Bold Predictions for 2008

1. No matter how the Reds do Dusty Baker will receive all of the blame and zero of the credit on this board
2. No matter how the Cubs do Lou Pineilla will receive all of the credit and zero of the blame on this board

3. Rich Hill will be the pitcher Cubs fans feel the safest with out on the mound
4. Bob Howry will lead the team in saves
5. Adam Harben's name will get back on the prospect radar
6. Sam Fuld will be putting up a middling .285-.370-.390 line in AAA for most of the season
7. Felix Pie will take significant steps forward and become a Curtis Granderson type player, unfortunately just the 05,06 version and not the 07 version

but, Zambrano comes back and wins the Cy Young

Soto is rookie of the year and hit over 25 homeruns

Fukudome hits about 285 and 12 homeruns

Last 3 innings go Marmol, Howry, Wood

Dempster is has a legit season and wins 15 games and 200 IP

Marquis gets dropped from the rotation

Lastly, and most importantly, the Cubs win the World Series.

Wood will dominate. He won't spend the whole season closing, but he will save several games. He will also have a brief trip on the DL, but nothing relating to his arm/shoulder. Hemorrhoids?

A major trade will take place after the season starts. It will include an All-Star and his name will not be Brian Roberts. This will be a trade with a team OTHER than the Baltimore Orioles.

A major brawl will erupt at some point during a Cubs-Cardinals game. Record length suspensions will be issued, particularly to Ryan Theriot and Albert Pujols. ESPN will be showing Theriot's powerbomb ("THE RIOT-BOMB" as it will be historically called) for years. The government will then send George Mitchell to investigate the levels of violence in baseball. Of course, steroids will be the blame.  

Ryan Dempster, though only pitching past the eighth inning once, will pitch the first half like an all-star. He will be snubbed at the all-star game however, and will struggle with a tired arm in the second half.

Soto impresses behind the plate, but his bat will tire at the end of the season.

D-Lee will crank over 30 homers, but won't come near 40.  

Jon Lieber will help carry the second half load.

Barry Bonds will beg the Cubs for a job, yet will get turned down. Expect Bonds to keep hanging around Wrigley, resulting in a UFC fight on Waveland. Sweet Lou vs Barry Bonds! Bonds will begin the fight dominating, but his overconfidence will get the best of him. After a severe beating, a red-faced Lou snaps and HULKs UP! Lou kicks Bond in the shin, and then does his best emulation of Ryan Theriots powerbomb on Pujols from earlier in the season. While Lou's won't look as impressive, it will still get the job done and the Bonds demon will be rebuked from Chicago, once and for all.

Carlos Marmol will once again dominate, but his ERA will be much higher. However, he'll be a star during the final weeks of the season. He will also lead the league in dents in the umpire's mask... as he repeatedly blows the ball past the catcher.

Soriano will hit over 40 homers, but will steal only 17 bases.

Fukudome will hit over .300 next season, but will struggle this year. He'll hit 11 homers this year.

Matt Murton will get a lot more playing time than expected.

It won't be handed to them, but the Cubs will win the division. They will fight their way through the playoff's, barely getting by, and will dominate Joe Girardi's New York Yankees in the World Series. After the final pitch, the camera man will get a close up of Girardi as a small tear rolls from his eye.