the rest, not so much

that Ryan Dempster was going to be our most consistent pitcher and could even get some considerations for possible a possible Cy Young candidate

and I never ever thought Sam Fuld would be an every-other-day starter.

we’d lost Z for nearly 6 weeks w/ shoulder trouble.
Soriano for 6 weeks with a broken hand.
Woody w/ a blister.
Dempster as your constant starter.

And that we’d win the division by 10 games in mid Sept. Would you have ever believed that?

Fontenot would show so much power?
We would get Harden without giving up one every day player and really only one good farm prospect?
DWard would struggle much of the year?
Casey McGehee would be the 2nd coming of Ron Santo?

(ok, just kidding about that last one)

to be a poor hitter in his first season.

I was probably the most optimistic person on earth about Dempster outside of Dempster and Hendry but I thought 12-9 was realistic a 3rd or 4th starter type year nothing like what he did.

Remarkable that even with all the strange things happening, not only did the Cubs win, but did so going away, easily.

The best is yet to come.

but if you told me Yost would have the Brewers in contention and still be fired, I wouldn’t have believed it.
I just keep wondering when that’s going to come back for them. I mean, by all accounts, there’s going to be a significant talent loss this offseason up there, and seeing how short term, what have you done for me recently memory works, if they are nowhere near contention next year, do the people who are happy to see him gone turn and say it was a terrible move?

1) The way it’s worded “No” but I think the real story here is not the play of Jim edmonds with the Cubs, it’s the intense dislike that apparently many Cubs fans have/had for a guy who is really a solid competitor who did have just enough left in his tank to help this team.

2) “No” because I had no idea we would sign Edmonds then.

3) “Yes” but this is the way it’s worded. He’s really tanked at the end, like he did before.

4) “yes” Howry has been one of the most heavily used RPs in the game the past few years, eventually it catches up, especially to guys on the wrong side of 30.

5) “Yes”

6) "No’ but if you told me 25 I’d totally believe that.

I mean come on.

1. Just imagine if we had Roberts and DeRosa was the full time RF, granted this is with the benefit of hindsight regarding Fukudomes second half struggles.

I can only hope he comes back strong next year like Theriot did after a weak second half last year.

If you’d have told me the following statements six months ago I’d have never believed you…

…that Jeff Samardzija would have played a somewhat significant role for the actual Cubs, rather than the I-Cubs.

…that Michael Wuertz would get demoted to the I-Cubs after being a fairly solid reliever for the Cubs the last few seasons.

…that a highly touted (and personal favorite) prospect would twist a testicle, need surgery and still start the season with the Cubs. Seems like that kind of thing should require more time off.

I agree with most of the other ones posted, just wanted to add my own list.

1. Yes I would have believed you, but I would have been upset that Pie wasn’t given the chance I thought he should have gotten. But it would not have surprised me to see Hendry go out and get a veteran.

2. My belief that Sam Fuld is not a major league ballplayer is well-known, so I wouldn’t have been surprised there. I’d have been more “disappointed” that Pie wasn’t playing. I did think that the Cubs would have gotten a platoon partner for Pie, so Johnson wouldn’t have surprised me.

3. Theriot’s play the first five months of the season has been a little surprising. His play the past month has been too, only the other way.

4. Howry had a pretty good stretch in May and June. But I’m never shocked when a 34 year old reliever loses it.

5. Never thought we needed Brian Roberts. Never really understood that one.

6. OK, this one would have been a little unbelievable. Soriano’s numbers when healthy have been the best of his career. I guess I would have believed you, but I’d have been very, very surprised.

Now here’s my turn:

1. That Jeff Samardzija would play a significant role down the stretch in the bullpen? I wouldn’t have believed that.

2. That Geovany Soto outperformed Jorge Posada? I’m probably going to lose the BCB roto league because I was all set to draft Soto, and then I realized Posada was still on the board. I said to myself “Man, I love Soto, but what are the odds that he’s going to out-hit Posada?” So I took Posada. It’s going to cost me a shot at the title.

3. That Mark DeRosa would hit 20 HRs? Never would have believed that.

1) That DLee would actually make me worry when he came to bat

2) That the Cubs would officially anoint Miller Park as Wrigley North thanks to a hurricane

3) That racist Horry Cow rags got as popular as they did

4) That Carlos Marmol finally showed he was human and could be hit

5) That Koyie Hill, bless him, would actually make it back to the big leagues

but I will rank which ones are the most surprising to me.
1) That I would ever root for Jim Edmonds, let alone join the unoffical offical Jim Edmonds fan club.
2) That Dempster would be as phenominal as he has been this year as a starter.
3) That two of our stars, Z and Sori, would be out for so long and still have an excellent season

Honorable menti