Missing Link

"Roberts, who hit .290 last season with 12 homers, 57 RBIs and 50 steals, led off the bottom of the first with a walk, stole second and third and then scored on Melvin Mora's chopper to the left side that was booted by third baseman Jorge Cantu."
-Baltimore Sun

I didn't need much convincing, but.... SOLD!! What else do we need? Insert sly remark about front-line starter here. Hang on to Ceda. Throw Veal and a lower-level prospect into this mix on top of Gallagher and Cedeno and get Roberts into camp. Then our middle-infield can start doing "Doublemint" commercials together....

Check back over the weekend for the rest of the season preview (Outfield and Pitchers).

First Game Results

The guys had a good showing today. Theriot had a few hits and a stolen base. Felix Pie had a long homerun. However, it was reported by Bruce Levine, ESPN 1000's Cubs guy, that his early walk was the most impressive at-bat of his.

Poor Fukudome got hit on the very first pitch he saw. Later he came back with a hit of his own and an RBI.

Dempster apparently gave up a homerun very early, but came back to look impressive through the rest of his work.

Great start for the squad, but nothing that will force me to do a "Superbad-waistband flip."

"It hides it AND it feels awesome."

"Just read the lines, Ryan... read the lines"

Dempster's audition for the rotation begins today at 2:05 pm Central time vs. the San Francisco Giants. Here's the rest of their starting lineup:

1. Theriot ss
2. Cedeno 3B
3. Fukudome RF
4. Lee 1b
5. Murton LF
6. Soto C
7. Cintron 2B
8. Pie CF
9. Dempster P

Soriano and Ramirez are expected to be in the lineup for Friday.

What else to watch for:
-Who comes out of the bullpen first? Second? Third?
-Who closes the game... not that this will determine the closer, but may give us a heads up for the front runner.
-Kosuke! I can't wait to hear about his play today. This should be at the top of the list...

Cubs '07 vs. Cubs '08. Who Do You Like?

Here we go. Can April come soon enough? I didn't think so. In the meantime, here is a comparison of the 2007 NL Central Champion Chicago Cubs to the 2008 version. I will do a few positions at a time.. feel free to post any comments.

Catcher:
2007: A combination of Barrett, Hill and Kendall did a great job of allowing stolen bases while simultaneously being a consistent black hole in the everyday lineup. Congratulations! I know I'm not the only one that is looking forward to late-season games versus the Brewers/Padres when we need to advance a runner to second....

2008: Geovany Soto is a definite question mark behind the plate for the Cubs. Fortunately for optimistic Cubs fans, it is not due to a lack of talent as he will vie for ROY honors in the NL.

Conclusion: Will Soto be able to maintain a high level of play for an entire season or was his late call up more 'Mike Fontenot'esque?' We will know by June. Until then, I'm confident we could suit up Olin Kruetz to squat behind the plate and get more production than we did from those jokers in '07. Advantage '08.

First Base:
2007: Derrek Lee was coming off a wrist injury that he says was healthy although his low HR totals would suggest otherwise. He still posted good numbers and his spike in power over the second half leads one to believe that he actually was still regaining strength in that wrist. What troubled me most was that he seemed much less reliable in '07. I have no numbers to back that up as his strikeouts were on pace with his last few years. It was just the impression I got when watching him game after game. It seemed like he'd lost a bit of confidence even. I'd like to hear others' thoughts on this as well.

2008: Derrek Lee is probably stronger and will probably hit more dingers than his 22 a season ago. However, the expectations for Lee following '05 have been too high.

Conclusion: I see a slight increase in slugging from .513 to somewhere around .535 and a similar batting avg hovering around .315. The crucial thing with Lee will be keeping him in the lineup and manning first base. He is a team leader in the clubhouse and on the field. Overall, slight edge to the '08 version as he should be 100% on opening day.

Second Base:

2007: Mark DeRosa and Mike Fontenot. DeRo had a great season for the Cubs. He won over fans with his honest approach and interviews. He spelled our stars once they became fragile and even provided some pop that first month when others couldn't deal with the cold. Then, Fontenot comes up and similar to the sensation of irresponsibly dumping a shot of 151 down my throat, stunned me. You know that feeling. When your body is trying to figure out what the hell is going on. That's how we felt watching Mike. Predictably, he fell off the shelf but not before having an unbelievable June that kept him up for the rest of the year.

2008: It will be DeRo this year.... unless Angelos can get over not being able to surprise-hop out of Brian Roberts' locker everyday with massage oil and a pez dispenser. I truly believe that it will happen, and not totally because I think he is exactly what the Cubs need. It makes a lot of sense for the O's as well. This rumor has been beaten like a $60 million Ben Wallace so we'll leave it alone now.

Conclusion: Huge advantage if Roberts comes around, slight edge if it's DeRosa all season. Of course he just got shipped back to Chicago, and I'm assuming that this isn't a problem that will keep him out. If it is, I have confidence that Jim will make a move. And hope that Mark is okay.

Shortstop:
2007: Theriot is below average defensively. He is below average at the plate. What he brought to the table in '07 was intensity. He is hard not to like. He doesn't take his career for granted. He hasn't been blessed with the five tools we here about with Felix Pie and WOW, SHOCKER! His hat size hasn't grown either!

2008: Ryan Theriot, the '08 version. If The Riot can get his OBP up, nab 35 bases and bring the same intensity he brought last season, he will be fine. I think a team like the Cubs needs a spark plug like the Riot... if he is batting .280. Get on base or get used to your role as pinch-runner. Hopefully Ronny Cedeno can get his big-boy bat out and start playing like he is capable of.

Conclusion: Advantage 2008. Ryan will be better this year than last. However, the fact remains that he is our worst position player. Cedeno needs to earn this spot, or Jimmy will be making a move at the deadline. There's a guy by the name of Brendan Harris that is playing second for the Twins that could be an interesting option come July if the Twins are out of it.....

Third Base:

2007: Aramis Ramirez has a consistent bat, a great eye at the plate and leather that gets better every year.

2008: For me, he is turning into the NL version of Manny at the plate. They compare to one another a lot like the leagues do... they play the same game, it looks mostly the same, only the NL dish is a poor-man's version. When he is dialed in, he is scary. He has the same ability that you see out of Barry and Manny to recognize pitches quicker than the rest of the league.

Conclusion: I'll take the 2008 version. I don't think he's peaked yet. It may be that I overvalue Aramis as a Cubs fan. I think he is our guy when it comes to clutch (forget those 3 vs. AZ... it was 3 games). I know who I want in the box when the Cubs need production. Keep in mind that ARam won 42 straight fights with his cock in the offseason.

Cubs' Prospects

I was going to do too much research and throw in some bias opinions, but I'll let Jonathan Mayo of mlb.com do some real nice work and keep the BS opinions out of it. This is the best, in-depth look at the Cubs' top prospects for 2008 I've seen yet.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080211&content_id=346622&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

Visit again soon for the 2008 season preview as seen by the likes of you, the fan.