Cubs comparison '07 to '08

Here we go. Can April come soon enough? I didn't think so. In the meantime, here is a comparison of the 2007 NL Central Champion Chicago Cubs to the 2008 version

I will do a couple positions at a time.. feel free to post any comments.

Catcher:

2007: A combination of Barrett, Hill and Kendall did a great job of allowing stolen bases while simultaneously being a consistent black hole in the everyday lineup. Congratulations! I know I'm not the only one that is looking forward to late-season games versus the Brewers/Padres when we need to advance a runner to second....

2008: Geovany Soto is a definite question mark behind the plate for the Cubs. Fortunately for optimistic Cubs fans, it is not due to a lack of talent as he will vie for ROY honors in the NL.

Conclusion: Will Soto be able to maintain a high level of play for an entire season or was his late call up more 'Mike Fontenot'esque?' We will know by June. Until then, I'm confident we could suit up Olin Kruetz to squat behind the plate and get more production than we did from those jokers in '07.

Advantage '08.

First Base:

2007: Derrek Lee was coming off a wrist injury that he says was healthy although his low HR totals would suggest otherwise. He still posted good numbers and his spike in power over the second half leads one to believe that he actually was still regaining strength in that wrist. What troubled me most was that he seemed much less reliable in '07. I have no numbers to back that up as his strikeouts were on pace with his last few years. It was just the impression I got when watching him. It seemed like he'd lost a bit of confidence even.

2008: Derrek Lee is probably stronger and will probably hit more dingers than his 22 a season ago. However, the expectations for Lee following '05 have been too high.

Conclusion: I see a slight increase in slugging from .513 to somewhere around .535 and a similar batting avg hovering around .315. The crucial thing with Lee will be keeping him in the lineup and manning first base. He is a team leader in the clubhouse and on the field. Overall, slight edge to the '08 version as he should be 100% on opening day.

2B, SS and 3B coming soon!