Cubs: Wait Till Next Year
78As of today, I am thirty-one years old and yet to see my beloved Chicago Cubs even make it to the World Series. One hundred years have come and gone with no World Series Championship to show for it. The two baseball clubs who also had unbelievably long World Series Drought's have all won titles in the past few years. The Red Sox were able to come back from three games down to the Yankees in the ALCS and finally beat the Cardinals in a sweep. The stupid and personally hated White Sox won it all in 2005 yet I cling to hope every year yet am always let down in the end.
I am the father of two daughters and my oldest (Gianna 2 ½ years old) visited Wrigley for the first time this year, oddly enough it was against the f'n Dodgers and they lost that one too. Anyway, I loved the fact that I was able to bring her to the game to see something I loved so much and share this tradition with her. I looked forward to doing the same with my youngest (Lola, 7 weeks old) and could foresee years and years of taking my daughters to the ballpark to see my beloved and hopefully their beloved Cubbies play America's pastime.
After this weekend, I am starting to think I should spare them the heartbreak and ease off on the Cubs enthusiasm. I have bought cubs cheerleader outfits, shirts, pants, everything possible to instill the Cubs tradition in my young children. I even have started teaching them how to hate the Sox, but I ask my self "why am I doing this?" Why am I setting them up for disappointment every year? Isn't my job as a parent to protect them from hurt and disappointment yet I am encouraging it? If I were such a great and thoughtful father I would push her to be a Yankee or Cardinals fan, but as I write this, I can't help but feel that feeling of being a part of something. I feel the Cubs are part of me rather than just some sports team. When they win, I win, when they lose, I lose. I live and die with the Cubs from Spring to fall yet it always ends the same. I just think to myself that when then finally go all the way and win a World Series how great that will be. I can imagine the parties and celebration in Chicago...it will be magnificent.
"Wait till next year" is the famous phrase I hear and often recite in early October. Well, I don't want to say that anymore. I want to win. Just yesterday I was talking to my family about the type Cubs team that has a shot at winning and it is actually the polar opposite of the team that was just swept by the Dodgers this past weekend.
In watching the NLDS, the Cubs started Ryan Dempster in game one, which I can see why they made that call. Dempster was practically unbeatable at Wrigley all year and with Zambrano's temper and lack of self control, Dempster was the guy Pinella decided would give the Cubs the best chance of winning. I personally would have started Harden in game one, had Dempster in game two and Zambrano in game thee in Los Angeles. Harden had pitched in the post-season with the Athletics in big games while Harden had little big game experience. Zambrano would have fared better in a less pressure filled environment such as LA. The Pressure would have been on the Dodger to win at home, not on Zambrano.
Zambrano however did not pitch too terribly bad in game two. If Mark DeRosa and Derek Lee would have caught those "routine" ground balls, Zambrano wouldn't have had that horrible inning and he would have settled down. But...when it rains it pours I suppose. DeRosa was the best offensive weapon the Cubs had in the post-season, but when you have guys like Soriano, Lee, Ramirez and Edmonds in the line-up, you can see how you lose when that happens.
What I noticed from the play of the Cubs this season was the pressure. The players cannot handle the pressure of such a losing streak and can't handle the responsibility of bringing us, "the fans", our long sought after championship. I fully understand the pressure they are under and also understand how that can get to you. All season Lou Pinella kept avoiding the "curse" talk and discounting the pressure that comes with being a Cub; he should have been embracing it rather then denying it.
I think Lou is a great coach, but he should just come out next year, confront the expectations, talk about the "curse" whether he believe it to be true or not and at least get the players used to it from the start. I want to hear the players tell the media that they are aware of the pressure and accept the challenge that they are going to break the drought; yet no one talks about it but us the fans.
If I were GM of the cubs, I have a lot of things to look at for the 2009 season so Jim Hendry, if you're reading this, pull out a pen and take some notes buddy. First of all, I would take a long look at my roster, from top to bottom and decided if I can win with these guys. Now, being that the Cubs were the best team in the National League all season and won 97 games, you would think that the answer is "yes", but in my opinion, it is "no". I think there needs to be some major changes to the roster for next year to be successful. The damage that the past two seasons has done for our "stars" will be evident throughout next year.
Let me start with pitching. The starting pitchers are as follows; Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Rich Harden, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and Sean Marshall.
I would love to say Zambrano is our ace and he is the rock of our starting pitchers, but the reality is that he is not. Zambrano is too much of a head case to be relied on every year. He has started the last five opening day games and lost every one. He has lost every playoff game and he will continue this trend next year. He has always tanked in August and this year he tanked for all of August and September with the exception of the no-hitter. Carlos has a ton of talent and potential, but he is not the guy get us over the hump in Chicago. Sad but very true.
Ryan Dempster was amazing this year. He transitioned from closer to starter and was brilliant at Wrigley, not great away from the friendly confines, but decent. Dempster is a great third starter and I think he can bounce back from the disappointment of being swept this year by the Dodgers.
Rich Harden pitched his ass off for the Cubs after he was traded from the A's. As long as he stays healthy, which is sometimes difficult for this guy, he will be a solid number two starter for the cubs. He is under contract through the next year and if he starts off strong next year, I am sure the Cubs will extend his contract. He has been in the post season with the A's and now the Cubs and I think he too can bounce back from this recent sweep.
Ted Lilly has exceeded expectations since coming over to the Cubs from Toronto. He is the complete opposite of Zambrano, being that he keeps his cool no matter what is going on. He had unbelievable stuff in August and September and arguably should have pitched in the post-season before Zambrano. After the no-hitter thrown by Zambrano in September, Lilly pitch a no-no into the seventh and left in the eight with a one hitter. The next start, he threw another one hitter. I have more faith in Lilly to pitch in a big game than I do Zambrano. I think the rest of Chicago feels the same way.
Sean Marshall is garbage. Plain and simple, he is not a starting pitcher and needs to be a long-inning relieve pitcher at best. I feel somewhat the same about Marquis but I think he would be an above average relief pitcher. I think Marshall could still be an asset to the Cubs in long relief but would also try to use him as a trading chip.
After the season ends, we can start looking at free agency to shore up our pitching problems. The available pitchers are C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Bernett, Ben Sheets, Ryan Dempster, Randy Wolfe, Jon Garland & John Lackey. Obviously a priority is to sign Dempster which the Cubs have already publicly assured the fans that it's their number one priority. He won seventeen games which means he is going to at least get 10-12 million a year on his next contract. CC is going to demand somewhere in the 16-17 million a year range unless things really get out of hand. Ben Sheets is a great pitcher but has shown some durability problems over the years but he could still get around 13-15 million in his next contract.
I am sure the Cubs will hammer out a deal with Dempster and looking at the starting pitching class of 2009, I think the Cubs should try to make a play for either Sabathia or Sheets, I however don't see them landing either one. Recently the Padres expressed a willingness to make every player available on their roster. The GM also made it a point to mention Jake Peavy as available. If the Cubs were smart, they would trade Zambrano, Marshall, Pie and whoever else for Peavy. This would give the Cubs a reliable 4 man rotation in which they can bring Jeff Samardzija up to be a starter. Pie, along with Marshall, even though they haven't done much in a Cubs uniform, still have a lot of potential and are very affordable.
The addition of Zambrano, Marshall and Pie would give the Padres an ace to replace Peavy, a solid number 3 to 4 pitcher and one of the best defensive outfield prospects. Carlos is under contract for a while and the Padres wouldn't have to worry about him leaving via free-agency.
In the relief pitching category my first move as a GM would be to send Bob Howry out of town as fast as I could. Howry is a horrible relief pitcher and should only pitch in the All-Star game during the Home Run Derby, which what he did during the season. Every time he came in to the game, I would watch another opposing team hit a home run off him. He has to go!
I would move Jason Marquis to the bullpen because he was very good in the last couple games when he came on in relief. I would ship Wuertz off in a hurry also.
Marmol and Wood are as good as you get in the eighth and ninth innings so resigning Wood should be a priority. I can't believe I said signing Wood should be apriority, I had been clamoring for the Cubs to drop his often injured ass for years. With his emergence as a dominant closer however, he is back in my good graces. Wood will probably get around 5-8 Million a year on this contract. He should give the Cubs a discount for sticking with him all these years when he kept cashing checks for sitting on the disabled list, but I am sure that won't happen.
As far as position players, I think Soto was more than we could have hoped for and I believe he has a bright future in the blue and white pinstripes. He was no where to be found in the playoffs but he was a rookie, and frankly, no one else was to be found either. Mark DeRosa had a career year for the Cubs and played a very crucial role in the Cubs NL division title. DeRosa is a utility player who can play both the infield and the outfield at a high level; he just needs to take a few extra grounders at second in training camp. Reed Johnson was an excellent acquisition during the season and should have seen some playing time in the playoffs. He has excellent strike zone vision and came through in the clutch on multiple occasions. I think all three of these players can help the Cubs next year.
Now let me talk about Kosuke Fukudome. In his rookie season there was a lot of hype and expectations surrounding him. He was brilliant for the first half of the year and hit a major slump in the second half, including the playoffs. Pinella benched him on multiple occasions and called him out toward the end of the year and in the playoffs. This type of coaching may have hindered him more than helped him. In Japan the season is not as long and he was not used to playing as many games and in such pressure situations. He had the added weight on his shoulders from Lou and the fans which is somewhat unfair. I still think Fukudone is a good player, has excellent defense, a great arm, but just needs to work on his hitting. I don't know how it will play out for next season, but Lou doesn't care for him too much and if you are in Lou's dog house, it makes it that much harder to play. I hope Lou gives him another chance and we can start fresh next year and hopefully see Kosuke bounce back.
Ryan Theriot had the highest batting average for the Cubs this year and that was all while Lou consistently moved him up and down in the batting line-up. Theriot is a better lead-off man than Soriano and that has been evident since last year. I think Theriot should bat leadoff unless the Cubs decide to make a better lead off acquisition, which my plan happens to include. If a leadoff hitter is acquired via trade or free agency, Theriot should bat no lower then second.
Soriano is a whole different animal. Soriano sucks in the outfield; he is a huge liability in left field period. He has a great arm, but what good does that do you unless you can catch the ball? Soriano came up in the majors as a second baseman, not an outfielder. The Cubs, if they decide to keep him, should move him to second and put DeRosa in Left. Bat Soriano at number three where Lee has always hit if he is on the 2009 roster. I actually would not keep him and trade him immediately. He is a piss-poor post season player and that has been evident in the last two post-season. This year Soriano went 1-27 which is completely unacceptable. Looking back, he was horrible for the Yankees in the post-season too. The Soriano experiment worked in the regular season, but that is where it ended in my opinion. A great replacement for Soriano is Brian Roberts from the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles have been shopping Roberts for the past year and a half and this could be the year the Cubs and Orioles finally pull the trigger. The Orioles are not so interested in putting a winner on the field, which has been evident throughout the past ten years, but they are known for making the usual free agent splash which could bode well for a Roberts / Soriano trade. Soriano is under contract for the next few years and even though he is a much more expensive player than Roberts, it would give the Orioles a high profile superstar to market and inject some excitement back into their club.
The Cubs should also deal Derrek Lee. I have always liked Derrek Lee, he is a gold-glove first basemen and an all around good guy. He has always hit for average and for power, but over the past few years, the numbers have been declining. Add in the factor that he was a double play machine on offense; I think he needs a change of scenery. If the Cubs were to deal Lee, they would have a huge bargaining chip in order to bring in someone else. Derek Lee's stock is still high and he even went 3-4 in the final game in Los Angeles. One place where Derrek Lee would be welcomed and could fill the need at first base is Seattle where we could trade for Ichiro.
Ichiro is the scapegoat in Seattle for their losing, has gotten into fistfights in the clubhouse and is also in need of a change of scenery. The swap would save the Mariners money and years on the contract and still get production and a superstar. Ichiro could help mentor Kosuke Fukodome. With Ichiro, Kosuke, Johnson and DeRosa, we would have an amazing defense in the outfield. I am sure we would have to throw in some prospects or pitching, but it would be well worth it in my opinion.
Daryle Ward, who was a great pinch-hitter for us this year, would move to first base to fill in for Lee. I know Ward is no where near the player that Lee is, but he would be serviceable at first. There are also a few first base free agents available such as Sean Casey & Mark Teixteira. Casey is too much of a strike-out liability and Teixteira is probably going to be too expensive, but if the cubs want to win sooner rather than later, Teixteria is the guy to get. If the Cubs signed Tex, we would have Ward as a back-up and would assume his normal role of pinch-hitter. Ward is a free agent this year but I think the Cubs will probably re-sign him with no problems.
I would honestly like to see Aramis Ramirez go elsewhere too, but he is a great hitter and very good defensive player. He stepped it up this year, hustled consistently and came through with some huge clutch hits. I think he is rattled from the post-season the past two years and I doubt he can be the clutch hitting clean-up hitter we need in the post-season. Lou Pinella is very close to A-Rod, which could make sense for both the Yankees and Cubs to swap along with I am sure some prospects, but A-Rod hasn't done anything in the post-season either, so that doesn't make too much sense and A-Rod is out of control expensive. Anything is possible I suppose.
The only way the cubs are going to win the World Series is if they barely make it into the playoffs and everyone assumes they will get bounce in the NLDS. If the Cubs were to make some drastic moves as I have outlined above, the media will jump all over management, claim the Cubs blew up a winning team and will give us zero change to make a run next year. With some veteran non-cub experience in toe in the form of Peavy or Sebathia, Ichiro, Teixtiera & Roberts in the line-up, and moving some players into a better position such as Theriot, I think we have a winning formula.
Here would be my 2009 starting day Line-up:
- 1. Ichiro Suzuki - CF - .310, 6HR, 42RBI
- 2. Ryan Theriot - SS - .307, 1HR, 38RBI
- 3. Mark Teixteira - 1B -.308, 33HR, 121RBI
- 4. Aramis Ramirez -3B - .289, 27HR, 111RBI
- 5. Brian Roberts - 2B - .284, 9HR, 57RBI
- 6. Geovani Sotto -C - .285, 23HR, 86RBI
- 7. Kosuke Fukodome - RF - .257, 10HR, 58RBI
- 8. Mark DeRosa - LF - .285, 21HR, 87RBI
- 9. Jake Peavy or C.C. Sabathia -P - .265 / .235
Trade / let go:
Lee, Zambrano, Soriano, Howry, Wuertz , Marshall, Pie, Hart, Blanco, Cotts & Edmonds ($61,784,000)
Free Agents:
Ward, Blanco, Edmonds, Dempster, Howry, Wood
Cubs Free Agents Estimated Salaries:
Ryan Dempster - SP - $10,000,000 - 15,000,000
Kerry Wood - $6,500,000 - 8,000,000
Daryle Ward - $1,500,000 - 2,500,000
Free Agents / Trade Salaries:
Ichiro Suzuki -OF - $17,102,149
Mark Teixtiera - 1B - $13,000,000 - 15,000,000
Brian Roberts - 2B - $6,300,000
Jake Peavy - SP - $6,500,000
C.C .Sabathia - SP - $16,000,000 - 18,000,000
Payrole 2008: $118,345,833.00 (Start of 2008)
Payrole 2008: $124,400,333.00 (With free agent aquisitions)
2008:
Ryan Theriot - SS - $428,000
Alfanso Soriano - 2B - $14,000,000
Aramis Ramirez -3B - $15,000,000
Geovany Sotto -C - $401,000
Kosuke Fukodome - RF - $7,000,000
Mark DeRosa - LF - $4,750,000
Derrek Lee - 1B - $13,250,000
Daryle Ward - 1B - $1,200,000
Mike Fontenot - 2B - $405,000
Ronny Cedanio - SS - $407,000
Carlos Zambrano -SP - $16,000,000
Rich Harden -SP -$4,750,000
Ryan Dempster - SP - $7,333,333
Jason Marquis - SP - $6,375,000
Jeff Semardjia - RP - $380,000
Reed Johnson - OF - $1,300,000
Jim Edmonds - OF - $8,000,000
Bob Howry - RP - $4,500,000
Kerry Wood - RP - $4,200,000
Carlos Marmol - RP - $430,000
Henry Blanco - C - $3,175,000
Mike Wuertz - RP - $860,000
Ted Lilly - SP - $8,000,000
Felix Pie - OF - $401,500
Angel Guzman - RP - $401,000
Kevin Hart - RP - $392,500
Neal Cotts - $800,000
Sean Marshall - $405,000
___________________
Total: $124,400,333
2009 (Projected)
Ryan Theriot - SS - $428,000
Ichiro Suzuki - OF - $17,102,149
Brian Roberts - 2B - $6,300,000
Aramis Ramirez -3B - $15,000,000
Geovany Sotto -C - $401,000
Koske Fukodome - RF - $7,000,000
Mark DeRosa - LF - $4,750,000
Mark Teixtiera - 1B - $15,000,000
Daryle Ward - 1B - $2,500,000
Mike Fontenot - 2B - $405,000
Ronny Cedanio - SS - $407,000
Jake Peavy -SP - $6,500,000 or C.C. Sabathia - SP - $17,000,000
Rich Harden -SP -$4,750,000
Ryan Dempster - SP - $15,000,000
Jason Marquis - SP - $6,375,000
Jeff Semardjia - RP - $380,000
Reed Johnson - OF - $1,300,000
Kerry Wood - RP - $8,000,000
Carlos Marmol - RP - $430,000
Mike Wuertz - RP - $860,000
Koyie Hill -C - $400,000
Ted Lilly - SP - $8,000,000
Angel Guzman - RP - $401,000
Kevin Hart - RP - $392,500
___________________
Total: $122,081,000 to $132,081,000
Just wait till next year!
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Dave must be a moron Sox Fan.. <sigh> To leave such a detailed, intelligent comment. Figures.
Thanks for having my back Jennifer, I usually don't respond to posts like this bashing me. To each thier own.
adam b.....if you honestly think that your solution is even somewhat feasible, you live in a dreamworld. you make it sound like it's so easy to go out and sign or trade for players. wake up....it takes money. i agree that the cubs need help....but cashing in all of their chips is not the solution. next time you decide that you want to post something as dumb as this....do everyone a favor and smash your computer.
u dumbass
You're not going to leave Hoffpauir tearing up AAA, are you?
I addressed the money issues by posting, in detail, the salaries issues etc. Plus, this type of plan worked well for the Yankee for a long time. The Cubs are a large market team and could easily pay a salary much larger than the one I proposed. Next time you want to be a message board "tough guy" instead of smashing YOUR computer, you should just smash your head and end your miserable life douchebag.
If you are worried about protecting your daughters spend less time crafting hopeless posts that you have conjured up while playing MLB 2008 on Playstation. I know that trades are real easy in video games, but I hate to break this to you - it is not so simple in real life. Now to destroy your ideas: 1) Marquis sucked in the bullpen at the end of the year. I think that he gave up at least 1 run on each of his outings - which is worse than your boy Howry, 2) Trading D. Lee is simply not the answer. He was our best post-season player and saves the infield from a ton of errors throughout the season. Maybe moving him down or up to #2 in the order is more appropriate. Besides, D. Ward is not even kept in the game to run from 1st to 2nd, what makes you think that he could be an everyday player, 3) I know ....TEXERIA. He is garbage. He said he viewed his trade to Anaheim as a vacation. Not the kind of player you want on your team. Besides he has proven that he was not the answer for Atlanta and Anaheim, what makes you think he could change the Cubs, 4) Soriano at 2nd base - you should have stopped before you wrote that - it is just idiocy, 5) Sheets. Sheets. Are you talking for real about BEN SHEETS! His arm is ruined, his career is ruined, he is Mark Prior part deux, 6) Ichiro the Mariners are a favorite team within the Pacific Rim. Trading him anywhere would be stupid for them - not to mention it appears (even as you stated) that he is a clubhouse cancer. Why would we bring him here to pout in the corner with Fukudome when things don't go their way?
In conclusion, I hope that this has taught you a valuable lesson. Playstation is not real life and in order to "protect" your daughters stop writing meaningless posts and playing Playstation. In addition, I have some friends that are from St. Louis and are Cardinal fans, I also know a few Yankee fans - they are all dirty scumbags that I would never want anyones daughter to get to know. Have a good day.
I would definitely avoid signing Ben Sheets. With his history of injuries, it would be like having Mark Pryor back in a Cubs uniform. Moving Soriano back to second would not be advisable; he wasn't exactly a Gold Glove candidate at that position, which is why he was put in the outfield in the first place.
As for the negative comments left by certain post-ers: If you can't come up with an intelligent response (i.e. your own ideas on how to improve the Cubs), don't say anything. "It's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
When I hit the link to come here, I was thinking you were probably full of beans. But as I read it, it seems much more reasonable than I first thought. A bit too radical overall, I suspect, but there are changes to be made on the North side. I especially agree with "embracing the curse". I've been saying the same thing this week. From Day 1 in Mesa, The Curse should be acknowledged by everyone in the organization. It is, and always will be, the elephant in the room. When we win, it's in spite of being a cursed team. When we lose...hey, we're cursed! Whachagonnado? The daily humor of this approach would keep the team loose which was not the case once the calendar hit October these past two years.
I would have to say that moving Soriano to 2nd would be a HUGE mistake. The reason he was moved to the OF in DC was because he was a horrible 2nd baseman. I like the guy but he would probably would be best as an AL DH.
But amen to 86ing Howry. The guy had like 3 good appearances all year. Maybe he can be part of the trade for Ichiro!
Thanks, Adam, for a very interesting post. Go Cubs Go!
Just a FYI, I haven't played a videogame since before high school.
See thats the problem! These fat zit faced old guys coem on here and read posts all day long from their moms basement. They talk of video games and how dumb it is either because they don't understand what its like to be a *true* fan, or they just are illiterate and all they can spell out are short, simple words that they can remember.
Listen kids, this is a hub and thus entitiled to their own opinion. Perhaps some of you angry basement dwellers should use your time on the computer to find a job and move out on your own. In the meantime, behave yourselves when posting on a hub, where again, it IS fantasyland and we can all dream how we desire. Because in the end, you end up looking like giant idiots.
Oh and btw, to the guy listed as Boby, I think you meant Bobby, or perhaps Bobo as in the monkey since that is how ridiculous you sound. Have a nice day!
GO CUBS GO!!
Adam, I have been watching the Cubs for over 40 years and this 2008 team is the best overall team they've put on the field. Unfortunately they were built to win the NL Central, not the World Series. Their glaring weaknesses are the leadoff position as well as the predominantly right handed hitting lineup. Moving Soriano is just a dream. We're stuck with him in LF. He can't play 2B. Let him hit 5th or 6th. A true LEADOFF hitter like Ichiro, Furcal, or Brian Roberts is what the Cubs need. Theriot can bat 2nd and continue to plat SS or move him to 2B if they can land Furcal. Another lefthanded bat, which very well may be Hoffpauir, could platoon with DeRosa in RF. Fukudome COULD play CF.
I'm a tad confused.....is Sean Marshall garbage or is he a solid 3 to 4 starter? Maybe he is a mixed salad of solid starting garbage. Or a hot circle of garbage. Either way, I'm bewildered.
Andre - Great use of the quote "It's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." However, I think this mostly applies to the original poster Adam B. Because he opened his mouth, I now am certain that he is a fool. Thanks for helping me dig that one up.
Jennifer - I do not live in my parent's basement. But, judging from your post I can only assume that you were schooled in your basement. All you do is contradict yourself throughout your post. This being a hub entitles me to my own opinion (which comes straight from your post) and that is what I am doing - voicing (or really typing) my opinion. Then, you say a hub is FANTASYLAND. Well then that means any "zit faced old guy from his Mom's basement" could post anything he wants and feel as though he wouldn't be lambasted for living in his Mom's basement and having acne. But, now you have ruined this FANTASYLAND for someone that might be in that situation. I, however, am just bored at work.
Have a nice day.
I believe that Sean Marshall is a number 4 or 5 starter on a number of teams, but not on the Cubs. He could be good trade bait in a package deal to an all righthanded pitching staff looking to add a lefty.
So what you're telling me, KB, is that on our team, Sean Marshall is the Ugly Duckling of Garbagetown, but on another team he would be the Swan of the GoldenLake Garbage Retreat. Is that accurate? If not, maybe I need to brush up on my fairy tales.....
B-Rad, I'm far removed from fairy tales but if you're looking for fairies look no further than our ex-shortstop Cesar "ball-grabber" Izturis.
KB, very true. He hit on my one night when I was just trying to dance some of my problems away. Very touchy-feely indded.
There are a few things that are left un addressed in your post.
1. Sam Zell will probably not open the pocket book anymore than his tightass already has, if he still owns the team by Spring Training, if not, then you have to rely on an owner that is not afraid to spend some money on players, but that owner will also have to invest millions of dollars in rennovating Wrigley Field, making a spending spree less likely. Sabathia says that he wants to stay in the N.L., and Chicago could be a spot that he lands, but it doesn't seem more than hoping to think that the Cubs would get him. Sheets is a good pitcher, but I doubt that the Cubs will want to chance him missing 5 starts or wind up on the dl for the high asking price that he'll be demanding.
2. Zambrano is not going anywhere, not because he is uber valuable, but because he is a work horse, that eats up plenty of innings, especially during the dog days of summer at Wrigley Field, as such, Samardzjia will probably be developed into more of a innings eater. As for Lee, he will not go anywhere either, seeming to be the unofficial captian of the team, par offense, and typically superb defense; but once he is in the final year of his contract, they will probably move him (if he will wave his no trade clause) and place Miach H. there full time. I agree that Soriano needs to go, though he is a good hitter, he is much to sreaky, does not draw that many walks, and steals a handful of bases now. As for Soriano playing second base, his last year as a second baseman he led the league in errors for a second basemen, a statistic that has drastically droped since moving to OF. Marquis is not that bad of a pitcher, hes not that good either, but a decent 5 man but it was not bad pitching that hurt him this season, it was the lack of run support the got during the first half of the season, I believe it was 1.7 rpg of support, and it is hard for any pitcher to win will that little runs. His second half was a drastic improvement from prior seasons, plus call me superstisious but every team Marquis has played on has made it to the playoffs!
3. Unless there is a serious chang in the heart of ownership in Seattle, Ichiro is going nowhere, except back to Japan. Nintendo (owner of the Mariners) loves thier 'import' if you will and, while it has been 2 years since I've lived in Seattle, while I was there this summer he seemed to be the only player that the fans get behind, albeit not as much as in years past. Furcal most likely will never be in a Cubs uniform, it was just a few years ago that he turned down more money from the Cubs to play in L.A. and Roberts might not wind up in Chicao either, part of the package that the Cubs were using to deal for him included Ronny Cedeno who is becoming a valuable utility player.
hang on fellas we will come back and it will happen be patient this is by far the best the cubs have been in the last 10 years. i still believe it can happen soon. the cubs did have the best team they just fell flat at the wrong time
Kyle, I agree with much of what you've said except for Ronny Cedeno becoming a VALUABLE utility player, Yes, he can play SS, 2B, 3B and maybe fill in occasionally in the outfield but I don't trust him as far as I can kick him ( which I'd like to do as he overslides a base or gets picked off ). Anyway, that's the least of the Cubs worries. How would you address the leadoff position???
If you're gonna upgrade everywhere, why not upgrade SS?
Theriot has no power at all....and he's got the arm of a 3rd grader.
Also, for those saying TEIXIERA (look it up....Google's pretty easy these days) is "garbage," you are idiots. He's one of the few 1B in baseball that could actually outplay Lee with the glove. He's also younger and better at baseball in every imaginable way than Derrek Lee.
Ichiro is never coming to the Cubs. Ever. He has said multiple times that he thinks Wrigley Field is a shit-hole and smells like piss (which it does). I love Wrigley as much as any Cubs fan, but it does need some work.
As for Sean Marshall...I think he's a hot circle of garbage that wouldn't really be a serviceable starter on any team. After about 100 innings he gets hurt....every year.
Matt, you don't need to be a power hitter to play SS. Also, there might be some 3rd graders that take offense to your remark. j/k Theriot has a below average arm but a decent glove and playing basically the entire year at SS hit over .300 with, I believe, a .380 OBP. As far as Teixeira goes, he's an excellent fielder that's a lifetime .290 hitter with a .378 OBP that hit 33 HR's in '08 with 121 RBI. And he's a switch hitter! So, yes he'd be a welcome addition if they choose to move D.Lee, which is unlikely.
I think you must have hit your head right before you logged on to your computer. This is not fantasy baseball. First of all A-Rod and Soriano have close to the same numbers in the post season, we all ready have one guy who swings at anything within three feet of the plate why get another guy to do the same? Still feeling dizzy from hitting your head you made an ubsurd statement about trading Lee. The only comment you made that I can agree with is trying to get Brian Roberts.
Chris, if you re-read the article above I said it didn't make any sense for the cubs to get A-Rod...so I don't know where you got that. I said Lou and A-Rod are tight so that was a possibility but he is piss-poor in the post-season and is out of control expensive. Please read carefully before jumping to conclusions.
Well I definatally (spelling?) would not have Soriano in the leadoff hole. While he says that he does better in that spot, he does not draw many walks, nor does he seem to get on base that often to steal, which he does not do too. Reed Johnson could bat lead off, he draws walks and HBP but he does not steal, Theriot who draws walks, hit for average (this year) and steals would be a good fill in. If Fukadome (I'm pretty sure I butchered his name) could his consistantly, get his patience back, he would be a perfect leadoff hitter, racking up the other teams pitch count early in the game
I was thrilled when they signed Fukudome. He had surgery on his elbow in '07. Maybe that along with his newborn child and wife being in Japan along with all the adjustments to living in the states and facing MLB pitching was too much to handle. If he plays up to his Japanese League numbers (.305 avg in '07 )he should be a good number 2 or MAYBE a leadoff hitter. The Cubs can't count on that happening. Neither him or Theriot are classic basestealers. That's why they need a Furcal or Roberts at the top. Theriot is very good in the 2 spot. If that happens and Fukudome can actually hit for average, then he could hit 5, 6, 7, or 8. They still need a power hitter that can hit from the left side. That COULD be Teixeira; a switch hitter.
Oh, sorry Kevin, zit faced fat ass at work. No wonder we are going into a horrific recession, with employees like yourself wasting boss's time and money playing on hubpages at work.
Sorry fatty that i hit a nerve.
Take up baseball for sport and drop the attitude and soem pounds too if lucky
Jennifer - what do you do for a living? Just curious, as you are ridiculing us working individuals taking a break from the day.
PS: I hope you say stripper. Please do it!
I've been a CUBS fan since I was old enough to go to my first NL game back in 1963. Before that I was taken to SOX games, and managed to get a seat at one of the 1959 World Series games in Chicago. (My uncle John got the tickets and I was lucky enough to go! I loved it, even though as I recall, the SOX dropped that game 4-3 to the brand new L.A. DODGERS. (They moved to L.A. from Brooklyn the year previous.)
I don't live in Chicago, but I live near by in the suburbs. I love the Cubbies and I don't care if they win or lose, I still love 'em!
OK, I also have a soft spot for the SOX as well, and if the CUBS couldn't do it, then I'd root for the SOX. And since neither of them could do it, I'll root for the RED SOX!!!!
I hate to say this, as much as I love the Cubs (a fan for 46 years), but they’ll never win in that park! It’s time to build a new facility like Milwaukee’s Miller Park. Hmmmmmmm. Lets see, the Cubs play their 1st “Home Game” in Miller Park and Zambrano throws a “NO HITTER!” At Wrigley they haven’t pitched one of those in 36 years! What does that tell ya? It’s not the team that’s jinxed, it’s Wrigley Field that is! Too many ghosts there - call Bill Murray to do a little “Ghostbusters” action there! I swear there are poltergeists there! If they build a new place, they CANNOT build on the same location either! Clear some trees in Lincoln Park and build it there! And Fuh-Getta-Bahdd-It, Fu_ _a-dummy –Sayonara pal, he blows! The Cubs, not trendy enough, they gotta get a Japanese player to feel part of the “Club!” FORGET THE TRENDY SH_T and just WIN! Their play the last 3 games were like a bunch a SUSHI’s! Dump any player… ANY… that makes more than 2M a year. Keep the players hungry! Look at Tampa Bay and Philly, a bunch-a-nobodies and I’ll bet they’ll face each other in the Series! The Dodgers and Red Sox, they both are a collection of “Has-Beens”. With the “Wild Card” today, winning a 100 games is a waste of time if you really are serious about winning the World Series. A 100 wins is great for selling souvenirs and beer to a bunch of drunks, but that’s about it!
We all have the right to dream when it comes to next years team and who is going to be there.
dave 3 years ago
you're an idiot