Chicago Cubs Report Card

Later this week Major League Baseball will reach the halfway mark of  the 2008 season.  And many eyes continue to focus on the surprising  Chicago Cubs, who, at 46-28, own the best record in the Majors.

Stop laughing.  Can this be the year?  Can the Cubs finally break the  100-year drought since their last World Series championship?  Shoot, it  has been 63 years since the Cubs even reached the World Series.

There are plenty of signs – both good and bad.  Do you want the cup to  be half empty or half full? Let’s look at the good signs first. 

The Cubs rank fourth in ERA among all Major League teams (3.67). The  Cubs to date have the highest team batting average in both leagues  (.283).  So they are taking care of business both offensively and  defensively.

Chicago has a blend of power and speed, a bench that continues to  produce and a bullpen that features one-time strikeout master Kerry Wood,  who has notched 19 saves through the first half.

All of the above can’t be fashioned by a flash-in-the-pan ballclub over  a stretch of 76 games.  But there is some bad news too.

The Cubs are only 16-20 on the road prior to this past Tuesday and have to bolster that mark if  they are going to stay ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee  Brewers, who currently only trail the Cubs by 4 ½ and 6 ½ games,  respectively.

After a 3-game home series with Baltimore, the Cubs play 10 straight on  the road and have only 10 home games the entire month of July.

Two of the Cubs biggest stars are injured – outfielder Alfonso Soriano  and All-Star pitcher Carlos Zambrano.   (There is some good news here,  however.  Zambrano had no structural damage to his injured throwing  shoulder and is only expected to miss a couple of starts.  Soriano,  similarly will be back not long after the All-Star break).

Sometime baffling reliever Carlos Marmol has lost his touch of late.   After posting an ERA of 1.69 in April and 1.93 in May, Marmol’s ERA in  June is 9.00.  He will have to regain his form if the Cubs want to hang  on.

Ryan Dempster, an amazing story with his 9-2 record as a starter after  spending last year in the bullpen, has already thrown more than 100  innings.  How much will he have left in September?

In reviewing the Chicago Cubs report card for 2008, it's also important to point out that the team has plenty of young talent, enough that good to be trade bait  for another solid starter in case Zambrano or Dempster flounder.  C.C.  Sabathia or Rich Harden seems to be on the Cubs wish list.

Despite the 100-year drought, the jinxes, all the ghostly stories,  etc., there is reason for optimism. Derek Lee at first and Aramis Ramirez at third give the Cubs proven  power and experience at the corners.  After a weekend sweep of the Chicago  White Sox, Lee was hitting 294 with 15 homers and 48 rbi, while  Ramirez was at .299 with 14 homers and a team-leading 53 rbi.

Second-baseman Ryan Theriot leads the regulars with a .310 average and  “rookie” Kosuke Fukodome is at 297.  Even catcher Geovany Soto, in his  first full season, has been a force with his .274 average, 12 homers  and 43 rbi.

Manager Lou Piniella also can be considered on the plus side of the  Cubs’ ledger.  The once volatile, seasoned leader, has been pushing all  the right buttons so far.

The year of the Cub?  Could be.

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Tom Stryker, Phoenix Sports Ticket

Originally published June 26, 2008 9:46 am EST