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Cubs ESPN Power Rankings Week by Week

As I was looking over ESPNs most recent power rankings posted on August 15, I thought it would be interesting to see the week by week comments and rankings from the start of the year:  An interesting view on the progress of this years Cubbies!

 Week 2: April 4: Ranking: (6) Record: (1-2) Larry Rothschild's new responsibility: make sure potassium-deficient Big Z eats a banana, some nuts or some dried fruit before taking the mound.
 Week 3: April 11: Ranking: (2) Record: (6-3) The biggest surprise about Kosuke Fukudome? His bat. He has a team-best 13 hits and six RBIs in his first nine games.
 Week 4: April 18: Ranking: (2) Record: (9-6) At least Ted Lilly made it through six innings in his latest start. Lilly, who won 15 games in '07, is 0-3 with a 9.16 ERA.
 Week 5 April 25: Ranking (2) Record: (15-7)  Geovany Soto leads all major league catchers in batting (.352), on-base percentage (.447) and slugging (.606).
 Week 6: May 2:  Ranking: (3) Record (17-11) Imagine if Ronny Cedeno (.378/.462/.578) were playing this well in an Orioles uniform. Good thing the Brian Roberts deal was never consummated.
 Week7: May 9:  Ranking: (9) Record (19-15) Carlos Marmol leads all major league relievers in strikeouts, with 28 in 21 innings.
 Week 8: May 16: Ranking: (2) Record: (25-16) Ted Lilly is flowering in May: The left-hander is 3-0 with a 3.60 ERA and has walked just four while striking out 25.
 Week 9: *May 23*: Ranking: (1) Record: (28-19) Can the Cubs' offense keep it up? They lead the NL in OPS (.814) and the majors in runs scored (267).
 Week 10: *May 30*: Ranking: (1) Record: (33-21) Carlos Zambrano has won six straight decisions and collected 12 hits in 29 at-bats since April 16.
 Week 11: *June 6*:  Ranking: (1) Record: (39-22) Jim Edmonds is warming up. The 37-year-old center fielder has nine hits (six for extra bases) and seven RBIs in his past five games.
 Week 12: *June 13*:  Ranking: (1) Record: (43-24) No wonder the Cubs have won 29 of 37 at home. They're averaging 6.5 runs per game at Wrigley Field.
 Week 13: June 20:  Ranking: (3) Record: (45-28) The injuries are starting to pile up. First Alfonso Soriano, now Carlos Zambrano. Could the injuries be catching up to them?
 Week 14: June 27:  Ranking: (4) Record: (49-30) Ryan Theriot leads all NL shortstops in batting (.317) and on-base percentage (.391).
 Week 15: July 4:  Ranking: (8) Record: (51-35) Welcome back, Big Z: Since Carlos Zambrano's last outing June 18, the Cubs have gone 6-8.
 Week 16: July 11:  Ranking: (3) Record: (55-37) Newly acquired right-hander Rich Harden: a second ace or the second coming of Mark Prior?
 Week 17: *July 18*  Ranking: (1) Record: (57-39) Of Derrek Lee's 15 home runs, 11 have been solo and 13 have come at Wrigley.  
Week 18: July 24:  Ranking: (3) Record (60-42) Welcome to the bullpen, kid. Jeff Samardzija averaged a little more than a strikeout an inning at Triple-A.
Week 19: August 1:  Ranking (2) Record: (65-44) Numbers for the Cubs' starters in the four-game sweep of Milwaukee: 1.61 ERA, 31 K's, 5 walks, 23 hits in 28 innings.
Week 20: *August 8*:  Ranking: (1) Record: (69-46) Alfonso Soriano is batting .348 (23-for-66) with six homers, 14 runs and 15 RBIs since returning to the lineup on July 23.
 Week 21: *August 15*:  Ranking: (1) Record: (74-47) Rich Harden is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his first six starts with the Cubs. He has 49 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched.
 Since these rankings came out on August 15, the Cubs have posted a 2-1 record, leaving us at (76-48)

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

2 recs  |  Comment 17 comments

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Here it is in graph form. (Yes, I'm bored with nothing to do)

Remember, of course, lower is better. You’ll have to match the notes with the peaks and valleys yourself.

by jbau on Aug 19, 2008 3:24 AM CDT reply actions   1 recs

that gives the cubs

an average power ranking of 2.6

by The Stig on Aug 19, 2008 3:33 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

How do you bounce from 3 to 9 to 2 in three weeks time? strange. Good post.

by digitalbenjamin on Aug 19, 2008 9:41 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

That was the time...

… they had that bad road trip to St. Louis and Cincinnati, then had the great homestand vs. SD and Pittsburgh.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Aug 19, 2008 9:58 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

east coast bias

in those numbers right?

those damn ESPNers should have had the Cubs ranked -1

by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 19, 2008 11:40 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

The Cubs ranked number 1 right now

"This balls got a chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannce, GONE!" - Pat Hughes

by SouthsideCUBSfan on Aug 19, 2008 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

If ESPN said it....

does that mean that we are going to win it all? That would save me what is left of my stomach and hairline. Just saying.

by graceunderpressure on Aug 19, 2008 12:46 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

I wanted to point something out...

" Week 6: May 2: Ranking: (3) Record (17-11) Imagine if Ronny Cedeno (.378/.462/.578) were playing this well in an Orioles uniform. Good thing the Brian Roberts deal was never consummated."

Bullshit, Imagine if we had Brian Roberts. We would have the world series rings made for us before the playoffs even started

"This balls got a chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannce, GONE!" - Pat Hughes

by SouthsideCUBSfan on Aug 19, 2008 12:47 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

The profanity isn't necessary.

But if you’re really serious — please explain why the Cubs would be so much better off than they are now with Brian Roberts.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Aug 20, 2008 4:15 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

I am not saying we should have gotten him, and that would have made the world of a difference but..

Brian Roberts or Cedeno? Honestly, imagine if we had Roberts at second and Theriot at short? Or even better, reverse that. We would have an unlimited amount of baserunners.

"This balls got a chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannce, GONE!" - Pat Hughes

by SouthsideCUBSfan on Aug 21, 2008 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

The only Power Ranking that matters is the version that comes out after the last pitch of the World Series has been thrown

It doesn’t matter if the Cubs are 1st or 5th or 10th on any current list constructed by the “baseball experts.” The White Sox weren’t at the top of anybody’s power rankings in 2005 and look what happened to them. Ditto the 2003 Florida Marlins.

by MDBNIU on Aug 19, 2008 10:57 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

I understand....so ill add....

….The 06 Cards….ugggggg

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on Aug 20, 2008 6:58 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

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