Scorey's 100 Year Cubbies Dynasty

[Scorey1974]

OK...first things first...this won't be a super detailed dynasty....This will be a more generalized explanation of my teams progress from season to season for exactly 100 years....The REAL Cubbies haven't won a series since 1908...so we'll see how many they can win in the next 100 years...

I will be using my universe file that i deleted the unrated pitching prospects from...so there will be plenty of hitting prospects to start out...but pitchers will have to come through the draft or FA...I will play at Mogul rating (as always) in simulation mode....

Hopefully this goes well...The Cubs have a pretty good team to start off, so I expect immediate success!

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at the initial offense I have to work with

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at the initial pitching staff I have to work with...

[Scorey1974]

I start off with a major problem...23 potential FA's....so I get right to work...

I quickly signed these deals:
Michael Barrett to a 7 year deal for 3.2 mil
Aramis Ramirez to a 7 year deal for 4.4 mil
Tom Goodwin to a 5 year deal for 1.25 mil
Trenidad Hubbard to a 3 year deal for 560K
Paul Bako to a 7 year deal for 1.2 mil
Matt Clement to a 7 year deal for 10.2 mil


Then I hit the trade market HARD!

We struck a deal with LA that landed highly touted SS prospect Joel Guzman in exchange for FA to be Jimmy Anderson, Shawn Sedlacek, and our closer (:( ) Joe Borowski.

Next I moved Glendon Rusch to Milwaukee for speedy CF Scott Podsednik...I think i got a steal here...:D

Philadelphia sent me the very raw but powerful 1B prospect Ryan Howard for the potentially devastating but inconsistent Kyle Farnsworth.

In one of the best deals so far I landed C Joe Mauer from the Twinkies for back-up OF Todd Hollandsworth and starting 2B Todd Walker.

Moving back to Milwaukee I moved Ryan Dempster and Ramon Martinez to them for Rickie Weeks.

Tampa Bay basically gave me RF prospect and 2003 #1 overall draft pick Delmon Young for Calvin Murray, Jose Macias, Denny Hocking, and Bill Selby...I guess they did not want to wait for him to develop....I simply could not pass this one up...

I've started to deplete my pitching staff at this point so we need an extra arm in the pen...I send Neifi Perez and Russ Johnson and our LF Moises Alou (a steep price) to Philadelphia for a great set-up man in Rheal Cormier.

This deal lands my future ace!...I send the newly signed Trenidad Hubbard, AAA C Fernando Lunar and very good prospects in LF Matt Murton and SS Ronny Cedeno to the Dodgers for young sensation Edwin Jackson. A good deal for us both as long as Murton and Cedeno pan out...

Now we get to the 2 blockbusters!

Mark Grudzielanek, Jason Dubois, Richard Lewis, Nic Jackson and Travis "Gookie" Dawkins go to Baltimore for a much younger 2B Brian Roberts...(Jerry Hairston gets his job back now ;) )...we quickly sign the FA to be Roberts to a 7 year deal for 4 mil.

AND the best for last...I've left myself without a decent LF so why not try and trade for Miguel Cabrera?

I paid a dear price for this one as we acquire Cabrera from the Marlins in exchange for LF David Kelton, RP Todd Wellemeyer, prize prospects Delmon Young, Rickie Weeks, and Ryan Howard. And we throw in Scott Podsednik to seal the deal...But the answer was NO....so I coughed up an extra 14 million dollars and the Marlins relented to complete the deal..

This leaves me with a veteran starting lineup..but a very young bench so we're off to scour the FA market in search of some vets to buy my few prospects I have left some time in the minors.

[Scorey1974]

After the flurry of trades I am left with not much of a bench...

NEEDS:
1. A 5th OF'er
2. Back-up 1B
3. 2 Utility IF'ers

Cubs sign the following players to fill out the bench:
1B Matt Franco to a 4 year deal at 1 mil
CF Brian Hunter to a 5 year deal at 1.15 mil
SS Rey Ordonez to a 4 year deal at 1 mil
3B Angel Santos to a 7 year deal at 950K

Opening day lineup

1. Brian Roberts 2B
2. Nomar Garciaparra SS
3. Derrek Lee 1B
4. Sammy Sosa RF
5. Aramis Ramirez 3B
6. Miguel Cabrera LF
7. Corey Patterson CF
8. Michael Barrett C
B Tom Goodwin
B Brian Hunter
B Matt Franco
B Rey Ordonez
B Angel Santos
B Paul Bako
AAA Joe Mauer (needs a couple of years of seasoning before I trade Barrett)
AAA Frank Ricard (16 year old SS sensation may take the job next season)
AAA Joel Guzman (destined to be a super-sub off the bench)
AAA Ryan Harvey (will take over for Sammy when he retires)
AAA Felix Pie (I'll give him a couple of years then he replaces Patterson)

SP1 Kerry Wood
SP2 Mark Prior
SP3 Carlos Zambrano
SP4 Matt Clement
SP5 Greg Maddux
CL Latroy Hawkins
SE Rheal Cormier
SH Mike Remlinger
M Kent Mercker
L Andy Pratt
ALT Sergio Mitre
AAA Edwin Jackson

Starting lineup looks rock solid...the bench is average at best...Starting rotation is the best in baseball...bullpen is rock solid with the exception of spot starter Sergio Mitre....

I expect big things from this team...we'll see what happens

Year 1 coming soon

[michaelg123789]

Originally posted by Scorey1974
AAA Frank Ricard (16 year old SS sensation may take the job next season)

16? Wow, they sure don't make em like they used too. :)

[michaelg123789]

Originally posted by Scorey1974
AAA Felix Pie
Where does Clay come up with these goofy names anyway? :)

Anyway, good luck on your dynasty Scorey.

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by michaelg123789
16? Wow, they sure don't make em like they used too. :)

Hey Mike....he's a fake player that Rotochamp made up in our universe file we are making...RC created 3 fake players...one for me...one for him...and one for his brother...Frank Ricard is a SS for the Cubs and comes from the movie 'Old School'....Frank "The Tank"....Mike McDermott and Joey Knish are in the universe also on the Seattle Mariners....they are from the movie 'Rounders'.....Frank Ricard was Will Ferrell's character...Mike McDermott was Matt Damon's character...and Joey Knish was John Turturro's character...:)

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by michaelg123789
Where does Clay come up with these goofy names anyway? :)

Anyway, good luck on your dynasty Scorey.

Felix Pie is actually a highly touted CF in the Cubs minor league system...kinda funny though...his last name is pronouned "Pee-ay"...anyways...thanks for your support...

[Scorey1974]

Season 1...2004

Season Results
Finished with a 117-45 record which was unfortunately only good enough for 2nd place in the NL Central....BUT... I won the wild card...so the Cubbies are in the playoffs.

NLDS: This was a breeze as we quickly swept the Braves in 3 games...
NLCS: As expected we faced he Cardinals who had the best record in baseball..and a lineup that would strike fear into any opposing teams pitching staff...(including the Fab 5 of the Cubbies)...This turned out to be a quick series as the Cubbies lost the first game but turned it around with 4 straight wins to take the series 4-1 and spoil the Cards season...
World Series: On to the Yankees...I thought this would be a tough series with the lineup and pitching that the Yankees had, but surprisingly we swept by the Evil Empire 4 games to none to take the title...! 11-1 in the postseason....not too shabby...

Team Highlights
Team MVP: Hands down in was Slammin Sammy Sosa....who hit .291 on the year with 48 HR's and 117 RBI
In a lineup built perfectly for Wrigley's friendly confines everyone in the lineup hit 23 or more HR's except for Brian Roberts...but he chipped in with 35 steals from the leadoff spot.
Tom Goodwin and Brian Hunter did their jobs coming off the bench combining for 25 SB's and Matt Franco (who I signed to be our top pinch hitter) did his job hitting at a .303 clip.
I did have to say goodbye to Nomar Garciaparra as he wanted 11.5 mil to resign for 7 years...it was hard parting with his .338 BA and 38 HR's...
The pitching staff really came through and proved that they were the best 5 in baseball. Kerry Wood came in at 15-5/2.66...Mark Prior went 20-5/1.95....Carlos Zambrano went 19-5/2.21....Matt Clement had a personal best of 18-3/2.98...and finally the very reliable Greg Maddux finished at 17-4/2.80....The staff combined for a 89-22 record...simply AMAZING...LaTroy Hawkins did go 7-6 with 40 saves in the closer's role, but he did blow 9 saves and have an ERA of 4.15...he better shape up in 2005 or he will be a goner...Kent Mercker and the rookie Andy Pratt were stellar out of the pen with a combined 6-1 record and ERA of around 2.00


Awards/Milestones
I was very disappointed to see that only 2 Cubs made it to the All-Star game... Mark Prior and Kerry Wood
Mark Prior was the league ERA leader (1.95) K's leader (323) and won the Cy Young award. Greg Maddux won the teams only GG award.....June 18th Sammy Sosa collected his 1500th RBI....July 5th Mark Prior whiffed 19 batters....and August 1st Greg Maddux collected his 300th win....There were 3 no-hitters on the season by Barry Zito of the A's, Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals, and Russ Ortiz of the Braves....Josh Phelps of the Indians slammed 4 HR's on April 21st.

End of the Season
Nomar Garciaparra and Rheal Cormier were let go...they were the only 2 free agents I had and were demanding too much money.
Our only FA signing of the off season was crafty veteran Mike Myers for 3 years at 1.6 mil. He will take Cormier's spot in the bullpen.

The Draft
1st pick (29) SP Tim Samuels 84/96
2nd pick (59) RF Rudy Canty 77/96
3rd pick (89) RP Bob Prywess 73/73
4th pick (119) C Charlie Hearn 69/77
5th pick (149) 2B Luis Gallardo 69/80
6th pick (179) RF Joel Spivak 62/75

Going into 2005
Potential FA's...there are 4...Corey Patterson, Sammy Sosa, Greg Maddux and Mike Remlinger.

Patterson and draft picks Hearn and Samuels went packing to the Expos in a 4 player deal that landed SS Kenny Reed the overall #3 pick the the draft....This deal is awesome for us as Reed is rated a 92/99 with awesome power and defense...This was much better than re-signing Nomar....This move also creates a problem as we have 17 year old wunderkid Frank "The Tank" Ricard at short....So I converted Ricard to a 2B and he will start as a 17 year old for the 2005 edition of the Chicago Cubbies....This also puts Brian Roberts on the trading block as we need to acquire a CF to replace Patterson until Felix Pie is ready to take the job...Sammy wants a 3 year extension for 12.9 mil...which is a cut in pay...He realizes he is getting older and wants to make the sacrafice for us to go out and get a CF so he is signed with the promise that he will retire a Cub. Greg Maddux wants a 2 year extension at 11.7 mil and he did nothing to warrant me to turn him down...He will retire a Cub also...This leaves Mike Remlinger as my only potential FA...I think we'll keep him for this season and let him go....The last move of the off-season lands us a premier CF in Ken Griffey Jr. as he comes to the Cubs in exchange for 2B Brian Roberts...this is a risky deal as Jr. is prone to injury...and we take on his 12.94 million dollar contract for another 4 years..but I can't pass up the chance to add another powerful bat to the lineup.

Spring Training
The only goals here are to see how well the new tandem of Ricard and Reed are going to play together at 2b/SS...They produce big time as Ricard hits .337 with 7 HR's 16 runs and 16 RBI in 19 games. Reed is even better hitting at a .354 clip with 7 dingers 20 runs and 17 RBI in 20 games...Reed did commit 5 errors but Ricard had none...I feel comfortable with this group going into the season.

[Scorey1974]

Here's the opening day lineup

[Scorey1974]

And...here is the 2005 Cubbies pitching staff

[Scorey1974]

Going into 2005 we feel confident of a repeat playoff performance and nothing less than a WS title is expected....It probably will come down to how well Ricard and Reed play....

Season 2 coming up!

[Scorey1974]

Season 2...2005

Season Results
In 2005 the Cubbies slacked off to a 100-62 record...but it was good enough to finish in 1st place in the NL Central, 5 games ahead of the hated St. Louis Cardinals....Moving on to the playoffs...in the divisional round we quickly won the first 2 games and were primed for another run at the title when disaster struck...the D-Backs won 3 straight to knock us out of the race...sad ending to a great season :mad:

Team Highlights
Every batter in the lineup hit 20 or more dingers for the 2005 Cubs except for rookie starting 2B Frank Ricard as he hit 12...(due to injuries he was limited to 95 games)....
Team MVP: Rookie SS Kenny Reed was hands down the team MVP hitting .294 with 46 2B, 28 HR, 109 runs, 101 RBI, a .983 fielding percentage with only 13 errors.
Rookie 2B Ricard had what I consider to be a great first season seeing that he is ONLY 17...he hit at a .265 clip and chipped in with 23 2B, 15 3B, 12 HR, 16 steals, 68 runs and 48 RBI in only 95 games played...better things are coming for this young lad! AAA catcher Joe Mauer hit .354 with 29 HR's, 110 runs and 127 RBI and will get a long look in spring training....another notable AAA player...RF Rudy Canty came through with a .339 BA with 33 HR's, 99 runs and 118 RBI.
The pitching fell off considerable from 2004....staff ace Kerry Wood went only 13-8/3.02....Mark Prior went 18-11/3.57....Carlos Zambrano anchored the staff this year going 19-7/2.52....Matt Clement was a very disappointing 10-12/3.91 and Greg Maddux was his usual self going 16-7/3.34...Out of the pen LaTroy Hawkins bounced back this year saving 30 games and only blowing 2 saves with a 3.06 ERA....Sergio Mitre went 2-0/1.95 in limited action and down on the farm phenom Edwin Jackson pulled down a 10-3 record with 113 Ks in 121 IP.

Awards/Milestones
All-stars for the Cubs in 2005 were Aramis Ramirez, Kenny Reed, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano.
Carlos Zambrano won the Cy Young award and led the league in wins with 19 and ERA at 2.52.
Kerry Wood struck out 280 batters to lead the league.
Kenny Reed won the ROY award!!!
Gold Glovers from the team included Greg Maddux, Kenny Reed and Derrek Lee.
May 15th Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 500th HR...June 11th Sammy Sosa recorded his 600th HR...July 30th Greg Maddux struck out his 3000th batter....on October 1st Sosa scored his 1500th run and Jr. slugged home his 1500th RBI
Around the Majors: There was 1 perfect game in 2005 belonging to Jason Schmidt of the Giants...3 no-hitters were thrown...1 each by Jeff Suppan (STL)...Mark Mulder (OAK)...Ben Sheets (MIL)....Carlos Pena of the Tigers and Clevelands Travis Hafner each hit 4 HR's in a game...Barry Bonds slugged his 700th HR...Seattle pitcher Mike McDermott won pitchings Triple Crown with 25 wins, 287 K's and a 2.03 ERA...and obviously he won the AL Cy Young award...

End of the Season
Mike Remlinger was released and we did not sign any free agents.

The Draft
1st pick (28) 3B Toby Johns 84/95
2nd pick (58) RP Bert Pavlov 75/82
3rd pick (88) SP Oscar Costanada 72/80
4th pick (118) C Rob Davis 66/82
5th pick (148) CF Bruno Devaughn 63/74
6th pick (178) C Noland Sather 64/71

Going into 2006
We have 5 potential FA's... Derrek Lee, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano and LaTroy Hawkins....Wanting to keep my rotation intact (for the most part) I signed Wood to a 7 year deal at 11.3 mil...Mark Prior to a 7 year deal at 10.5 mil...Carlos Zambrano want 13.5 mil per season to sign so I'm going to wait on him till the end of the season....FA to be Derrek Lee and prospect Luis Gallardo went to Boston for their 1st round pick...slugger Brian McGuire....he will start as a rookie and has 85/95 potential....the Cubbies acquired an awesome new closer in Chad Cordero from the Expos...we did have to send packing LaTroy Hawkins, prospect Joel Guzman and draft picks Oscar Costanada and Bruno Devaughn + 1 million in cash....Right before spring training we picked up Juan Encarnacion to be the 4th OF, signing him to a 7 year deal at 1.7 mil....CF Brian Hunter was sent to TB in a minor deal landing us Giovanni Carrara to fill a bullpen slot.

Spring Training
Going into ST I want to see how well the rookie McGuire hits before I decide to make another trade for a veteran...and Edwin Jackson will get a long look as I'm considering trading Matt Clement for a veteran 1B should McGuire not be ready...
McGuire really shows me something as he hits .338 with 4 HR's in 23 games...looks like he will get the nod....C Joe Mauer hit .316 and played excellent but he will get another year of seasoning in AAA....Jackson made only 1 start and went 8 and 2/3 innings giving up only 2 runs and striking out 11...but this is simply not enough to go on to warrant trading Clement...

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at how the lineup shapes up for 2006

[Scorey1974]

The starting 5 remain intact for the 3rd straight season with only a couple of changes to the bullpen...Here's the 2006 Cubbies pitching staff

[mooseman74]

Can't believe you think Mauer needs more seasoning haha....Great Dynasty so far though Scorey :)

[michaelg123789]

100-62 is all you can muster? ;)

Seriously though, good job overall. I do like that 3-4-5-6 punch in the middle of the order as well.

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by michaelg123789
100-62 is all you can muster? ;)

Yeah...starting the 2 rookies took it's toll on the team...and the pitching fell off....but...season 3 is coming soon.....

[Scorey1974]

Season 3...2006

Season Results
The 2006 Season started badly and was full of ups and downs....April we started off 11-12...in June we struggled to a 14-14 record....August was a dismal 13-14.....but when it counted in September we turned it up a notch and finished that month at 17-11....So at season's end we are 92-70 and more importantly are tied with the Houston Astros for first place in the NL Central....and here's the MOST important part...the loser of the 1 game tie-breaker will NOT get the Wild Card spot....so it's a must win....before we get to that....I want to note a few things that happened during the season...May 27th we picked up Rafael Palmeiro and prospect Rogearvin Bernadina both for 2 years at 300K....This move was to provide insurance should rookie 1B McGuire not hold up and to strengthen the farm system as Bernadina is a solid LF prospect....On August 6th Mike Myers (1-7/6.34)...Kent Mercker (2-4/6.12)...and Giovanni Carrara (0-1 8.15) were all released...the bullpen at this point has been disastrous....Edwin Jackson was moved up to the alternate starter spot and rookies Bob Prywess and Bert Pavlov were moved in to the pen....this move would turn out to save the team as the rookies performed well above the level of the old vets we let go....So we're tied with Houston for first and going into the tie-breaker Greg Maddux is sitting on 14 wins (his steak of 15 wins per season is in jeopardy!)...So I send him out for the one game playoff and he delivers pitching 7 shutout innings...although the bullpen almost blew it...we did win the game 5-3 and Maddux's streak continues...In the 1st round of the playoffs the Braves quickly won the first 2 games but the Cubbies rallied to take 3 straight and move on to the NLCS where we faced the New York Mets...This turned out to be a rather easy series with the Cubs winning in 5 games....It's World Series time...bring on the Seattle Mariners....The M's smoked us in 5 games easily winning the series behind the pitching of ace Mike McDermott...I'm beginning to HATE him!....I consider the season a success to get as far as we did considering our record was less than sterling and we had to play a tie-breaker to even make the playoffs.

Team Highlights
Team MVP was once again our emerging star SS Kenny Reed...he hit .288 with 49 HR's 124 runs and 131 RBI...rookie 1B Brian McGuire .334 with 40 2B's and a .413 OBP...Sammy Sosa, Aramis Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera combined to hit 113 HR's....Juan Ecarnacion and Ken Griffey Jr. split time in CF and combined to hit 37 homers...but hit only .215 combined...UGH!....Our other emerging youngster Rrank Ricard hit .265 once again but improved his power numbers with 35 2B's, 21 3B's, 22 HR's, 41 SB's and 112 runs scored...I think he has arrived...Joe Mauer got a call-up for a month when catcher Michael Barrett went down with an injury and hit only .226 with no HR's...but he did once again dominate the AAA level hitting .359 with 17 homers, 99 runs and 100 RBI....Felix Pie and Ryan Harvey are starting to develop but are still very raw and probably both are 3-4 years away from the big time....AAA RF'er Rudy Canty is emerging as the next big star, and the player who will replace Sammy as he hits .380 with 41 2B's, 42 HR's, 127 runs, 128 RBI, .444 OBP and .662 SLG....Our 2006 #1 draft pick 3B Toby Johns also tore up AAA hitting .354 with 48 2B's, 40 HR's, 132 runs, 133 RBI, .421 OBP and slugged .672....On the pitching side....Kerry Wood once again disappointed going 12-10/4.23....Mark Prior had a decent year with a 15-9 record and a 2.98 ERA....Carlos Zambrano again anchored the staff with an 18-9 record and 2.58 ERA....Clement rebounded from 2005 to go 17-6/2.95 and Greg Maddux once again was a model of consistency going 15-8/3.39...(his 19th season in a row with 15 or more wins)....Chad Cordero was the only bright spot in the bullpen as the youngster saved 33 games blowing only 4 saves and had a 3.35 ERA...Edwin Jackson got a small taste of the bigs and looked good winning 1 game and striking out 13 in 14 and 1/3 IP....The bench was horrible and will have to be addressed in the off-season...Matt Franco hit only .207...Tom Goodwin .185 and Paul Bako even worse at .175...

Awards/Milestones
All-stars....Kenny Reed, Greg Maddux and Carlos Zambrano
Rookie Brian McGuire won the NL batting title at .334 but did not win the ROY...:mad: .....Mark Prior was the league stikeout leader at 300....SS Kenny Reed was the NL MVP and we had 2 gold glovers in Greg Maddux and 2B Frank Ricard....Only 2 milestones for 2006 both by Sammy....June 25th he hit for the cycle...and July 4th he collected his 2500th base hit...
Around the Majors: Boston's Curt Schilling struck out his 300th batter as did his teammate Pedro Martinez....Russ Ortiz had the seasons only no-hitter for the Braves....Juan Gone hit his 500th HR and Tampa Bay's 2B Felix Sandoval hit 4 HR's in 1 game....pretty boring season...:D

End of the Season
Carlos Zambrano is our only FA and he is rewarded with a 7 year deal for 11.9 mil...and he deserves every penny of it....We need bench help in the worst way...but there is not cheap talent to sign so we pass....We did sign veterans Al Leiter (1/2.5)....Roger Clemens (1/2.5) and Keith Foulke (1/10.0) to these 1 year deals...this should shore up the bullpen....

The Draft
1st pick (26) SS Virgil Bevilaqua 69/96
2nd pick (56) RP Vladimir Fajardo 75/84
3rd pick (86) 2B Pedro Angelico 72/85
4th pick (116) 3B Reginald Hoffman 71/82
5th pick (146) CF Eric Gomez 66/73
6th pick (176) RP York Fras 67/74
A pretty lackluster draft...:(

Going into 2007
Potential FA's are Matt Franco, Rey Ordonez, Rafael Palmeiro, Rogearvin Bernadina and Greg Maddux...besides the 3 pitcher's we signed to 1 year deals....
Immediate need...FIND A CF....Milwaukee has 2 awesome prospects at the position so we go to them to possibly strike a deal....I COVET 20-year old Wade Hecht (the overall #1 pick in 2006's draft)....he hit .349 in AAA with 37 HR's, 47 SB's, 155 runs and 127 RBI in 2006.....A deal was struck after a lengthy negotiation...we have to send our highly touted 3B prospect Toby Johns, SP Sergio Mitre, RP Bob Prywess and prospect Rogearvin Bernadina along with our 3rd round pick in the 2007 draft Pedro Angelico to Milwaukee to land Hecht but it was worth it....He will start immediately....Our next goal...dump Ken Griffey Jr.....and The Yankees are happy to take him offering us a 50 rated rookie RP pitcher who would ultimately be cut...we're just glad to be rid of his contract!....Bench players Franco, Ordonez, Goodwin and Angel Santos are shipped to the South Side of Chicago for solid OF Timo Perez....Back-up catcher Paul Bako was traded to Milwaukee for SS Craig Counsell...Catcher Michael Barrett is sent to SF for 24 year old defensive wiz catcher Trent Ellis....This marks the beginning of the Joe Mauer era in Chicago and Ellis will back him up....Greg Maddux is signed to a 2 year extension at 8.9 mil....No longer needed rookie catcher's Rob Davis and Noland Sather are sold to Toronto for 1 mil in cash...Going into the season we have only 1 FA to be in Palmeiro besides the 3 pitchers we signed...things are looking bright...I'm expecting 110 wins...

Spring Training
2 goals going into ST....see how well Mauer holds up and get a first look at our new CF Wade Hecht...and they do not disappoint....Mauer hit ..326 with 5 homers, 16 runs and 21 RBI in 21 games....Hecht hit .337 with 8 homers, 7 steals, 23 runs and 22 RBI....This may be Sammy's last season to hold off young RF Rudy Canty as he impresses us with a .370 spring and slamming 8 HR's....Edwin Jackson got a long look and in 7 starts went 3-3 with a 4.66 RA and 50 K's in 46 IP...he wins the alternate starter position.

New---Question's going into 2007
These questions will make or break the team in 2007.
1. How will our new CF Wade Hecht perform in the leadoff spot in front of a fearsome lineup?
2. How much does Sammy have left?
3. Can Joe Mauer finally make it at age 23?
4. Will the bench hit at least .250...? (PLEASE!!!)
5. Can Kerry Wood regain his form after 2 sub-par seasons?
6. And finally....how well will Foulke, Leiter and Clemens perform out of the pen....

Season 4 coming soon!

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at our HIGH OCTANE offense for 2007

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at the staff for 2007

[Scorey1974]

Season 4...2007

Season Results
We did NOT win 110 games like I expected...but we did tie for the best record in the NL with a 92-70 record...same as the Mets....This put us 5 games ahead of the Pirated in the central...In the 1st round of the playoffs we quickly dispatched the Montreal Expos 3 to zip then took on the Rockies where we squeaked out the series 4 games to 3....shew!.....On to the World Series where we face the Indians...and quite frankly their lineup and pitching staff scares the daylights out of me....We were clearly overmatched as Cleveland won the series 4 games to 2....disappointed?...YES....but clearly I am happy with the team as we are starting to mix in alot of rookies with the veterans...These kind of losses can be expected

Team Highlights
Once again the team MVP is SS Kenny Reed as he hit .295 with 34 homers, 86 runs and a whopping 149 RBI
CF Wade Hecht made a big splash as the leadoff man hitting .271 with 46 2B's, 7 3B's, 24 HR's, 103 BB's, 40 steals, 140 runs and 67 RBI...unfortunately a crappy SS won the ROY....:mad:
Frank Ricard continues to progress hitting .272 with 44 2B's, 17 3B's, 20 HR's, 24 SB's, 103 runs and 89 RBI...
Second year 1B Brian McGuire slipped to a .286 BA but upped his power to 18 HR's...he looks primed for a run at 30 dingers in 2008
Rookie C Joe Mauer played just as I expected...hitting at a .279 clip and punching out 13 HR's...
Miguel Cabrera had a sterling season hitting .300 with 37 HR's and breaking the 100 mark for the first time in RBI with 112...
Sammy Sosa smacked 34 HR's but his average dipped to .244
The bench was very unspectacular and will be overhauled for next season....
On the pitching staff Mark Prior led the staff with a 17-5 record and a 2.73 ERA....Greg Maddux won 16 games....Carlos Zambrano went 9-12/3.39....very disappointing for him....Kerry Wood split time with Edwin Jackson as he continues to struggle for the 3rd year in a row...Wood went 7-8/4.12...Jackson dominated at 8-1/3.35 in 15 starts....Chad Cordero was the only bright spot out of the pen saving 37 games with only 4 BS.

Awards/Milestones
All-Stars...Kenny Reed, Miguel Cabrera, Mark Prior and Greg Maddux
NL RBI leader...Kenny Reed (149)
Cy Young, K leader and Wins leader for the NL goes to Mark Prior
NL MVP was once again Kenny Reed
Gold Glovers for the Cubs were Maddux and rookie Hecht
July 3rd Kerry Wood recorded his 2000th strikeout....August 18th Greg Maddux won his 350th game....September 24 Sammy slammed his 700th HR
Around the Majors: **** Lucido (NYY) and Adam Wierdsma (TB) both hit 4 HR's in one game...Jim Thome hit his 500th HR....Pedro Martinez (CLE) pitched the seasons only no-hitter...

End of the Season
Palmeiro, Foulke, Leiter and Clemens were all let go....No FA's were available that suited my needs...so on to the draft we go.

The Draft
1st pick (26) RP Martin Wolfe 79/88
2nd pick (56) SP Jonathon Cameron 77/85
3rd pick (86) 2B Vic Schmieding 70/90
4th pick (116) RP Daniel Wade 70/78
5th pick (146) CF Len Balter 68/78
6th pick (176) RF Juan Spano 64/79

Wolfe and Wade will go on to be the only picks we keep as a flurry of trades are coming up!

Going into 2008
Only 2 potential FA's this season...Sosa and Cabrera....talks are called off till the end of the season...but I DO plan on keeping them both...I did promise Sosa he would retire a Cub...;)
I have one goal and 1 goal only...Improve this team with YOUNG talent...SP Matt Clement, 3B Aramis Ramirez, SS Craig Counsell, RP York Fras and CF prospect Eric Gomez are sent packing in a cost cutting deal that lands us 3B phenom Jonathon Ferris from the Marlins...Ferris was the overall #3 pick in 2007 and hit .366 with 56 HR's, 161 runs and 128 RBI in AAA....
Reginald Hoffman, draft picks Jonathon Cameron and Vic Schmieding along with reliever Andy Pratt head to the Yankees for their #1 pick in 2008 (4th overall) closer Jeff Gaiter....he will be an integral part of the youth movement in the bullpen...
Ryan Harvey (who was supposed to supplant Sammy in RF) went packing along with Joel Spivak to the Brewers for young slugging Brad Nelson...he's a 1B with alot of power potential and nice defense...a bench spot is waiting for this youngster for 2008...
OF's Juan Encarnacion and Timo Perez were traded to Florida for speedy 2B Luis Castillo...this helps the bench immensely!
Draft picks Len Balter and Juan Spano are sent to Houston in return for a nice SP prospect in Osborne Hagan...FA rookie Brandon Watson was signed to a 5 year deal at 740K....a steal of a pick up...He has a great bat with awesome speed & defense....veteran 1B Jason Giambi was signed to pinch hit at a paltry salary of 660K for 2 years...and finally 41 year old Woody Williams was picked up for a measly sum of 440K for 2 seasons to be the alternate starter.

Spring Training
All we want out of this spring is to get a good look at 3B Ferris...we really have no doubts about him...and he impresses with a .298 BA hitting 5 homers, 5 steals, 23 runs and 18 RBI in 21 games...Rudy Canty impressed as well but will get another season of AAA...

Questions going into 2008
1. Will Sammy hit for average this season...he slipped to .244 in 2007 and this is a concern...If he has a bad start Canty may be called up
2. Will this be the last season for Kerry Wood in a Cubs uniform?...If he does not bounch back he WILL be traded.
3. How will the young bullpen hold up?....This has me nervous....and will be the key to our success.

Season 5 coming up

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at the lineup for 2008....Frank Ricard was moved down to 8th in the order and Joe Mauer has been moved to the 2 slot....I think he'll have a HIGH OBP....

[Scorey1974]

Here's how the pitching staff looks for 2008....Edwin has arrived as the 5th starter with the departure of Clement...Cordero is the only holdover from the bullpen...A risky move by me...will it pay off???

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by mooseman74
Can't believe you think Mauer needs more seasoning haha....Great Dynasty so far though Scorey :)

Thanks Moose....Hey Mauer performed just as I had planned...he is primed for a great career now that I have brought him up...he had a solid rookie year..but not spectacular....I didn't want to rush him when I had Barrett...who is a fine catcher himself...:)

[Scorey1974]

Season 5...2008

Season Results
Finished with a 104-58 record (best since 2004) 20 games ahead of the Cardinals...we simply dominated the division...This was also the best record in MLB.
Playoff: What a way to go out...we lose 3 games to 1 to the wildcard Florida Marlins....:mad:

Team Highlights
Team MVP CF Wade Hecht...283, 32 homers, 27 steals, 135 runs and 92 RBI from the leadoff spot...he's becoming quite the catalyst.
2B Frank Ricard hit .295 with 27 homers, 32 steals, 122 runs and 98 RBI.
SS Kenny Reed slipped a little to a .266 BA...but he did slug 44 homers scoring 106 runs and knocking in 122.
Sammy Sosa hit only .248 but slammed 41 homers scored 103 runs and had 122 RBI.
C Joe Mauer improved to a .296 BA and 21 HR's.
1B Brian McGuire in turning out to be a Mark Grace clone...he hit .288 with 18 HR's...I think this will be typical stats for him...he also had an OBP of .390.
Rookie 3B Jonathon Ferris had a fine initial camaign hitting .255 with 19 HR's, 20 steals, 78 runs and 73 RBI.
Off the bench Brad Nelson pitched in with 6 HR's and SS Virgil Bevilaqua hit .368 in limited action.
AAA RF Rudy Canty once again had a monster season .369, 55 HR's, 135 runs and 129 RBI. also down on the farm CF Felix Pie improved his game and hit .307 with 22 triples, 33 steals, 107 runs and 106 RBI.
Kerry Wood bounced back to form with a 15-6 record and 2.85 ERA. Mark Prior was in fine form going 20-5/2.50....Carlos Zambrano had a decent season going 13-4/2.57....Edwin Jackson cemented his spot on the staff with a 16-7 record and 2.89 ERA...Greg Maddux's streak of 15 wins or more came to a close as he slipped to 12-10/4.60....Chad Cordero also lost his form saving only 28 games and his ERA ballooned to 4.60....Rookie RP's Jeff Gaiter, Martin Wolfe and Vladimir Fajardo combined to go 20-14 with an ERA around 3.75....a big improvement.

Awards/Milestones
All-Stars for 2008: Ricard, Reed, Hecht, Prior and Wood.
Mark Prior won the Cy Young award and also led the league in wins (20) and K's (266)
Frank Ricard won the NL MVP.
Gold Glovers for the team were Joe Mauer and Brian McGuire.
There were NO milestones for the Cubs in 2008.
Around the Majors: Gary Sheffield and A-rod both hit their 500th HR's and Jim Edmonds (TEX) and Montreal's Termel Sledge both hit 4 HR's in 1 game.

End of the Season
2 FA's...Sammy Sosa and Miguel Cabrera....Sosa was signed to a 1 year contract at 8 mil...Cabrera was released...but we later resigned him to a 7 year deal at 10.5 mil....The FA pool was very slim this season.

The Draft
1st pick (30) SP John Reynolds 78/88
2nd pick (60) SP Anthony Smith 75/85
3rd pick (90) RP Jose Olazabal 71/78
4th pick (120) 3B Lou Canapary 70/83
5th pick (150) C Frederick Heilbrun 69/78
6th pick (180) RP Carlos Desilva 65/73

We picked up 2 gems and future starters in Reynolds and Smith with the first 2 picks...Canapary and Heilbrun project as good bench players with excellent defense...Olazabal and Desilva will be useful arms out of the pen at some point. Not a bad draft....

Going into 2009
Potential FA's...Mauer, Sosa, Giambi, Nelson, Pie, Edwin Jackson, Cordero, Woody Williams and Maddux....
Joe Mauer is a keeper and signed for 7 years at 9.7 mil....Pie was signed for 2 years at 2 mil....Giambi was a cheap one to keep around though he is a bit old...we signed him to a 2 year deal at 560K....Edwin Jackson has arrived..and he is rewarded with a 7 year deal at 10 mil....
I'm going to wait on Nelson, Sosa, Maddux, Cordero and Woody

Spring Training
We will use ST to continue to look at our top 2 OF prospects Felix Pie and Rudy Canty....Pie hit .296 with 5 steals and 18 runs....Canty once again proved himself worthy of a call-up as he hit .359 with 8 homers, 16 runs and 19 RBI....only problem is Sammy arrived at camp in top shape and NOT willing to give his job up...and he showed it on the field hitting .330 with 10 long balls...Canty and Pie will start off in AAA...but I will keep a close eye on them if we need a solid bench player to add to the club...Who know...Canty could be starting in RF very soon...all depends on Sammy...

After ST...I decided to trade free agent to be Brad Nelson...he was sent to Milwaukee for another 1B...hot prospect Rico Silva...this saves me the headache of having to deal with Nelson's contract issue....another potential FA...Closer Chad Cordero was sent packing to Oakland for the 2009 #9 overall pick....closer Jose Vaquero....he saved 52 games in AA last season....and will most likely move into the set-up role....Woody Williams was given his unconditional release...This leaves us with only 2 contract issues to deal with...Sosa and Maddux...This will wait till season's end.

Questions going into 2009
There are 2.
1. How much do Sammy and Maddux have left?....Sosa is sitting on 741 career HR's so he will get a shot to break the 755 barrier.
2. Am I crazy for leaving Rudy Canty in AAA another season?...Probably so...but my loyalty lies with Sosa.

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at the whole team going into 2009...

The lineup is intact from 2008...Sosa and Miguel Cabrera and Felix Pie are the only holdovers on the offense from our inaugural 2004 season.

Only one change on the staff...Jose Vaquero takes Cordero's spot in the pen...but Jeff Gaiter is promoted to closer...John Reynolds and Anthony Smith are getting their first taste of AAA ball...and one of them will get the call should Maddux falter.

I am guaranteeing a title for 2009

[Scorey1974]

5 Season Round-up

After 5 seasons of play here is where the 100 year dynasty stands.

Record: 506-305 .624
World Series Appearances: 3
World Series titles: 1
NL Champs: 3
NL Central Titles: 4
Wild Card: 1
Gold Gloves: 10
Cy Young Awards: 4
MVP's: 3
ROY's: 1
All-Stars: 18

Current payroll as of April 1st 2009 is 92.2 million
We have 68.6 million in cash on hand.

3 players that have played for the Cubs are in the HOF.
1. Roger Clemens (100%)...Played for the Cubs in 2007
2. Rafael Palmeiro (81%)...Played for the Cubs in 1986-88, 2007
3. Ken Griffey Jr. (81%)...Played for the Cubs in 2007

[goyanks225]

Originally posted by Scorey1974
[B]World Series Appearances: 3
NL Champs: 2

Huh???

I love reading the dynasty, Scorey. This is by far the best one out. Keep it up!

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by goyanks225
Huh???

I love reading the dynasty, Scorey. This is by far the best one out. Keep it up!

woops...I missed one...I corrected it to say NL Champs: 3...thanks for pointing that out...

Let me just tell you...it is freakin HARD to win the WS on Mogul level...It's easy to dominate and win during the regular season...but the playoffs are a crapshoot...:)

[goyanks225]

Originally posted by Scorey1974
Let me just tell you...it is freakin HARD to win the WS on Mogul level...It's easy to dominate and win during the regular season...but the playoffs are a crapshoot...:)

Sounds like the real MLB...

[Scorey1974]

I am guaranteeing a title for 2009

Well I ate my words...:D

Season 6...2009

Season Results
Finished the season 104-58...15 games ahead of the Pirates...once again the best record in baseball.
Round 1 of the playoffs....up against the Rockies...We're down 2 games to 1 heading back to Wrigley...Greg Maddux is sent to the mound and pitches 7 strong innings as the Cubbies keep hope alive winning 6-4...Game 5 I send out ACE Kerry Wood and he comes up big with a complete game shutout...and struck out 17 batters...Cubs win 5-0.
Now we meet the NL West Champs... the Arizona D-Backs....down 3 games to 2 once again facing elimination we head back to Wrigley....Carlos Zambrano on the mound...Carlos goes 6 innings gives up 11 hits and 7 runs in a D-Backs rout 10-1...an embarrassing end to another great season. :(

Team Highlights
August 12th...write it down in history...the day Sammy tied Hammerin Hank Aaron with his 755th home run...He hit it on the road in the bottom of the 8th off Guillermo Mota of the Marlins....A 2-run shot that scored SS Kenny Reed...

In front of a sell-out crowd of 38,902 at Wrigley Field on August 20th 2009 Eric Junge took the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom of the 5th inning....He quickly retired the first 2 batters...The next 3 batters each reached safely to load the bases and up comes...You guessed it...Sammy....He hit the first pitch out onto Waveland Ave. (an estimated 498 foot shot) for a Grand Salame! #756!!!...Sammy is the hero today as he leads the Cubs to victory 9-4 and forever etches his name into the history of Major League Baseball...This is the single most historic day in the history of the game...All I can say is...Move over Hank Aaron...we have us a new HR King.

The team MVP this season was once again CF Wade Hecht...he ups his BA to .303 with 49 homers, 32 steals, 153 runs and 95 RBI.
3B Jonathon Ferris moved up in the order as the season went along and came in with a very nice season hitting .296...slamming 38 HR's, 23 SB's, 103 runs and 105 RBI...bigger things are in store for this young slugger!
Miguel Cabrera was rock solid once again hitting .293 with 37 dingers, 97 runs and 111 RBI...he is the unsung hero of the team.
SS Kenny Reed slumped this season hitting only .250 with 31 HR's, 95 runs and 111 RBI....well off his MVP numbers...
Sammy had a historic season...but it's clear his time as a starter are over....Sosa hits .215 on the year with 21 HR's, 62 runs and 75 RBI...RF Rudy Canty had another huge season in AAA and will be the starting RF in 2010.
The pitching staff was brilliant...every starter won 14 or more games with Wood and Maddux leading the way with 16 wins, Edwin Jackson and Carlos Zambrano 15, and Mark Prior 14....Instead of going with Gaiter as the closer I turned to the rookie Jose Vaquero...he did not disappoint saving 47 games in 96 appearances...Jeff Gaiter was nice as the set-up man winning 7 games and Martin Wolfe had an 8-3 record and 3.49 ERA....It's clear the youth movement in the bullpen is working!

Awards/Milestones
All-stars: Kenny Reed (didn't deserve it), Wade Hecht, Maddux, Prior and Zambrano.
Wade Hecht led the league in HR's with 49
Mark Prior was once again the K leader with 255
Kerry Wood and Greg Maddux led the NL in wins with 16
Rookie closer Jose Vaquero led the league in saves with 47
The NL MVP Award went to CF Wade Hecht
Maddux, Brian McGuire and Hecht won Gold Gloves
May 2nd Sammy Sosa knocked in his 2000th run....July 29th Prior whiffed his 2000th batter and September 29th Sosa had his 3000th hit...(you already know the rest of the story on Sammy).
Around the Majors: Jose Cuenca (LAD) hit 4 HR's in 1 game....A.J. Burnett of the Braves threw the only no-hitter...Manny Ramirez blasted his 500th HR....A-Rod and Manny had their 2500th hits...and Pedro Martinez won his 250th game....

End of the Season
Sammy Sosa was re-signed for 1 year at 5 mil....Greg Maddux was resigned for 2 years at 5.5 mil....no FA's were signed...

The Draft
This would prove to be a good draft as all the picks were later traded to upgrade the team!
1st pick (30) 1B Juan Jara 78/96
2nd pick (60) 3B Bob Marley...(yes you read that right...;) ) 66/97
3rd pick (90) SS Tad Caddick 71/85
4th pick (120) RF Wes Blue 67/78
5th pick (150) CF Kevin Nash 69/75
6th pick (180) C Frederico Cordobes 65/75

Going into 2010
We have 3 players going into their final year of contracts...Sosa which we will renew at the end of the season for here on out till he retires...Rudy Canty...who signed for 7 years at 4.2 mil...and SS Kenny Reed...who is coming off a sub-par year....We will wait and re-evaluate Reed at season's end...his days as a Cub may be numbered...

Trades---We need to make some moves and the trade phones are a ringing....
Jason Giambi, Brandon Watson and Trent Ellis are traded to the Reds for defensive wiz SS Tom Blanchette.
SS's Virgil Bevilaqua, Tad Caddick and 1B Rico Silva are sent packing to the Marlins for another SS Bryant Behms.
Draft picks Cordobes, Nash, Blue, Marley and RP's Carlos Desilva and Jose Olazabal got to Seattle for hotshot SS Adam Jones...who just may take over in '11 if Reed is not re-signed.
The final deal lands us a big time power hitting 1B...We send the newly acquired Tom Blanchette and Bryant Behms along with Juan Jara and veteran reliever Bert Pavlov to Texas for slugger Adrian Gonzalez...nothing against our current 1B Brian McGuire...but I love power and Gonzalez has it...

Spring Training
Everything is set going into ST...All I want to do is get this group ready for another playoff run.

Questions going into 2010
None...I am confident in this team...I think we could be ready for a return to glory!

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at the 2010 squad

[mattman1624]

I'm really enjoying reading this.

[Scorey1974]

Thank you Matt...at least I have a few readers....:D

[Scorey1974]

Season 7...2010

Season Results
In 2010 The Cubbies once again took the NL Central Crown edging our archrival STL by 3 games with a 96-66 record...
NLDS round: Beat the Mets soundly 3 games to 1
NLCS round: Easily took out the Cardinals 4-2
World Series: Playing those **** Mariners again....they knock us off in 6 games to yet again spoil a fine season for my club.

NEW--Player Performances
CF Wade Hecht had a monster year again as my leadoff batter...he hit .286 with 40 homers, 33 steals, 145 runs and 88 RBI.
3B Jonathon Ferris was a terror in the 2 spot hitting .268 with 41 HR's, 19 steals, 121 runs and 118 RBI....a very nice 1-2 punch...
Miguel Cabrera slumped a bit this season (which i expect will happen from time to time)...he hit only .259 with 26 HR's, 91 runs and 87 RBI.
New Cub Adrian Gonzalez had a decent season, but not what I was expecting from him and he could be on the way out if he doesn't up his production in 2011...Gonzalez hit .258 with 28 homers, 81 runs and 94 RBI.
Rookie RF Rudy Canty had trouble adjusting in the bigs...but he played a full season and put up OK numbers...258 BA, 15 HR's, 68 runs and 74 RBI...I expect bigger and better things are in store for this young man.
Sammy Sosa was the number 1 man off the bench and provided solid pinch-hitting and veteran leadership...He hit .261 with 10 HR's, 39 RBI in only 161 AB.
Felix Pie did his job coming in at a .282 clip off the bench and stealing 6 bases.
Mark Prior anchored the staff going 18-10/2.68....Wood 14-8/3.98...Zambrano 14-7/2.84...Edwin Jackson 15-7/3.05 and Greg Maddux showed that his skills would be better off served in the bullpen going only 4-4/4.35.....Out of the pen...Jose Vaquero struggled in his soph. season losing 9 games and blowing 11 saves with a 5.66 ERA....down on the farm SP John Reynolds went 12-3/3.50 in AAA...very nice young arm.

Awards/Milestones
All-stars: Jonathon Ferris, Wade Hecht and Prior
RBI leader (118) Ferris
W, K, and ERA leader as well as the Cy Young winner went to Mark Prior as he won pitchings Triple Crown winning 18 games, striking our 269 batters and a low ERA of 2.68.
NL MVP was Wade Hecht (again!)
Miguel Cabrera won our teams only Gold Glove
No milestones for the Cubs in 2010
Around the majors: Mariano Rivera (NYY) saved his 500th game....Vicente Padilla (ARI) pitched the seasons only no-hitter....and Alex Rodriguez (NYY) slammed his 600th HR.

End of the Season
Released slumping SS Kenny Reed
signed Sammy Sosa to a 3 year deal at 1.5 mil.
Traded Brian McGuire and 2 mil to Arizona for a younger but just as talented 1B in Juan Miguez.

The Draft
1st pick (26) 2B Joe Anderson 79/94
2nd pick (56) 3B Raul Paez 75/89
3rd pick (86) RP Ozzie Frye 69/80
4th pick (116) RP Freddy Wonderly 69/76
5th pick (146) SS Ed Toscanini 66/80
6th pick (176) RP Jose Garcia 65/72

Going into 2011
FA's to be are SS Adam Jones, CF Wade Hecht, CF Felix Pie, Greg Maddux and SP Osborne Hagan.
Signed Jones to a 6 year deal at 6.5 mil.

Trades: sent Felix Pie, draft picks Paez, Toscanini and Anderson to Boston for the overall #9 pick in 2011's draft--18 year old phenom SS Hank Deleon...
SP Osborne Hagan and prospect starter Anthony Smith were sent to Minnesota for CF Juan Servia.
This leaves us with Maddux and Hecht as the only players in their contract year...Maddux will be renewed at season's end...and there will be tough negotiations with Hecht throughout the season to come to terms on a long term deal...He clearly is our best player and cannot be let go.

Spring Training
2 postions open for ST...the SS job....it will come down to who plays the best between Hank Deleon and Adam Jones....and the 5th starter job...it will be either Maddux or youngster John Reynolds....Deleon comes out the clear cut winner of the job as he hits .370 with 4 HR's, 22 runs and 19 RBI....Adam Jones did decent..but not enough to win the job...I have decided to give the 5th starter position to Reynolds and Maddux will be moved to the bullpen.

Questions going into 2011
1. Is 18 too young to make the jump from AA for Hank Deleon and play SS on one of the best teams in MLB...I tend to think not as this kid is immensely talented and will be surrounded by an awesome lineup.
2. Can John Reynolds provide a youthful spark to the rotation...They're not getting any younger...:D

Season 8 coming soon!

[Scorey1974]

Season 8...2011


We finished this season at 101-61 (best in the NL) 19 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers.
The season ended abruptly as the Dodgers knocked us out in the first round 3 games to 2...As Forrest Gump would say...."That's all I have to say about that"

Player Performances

Team MVP: Frank Ricard...from the leadoff spot he hit .303 with 43 doubles, 23 triples, 32 homers, 36 steals, 154 runs and 90 RBI
CF Wade Hecht had his third straight 30/30 season...going .276 with 35 homers, 32 steals, 108 runs and 115 RBI.
3B Jonathon Ferris continues to establish himself as one of the premier young sluggers in the game. He hit .284 with 44 homers, 23 steals, 128 runs and 108 RBI.
Catcher Joe Mauer had his best season yet hitting .314 with 21 HR's and 76 RBI.
RF Rudy Canty upped his production this season to 24 homers and 90 RBI.
Rookie SS Hank Deleon had a nice 1st season hitting .257 with 13 homers, 72 runs and committing only 14 errors.
Off the bench 1B Juan Miguez compiled a .343 BA with 6 homers and 43 RBI in only 137 AB.
Mark Prior went 13-4/2.63...leading the team in ERA
Kerry Wood was 16-5/3.45...leading the team in wins
Carlos Zambrano slipped to only 11 wins against 7 losses and a 3.56 ERA.
Edwin Jackson turned in another fine season and is establishing himself as our most consistent pitcher going 16-7/2.78.
RP Martin Wolfe was the teams best out of the pen...he came through with a 5-4/2.93 season striking out 100 batters in 120 IP.


Awards/Milestones

All-Stars:
1B Adrian Gonzalez
2B Frank Ricard
3B Jonathon Ferris
CF Wade Hecht
SP Mark Prior
SP Carlos Zambrano
NL HR leader Jonathon Ferris (44)
NL MVP Frank Ricard
C Joe Mauer Gold Glove
2B Frank Ricard Gold Glove
LF Miguel Cabrera Gold Glove
No notable milestones for the Cubs or in MLB in 2011


End of the Season
Signed CF Wade Hecht to a 7 year deal at 13.9 mil
Signed SP Greg Maddux to a 2 year deal at 300K
No FA's were signed.

The Draft

(29) SP Brian Crawford 79/90
(59) SP Dave Rust 75/83
(89) LF John Udall 69/85
(119) RP Ken Hall 70/77
(149) 1B Merlin Korsunskiy 65/83
(179) 3B Luis Texidor 63/81
[/list=1]

Going into 2012
Free Agents to be (4)
[list]
1B Adrian Gonalez
3B Jonathon Ferris
2B Luis Castillo
RP Vladimir Fajardo
Jonathon Ferris will most likely be re-signed after the season
Trades:
Traded SP John Reynolds, RP Jeff Gaiter, RP Jose Garcia and 18 million in cash to Kansas City for 2012 overall #1 pick Starting pitcher Eric Nearly...he will move right into the rotation.
Traded RP Vladimir Fajardo and draft picks Texidor and Hall along with 5 million in cash to Anaheim for dominant closer prospect Paul Louie.
Traded Luis Castillo, RP Ozzie Frye, RP Daniel Wade, draft picks Rust and Udall and 11 million in cash to Florida for hot prospect 3B Andy Kaulentis.
Traded 1B Adrian Gonzalez to the Sox for LF prospect Al Darden in a cost cutting move....After this deal we also made the decison to move the newly acquired Kaulentis to 1B to take over for Gonzalez.


Spring Training
Only 1 battle going into the spring...the 1B job will come down to either Juan Miguez or Andy Kaulentis...Kaulentis is younger and more talented so the job will most likely go to him.

Before the season we signed the following players to FA deals:

33 year old career minor leaguer RP Earl McGil (4 yrs/460K)
1B Rudy Glinn (7yrs/1.45)
3B Reginald Hoffman (7yrs/1.8)...Hoffman was a former 2007 4th round draft choice of the Cubs who was traded to the Yankees and never made it out of AAA...he comes home to provide some depth in the farm.


Questions going into 2012
Only 1 major concern...How well number 1 pick Eric Nearly performs in the 5th starter role.

Season 9 coming soon

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at the roster for 2012.

[Scorey1974]

Season 9...2012

Season Results
Finished the season at 99-63 1st place in the NL Central
2nd best record in the NL to the Dodgers
NLDS: Swept the Giants 3 games to zip
NLCS: Edged the Braves in 7 games!....shew! :D
World Seried: The Cubs return to glory knocking off the New York Yankees 4 games to 2....FINALLY ;)

Player Performances

Hitting MVP: 3B Jonathon Ferris....255 BA, 32 HR's, 110 runs and 114 RBI
Pitching MVP: Carlos Zambrano 17-4/2.05
CF Wade Hecht slipped to a .256 BA, 23 HR's and only 72 RBI
Frank Ricard had another solid season hitting .282 with 24 HR's, 36 SB's, 97 runs and 97 RBI
Miguel Cabrera...same old same old for him....273, 33 HR's, 103 runs and 94 RBI...by far the most consistent Cub
RF Rudy Canty .282, 32 HR's, 90 runs and 88 RBI...not what we expected in his 3rd season
Rookie 1B Andy Kaulentis was decent...he hit .281 with 14 HR's, 79 runs and 64 RBI
Our other fine 1B Juan Miguez came off the bench and hit .284 with 12 HR's and 39 RBI in only 169 AB
Mark Prior had another good season at 17-6/3.58
Kerry Wood won only 10 games against 5 losses but kept his ERA down at 3.58
Edwin Jackson fell off the table this year going 10-12/4.61
Rookie pitcher Eric Nearly pitched well in his first season going 13-7 with a 4.20 ERA


Awards/Milestones

All-Stars: Frank Ricard, Carlos Zambrano and Greg Maddux
Cy Young and NL ERA leader (2.05) Carlos Zambrano
NL K leader Mark Prior (241)
Gold Gloves went to Joe Mauer and Miguel Cabrera
July 18th Kerry Wood whiffed his 3000th batter
August 7th Miguel Cabrera slammed his 300th HR
Around the Majors:
Scott Rolen (HOU), Adam Dunn (CIN) and Lance Berkman (COL) all hit their 400th HR's
Vladimir Guerrero (CLE) collected his 2500th hit and 1500th RBI
Carlos Beltran (SEA) knocked in his 1500th run
Alex Rodriguez (NYY) sealed his selection to the HOF collecting his 3000 hit and 2000th run
Eric Gagne (LAD) saved his 400th game


End of the Season
Signed 3B Jonathon Ferris to a 7 year deal at 12.6 mil
Greg Maddux retired...He completed his career with a record of 392-225 with 3782 K's, 126 CG's and 42 SHO's....Thanks for the memories Greg...:)

The Draft

(29) Closer Kelvin Johnson 77/89
(59) SP Victor Wallace 75/84
(89) LF Fred Adams 70/85
(119) SP Zack Craig 67/77
(149) CF Ichiro Nagashima 66/82
(179) RP Chico Tapia 61/78
[/list=1]

Going into 2013
[list]
We have 6 players going into their final year of their contracts (Juan Miguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano and Martin Wolfe)
Juan Miguez was signed to a 7 year deal at 4.8 mil
44 Year old Sammy Sosa was signed to his final contract...we gave him 530K for 7 years
Mark Prior signed for 5 seasons at 10.0 mil
Kerry Wood was signed for 3 years at 9.7 mil
Trades:
Rudy Canty, bench player Lou Canapary, RP Earl McGil and draft pick Zack Craig plus 9 million are sent to the Reds for the overall #1 pick in the 2013 draft RF Zach Foster...Canty simply wasn't working out
Carlos Zambrano, RP Martin Wolfe and draft pick Chico Tapia go to the Pirates for 20 year old pitching phenom Juan Muniz...This was a cost cutting deal and the staff isn't getting any younger
CF Wade Hecht and his 13.9 million dollar salary are sent packing to the D-Rays for another CF...the younger and cheaper Adam Lynch
3B Jonathon Ferris and minor leaguers Merlin Korsunskiy and Al Darden go to the Brewers in return for stud prospect 3B Marcus Lemoine


Spring Training
4 rookies will be starting this season and we'll take a look at them in ST.

CF Adam Lynch .340, 3 HR's, 7 SB's and 23 runs...very nice
RF Zach Foster .431, 2 HR's, 10 SB's and 30 runs...I like those steals and runs scored
3B Marcus Lemoine .359, 9HR's, 27 runs and 22 RBI...nice power
SP Juan Muniz 0-1 in 3 starts...27K's in 21.2 IP....

From what i see from these rookies we will not have much of a drop off in production...We did trade away alot of talent from a World Series winning ballclub...But...I wanted to continue to get younger and cheaper.

Questions going into 2013
Only 1...How will the rookies perform...They are being thrown right into the fire and are expected to produce!

Season 10 coming up along with the 10 year report

[Scorey1974]

Here's a look at the 2013 roster

[Scorey1974]

Season 10...2013

Season Results
Finished 99-63...12 games ahead of the Houston Astros.
NLDS: Whipped the Giants 3 games to 1
NLCS: Breezed by the Mets 4 games to 2
World Series: We meet our old nemesis the Seattle Mariners...This one goes the distance as we squeak by Seattle 4 games to 3 for our 2nd straight WS title and 3rd in our first 10 seasons!

Player Performances

Hitting MVP: SS Hank Deleon...264, 33 HR's, 101 runs and 140 RBI
Pitching MVP: Mark Prior....16-7/3.02/277K's
Rookie CF Adam Lynch was spectacular hitting .301, 11 HR's, 26 SB's and 106 runs
Rookie RF Zach Foster was even more spectacular hitting .327 with 31 SB's and 101 runs
Miguel Cabrera .254, 31 HR's and 117 RBI
1B Juan Miguez very solid hitting .306, 34 HR's and 97 RBI
Rookie 3B Marcus Lemoine had a nice first season hitting .254 with 20 HR's, 85 runs and 69 RBI
Edwin Jackson rebounded from a bad 2012 season to go 16-8/3.43
Kerry Wood had an average season...12-9/3.92...he's getting a bit old...now 36
2nd year man Eric Nearly almost duplicated his rookie season going 13-9/3.86
Highly touted rookie Juan Muniz went 13-8/3.66...a very nice season for him


Awards/Milestones

All-Stars: Hank Deleon, Mark Prior, Juan Muniz and RP Paul Louie
NL Batting Title...Rookie RF Zach Foster (.327)
NL RBI leader Hank Deleon (140)
NL K Leader was once again Mark Prior with 277
Edwin Jackson and Mark Prior both led the NL in wins with 16
Cubs had a Golden Glove OF with Miguel Cabrera and rookies Lynch and Foster winning the awards
Milesones:
June 14th Miguel Cabrera knocked in his 1000th run
August 14th Mark Prior whiffed his 3000th batter
Around the Majors:
Alex Rodriguez (NYY) hit his 700th HR, had his 2000th RBI and stole his 300th base this season
Vladimir Guerrero (CLE) slammed his 500th HR
Mark Teixeira (SFG) whacked his 400th HR
Carlos Beltran of the Mariners had his 2500th base hit


End of the Season
No Activity

The Draft
[list=1]
(29) SP Terry Jacobson 77/93
(59) SP Tony Bell 76/84
(89) SP Rob Murray 73/81
(119) C Abraham Deegan 70/83
(149) RP Norman Gatsby 59/78
(179) SS Juan Sarsola 64/80
[/list=1]
This was one of our better drafts so far as we grabbed three great SP prospects in rounds 1-3 and a new back-up C in Deegan.

Going into 2014
Team is intact and ready to roll.
I decide to pick up a couple of arms and acquired the overall #6 and #7 picks in 2014's draft in the following deals.

Cubs send P's Freddy Wonderly, Victor Wallace, OF's Ichiro Nagashima, Fred Adams and draft pick Juan Sarsola to Montreal for 19 year old Bert Bascoe.

Cubs send closer Jose Vaquero and bench player Juan Servia to the Brewers for 18 year old phenom Juan Eleano (85/97).

Catcher Frederick Heilbrun was sold to NYY for 1 mil in cash.

FA RF Zack Fisher (79/83) was signed for a bench role at 1.5 mil for 3 years.
38 year old Francisco Cordero was signed to fill the closer's role at 2.3 mil/3years.
RP Marlon Rylance was signed for mop up duty for 500K/3years.
SP Sid Krajewski was signed for the ALT spot at 530K/3 years.

Spring Training
No concerns...team is set at all positions....no rookies to worry about...everyone should be better and riding high off of 2 straight WS titles.

Questions going into 2014
1. How much does 36 year old Kerry Wood have left in the tank? If he falters we now have ALOT of talent in AAA ready for a look.
2. How good will the old veteran Cordero be in the closers role...He is old but still very reliable...If he doesn't get the job done we may have problems.

Coming soon...The 10 year report

[Scorey1974]

The 10 Year Report

Records
Overall Record 1005-616...620 winning pct.
Average Record 101-61 per season...Have won 92 or more games in every season.
World Series Titles 3
World Series Appearances 6
NL Central Titles 9
Wild Card 1

Awards
NL MVP Awards 6
NL Cy Young Awards 6
Rookie of the Year Awards 1
All-Star selections 38
Gold Glove Winners 22

HOF Connections
These are players who had at one time had some playing time with the Cubs that are now in the HOF
[list=1]
SP Roger Clemens played for the Cubs in 2007....He was Inducted into HOF in 2012 with 100%...Career...346-194...3.24 ERA...4734 K's
1B Rafael Palmerio played for the Cubs in 1986-88 and again in 2007...He was Inducted into the HOF in 2014 with 81%....Career...290 BA...549 HR's...1737 RBI
CF Ken Grffey Jr. played for the Cubs in 2007...He was inducted into the HOF in 2016 with 81%....Career...287 BA...554 HR's....182 SB's...1566 RBI
SP Greg Maddux played for the Cubs in 1986-'92 and again from 2004-'12...He was inducted into the HOF in 2017 with 100%...Career...392-225...3.11 ERA...3782 K's
RF Sammy Sosa played for the Cubs from 1992-2013...He was inducted into the HOF in 2018 with 100%....Career...268 BA...782 HR's...238 SB's...1873 runs...2158 RBI
[/list=1]

That's the run-down for the 1st 10 years

Season 11 (2014) coming soon

[Scorey1974]

Here's a peak at the roster for the 2014 Chicago Cubs...

[XtremeSlim]

This is awesome. Please continue.

[Scorey1974]

Took a little break from my dynasty....Updates will be coming soon!

[Scorey1974]

Well...I was going to continue this dynasty...but unfortunately I went to resume my game and the .mog file has been lost....errrrrrr.....Not sure how it happened...but this dynasty is officially over....I'll start up a new one once we get our universe file finished...

[DTF9551]

Too bad; I'm looking forward to getting this game - version 2k4 right now - but I hope this isn't the norm among dynasties, the file disappearing liek tht. I'll certainly run it throught he ringer to see, though :-)

Still, it was great while it lasted; Maddux, Sosa, etc. all were wonderful.

[jaykno14]

when are you goinhg to start your new dynasty???