10 reasons to believe in the Cubs this year

1. Carlos Zambrano

Zambrano is an emotional fireballer. He is not just a pitcher – he’s a ball player. He hits, he screams, he wins. Zambrano holds his team accountable and makes everyone play harder.

2. Kerry Wood and the Relief

Everyone feels good about putting Kerry Wood in to finish the game. Wood has 18 saves. Overall, the relief has been consistent. Relief pitching is the X-factor late in the season and in the playoffs, an X-factor the Cubs will need in their favor.

3. The Riot

Ryan Theriot at shortstop has been a wall defensively and superbly consistent offensively. A solid shortstop like The Riot sets a tone for the Cubs defense.

4. Lilly, Dempster, Marquis and Gallagher

Lilly plays a crucial role as the only starting southpaw at the moment, and he is filling that role well despite a 5-5 record. Meanwhile, Ryan Dempster is 7-2 – more than you could ever ask from the third starter. Like wise Maquis and Gallagher each have four wins. If both of the two approach 15 wins this season, it will surely be a positive sign for the Cubs record.

5. Geovany Soto

Soto has, bottom line, solved their catching problems of the previous years, especially since the somewhat finicky Zambrano loves to pitch to him. Meanwhile, the youngster has hit ten homeruns and knocked in 39 RBI.

6. The Numbers

The Cubs have the best record in MLB. Offensively, they rank first in batting average (.282), runs (352), on base percentage (.361) and on base percentage plus slugging (.806). Their pitching staff ranks first in earned run average (3.67) and in saves (23). Additionally, the Cubs rank second in earned run average with runners in scoring position (1.29), third in slugging percentage (.445), batting average against (.244) and opponent’s OPS (.711).

7. History

The Cubs started June with the best record in baseball. When was the last time this happened? It’s too perfect – 1908.

8. The NL Central

Every team in the NL Central has proven itself to be significantly vulnerable in some way. That said, the Cubs have, by far, the fewest cracks in the armor. The St. Louis Cardinals are a mere two and a half games back, but their offense does not stack up to the Cubs. Late in the season, the Cubs will have to prove their pitching, while statistically better right now, can outlast the Cards.

9. Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano

Aside from both having really cool names and both being outfielders, these two play very different yet integral roles for the Cubs. Fukudome has a gun from right field and is very, very solid covering that territory. Meanwhile he is batting a respectable .292. Soriano, meanwhile, is more or less a disaster defensively, but he gets the big money to hit lead off homeruns, steal bases and make the occasional circus catch to make up for the botched pop-up error. Soriano has hit 15 homeruns, batted in 40 runs and is hitting .279.

10. Steve Goodman

Hearing Wrigley Field belt out Goodman’s track Go Cubs Go after a Cubbies win is fantastic. It’d make Harray Carrey proud.

10 reasons to not believe in the Cubs this year

1. Carlos Zambrano

Zambrano’s temper can be somewhat… Rasheed Wallace-esque. That is, passionate, but ultimately damaging to the team in a given game. Furthermore, if he gets hurt sliding head first into second, the Cubs have no ace pitcher.

2. Sweet Lou

Manager Lou Pinella’s appearance on the bad portion of this blog is questionable. However, Lou’s history precedes him – he hasn’t won a World Series since 1990.

3. Goats

Stupid goat.

4. The Cards

How good are the St. Louis Cardinals? We’ll see. At the very least, they’re consistent and find ways to win. If the Cubs are a pre-All-Star-Break fluke, the Cardinals will have no problems taking over the NL Central Division.

5. Marquis and Gallagher

The fourth and fifth pitchers in the rotation can make the difference between an average team or a great team. When they win 10 to 15 games, that’s outstanding. When they’re an ERA menace, there’s a lot of pressure on the offense to produce. Keep winning boys, and the Cubs will too.

6. Alfonso Soriano

Did I mention that Soriano can’t play defense? This may prove to be a problem in the post season when every out counts, but for now, Soriano’s offensive production will outweigh any misplayed ball in left field.

7. Steve Bartman

Jerk.

8. Wild Card’s Wild

If the Cubs fall behind, they will have to contend with a feisty NL Wild Card race. There is too much parity on the National League to count on a wild card bid into the post-season.

9. Derrek Lee

Derrek Lee doesn’t deserve to appear on this portion of the blog exclusively, but he appears here because of this – so goes Derrek Lee go the Cubs.

10. The AL

Even if the Cubs make it to the World Series, can they compete with the likes of the Boston Red Sox or Anaheim Angels?