Is This Finally the Year of the Cubs?

It is the All-Star break and Chicago Cub fans are asking the same questions they ask every year at this time: Is this finally the year the Chicago Cubs win the World Series? The Cubs are a legend in futility. They have not won the World Series since 1906, and they have not even been in the World Series since 1945. The Cubs are known as lovable losers, they lose every year but the fans continue to love and support their team. Is this the year they finally overcome the jinx and win the World Series?

Last year the Cubs had the best record in the National League, and then got swept in the playoffs by the Dodgers. In 2008, the Cubs had the best team in the National League and they still could not get to the World Series. This year is a serious test of the one thing the Cubs have always lacked: character. The Cubs have plenty of talent but they are hobbled by injuries and some of their players are having bad years. For the Cubs to win this year, they must do what the great teams have always been able to do, win under adversity. After producing so many losing teams, have the Cubs finally assembled a great team that can actually win?

A look at the roster reveals that they have enough talent to win the championship. They have a solid stating rotation of Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lily, Randy Wells, Rich Harden, and occasionally Sean Marshall. Carlos Zambrano is a super athlete with an outstanding fastball. He can get emotional on the mound and lose control of himself and then he becomes his worst enemy. Ted Lily is an outstanding, crafty, veteran pitcher who is having and outstanding year and is the only Cub to make the All-Star team. Randy Wells is a rookie pitcher with enormous potential that the Cubs recently brought up from the minor league. So far he has been very effective and is enjoying a good year. The Cubs are very lucky to have Wells as he was taken from the Cubs during the Rule 5 Draft, but the other team foolishly returned him to the Cubs. Rich Harden is a crafty veteran who was enormously successful last year when he came over from Oakland. This year he is not healthy and is struggling through an average year. Sean Marshall has shown flashes of brilliance but is unreliable and only pitches when the other starters need a day off. Kevin Gregg is the closer out of the bullpen.

The stating lineup is very talented and has the potential to score a lot of runs. The Cubs are marred in a mid-season slump and have not been scoring many runs. The outfield features Alfonso Soriano in left field, Kosuke Fukudome in center field, and Milton Bradly in right field. All three are great hitters, but only Kosuke Fukudome is having a good year. Sam Fuld and Reed Johnson provide strong support off the bench. Sam Fuld is an impressive rookie with great speed and enormous potential. Reed Johnson is a capable veteran who has been hobbled by injuries. He is not having a great year.

The infield features Derrick Lee at first, Ryan Theriot at shortstop, and Aramis Ramirez at third base. All three are great hitters but Lee and Ramirez have been hampered by injuries.

So how does Cubs Manager Lou Piniella plan to win the division and make the playoffs in the second half of the season? Piniella has some fascinating quotes at MLB.com. "We have to swing the bats better in the second half. We swing the bats, stay healthy, we have a good chance to win the division. We've been through a lot this summer. If we don't, we'll see what happens, I'm curious myself." Piniella went on to state that the Cubs have the talent to win but they need to cut back on the distractions. "Don't read the newspapers, don't watch TV, just play," he said. "We've got everything we need right here. If we stay together in here, cut out all the outside (distractions), we'll be fine. There's way too much hoopla, there's way too much talk, there's way too much speculation."

This could be another year of frustration. Or, the Cubs may have finally assembled a great team that can win under adverse circumstances. Stay tuned to find out, it is going to be a great finish.

Sources:

1. www. Chicago.Cubs.MLB.com

2.Carrie Muskat, Piniella outlines 'to-do' list after split, MLB.com