2008 -- year of the Cub?

By Greg Taylor

[May 28, 2008]  What a century it has been for those of us who claim the North Siders as our team of choice. No World Series championships since '08 -- as in 1908. Years of despair and years when mathematical elimination took place shortly after the All-Star break (or at least it seemed so). It has not been a good hundred years for Cub fans.

But quite honestly, the last decade has had a couple of surprise moments -- from the wild card year of 1998 to the postseason heartbreak of 2003, and of course, last season's division title and no-show in October. And as baseball began this spring, I don't recall a time when so many people were willing to say, "Yes, 2008 will be the year of the Cubs." So this week, we ponder this question: Can the Cubs make it happen in '08, or will we once again echo that familiar refrain, "Wait till next year!"?

Five signs for optimism:

Starting pitching -- We knew Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly would be good, but what a surprise Ryan Dempster has been in the No. 3 slot of the rotation. Zambrano is probably the front-runner at this point for the Cy Young Award, and Lilly has been very strong after a bad first three weeks of '08. At 6-2, Dempster is being mentioned as an All-Star possibility. And while Rich Hill's meltdown is disappointing, and Jason Marquis doesn't look to be more than a No. 5 starter at best, the Cubs, for once, have lots of good options, including Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, Jon Lieber and Kevin Hart. If the Cubs can get to the postseason, a three-man rotation of Zambrano, Lilly and Dempster might be the best in the NL outside of Arizona.

Offensive firepower -- From Alfonso Soriano to Derrek Lee to Aramis Ramirez, the Cubs have some serious home run power. And their lineup from 1 to 8 is filled with seven guys who can drive the ball with authority. Catcher Geovany Soto is one of the early favorites for rookie of the year, and if Jim Edmonds can recapture his batting stroke (and I bet he can), the Cubs could have six guys with 20 or more HRs.

Lou Piniella -- I can't overstate what a difference Uncle Lou makes, game in and game out. He is such a contrast to the laid-back Dusty Baker, and young players like Soto and Ryan Theriot have been able to thrive in his regime. And while the players still have to play the games, I feel pretty good about the leadership of the team when I see Piniella in the dugout.

Carlos Marmol -- He is the best eighth-inning pitcher in the game and will only get better. Personally, I'd love to see Piniella give him the closer's role right now, but sooner or later this will happen. Bottom line is Marmol is lights out right now and only looks to get better.

Kosuke! -- The Cubs have the superstar from Japan for $48 million in the offseason, and he has made a great impact two months in. From his excellent defense in right field to his disciplined eye at the plate, Kosuke Fukudome has been a great addition. And look for his power numbers to increase as the season rolls along.

Five reasons that ulcer won't go away:

No DH in the National League -- If Soriano could be the designated hitter, the Cubs would be so much better off. This great slugger is an absolute disaster in the field and flat-out cost the Cubs a game Sunday in Pittsburgh. Piniella is going to have to make defensive changes late in games and sit his $136 million guy when defense matters most.

Kerry Wood is the closer -- I love Woody -- I'll never forget the 20-strikeout game from a decade ago. But how many more saves will he blow before Piniella moves Wood out of the closer role? The Cubs went to the ninth with leads at Pittsburgh twice over the weekend and came away with two losses -- and that sounds a lot like the 2006 Cubs.

Schedule in September -- The Cubs have held steady at about 10 games over .500 for much of late May. And on the surface, that sounds real good. But the two most favorable months on their season schedule were April and May -- and September is absolutely brutal. How about just nine home games during the month? And how about trips to New York and Milwaukee to close out the season? Factor in trips to St. Louis and Houston, and the Cubs better have a six- or seven-game lead going into the final month of the year.

Strength of the NL Central -- Last year, it was universally accepted that the NL Central was the worst division in the game. And this year, it might be one of the best. St. Louis was supposed to be really bad, and they are eight games over .500 without Chris Carpenter. Houston looks very strong with good young pitching and the best 3, 4, 5 lineup slots in the division (Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee). And I can't believe Milwaukee won't turn things around in a hurry.

Billy goats, black cats and Bartmans -- If it can happen, it probably will happen to the Cubs -- at least that is what history tells us.

So what does all of this mean? I have no idea, but the final four months of the year should be fun for baseball fans in central Illinois. With the Cubs and White Sox in first place, and the Cardinals so very close, it is possible all three teams could make the postseason. I can't wait to see if 2008 turns out to be the year of the Cub.

[By GREG TAYLOR]