Cubbies Crib 2010 Cubs Address

Well, in Chicago. the baseball season is here. For the past two weeks, the weather has been spring like, and is giving us a preview of what it is going to feel like come April when the Cubs begin their journey that is the 2010 season.

So, I figured now is a perfect time to give the first annual Cubbies Crib Cubs Address.  The areas that will be acknowledged throughout this address will be the the front office, coaching staff, and player personnel.

Front Office

Crane Kenney, Jim Hendry and all the other front office members should know that this is a win now year for them. As many reports speculate that new owner, Tom Ricketts, will not hesistate to clean house in the front office, if he does not approve of the work they have done.

But it is important though, that the front office is given the proper resources to have  come trade deadline time to make a move to improve this team, something they have not had the past two seasons.

Coaching  Staff

Lou Piniella’s future is the hot topic surrounding the Cubs right now, as he is headed into the final year of his contract. At first, it was presumed that Lou would retire after this year, and that will be that. But recent comments, would indicate that if the terms were right he will consider managing the Cubs for at least one more season.

But we should not forget that the Cubs have three viable replacements already within their organization. First, their is fan favorite Ryne Sandberg, who seems to be destined for a major league managing role in his near future. Secondly, there is Alan Trammell , who managed the tigers before joining on as the Cubs bench coach. And finally you have broadcaster Bob Brenly, who won a world series with the diamondbacks, and has an interest in managing again.

Player Personnel

The Cubs are confident that players like Geovany Soto, Alfonso Soriano,  Carlos Zambrano, and Mike Fontenot will have bounce back years.

Here is why you may not want to get your hopes up, Alfonso Soriano is not getting younger, he is getting older. Meaning his bat speed will drop, and his defense will be worse than what it was before.  Mike Fontenot,  has proven that he is not an everyday player, so it is hard to imagine him being able to perform like he did in 2008.

However with Geovany Soto, and Carlos Zambrano both look to be in good condition, and are showing  signs of having a good season for the Cubs this year. Zambrano, has looked very good in two of his first three starts, and his velocity is up. Soto, also has looked very good this spring, and he is in the best condition in his life.

Closing Statement

The Cubs are going by a lot of “What if’s”, and that scares me. And until we find some true answers for those “What if’s”, I would have to say that the Cubs may have a hard time making the playoffs, and may even struggle to contend with the Cardinals in their division.