Oh, hey, I didn't even see you there

Well I kind of flaked last year on this blog after I got back home and was actually able to go to some Cubs games, but I'm back with a regular schedule and a program that lets me watch all the games on my computer this year, and I'd like to talk Cubs baseball. First of all, I can't remember the last time I was this excited for a season. And despite the fact that they have more men on base at the end of an average inning than the U.S. Army, they've gotten off to a pretty good start. Even the losses haven't been that bad. But the errors... oh, the errors. Every time a ball is bobbled or overthrown I flash forward to an October 2008 catastrophe that could make fans long for the days when it was Bartman who cost us... though now, apparently, it wasn't. I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that the miscues are just off-season rust that has yet to shake off. All and all though, it's been fun to watch as the Cubs have found all sorts of ways to win. They have already put together a five-game streak, which they hadn't done since last year's stellar run in June.

A few observations thus far

Derek Lee, despite his struggles over the past two games, appears to be ready for a monster season. He looks focused and patient at the plate and his power numbers are likely to get a boost from last year. It's a good sign that when a guy is 0 for 5 in a game he's still got enough game IQ and patience to get himself a couple of bases on balls, as Lee did in the wee innings of a 15-inning marathon against Pittsburgh the other night. Had Lee not taken the walk in the 14th, Adam LaRoche's two-run shot in the bottom half of the inning would have won it for the Bucs.

Kosuke Fukudome, already a fan favorite, is exactly the type of player the Cubs needed. He is even-keeled and unflappable. There might not be a more fundamentally sound player in baseball. He's smart, fast, and he's an on-base machine. He's got a rocket arm from right. Perhaps most importantly though, he's a virtual stranger to the culture of the curse and, as they say, ignorance is bliss. It certainly can be when you're playing lights out baseball in total oblivion and contravention of 99 years of tragic history. Fukudome will be the guy that hits in the playoffs when no one else is. He will keep rallies and hope alive. He will be the motor.

Resilience. Cubs teams of yore would have folded like a paper airplane after blowing a seven-run lead, as they did on Monday. Giving up a two-run home run bottom 14 after they blowing a ninth inning lead and finally taking it back with a two-run Ramirez shot in the top of the 14th would have been a death knell in the past. But, somehow, they won both. They didn't hang their heads and they kept plugging away. These are games they're winning now that are going to mean they won't have to make a 20-game run at the end of the season, and it's a good sign.

Depth. Everyone is playing their part when they're needed. Soriano, our biggest power man last season, has gotten off to a miserable start, but he'll come around, and in the mean time other guys are picking up the slack. Giovanni Soto has been fantastic, and I think this guy has Mike Piazza-but-with-better-defense written all over him. He's a keeper. Mike Fontenot has stepped in when needed, including a big two-run homer yesterday night to put the game away. Reed Johnson has hit everything since stepping in for a still-struggling Felix Pie. And Pie himself, despite his woes at the plate, was the hero of Wednesday's game with his hands-in, opposite field two-run single. Fukudome is all over the place, keeping the beat. Aramis and Soriano are going to get theirs eventually, but it's nice to know that they and Lee don't have to go it alone. Ryan Dempster has been phenomenal in his two starts. This is a guy who, when he used to come in for the ninth, I had to close my eyes and pray. I guess starting pitching just suits him better. He could be the surprise of the season. Kerry Wood may have blown the save against the Pirates the other night, but he made them look foolish for the remainder of the inning, and he's looked outstanding most of the time.

Some concerns

The errors. We talked about this already. They, of course, have got to stop. Tighten up the screws.

Starting pitching. There's already talk of putting Rich Hill, who many predicted was poised for a breakout season, in the bullpen. He had a rough outing last night and Jon Lieber, who relieved, is breathing down his neck. Lieber has been more than solid so far, but I don't know if he's a long-term starting pitching solution. I like Sean Marshall, but he has been inconsistent. I've never been sold on Ted Lilly myself, but I know that Lou wants to have those lefties in the lineup, and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. One start does not a season make, but if he blows another multi-run lead, it may be time to look to Kevin Hart for some quality innings.

Felix Pie. I want this guy to be a mega-success. I want him to bust out of quadruple-A status and to start hitting. He's lightning quick and a gifted fielder. He tears pitchers apart down in Iowa, but he just looks miserable up at the plate here. Part of it, I assume, is that he can't get settled in. Lou gives him a handful of games at the beginning of a season, moves him all over the order, and then yanks him. He's a kid. Give him a chance and let him know that he is the future so he doesn't feel Triple-A breathing down his neck all the time.

On the whole, I'm pretty thrilled with how the first week and a half has turned out. The Cubs are finding ways to win even when they don't play that well. It bodes well for when they hit midseason stride and have to put the Brewers away. Until next time, GO CUBS!