Dusty Baker announced before the game today that Matt Murton will start in the leadoff spot today. The explanation he gave (or at least implied in the broadcast) has to do with Lawton struggling against today's starter for the Reds, Eric Milton. Perhaps all the losses lately have Dusty figuring he may as well play a younger player, saving key players like Jose Macias for the last stretch run for the Wild Card. Whatever the reason, I like seeing Murton leading off.

With barely a rumor coming out of the Cubs camp just days before the trade deadline, we're all wondering if something's boiling or not. The Cubs, in fact, are one of the few teams with no real speculations and rumors flying around, but lots of "advice" coming from the outside...and even much of that has to do with the offseason. For example, Dayn Perry (of Fox Sports) thinks the Cubs should start gearing up to trade Kerry Wood before Opening Day 2006.

However, let's float a few "what if" thoughts around...

I just realized that I began this blog with lovely intentions, but like Nomar, this season never really got started for it. That said, the St. Louis series brings all us crazies out of the woodwork, so the first multi-game series was bound to wake us up.

A few thoughts:

1. The St. Louis series brought to even greater light some of the Cubs' mental weaknesses this season. Sure, they won, but barely...and they also barely lost the sweep. Even so, sometimes "success" allows one to view the mistakes without bawling too much about them.
Neifi saved Dusty Baker last night, pure and simple. Watching Baker vs. LaRussa this series highlighted Baker's status as a good, but not great, manager. He has the potential for greatness as a manager, but early success may have tempered criticisms that could have pushed him into greatness, and we're now seeing the results. I've never believed that LaRussa is a great manager, at least in the same league as Whitey Herzog, Sparky Anderson, Earl Weaver (well...), even Joe Torre. LaRussa is among the best managers in the game today, no doubt about it, but thoughts on greatness will probably only come at the end of what will no doubt be rightly seen as a long and fruitful career. However, despite the series victory by the Cubs, watching LaRussa vs. Baker highlighted a few of Dusty's weakenesses. First, Dusty's known far and wide for his distaste for the suicide squeeze. I can understand why, considering it beat him and cost this season's best pitcher a well-earned win against the best team in the NL. "But that happened in the 11th...Zambrano wasn't the pitcher of record!", you insist. However, look at what happened: With 1 out, your speedy lead-off hitter hits a triple. Fast guy on 3rd, veteran hitter with solid mechanics at bat (albeit a left-handed bat, not the greatest for a squeeze). When Walker grounded out without scoring Hairston, the Cubs all but lost the game. Baker knew that whatever happened, Lee would be walked, thus setting up the easy force-out. Was the suicide squeeze the best thing that could have happened? Of course not...but the unwillingness to think that way took the Cubs' best chance for scoring the run they needed.

Now that we've been able to get a glimpse of our 2005 Chicago Cubs, what do you think?
Here's what I see.

--Writers and fans started sweating once Sosa and Alou were gone, questioning the ability of the new offense to Get Things Done. We've seen thus far in Spring Training that this season won't be much of a letdown, if any, on the offensive side. Let's be honest, probably not a whole lot was gained or lost in right field, with 30+ HRs and too many Ks both coming and going. If anything, I'm optimistic that Burnitz will listen to hitting coaches and find ways to cut down on the strikeouts, something Sammy wouldn't do. In addition, Burnitz isn't married to any particular spot in the batting order, and his propensity to strike out feels slightly less dangerous if he doesn't mind hitting lower in the batting order. I also don't think the Cubs should overlook the possibility of DuBois filling in one or two games a week in right field while Burnitz is still getting into the swing of things.

Optimism and Cubs fans are the stereotype, synonymous in the minds of most who follow baseball. While some open this season moaning and groaning about why we'll all be waiting until next year, perhaps 2005 really does hold promise.

As Spring Training gets underway, a few thoughts on the season ahead that hopefully don't re-echo what's echoed already all over the web...first, the closer issue.

The closer issue battles Sosa's departure for major billing as the season opens. Borowski's feeling good, Dempster's feeling good, Troy's a team player. While the Cubs need Hawkins in a set-up role, Dempster and Borowski as situational stoppers might just do the trick. Think about it: Borowski's a scrapper, tenacious enough to get anyone out in the 9th inning when he's got his stuff. On the other hand, some game-ending situations call for more than just getting men out. Without a 90mph plus fastball or consistently tricky stuff, Borowski's effectiveness, though impressive at times, remains somewhat limited. At any given time, he can start the 9th and zip through the 3 or 4 batters to gain the save, but in a tie or one-run-lead situation with 2 men in scoring position and less than 2 outs, he's not as convincing. Dempster, on the other hand, holds a peppier fastball and has a temperament somewhat more conducive to going through several high-pressure situations a week. If Dempster does blow a game and extra innings occur, Joe no doubt will step in quite well. While naming one and only closer remains the most attractive option, a combination of both may prove the best for the long season.

My wife groaned when I told her I'd been considering a Cubs blog. We both thought I might be kidding, but the idea's made more and and more sense since I brought it up. Perhaps a small journal could be just what I need to channel my Cubbie exertions. Maybe she won't be drenched in so many spewings about bad baserunning or strikeouts or Why, God, Why Can We Hit So Many Homeruns But Rarely A Clutch Single? ...maybe.

Brief gratuitous bio:
I grew up in Niles, MI (near South Bend, IN), only an hour and a half or two from Chicago. We never had cable so I relied on the occasional Game of the Week broadcast (before Fox and Joe "Aren't I Royal and Rich?" Buch, we had Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola on NBC) or local channels caving to Cub fan influence. Most of the time, however, I listened to WGN Radio...I think Lou Boudreau was broadcasting when I first picked up the signal in the early to mid-80s (I only barely recall the legendary '84 season and was only seven years old at the time). Eventually I talked my dad into putting a very large antenna on top of the house so WGN-TV could come in sometimes. I rarely visited Wrigley Field physically, but knew every inch vicariously. The one time I remember visiting as a kid, Jamie Moyer pitched against Rick Honeycutt and the Dodgers. The Cubs lost 4-2, I recall. Several years later I met Greg Maddux at an appearance at a South Bend mental health facility's opening, but other than that my in-person experiences rarely happened.