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Chicago Cubs: 2008 team built drastically different than this year’s club

By Jake Misener

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 04: Manager Lou Piniella of the Chicago Cubs cheers on his team before taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the NLDS during the 2008 MLB playoffs on October 4, 2008 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 04: Manager Lou Piniella of the Chicago Cubs cheers on his team before taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the NLDS during the 2008 MLB playoffs on October 4, 2008 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO – JULY 26: Aramis Ramirez #16 of the Chicago Cubs follows his hit during the game against the Florida Marlins on July 26, 2008 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Marlins defeated the Cubs 3-2 in 12 innings. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO – JULY 26: Aramis Ramirez #16 of the Chicago Cubs follows his hit during the game against the Florida Marlins on July 26, 2008 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Marlins defeated the Cubs 3-2 in 12 innings. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Older roster led ’08 Cubs to October baseball

Of the Cubs’ primary position players in the 2008 season, just two were under the age of 30. Those two players? Shortstop Ryan Theriot and catcher Geovany Soto, who won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2008.

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By contrast, if Javier Baez takes over the starting duties at second base (which I expect), there will not be a Cubs starting position player over the age of 28. This is a team built to win (or at the very least, compete) year after year for the foreseeable future.

Headlining the 2008 Cubs’ offense – a first and third base combination of Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. The two combined for 47 home runs and 211 runs batted in for Chicago and were supplemented by the likes of Mark DeRosa, Alfonso Soriano and, of course, Soto.

Six of the eight regular starters for Chicago posted an OPS north of .800 – led by Jim Edmonds‘ .937 clip in 85 games in his age-38 season. The club led the National League in runs scored (855), doubles (329), walks (636), OBP, slugging percentage and OPS.

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