1. CHICAGO CUBS
JUST THE FACTS:
Kerry Wood is still nasty. But if
he wants to keep the closer's job, he needs to prove his arm and bad back can withstand the workload..Chicago will love Kosuke Fukudome. He can run, throw, take a pitch or hit it out. He's the perfect No. 2 hitter, but he might bat third, fifth or sixth in Lou Piniella's evolving lineup.
The O is one hitter short. And that guy is O's leadoff man Brian Roberts, whom the Cubs have been trying to pry away from Baltimore for months.
There's one No. 1 and four No. 4's. After ace Carlos Zambrano, the rotation doesn't scare anyone.
The 100-year drought ends this season.Okay, that's not a fact. But a palm tree that flowers once a century recently bloomed in Madagascar.
HEARSAY:
"Lou is not going to let them rest," says an NL exec. "He'd love to make the Hall of Fame, and winning it all with the Cubs would put him in."
HOUSE CALL:
"In politics, I don't think anyone could survive a drought like the Cubs'. The Republicans didn't control the House for 40 years, but that ended in 1994."
—Dan Lipinski (D-ILL.)
2. MILWAUKEE BREWERS:
JUST THE FACTS:
Ryan Braun digs leftfield. Anywhere but third base, where he made 26 errors last year. "At third, you don't get a ball the whole game, then you get a backspin, in-between hop in the seventh," he says. As a leftfielder, Braun can relax and hit 40 homers.
Eric Gagné is a closer. His struggles in Boston were, optimistically, the result of his being used as a setup man. The Brewers have plenty of those: Guillermo Mota, Salomón Torres, David Riske and Derrick Turnbow.
Ben Sheets holds the key (as usual). Milwaukee has big arms in Yovani Gallardo, Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra. But when Sheets was out in '07, the team was 10 games under .500.
HEARSAY:
"I keep hearing how great it is that we've added veteran leaders," says one Brewer. "But we don't need veteran leadership. Our young guys have been through a lot here. They've grown up and are ready to take the next step."
HOUSE CALL:
"The Brewers have good hitters one through eight, and I see some holes in that Cubby lineup. Félix Pie has yet to produce at the major league level, and no one knows what to expect from Fukudome. When you look at the Brewers' lineup, all their players are young and on the way up."
—Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)
3. CINCINNATI REDS:
JUST THE FACTS:
Joey Votto's time is now. Scott Hatteberg hit .310 in '07, but Votto has 25-homer potential. Dusty Baker likes his first basemen to go deep.
Bruce will be the boss. Ryan Freel, Corey Patterson and Norris Hopper are battling for CF at-bats. When überprospect Jay Bruce arrives, they'll be battling for pinch-hit ABs.
They're losing the battle of wounded knee. Jeff Keppinger can hit, and Juan Castro can field, but SS Álex González (fractured left knee) did both.
The cavalry is coming. Aaron Harang is an ace, Bronson Arroyo a solid No. 2. Homer Bailey and Edinson Vólquez ooze upside, and flamethrower Johnny Cueto could surpass them all.
HEARSAY:
"They have good young players on the way," says an NL exec. "But they have too many people in the organization wanting their guy to play, and Dusty is caught in the middle."
HOUSE CALL:
"I've been in the Opening Day parade for 30 years or so. And I can tell you, typical Reds fans think Pete Rose ought to be in the Hall of Fame. Sure, he made a mistake, but to keep him out of the Hall forever is unconscionable."
—Steve Chabot (R-Ohio)
4. HOUSTON ASTROS:
JUST THE FACTS:
Brad Ausmus gives homework. He'll mentor top prospect J.R. Towles, who hit .301 in the minors but needs polish behind the plate. Ausmus will continue to catch Roy Oswalt's nasty stuff.
The offense is killer. Lance Berkman, the last of the Killer B's, says the addition of Miguel Tejada makes this the best Astros lineup he's seen.
The defense isn't. Tejada lacks range at short, and so does Carlos Lee in left. New 2B Kaz Matsui is an upgrade.
There will be slugfests. With Woody Williams, Brandon Backe, Wandy Rodríguez and Shawn Chacon in the rotation, expect a lot of 9-8 games.
Michael Bourn's supremacy is questioned. Some see him as a dangerous speedster; others predict he'll never hit. New GM Ed Wade believes in Bourn: He drafted him in Philly and traded for him in Houston.
HEARSAY:
An ex-Astro asks, "How can they win with no one to count on after Oswalt? Nothing is sure in the rotation but him."
HOUSE CALL:
"I don't have any favorites on the current team. I was a big Craig Biggio fan; I rode in a rodeo parade with him recently. And I'm personal friends with Roger Clemens. I've known him a long time."
—Ted Poe (R-Texas)
5. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS:
JUST THE FACTS:
In rehab they trust. Mark Mulder (shoulder) won't be back until mid-May, and Chris Carpenter (elbow) even later. Kyle Lohse was signed in March to ease the pain.
Troy Glaus may end up protecting Chris Duncan. Glaus was acquired from Toronto to hit behind Albert Pujols, who's trying to play despite a torn ligament in his right elbow.
Maybe Rick Ankiel can play first. He's miscast in center, and Colby Rasmus could be Tony La Russa's seventh Rookie of the Year.
The middle infield is middling at best. 2B Adam Kennedy hit .219 in '07, and SS César Izturis is past his prime.
HEARSAY:
"This is just how La Russa loves it," says a member of the St. Louis media. "No one is counting on the team to do anything, and he can start a new lineup every day. I'm just afraid he'll run out of combinations. And if Albert is really hurt, well, they have no chance."
HOUSE CALL:
"There's been only one stretch in my lifetime when we've been just terrible: during the '70s. Other than that, we've been competitive. You can't count us out."
—John Shimkus (R-Ill.)
6. PITTSBURGH PIRATES:
JUST THE FACTS:
It can't get worse. The Bucs are on the verge of an MLB-record-tying 16th straight losing season, a triumph of mismanagement that finally led to wholesale front office changes.
Let's make a deal. New GM Neal Huntington has to hope Jason Bay, Jack Wilson and Xavier Nady draw interest come July. Huntington hasn't made much of a dent so far.
Zach Duke's elbow isn't sore! If he returns to '05 form … yeah, yeah, we know. "The weight of the Pirates is not on his shoulders," says new manager John Russell. Well, that's a plus.
They must be disciplined. The Bucs had 628 more K's than BBs last year, an outrageously high ratio. New hitting coach Don Long, who helped develop Chase Utley for the Phillies, has his work cut out for him.
HEARSAY:
"I'd rather be me than Neal Huntington," says the GM of another rebuilding team. "He's got nothing."
HOUSE CALL:
"It's been a real dry spell for Pittsburgh fans. Hopefully these young pitchers will catch on and we can avoid our trap of getting so far behind. Freddy Sanchez is an exciting player. Jason Bay was in a slump last year, but if we can get those two putting their bats on the ball, we'll suprise some people."
—Mike Doyle (D-PA)