For years Cubs expectations have been based on them being overdue to win a championship. We’ve all heard this phrase, “It’s been 90+ years and the Cubs MUST win a championship this year.”

For the record, it’s now a 100+ years but the Cubs are expected to play deep into October because they’re one of the most talented teams in all of baseball.  The expectations have nothing to do with their World Series drought.

There’s no doubt that playing for the Chicago Cubs comes with a lot of pressure and high expectations. That said, the 2009 Cubs are as talented as they’ve ever been.

The fans, media, and front office are not asking the Cubs to do something they’re not capable of doing.  The 2009 Cubs have a surplus of talent and very few question marks.  The Cubs could certainly use another left-handed arm in the pen, but that will likely be addressed sometime down the road.

Assuming everyone plays to their expectations and stays healthy, this should be a great season for the Cubs. One through five their rotation is one of the best in all of baseball.

Some will argue the Cubs don’t have a legitimate number one starter.  I tend to disagree with that, I am comfortable with calling Zambrano my number one starter.  With a career record of 96-61, it’s difficult to say big Z is not a number one starter.

For years, number one starters were identified by 20 game winners.  There are very few 20 game winners in today’s baseball. All I know is Zambrano has thrown the ball extremely well in the postseason the past two years, despite going 0-1.

The Cubs pen will miss Kerry Wood, but the addition of Gregg will prove to be a solid addition.  Carlos Marmol and what appears to be a healthy Kevin Gregg are battling for the closer spot.  Gregg has a total of 61 saves the past two years. He struggled mightily last August while battling a knee injury. Gregg is throwing the ball well this spring and appears to be close to 100 percent.

The other option is Carlos Marmol.  Marmol spent much of last years second half as both the Cubs setup man and closer picking up th slack for Wood who was sidelined for over a month with a blister. Marmol had 4 saves while giving up just 12 hits in 35 innings during the second half last year.

Despite winning 97 games in 2008, Cubs GM Jim Hendry went out and made a very right-handed lineup much more balanced.  The moves have been debated all offseason, but the reality is the Cubs went out and spent a lot of money to become much more balanced.  Some have called it careless spending, while others have applauded Hendry for being aggressive.

The Cubs opening day lineup will feature three left-handed bats.  Milton Bradley, Mike Fontenot , and Kosuke Fukudome will likely be in the opening day lineup.  The Cubs will certainly miss the versatile Mark DeRosa, but they’re confident they can get that versatility from Miles.

The switch hitting Miles hit .317 in 2008 starting at third, second, short, and left field. The Cubs will look to Bradley and Miles to replace DeRosa’s offensive numbers.

Bottom line, the Chicago Cubs have one of the highest payrolls in all of baseball.  They have one of the highest paid managers in Lou Piniella, to go along with 10 all stars on their 25 man roster.  If that’s not enough, the Cubs will make another major move at the trade deadline.  While most baseball teams find themselves subtracting, the recession proof Cubs continue to add on.

Other then major injuries, there’s no reason why this team shouldn’t be playing come mid to late October.  There’s a lot of pressure, but that comes with the territory.  This Cubs team can beat you so many different ways.  They can out slug you 10-8, beat you 1-0, or beat you with small ball.

There’s a lot that goes into winning a World Series Championship, but there’s no reason why the Cubs shouldn’t be part of the conversation.

-Pat DeMarco

Pat DeMarco is a new writer for The Daily Cub. He will bring some more experience and insight to The Daily Cub.

With just about half of spring training behind us, I thought it would be a good time to look at the Cubs battle for the No. 5 starter’s job.

The battle for the final starting pitcher’s job is turning into a great battle between Sean Marshall and Aaron Heilman. About a month ago, I wrote an article stating that Heilman won’t succeed as a starter.

Heilman is doing everything to prove me wrong. The 30-year-old has given up just one run in eight innings while striking out 12.

I’m not saying that he should win the spot, but his stuff has been electric this spring. That won’t be ignored. Can Heilman be last year’s Dempster? Time will tell.

Sean Marshall has matched Heilman pitch by pitch this spring. The 26-year old is 1-0 this spring with a 1.00 ERA. Marshall has allowed just 6 hits while striking out 5 in 9 innings.

Heilman has been outstanding this spring, but I still believe Marshall will win the number 5 spot. Then again, I also wrote this article 6 weeks ago.

Both Chad Gaudin and Jeff Samardzija have pitched well in spurts, but it’s doubtful that Piniella will choose them over Marshall or Heilman. If this is truly a wide open battle then Heilman and Marshall are clearly ahead of Gaudin and Samardzija.

It’s very difficult to get a read on players during spring training. That said Marshall and Heilman look like they’re in mid-season form. Marshall is doing a great job of changing speeds and turning his pitches over.

Heilman’s slider is very sharp this spring, and his fastball seems to have much more pop then years past. Both pitchers are keeping the ball down and throwing strikes. That’s a very difficult thing to do in the thin Arizona air.

This great battle for the No. 5 starter’s job will come down to the wire. I give the edge to Sean Marshall but not by much.

-Pat DeMarco

I’ll be honest, I don’t particularly like the more mellow Lou Piniella. I long for a return to the days when “Sweet Lou” was an oxymoron, and not an appropriate description of the man.

Just the other day, Lou got mad about the Cubs losing six straight spring training games. Now that’s more like it. Sure, it’s only exhibition season, but Lou doesn’t want the team to start getting used to losing.

Makes sense to me.

Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much of that Lou since he became the Cubs manager Sure, he had that one infamous explosion during the 2007 season, which seemed more like an orchestrated fit than real madness, but it was good theater nonetheless.

And the Cubs performed better afterwards.

Now, I understand enough about the game of baseball to know that having a lunatic as manager isn’t going to guarantee you anything. In fact, it’s not necessarily even a good thing.

For it’s a long season, and a marathon and not a sprint as the cliche goes. So some even-handed temperament is probably in order.

But dammit, part of Lou’s allure is his fiery demeanor and the occasional meltdown. It let his team know he meant business and wouldn’t accept losing.

But the conversion from madman to reasonable guy has been a slow, steady process.

As a player, Lou was so intense he once tore down a fence surrounding the outfield. He routinely destroyed water coolers and other assorted dugout assets.

Then, as a manager, Lou calmed down a bit. Yet early on in his managing career, Lou was famous for throwing the occasional base and wrestling with the occasional relief pitcher.

Maybe it has to do with his advancing age, but Lou slowly got more mellow as time went on. Sure, he still cares about winning and playing the game the right way.

But last Sept. was a perfect example of what was missing from his arsenal as manager.

The Cubs did not play well down the stretch, but instead of kicking them in the ass, Lou made excuses. He even said not to expect the team to go to the World Series.

In short, he did not get the team ready to play postseason baseball. I don’t want to revisit that time, but where was Lou’s intensity then?

After game one of the playoffs, when the Cubs not only lost but played embarrassing baseball, Lou said not to worry.

He wasn’t even worried after the game two loss. The Cubs did not just lose, they played terrible baseball. As they choked away the playoffs, there was simply no sense of urgency from Sweet Lou.

Look, I realize sports teams have won with fiery leaders like Mike Ditka and with laid-back coaches like Tom Landry.

And the players are grown men, professionals who make a ton of money, and they shouldn’t need someone to babysit them.

But teams take their cue from their leader. It’s a fact. The team’s “personality” often reflects the person in charge.

If nothing else, the occasional meltdown will entertain us as fans. As would the occasional win in November.

I want the old Lou back, come to think of it. The only sweetness this town has ever needed was a certain Hall of Fame running back for Da’ Bears.

-Bob Warja

Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list, the respected organization’s 20th annual ranking, is out, and only two Chicago Cubs players are on the list. Neither is in the top 50.

In fairness to Jim Hendry and his management team, however, part of the reason is that, under Lou Piniella, the team has been more willing to call up young players and have them help at the major league level.

In fact, they had the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year in Geovany Soto, as we know.

And, they have traded away prospects in order to bring in other players that can help the team. Though none of them made this list, in the past, Marlins pitchers Renyel Pinto and Ricky Nolasco have made this list, as well as Felix Pie and Corey Patterson. Additionally, Lou Montanez is a fringe player on the Orioles roster, who did well in a brief late season stint as an outfielder (he was drafted as a shortstop).

Oft-injured fan favorite Kerry Wood left to join the Indians, and Jon Garland has had a nice career.

There have been many draft failures, however, too. Mark Pawelek, Ryan Harvey, Bobby Brownlie, and Ben Christiansen were all first-round picks by the Cubs in the last decade. And 2006 first-rounder Tyler Colvin is being projected as no more than a fourth outfielder.

And we all know what happened to Mark Prior, who is throwing towels with the Padres now.

But let’s get back to the list. To qualify, BA follows standard prospect guidelines, which means any player who has not exceeded the rookie limits of 130 at-bats or 50 innings in the major leagues (without regard to service time) is eligible for the list.

For the Cubs, 19 year-old third base prospect Josh Vitters comes in at No. 51, while Jeff Samardzija is at No. 79.

BA mentions that Vitters had the third highest hit total in the Midwest League last season.

As for “The Shark,” BA focuses on the dichotomy between his minor league ERA (4.26) versus his major league ERA with the Cubs (2.28). They don’t elaborate, but the implication is clear. They are questioning if his brief showing in 2008 with the Cubs is truly indicative of his future projections.

I like Jeff; he has a plus fastball, an improving splitter, and he continues to work on adding other pitches to his arsenal. And I really like the former Notre Dame football player’s makeup.

The question with him is whether he will be a starter this year or in the bullpen.

In my opinion, he will continue to be groomed as a starter. If he doesn’t make the team as the fifth starter, I believe he will go down to Iowa to continue being stretched out. He likely would be called up whenever Rich Harden can’t go, or if another injury befalls a starting pitcher.

Hopefully, it won’t be about Carlos Zambrano’s shoulder.

BA estimates Vitters’ ETA as 2010, though I personally think that’s a bit optimistic. Maybe a cup of coffee in September, but at his age, and with Aramis Ramirez firmly established at third base, there is no sense in rushing the young man.

Of course, there is always the possibility that the Cubs could move Vitters to another position. At third, his footwork is improving, and his arm is plenty strong, but he isn’t projected to ever be a plus defender.

His value clearly is his bat. He has a sweet swing, makes hard contact, and he will generate more power once he fills out.

One question I have is, where is Mitch Atkins on this list? Isn’t he a young pitcher who is being projected as a dark horse candidate for the fifth starter role?

In any event, while it has always been true, in this economy, it is especially important to develop your own players. You don’t necessarily have to keep them—they can be used as trading chips—but you need a strong farm system so you can avoid always having to rely on overpriced free agents.

There are other good prospect lists to review, including Keith Law of ESPN.com’s Top 100 prospects.

Law has Vitters ranked much higher, at No. 14. Law also has another Cub on his list, with righty pitcher Jay Jackson coming in at No. 98.

Come to think of it, it’s fun to come to think of Cubs prospects.

-Bob Warja

Lou Piniella has stated already that there will be an open competition between former set-up man Carlos Marmol, who has been looked at as the likely successor for closer for the past few years, or newcomer Kevin Gregg.

Both are capable and both seem like they want to take the challenge on full force.

“Everybody wants to be the closer,” Marmol said. “That’s what I want to be.”

Marmol has already shown his skills to the coaching staff when he was the fill-in closer last year while Kerry Wood was out last season.

Gregg, however, has a lot more experience as a closer, saving 61 games over the past two season, but his career ERA of 4.0 is a red flag for a reliever. But he has said that he is ready for the season and can’t wait to get going.

“I know Carlos Marmol is a great pitcher himself, and I just look for Lou to pick who he’s comfortable with and go from there,” Gregg said of the competition. “I’m more looking forward to winning and getting back in the playoffs and going deep in the playoffs, that’s the most important thing. As far as what my expectations are, it’s to come in, show what I’m capable of and see what Lou wants to do.”

Gregg also showed love to the fans when talking about why he thinks that he will be better with the Cubs than he was in Florida with the Marlins.

“Going to Florida was kind of a culture shock for me,” Gregg said. “It’ll be nice to go back to 40,000 fans and fans who are intense about the game and expect to win.”

Although Piniella has said that the closer position is going to be openly competed for, he has also shown a preference to go with Marmol as the closer.

“Let them compete,” Piniella said. “I feel comfortable with Marmol, there’s no question. But we traded for this other young man [Gregg] and he was a closer over there with success. Give him a chance, too.”

As for pitching coach Larry Rothschild, he has stayed completely neutral about who he thinks will be the closer this season, and says that he has seen both of them enough for Marmol’s time with the team to not be a factor.

“You know what they both can do,” Rothschild said. “You look at their track records. Kevin has pitched against us enough that we’ve seen him.”

Whoever wins the closer competition can expect a lot of work, but as of now, I have to give the upper hand to Marmol, who has a lot more youth, already knows the staff, and seems primed for a chance at stardom.

-Joe Willett

According to a report in www.chi-ball.com, “An MLB source says this will definitely be Lou Piniella’s last year managing.”

The source claims that Sweet Lou “does not still enjoy dealing with running a clubhouse and all that comes with the job…(and) didn’t do that great of a job with some of the players last year.”

While the site isn’t “totally convinced,” this should not come as a complete surprise to Cubs fans who have followed the Cubs skipper since being hired in 2006.

He wasn’t three months into the job before he started complaining about the local media. Hey, if he thinks they’re tough here, he ought to try managing in New York or Philadelphia. But I digress.

There have been other reports which have seemed to indicate that Lou hasn’t been having fun managing anymore. He has expressed frustration about how the fans and media treat each game as do or die in this town.

When we win, we’re going to the World Series. When we lose, we’re cursed again.

And he couldn’t have been very happy about Ryan Dempster’s comments that the team wasn’t prepared for the playoffs last year. Though Demp quickly backed off the comments, the point was taken.

Another thing to consider is that Lou isn’t getting any younger. At 65, he truly doesn’t need this any longer.

He has already won a title as manager of the Reds. Overall, he has won 1,701 regular season games as a big league skipper.

And, he had a pretty nice career as a player too. He hit .291 during the regular season and .305 in 44 postseason games.

Additionally, he is said to have a cushy consulting job with the New York Yankees in his hometown of Tampa, Florida waiting for him when he decides to hang up the managerial reigns. That has to be appealing to him.

And the team has seriously under-performed during the playoffs, winning a total of zero games with Lou as manager. Even the hated Dusty Baker not only won some games during the playoffs, he took them to within nine outs of a World Series appearance.

I really believe that Lou saw the Cubs as a chance to cement a Hall of Fame berth if he could be the savior that finally led us to the promised land.

Perhaps he realizes now that this isn’t likely to happen.

Anyway, there are no guarantees that the new owner will want to bring Lou back.

Well, if this truly is his last hurrah, perhaps former Cubs great and current minor league manager Ryne Sandberg will take over as the next Cubs manager.

Come to think of it, we’ve tried everything else, maybe having a former Cubs Hall of Famer as manager is a good idea.

It has to be better than the “college of coaches,” right?

-Bob Warja