Through The Ivy: A 2010 Chicago Cubs Franchise

[cubsfan128]

Game: MLB 10: The Show
Difficulty: All-Star Hitting & Pitching
Roster Set: OS Full Minors v.1
Sliders: Default

Time for Spring Training

Spring Training is just around the corner, pitchers and catchers have reported to HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Arizona. The Cubs are headed into Spring Training with many position battles to be fought out; Who will man 2nd Base, Jeff Baker or Mike Fontenot? Who will be the 4th and 5th starting pitchers? Over the next month we will report all of that and more.

Keep following for a preview of the projected starting rotation & bullpen, and much more information on the Chicago Cubsl

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Pitching Staff Preview

Heading into Spring Training, the biggest question for the Cubs is: who will win the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation? The 4th spot belongs to Ted Lilly, but he is out recovering from shoulder injury and won't be back until late April. The contestants for the two spots are Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Marshall, and Jeff Samardzija. The two pitchers who don't make it, are expected to be sent to the bullpen.

Now, a little background on the pitchers contending for the spot:

A 6'4" 250 pound righty, Silva, was acquired this off-season in a trade with the Mariners. Silva carries a large contract, so the Cubs are hoping he is worth it.

Gorzelanny, a south-paw, was included in a deal last year which sent Kevin Hart to the Pirates. He was inconsistent last year for both the Pirates and the Cubs, he posted an ERA of above 5 for both team. Although, he did have a pretty good year in 2007 putting up an ERA of 3.88 and a 14-10 record.

The former Notredame football star, Samardzija, is probably an underdog to win a spot. He was not very good last year, traveling between Iowa and Chicago. In his first year, 2008, he showed signs of great talent. For the month he was in the majors, he was fooling batters every outing. The Cubs think he can bounce back, but he might start the season as a reliever.

Marshall has spent the last few years in the rotation and the bullpen. He is probably looking at a long relief spot. He will definitely need to bring his 'A' game if he wants a chance at the starting rotation. Even if he does start the season in the bullpen, he could easily find himself in the starting rotation if one of the back-of-the-rotation starters has a few bad outings.

The first 3 spots in the Cubs rotation will belong to Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, and Randy Wells.

The bullpen looks to stack up like this:

Marshall (LHP) /Samardzija/Gorzelanny/Silva (LHP)
Marshall (LHP) /Samardzija/Gorzelanny/Silva (LHP)
Jeff Gray
Esmailin Caridad
John Grabow (LHP)
Angel Guzman
CL- Marmol

As you can see, there are many spots left in the bullpen. The only pitchers who have locked-up their spot in the bullpen are Carlos Marmol, John Grabow, Angel Guzman, and Esmailin Caridad. The rest of the bullpen spots are up for prize. Whoever, can impress skipper Lou Piniella this spring will be in the running for the remaining spots.

[cubsfan128]

What do you guys think? any tips?

[Hushroom]

Add pictures, make it look more flashy. I don't think people like to just read on how the game went...personally I want to see it.

[cubsfan128]

Quote: Originally Posted by DyNaStY JOSH

Add pictures, make it look more flashy. I don't think people like to just read on how the game went...personally I want to see it.

I will have pictures, Ill edit the other posts... thanks for the tip

[cubsfan128]

Lineup preview coming up soon, followed by top prospects list

[cubsfan128]

Baseball America top prospect list published

Earlier this week, Baseball America published their top prospects list for each organization. Heres how the Cubs prospects stack up:

1. Starlin Castro, ss

2. Brett Jackson, of

3. Josh Vitters, 3b

4. Andrew Cashner, rhp

5. Jay Jackson, rhp

6. Hak-Ju Lee, ss

7. Logan Watkins, 2b

8. Chris Carpenter, rhp

9. Ryan Flaherty, ss/2b/3b

10. D.J. LeMahieu, ss/2b

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Breaking News

Reliever Angel Guzman could face career-ending surgery

Team doctors have confirmed that Angel Guzman has a torn ligament in his right shoulder. The injury is considered to be career-threatining. It is looking like he will need surgery to repair the injury. Many details of the injury are undisclosed. It looks like yet another spot has opened up in the bullpen. We will keep you updated on the details of Guzman's injury.