Cubs Defend NL Central Title
Starting Pitching, Three Big Bats Carry Chicago's Hopes for Repeat
Feb 23, 2008
Most baseball pundits are saying that the Chicago Cubs are the team to beat in the National League’s Central Division, thus giving them their second straight division crown for the first time in franchise history.
Three reasons that the Cubs can improve on last year’s 85-77 record: Starting pitching, three topnotch run producers and manager Lou Piniella is in his second season at the helm.
Carlos Zambrano (18-13, 3.95 ERA), Ted Lilly (15-8, 3.83), Jason Marquis (12-9, 4.60) and Rich Hill (11-8, 3.92) form the nucleus of the starting rotation. They eat innings and offer a 2-2 split between right-handers and lefties.
Chicago’s pitching staff finished second to San Diego in earned-run average (4.04) and topped the Senior Circuit in strikeouts with 1,211.
They also signed Jon Lieber and have Sean Marshall as starting possibilities, while former closer Ryan Dempster, who saved 28 of 31 chances but posted a 4.73 ERA, joins the mix.
Former ace but oft-injured Kerry Wood will battle Bobby Howry and Carlos Marmol for late-inning duty. Scott Eyre and Michael Wuertz should see plenty of action again.
Left-fielder and lead-off batter Alfonso Soriano, first baseman Derrek Lee and third baseman Aramis Ramirez lead the offensive charge.
Soriano batted .299 with 33 homers and 70 RBIs despite missing time and starting slowly in the power department. However, the free swinger struck out 66 times. Lee didn’t produce as much as in the past but still managed a .317 average, 22 long balls and 82 RBIs. Ramirez hit .310 with 26 round-trippers and 101 RBIs.
The Cubs should get a boost from their big off-season acquisition, free agent right fielder Kosuke Fukudome from Japan.
Otherwise, the lineup should feature Ryan Theriot at shortstop, Mark DeRosa at second, Geovany Soto at catcher and Felix Pie in center. Mike Fontenot and Matt Murton provide depth in the infield and outfield, respectively.
They may have suffered a setback Saturday when DeRosa was carted off the practice field in Arizona because of an irregular heartbeat.
Piniella’s bunch took off after Zambrano’s ballyhooed confrontation with since departed catcher Michael Barrett, surpassing and holding off Milwaukee by two games for the division title.
However, they must consistently score more runs and get better production outside of their big three hitters. Fukudome is expected to provide a lift, and young Soto wowed fans with a .389 average during September, which should help tremendously.
Chicago had enough momentum to overcome the Brewers’ 8.5-game lead after June 23 last year. The Cubs must get off to a better start, and their young players must improve if they want to reach the postseason, where they were eliminated in three straight games to Arizona.
