Gillette on Cubs chances this season

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

ESPN's Gary Gillette had some encouraging words for the '06 Chicago Cubs:

 

Ryne (Marion, Illinois): With the Cubs adding Howry and Eyre to the Bullpen and having Dempster starting as the closer, not to mention Juan Pierre as the leadoff hitter, do you think maybe that the Cubs could win the World series or even the playoffs?

 

SportsNation Gary Gillette: No, no, no, no. No. Even in a relatively weak division, their chances of winning are not as good as the Cardinals or the Astros. I'd pick the Reds over the Cubs at this point--at least until I see solid evidence that Prior is healthy.

 

ESPN Insider Chat

[SouthSideRyan]

The Reds are a horrible baseball team. The Cubs are not.

[shnsajax]

I thought the razor blade makers were making predictions. Who the hell is Gary Gillette?

[Coach C]

I guess this Gary Gillette character doesn't know his baseball quite too well.

[BigbadB]

I guess this Gary Gillette character doesn't know his baseball quite too well.

 

Yeah, I think Hill, Williams, Guzman, Brownlie and Rusch (taking out Maddux, Wood, Prior, Zambrano and Miller) is still a better rotation than the one the Reds are sending out there. I do like the Reds offense a bit better than ours, but our pitching is clearly better.

[Coach C]

I guess this Gary Gillette character doesn't know his baseball quite too well.

 

Yeah, I think Hill, Williams, Guzman, Brownlie and Rusch (taking out Maddux, Wood, Prior, Zambrano and Miller) is still a better rotation than the one the Reds are sending out there. I do like the Reds offense a bit better than ours, but our pitching is clearly better.

 

Agreed.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

I guess this Gary Gillette character doesn't know his baseball quite too well.

 

Yeah, I think Hill, Williams, Guzman, Brownlie and Rusch (taking out Maddux, Wood, Prior, Zambrano and Miller) is still a better rotation than the one the Reds are sending out there. I do like the Reds offense a bit better than ours, but our pitching is clearly better.

 

I wouldn't go that far, but the Reds' rotation is pretty awful.

 

I'm just waiting to see if our rotation is healthy. If Prior, Wood, and Miller make the optimistic deadlines for their returns, we'll make the playoffs with a decent offense.

 

Ramirez and Lee look to be mashing the ball. Pierre is at worst far better than what we had leading off last season. Murton looks good. Hairston is surprising me. Barrett looks good defensively (watching the WBC). I really hate to get optimistic with this ballclub given its track record, but...it's looking ok so far. :)

 

A couple nice surprises from Wood, Miller, or Jones and we might have a very solid club. A couple injuries and we're screwed.

[Mizzou]

Who the hell is Gary Gillette?

Good question. With stupid statement like that though, I doubt we'll be hearing too much more out of him.

[JGalt73]

I thought the razor blade makers were making predictions. Who the hell is Gary Gillette?

 

"Gillette is the editor of The 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, an ESPN.com MLB Insider and the Co-Chair of SABR Business of Baseball Committee." I also think he may be a Cubs fan.

[TrueBlueCubFan]

Hey Gary, the NL Central happens to be the best division in baseball. Only the AL East is close.

[soccer10k]

I would have the Cardinals at the top and then the Astros and Cubs at 2 and 3 depending on if Clemens returns. If he does than the Astros are 2 but if he doesn't I think the Cubs are 2.

[Gunned]

Hey Gary, the NL Central happens to be the best division in baseball. Only the AL East is close.

 

Huh?

[bc2k]

The Reds? GMAFB. Some in the media just like to make wild claims just to draw attention to their normally unread articles.

 

Gary Gillette is about as sharp as a two-week-old Mach 3.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

The Reds? GMAFB. Some in the media just like to make wild claims just to draw attention to their normally unread articles.

 

Gary Gillette is about as sharp as a two-week-old Mach 3.

 

Well done. That was a classic.

[UMFan83]

Hey I could see the Reds doing very well this year.

 

If Griffey hits like he is in the WBC, their offense should be pretty damn good I must say. They will probably be a good tea- Oh. Oh wait, you need pitching too?

[Balsa]

Hey I could see the Reds doing very well this year.

 

If Griffey hits like he is in the WBC, their offense should be pretty damn good I must say. They will probably be a good tea- Oh. Oh wait, you need pitching too?

 

Shhh...I think they're gonna have Griffey's kid pitch.

[biittner77]

The Reds? GMAFB. Some in the media just like to make wild claims just to draw attention to their normally unread articles.

 

Gary Gillette is about as sharp as a two-day-old Mach 3.

 

Fixed

[TheDude]

I have no issues with an analyst not placing the Cubs atop the division or in the playoffs. In my eyes, until the Cubs can prove health and durability with their star players, they have to be considered nothing more than a sleeper for someone who is getting paid to analyze baseball.

 

But it's flat-out wrong to drop them deeper in a hole and predict worse results than last year. Even if it's only marginal, the club is still improved. And again, even if it's only marginal, the Cardinals and Astros are weakened.

[Jehrico]

The Reds? GMAFB. Some in the media just like to make wild claims just to draw attention to their normally unread articles.

 

Gary Gillette is about as sharp as a two-day-old Mach 3.

 

Fixed

 

You must have some rough whiskers if you can't get 2 days out of a Mach 3...

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I recall reading some good stuff from Gilette in the past. Obviously, we're better than the Reds, but if memory serves he's a better "expert" than most.

[JimBouton]

Hey Gary, the NL Central happens to be the best division in baseball. Only the AL East is close.

 

I'd take the A.L. Cental, East, and West over the N.L. Central. The National League is simply an inferior league at this juncture. These things are cyclical, so that will inevitably reverse itself, but currently the N.L. is lagging far behind.

[ltb]

If Griffey hits like he is in the WBC, their offense should be pretty damn good I must say.

 

their offense was ridiculous last year without griffey hitting out of his mind

[Ender]

Harang, Claussen and Williams give the Reds a servicable top 3 of the rotation. Its the backend of the rotation that is going to be a nightmare. I would certainly pick the Cubs and Brewers over the Reds though, I think they will be in 5th place with the Pirates being in last. The Pirates offense is still terrible and the starting pitching is just too young for my tastes and most of the arms in their bullpen are on the downside of their careers.