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This article is part two of a series of articles breaking down the Cubs' roster. You can view part one, which covers the bullpen, here.
According to Cot's Baseball Contracts , three of the pitchers in the Cubs' rotation on Opening Day will be making at least 11.5 million dollars this year. That's not even counting Ted Lilly, who will start the season on the disabled list, but could return as early as the third week of April.
Granted, the Mariners are footing 3.5 million dollars of Carlos Silva's 2010 salary, but that still leaves a bill of 50.375 million dollars for ...
On Monday, the Chicago Cubs will open up their highly anticipated season against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field, while thousands of the Wrigley faithful pray that this is the year. And we're ready.
Though both are often overlooked in post-season predictions, Braves fans and Cubs fans alike may see the beginning of a heated wild card race.
Each club has a very daunting task ahead of them in 2010, with two of the most competitive divisions in Major League Baseball.
The Atlanta Braves, who finished the 2009 season third in the National League East division behind Philadelphia and Florida, once again have ...
MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom reported that Cubs skipper Lou Piniella had this to say following the team's win over Arizona is the final game of the preseason on Saturday:
"I think the Cubs, their time is coming to win the World Series. Hopefully, it's very, very, very soon."
As someone who's been waiting for 40 years, I sure hope it's soon, too, Lou.
I actually like Lou's World Series chatter. For too long, the club has been careful to avoid that talk, saying instead that the goal is to "win the division" or "have a winning season."
When Mike Ditka took over as Bears ...
I think I wrote this story several years ago. Why is it with the Cubs that every year seems like the movie Groundhog Day, where the same scenario keeps repeating itself year in and year out?
Of course, their favorite saying is, "Wait until next year."
But what if this really is next year?
They have to win the World Series sometime. What if in 2010, that time has come?
I'm not going to compare them to their division rivals or the other National League teams they have to beat out to make it to the World Series.
I'm not going to mention the opponent ...
While it’s early in the tenure of new Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts and any opinions formed thus far are based on an admittedly small sample size, the only apparent difference between the Chicago Tribune and Ricketts is a face with the name.
That is important, but it’s even more important to have an owner who wants to win the World Series and isn’t afraid to let everyone who works for him know that is the goal for the organization.
A good start toward reaching that goal would be to put in a true baseball man between himself and GM Jim Hendry.
As opposed ...
Unlike his counterpart on the other side of town, you’re not going to find Lou Piniella tweeting any time soon. As you probably already know, Piniella responded to a minor Twitter controversy early in the spring sparked by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who joined the social networking site to communicate with fans. Sweet Lou has never been tagged as a web-junky, and do not expect to find the old-school manager updating his Facebook status at your local Starbucks. In an era when players expect to be coddled ...
I think most Cubs fans would agree that the Friendly Confines felt like an "ivy-covered burial ground" a few too many times last season.
Yes, a few players actually had pretty decent seasons and the Cubs finished second in baseball's largest division—but it just wasn't good enough.
Five games over .500 is not at all what Cubs fans, or the Cubs themselves, were expecting coming off of back-to-back division titles.
This season's team is full of new faces though, as evidenced by the finalized roster for Opening Day.
Gone are Andres Blanco, Milton Bradley, Neal Cotts, Chad Fox, Jake Fox, Kevin Gregg, Rich Harden, ...
As regular readers of my stuff know, I am not a backer of Jim Hendry. In fact, I think he is one of the worst GMs in baseball.
Sure, his teams have enjoyed more success than some other Cubs general managers of recent vintage—but I think an increased payroll may have something to do with that.
Plus, it is not exactly a challenging baseline that has been established.
Look at this $140 million team full of bloated, untradeable contracts, and draw your own conclusions.
Plus, Hendry has had an unimpressive run as the club's farm director.
But what is even more of a concern is ...
Cactus League action is winding down and the final roster is set. That means we can all forget about the exhibition season and focus on the games that do count.
Five days separate the Chicago Cubs from the season opener against the Atlanta Braves, and players, coaches, and fans are eager for that first pitch.
It's time to throw out those spring stats. They don’t really mean anything, do they?
Sorry, Tyler Colvin. Your team-leading .449 average and 17 RBIs no longer matter.
Congrats, Derrek Lee. Your .176 average doesn’t matter, either.
And what about the Cubs fourth-best record in ...
Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock.
The wait is almost over for Chicago Cubs baseball. If your glass is half-full, then you're probably very optimistic about this season.
On the other hand, you might not be so rosy about this Cubs squad and might not think too much of 2010.
Either way, the 25-man roster has been finalized, and manager Lou Piniella will head out to the dugout for his fourth season on the north side.
This squad is likely his least talented in his four seasons, but anything can happen in the game of baseball.
Cubs fans whose glass is half-empty will be hoping this statement ...
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