NEXT YEAR IS HERE! 2008 Chicago Cubs Expectations

March 31st is less than a week away, and on that day the Chicago Cubs take the field against the Milwaukee Brewers.  Just as the last 100 years, the Cubs began their quest for the World Series title with 32 other teams.  This year the Cubs will also begin their first division title defense in 5 years.  The expectations are high for a Cubs team that went out and continued to spend money upgrading their lineup.  The spring has brought a nice preview to what lies ahead for the Cubs, with the exception of a bottom tier spring record.  The Cubs seem to have a closer, a line up (which was an adventure everyday last year) and starting rotation set for opening day.  The bullpen should be fine if Kerry Wood continues his strong spring, Howry learns to throw strikes again, and Marmol does what he does best.  An injury to Scott Eyre puts the role of lefthanded setup man in question, hopefully, for the Northsiders sake Sean Marshall can hold this position down.  ... [link]