Chicago Cubs: Report Card with 62 Games Down, 100 to Go

It’s hard to believe, but the 2008 season is already 62 games old for the North Siders.

One hundred games are still to be played, but it is never too early to reflect on the Cubs season and to speculate on the future of the long-suffering franchise.

The Cubs came into 2008 with high expectations, after their premature playoff exit at the hands of the Sedona red-clad warriors of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Unlike 2004, when the expectations from the Cubs near-miss of the World Series crushed the team into an unorganized chaotic mess, this season’s Cubs seem to be handling the added scrutiny with aplomb and go about their business every day as casually as can be.

Players like Kosuke Fukudome and Geovany Soto have quickly found their niches, contributing mightily to the team’s success thus far.

Proven veterans like Carlos Zambrano, Aramis Ramirez, and even Mark DeRosa have also shown their value as vital players to this team’s success.

With a 39-23 record, the Cubs are currently the best team in baseball, and they look to continue their success going forward. Lest we forget, the last time the Cubs had the best record in baseball going into June was in 1908, which was the last time the team won the World Series. With that in mind as a backdrop, here’s a report card of how the Cubs are doing so far.

Offense: Grade A-

The Cubs offense, it’s weakest link during the postseason, has been a machine the first portion of the season.

With a team batting average of .286, 345 runs scored, and 214 extra base hits, this team is really raking. Players like Ryan Theriot (.330 avg.), Geovany Soto (30 of his 56 hits have been for extra bases), and Alfonso Soriano (14 HR, 39 RBI) have paced this attack, and other players like Mark DeRosa and Derrek Lee have made outstanding contributions as well.

Most importantly, let’s not forget the impact of Kosuke Fukudome. His high average, combined with his hustle and skill at working the count, has had a demonstrable impact on his teammates, as the Cubs now see more pitches per at-bat than any other team in the league.

With only three players currently over 40 strikeouts (and consider that the Arizona Diamondbacks have 3 players over 60), this team is disciplined at the plate, and they attack pitchers’ mistakes. That is the hallmark of a great team.

In terms of negatives, these are few and far between. Geovany Soto has as many strikeouts as he has hits, which never bodes well for a player that’s being relied upon to contribute to the offensive attack.

Alfonso Soriano has 41 strikeouts, compared to only 13 walks, and his continued free-swinging in the leadoff spot sometimes doesn’t get the game off to a hot start. Derrek Lee is also hitting only .283, which anyone can tell you is a low average for a No. 3 hitter in this league.

While these issues are minor, they still should be addressed at some point. Perhaps Lee could switch spots in the lineup with Ramirez, who has had better plate discipline as of late and has been clutch with runners in scoring position.

In fact, in 12 plate appearances with runners on first and third with less than two outs this season, Aramis Ramirez has knocked in 11 runs. That is an incredible mark. Perhaps a switch to fourth would shake Lee out of his complacency at the dish. Wow, you know you’re talking about a good team when you’re talking about a player having an offseason who’s hitting .283 with 13 home runs.

Defense: Grade B

Defensively, the team is relatively solid. The corner infield spots are anchored by the ever-improving Aramis Ramirez and Gold Glover Derrek Lee at first base. Up the middle, Ryan Theriot has proven time and again that he can pretty much get to any ball, but his arm is a question mark.

Mark DeRosa plays an adequate second base, and can hold his own at either corner outfield spot. Kosuke Fukudome has a great arm and excellent range, both tremendous assets in the often dicey-twilight sun at Wrigley Field.

In center, Reed Johnson is a slightly below average defender, who makes up for a lack of speed by taking smart routes to the baseball and hustling all the way. Jim Edmonds has won Gold Gloves in the past, and the way he goes back on the ball leaves a lot of people shaking their heads in amazement.

Then there is Alfonso Soriano. His adventures in left field have cost the team at least two games this season. Bob Brenly summed it up best when he said that the Cubs could throw a dart at their dugout and find a better man for left field than Soriano.

His arm does make up for his shortcomings, but only slightly. You need look no further than his throwing error against the Dodgers earlier this season for evidence of this fact.

Overall, the team is slightly better defensively this year than in years past, but there is still a lot of work to be done in order to make this team better on this side of the ball.

Starting Pitching: Grade B-

This season has been a good one for certain Cub pitchers. Carlos Zambrano is off to a Cy Young caliber start to the year, and Ryan Dempster has been a pleasant surprise after pitching in the bullpen the last four seasons.

Big Z has rewarded the Cubs for their confidence in him by racking up eight victories through his first 12 starts, with an ERA of around 2.60. Dempster has been dominant at home, and slightly less so on the road this season.

After the top two pitchers in this rotation, however, the hinges begin to come off a little bit. Ted Lilly has struggled at various points this season, going 5-5 and also pitching at a velocity well below last season’s levels.

The 16-game winner is hoping to turn around his season with a solid run of pitching, as evidenced by his 7 1/3 inning performance in his last start at San Diego.

Jason Marquis has struggled mightily this season, with an ERA over 5 in 61 innings pitched. The fifth spot in the rotation has been manned by three different starters, and with Rich Hill back in Triple-A and Jon Lieber once again relegated to bullpen duty, the spot is hardly nailed down.

Sean Gallagher has been a pleasant surprise, winning three games, including a start vs. the Diamondbacks which he found out he was making about 20 minutes before the game.

Lou Piniella is hoping that the starters begin to go deeper into games, in order to save a beleaguered bullpen from a summer of strain. Don’t be surprised if Jim Hendry raids a deep farm system in order to trade for another starter.

Possibilities include Livan Hernandez, Chris Young, Greg Maddux, or maybe even Jake Peavy. If Cleveland continues to struggle, don’t be surprised if C.C. Sabathia makes his way into the Cubs’ gunner sights.

Relief Pitching: Grade B+

The back end of this bullpen has been fantastic. Kerry Wood leads the NL with 17 saves in 21 chances. Carlos Marmol continues to be dominant, with 57 strikeouts and a 2.34 ERA.

Bob Howry is also recovering nicely after a slow start, with 28 strikeouts and only five walks so far this year. The middle relievers and long relief are the only question marks, with Jon Lieber being the bright spot with a 3.31 ERA.

Kevin Hart also is struggling, with a 6.62 ERA so far this year, and Sean Marshall, while he was with the team, he had a 4.45 ERA in only 8 2/3 innings. Scott Eyre has also been a pleasant surprise, as he has 11 scoreless appearances and 10 strikeouts to boot.

The Cubs have also been able to plug minor league pitchers in with varying degrees of success. Jose Ascaino and Neal Cotts come immediately to mind.

The Cubs’ bullpen is among the best in the majors, and with a wide variety of pitchers eligible to be pulled from the minors (among them Carmen Pignatiello, Billy Petrick, and Jose Ascaino), they are poised for a great second half run.

So, with this look at the past two months, there emerge certain trends that Cubs fans should be happy about: first off, there’s the offense. If they continue to hit at even a slightly lower level than they are right now, they are in fantastic shape to be the class of the National League.

Their lack of reliance on the home run for offense is a welcome sight, and their continued discipline at the plate is something that fans have been longing for. On the defensive side of the field, the Cubs have a little work to do.

With Alfonso Soriano still manning left field, and a revolving door in center field, the team has a couple of weak spots, but potential Gold Glovers in Derrek Lee and Kosuke Fukudome make up for it to a certain degree.

In terms of pitching, the rotation hasn’t been going deep enough in games, and if this team isn’t careful, they could deplete the bullpen too early in the season.

With all of this being said, this team has the potential to win a lot of games in a very weak division. Could the next 100 games exorcize 100 years worth of demons? The blue-clad fans of the city’s Northside baseball team sure hope so.