Lou Piniella has handed the closer job over to Kevin Gregg, for now. And while the numbers from Spring Training will tell you one thing, set-up man Carlos Marmol will try to convince you that there was never a "real" competition taking place.
''I don't think it made a difference," said Marmol. "I think they knew what they [wanted] to do before I got here. That's why I say there's not a competition.''
We may never know when Lou made his decision, but one thing I do know is that Gregg outperformed Marmol throughout the exhibition season. Both were given eight innings to win the job and the results were drastically different.
That doesn't include the WBC in which Marmol blew a save for the heavily favored Dominican Republic in an elimination game against the Netherlands.
So while Marmol would love to believe that the competition ended when he entered himself in the Classic, the reality is that Gregg simply out performed him. The closer last year in Florida, Gregg blew nine saves. This spring however, Gregg has been dominating, allowing just four hits in eight innings while striking out 10. He has not given up an earned run to date.
On the other hand Marmol has struggled with his control, hitting five batters in eight innings. He has also blown one save opprtunity. Lou still doesn't see an issue with Marmol over the long term.
"He's going to be fine. Once he starts throwing that fastball over for strikes a little bit more, he'll settle into that role nicely."
Marmol, if he can settle into his role, will probably also see time in the ninth inning as the closer himself at some point in the season. With many predicting 90+ wins for this team, the hope is that there are enough opportunities to go around.
Yesterday we looked at the Brewers spring thus far, today we will focus on the Cubs. Just twelve days remain until Opening Day and the questions that faced the team a couple of months ago are getting their answers. The Cubs have not failed to hit, as the team is expected to do a lot of in 2009. They have scored 180 runs in 27 games, and average of 6.7 per game, and they are getting contributions from a lot of different players, new and old.
At 29-years old, Micah Hoffpauir is looking to stick with the big league roster for longer than just the typical "cup of coffee" he has tasted year after year. In Cactus league play Hoffpauir is batting .286 with more at bats than any other player in the league. He also has four home runs and four doubles, including two in yesterday's 20-5 rout of Oakland. Hoffpauir will most likely be there on April 6, and he will spell oft-injured Milton Bradley in right field and Derrek Lee at first as Piniella says he'll sit Lee more often in 2009.
Mike Fontenot has been as productive as any Cub this spring. Despite being one of the smallest in terms of size, he is at the top of the heap when it comes to slugging percentage (.667). He has three home runs, four doubles and two triples, and his 21 hits lead the team. Fontenot has earned the starting spot at 2B and will get the bulk of the starts over Aaron Miles.
Shortstop Ryan Theriot has been on base exactly 50% of the time he has been to the plate, walking eight times and reaching base via the a hit 19 times in 44 at bats. That kind of production will slot him in the number two spot in the lineup behind Alfonso Soriano who has heated up as of late, raising his average to .306 with four home runs.
In limited play Milton Bradley is hitting .423 with an OBP of .464.
Aramis Ramirez is batting .343 with a couple of homers, and Reed Johnson is also batting .340 but has failed to take a walk this spring while striking out six times.
First baseman Jake Fox will most likely find himself in the minors to start the season, but he has had a great showing in Arizona. Fox is hitting .350 with four home runs and five doubles with an OBP of .400.
Struggling is Derrek Lee who has battled some injuries already. He is hitting just .229 with his first home run coming yesterday. His OBP is under .300 at the moment, but I expect him to hit around .285-.300 with 15-20 home runs in 2009.
Newcomer Joey Gaithright is also having his troubles at the plate, hitting just .256 so far. But Gaithright has managed to score 11 runs in 14 games because of his speed. He has swiped six bags this spring second to only Michael Bourn and Juan Pierre in the MLB.
The starting pitching staff for the Cubs has been solidified with Sean Marshall earning the fifth position. His 1.40 ERA and 3-0 record in five starts this spring sealed the deal. Marshall has struck out 11 batters and has only walked one in Cactus League play. Ryan Dempster is looking to prove that last year was no fluke. This spring he has thrown 17 innings and has an ERA of 1.56 with 15 Ks and four walks. He has yet to allow a home run in five games.
Carlos Zambrano has started four games and has an ERA of 3.38 with 15 Ks and just three walks. For Zambrano, who was given the nod on Opening Day, the walks will be key. If he can limit the walks and keep the strikeouts up, Carlos should be ready for a solid season as he hits the prime of his career at age 27.
The bullpen has seen some struggles, most noticeably with Jeff Samardzija and Chad Gaudin. Samardzija has given up 11 ER in 11 innings and Gaudin 12 in just 9 2/3. A bright spot has been Aaron Heilman who has given up just three earned runs in 14 2/3 innings (1.84 ERA) and he will likely see some starts throughout the season as Piniella gives Rich Harden a break between starts.
Kevin Gregg and Carlos Marmol are competing for the closer role and while Marmol was participating in the WBC, Gregg stayed in Arizona and has yet to surrender a run in eight innings pitched. Marmol has given up two in Cactus League play and has one big blown save against the Netherlands in the WBC. Most likely they will both get the opportunity to close at one point or another in the season.
"One thing is certain, if we win enough ballgames, there will be closing opportunities for both of them. That's my out," said Piniella.
Decisions still loom for Lou and the Cubs, but the hitting seems to be there like many thought it would be. The big question for this team is going to be depth. A couple of key players on this team, do I need to mention names, will most likely see some time on the bench or the DL throughout the season, and the Cubs will need guys like Hoffpauir, Gaithright, Miles, Heilman to step in and be productive when their number is called.
Carlos Zambrano has been named the Chicago Cubs Opening Day starter for 2009, and questions have arisen about whether or not he is the actual ace of the staff, or if the job was given to him to appease his sensitivities. Zambrano is the longest tenured Cub starter, and a definite workhorse season after season ever since he threw for the first time in 2001, but now the talk has shifted to Zambrano's psyche and the questions about his ability have arisen. All this despite the fact that he has made 30-plus starts and has managed a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the past six seasons and has struck out 200-plus twice in that time.
Carlos has been the Opening Day starter for four years running (for a look at those starts check here), and what have the Cubs got in return in those seasons?
SEASON
TEAM
G
GS
CG
SHO
IP
H
R
ER
HR
BB
SO
W
L
ERA
2005
ChC
33
33
2
0
223.1
170
88
81
21
86
202
14
6
3.26
2006
ChC
33
33
0
0
214.0
162
91
81
20
115
210
16
7
3.41
2007
ChC
34
34
1
0
216.1
187
100
95
23
101
177
18
13
3.95
2008
ChC
30
30
1
1
188.2
172
85
82
18
72
130
14
6
3.91
As you can see if you clicked on the link, Zambrano is 0-1 as the Opening Day starter with three no decisions. And what you get from him throughout those years seems to be fairly consistent. One striking thing, no pun intended, is his dropping totals in K's. Not neccesarily a bad thing. Carlos might be better off pitching to more contact at this point in his career. In 2005 Carlos struck out 202 batters while walking just 86 and had probably his best statistical year of his career. His opponents batted only .212 against him, had an OBP under three, and he went 14-6 with 223 innings pitched.
In 2008, after five consecutive seasons of 30+ starts some of the numbers began to dip. His strikeout total was down again, this time to a career low 130 and his ERA was again close to four. But more noticeabley was his K/BB ratio of 1.81. While that was lower than his career average, a number like that is going to continue to make his pitching life miserable.
Now he is on a streak of durability that many think won't last, and it may be time for him to adjust his pitching style if he hopes to be consistent throughout an entire season. In 2008 Zambrano struggled through the second half. ESPN points out,
"...in his final eight starts -- no-hitter included -- Zambrano had a 7.93 ERA and 1.60 WHIP."
2008
ERA
W
L
G
GS
CG
IP
H
R
ER
HR
BB
SO
AVG
Pre All-Star
2.84
10
3
18
18
0
120.1
110
40
38
8
38
78
.243
Post All-Star
5.80
4
3
12
12
1
68.1
62
45
44
10
34
52
.238
Zambrano's 34 walks Post All-Star break put him on pace for 106 through an entire season. He walked a batter once every two innings and no doubt that affected his entire game. His opponents batting average dropped, but his ERA shot up to almost six. If his last three years are any indication, he may need to find a way to lay off the power pitching when the second half roles around in 2009. His second half have seen consistent ERA and BB increases:
2006-2008
ERA
W
L
G
GS
CG
IP
H
R
ER
HR
BB
SO
AVG
Post All-Star
4.31
20
13
41
41
1
248.2
213
128
119
22
128
208
.229
Pre All-Star
3.38
28
13
56
56
1
370.1
308
148
139
39
160
309
.226
IS DEMPSTER THE ACE?
Brian over at Bullpen Brian thinks Ryan Dempster should be the Cubs number one starter,
"Lou knows Z’s pride could throw him into a hissy-fit for the next month…bad karma in the clubhouse sort of thing. And if this wasn’t the issue Lou puts his best pitcher, Dempster, on the mound in the season opener."
It's really hard to argue with that. Lou after all did start Dempster in Game 1 of the NLDS. But Dempster comes with questions of his own. Again we turn to ESPN's fantasy outlook for a preview of Ryan to see some of the questions being asked about him.,
"...his batting average allowed on balls in play (.282) and home-run-to-fly-ball rate (7.7 percent) indicated some extreme good fortune. Dempster stands little chance at a repeat in 2009, and now the question is how noticeably his numbers will tumble."
Dempster's 200 innings represented the first time he had thrown that many that since 2002, and despite that he seemed to be just as strong in the second half as he was in the first:
2008
ERA
W
L
G
GS
CG
IP
H
R
ER
HR
BB
SO
AVG
Pre All-Star
3.25
10
4
20
20
1
124.2
97
52
45
11
50
104
.212
Post All-Star
2.52
7
2
13
13
0
82.0
77
23
23
3
26
83
.250
Dempster is likely the "ace" in Lou's opinion, at least that it what I believe. But like Brian pointed out, the move to name Zambrano the Opening Day starter is more psychological than anything for Carlos. Once the season gets rolling, things will tend to balance out and the real "ace" will emerge.
The Cubs for now should consider themselves lucky to have a problem like this.
[caption id="attachment_1128" align="aligncenter" width="275" caption="Did Marmol hurt his chances as closer in the WBC?"][/caption]
A big upset was accomplished in the 2009 World Baseball Classic on Tuesday night with the Netherlands defeating the Dominican Republic. At the center of what I'm positive we can call the biggest upset in the short lived WBC was Carlos Marmol.
Marmol gave up the Dominican Republic's first earned run of the Classic in three games, and despite that number they were eliminated with their second loss to a Dutch team who features Sidney Ponson and Eugene Kingsale. Marmol came in to close the game in the 11th with the D.R. leading 1-0. Sidney de Jong doubled to lead off the frame followed by a groundout by pinch-hitter Curt Smith which moved de Jong to third. He then scored on Kingsale's single to right tying the game at one. It was the first earned run given up by the D.R. in the tournament.
Marmol then unhinged a wild pickoff throw that rolled toward the right-field line and allowed de Jong to reach third.
After Sharlon Schoop struck out, Randall Simon was intentionally walked and Yurendell DeCaster flung his bat out and slapped a one-hopper toward the first-base line that should have been handled by Aybar. Instead the hot shot tipped off his glove and rolled away into foul territory as Kingsale headed home with the winning and eliminating run.
So what are the reprucussions of this incident? Wrigleyville23 thinks that this, although not in and of itself, will lead to Kevin Gregg getting the job as closer,
"Carlos Marmol brought an abrupt end to any serious discussion about who should be the Cubs closer in 2009. Kevin Gregg wins...probably already had it won, which is why Lou let Carlos leave camp to play for the Dominican Republic.
Bottom line, folks. If you can't hold a lead in an elimination game against the Nederlands -- a team that can't even spell its name right -- how are you going to hold a lead against real Major League players?"
This Cub's blog thinks Marmol may feel some mental effects after this blown save,
"...this was the big stage Marmol left the Cubs’ camp for, the chance to shine in the Classic and to show baseball he’s one of the game’s premier closers.
Instead, his outing Tuesday night only seemed to reinforce that Carlos is a premier set-up man and not a premier closer."
Time will tell what effects this will have on Marmol's confidence and ego. The positive is that he will have plenty of time from here until the beginning of the regular season to get it out of his head. Keep in mind that Marmol entered Game 1 versus the Netherlands in the ninth inning with his team trailing by one run and proceeded to strike out the side on 16 pitches, 11 of which were strikes.
With his second home run of the Spring leading off the seventh inning in yesterday's Cub-Royal game, Mike Fontenot raised his average to .367 and inched him just a bit closer to the starting spot at second base for 2009. The 5'8" 170-pound infielder has an OBP over .400, and is slugging over .800 with seven of his eleven his going for extra bases.
Looking to offset the loss of the versatile Mark DeRosa on at least the offensive side of the ball, Fontenot may be just what the Cubs need. DeRosa hit a career high 21 home runs last season in 505 at bats. Fontenot hit nine in just about half that many ABs. He also hit 22 doubles and drove in 40 runs with an OBP of .395, all numbers that Fontenot could easily eclipse with more plate appearances and a more consistent role in the Cub's lineup.
One glaring hole in his statistical numbers from 2008 was his at bats versus left handed pitching. Of his 243 ABs, only 21 of them came against lefties. Enter Aaron Miles, who the Cubs will use as the right-handed compliment to Fontenot. Miles is off to a bit of a slower start, hitting only .222 thus far in Spring, but his ability to play shortstop makes him useful as a backup to Ryan Theriot as well.
On a side note, Mike Fontenot is also a Brewer killer and probably one of those guys Brewer fans can't stand. In 2008 Fontenot was 13-27 (.481) against the Crew with eight RBI while doing most of his damage at Miller Park.
The debate on whether former Cub third basemen Ron Santo should be inducted into the Hall of Fame has been an on-going topic for years. While one side petitions each time the vote comes up, the other side argues his numbers aren't good enough, and others say he wasn't well liked by his peers and that is what keeps him out. And so on and so forth.
But if we look strictly at the numbers, the Cubs may have another player manning the hot corner who could see his own debate for the Hall years from now. Before you go and get your panties in a bundle, this post in now way is making a case for Aramis Ramirez to be in the Hall now, rather I want to look at the numbers Ramirez has put up to this point in his career and see where they may fall when he decides to hang 'em up.
Paul Sullivan gives us a look into Ramirez's career thus far and points out that he is currently,
"...third in franchise history with a .549 slugging percentage, trailing only [Hack] Wilson (.590) and [Sammy] Sosa (.569)."
Off course as we all know, and as Ramirez points out in the article himself, much of what gets you into the Hall is durability.
"Look at Andruw Jones. He just hit 51 homers (in 2005) and then more than 40 homers (41 in '06), and then last year he only hit three. And he's still young—just 32 (in April). That just goes to show you a lot of stuff can happen."
If Ramirez could put up somewhat consistent numbers for the remainder of his career, how would his final numbers look, and how would he compare to the man who is the subject of one of the biggest Hall of Fame debates in sports, and we'll throw in Brooks Robinson (the man whom Santo is most often compared against).
Ron Santo
Career Batting Stats
G
AB
H
R
HR
RBI
SB
AVG
SLG
OBP
OPS
2243
8143
2254
1138
342
1331
35
.277
.464
.362
.826
Aramis Ramirez
Career Batting Stats
G
AB
H
R
HR
RBI
SB
AVG
SLG
OBP
OPS
1328
4957
1406
686
249
881
13
.284
.502
.341
.843
Brooks Robinson
Career Batting Stats
G
AB
H
R
HR
RBI
SB
AVG
SLG
OBP
OPS
2896
10654
2848
1232
268
1357
28
.267
.401
.322
.723
�
What stands out first is the durability factor. Robinson played a 22-year career and over 600 more games than Santo, playing until he was 40-years old. Santo was done at the age of 34, though Robinson only hit above .257 once after he turned 35. Despite this, Santo hit more HRs, was just 26 shy of Robinson's RBI total, slugged better and had a much better OPS. Brooks was able to capture an MVP in 1964 (Santo never finished higher than 4thin MVP voting) and has a World Championship to his name. All-Star appearances were numerous for both (Robinson 14, Santo 9).
Okay, back to Aramis. Let's just say for arguments sake that Ramirez is able to play until the age of 35, giving him five more years of solid to average play. I am about to use no specific formula for this, but rather estimate where Ramirez's numbers may end up when his career is over.
Rex Projection
Career Batting Stats
G
AB
H
R
HR
RBI
SB
AVG
SLG
OBP
OPS
2003
7457
2231
1061
359
1832
17
.279
.498
.337
.838
Would that be good enough for Hall of Fame consideration? Maybe, maybe not, but it would be worth debating. His home run total for third basemen (Rex projection) would be higher than Robinson, Paul Molitor, Wade Boggs. His RBI total would eclipse that of Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Molitor, Boggs and Cal Ripken.
More than likely this still would not be enough to get in (AVG and Hits may be too low), and even more likely the debate wouldn't be as intense because of what Ron Santo has become to the Cubs as an organization. But one factor could help Ramirez's cause, and it would be something he would have to affect dramatically and improve considerably. If the Cubs were able to capture a World Series ring during Aramis' stay in Chicago, this fictional debate could become reality. Ramirez would have to change a post-season trend for not only the Cubs, but himself. In 18 post-season games, all with the Cubs, Aramis is hitting a lowly .194, with only two hits in his last 23 at-bats.
"You can't think about that. It's in the past," said Ramirez...the only thing you can do is try to make [the playoffs] again and try to play better."
With the Cubs in Peoria, Arizona yesterday to take on the Padres in their fourth Spring Training game, there was little doubt in my mind that when I opened my newspaper this morning and clicked on some news sites on the Internet shortly afterward that I would see the name Jake Peavy. I was also sure that there would be little "new" news on the subject.
"Cubs, Peavy's interest mutual," says Paul Sullivan in today's Chicago Tribune. Sullivan writes,
"...the Peavy-to-the-Cubs rumor won't die a natural death because the Padres still can't afford to keep his $63 million contract."
The Sun-Times: "No, Cubs, no? Peavy Saga not over yet."
"The Cubs and Padres haven't talked substantively about Peavy since the winter meetings, according to sources, but that could change quickly once the first month or two of the season play out, depending on how the Padres look and how the Cubs' pitching-depth issues take shape."
The Peavy talk seems to be a product of two things, facts and a down news time. I of course am no exception which is why I write about how there is nothing to write about.
Some Cub notes:
Micah Hoffpauir is hitting .400 with 2 HRs, 8 RBI and a .800 SLG in 15 Spring at bats.
Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot have a combined 11-22 in 7 games.
Theriot has committed 3 errors in 3 games.
Carlos Zambrano will make his first Spring start today against the Diamondbacks in Mesa.
SI.com's Albert Chen previewed the National League Central the other day and he was another in a long line who have the Chicago Cubs winning the division. The "experts" all are believers in the Cubs, and why not, the rest of the Central seemed unwilling to put up much of a fight in the off-season. The Milwaukee Brewers of 2008 did, and they lost, though their moves afforded them a long awaited playoff berth.
In 2009 the Cubs will have a somewhat different look. No longer will Kerry Wood finish off games, and no longer will Mark DeRosa be seen at just about every position on the field. Instead it will be Carlos Marmol (likely) getting the save opportunities and Mike Fontenot playing most days. While these moves are altogether underwhelming, the off-season was one in which the Cubs had to do little to remain the top team in the division. Or is there a challenger looming?
Cincinnati will start a season without Adam Dunn in the middle of the lineup for the first time since 2000. The Reds went 22-21 after his trade to the Diamondbacks on August 11. They have a nice core of young players including Joey Votto, Johnny Cueto, Edison Volquez, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips, and this team could surprise if all of these guys play to their potential. They will need to improve greatly on their team batting average of .247 from 2008 which was better than only the Oakland Athletics (.242).
The Houston Astros (bad) will hinge a lot of their hopes on pitcher Mike Hampton. The 36 year old will join a rotation headed by Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Brandon Backe and Brian Moehler. And that is enough said. This rotation is not good enough to make this team a contender over the full season, and while for one month the may have been contenders in their own minds, this team is not getting younger and they didn't get any better.
We have covered the Brewers and their post-season dealings and I am under the impression that they will have big problems in the rotation and the bullpen in 2009. The offense may very well see 40+ HRs from both Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, but many could be solo shots as the players in front of them struggle to get on base. The Brewers were 17th in runs scored last season (7th in the NL), scoring 105 less runs than the Cubs and the biggest problem was a team batting average around .250. This team will need to get men on base and get them rounding the bases at a far greater pace in 2009 if they want their fans to forget about CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets in a timely fashion.
Then there is the Pirates. They play in the NL Central too.
The St. Louis Cardinals seem to be another trendy pick to surprise in '09. They no doubt are in the minds of every Cub fan who has seen Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan over achieve with less. But the Cardinals biggest off-season move was the signing of Khalil Greene, and a lot of their hopes fall on a guy with serious injury concerns. Chris Carpenter has pitched in only five games in the past two seasons, but when he is healthy he is dominating. In seasons where Carpenter has pitched 20+ games he has a combined win/loss record of 93-56, including a 21 win season with the Cardinals in 2005, a year in which he earned Cy Young award. Adam Wainwright will lead the Cards staff and is coming off an 11-3 campaign, he will join Carpenter, Joel Pineiro, Kyle Lohse and Todd Wellemeyer in a staff with lots of talent but little guarantees. Oh, and they have Albert Pujols, so they will always be competitive.
The Cards were the only team in the NL to have a higher team average than the Cubs in 2008 (.281). And if they can combine their offensive production with a healthier pitching staff in 2009, they will make things interesting for the Cubs.
The 2008 regular season for the Chicago Cubs was quite a ride for fans of the North Side. The 2008 post-season was one to forget. From poor pitching to the lack of hitting to the errors, the final three games of the season looked like they were being played by an entirely different group of players, certainly not the ones who won a league best 97 games.
In 2009 many people are expecting the Cubs to run away with the NL Central. And while they certainly seem to have the best team on paper, the season is long, and anything can happen. What I would like to do today is look at a few numbers from the 2008 Cubs and point out some that I feel need to be improved upon in 2009.
Kosuke Fukodome's Average - .257
Ryan Theriot's SB Percentage - 37%
Geovany Soto's Strikeouts - 121
Derrek Lee's Double Plays - 27
Carlos Zambrano's Wins - 14
Alfonso Soriano's Games Played - 109
Aramis Ramirez's Errors - 18
Team Road Batting Average - .266
Win / Loss Record in Spetember - (12-12)
Production from the #2 Spot in Lineup - .269 / 5 HR / 48 RBI / .353 OBP
Lou Piniella pointed out to his team a couple of days ago that they had gone from a 96-loss season in 2006 to a 97-win season in 2008 and won back-to-back National League Central titles.
"[I told them], 'Don't take for granted from talking to the media that you're going to win a division and that your season is going to be defined by whether you play well in the postseason,'" Piniella said. "We won more games than anybody in the National League last year and we're going to have a target on our back. We have to be ready."
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Carlos Zambrano has been named the Chicago Cubs Opening Day starter for 2009, and questions have arisen about whether or not he is the actual ace of the staff, or if the job was given to him to appease his sensitivities. Zambrano is the longest tenured Cub starter, and a definite workhorse season after season ever since he threw for the first time in 2001, but now the talk has shifted to Zambrano's psyche and the questions about his ability have arisen. All this despite the fact that he has made 30-plus starts and has managed a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the past six seasons and has struck out 200-plus twice in that time.
Carlos has been the Opening Day starter for four years running (for a look at those starts check 
[/caption]
A big upset was accomplished in the 2009 World Baseball Classic on Tuesday night with the Netherlands defeating the Dominican Republic. At the center of what I'm positive we can call the biggest upset in the short lived WBC was Carlos Marmol.
Marmol gave up the Dominican Republic's first earned run of the Classic in three games, and despite that number they were eliminated with their second loss to a Dutch team who features Sidney Ponson and Eugene Kingsale. Marmol came in to close the game in the 11th with the D.R. leading 1-0. Sidney de Jong doubled to lead off the frame followed by a groundout by pinch-hitter Curt Smith which moved de Jong to third. He then scored on Kingsale's single to right tying the game at one. It was the first earned run given up by the D.R. in the tournament.
Marmol then unhinged a wild pickoff throw that rolled toward the right-field line and allowed de Jong to reach third.
After Sharlon Schoop struck out, 
The 2008 regular season for the Chicago Cubs was quite a ride for fans of the North Side. The 2008 post-season was one to forget. From poor pitching to the lack of hitting to the errors, the final three games of the season looked like they were being played by an entirely different group of players, certainly not the ones who won a league best 97 games.
In 2009 many people are expecting the Cubs to run away with the NL Central. And while they certainly seem to have the best team on paper, the season is long, and anything can happen. What I would like to do today is look at a few numbers from the 2008 Cubs and point out some that I feel need to be improved upon in 2009.
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site.. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 