Pre-Season Picks

[baseball7897]

1. Cubs

2. Cards

3. Brewers

4. Astros

5. Pirates

6. Reds

[UK1679666180]

They just need to stay healthy.

 

For that to happen more things have to happen. Baker and Rothschild have to do a better job of monitoring their workload as the season wears on.

 

Wood has to make adjustments w/his delivery and there are things Prior has to avoid doing that he did last year, that he did not do previously (media reports state that Prior has corrected some flaws, which is encouraging).

[baseball7897]

Rotation in June

 

1. Zambrano

2. Prior

3. Wood

4. Miller

5. Maddux

 

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Howry

Eyre

Williamson

Ohman

Rusch

 

I like it..

[JWCUB]

Rotation in June

 

1. Zambrano

2. Prior

3. Wood

4. Miller

5. Maddux

 

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Howry

Eyre

Williamson

Ohman

Rusch

 

I like it..

 

 

If everyone stays healthy, thats a killer rotation and pen.

I like it alot too.

[Balsa]

Hey if the Astros can get to the WS on that offense, surely the Cubs can get there too. Although, as always, it depends on our starters. I'd say we're due though.

 

As easy as it is to disparage the Astros 2005 offense, the Cubs were only 10 runs better on the year (703 vs 693).

 

In my opinion, all the more reason to disparage it. I wasn't happy at all with the way the Cubs offense was working, it was firing on about half of it's cylinders, and if you've ever driving a car that needs a new spark plug, you'd know how annoying that is.

 

Derrek Lee is the sole reason we didn't land in fifth place last year.

[Balsa]

Rotation in June

 

1. Zambrano

2. Prior

3. Wood

4. Miller

5. Maddux

 

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Howry

Eyre

Williamson

Ohman

Rusch

 

I like it..

 

If it stays healthy, that's easily the best pitching staff in the NL. Chances of that happening? 40-1

[baseball7897]

"If healthy" Cubs should ride those horses into the playoffs.

[Flames24Rulz]

Rotation in June

 

1. Zambrano

2. Prior

3. Wood

4. Miller

5. Maddux

 

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Howry

Eyre

Williamson

Ohman

Rusch

 

I like it..

 

that is a great staff...like everyone said though, the key is going to be if they will be healthy. If all of them stay healthy for the good majority of the year, there's no reason this team shouldn't be able to contend with the Cards.

 

but realistically, I don't think the pitching staff is going to be healthy this year :( Prove me wrong Woody.

[Brian]

there's also the possibility that da Gooz can keep his arm in one piece and make some noise in the rotation or pen... Hill too. Edited February 3, 2006 by Brian

[JWCUB]

Rotation in June

 

1. Zambrano

2. Prior

3. Wood

4. Miller

5. Maddux

 

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Howry

Eyre

Williamson

Ohman

Rusch

 

I like it..

 

that is a great staff...like everyone said though, the key is going to be if they will be healthy. If all of them stay healthy for the good majority of the year, there's no reason this team shouldn't be able to contend with the Cards.

 

but realistically, I don't think the pitching staff is going to be healthy this year :( Prove me wrong Woody.

 

One can only hope.

[Bull]

Let the guarded optimism begin. It feels like spring!

[Yeti]

Let the guarded optimism begin. It feels like spring!

:lmao:

[JWCUB]

Let the guarded optimism begin. It feels like spring!

 

Thats all we have had for the past.....oh.......hundred years. :lol:

[BigbadB]

Rotation in June

 

1. Zambrano

2. Prior

3. Wood

4. Miller

5. Maddux

 

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Howry

Eyre

Williamson

Ohman

Rusch

 

I like it..

 

Where did Williams go? Did he get traded for a bat? Just curious where you see him when Miller takes his spot in the rotation.

[ManEatingTarp]

My predictions

 

1. Cards

2. Brewers

3. Cubs

4. Astros

5. Pirates

6. Reds

 

As always it's about health.

Pujols wins MVP walking away in the new park. .330/52/130

Brewers keep it close till the end of August then the Cards pull away.

Cubs stumble out of the gate, make a huge midseason charge, but it's not enough.

[Jake]

To me, the key for the Cubs is obvious, pitching.

For which team is pitching not the key? Hell, if the first four pirates pitchers pitch as well as everyone expects, we'll win the division. It may be a lot of 1-0 games, but we can still win them.

If Kip pitches like 2003.

If Ollie pitches like 2004.

If Zach pitches like he did in his short 2005.

If Maholom pitches like he did in his short 2005.

Then, we'll win the division.

Whatever.

[goonys evil twin]

Rotation in June

 

1. Zambrano

2. Prior

3. Wood

4. Miller

5. Maddux

 

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Howry

Eyre

Williamson

Ohman

Rusch

 

I like it..

 

Take out Rusch and that would be very good if healthy.

 

Cards

Cubs

Brewers

Astros

Pirates

Reds

[goonys evil twin]

To me, the key for the Cubs is obvious, pitching.

For which team is pitching not the key?

 

True, but the Cubs' pitching stands out for two reasons.

 

1) They have an extremely wide range of ceiling and floor, with an equally wide range of likelihood of reaching either.

 

2) They have a weak offense that won't be able to make up for slip-ups in the rotation. The best hitting teams can withstand the pitching problems.

 

Other teams rely on pitching as well. And other teams have weak offenses. But few have the chance to be as good as the Cubs good be if all goes well.

[Andy]

To me, the key for the Cubs is obvious, pitching.

For which team is pitching not the key?

Other teams rely on pitching as well. And other teams have weak offenses. But few have the chance to be as good as the Cubs good be if all goes well.

And few have less reason to believe that all will go well in the pitching staff than the Cubs do, as well.

[baseball7897]

Pirates have no chance..no chance in hell.

[STLoserdenial1]

That man eating tarp must be Pujols girlfriend. Albert is David Ortiz. Great hitter if not the best in the game, but simply a DH playing in the national league. 15 errors at 1st base is unacceptable, get off his jock.

[CubinNY]

To me, the key for the Cubs is obvious, pitching.

For which team is pitching not the key? Hell, if the first four pirates pitchers pitch as well as everyone expects, we'll win the division. It may be a lot of 1-0 games, but we can still win them.

If Kip pitches like 2003.

If Ollie pitches like 2004.

If Zach pitches like he did in his short 2005.

If Maholom pitches like he did in his short 2005.

Then, we'll win the division.

Whatever.

 

Who put the bee in your bonnett?

[Yeti]

That man eating tarp must be Pujols girlfriend. Albert is David Ortiz. Great hitter if not the best in the game, but simply a DH playing in the national league. 15 errors at 1st base is unacceptable, get off his jock.

not a good post for your first post...we dont bad mouth posters here

[STLoserdenial1]

my bad.

[imb]

i loved it.