2008 Cubbies are too good to doubt

By Steven Chaitman | May 20, 5:58 PM

It's 45 games into the Cubs' 2008 season and already the bandwagon's rolling and the cries of angry goats can be heard across the prairies of Illinois. The Cubbies' 28-17 record has all of Chicagoland believing once again-even the Cubs' most pessimistic fans, those who refuse to acknowledge that the proverbial "other shoe" may never actually fall.

No, I won't dare say it. It's not worth jeopardizing the chances of "it," but let me just say that the NL pennant is well within sight of the boys in blue. If there's a team that can make "it" happen on the 100^th anniversary of "it" happening, that team is the 2008 Chicago Cubs. Here are the top ten reasons why this Cubs team is that team:

10. Kosuke Fukudome. Fuku, The Man from Japan, or whatever expletive-based Harry Caray-esque nickname you give him. While one man doesn't make a team, Fukudome has brought Far East Fever to Wrigleyville. "Hory Kow!" shirts aside, this guy is an exemplary ballplayer. With at .319 batting average, an even better on-base percentage including 29 walks, Fukudome is the real deal. He has long at-bats and can hit the ball to all parts of the field and his discipline at the plate has rubbed off. Hopefully by the time his English proficiency increases he'll still have plenty people wanting to talk to him.

9. Zambrano's 6-1 start. You expect the ace of your pitching staff to put up consistent 'W's and it doesn't look like Carlos Zambrano will need to start any of his own "new seasons" anytime soon. Big Z is 4^th in both games won in the NL and in league ERA at 2.45. Plus, with the exception of breaking the bat over his leg on Saturday, he's kept his cool. If Carlos really wants to silence the critics who harp on his emotions, he'll need to bounce back with another quality start next time out at Pittsburgh and all signs so far point to there being a good chance he can pull it off.

8. Solid long relief pitching. Having a lot of contenders for the final starting pitching jobs have given the Cubs a lot of good options in long relief. When Cubs starters have had to leave early, Pinella's been able to count on guys like veteran Jon Lieber to give him a few good innings. While relief pitching has probably been the Cubs' weakest area, they've still salvaged a few games thanks to Lieber and even Michael Wuertz who in the past made a name for himself as being inconsistent. While Bob Howry and Sean Marshall aren't quite there yet, the Cubs still have arms to get the job done while the others figure it out.

7. Good 'ole Lou. The Cubs manager has been smart this season and doing exactly what the team needs. Long gone are the Dusty days of sticking with players that haven't earned their own. Lou wasted no time with Rich Hill which likely saved any confidence he had left. He's put the right relievers in at the right times, made good double switches, sent the right guys down to AAA Iowa and hasn't toyed too much with a lineup. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and Lou's been keeping the Cubs consistent, which is preferable when you have a winning team on your hands.

6. The one two punch: Marmol and Wood. If there's one thing any anxiety-ridden Cubs fan has to agree on, it's that Carlos Marmol is something special. Pinella has never been afraid to put Marmol in a tight situation and the youngster always comes out on top, this year with a 1.55 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 29.0 innings of work. Then there's the truest Cub of them all, Kerry Wood, holding things down with 10 total saves. Considering the Cubs have only been in a few other save situations, Wood has nearly been lights out. All he needs now is a bad ass song playing every time he enters the game.

5. The well-paid superstars are hitting. If it's not April hero Derek Lee hitting the ball then it's last week's 7 home runs in 7 games performance from Alfonso Soriano or the reliable slugging power of Aramis Ramirez. Bottom line is the Cubs always have at least one of their superstars on fire and they're responsible for a percentage of the Cubs' wins.

4. Reliable everyday starters. When was the last season in recent memory when the Cubs had to platoon only one position on a daily basis? The Cubs have a clear middle infield for the first time in what feels like ages with team batting average leader Ryan Theriot at short and Mark DeRosa at second, both of whom are hitting over .300 and earning their spots. Geovany Soto has been a tremendous run-producer and solid defensive catcher and stolen a lot of the spotlight. The only question Lou has is whether to put Reed Johnson or recently acquired Jim Edmonds in at center. That's a huge boost from last year and has allowed the Cubs to develop a strong bench with Daryle Ward, Mike Fontenot and the much-improved Ronny Cedeno. The Cubs have a new hero in every win and rely on no one player. A balanced team is a winner, without a doubt.

3. Leading the NL in runs scored. 262 is the number of times the Cubs have crossed home plate this season, which leads the NL. So not only does that mean the Cubs are scoring, but someone is driving in those runs whereas the 2007 Cubs were notorious for leaving players on base. The Cubs are getting runs with two outs and they're also not tending to score too early or too late, spreading out the run production for the most part. The way the Cubs score is not predictable: different players score at different times each game and no one is an easy out. If you're not convinced this is a winning baseball team yet, start believing.

2. Disciplined hitting. The Cubs, once notorious for having players that swung at ball 4s, are second in the NL in walks behind the Cardinals and 28 ahead of the Mets who have the third most walks. Maybe it's Fukudome rubbing off on the Cubbies, but whatever it is, it's catching on. So many players are taking more pitches and working the count that it's making Ramirez look patient. The Cubs collectively lead the NL in on-base percentage at .372. There is nothing here that is reminiscent of a cursed Cubs team.

1. Winning at home. It may seem too simple to be the number one reason the Cubs "could be great in '08," but a 19-8 home record is too easy to ignore. The Cubs were nowhere near that good at home this time last year and winning at home is what good teams have to do. Provided the Cubs won't see Wrigley nearly as much in the second half of the season, the home wins have been huge.

So stop waiting for something to go wrong and get ready Cubs fans, because this season is too good right now to not be enjoyed.

Tagged: north side, baseball, Cubs