5 second half assignments

By Steven Chaitman | Jul 17, 10:55 AM

Well, the second half is about to be upon us. Like any team making a run for the playoffs and expecting to win a pennant at the least, there is a concern if the Cubs can pull it out in the long hall. That's reasonable, but there is more to it than whether such and such player can make it 162 games. This is the MLB: the players play long seasons, that's not a surprise. So I offer you now what I believe is the legitimate look at the second half.

First off, the Cubs are winning their division. This is not a "well, duh" observation as much as it seems like it. I don't know the exact stat, but the majority of clubs leading at this point take their division. The Cubs have been fending off the Cardinals and the Brewers for the last couple of months now and they are still in first place, currently with one of the biggest leads they've had all year. So even if the Cubs were to just grind it out just over .500 the rest of the season, they're going to finish 20 games over .500 and win the division. They would have to regress and the Brewers would have to win 17 of 20 for it to become serious.

While I would love to see the Cubs go on a tear in August or something and stamp the Brewers and Cards into the ground, I'd prefer to have it in October. I don't plan on letting up on this team until then, but this is all about doing enough to get to October and in that time preparing to make a run.

So with all that out of the way, here's what the Cubs need to do to keep winning in the second half and to get ready for the playoffs:

5. Soriano must come back and make an impact.I don't really doubt he will if he's fully healthy, but he needs to come back and contribute. The Cubs got by very well without him, which means if he's plugged back into the #1 spot, he needs to be productive and he needs to use his speed. His legs should be back on track with no excuses this time.

4. Fukudome must return to form. Kosuke has a lot of weapons and when he's on, this team does its best. He leads the team by example with his patience at the plate and turning bad at-bats around on hitters. When Soriano returns, Fuku's spot in the batting order immediately becomes a question. With Edmonds or Soto hitting 5^th, it's likely Kosuke hits 8^th. If he gets on, which he is supposed to be good at, he can get bunted over by the pitcher and then essentially he's a leadoff man and Soriano's power could make for some extra RBI.

3. The left-handers in the pen must become stable.Right now, it looks like Sean Marshall might hold up as a bullpen pitcher even if it's not his place. When Scott Eyre gets back, if he finds his consistency, there shouldn't be any problems. Between Marshall and Neal Cotts, someone will be the second lefty, but there needs to be one to keep the Cubs bullpen dominant and flexible.

2. The starting rotation has to stay dominant and healthy. With these guys playing at the top of their game, they are probably the best rotation in the National League. If they stay that way, then no one will touch them. Zambrano and Harden will be knockouts if still healthy. Dempster should be able to overcome pitching so many innings in a season, but it's reasonable to question that. Lilly can't tail off like last season-but the best part is that he's not the #2 guy, so that helps a lot. The Cubs rotation looks well-insured, though and barring injury setbacks should carry the team.

1. Carlos Marmol. I've stood by it all season long. Marmol is the centerpiece of this Cub bullpen. Piniella has no clue how to manage these guys if he can't rely on Marmol. He needs to strike more batters out and at least get more quality outings in between the ones that he struggles in. In April and May he was the most exciting player to watch on this team, and now he raises the blood pressure more than any player. If he can pull it together and be on his A-game come October, the Cubs will not only be a World Series contender, but a threat.