2007: The Chicago Cubs

What a difference a day makes, or should that be what a difference a few months make? oh and outgoing cheques for over $300 million with the Cubs logo firmly emblazed in the corner cant be bad either!

One thing is for sure, the players receiving the cheques wont mind and neither will the fans. Is it not time that the Cubs spent big, Passing up on big free agents is one critisism that has been made on the Cubs in the past, but now are they are actually challenging for the NL Central honours?

Lou Piniella replaced age old/tactic old Dusty Baker with the understanding that the Cubs will show there desire and commitment to becoming a winning team. Something which has eluded them as much the treadmill has David Wells. $300 Mill later and desire and commitment have both been firmly ticked of the check list.

The inportant question is can the 'curse' be broken in 2007? or mayby even more inportant is, is there even a curse to be broken? or is this so called 'curse' a phycological barrier needing to be broken down? Mayby a bat with the power of Soriano's will help do such a thing?

The pitching staff has been a problem for the Cubs for a few years now, the ever dependable Prior and Wood, the Cubs can always count on those two.............................. to find some way to make it to the physio table! Mayby they share a secret attribute with the phantom of the Yankees A.K.A Carl Pavano?

For the first time in many years the Cubs are not heading into spring training counting on Prior and Wood , either are they heading into spring training with a abundance of recovering arms fighting there way back from some kind of injury. Zambrano,Lilly,Hill and Marquis, its starting to look rosey in the pitching department!

A lineup with a 40-40 Soriano, power hitters Lee and Ramirez, this Cubs lineup has the potential to beat teams on both sides of the ball. Any team which has the potential to beat you with pitching and offense are going to be dangerous when push comes to shove and its time to book your tickets to the final dance.

The Chicago Cubs have made a commitment to 2007 and for the future.

The Cubs fans as loyal as ever will be positioned as usual come opening day, stands filled. Ivy reflection complimenting the glimmer of hope in every Cubs fans eye. The new found confidence filling the aura of a sunny day at Wrigley. When Soriano takes his stance in the batting circle for the first time the start of something special will be well under way.

You know the feeling you get when you know something positive is going to happen, a sense that the waiting and longing for success will be over very soon? thats the feeling i get when thinking of the Cubs in 2007. It doesnt nessasarily mean that they will win the World Series. But who knows?

Development, achievement and success are possible for anyone who is willing to take a chance. You can be stuck on a 3, the only way to progress is to take a chance and roll the dice again . It could come out bad and you could role a 1 and everything you worked and hoped for comes crashing down or you could role a 6. You dont know untill you take that chance!Jim Hendry rolled that dice, it will be a hell of a slalom untill we see what number that dice settles on.