Opening Day
Monday, April 6, 2015
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MLB Opening Day Preview Don’t bet against new-look Cubs Steve Shonder Columnist T @NSSportsShonder
Just like every other year, this is the year for the Chicago Cubs, except there’s more truth to that than ever before. The Cubs are coming off an 89-loss season, and suddenly they’re no longer total long shots. It’s a bit of a stretch to expect a World Series win this season, but it’s not a joke anymore. The Cubs have a lot of young players — some a few years away from their prime and others right about to enter it — and this sets the team up for their first good year since 2008. They have a solid pitching staff, anchored by former Boston Red Sox ace Jon Lester and a resurgent Jake Arrieta, and a lineup filled with young hitters. While wunderkinds Kris Bryant and Javier Baez will start the year in Iowa, the Cubs boast a pretty good starting nine. Starlin Castro is an All-Star, Anthony Rizzo is one of the best hitters in the league, Miguel Montero gives the Cubs another left-handed power bat, Jorge Soler can hit the ball a mile, Dexter Fowler gives the Cubs a real lead-off man and Mike Olt is going to be extra motivated to fend off Bryant. That is a solid foundation for a lineup. With all of that and new manager Joe Maddon, the Cubs are suddenly going to be competitive. The days of openly tanking are over; the days of competitive baseball are here. Sure, there’s a lot that
The Sports staff predicts the winners of the six Major League Baseball divisions, four wild card spots, the American League and National League pennants and the World Series champion. American League East Frank Gogola: Boston Red Sox Steve Shonder: Boston Red Sox Chris Loggins: Baltimore Orioles Patrick Smith: Baltimore Orioles American League Central FG: Cleveland Indians SS: Cleveland Indians CL: Chicago White Sox PS: Chicago White Sox
The Associated Press
Starting pitcher Jon Lester throws the ball during his Chicago Cubs debut on Sunday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Cubs were blanked by the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-0, in the season opener but will look to even up their record in the second game of the series at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Wrigley Field. The game will air on WGN.
could go wrong. The Cubs could turn into the 80s Montreal Expos and squander all that talent, but there’s finally legitimate hope. No Cubs team has ever been this widely heralded. This team is keyed up to start a dynasty with a legit shot at a World Series every year. That’s never happened to the Cubs, and it’s about time. Key returning players Jake Arrieta had his breakout year in 2014 and posted a 2.53 ERA, which halves his career ERA. He didn’t throw a lot of innings, but he was effective when he did. First baseman Anthony Rizzo has been lost in the shuffle of all the Kris
Bryant and shortstop logjam hoopla. Online You can argue over who’s the best first baseman in the city, but there’s Check out the Cubs’ top minor no denying Rizzo is the best hitter in leagues prospects and best- and a potentially potent lineup. Key additions Joe Maddon will likely be the manager who sticks after the Cubs burned through two in two years. He’s performed miracles in the past with the similarly constructed Tampa Bay Rays. Lester was the crowning jewel of the offseason and gave the Cubs a long-needed ace to anchor their staff. Dexter Fowler provides a good stop-gap center fielder the Cubs have needed, among other things, for quite
worst-case scenarios online at bit.ly/1y84cCm.
some time. While they had to give up on-base machine Luis Valbuena, Fowler is a pretty good get. Biggest question mark There are a lot of questions for this team. Will the Cubs actually crack .500 this year? How will the young talent adjust to the majors? Will leaving Bryant in the minors cost the Cubs a playoff spot? Well, no to that one.
White Sox look like instant contenders Online
Check out the White Sox’s key additions, top minor leagues prospects, biggest question mark and best- and worst-case scenarios online at bit.ly/1F3joTB.
Frank Gogola Sports Editor T @FrankGogola
The Chicago White Sox had themselves an out-of-the-blue renaissance over the offseason that sparked the fan base and put the team into the national eye. The White Sox’s offseason moves combined with a good core of returning players puts them on the fast track to a potential playoff return for the first time since 2008. Chicago is coming off a season in which it finished 73-89 and fourth in the American League Central. Gone is Paul Konerko, the iconic team captain, but replacing him at first base is Adam LaRoche, a proven veteran and leader in the locker room. This year’s revamped roster affords fourth-year manager Robin Ventura with more talent and depth than in the past. Chicago’s arrow is pointing up, but how far up the ladder of success it climbs is dependent upon
Predictions
The Associated Press
Jose Quintana, considered one of the most underrated pitchers in MLB, pitches March 23 in a spring training game against the San Diego Padres. The White Sox open the regular season against the Kansas City Royals at 3:10 p.m. today at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The game will air on CSN.
improved pitching and fielding. Key returning players Starting pitcher Chris Sale, aka “The Condor,” suffered an avulsion fracture on his right foot in late February, but he’ll anchor Chicago’s starting rotation when he returns, which is projected to be April
12. Sale is coming off his best major league season, when he finished third in Cy Young voting as he went 12-4 with a 2.17 ERA, 0.966 WHIP and strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.3. First baseman Jose Abreu absolutely exploded onto the scene in his first major league season out of Cuba in 2014, finishing fourth in MVP
voting. He’ll be one of the most feared hitters in the majors and will look to build upon his 36 home runs, 107 RBIs and slash line of .317/.383/.581. Center fielder Adam Eaton proved to be the leadoff hitter and defensive outfielder the White Sox needed when they acquired him via trade prior to 2014. Eaton was a strong table setter, getting on base at a clip of .362, the second-highest among qualified hitters on the team. Key additions Starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija, aka “Shark,” will make a strong 1-2 punch along with Sale, the team’s ace, at the top of Chicago’s pitching rotation. The right-handed Samardzija, who will be a free agent at season’s end, will complement the left-handed Sale and provide Ventura with added confidence in his pitching staff.
American League West FG: Seattle Mariners SS: Oakland Athletics CL: Los Angeles Angels PS: Seattle Mariners American League Wild Card 1 FG: Oakland Athletics SS: Seattle Mariners CL: Kansas City Royals PS: Boston Red Sox American League Wild Card 2 FG: Chicago White Sox SS: Chicago White Sox CL: Texas Rangers PS: Los Angeles Angels National League East FG: Washington Nationals SS: Miami Marlins CL: Washington Nationals PS: Washington Nationals National League Central FG: St. Louis Cardinals SS: St. Louis Cardinals CL: Chicago Cubs PS: Chicago Cubs National League West FG: Los Angeles Dodgers SS: San Diego Padres CL: Los Angeles Dodgers PS: San Francisco Giants National League Wild Card 1 FG: San Diego Padres SS: Chicago Cubs CL: San Francisco Giants PS: St. Louis Cardinals National League Wild Card 2 FG: San Francisco Giants SS: Los Angeles Dodgers CL: St. Louis Cardinals PS: Los Angeles Dodgers American League Champion FG: Seattle Mariners SS: Oakland Athletics CL: Chicago White Sox PS: Seattle Mariners National League Champion FG: St. Louis Cardinals SS: Chicago Cubs CL: Chicago Cubs PS: Chicago Cubs World Series Champion FG: St. Louis Cardinals SS: Oakland Athletics CL: Chicago (fill in the blank) PS: Chicago Cubs