Cubs Aren't Going Away

By Edwin Learnard

Anybody that thinks this year's Chicago Cubs are just going to disappear into thin air is probably sadly mistaken. They are currently in 1st place in a very competitive National League Central Division. They stand 5 1/2 games over the pesky Houston Astros and have compiled the best record in the big leagues at 85-51 (.625). How have they done this? Read on.

Collectively, the Chicago Cubs have been an offensive juggernaut this season. They lead the NL in runs scored with 740 (5.44 per game). They are also 1st in the NL in batting average at .281, first in on base percentage at .359, and 1st in slugging percentage at .450. In addition, they are 4th in the NL in HR's at 157, so they can hit for power as well as average. The Cubs are also 1st in the NL in total bases with 2,116 and 2nd in hits with 1,312 (9.65/game).

The pitching has not been too shabby either as they have the number one ERA in the NL at 3.74. They are also 1st in runs allowed at 549 or 4.04 per game. The pitching staff is tied for 3rd in the NL in saves with 38 and they are first in the NL in strikeouts with 1,068 or 7.9 per game. The Cubs pitching staff has the lowest hits allowed in the NL at 1,118.

A number of people have made solid contributions to the Cubs offense including third baseman, Aramis Ramirez, who is arguably the Cubs M.V.P. this season (24 HR'S, 100 RBI'S, .283 BA). Shortstop Ryan Theriot (.312 BA, 156 HITS, 74 RUNS) has played very well and first baseman Derrek Lee (18 HR, .295 BA, 77 RBI'S) can hit for average and power as well. Left fielder Alfonso Soriano has played a vital role offensively (.290 BA, 23 HR, 63 RBI) in only 87 games.

Some pitchers that have contributed significantly are Ryan Dempster-5th in the NL in wins with 15,160 strikeouts, and a 2.95 ERA, which is 4th in the league. Carlos Zambrano has also been solid (13-5,114 K's, 3.53 ERA), and Kerry Wood has been superlative in the bullpen with 28 saves and a 2.59 ERA.

Let's not forget their manager, Lou Pinella; he is another important component in the Cubs success this year. He has a fiery, no-nonsense temperament that has earned him respect, and consequently, gets the best out of his players. He is a proven winner who has guided the Cincinnati Reds to a stunning upset over the heavily favored and mighty Oakland A's in 1990 as well as guiding the Seattle Mariners to a 116-46 record in 2001, tying a modern-day record for wins (fell to NY Yankees 4 games to 1 in ALCS).

There are still some cynics that believe that the Cubs may falter down the stretch as they have been notorious for late season/post-season collapses. They had the gigantic collapse in 1969 when they squandered an 8 1/2 game division lead, and a 9 1/2 game lead over the 3rd place Mets, who eventually won the World Series. The Cubs also won the NL East in 1984, but blew a 2-0 series lead and eventually lost the NLCS to the San Diego Padres 3 games to 2. In 2003, the Cubs had 5 outs to get to the World Series, when Steve Bartman, a person in the stands, tried to catch a foul ball in the 8th inning with one out. Fan interference was not called, and the Florida Marlins went on to win the game and the NLCS.

This year's version of the Cubs has a better chance of getting to the promise land and perhaps winning it all. They are more consistent this year than many other seasons and they only have one loss over 3 games thus far. Don't be surprised if the Cubs celebrate the 100 year anniversary of their last World Series win by winning another one this year.