Compare the 2003 Cubs with 2007 Cubs

[cpomeroy]

Alot of people have been saying that Lou was given a much better team than Dusty was, so I thought it would be be interesting to compare the two teams and hear people's thoughts.

2003 Cubs
1B Karros/Simon
2b Grudzielanek/Womack
SS Gonzalez
3b Ramirez
RF Sosa
CF Patterson/Lofton
LF Alou
C Miller
SP Wood (Healthy)
SP Prior (Healthy)
SP Zambrano
SP Clement
SP Estes

The starting pitching was much better in 2003. That being said, I have to admit the 2007 Cubs look much better on paper than the 2003 Cubs. Given the results of the 2003 Season, I am just that more optimistic for this year.

[Whitesoxnut]

I must be missing something because I dont see anything better in 2007 yet. First off its to early to tell, tho I admit the '07 Cubs have the potential to make the playoffs.

Here's how I see it. They have a mega-$$$ player going to CF who hasn't ever played it before, or very rarely. Much of his power is going to be wasted because he has a brain aneurysm that tells him he can only hit LOH. They got a great kid in LF whom they are considering platooning, even tho he hits rightys almost as good as he does leftys. Late last year he showed the the increase in power "late season" I predicted he was going to be capable of.

In RF they have Jones who's weak against Lefties. Or they have Floyd who's weak against Lefties, and will probably be on injured reserved anyway. Both Pagan and Pie have tantalized but haven't done anything yet. Daryl Ward is a nobody. I just dont see the '07 OF with the kind of production the '03 team had.

Infield wise they will probably be a little better off. They have a Ramirez in his prime and with Pinellas foot in his butt. Lee is at first, Izturis can win a GG, but there might be an issue at 2b. Derosa did play a good 2nd the handful of times with the '06 Rangers. At Catcher the '07 Cubs are strong at. I like Blanco and Barret hits good tho he throws a sissy punch.

The real issue for the '07 Cubs is the starting pitching. Theres no way they are stronger, at this point, then the '03 Cubs were. The bullpen is shaping up nicely in '07, but I dont remember the '03 bullpen.

So at this point I dont think you can compare the two teams. The Cubs have a legitimate shot if they can jell and they dont need the best starting pitching in the NL to take their division. They just need to keep 5 guys standing. Neal Cotts is going to be a far, far better middle reliever and setup man then Glendon Rusch was. Mark my words, your going to like that trade.

[cpomeroy]

I I just dont see the '07 OF with the kind of production the '03 team had.



2003 Outfield
AVG/hr/RBI/Runs

Sosa .279/40/103/99
Alou .280/22/91/83
Lofton .296/12/46/97

2007 Outfield
Soriano .277/46/95/119
Jones .285/27/81/73
Murton .297/13/62/70

Looking at last year's number, it looks pretty close to me. In 2003, that was really all we had. Ramirez put up some good number that year (half the year was with Pittsburg), and since come into his prime. Now take a look at the infield numbers.

2003
1b Karros/Choi/Karros Platoon .263/26/89/81
2b Grudzeielnek .303/3/40/77
SS Gonzalez .228/20/59/71
3b Same guy only better
C Miller/Bako .231/9/55/51

2007 Cubs
1b D. Lee (2005 Numbers) .335/46/107/120
2b Derosa .296/13/74/78
SS Izturis Should have better number than Gonzo.
3b Ramirez .291/38/119/93
C Barrett/Blanco .290/22/90/77

The Cubs Bench looks pretty good.
Floyd/Ward/Theriot/Pagan

The Bullpen is much improved with Cotts/Eyre/Howry/Wood/Dempster/Probably Miller/Marshall as the long man.

[otis89]

2003 Outfield
AVG/hr/RBI/Runs

Sosa .279/40/103/99
Alou .280/22/91/83
Lofton .296/12/46/97

2007 Outfield
Soriano .277/46/95/119
Jones .285/27/81/73
Murton .297/13/62/70

Looking at last year's number, it looks pretty close to me.

You really should put Patterson's and Lofton's numbers from '03 together. Patterson was doing really good before he got hurt.

[Cubsfan97]

Yea, I remember him being the MVP of our team at the time. Then came that pitiful game where he got injured. I remember it well, as it was yesterday. Power had been out for about a day and a half now and it was hotter than hell. Well, we all decided to hook up a TV using the Car battery, so we got a 10 inch on and we watched the CUbs game and I remember seeing him run down 1st, trying to beat out the throw and then it happened. Was horrible. Anyways, onto original question...
2003 Cubs vs. 2007 Cubs

C-Damian Miller vs. Michael Barrett--Winner: Barrett
1B- Karros/Choi/Simon vs. Derrek Lee--Winner: Lee
2B-Mark Grudzielanek vs. Mark DeRosa--Winner: Grudzielanek
3B-Bellhorn/Hernandez/Ramirez vs. Ramirez--Winner: 2007 Ramirez
SS- Alex Gonzalez vs. Cesar Izturis--Winner: No one deserves to win
LF- Moises Alou vs. Matt Murton--Winner: Right now, Alou, but if Murton gets power, then Murton
CF- Patterson/Lofton vs. Soriano--Winner: Soriano, by a little
RF- Sammy Sosa vs. Jacque Jones--Winner: Sammy Sosa

Bench- Harris/Bako/Martinez/Goodwin/O'Leary vs. Ward/Floyd/Theriot/Cedeno/Pagan--Winner: 2007 Bench

SP- Prior/Wood/Zambrano/Clement/Estes vs. Zambrano/Lilly/Hill/Marquis/Whoever--Winner: 2003 SP

Bullpen- Borowski/Remlinger/Alfonseca/Guthrie/Farnsworth/Veres vs. Dempster/Wood/Howry/Eyre/Cotts/Wuertz--Winner: 2007 Bullpen

In my mind, the score is 6-4, in favor of 2007, but I would say with the SP as shaky as it is, that it should be a 5-5 tie, I say the teams are pretty evenly matched. If we could get a good SS .280/.350/.400 we could have something. Thats my take on the team this year.

[otis89]

In my mind, the score is 6-4, in favor of 2007, but I would say with the SP as shaky as it is, that it should be a 5-5 tie, I say the teams are pretty evenly matched. If we could get a good SS .280/.350/.400 we could have something. Thats my take on the team this year.

And as unimpressive as the rest of the division is, a team equal to the 2003 Cubs should be able to win it.

[Whitesoxnut]

I wouldnt be so quick to compare 2003 standings to 2006 ones in the NL. In 2003 there were 10 .500 or better teams compared to 6 of them in 2006.

The Little sisters of the Poor could have batted .280 in the NL last year, lets face it. In 2003 the Cubs competed against 9 other .500 or better NL teams, two of which won over 100 games. For another indication about the 2003 strength of NL pitching just look at their records against the AL in interleauge and then compare it to 2006. 2003 http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/mlb_standings_2003_season.jsp

2006 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/standings/expanded_standings.html

[Nomtoc]

Know what I really hated about '03?

Alex Gonzalez grounds out to Alex Gonzalez!

[otis89]

Know what I really hated about '03?

Alex Gonzalez grounds out to Alex Gonzalez!

I actually thought it was kind of funny having Alex Gonzalez play against Alex Gonzalez in the NLCS.

[CubsFan12]

I want to say that the 2007 is team is better but i cant quite do that yet until the 2007 cubs show me something that the 2003 Cubs did NOT show me (World Series)