The majority opinion (by a rather large majority, I might add) is that the 2012 Chicago Cubs could possibly be more inept than the 2011 Mike Quade-led edition.As the first year of the Theo Epstein Cubs work out in Arizona, some themes are common among both fans and media:Rebuilding.Hopefully we'll finish ahead of Houston and Pittsburgh.This team won't be competitive until 2014.Well, I suggest that those in the doom-and-gloom camp get themselves a Happy Meal because this Cubs season will surprise you.No, I'm not going to predict a Cubs World Series this year. But this season won't be nearly as ...
How do you like Theo Epstein now?After kicking off his Chicago Cubs tenure with two low-key acquisitions in outfielder David DeJesus and third baseman Ian Stewart, Epstein has shifted personnel moves into second gear now—dumping volatile Carlos Zambrano and adding young, slugging first baseman Anthony Rizzo.At this rate, Cubs fans can dream that maybe Epstein can keep the magic rolling and dump Alfonso Soriano on some AL team needing a designated hitter, trade Ryan Dempster for a top pitching prospect and trade Marlon Byrd for more pitching depth.It probably won't happen, but it's not out of the realm of possibility, ...
All hail King Theo for accomplishing the impossible: trading the undesirable Carlos Zambrano.Some Cubs fans are wringing their hands over losing Zambrano's talent. But his high-mileage, lower-fastball arm makes it debatable whether he'll ever be the same ace who once threw a no-hitter in 2008.What's more, if a winning Cubs culture is to be nurtured—as Epstein has promised—then addition by subtraction was necessary.Distractions are not welcome in a Cubs dugout focused on winning. As a bonus, Cubs players can feel safer knowing that the likelihood of being punched in the face just got substantially lower.At one point, Cubs fans ...
