Looking at the 2010 Chicago Cubs
We are just about two and a half weeks away from the start of the 2010 Major League Baseball season, and no team needs to atone for a dismal 2009 perhaps more than the boys from the North Side of Chicago.
After winning back to back division crowns in 2007 and 2008, Lou Piniella's boys fell flat last season, scoring 148 less runs than the year before and falling from 97 victories to 83 as the hated St. Louis Cardinals ran off with the NL Central crown. Certainly, there are a multitude of reasons for this, from a lack of cohesion, to injuries, to the loss of super utility man Mark DeRosa and his bat, inability to advance runners in key spots or get them in from third base with less than two outs, or the elephant in the room: Milton Bradley.
Bradley was a complete and utter bomb in his one season in Chicago, on and off the field. He never lived up to anything close to the three year, $30 million deal he signed last offseason. He couldn't remember how many outs there were in a game against Minnesota. He was tossed from a couple games for arguing calls. He was removed by Lou Piniella which led to a full blown confrontation between manager and player. He claimed that the city was racist, and so were people within the Cubs organization. Bradley would make any person either contemplate drinking or slamming their head into a collection of stone sinks.
To say Bradley was a bust would be too kind to those who have been labeled with the term. Bradley, in short, was a cancer. He made the locker room a war zone instead of a place where guys can relax and focus for the upcoming contest. With him gone and some better clubhouse presences in the locker room, things should be calmer on that front.
The Cubs won't be hurting from a pitching perspective. The team ERA under Larry Rothschild was practically identical from 2008 and 2009, when they finished fifth in the majors both seasons. The starting rotation is strong as ever, with Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Randy Wells, and Ryan Dempster anchoring the first four slots of the rotation. Lilly is coming off shoulder surgery and might miss his first couple of turns, but the team has enough live arms with starting experience. Carlos Silva, who came to Chicago in the Bradley deal is in the mix, along with Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Marshall and Jeff Samardzija.
Kevin Gregg, who many, myself included, thought never should have been the closer last year, is gone, giving the job to Carlos Marmol from the start. Marmol has electric stuff, but needs to curtail the walk total that plagued him last season. Angel Guzman was in line to be the big setup man, but he'll be out a while after an MRI diagnosed a torn tendon in his shoulder. John Grabow is death on left handed hitters, and a couple of the guys that don't make the rotation will add good arms to the bullpen. Again, pitching will not be an issue.
Offensively, the Cubs need to be more aggressive on the basepaths for starters. Ryan Theriot has been installed as the leadoff man for Piniella's lineup. Kosuke Fukudome will be hitting second, followed by sluggers Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and free agent signing Marlon Byrd. Alfonso Soriano, who was disappointing last season due to injuries and his usual high strikeout total, whoever plays second base, either Mike Fontenot or Jeff Baker, Geovany Soto, and the pitcher slot.
Soto, Soriano and Fontenot all have a lot to make up for after dismal 2009 campaigns. After winning the NL Rookie of the Year in 2008, Soto bottomed out to a .218 average with 11 homers and 47 runs batted in. He lost playing time to journeyman Koyie Hill in the latter part of the season. He needs to get back on track. Fontenot was the Opening Day starter at second last year, and flopped to a .236 average as well. Soriano missed 45 games, hit just 20 homers, and hit .241 with a .303 on base percentage, prompting him to be dropped from the leadoff role. His bat needs to come back to life.
The Cubs are better suited to deal with injuries this year. Last year when Aramis Ramirez was lost with shoulder issues, the team scrambled to try and make up for his power and run producing ability. This year, there is some depth and quality bench players to use late in games in key situations. How Piniella decides to fill out his bench has yet to be determined, but Xavier Nady will be there, along with the loser of the Fontenot/Baker mix for certain.
All said, on paper, the 2010 Cubs look to be in much better shape than the 2009 version. However, what happens ON the diamond is a lot different than what the guys at ESPN, Fox Sports, WGN, the beat writers and myself can project. As the saying goes, that's why you play the games.
Bring them on.
After winning back to back division crowns in 2007 and 2008, Lou Piniella's boys fell flat last season, scoring 148 less runs than the year before and falling from 97 victories to 83 as the hated St. Louis Cardinals ran off with the NL Central crown. Certainly, there are a multitude of reasons for this, from a lack of cohesion, to injuries, to the loss of super utility man Mark DeRosa and his bat, inability to advance runners in key spots or get them in from third base with less than two outs, or the elephant in the room: Milton Bradley.
Bradley was a complete and utter bomb in his one season in Chicago, on and off the field. He never lived up to anything close to the three year, $30 million deal he signed last offseason. He couldn't remember how many outs there were in a game against Minnesota. He was tossed from a couple games for arguing calls. He was removed by Lou Piniella which led to a full blown confrontation between manager and player. He claimed that the city was racist, and so were people within the Cubs organization. Bradley would make any person either contemplate drinking or slamming their head into a collection of stone sinks.
To say Bradley was a bust would be too kind to those who have been labeled with the term. Bradley, in short, was a cancer. He made the locker room a war zone instead of a place where guys can relax and focus for the upcoming contest. With him gone and some better clubhouse presences in the locker room, things should be calmer on that front.
The Cubs won't be hurting from a pitching perspective. The team ERA under Larry Rothschild was practically identical from 2008 and 2009, when they finished fifth in the majors both seasons. The starting rotation is strong as ever, with Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Randy Wells, and Ryan Dempster anchoring the first four slots of the rotation. Lilly is coming off shoulder surgery and might miss his first couple of turns, but the team has enough live arms with starting experience. Carlos Silva, who came to Chicago in the Bradley deal is in the mix, along with Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Marshall and Jeff Samardzija.
Kevin Gregg, who many, myself included, thought never should have been the closer last year, is gone, giving the job to Carlos Marmol from the start. Marmol has electric stuff, but needs to curtail the walk total that plagued him last season. Angel Guzman was in line to be the big setup man, but he'll be out a while after an MRI diagnosed a torn tendon in his shoulder. John Grabow is death on left handed hitters, and a couple of the guys that don't make the rotation will add good arms to the bullpen. Again, pitching will not be an issue.
Offensively, the Cubs need to be more aggressive on the basepaths for starters. Ryan Theriot has been installed as the leadoff man for Piniella's lineup. Kosuke Fukudome will be hitting second, followed by sluggers Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and free agent signing Marlon Byrd. Alfonso Soriano, who was disappointing last season due to injuries and his usual high strikeout total, whoever plays second base, either Mike Fontenot or Jeff Baker, Geovany Soto, and the pitcher slot.
Soto, Soriano and Fontenot all have a lot to make up for after dismal 2009 campaigns. After winning the NL Rookie of the Year in 2008, Soto bottomed out to a .218 average with 11 homers and 47 runs batted in. He lost playing time to journeyman Koyie Hill in the latter part of the season. He needs to get back on track. Fontenot was the Opening Day starter at second last year, and flopped to a .236 average as well. Soriano missed 45 games, hit just 20 homers, and hit .241 with a .303 on base percentage, prompting him to be dropped from the leadoff role. His bat needs to come back to life.
The Cubs are better suited to deal with injuries this year. Last year when Aramis Ramirez was lost with shoulder issues, the team scrambled to try and make up for his power and run producing ability. This year, there is some depth and quality bench players to use late in games in key situations. How Piniella decides to fill out his bench has yet to be determined, but Xavier Nady will be there, along with the loser of the Fontenot/Baker mix for certain.
All said, on paper, the 2010 Cubs look to be in much better shape than the 2009 version. However, what happens ON the diamond is a lot different than what the guys at ESPN, Fox Sports, WGN, the beat writers and myself can project. As the saying goes, that's why you play the games.
Bring them on.
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