Thursday, March 1, 2007

A new year for the faithful

The Cubs begin their spring training season today against the San Francisco Giants and their newly overpaid ace, Barry Zito. A few thoughts as we begin another year for the most tortured fanbase in baseball:
  • Pinella's staff - The revamped starting rotation headlined by Jason Marquis (starting today's game) and Ted Lilly. Did the Cubs overpay for 2 of the worst pitchers in baseball last year, or is he a genius?
  • Center field: Can Soriano handle playing center field. Yes, he led the league in outfield assists, but was that because he could not get to fly balls that average outfielders could, or because his speed allowed him to get to more balls than an average fielder?
  • Health - Bottom line, if this lineup stays healthy, it's one of the best in the National League. But given the overall track record, that's a big IF

Update: The Cubs are currently down 1-0 in the 3rd inning. But again, we're talking spring training, and as we've discussed, I'm the only person dumb enough to write about it.