Big Red's Favorite Cubs Roster

Note: This project was pretty easy for the most part. I just haven't had the time to type it up. I mentioned this to Jake, but it's no shock that the hardest positions to come up with someone for me was Catcher, Shortstop and Centerfield. All places the Cubs have been traditionally weak and where World Series contenders are usually strong. I am also a little worried that I am a closet racist, because it seems like that I like predominantly white players.

C – Joe Girardi
Girardi had two stints with he Cubbies in the late 80s to early 90s and then again right before his retirement in the early part of this decade. While never anything spectacular at the plate, he was a true catcher in every sense of the word. He knew how to manage a staff, call a game and was solid defensively. It's also seemed like his was moral compass in every clubhouse he was in. Doesn't hurt the guy has strong ties to this area, heck, I even work with his aunt.

1B - Mark Grace
All this guy did was hit doubles (a lot of them) and play pretty much errorless infield. Every knocked the Cubs for years saying they couldn't win with Grace at first because he had such a lack of power. I find it ironic that the last two years that what the Cubs needed more than anything in the playoffs was a consistent bat from the left side. I guess you better watch what you wish for, you might just get it.

2B – Ryne Sandberg
This is a no brainer for me. Sandberg was easily my favorite player growing up. I even cried a little the first time he retired suddenly in the early 90s (Of course years later I found out part of the reason was that Gracey and half the Cubs clubhouse was banging his wife, which puts a little new spin on it). I believe Sandberg is the only Cubs position player elected to the Hall of Fame whose career spanned my lifetime.

3B – Bill Mueller
I know Aramis Ramirez ended the 30 plus year streak of revolving third basemen since Santo retired, but I think Bill Mueller would have done that for a four or five year period prior to Ramirez if not for a fluke injury. Mueller was a solid, disciplined hitter. He was on his way to a great season with the Cubbies before sliding for a foul ball into the St. Louis wall and cracking his knee cap. Cubs never really gave him a shot to rehab. A couple years later he won the batting title for Boston. Go figure.

SS – Ryan Theriot
Theriot is not the world's greatest shortstop by any stretch and is probably more suited for second base, but I couldn't really find another shortstop in the last 20 plus years that I liked better. Most people would plug Shawon Dunston into this gap, but they often forget that Dunston was one of those five-tool guys that only used about two of them well. (Although I'll admit he later in his career he became very solid for the Giants). Theriot is the antithesis of Dunston. He isn't blessed with a lot of great tools, but he gets everything out of what he's got.

Left field – Henry Rodriguez
O'Henry was always a favorite and he added some much need left-handed pop behind Sammy Sosa in the late 90s. Rodriguez will probably be forgot by a lot of Cubbie fans, but the guy hit like 75 homers in 2 1/2 years in the blue and white.

Center field - Doug Glanville
Glanville was a Cub system product that actually knew how to hit and run the bases. So of course they traded him to the Phillies for Mickey Morandini (who did have a good year or two for the Cubs) after a nice rookie season. He went on to have three or four years of 190 to 210 hits, 30 some stolen bases, batting leadoff for the Phillies. The Cubs picked him back up in 2003, but he was all used up by then.

Right Field – Andre Dawson
I remember sitting on the first base side at Wrigley as a kid and watched Andre nearly run through the wall in foul territory for a foul ball. Andre caught it as awkwardly made his way over the bullpen mounds and collided hard with the wall. The Hawk was awesome and I think most people still considered right field his place at Wrigley.

Bench
Outfielder – Glenallen Hill
Hill was a huge man with big muscles. It was great waiting to see how far he would hit it. Usually he struck out, but sometimes he really blasted it.

UTL – Mickey Morandini
Morandini was a good second baseman and good at the plate. He was also a key guy in getting the Cubs to the playoffs in 98.

UTL – Augie Ojeda
Ojeda can play where ever you want him to. He also is the underdog kind of player that comes in and everyone roots for.

My batting lineup
1. Doug Glanville
2. Bill Mueller
3. Andre Dawson
4. Henry Rodriguez
5. Ryne Sandberg
6. Mark Grace
7. Joe Girardi
8. Ryan Theriot

Rotation
Greg Maddux RHP
He's best pitcher of this area (Clemen can go take it in the ass some more). Nothing flashy, he just took the ball every fifth day and held the team to 3 runs or less.

Kerry Wood, RHP
If Woody could have survived throwing that Slurve, he'd been a hall of famer. It was unhittable when working. He was also a big game pitcher that loved the pressure.

Mike Morgan, RHP
Morgan was the poor-mans Greg Maddux. He pitched forever and for pretty much every team in the league. But he also took the ball every fifth day holding teams usually to five runs or less.

Carlos Zambrano, RHP
Zambrano is a bull that puts his head down and goes after teams, Unless he's having a psychotic episode then you don't know what the hell you're going to get.

Terry Mulholland, LHP
Muhlholland was steady for the Cubs in the late 90s, More importantly he added a left hander to the bunch something the Cubs desparately lacked for much of that decade.

Bullpen
Closer– Rod Beck
This guys looked like a biker, lived like a biker and when he took the mound you better hold on. Beck was the kind of old-school personality that I couldn't help but root for.

Reliever – Carlos Marmol
He'll be great before it's all said and done. When he's on, nobody can hit him.

Reliever – Mitch Williams
Most people forget he became the Wild Thing in Chicago before giving up home runs in the World Series for the Phillies.

Reliever – Joe Borowski
He was another guy that got a long with very little. The guy keeps hanging around getting people out at the end of games.

Manager – Jim Riggleman
Heard him inteviewed a few times and seems like a smart baseball guy just never got any talent when with the Cubs.

Pitching coach – Larry Rothschild
He's been pitching coach now for as long as I remember. That's through at least three managers, which doesn't happen very often.

Snakester's Cubs Dream Team

Big Red & I have been racking our brains trying to figure out a way to do an interesting list or post on sports. Big Red, being the creative one, decided we should fill out our all time Cubs teams. The rule was that it had to be players we saw play, so basically mid 80's to present. We will also follow with our nightmare teams. This was an incredibly fun list to make that brought back alot of memories. Hopefully I do these guys justice.

C: Joe Giradi - I don't remember him doing anything too spectacular but he was a good hard nose player. I guess the stereotypical catcher of the day. He played hard and did the right thing. Maybe 5 - 10 years from now this could likely change to Geovany Soto, but it is a little soon for that.

1B: Mark Grace - He was my hero through most of my youth and I always tried to wear #17 in honor of him. I even named my daughter Grace. I played first in high school and spent every game watching how he fielded and trying to emulate his swing (despite being right handed). As much as he was Mr. Cub in his day, he probably was a big reason they never won big either. It is hard to have a corner infielder with no power numbers but he was a lock for .300 BA and 50+ doubles. Hard to turn that down.

2B: Ryne Sandberg - This was going to be my son's name until I found out we were having a girl. Most of my memories are from later in his career but he could still play. Although I remember our high school coach yelling at our infielders to quit trying to Sandberg ground balls off to the side. Really there hasn't been another second basemen that lasted much more than a year since.

3B: Aramis Ramirez - Third base has been a sore subject in Cubdom for many years. I remember Vance Law for some reason. But I have seen Aramis mature into a good fielder from the time he came over. Aside from his recent playoff struggles he seems to get the big hits and I just like his look out there.

SS: Ryan Theriot - I have been a huge supporter of The Riot since I first saw him playing a couple years ago. Shawn Dunston was a great player but really Theriot is the kind of short stop a winning team needs. He goes to right field, plays great D and hustles. I would have loved to see him turning DPs with Ryno in his heyday!

RF: Sammy Sosa - For everything he did wrong, he did alot of stuff right. Sosa was my hero for a long time. I will never forget June of 1998. I still feel bad for how sour things got at the end of his stay and was glad to see that he could come back and play with the Rangers a few seasons ago. He carried them to the playoffs in '98 and was a big force in 2003. Plus you gotta love the sprint out to right field. Sorry Andre.

CF: Jerome Walton - This was probably the hardest position to work on. IMO the Cubs have never had a good center field, at least more than a year. I remember when Jerome won Rookie of the Year so I guess that puts him #1. Doug Glanville, Doug Dacenzo, Brian McRae etc all seemed to have like 1 decent year and that was it. Juan Pierre was better than people gave him credit for too. Maybe I should have put Kenny Lofton in here for his work in '03. Obviously this is and continues to be a weak spot for the Cubs.

LF: Moises Alou - Despite being an asshole (IMO), he is probably the best to cover left field in Wrigley. Soriano is good but Moises is better in every category except maybe speed. He has always been a professional hitter and good in the clutch. Henry Rodriguez almost snuck into this spot but really it is hard to say anyone is better than Alou.

Starting Pitchers: Kerry Wood (98 to 03), Greg Maddux, Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Trachsel & Carlos Zambrano - The Cubs all had these guys in some of their prime. Sutcliffe might have been a little old by the time he got to Chicago but he still put in alot of good years. Trachsel could be frustrating at times but I am giving him a nod for alot of pretty years through the '90s on some really bad Cubs teams. Kerry Wood is probably the best of all of them during his prime. I often wonder though if Maddux would have ended up as good as he was if he stayed in Chicago.

Relief Pitchers: Hecliffe Solcumb, Paul Assemacher, Chuck McElroy & Carlos Marmol - This is a rough position. You really didn't have like bullpen specialist until maybe the mid '90s really. I kinda went with names that I really remember being good. McElroy even had a brief stint as the main closer too (or stopper as they called them). I think if you were to look at their Cubs stats, this would be a good grouping.

Closer: Joe Borowski - Here is where I really go out on a limb. I remember lots of stressful 9th innings with Joe on the mound but he got the job done despite having like no stuff. I really don't remember the Cubs ever having a lights out closer. Wood is probably the closest to that right now if he can keep it going. So I pay my respect to a guy that has gutted out his career and really defies the odds. Which when you think about it that is what any winning Cubs teams really is doing, defying the odds.

Utility Outfielder: Glenallen Hill - I always loved watching this guy hit, it was so effortless. A quick snap of the wrist and the ball was gone. He hit the longest home run I have ever seen @ Wrigley, onto the rooftops across Waveland Ave. He was always a threat anytime he came to bat and was serviceable in the outfield for the most part.

Utility Infield: Randal Simon & Mickey Morandini - Mickey might have started quite a few games but I always thought he was better suited to be a fill in guy, he seemed scrappy. Both of these guys are lefties which is good off the bench. Randal is a hacker. I never really saw him strikeout. It seemed like he battled every time he came to the plate. I seem to remember like a 10-12 pitch at bat against one of the Marlins top pitchers in '03 during a tight situation where he finally came through with a hit to right field. I was just always excited when they let him play.

Manager: Don Zimmer - The late '80s was when I got old enough to understand what was happening with the Cubs and they were Zimmer's crew then. To me he will always personify the Cubs and a good baseball mentality. I found myself rooting for the Yankees just because he was a bench coach and I wanted him to win.

Pitching Coach: Larry Rothschild - It is hard to think of a better one out there. He is reserved in the manner that you look at him and know that he knows what he is doing. He survived some horrible years for a reason. The current staff has made the transitions that they did for a reason. I would want him on my side.