What Are You Excited For This Season?

[Outshined_One]

Since Opening Day is upon us and we've got a brand new season of baseball, what are some of the things you are really looking forward to? It doesn't have to be Cubs-specific, much less confined to the majors, but I'm curious to see what everyone has to say.

 

Here's a short list for me:

 

-A healthy Derrek Lee!

-Alfonso Soriano at the plate.

-The continuing development and emergence of Matt Murton

-No more Dusty in the dugout.

-No more Neifi Perez, Jose Macias, Lenny Harris, or equally terrible scrub on the bench or in the field.

-Ryan Theriot: Superduperutilityman!

-Jeff Samardzija: The Real Deal or $10m Enigma?

-Homer Bailey vs. Philip Hughes for the title of top young rookie pitcher.

-Daisuke Matsuzaka exploding onto the scene.

-The new generation of young pitchers coming into baseball and taking over: Felix Hernandez, Matt Cain, Jered Weaver, Rich Hill, Jeff Francis, Chad Billingsley, Justin Verlander, Jeremy Sowers, and way too many more.

-Alex Gordon. Nuff said.

 

How about you guys? :D

[RammyFanny]

I'm hoping for the Don (Veal) to have another breakthrough year and continue his domination so we won't have to worry about getting a true #2 in the future.

 

And the Sox sucking :D

[A New Era]

Um you took most of them. Couldn't you have saved some for us to list!?!?!? :wink:

[hawkcub]

It to start.

[RichHillIsABeast]

- Rich Hill

- a decent leadoff hitter who doesn't fall into the stereotypical leadoff hitter mold

- Z establishing himself among the elite SP in baseball

- Pie mashing in AAA

- the amature draft with a decent shot of getting a worthwhile player (Wilken!)

- Lou going ballistic at least once

- Old Style and 'dogs

[Balsa]

*Alex Gordon

 

*Philip Hughes

 

*Emergence of Guzman

 

*Z's homeruns (and Cy Young)

 

*Full season of DLee

 

*Lou throwin' bases

 

*Chris B. Young

 

*First full season of Rich Hill

 

*Darin Erstad on the ChiSox

 

*A re-birth of Cedeno?????

 

*Murton's 20 HR campaign

 

*Ozzie Guillen's meltdown when the Sox are in 4th place

 

*THE PLAYOFFS!!! :lol:

 

EDIT: *Felix Pie, superbaby

Edited April 1, 2007 by Balsa

[Guest]

• Felix Pie's continued development
  
• Mark Prior regaining his full health & confidence, the other 5mph and his location
  
• Kerry Wood pitching one nasty inning at a time
  
• The second half Rays starting lineup with Young, Upton, Brignac, Longoria, Crawford, Baldelli & Gomes

[VVMattVV]

Since Opening Day is upon us and we've got a brand new season of baseball, what are some of the things you are really looking forward to? It doesn't have to be Cubs-specific, much less confined to the majors, but I'm curious to see what everyone has to say.

 

Here's a short list for me:

 

-A healthy Derrek Lee!

-Alfonso Soriano at the plate.

-The continuing development and emergence of Matt Murton

-No more Dusty in the dugout.

-No more Neifi Perez, Jose Macias, Lenny Harris, or equally terrible scrub on the bench or in the field.

-Ryan Theriot: Superduperutilityman!

-Jeff Samardzija: The Real Deal or $10m Enigma?

-Homer Bailey vs. Philip Hughes for the title of top young rookie pitcher.

-Daisuke Matsuzaka exploding onto the scene.

-The new generation of young pitchers coming into baseball and taking over: Felix Hernandez, Matt Cain, Jered Weaver, Rich Hill, Jeff Francis, Chad Billingsley, Justin Verlander, Jeremy Sowers, and way too many more.

-Alex Gordon. Nuff said.

 

How about you guys? :D

 

Is it true that he is going to be in the pen, with Tomko in the rotation? Everyone hated Depodesta, but I really don't like Colletti-Little. Luis Gonzalez instead of James Loney? Really?

 

Anyway, I'm excited to see Murton get playing time (and not get bumped for guys like Freddy Bynum). Excited to see some young guys make an impact (Theriot, Cherry, Guzman). Also excited to see if Samardzija develops some good secondary pitches.

[cubweiser03]

*Soriano in CF

*1-6 pounding the crap out of NL pitching

*The Riot

*A Bullpen that will now be given the chance to win games before they are already over

*Lou

*Being able to watch every Cubs game this year. MLB.TV

*Rich Hill

*Pie in AAA

*Being in 1st and looking down at STL

[C.C.]

Two Words: The defense superiority of one Cesar Izturis. I predict a gold golve, a .280 BA and a .340 OBP.

 

 

EDIT:

 

I couldn't contain my love to stop at two words...

[Roast]

-Carlos Zambrano, his Home runs, and his Cy Young.

 

-Lou Piniella going postal at least once.

 

-Lee, Soriano, and Ramirez ALL hitting 40 HR a piece.

 

-Lee and Ramirez both driving in 100 runs.

 

-OPENING DAY TICKETS WOOOOO

 

-Pie's continued development

 

-Murton becoming a beast and hitting 25 HRs

 

-THE PLAYOFFS!

[TB_11]

Cubs

- Z: pitching, hitting, never pinch-running, and this week signing a new contract

- Derrek: healthy for a full season

- Murton: getting more than 400 PAs

- Rich Hill: continuing his 2nd half performance from last year

- Not having to watch the following people play for the Cubs: Pierre, Grissom, Neifi, Macias, Bynum, Mabry, Jerome Williams, or Glendon (although we all wish him the best with his health)

- Dempster regaining his form on the field and being an entertaining idiot off the field

- Aramis and Soriano: 80 HRs between them

 

 

Non-Cubs

- Santana, Dice-K, Joe Nathan, Papelbon, Francisco Rodriguez, Halladay, and other dominating pitching the Cubs won't face

- The Cardinals 2-5 starters

- Maddux pitching in San Diego

- The possibility that with Podsednik and Erstad hitting in front of him, Jermaine Dye could have an OPS above 1.000 and ~100 RBI (a 2005 Derrek Lee season)

- The possibility that Bonds breaks Aaron's HR record on the road, and gets showered with boos from 50,000 fans

[Ding Dong Johnson]

baseball

[Bruno7481]

• 
  
• Mark Prior regaining his full health & confidence, the other 5mph and his location
  
• Kerry Wood pitching one nasty inning at a time
  

 

You get excited for miracles huh?

 

:wink:

Edited April 1, 2007 by Bruno7481

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I'm excited to see the Cubs hold up that World Series trophy in October.

[Soriano12]

I'm axious to see Lou Piniella start flipping out when things go wrong.

[Fred Hornkohl]

I'm axious to see Lou Piniella start flipping out when things go wrong.

 

I'm anxious to see Lou Piniella not have to flip out !! :wink:

[BleedCubbieBlue81]

I'm excited about everything. I'm sitting here biting my nails waiting for the Cards/Mets game to start because it means baseball is finally here. But here's a list of what I'm really excited about:

 

* Sweet Lou managing. And hopefully not abusing our pitching staff.

* Carlos Zambrano coming through on his Cy Young promise.

* 3 MVP candidates in one lineup.

* Aramis Ramirez having an absolute superstar breakout season. I think he's going to be the man on the Cubs this year.

* Matt Murton hitting 2nd. Hopefully he stays there all year. I think he will be a great hitter with that much protection around him.

* The triumphant return of Kid K. Once he gets over this injury, he comes back throwing scoreless inning after scoreless inning until he inherits the closer role.

* Optimism around Wrigley Field. Last year ended on such a negative note, it was horrible. I think all the changes that were made will get everyone thinking about a winner again.

* The NL Central race. Could be a four team race that goes down to the wire.

* Michael Barrett winning back the Silver Slugger award.

* Jason Marquis proving to me that he is in fact a better pitcher than a 7th grade girl.

* The emergence of Rich Hill as a strong force in the National League.

* The start of my fantasy league dynasty.

 

There are so many more, but I don't want to take the fun out of this thread.

 

One more day...