The Chicago Cubs are coming off a very disappointing season filled with losing and frustration. From the frustrations with ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the issues with Lou Piniella and his retirement. It was an overall bad 2011 season with the Cubs. I know personally, that I had high hopes for the Cubs going into last season. They were picked to be one of top teams in the National League and were one of the clear favorites to compete for a division title. The Cubs ended up underachieving and put up results that were way below what was expected. Carlos Zambrano was removed from the starting rotation and even spent some time in the bullpen to help fix some of his issues. Slugging third basement Aramis Ramirez had an awful season and probably the worst season of his professional career which hurt the Cubs a lot, because he is by far one of the biggest run producers for the Cubs. Key players like Ryan Theriot, Derek Lee, and Mike Fontenot were traded during the latter part of the season, which was also very disappointing. There were just too many problems and too many holes to fill for the Cubs to even have a chance to compete last year which was very disheartening with all the expectations that were put in front of them before the 2010 season began.
During the off season, General Manager Jim Hendry, made some very good moves that could help the Chicago Cubs get back on track for 2011. Jim Hendry made about four key moves that I think will help this ball club in the long run. The first move Hendry made was the signing of slugging first basemen Carlos Pena from the Tampa Bay Rays. Carlos Pena is a left handed first basemen that will hopefully fill the void of Derek Lee who was traded to the Atlanta Braves last season. Derek Lee was a fan favorite but if Pena can come in and produce, fans will welcome in Carlos Pena with open arms. Carlos Pena signed a one year deal which is a smart move being that if he does not do what the Cubs expect from him, they will not have to owe him any money after this season. The second best move that Hendry made was the signing of ace pitcher Matt Garza. Matt Garza was also a Tampa Bay Ray last year and had a very respectable year winning 15 games in the very tough American League East division. Matt Garza signed a three year deal and is still a very young pitcher who is entering his prime so this was a very smart move. Matt Garza should fit into the top of the Cubs rotation very nicely. I expect great things from both those free agents from Tampa Bay. The third best move that Hendry made was the signing of set up man, and former Chicago Cub great, Kerry Wood. This move made a lot of sense for both sides. Kerry Wood wanted to be back in Chicago and the Chicago Cubs needed some more depth in the bullpen. Kerry Wood had some good appearances with the New York Yankees towards the end of last season, so he proved that he can still pitch at a very high level. Wood will be a great guy to have in the bullpen for many reasons. For one, he will hopefully be able to highly contribute on the field and secondly he will be a leader in the bullpen that has some young guys in it. The young guys in the bullpen will definitely be looking at Kerry Wood for advice and mentoring. It is very good to get Kerry Wood back in a Cubs uniform and I think he will be able to do great things for the Cubs this season. The fourth and final major move that I believe Hendry made was the signing of Cubs closer Carlos Marmol. This was a huge deal to get done before Spring Training camp broke into action in middle February. This is simple a deal that had to get done. Carlos Marmol is by far the best arm that the Chicago Cubs have on their roster. He is nearly unstoppable when he takes the mound in the ninth inning. Last season he set the major league record for strikeouts per nine innings which is very impressive. Marmol will be a key player on the roster this season. If the Cubs can hold a lead until the ninth inning, I believe Marmol will finish the job and get the win for the Cubs. He is a key component to the success of this team going into the 2011 season.
Well it is pretty obvious that Jim Hendry has done a pretty good job this off season with some of the acquisitions and signings, so we at least know that Hendry plans on competing this year and in no way is trying to rebuild the ball club. Another signing that will have a huge impact for 2011 Chicago Cubs is rookie manager Mike Quade. When Lou Piniella retired last year, everybody was expecting the Cubs to go out and find a “big name” candidate out on the market. People even speculated that former Cubs second basemen and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg would fill the void left by Lou Piniella. After interim manager, Mike Quade, posted a very good record down the stretch at the end of the season, so it was a pretty easy decision for Jim Hendry to stick with Quade as the full time manager for the Cubs. You could really tell that the players responded to Mike Quade when he took over for Piniella. It is almost like they wanted him to get the job so they played their hearts out for him and we can only hope the players will still play hard for him going into this season. The one thing that some people might not know about Quade is that he grew up a Cubs fan and actually grew up in the Chicago area so he has a lot of familiarity with the Chicago Cubs and all the stigmas that surround the team. Hes no stranger to the “curses” or all the losing that has been going on over the years. I believe he is the perfect guy for job because of all the passion he brings to the game of baseball. He wants guys to work hard and to do their best to get better day in and day out. He respects his players greatly and I feel like they will pay him back with that same respect. Quade wants this team to win a world series title more than anybody in the Cubs organization, so with all the passion and hard work he brings to the table, I cannot see why the Cubs won’t come out and play good baseball for him for the entire 2011 season.
Overall, the Chicago Cubs are not favored to do much this season but maybe that is where they belong. I think the under dog mentality that manager Mike Quade will instill in his players will help this club play very good baseball and hopefully earn them a spot in the post season. With the old faces coming back and the new faces coming in, it will be a new team with a new attitude. No matter what anybody says, when the 2011 regular season begins, the Chicago Cubs will be ready to play ball, and I expect them to compete with any team in Major League Baseball
SPORTSMANIAUSA 