That first test for Mike Quade was more of an audition and he passed. Managing the Chicago Cubs on an interim basis after Lou Piniella retired in August, the team responded by winning 24 of its final 37 games.

Next came a competition for the job on a full-time basis. Backed by veteran players impressed with how he handled the final six weeks of 2010, Quade beat out a field that included Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.

Not long into spring training earlier this month, there was yet another test. His leadership skills were on instant display when he had to deal with a dugout altercation between pitcher Carlos Silva and third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

It immediately brought back memories of Carlos Zambrano’s blowup last season after he was upset with his teammates’ fielding, a meltdown that led to his suspension and anger management counseling.

Quade diffused the Silva-Ramirez scuffle with a team meeting the very next day, clearing the air and showing that his managing skills go beyond the strategies of the game itself.

Now comes the real exam. Can Quade, a man who has managed more than 2,000 minor league games, lead the Cubs to the playoffs after a fifth-place finish in the NL Central last season? The final stretch he presided over last season may have helped him get the job, but it came without the pressure of a pennant race.

And for those counting, if the Cubs don’t win the World Series their drought will reach 103 years.

“You want to create an environment where the guys will come to play. And people say, ’Come to play for you.’ I want them to play for us, for their teammates and for themselves,” Quade said, adding he was humbled and flattered by the players’ response to him.

“For all that stuff, there are going to be tough decisions. There are going to be people irritated with me and vice versa. That’s the nature of a family or a ballclub or anything else.”

The Cubs acquired two former Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason, trading for talented right-hander Matt Garza, who won 15 games pitching in the tough AL East a year go, and signing free agent first baseman Carlos Pena to a one-year deal.

They see Garza as an ace eventually. And they need Pena’s power from the left side and his stellar glove at first, while also expecting he will hit higher than his .196 average a year ago.

Garza, who had an inconsistent spring with the Cubs, was key in the Rays’ rise from AL cellar dweller to a World Series team in 2008. He played a pivotal role in that season, winning the ALCS MVP award.

“If you don’t come into this game expecting things, you might as well just hang it up now,” he said this spring. “They pay you for a reason. It’s not to come out here and just hang out. It’s to get a job done and get outs. That’s what I’m supposed to do, so I’m going to do it.”

General manager Jim Hendry also brought back a familiar face, the one-time ace and still fan favorite Kerry Wood, who returned for a one-year, $1.5 million deal to be a setup man for closer Carlos Marmol.

It’s been 13 years since Wood struck out 20 Houston Astros and gave up only one hit — an infield single — in his fifth major league start. His career has been slowed by numerous trips to the disabled list, but he’s just glad to be back. And he likes the makeup of the team.

“It’s got a good mix of young guys and some older guys and some veteran guys,” Wood said. “We’re going to need the young guys to keep us young and obviously our job is to help them get better, as well. I think we have a good enough team to surprise some people.”

Up the middle, there is 21-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro, who batted .300 as a rookie a year ago; a former NL Rookie of the Year in catcher Geovany Soto; and center fielder Marlon Byrd, who made the All-Star team in his first season with the Cubs.

Left fielder Alfonso Soriano worked on getting his legs stronger in the offseason. Now that he’s no longer a big base-running threat, the Cubs would like to see more than his 24 homers of a year ago and a steadier defensive performance.

More than anything, the Cubs need stronger performances from the players who are making the big money, like Ramirez, Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and Zambrano. And they need a good start in the cold weather of April, especially at Wrigley Field.

Zambrano could be a key. He went 8-0 in his final 11 starts, his pitching certainly a factor in the Cubs’ strong finish that helped Quade secure the job. Ryan Dempster, an innings workhorse, a 15-game winner a year ago and a clubhouse leader, will start opening day Friday against the Pirates at Wrigley Field in year two of ownership under the Ricketts family.

Randy Wells, who pitched well two years ago and then faltered last season, has had a strong spring and will probably be the fourth starter. Silva was released on Sunday, meaning the Cubs are on the hook for his $11.5 million salary this season and that Andrew Cashner had the final spot in Chicago’s rotation.

Jeff Baker, Blake DeWitt and Darwin Barney can all play second base. DeWitt, acquired from the Dodgers in a trade last season, struggled this spring and could not be in a utility role.

Marmol, who had 38 saves last season, got a new three-year, $20 million contract this spring, and is considered one of the game’s best closers, even though he has bouts of wildness.
 

Chicago Cubs rookie Darwin Barney will be the team’s starting second baseman when the team takes to Wrigley Field on Friday. Manager Mike Quade announced his full lineup on Thursday.

Barney will be the first Cubs’ rookie to start on opening day since Kosuke Fukudome did it in 2008.

The rest of the lineup is as follows:
1) Fukudome (Right Field)
2) Starlin Castro (Shortstop)
3) Marlon Byrd (Center Field)
4) Aramis Ramirez (Third Base)
5) Carlos Pena (First Base)
6) Geovany Soto (Catcher)
7) Alfonso Soriano (Left Field)
Barney (Second Base)
9) Ryan Dempster (Pitcher)

“There were a lot of guys who had good camps,” Quade said. “[Barney] and [Jeff] Baker had great camps and they both earned a chance to play. Barring something crazy, ‘Bake’ will start against the left-hander on the second day.”

The Cubs will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1:20PM game from Wrigley Field.

CHICAGO (AP) — That first test for Mike Quade was more of an audition and he passed. Managing the Chicago Cubs on an interim basis after Lou Piniella retired in August, the team responded by winning 24 of its final 37 games.

Next came a competition for the job on a full-time basis. Backed by veteran players impressed with how he handled the final six weeks of 2010, Quade beat out a field that included Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.

Not long into spring training earlier this month, there was yet another test. His leadership skills were on instant display when he had to deal with a dugout altercation between pitcher Carlos Silva and third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

It immediately brought back memories of Carlos Zambrano’s blowup last season after he was upset with his teammates’ fielding, a meltdown that led to his suspension and anger management counseling.

Quade diffused the Silva-Ramirez scuffle with a team meeting the very next day, clearing the air and showing that his managing skills go beyond the strategies of the game itself.

Now comes the real exam. Can Quade, a man who has managed more than 2,000 minor league games, lead the Cubs to the playoffs after a fifth place finish in the NL Central last season? The final stretch he presided over last season may have helped him get the job, but it came without the pressure of a pennant race.

And for those counting, if the Cubs don’t win the World Series their drought will reach 103 years.

“You want to create an environment where the guys will come to play. And people say, ‘Come to play for you.’ I want them to play for us, for their teammates and for themselves,” Quade said, adding he was humbled and flattered by the players’ response to him.

“For all that stuff, there are going to be tough decisions. There are going to be people irritated with me and vice versa,” he said. “That’s the nature of a family or a ball club or anything else.”

The Cubs acquired two former Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason, trading for talented right-hander Matt Garza, who won 15 games pitching in the tough AL East a year go, and signing free agent first baseman Carlos Pena to a one-year deal.

They see Garza as an ace eventually. And they need Pena’s power from the left side and his stellar glove at first, while also hoping and expecting he will hit higher than his .196 average a year ago.

Garza, who had an inconsistent first spring with the Cubs, was key in the Rays’ rise from AL cellar dweller to a World Series team in 2008. He played a pivotal role in that season, winning the ALCS MVP award.

“If you don’t come into this game expecting things, you might as well just hang it up now,” he said this spring. “They pay you for a reason. It’s not to come out here and just hang out. It’s to get a job done and get outs. That’s what I’m supposed to do, so I’m going to do it.”

General manager Jim Hendry also brought back a familiar face, the one-time ace and still fan favorite Kerry Wood, who returned for a one-year, $1.5 million deal to be a setup man for closer Carlos Marmol.

It’s been 13 years since Wood struck out 20 Houston Astros and gave up only one hit — an infield single — in his fifth major league start. His career has been slowed by numerous trips to the disabled list, but he’s just glad to be back. And he likes the makeup of the team.

“It’s got a good mix of young guys and some older guys and some veteran guys,” Wood said. “We’re going to need the young guys to keep us young and obviously our job is to help them get better, as well. I think we have a good enough team to surprise some people.”

Up the middle, there is 21-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro, who batted .300 a year ago; a former NL Rookie of the Year in catcher Geovany Soto; and center fielder Marlon Byrd, who made the All-Star team in his first season with the Cubs.

Left fielder Alfonso Soriano worked on getting his legs stronger in the offseason. Now that he’s no longer a big base-running threat, the Cubs would like to see more than his 24 homers of a year ago and a steadier defensive performance.

More than anything, the Cubs need stronger performances from the players who are making the big money, like Ramirez, Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and Zambrano. And they need a good start in the cold weather of April, especially at Wrigley Field.

Zambrano could be a key. He went 8-0 in his final 11 starts, his pitching certainly a factor in the Cubs’ strong finish that helped Quade secure the job. Ryan Dempster, an innings workhorse, a 15-game winner a year ago and a clubhouse leader, will start opening day Friday against the Pirates at Wrigley Field in year two of ownership under the Ricketts family.

Randy Wells, who pitched well two years ago and then faltered last season, has had a strong spring and will probably be the fourth starter. Silva was released on Sunday, meaning the Cubs are on the hook for his $11.5 million salary this season and that Andrew Cashner had the final spot in Chicago’s rotation.

Jeff Baker, Blake DeWitt and Darwin Barney can all play second base. DeWitt, acquired from the Dodgers in a trade last season, struggled this spring and could not be in a utility role.

Marmol, who had 38 saves last season, got a new three-year, $20 million contract this spring, and is considered one of the game’s best closers, even though he has bouts of wildness.

By Shawn Muller–

If there is one thing I have learned from being a Chicago Cubs fan my whole life, it is the uncanny ability to be overly-optimistic about the teams’ chances during the summer.

In 2011, however, I am going to try a different approach.

Instead of trying to convince myself that “this is the year” like I have done in years past, I have decided that this is finally the year that I will not put myself through such a gut-wrenching ordeal. 

Every time the Cubs have given me–and every other fan around the globe–a reason to be optimistic in thinking the team actually has a chance to win their first World Series title since…what feels like the invention of the wheel…reality soon sets in, and the team always finds a way to bring us crashing back down to earth.

OK, so maybe I exaggerated a bit on the “drought,” but does it really matter? Is there really a difference between 103 years and the dawn of mankind? In baseball years…not really. 

So goes the life of a Cubs fan, I guess.

I will still root as hard as I ever have for the Cubbies, I will still hold out hope that THIS is the year, and I will still watch every game that I can. But I will not try to convince myself that this year’s team has what it takes to win the N.L. Central (as I have done, seemingly every year in the past)…let alone the World Series.

There are just too many question marks surrounding this team: 

How will long will it take for Carlos Zambrano to self-destruct? How long will it take before Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano find the disabled list? How will Mike Quade handle an entire season as the teams’ manager? Will Carlos Pena be able to rebound from his injury that caused him to have a sub-standard offensive season in his final year in Tampa Bay, and how will he adjust to his first season in the National League?

There are many more questions to be answered that I have neglected to mention above, but you get the idea. It is not just the question marks surrounding the Cubs that are making me take a step back this season. It also has to do with the division.

The 2010 N.L. Central Division Champion Cincinnati Reds return their entire lineup from last season…and add fire-baller Aroldis Chapman. The St. Louis Cardinals did lose Adam Wainwright for the season, but added Lance Berkman’s bat and you know they will find an un-heralded pitcher to pick up the void left by Wainwright in the rotation: they always do. The Milwaukee Brewers still have their core of Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart on offense, but added former Cy Young Winner, Zack Greinke to an already solid pitching staff.

I am sorry, but I just can’t see the Cubs beating out any of those three for the division title. 

Opening Day is always a special day if you are a baseball fan. 

Regardless of how you think your team will finish the season, everyone is tied for first place for at least one day. Crazy things have happened in Major League Baseball, and this year promises more of the same. 

Will the Cubs play beyond expectations and make a surprise run to the playoffs? Who knows?

I, however, am not going to get my hopes up.

Yet…

Do you agree with Shawn? Post your comments below.

Shawn Muller has lived in the great city of Chicago for 7 years. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, in October of 2010, Shawn received his certificate in radio broadcasting. In his free time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and 3 year old daughter Ava, catching any live sporting event, and traveling. Check out his radio show, Grab Some Bench with Muller and Bangser” every Thursday night at 8:30 P.M., at www.blogtalkradio.com/spmuller24.

That first test for Mike Quade was more of an audition and he passed. Managing the Chicago Cubs on an interim basis after Lou Piniella retired in August, the team responded by winning 24 of its final 37 games.

Next came a competition for the job on a full-time basis. Backed by veteran players impressed with how he handled the final six weeks of 2010, Quade beat out a field that included Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.

Not long into spring training earlier this month, there was yet another test. His leadership skills were on instant display when he had to deal with a dugout altercation between pitcher Carlos Silva and third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

It immediately brought back memories of Carlos Zambrano’s blowup last season after he was upset with his teammates’ fielding, a meltdown that led to his suspension and anger management counseling.

Quade diffused the Silva-Ramirez scuffle with a team meeting the very next day, clearing the air and showing that his managing skills go beyond the strategies of the game itself.

Now comes the real exam. Can Quade, a man who has managed more than 2,000 minor league games, lead the Cubs to the playoffs after a fifth place finish in the NL Central last season? The final stretch he presided over last season may have helped him get the job, but it came without the pressure of a pennant race.

And for those counting, if the Cubs don’t win the World Series their drought will reach 103 years.

“You want to create an environment where the guys will come to play. And people say, ‘Come to play for you.’ I want them to play for us, for their teammates and for themselves,” Quade said, adding he was humbled and flattered by the players’ response to him.

“For all that stuff, there are going to be tough decisions. There are going to be people irritated with me and vice versa,” he said. “That’s the nature of a family or a ball club or anything else.”

The Cubs acquired two former Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason, trading for talented right-hander Matt Garza, who won 15 games pitching in the tough AL East a year go, and signing free agent first baseman Carlos Pena to a one-year deal.

They see Garza as an ace eventually. And they need Pena’s power from the left side and his stellar glove at first, while also hoping and expecting he will hit higher than his .196 average a year ago.

Garza, who had an inconsistent first spring with the Cubs, was key in the Rays’ rise from AL cellar dweller to a World Series team in 2008. He played a pivotal role in that season, winning the ALCS MVP award.

“If you don’t come into this game expecting things, you might as well just hang it up now,” he said this spring. “They pay you for a reason. It’s not to come out here and just hang out. It’s to get a job done and get outs. That’s what I’m supposed to do, so I’m going to do it.”

General manager Jim Hendry also brought back a familiar face, the one-time ace and still fan favorite Kerry Wood, who returned for a one-year, $1.5 million deal to be a setup man for closer Carlos Marmol.

It’s been 13 years since Wood struck out 20 Houston Astros and gave up only one hit — an infield single — in his fifth major league start. His career has been slowed by numerous trips to the disabled list, but he’s just glad to be back. And he likes the makeup of the team.

“It’s got a good mix of young guys and some older guys and some veteran guys,” Wood said. “We’re going to need the young guys to keep us young and obviously our job is to help them get better, as well. I think we have a good enough team to surprise some people.”

Up the middle, there is 21-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro, who batted .300 as a rookie a year ago; a former NL Rookie of the Year in catcher Geovany Soto; and center fielder Marlon Byrd, who made the All-Star team in his first season with the Cubs.

Left fielder Alfonso Soriano worked on getting his legs stronger in the offseason. Now that he’s no longer a big base-running threat, the Cubs would like to see more than his 24 homers of a year ago and a steadier defensive performance.

More than anything, the Cubs need stronger performances from the players who are making the big money, like Ramirez, Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and Zambrano. And they need a good start in the cold weather of April, especially at Wrigley Field.

Zambrano could be a key. He went 8-0 in his final 11 starts, his pitching certainly a factor in the Cubs’ strong finish that helped Quade secure the job. Ryan Dempster, an innings workhorse, a 15-game winner a year ago and a clubhouse leader, will start opening day Friday against the Pirates at Wrigley Field in year two of ownership under the Ricketts family.

Randy Wells, who pitched well two years ago and then faltered last season, has had a strong spring and will probably be the fourth starter. Silva was released on Sunday, meaning the Cubs are on the hook for his $11.5 million salary this season and that Andrew Cashner had the final spot in Chicago’s rotation.

Jeff Baker, Blake DeWitt and Darwin Barney can all play second base. DeWitt, acquired from the Dodgers in a trade last season, struggled this spring and could not be in a utility role.

Marmol, who had 38 saves last season, got a new three-year, $20 million contract this spring, and is considered one of the game’s best closers, even though he has bouts of wildness.