Seeing as how baseball season is upon us, I've decided to start my National League predictions. Each team will be covered in a seperate entry, as this Cub one is extremely long. These are only my opinions, and to be taken with a grain of salt.
And here we go!! 2006 statistics in parenthesis. Stats are (average, HR's, RBI's) for batters, (Wins-Losses, Games, ERA, IP) for pitchers.
CENTRAL DIVISION
1. Chicago Cubs (66-96, 17.5 GB)-That's right, I just said that. With a $300 million payroll, anything lower than 1st or 2nd in this division is unacceptable. The Central is not the most competitive division in the league, and the Cubs should be able to capitalize on this.
Starting Lineup
Catcher-Michael Barrett (.307, 16, 53 )-Good hitting catcher, not too good at throwing runners out. Real class act. Donated $50,000 to Derrek Lee's daughter's foundation, and will donate an additional $10,000 for each home run he hits.
1st Base-Derrek Lee (.286, 8, 30)-The most solid all-around 1st baseman that the Cubs have seen in a long time. Injured and missed 85 games, then his daughter went partially blind, and he took the rest of the season off. Undeniable leader of the team. Cubs got a major steal when they traded Hee Seop Choi to the Marlins for him.
2nd Base-Mark DeRosa-(.296, 13, 74)-Was a bit injured last year, however, is very versatile, playing every infield position except for catcher last year. Should be better this year in the National League.
Shortstop-Cesar Izturis- (.245, 1, 18)-No hit, solid fielder. Was injured a lot last season, splitting time between the Cubs and the LA Dodgers. Not the best trade ever, being sent to the Cubs straight up for Greg Maddux. Should be leaps and bounds better than Neifi Perez. God, he sucked.
3rd Base-Aramis Ramirez- (.291, 38, 119)-Arguably the best third baseman in Cubs history since Ron Santo. His numbers will be better this year, now that he has people on base to move ahead. Last year was the only player on the Cubs who actually really did anything. Pirates are probably kicking themselves for this trade. Cubs sent Bobby Hill as a player to be named later for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez. Bobby Hill is now back in the Cubs organization, so the Pirates got screwed.
Left Fielder-Cliff Floyd-(.244, 11, 44)-A solid outfielder, however, a bit older. Will be 35 on Opening Day. Will platoon with Matt Murton (more on him later).
Center Fielder-Alfonso Soriano- (.277, 46, 95) 8 years, $136 million. Some owners around the league laughed at this signing, saying the Cubs overpaid him. Led the NL in outfield assists last year, however committed 11 errors. Also strikes out a lot (160 in 647 AB last year). As he gets more accostomed to the outfield, I expect his errors to go down. Should make the Cubs fans love him. He's fast, solid hitter, and should move to right field later on in the year.
Right Field-Jaque Jones-(.285, 27, 81)-A solid contact hitter, however, a terrible right fielder. Had more errors than assists last year, which is unacceptable. Many believe the reason he was better in Minnesota was because of the Astroturf surface, and he could bounce the balls back into the infield. Not so in Chicago. Should be traded by the trade deadline, which'll have the Cubs call up Felix Pie.
OFF THE BENCH
Daryle Ward (1B, DH)-(.308, 7, 26)-Spent time between Atlanta and Washington last season. Was injured last season. Appeared in 98 games. Very versatile. Last season played LF, RF, 1B, and DH. Should figure in the Cubs plans as a DH and pinch hitter.
Matt Murton (LF)-(.297, 13, 62) Last year was his first full season in the majors. Surprised all with decent power, very good situational hitter. Will platoon in LF with Cliff Floyd. I expect Floyd will get most of the duty against right handed pitchers, while Murton will face LHP's. Expect him to be the Cubs every day Left Fielder in a few years.
Ryan Theriot (2B, SS)-(.328, 3, 16) Instantly a crowd favorite. "The Riot", as he is known, will one day be the Cubs starting second baseman. Until then, he has to live off the bench, which is a shame. Will get a few starts this year, but not as many as he deserves.
Ronny Cedeno (SS)-(.245, 6, 41) He had 41 RBI's in151 games last season? Man, that's not good. Hopefully will improve on that this season, or he will go the way of Neifi Perez.
Henry Blanco (C)-(.266, 6, 37)-I'm willing to bet that last season is a fluke. He had the highest batting average of his career. Formerly Greg Maddux's personal catcher. The only reason he's still in Cubby blue is because he's exactly the opposite of Barrett: good field, no hit.
STARTING PITCHERS (Wins-Losses, Games, ERA, Innings Pitched)
1.Carlos Zambrano-( 16-7,33, 3.41, 214.0)-Undoubtedly the ace of the staff. A very strong contender for the Cy Young. Should easily win at least 15 games. Can be unhittable if he keeps his cool.
2.Ted Lilly (15-13, 32, 4.31, 181.7)-Easily many team's ace. However, he has to be on the same team as Zambrano, so he'll be the number two pitcher. A left handed pitcher with a darned good curveball, and can be a bit wild. That's the reason his innings pitched are a bit on the low side.
3.Jason Marquis (14-16, 33, 6.02, 194.3)-Honestly, I cringed when I first heard about this deal. 3 years/$21 million is a bit much for a guy that had a 6.02 ERA last season, on a World Series championship team (he was left off of the postseason roster.) Does not strike out many, only 96 in 194.3 innings. Gives up a ton of homeruns. We'll see.
4.RIch Hill- (7-1, 15, 1.80, 100.0 at Iowa, 6-7, 17, 4.17, 99.3 at Chicago)-Split time between Iowa (AAA) and the Cubs. Literally unhittable in Iowa. Batters hit .179 against him. Will get better as time progresses.
5. The 5th spot is a tossup between 4 players: Mark Prior (1-6, 9, 7.21, 43.7), Angel Guzman (0-6,15, 7.39, 56.0), Wade Miller (0-2, 5, 4.57, 21.7), and Neal Cotts (1-2,70, 5.17, 54.0). Needless to say, the 5th spot's kind of scary to think about.
BULLPEN (Wins-Losses, Games, Games Saved (if applicable), ERA, IP)
Closer: Ryan Dempster- (1-9, 74, 24, 4.80, 75.0) The less said about last year, the better. Let's hope it was a fluke, because Dempster sucked up the place. Every time he would come into a came, I would bite my nails. If he fails again, expect Kerry Wood to come in and close. Incidentally, a real class act. Has donated $50,000 to Derrek Lee's daughter's foundation, and will donate an additional $1,000 for every game he saves this year.
Closer 2: Kerry Wood:(1-2, 4, 0, 4.12, 19.7)-Should be a lot better than last year. Came back from some random injury that I don't remember exactly. Expect him to be a lot stronger than last season, as he has lost 30 pounds, and his pitches have a lot more zip on them now. I doubt he'll ever start a game again.
Scott Eyre: (1-3, 74, 0, 3.38, 61.3)-Eyre and Howry were about the only bright spots on the Cubs bullpen last season. He failed every drug test he had-because he has a doctor's note for a prescription for ADD.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Felix Pie (Iowa: .283, 15, 57). Will oneday be the Cubs' every day center fielder.
He's fast, he's a great fielder, and he's a solid hitter. And he's only 22. Will be called up to the Cubs mid-late 2007.
Donald Veal (West Tenn/Peoria: 11-5, 28, 2.16, 154.1)-His stuff has been called better than Dontrelle Willis's. Dominated low/hi A ball last season. Should start at AA Tennessee. Should be called up to the majors in 2008, at the latest, 2009.
Jeff Samardzija (Boise/Peoria: 1-2, 7, 2.70, 30.0) Didn't really pitch that much last year because of committments to Notre Dame football. Now that he's a Cub, expect him to start at hi A Daytona. He will progress quickly through the minors. Will be called up to the big leagues 2009.
CENTRAL DIVISION
1. Chicago Cubs (66-96, 17.5 GB)-That's right, I just said that. With a $300 million payroll, anything lower than 1st or 2nd in this division is unacceptable. The Central is not the most competitive division in the league, and the Cubs should be able to capitalize on this.
Starting Lineup
Catcher-Michael Barrett (.307, 16, 53 )-Good hitting catcher, not too good at throwing runners out. Real class act. Donated $50,000 to Derrek Lee's daughter's foundation, and will donate an additional $10,000 for each home run he hits.
1st Base-Derrek Lee (.286, 8, 30)-The most solid all-around 1st baseman that the Cubs have seen in a long time. Injured and missed 85 games, then his daughter went partially blind, and he took the rest of the season off. Undeniable leader of the team. Cubs got a major steal when they traded Hee Seop Choi to the Marlins for him.
2nd Base-Mark DeRosa-(.296, 13, 74)-Was a bit injured last year, however, is very versatile, playing every infield position except for catcher last year. Should be better this year in the National League.
Shortstop-Cesar Izturis- (.245, 1, 18)-No hit, solid fielder. Was injured a lot last season, splitting time between the Cubs and the LA Dodgers. Not the best trade ever, being sent to the Cubs straight up for Greg Maddux. Should be leaps and bounds better than Neifi Perez. God, he sucked.
3rd Base-Aramis Ramirez- (.291, 38, 119)-Arguably the best third baseman in Cubs history since Ron Santo. His numbers will be better this year, now that he has people on base to move ahead. Last year was the only player on the Cubs who actually really did anything. Pirates are probably kicking themselves for this trade. Cubs sent Bobby Hill as a player to be named later for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez. Bobby Hill is now back in the Cubs organization, so the Pirates got screwed.
Left Fielder-Cliff Floyd-(.244, 11, 44)-A solid outfielder, however, a bit older. Will be 35 on Opening Day. Will platoon with Matt Murton (more on him later).
Center Fielder-Alfonso Soriano- (.277, 46, 95) 8 years, $136 million. Some owners around the league laughed at this signing, saying the Cubs overpaid him. Led the NL in outfield assists last year, however committed 11 errors. Also strikes out a lot (160 in 647 AB last year). As he gets more accostomed to the outfield, I expect his errors to go down. Should make the Cubs fans love him. He's fast, solid hitter, and should move to right field later on in the year.
Right Field-Jaque Jones-(.285, 27, 81)-A solid contact hitter, however, a terrible right fielder. Had more errors than assists last year, which is unacceptable. Many believe the reason he was better in Minnesota was because of the Astroturf surface, and he could bounce the balls back into the infield. Not so in Chicago. Should be traded by the trade deadline, which'll have the Cubs call up Felix Pie.
OFF THE BENCH
Daryle Ward (1B, DH)-(.308, 7, 26)-Spent time between Atlanta and Washington last season. Was injured last season. Appeared in 98 games. Very versatile. Last season played LF, RF, 1B, and DH. Should figure in the Cubs plans as a DH and pinch hitter.
Matt Murton (LF)-(.297, 13, 62) Last year was his first full season in the majors. Surprised all with decent power, very good situational hitter. Will platoon in LF with Cliff Floyd. I expect Floyd will get most of the duty against right handed pitchers, while Murton will face LHP's. Expect him to be the Cubs every day Left Fielder in a few years.
Ryan Theriot (2B, SS)-(.328, 3, 16) Instantly a crowd favorite. "The Riot", as he is known, will one day be the Cubs starting second baseman. Until then, he has to live off the bench, which is a shame. Will get a few starts this year, but not as many as he deserves.
Ronny Cedeno (SS)-(.245, 6, 41) He had 41 RBI's in151 games last season? Man, that's not good. Hopefully will improve on that this season, or he will go the way of Neifi Perez.
Henry Blanco (C)-(.266, 6, 37)-I'm willing to bet that last season is a fluke. He had the highest batting average of his career. Formerly Greg Maddux's personal catcher. The only reason he's still in Cubby blue is because he's exactly the opposite of Barrett: good field, no hit.
STARTING PITCHERS (Wins-Losses, Games, ERA, Innings Pitched)
1.Carlos Zambrano-( 16-7,33, 3.41, 214.0)-Undoubtedly the ace of the staff. A very strong contender for the Cy Young. Should easily win at least 15 games. Can be unhittable if he keeps his cool.
2.Ted Lilly (15-13, 32, 4.31, 181.7)-Easily many team's ace. However, he has to be on the same team as Zambrano, so he'll be the number two pitcher. A left handed pitcher with a darned good curveball, and can be a bit wild. That's the reason his innings pitched are a bit on the low side.
3.Jason Marquis (14-16, 33, 6.02, 194.3)-Honestly, I cringed when I first heard about this deal. 3 years/$21 million is a bit much for a guy that had a 6.02 ERA last season, on a World Series championship team (he was left off of the postseason roster.) Does not strike out many, only 96 in 194.3 innings. Gives up a ton of homeruns. We'll see.
4.RIch Hill- (7-1, 15, 1.80, 100.0 at Iowa, 6-7, 17, 4.17, 99.3 at Chicago)-Split time between Iowa (AAA) and the Cubs. Literally unhittable in Iowa. Batters hit .179 against him. Will get better as time progresses.
5. The 5th spot is a tossup between 4 players: Mark Prior (1-6, 9, 7.21, 43.7), Angel Guzman (0-6,15, 7.39, 56.0), Wade Miller (0-2, 5, 4.57, 21.7), and Neal Cotts (1-2,70, 5.17, 54.0). Needless to say, the 5th spot's kind of scary to think about.
BULLPEN (Wins-Losses, Games, Games Saved (if applicable), ERA, IP)
Closer: Ryan Dempster- (1-9, 74, 24, 4.80, 75.0) The less said about last year, the better. Let's hope it was a fluke, because Dempster sucked up the place. Every time he would come into a came, I would bite my nails. If he fails again, expect Kerry Wood to come in and close. Incidentally, a real class act. Has donated $50,000 to Derrek Lee's daughter's foundation, and will donate an additional $1,000 for every game he saves this year.
Closer 2: Kerry Wood:(1-2, 4, 0, 4.12, 19.7)-Should be a lot better than last year. Came back from some random injury that I don't remember exactly. Expect him to be a lot stronger than last season, as he has lost 30 pounds, and his pitches have a lot more zip on them now. I doubt he'll ever start a game again.
Scott Eyre: (1-3, 74, 0, 3.38, 61.3)-Eyre and Howry were about the only bright spots on the Cubs bullpen last season. He failed every drug test he had-because he has a doctor's note for a prescription for ADD.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Felix Pie (Iowa: .283, 15, 57). Will oneday be the Cubs' every day center fielder.
He's fast, he's a great fielder, and he's a solid hitter. And he's only 22. Will be called up to the Cubs mid-late 2007.
Donald Veal (West Tenn/Peoria: 11-5, 28, 2.16, 154.1)-His stuff has been called better than Dontrelle Willis's. Dominated low/hi A ball last season. Should start at AA Tennessee. Should be called up to the majors in 2008, at the latest, 2009.
Jeff Samardzija (Boise/Peoria: 1-2, 7, 2.70, 30.0) Didn't really pitch that much last year because of committments to Notre Dame football. Now that he's a Cub, expect him to start at hi A Daytona. He will progress quickly through the minors. Will be called up to the big leagues 2009.
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Great work.
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