that actually read this initially), I decided to branch out and talk about baseball. I haven't really been thinking about it much, what with the NHL playoffs just around the corner. But opening day is tomorrow (technically I think it's tonight, but the Chicago teams don't play until tomorrow), so I figure I'd better get in my predictions beforehand. And away we go...




Starting Line-Up:

Ryan Theriot - SS
Kosuke Fukudome - RF
Derrek Lee - 1B
Aramis Ramirez - 3B
Marlon Byrd - CF
Alfonso Soriano - LF
Mike Fontenot - 2B
Geovanny Soto - C

I'm glad the Soriano leadoff man experiment seems to be over. His legs have turned to jelly since he joined the Cubs (go figure), and with his frequency of strikeouts, only a blind man would have kept him in the one spot. Sadly, it looks like the long term deal the Cubs signed for Soriano is a bust. We obviously picked him up on the downside of his career and every time he looks to make an impact, he gets injured. I'll be happy if he can play 125 games this year and hits 3 or 4 of those clutch home runs that he seems to be good for. This leaves scrappy Theriot in the one spot which I'm happy with. He's a contact hitter with a bit of speed which makes him a natural fit. I hope though he doesn't try to hit home runs like last year though - his strength is being a plus .300 hitter which is what the team needs. Fukudome is another player that had high hopes when we signed them and simply hasn't lived up to expectations. It's a shame because he seems like a very hard working, knowledgeable player. I think he just has had problems adapting to the MLB game. We need his left handed bat, so I'm hoping he can hit in the upper .200s this year. As for Lee and Ramirez, their challenge is to stay healthy this year. Both are probably the Cubs' best players, but the injury bug has beset both the last couple of seasons. A goal of 30 HRs and 100 RBIs for both seems managable for them if they can stay off the DL for any significant time. This could be Lee's last year in Chicago, which would be a shame because I think he's one of the most likable players in the entire league. Both Fontenot and Soto are coming off of crappy sophomore seasons. Soto dropped significant weight and looks in all around better shape which should help him come the later part of the season. For better or worse, Soto will be the man since Hill's offensive numbers leave a lot to be desired. I look for him to regain his Rookie of the Year form and perhaps even surpass it. As for Fontenot, I like "Little Babe Ruth" but chances are if he doesn't produce the first couple months of the season, he's going to be riding the bench as he did last year. I've left out Byrd because as a Free Agent signing from the AL, I really don't know much about him. He seems to bring a lot of positive energy to the team, and honestly a bag of baseballs would have been acceptable as Milton Bradley's (*cough*asshole*cough*) replacement.

Reserves:

C Koyie Hill
IF Jeff Baker
IF/OF Chad Tracy
OF Xavier Nady
OF Tyler Colvin


Hill's a great defensive replacement, but as I stated earlier, isn't exactly the person who'd want off the bench to pinch hit. Baker did well as a mid season pickup last year. I think it was a toss up between him at Fontenot at 2B, so I expect him to see a fair amount of playing time, especially if the little man struggles. I haven't seen much of Tracy or Nady as they were off season pickups. Nady always seemed to kill us when he was a Pirate, so if things stay true to form, he'll be absolutely brutal as a Cub. Colvin is the surprise to make the roster as a rookie, as he hit over .400 during spring training. The challenge with him though, is going to be if he can carryover that bat as a occasional replacement/pinch hitter. If not, I expect him to get sent down to Iowa and Sam Fuld brought up.

Starting Rotation:

Carlos Zambrano
Ted Lilly (on the DL)
Ryan Dempster,
Randy Wells
Tom Gorzelanny
Carlos Silva

This rotation has the potential to be really good. Or as with everything else on this team, really awful. Z, Lilly and Dempster all have the potential to win 15+ games. Big Z has been the "ace" of the staff for several years now. Last year he sure didn't play like it. Every starting pitcher (except for Wells) spent time on the DL last year. Truly, I think Big Z's season last year went off the rails when he went apeshit on that ump in May and got suspended for six games. It did produce one of the best pictures ever:

The look on Lou's face is priceless. Zambrano has come into the season in much better shape and with a positive attitude. Let's hope he can keep the mental aspect of his game up as that always seems to be his biggest challenge. Lilly starts out the year on the DL - he's due to come off near the end of April. I hope they give him plenty of time for rehab as he's been our most consistent pitcher since we signed him a few years back. Gorzelanny in his spot for the time being and will move to the pen when Lilly returns. Gorzelanny is capable of being an adequate replacement, but he's also fully capable of shitting the bed so we'll have to wait and see with him. Dempster also has the potential of a good season, the third as a starter after his often painful stint as the closer. Hopefully "Ryan Dumpster" (as Amy likes to call him) won't rear his ugly head too often. I don't know much about Silva except he's been terrible the last few seasons. Who cares, as we got him for dumping Milton and his whining on the Mariners. He's looked good this spring apparently, but of course, those games don't count. Lastly we have Wells, who was probably the Cubs' best pitcher last year in spite of being both a rookie and an injury replacement. Hopefully he'll avoid the sophomore slump the Cubs seem to be so found of.

Bullpen: 

Carlos Marmol (closer)
John Grabow
Sean Marshall
James Russell
Jeff Samardzija
Esmailin Caridad
Justin Berg

Marmol finally assends to the closer role. Meanwhile, Cubs Nation reaches for the Rolaids. Marmol is frustrating. One game he'll strike out the side in 10 pitches. The next, he'll walk four straight, including the tying run - I got the pleasure of witnessing this in person last year. Kevin Gregg was a miserable failure last year, so this season, it's Marmol or bust. If he can keep the blown saves out of double digits, I'd consider that an accomplishment. Grabow seemed decent enough as a late season pickup last year - honestly, I don't really remember. I've always liked Sean Marshall and think he's a valuable member of the team as he can also spot start. If Gorzelanny or Silva struggle, he may find his way back into the starting rotation. I'm beginning to think Samardzija should have stuck with football. Two years ago he had a decent rookie season, but he positively sucked last year and spent most of it in the minors. As for the reset of the bullpen - they're all rookies. I think I'll get some grain alcohol to go with my Rolaids - we'd better hope the starters can eat up the innings or it's going to be a long season.

This is the last year in Lou Piniella's contract. I'd say it's 50/50 he'll be back next year. With the ascension of Ryne Sandberg to manager of the AAA Iowa Cubs, it's obvious they're grooming him to be the next Cubs skipper. Which is fine by me - he was always one of my favorite players behind of course, the great Jody Davis. I'd prefer Ryno to have two seasons as the Iowa Cubs' manager before coming up to the bigs, but if the Cubs stink this year, I think Lou will hang them up and we'll see number 23 in the dugout this time next year.

Overall, I find coming into this season much less stressful than in seasons past. There are really no expectations of the Cubs doing much this year, with most predictions being they'll finish in 2nd or 3rd in the division. That being said, *if* the Cubs can stay healthy and *if* much of the team can perform at their career best, we may see a surprise since it would appear at this point there is no clear runaway favorite in the NL Central. Still, we are talking about the Cubs. My prediction: 83-81 - the same record as last year.

I'll be heading out to four, possibly five games this season. One of them will be at Miller Park in Milwaukee at the end of this month. There's no way I'm going to recap each game: I don't have the time and the energy, and right now my primary focus is on hockey anyway. I will pipe in here and there, especially when the season's in full swing this summer. In the meantime - Go Cubs GO!