What are some projections for the Cubs this year?

[BREWCREW5]

I hate the cubs. Cant stand them, their crappy stadium and most of their fanbase.

 

It would appear they are not going to have a great year but my guess is they will end up being good. Someone talk some sense to me.

[Ennder]

I'd put them a little under .500. It isn't a good team and it is an old team and the division around them has improved.

[jhart05]

I really do not see the Cubs as a threat to the Brewers at all.

 

Do yourself a favor, ignore what happens to the south of us, including their fans, and just appreciate what is going to happen in Milwaukee this summer. As we all know, these kinds of seasons do not happen very often, take in every moment of it, and don't let those to the south ruin it for you.

[craigharmann]

0-162 but that's where I see them every year.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

0-162 but that's where I see them every year.

Darn optimists...I have them doing much worse.

[Funketown]

0-162 but that's where I see them every year.

Darn optimists...I have them doing much worse.

Agreed, that is overly optimistic. If they're contracted before next season, which I believe they will be (Bud Selig is my best friend, father, and mother), it will be hard for them to play 162 games.

 

They have some good things going, but I just can't see them finishing ahead of more than 1 of {Milwaukee, Cincinnati, St. Louis}. They haven't done much this offseason, and guys like Soriano, Fukudome, Ramirez, Byrd, and Zambrano just keep getting older. Their rotation looks solid (Dempster-Wells-Gorzellany-Zambrano-Silva), but it's not spectacular by any means.

[craigharmann]

Agreed, that is overly optimistic. If they're contracted before next season, which I believe they will be (Bud Selig is my best friend, father, and mother), it will be hard for them to play 162 games.

 

They have some good things going, but I just can't see them finishing ahead of more than 1 of {Milwaukee, Cincinnati, St. Louis}. They haven't done much this offseason, and guys like Soriano, Fukudome, Ramirez, Byrd, and Zambrano just keep getting older. Their rotation looks solid (Dempster-Wells-Gorzellany-Zambrano-Silva), but it's not spectacular by any means.

OK, OK, I was trying to be nice. Agreed on the fact that there is no way they're ahead of Milwaukee, Cincy and St. Louis. I think that probably is the order of the top three. Ramirez fell off big time last year, and you never know when Zambrano will blow a gasket, but you know it's coming and it's always fun to watch. While they may finish ahead of Houston, I'm not so sure on that.

[JohnBriggs12]

Nothing's a sure thing at this point, but except for the most diehard Cub fans, most don't see them higher than 4th. If Zambrano put it together for a full year and that's a big if, they could be tougher than a lot of people think though. But that's also assuming Wells reverts to his 09 form and Gorzelanny is the guy he was in 07. That's a few too many ifs. They are better than the Brewers at catcher, SS, and CF and those aren't insignificant.

 

If the Brewers, Reds and Cards beat each other up and none of those 3 pulls away, the Cubs could stay reasonably close by hanging around .500. That's not too far-fetched.

[Invader3K]

After their bad season last year and lack of major moves, I don't see how anyone could see them being more than a fourth place team at this point. The few Cubs fans I've talked to are pretty down on the team and the new ownership right now. Makes me appreciate Mark Attanasio even more.

[Warning Track Power]

I think 75-80 wins max. I like their young players (DeWitt, Colvin, Castro, Soto) but I don't see any of them being the superstar caliber being able to cover the inevitable decline of the older players on their team (Soriano, Fukudome, Ramirez, Byrd, Pena). The rotation is mediocre with only 1 reliable + pitcher in Dempster. Zambrano is still a head case and Wells is an enigma. If all the breaks went their way I could see them winning 84 tops or if all the breaks went against them I could see them losing 90. I think a more realistic scenario has them around 76 wins.

[The Truth]

My heart says 50-112 and my head says 74-88

[PrinceEatMeat]

My heart says 50-112 and my head says 74-88

Ok, so I say right in the middle at 62-100. 100 losses seems like a good round number to me.

[berniebrewer4life]

Cubs are at best a third place team, but most likely a 4th place, 94 loss team.

 

The few Cubs fans I've talked to are pretty down on the team and the new ownership right now. Makes me appreciate Mark Attanasio even more.

 

Agreed. Ricketts is a bad owner. The more i learn about him, the more i realize that he:

 

1.) Bought the team with no intention of having them compete the way the Trib did

2.) Doesn't have anywhere near the money you would assume from a major market owner.

3.) Wants to keep the "Lovable Losers" mentality alive for the cubs.

 

 

Mark, on the other hand, is a great businessman, and has shown he will do what it takes to win, within reason. Mark came in and changed the culture of brewers baseball(or at least returned it to a time that my 26 year old eyes had never seen). Ricketts needs to do the same, change the loser cubbie culture, and instill something similar to what the White Sox, or Cardinal fans(and us as well) expect; Nothing other than winning is acceptable.

[RedFlash2]

As a Cub fan, our season depends on too many "IFs" coming true for my liking.

 

If ARAM bounces back to his pre-2010 season numbers. (His 2nd half numbers suggests he might).

If the Cubs youngsters can keep from hitting the sophomore slumps. (Castro, and yes, I think he will be a superstar SS and Colvin).

If Soriano can hit like he did in the early part of 2010.

If Zambrano keeps his anger in check and pitches like he did down the stretch.

If Pena bounces back to his pre-2010 season numbers.

Etc, etc.

 

If those IFs come true, the Cubs MIGHT, and please like me stress MIGHT be lucky to win 85 wins tops. But I suspect the Cubs will end up around 72-75 wins next year. Good enough to spoil teams next September.

[SenatorShriv]

For everyone saying that this was obvious it sure seemed like he was being penciled into rotation and roster projections in other threads on a regular basis. I never understood why so many people thought that it was a given. I've always liked cappy a lot and hope that he lands someplace outside of the division and has a nice year.

 

Edit: whoa - I've got to stop trying to make posts from my phone. It seems to get screwed up almost every time. Obviously this was intended for the Capuano thread. Not sure how it ended up here as I'm reading this thread for the first time almost a day after trying to post this in the other thread. Weird.

[logan82]

For everyone saying that this was obvious it sure seemed like he was being penciled into rotation and roster projections in other threads on a regular basis. I never understood why so many people thought that it was a given. I've always liked cappy a lot and hope that he lands someplace outside of the division and has a nice year.

Are the Cubs signing Cappy?

[Warning Track Power]

Agreed. Ricketts is a bad owner. The more i learn about him, the more i realize that he:

 

1.) Bought the team with no intention of having them compete the way the Trib did

2.) Doesn't have anywhere near the money you would assume from a major market owner.

3.) Wants to keep the "Lovable Losers" mentality alive for the cubs.

Sounds a lot like the debacle that is the McCourts here in Los Angeles. Talk about a joke of an ownership group. I am guessing a lot of the inner workings of their ineptitude never reaches Milwaukee but they are so terribly mismanaged. Nepotism runs freely and their reign in L.A. almost makes the Selig-Prieb era look competent. Thank God for Attanasio. My big fear is when the Dodgers inevitably go up for sale that he will strongly considers purchasing them as they are right in his backyard. And as much as I would love Mark Cuban and his seemingly limitless $$$ as our owner, I sure appreciate the way Attanasio tries his hardest (i.e. spends the money) to ensure the smallest market in baseball has a payroll in the range of a larger mid-market.

 

For our sake I hope the Cubs never realize the potential they have to put together a Yankee-esque dynasty on the Northside. Despite the fact that we all hate them, that potential does exist for them to become the NL equivalent of the Yankees. If I were them, I would follow the Yankees blueprint: start a Cubs network, build a "new" Wrigley to match the old one and watch the cash roll in. While they don't have the obvious championship pedigree of the Yankees, their "fanbase" is similar to the Yankees in that they are enormous number of Cub fans throughout the country as opposed to the small markets such as the Pirates, Royals and Indians who are truly regional teams with only a smattering of fans spread around the country.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

The Cubs could really be dangerous if managed properly. They have by far the most potential financial resources in the division.

 

If I were them I wouldn't rush it. Their payroll is still bloated with older, declining players. Their minor league talent is still a couple years away. I'd milk the lovable losers thing for a couple years and get the financial house in order. Work on a stadium, TV, etc...then unleash the financial resources on the division with a vengeance. The good thing for us is they shouldn't be a major challenger in the Brewers near term window.

[prophet]

I've learned over the years, that it doesn't matter what the cubs look like on paper. They will always under perform expectations. In another 102 years, our great-grandchildren will be talking about the cubs still not winning a world series. Some things are just meant to be.

[Thurston Fluff]

If I were them, I would follow the Yankees blueprint: start a Cubs network, build a "new" Wrigley to match the old one and watch the cash roll in.

 

The Cubs had a bigger media outlet than the Yankees when WGN owned them. As far as the stadium goes, to match the old one would take a lot of work to get that special aroma from the restrooms. Recycled Old Style is just to hard to come by these days.

[CheezWizHed]

Maybe next year...

[dlk9s]

I predict that the Cubs will get sucked into a black hole and will end up playing baseball in an alternate universe. An alternate universe without an alternate ending.

[jjkoestler]

My prediction... Pain.

[Funketown]

I predict that the Cubs will get sucked into a black hole and will end up playing baseball in an alternate universe. An alternate universe without an alternate ending.

They would have a better shortstop there...

 

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100919204419/simpsons/images/7/7c/HatB_-_Ozzie_Smith%27s_misfortune.png

 

Maybe the Brewers should start scouting mystery spots and black holes for their next SS?

[cubfan1126]

For those of you that made an honest assessment, I appreciate it, wish you well, and am glad that we are being seriously overlooked. Honestly I have to agree; our pitching is mediocre, the core of our team is getting old, but we did make a nice run at the end with those same players after Piniella took a well-needed hike.

 

To those of you who had mostly sarcasm to add, I wish you a return to the glory years of 1983-2007.

And to those of you that are languishing in our 102 year drought, I would remind you that the last Brewers World Series winner is best described by Buzz Lightyear.