..:Official 2008 NL Central Thread:..Congratulations Chicago Cubs...:

Astros.
What the new GM did in the off-season was just, mind boggling to say the least.

Tejada is facing suspension and you spend 14 million to sign a pretty much average hitting 2nd baseman.
I just don't know anymore.
Where's Gerry Hunsicker when you need him.
 
^^^Word, i dont know what to think about this team....of course im going to look at the bright side and hope our offense comes through, but we have no pitchingoutside of Oswalt. At least we have Hunter....
 
I love the confidence the Cubs are displaying already. Hopefully it doesnt anger the baseball gods.
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MESA, Ariz. -- Last year, Carlos Zambrano boasted he would win the Cy Young Award and the Cubs would take the World Series. On Wednesday, before most of the pitchers and catchers had unpacked their gear, Ryan Dempster predicted the team will end its 100-year championship drought.
"I think we're going to win the World Series," Dempster said. "I really do. I wouldn't have worked as hard as I did and everybody worked as hard as they did to not believe that."

He's not kidding, folks.

"It's funny when people make predictions and say things, and people say, 'How can you say that?'" Dempster said. "Enough of the curse this, the curse that, the goat this, the black cat, the 100 years, whatever it is. We're a better team than we were last year, I truly believe, and last year we made it to the playoffs and it was a battle to make it. I just feel our chances are better.

"It's not just going to happen, it's not a gimme," he said. "We have to work our tails off to do it. I like our team and I like where we're at. I truly believe the guys in there want it as much as anything."

The Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908, a fact the players will be reminded of more than once in Spring Training. Pitchers and catchers reported on Wednesday to Fitch Park, as well as several position players, and many shared Dempster's belief, even if they weren't ready to say it out loud.

"We'll find out where we stand in October," reliever Scott Eyre said. "Until then, it's the same old cliche: Go play."

Cubs manager Lou Piniella, refreshed from a week-long ski vacation in Aspen, liked what he heard.

"I like the confidence that our players have," Piniella said. "I think as a team we were disappointed in the way our season ended abruptly last year. I remember when I played with the Yankees in '76, we were swept [in the World Series], and as a man, we vowed we'd do better, and '77 and '78 turned out pretty well."
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Uh, oh... An official baseball thread not including "Off-Season" in the title!?
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Probably not FB, but it's awfully nice to have a team that has a legit chance to get there.

On paper, this team is better than last years, and even though the Cubs won the div. , i felt that we underachieved.

In my 26 years of life, there has been only one time that, I honestly believed with all my heart , the Cubs would get to the World series.

-Mark Prior was dealing and there were 5 outs left. The Cubbies were up 3-0 in the 8th and then......(this is painful)

Luis Castillo was batting, with one out and Juan Pierre standing on second base. The Chicago Cubs were leading the game 3-0, leading the series three games totwo, and were five outs away from reaching the World Series for the first time since 1945 and attempting to win it for the first time since 1908.Coincidentally, Game 6 was played on the 95th anniversary of the clinching game of the Cubs' last championship.

Bartman was sitting in a box seat (aisle 4, row 8, seat 113) in the front row along the left field corner wall behind the bullpen when a pop foul off the batof Castillo drifted toward his seat.

Cubs left fielder Moises Alou ran over to attempt a catch, but Bartman, who was watching the ball and not the fielder, got to the ball first and appeared toknock it away from Alou. (Several fans around Bartman also reached for the ball.)

Alou slammed his glove down in frustration and was seen shouting in Bartman's direction, and the Cubs argued for an interference call. However, umpire MikeEveritt's call of no fan interference was correct; the ball was over the stands when the incident occurred. The rules of baseball specify that faninterference cannot be called on a ball hit into the stands, only when a spectator reaches into the field of play and interferes.

* Castillo, given new life, drew a walk. Ball four was a wild pitch from Cubs starter Mark Prior, which allowed Pierre to advance to third base.

* Iván Rodríguez singled to drive in the first run of the inning, making the score 3-1.

* Miguel Cabrera hit a ground ball to Alex S. Gonzalez, who booted(misfielded) the ball. Had Gonzalez fielded the ball properly, the Cubs could have ended thehalf-inning with a double play. Instead all runners were safe and the bases were loaded.

* Derrek Lee doubled, tying the score and chasing Prior from the game.

* Relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth issued an intentional walk, then gave up a sacrifice fly to give Florida a 4-3 lead. Another intentional walk again loaded thebases.

* A bases-clearing double from Mike Mordecai broke the game open, making the score 7-3.

* Pierre singled to put Florida ahead 8-3.

* Finally Luis Castillo, whose foul popup initiated the controversy, popped out to second to end the inning. In total, the Marlins had sent twelve batters tothe plate and scored eight runs. Florida won the game 8-3.


________

I cant begin to tell people the agony and depression that ensued. Cub's fans get ridiculed all the time, but that moment, when the Cubs gave up the lead,was a top 3 depressing moment for me in my life. I had let my guard down. I ignored logic and curses, and my heart told me, that the Cubs were going to be inthe World Series. I was wrong, and will never again put myself in that situation.

I'm carefully optimistic this season, but e expect big things.

Forgive me for loving my team.
 
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[/h1][h1]3-way closer race figures to be close[/h1]
MESA, Ariz. - Kerry Wood stuck his head into a group interview with Bob Howry on Thursday at Fitch Park, pretending he was a reporter seeking answers about thecompetition for the Cubs' closer's job.

Wood, Howry and Carlos Marmol had just thrown their first live batting-practice sessions of the spring, the first small step in the six-week process to anointthe new closer.

"As I was preparing myself, I was watching you," Howry told Wood. "I thought I had a little bit more on the fastball, but you might have had abetter slider."

After Wood left, Howry was asked how competitive he felt toward his two rivals.

"I had a little golf tournament, and Kerry asked me why I didn't invite him," Howry said. "I was like, 'Yeah, it would've looked badif I had invited you out and then I hit you with a golf ball or ran you over with a cart.'"

Manager Lou Piniella knows he has an important decision that bears watching.

"Whether it's Kerry, Howry or Marmol, these guys are all capable of doing it," Piniella said. "We're just going to try to do what'sbest for the team, what's best for the individual. I know Bob has had trouble earlier [in the season], so let's see how he comes out of spring trainingthrowing the ball.

"Let's see how durable Kerry is once we get him in games and pitch him back-to-back. And with Marmol, it's just [getting] experience. We'llfind the right guy."

Piniella lauded Wood's session afterward and said there were a few factors he would take into consideration "that I don't think too many peoplewould think about." One is that they likely will have to replace Ryan Dempster as a late-inning pitcher.

"Assuming he's in the rotation, we're going to have to find one more arm to replace his arm," Piniella said.''

Howry may be the favorite because of his control, experience and great '07 second half, but Piniella needs to see if his velocity is there early after hispoor start last year.

What if Howry doesn't get the job?

"I'm not going to mope about it," he said. "Do I want it? Yeah. But if they say, 'Hey, one of these two guys is going to do it,'what am I going to say? They brought me in two years ago to be the setup guy."

Financially, Wood stands to make the most from winning the job because he can make about $5 million in incentives for games finished. But money is not a realincentive for Wood, nor is it for Howry, who also has some contract incentives for games finished.

Marmol is considered the dark horse because he's so valuable as a setup man but lacks experience. The big question about Wood is his durability andstamina.

"I'd rather have a healthy Kerry Wood all year than rush him to be a closer [March 31]," Piniella said. "That's a determinationthat's easy to make. Last year Bob struggled for a month or five weeks and then really turned it on. Marmol, in cold weather with that slider and thatmotion he comes at you with, it's not easy to hit.

"I don't think we can go wrong with any of the three."

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I love the fact that we have 3 guys who can close a game out. I think Howry is gonna be the guy out of camp. marmol is just so good in the 7th and 8th...andWoody is the wildcard.
 
LETS GET IT!!
Man am I ready for some Baseball... Been so busy i completely missed this thread... and wow at all the loses on the cards team, its gonna beweird playing them without edmonds and rolens..

And
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@ that group hug pic coming up again.. i remember it from last year because i'm getting sexually abused in that pic..
 
Winds of change sweep NL Central

Cubs, Brewers again expected to be class of new-look division

You might want to keep that scorecard handy this spring if you're spending time watching National League Central teams. More than any division in either league, the NL Central has had significant turnover since last season.
Gone from the division are one-time fixtures like Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, David Eckstein, Mark Prior, Craig Biggio, Brad Lidge, Adam Everett, Geoff Jenkins and Josh Hamilton. In their place comes Miguel Tejada, Michael Bourn, Kaz Matsui, Jose Valverde, Darin Erstad, Mike Cameron, Jason Kendall, Eric Gagne, Troy Glaus and Kosuke Fukudome.

Of the 54 players in the 2007 Opening Day lineups for the NL Central teams, at least 26 and perhaps as many as 30 won't be there on Opening Day in 2008.

The changing of the guard wasn't restricted to between the baselines. Cincinnati, Houston and Pittsburgh all begin the year with managers and general managers who weren't in their current post on Opening Day a year ago.

Some things haven't changed.

The defending division champion Cubs look like the team to beat again this year, with Milwaukee once again figuring to be right there with Chicago.

The revamped Astros, Cardinals and especially the Reds, if their pitching comes through, could be surprise teams, but for now, they handicap behind the Cubs and Brewers, while rebuilding Pittsburgh will try to get out of the division basement under new manager John Russell.
The favorite

Cubs
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The Cubs have their question marks, like will Fukudome, the new right fielder, hit Major League pitching as well as he hit Japan's Central League, where he had a career .305 batting average and .397 on-base percentage the last nine years? Is Felix Pie ready to be the everyday center fielder? And is Geovany Soto ready to be the No. 1 catcher? Legit questions, but those are overshadowed by a deep rotation led by Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly, a strong bullpen and a Derrek Lee/Alfonso Soriano-fueled offense that scored 752 runs a year ago and should top that this season.

Projected regular-season finish: NL Central champions

Biggest ST challenge: How will Lou Piniella utilize Kerry Wood? He can obviously set up, but he might be a dynamite closer. With power arms like Wood, Carlos Marmol and Bobby Howry to choose from, it's the kind of problem any manager would love to have.

Best position battles: Other than the back end of the rotation, where Jon Lieber, Sean Marshall and Ryan Dempster are among the candidates, the Cubs are pretty much set, with only bullpen and backup roles to be tweaked. Dempster is moving from closer to starter, but starting is a role he's handled well in the past.

Wild card: If Pie and Soto aren't ready and/or Ryan Theriot succumbs to a sophomore jinx, the Cubs offense could be plagued by the inconsistent stretches that befell it at times early last year.

More: Spring Training preview | Quick hits | Spring schedule and tickets
The challengers

Brewers
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The rotation was a disappointment, the team was charged with 109 errors and ace Ben Sheets made only five starts during the final 10 weeks of the season. And yet the Brewers led the division most of the way and still finished only two games behind eventual champ Chicago. The Brewers have to replace Francisco Cordero, who signed with Cincinnati, but if Eric Gagne or Derrick Turnbow can handle the job and the starters who stumbled in '07 can bounce back, the Brewers should be better. The Brewers will also have Yovani Gallardo (4-1 with a 1.58 ERA in his last six starts) from the get-go this time, and Jason Kendall behind the plate. The defense is immediately better, with Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun moving to left field and Bill Hall taking Braun's spot at third, and Mike Cameron taking over in center field. An offense which led the NL with 231 homers last year should once again top 800 runs.

Projected regular-season finish: Second place

Biggest ST challenge: Slotting all the new arms (Salomon Torres, David Riske, Guillermo Mota) in the bullpen.

Best position battles: The final spot in the rotation, where Chris Capuano and Dave Bush are among several candidates for a spot behind Sheets, Jeff Suppan, Yovani Gallardo and Carlos Villanueva.

Wild card: Gagne had his struggles with Boston last year and Turnbow suffered from wildness on occasion. The Brewers need both to come through as few things undermine a team's morale faster than lost confidence in a closer.

More: Spring Training preview | Quick hits | Spring schedule and tickets

Astros
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You might not recognize these guys, as a lot has changed from last year. This time the Astros have a new GM (Ed Wade), new manager (Cecil Cooper), a new up-the-middle (catcher J.R. Towles, shortstop Miguel Tejada, second baseman Kaz Matsui, center fielder Bourn) and a new closer (Jose Valverde). The Astros could open the season with as few as six players who were on the Opening Day roster last year. But they still have Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman leading the offense and Roy Oswalt anchoring the rotation, and combined with the new talent and holdovers like Hunter Pence, this team won't finish 16 games under .500 in 2008. And if Woody Williams, Brandon Backe and the other starters behind Oswalt can bounce back, the Astros could make things very interesting.

Projected regular-season finish: Third place

Biggest ST challenge: Getting all of the new players, especially on the infield, as much work together as possible.

Best position battles: Felipe Paulino is among the candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation. Yordany Ramirez could give Reggie Abercrombie a run for the fourth outfielder spot.

Wild card: The Astros fully expect Tejada to play, but if the shortstop isn't available -- the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into whether Tejada gave false statements to members of the same committee in 2005 about his use of performance-enhancing drugs -- it would create a gaping hole in the lineup.

More: Spring Training preview | Quick hits | Spring schedule and tickets

Cardinals
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A busy offseason that saw the Cardinals part ways with Edmonds, Rolen and Eckstein makes St. Louis something of a mystery team heading into Spring Training. Though it's probably a stretch to call this a rebuilding, this retooling of sorts in an effort to get younger makes it hard to predict where this team will finish. Add in the fact that ace Chris Carpenter probably won't be back before the All-Star break and it is hard to pick this team to contend. But they still have Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright and a stout bullpen, and if youngsters like center fielder Colby Rasmus are as good as advertised and the Cards can hang close until Carpenter gets back, who knows? Remember that the Cubs won the division with only 85 wins last year.

Projected regular-season finish: Fourth place

Biggest ST challenge: If the season started today, the Cards outfield would perhaps be, from left to right, Chris Duncan, Rick Ankiel and Skip Schumaker. Duncan hit 43 homers over the last two seasons, but the other two are unproven. The Cards need to find additional outfield production.

Best position battles: Right field, where Schumaker, Ryan Ludwick and others will be in the running. Also, the last two starting spots behind Wainwright, Braden Looper and Joel Pineiro should be an interesting competition between recently signed Matt Clement, Anthony Reyes and one or two others.

Wild card: There's uncertainty, but there are also fewer distractions with this team and less pressure. For the first time in a few years, the Cardinals aren't being picked to win the division, and we don't think Tony La Russa would have returned as manager if he didn't think this team had a chance to win.

More: Spring Training preview | Quick hits | Spring schedule and tickets
The long shot

Reds
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The Reds won't lose 90 games again this season, but they'll only go as far as their kids can carry them. For one thing, the arrival of Cordero, the free-agent closer who signed a four-year contract with a club option for 2012, should at least make certain the Reds don't blow as many save opportunities as last year. The Reds frittered away 28, the second most in baseball, and the bullpen had baseball's worst ERA at 5.10. But with question marks beyond Cordero and the only two established starters (Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo) the pitching overall is once again iffy, though adding Jeremy Affeldt helps. And if Edinson Volquez, acquired from Texas in the Hamilton trade, Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto blossom, the Reds might be on to something. They'll need a few other rookies besides pitchers to come through, particularly Jay Bruce in center field and Joey Votto at first base, but if the youngsters are ready to play, the Reds might be ready to make a move.

Projected regular-season finish: Fifth place

Biggest ST challenge: New manager Dusty Baker will have his hands full with this team, which in recent years has usually started fast before fading. His biggest challenge with at least two positions will be deciding whether to go with the youngster or stick with the veteran.

Best position battles: Center field, where wunderkind Bruce will either win the job or return to the Minor Leagues, and first base, where hot prospect Votto will try to beat out veteran Scott Hatteberg.

Wild card: If Arroyo bounces back and Bailey, Cueto and Volquez prove they are ready, look out.

More: Spring Training preview | Quick hits | Spring schedule and tickets
Maybe next year

Pirates
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With not enough power or pitching to contend this year, the Pirates must look for progress from their core of emerging players. The team ERA of 4.93 last season was indicative of the kind of inconsistent play the young Pirates displayed last year, and although the team has a new manager and impressive young talent like Tom Gorzelanny and Ronny Paulino, there's just not enough proven depth here to inspire confidence in this team's chances of moving out of the cellar in 2008.

Projected regular-season finish: Last place

Biggest ST challenge: Russell takes over a young team not expected to do much. The challenge for Pittsburgh is trying to avoid losing 90-plus games again. That task starts the moment camp opens.

Best position battles: All eyes will be on center field, where Nyjer Morgan and Nate McLouth will compete for the starting job.

Wild card: Good pitching can accelerate a rebuilding process, and the Pirates, with four starters under 27, have an abundance of good young arms who have gained valuable experience over the last couple of years. If they keep improving, the Pirates could rise sooner rather than later.

More: Spring Training preview | Quick hits | Spring schedule and tickets
You read it here first ...

1) A now healthy Jon Lieber wins the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation and pitches like he did two years ago, when he won 17 games for Philadelphia.

2) The Pirates and outfielder Jason Bay part ways by the July 31 trade deadline.

3) Milwaukee's Hall thrives following the move to third base with a career year at the plate.
Projected batting order
1. 2B Brandon Phillips:
.288 BA, .331 OBP, .485 SLG, 30 HR, 94 RBIs in 2007
2. 1B Joey Votto:
.321 BA, .360 OBP, .548 SLG, 4 HR, 17 RBIs in 2007
3. RF Ken Griffey Jr.:
.277 BA, .372 OBP, .496 SLG, 30 HR, 93 RBIs in 2007
4. 3B Edwin Encarnacion:
.289 BA, .356 OBP, .438 SLG, 15 HR, 76 RBIs in 2007
5. LF Adam Dunn:
.264 BA, .386 OBP, .554 SLG, 40 HR, 106 RBIs in 2007
6. CF Jay Bruce:
.319 BA, .375 OBP, .587 SLG, 26 HR, 89 RBIs in 2007 [Minors]
7. SS Alex Gonzalez:
.272 BA, .325 OBP, .468 SLG, 16 HR, 55 RBIs in 2007
8. C David Ross:
.203 BA, .271 OBP, .399 SLG, 17 HR, 39 RBIs in 2007
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damn, there's a lot of pop in that lineup.
 
T minus 8 minutes until Cubs tickets go on sale.... anyone else waiting at their computer?
 
Originally Posted by tylerdub

T minus 8 minutes until Cubs tickets go on sale.... anyone else waiting at their computer?
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i'm in the Cubs "virtual waiting room..."
 
Originally Posted by wildKYcat

You read it here first ...
1) A now healthy Jon Lieber wins the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation and pitches like he did two years ago, when he won 17 games for Philadelphia.

2) The Pirates and outfielder Jason Bay part ways by the July 31 trade deadline.

3) Milwaukee's Hall thrives following the move to third base with a career year at the plate.
Click to expand...
I liked the Leiber signing a lot, but I'm not sure he can win anymore then 10 -12 games. Still, with Z, Lilly, Hill, Marshall, and thecombo of Dempster/Leiber I like our starters pretty much every day. Should be somewhere close to 65 wins from the starters. I hope.
 
If you're a Cubs fan, you are online right now getting individual game tickets.

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My bracelet didn't draw, but I am going Opening Day for sure, thanks to a friend at the Trib. 4th row behind Cubs bullpen! Time for more tix....
 
Originally Posted by FLINTGREY

If you're a Cubs fan, you are online right now getting individual game tickets.
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what if you're a Reds fan and you're still in the got damn virtual waiting room trying to buy Cubs tickets?
 
Originally Posted by wildKYcat

Originally Posted by FLINTGREY

If you're a Cubs fan, you are online right now getting individual game tickets.
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what if you're a Reds fan and you're still in the got damn virtual waiting room trying to buy Cubs tickets?
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Welcome to the sh*tty Cubs ticketing system. We go thru this every Feb to get tickets. Honestly, just hang in there. Its taken me as little as 15 minutesto get in....but it has also taken me as long as 3 hours to get in. So if u got time to kill, you are golden.
 
man, i ain't got time. i'll take my chances with ebay.

i need two tix, July 10th, as close to the visitors dugout as possible.
 
wildKYcat, you will be fine....its a Thu game plus its not a marquee matchup like the Sox or Cards.....you should pay little to no markup.

I can help you out to, closer to the date!
 
Originally Posted by FLINTGREY

wildKYcat, you will be fine....its a Thu game plus its not a marquee matchup like the Sox or Cards.....you should pay little to no markup.

I can help you out to, closer to the date!
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cool, cuz i gotta run. if i do have to get some help from ya, i can return the favor...if you're willing to go to Cincinnati as i got seasontickets.
 
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