Opening Day

Ah.

The first week of April. Just like always, there's snow on the ground here in Chicago. Perfect for opening day.

Luckily, the Cubs begin their 101st season of (hopefully not) futility in the warm bosom of Houston's Minute Maid Park, formerly Enron "take the money and run" Field. That stadium is domed, climate regulated, and almost makes you feel like you're not actually in Texas.

Oh to dream.

Speaking of dreams, I didn't have any last night, since I couldn't sleep, with opening day just hours away. All I could do was anxiously think, and ask myself unanswerable questions. Mostly, it was, "Why am I falling for it again this year?"

Just like last year, and the year before, and the year before, and the...

Is the team really ready? I mean, I know that they're picked to win the division. Again. But there is not much depth with the starting pitching. Even a baseball novice knows that pitching is everything. Is success in the post season going to be a reality this year?

Yes, the staff is anchored by the Big Z, Carlos Zambrano, who can be lights out at times, so long as his feelings or ego aren't bruised. Is he still the wild man that Cubs fans have gotten familiar with over the years? Or will he be the next coming of Cy Young (winningest pitcher of all time), with a calmer and more focused demeanor?

He gets the start tonight, giving him his 5th call (the most opening day starts in franchise history) to begin the season.

He has yet to win an opening day start.

So "Cub-like".

Then there's Ryan Dempster, starter turned closer turned starter. He's a solid pitcher for sure, despite his Canadian background (yeah, he can skate, too). Last year may have been a career year for him; he was excellent for the most part.

The other 3 starters (Ted Lilly, Rich Harden, and Sean Marshall) are solid. All three of them could be a no.1 or no. 2 starter on most any other team. Lilly and Marshall are both lefty's, which is huge for the team. Manager LouPiniella likes the odds that are produced when there is a balance of right and left handed pitching (Lou is a big, big, BIG stat guy).

Harden? Well, hopefully he can just stay healthy and actually make it through a season (for once) without injury. If that can happen, then look out.

But as I said, beyond the 5 starting pitchers on the active roster, that's about it. Jeff Smardzija, who was sent to AAA Iowa so that he could be an every 5th day starter, will be a strong call-up, whenever that may be. It will certainly be before September, when the roster expands to 40 players, and likely before All-Star break, barring a miracle of the current starters having stellar, and I mean STELLAR, first halves of the season.

Highly unlikely.

Oh, to dream.

So it goes...

Cub Cackling

Well, we're going into week 7 of the seemingly longest spring training in the history of Major League baseball, and there is fresh snow on the ground. I can't decide whether to laugh or cry at this point.

More snow?

Not exactly inspiration for the follies of the boys of summer.

Nevertheless, the season starts in just a few more days, and everyone seems very giddy for the start of the real games. Rightly so. The WBC didn't exactly excite the fans, not in this country, anyways (kudos to Japan.) The U.S. team couldn't get all of the players it wanted for the showcase (Lee, Ramirez), and while respectable, the team's results were less than stellar. Whose idea was it to have this tournament during the U.S. spring training, anyways, Mr. Commish?

So now, with only a few days remaining, Fukodome needs to get on track, as does Ted Lilly (making his first start of the spring today.) As of this writing, a closer was not yet named, and there is still a reserve spot or 2 to fill. I'm, personally, in favor of So Taguchi making the team. He killed us when he was a Cardinal, so maybe the ex-factor will be in our favor, for a change. Plus, he is a defending world champion (albeit with another team, but so what.) He's also Japanese (WBC champs), which means he brings a high level of respect and professionalism to the game, as is customary of players from that island nation. There are some important decisions to be made for sure.

Big Z looks good (and big) and ready, so I'm cool with him right now. He's a stud, let's face it. Plus, he's going to be taking his U.S. citizenship test soon, which means that his mood is probably good (fat contract, citizenship, Chicago baseball god- not a bad life, eh, Carlos?.) We all know what kind of meltdowns can occur when Carlos is upset.

Despite everything, though, this is the Cubs, after all. The expectations certainly aren't, how shall I put it nicely, that high anymore.

Now if I could only decide to go out and shovel.

So it goes...