Just about everybody knows the story of the Chicago Cubs. No World Series titles since 1908, no appearances in the Series since 1945, Bartman, and a billy goat. There have been good Cubs teams in the past, a few even were thought to break the long championship drought. Of course, none of them have, but this year, Cubs fans have hope that this team will bring home the title to the north side of Chicago.
Offense
Aramis Ramirez is the catalyst of a dangerous Cubs offense, which also includes Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee. Geovany Soto and Mark DeRosa are both enjoying seasons with 20+ homers and 80+ RBI, and Jim Edmonds has rejuvenated his career in center field. Chicago also has four players on their bench with significant playing time this season, who have hit at least .280. Offense will clearly not be an issue for the Cubs in October.
Pitching
As deadly as the Cubs offensive attack can be, the pitching staff can be just as lethal. Canadian Ryan Dempster has been the team's best, and has been mentioned in some circles for the Cy Young. Carlos Zambrano has all the talent to be one of the best in the game, as evidenced by his no-hitter of the Brewers a little while ago. Ted Lilly is having another under the radar season for the Cubs, and will be counted on to keep it going in the playoffs. Rich Harden, another Canadian, has been lights out since joining the team in July, as Chicago is 9-2 in games he has started. If they can stay healthy throughout the playoffs, teams will be hard-pressed to match this four-man rotation. The real scary thing about this group though is that none of them are older than 31.
The bullpen has been solid for the Cubs most of the year. Former ace Kerry Wood has settled into the closer role nicely, getting his career back on track. Setup man Carlos Marmol headlines the rest of the group, including Bob Howry, Neal Cotts and Michael Wuertz.
Coaching
Lou Piniella will lead this Cubs team to battle, and there aren't many coaches who have Sweet Lou's credentials. A two-time manager of the year, and a former World Series champion, Piniella has proven he was the right choice to guide the Cubs to victory.
Final Thoughts
The Chicago Cubs are built to win this World Series. They have all the tools needed to win, and do it rather easily. For the fans of the franchise, they are hoping that this is finally the year for their beloved Cubbies, and there is a good chance that it will finally happen.
