Just as some Cubs fans began making their World Series plans in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, many at the Cubs Convention were prematurely counting on Greg Maddux to help them take the final step this season.
But even if general manager Jim Hendry brings back Maddux, the Cubs still will have to contend with a Houston club that has added October-ready starters Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens.
“It’s going to make the [NL Central] division tough,” starting pitcher Mark Prior said.
“They made some moves early on that I thought seemed like they were just dumping payroll when they got rid of [closer] Billy [Wagner]. Obviously, they’ve made some moves to really establish themselves in the division now.
” Those moves will help them not just this year but also in the future, just like the added benefits that Maddux would bring to us.
“The work ethic (of Pettitte and Clemens) and what they’ve done in their careers will go a long way with helping [Roy] Oswalt and [Wade] Miller and [Jeriome] Robertson. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
With 88 wins, the Cubs finished only one game ahead of the Astros in 2003, and their 3.83 earned-run average was only slightly better than Houston’s 3.86.
But the Cubs appear to be better than last year due to the acquisitions of first baseman Derrek Lee and reliever LaTroy Hawkins.
“We’ve made our team better in just about every aspect– pitching, defense and offense,” starter Kerry Wood said.
“We expect to do better than we did last year, obviously.”
Money matters
When the arbitration-eligible Lee and Kyle Farnsworth agree to contracts this week, the Cubs’ payroll will stand at about $84 million, bringing the team in on budget with Maddux still on the radar.
Manager Dusty Baker said Maddux “knows he has to accept less because of the current marketplace.
“The question is how much less, and how much more do we have? There’s not a never-ending well of finances here, or very few places.”
The Cubs ended 2003 with an $83 million payroll. After such a successful season at the box office, why not pour more money into the team in 2004?
“We already have,” Baker said. The payroll “is different.”
Baker said Tribune Co. “has a board of directors that [Hendry] has to answer to. It’s not like they’re owned by one or two guys.”
The Cubs have sold about 25,000 full or partial season-ticket plans for ’04 and expect to surpass the 3 million mark in attendance if the team remains in contention in September.
That means Wrigley Field should be filled to 98 percent of capacity, the highest in the majors, as in ’03. Baker said he doesn’t want to know all the information pertaining to players’ salaries.
“I’d get scared if I knew all that,” he said.
First impressions
Baker said the most amazing thing he saw in his first season managing in Chicago was “all the people I saw staggering home after games. That was amazing.
“Seven or eight people, locked arm in arm sometimes, holding each other up. Those people have a good time.
“This town has the best time I’ve ever seen people have on a daily basis, and the weather doesn’t stop them at all. People don’t complain about it. I find that pretty amazing.”
Closing thoughts
Hawkins phoned closer Joe Borowski the day after Hawkins signed in November to let Borowski know he wasn’t after his job.
“We’re a team now in the bullpen, and you’ve got to work like that,” Borowski said.
“The good thing is we’re getting a guy who probably was one of the best relievers in the American League the last few years. I tell everybody that if I don’t do my job, I don’t deserve it anyway.
“You can’t look at it like it’s a competition down there. You’ve got to work as a team. Otherwise you won’t have success.
“[Hendry] did a great job. Everyone always wants to see the big-name free agents signed, but sometimes you don’t need to do that. You have to fill the holes you have, and our bullpen was a weakness. [Hawkins] will make a huge difference. You don’t have to worry about everybody else picking up everybody else’s load.”
