Baseball

This article was originally published at TheDailyCub.com , my blog covering the Chicago Cubs throughout the season.

This is going to be the first in a four-part series breaking down four positions for the Chicago Cubs.

Part one is going to be break down the Chicago Cubs’ pitching, after this article I will be taking on the infield, outfield, and bullpen.

The Cubs have been known for having solid starting pitching, and this season should be no different. Here is the expected rotation:

I don’t hate Michael Bourn. He’s likely to be among the Major League leaders in stolen bases again next year. Plus, I’m sure he’s a very nice guy. I just hate his ADP.

According to ESPN, Bourn’s ADP, or average draft position, is 123.7, which puts him in the beginning of the 13th round in a 10-team league and the beginning of the 11th round in a 12-team league. It may seem reasonable, since he’s only a one-category stud.

A few weeks back, respected columnist Joe Posnanski took his shot at projecting the 2010 Major League Baseball season. 

He called his projection system perfect, because it was flawed, pointless, and will quickly be forgotten about. 

Hey, that could all be true. 

For now, at least, we'll remember. And we'll talk about one pertinent subject in Posnanski's article. 

No disagreements with Posnanski on his projection that the Phillies will win 96 games; that may even be a little generous. 

Alex Gordon’s make-or-break 2010 season has been derailed .

A big factor in the Philadelphia Phillies run to a World Series Championship in 2008 was their bullpen. Besides having a closer with an unblemished record when handed the ball to nail down a win, each member of the relief corps found success in a defined role.

What I’m Reading

• Uh-oh. Looks like “Broken” Brandon Webb might be starting the year on the DL. Yes, even after spending the past year on the DL.

• And how about Joe Nathan? Might be too early to tell, but this isn’t a good sign for the hopeful Twins.

The Joba Chamberlain-Phil Hughes beauty contest now playing out in the media and sports blogs everywhere is as fine a sham reality show as has ever been produced anywhere on network television. In the end, when the pre-scripted outcome is revealed, everyone who has voiced an opinion or weighed in on it will be forced to tip their cap to this magnificent charade concocted by Joe Girardi and his staff, and I would like to be the first here to do so.

The Red Sox organization made a calculated decision during this past offseason to trade offense in exchange for pitching and defense. The club had the third-highest total of runs scored in 2009, but failed to measure up in the field.

When you think Pittsburgh Pirates you probably don't think of a sturdy, young, and reliable rotation. What probably comes to mind is 16 straight years of losing, 17 if you want to count the strike-shortened 1994 year. 

Man, I wish I could have been part of the arbitration process for Jeff Mathis. Mathis asked for $1.3 million, the team offered a measly $700,000. Hey that was an insult. The man hit .211, after all!

Since I wasn’t there, I can only imagine how it went. Maybe something like this: