Hold the applause please. At least let me give a two year mini recap first (oh, i’m not typing in MS Word, forgive me for any typos):

First and foremost I am recently engaged. She’s pretty cool, she lets me have a Cubs mancave.

Uhm, secondly, I recently relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina. It isn’t Chicago though, everything is so slow paced here.

Thirdly, Mr. Ricketts has bought the Cubs since I abandoned my blog (more on him later, you’ll be in for a treat, pessimism will def. be back).

Fourthly. This is a sad one. RIP Mr. Santo, I had the pleasure of meeting him twice.

Fifth (this list is getting too long), I met Ernie Banks this past summer while getting lunch at Navy Pier.

Okay, I’m done with the list. Going into the 2011 season I am fine with Mark Quade as going in as the skipper. I’m really excited that Larry Rothschild is no longer the pitching coach. I’m super excited that Kerry Wood is back as a Cub, the only way he should retire.

I’m also okay with the Cubs signing Carlos Pena to a one year contract. I think Pena could raise his crappy batting avg. and still hit for power. If he doesn’t pan out then he’s off the books. Also coming off the books after this season would be third basemen Aramis Ramirez. That’ll free up about 25 mil going into 2012, hopefully letting the Cubs go after Puljos if the Cardinals dont resign him.

I’m okay with too much going into this year, so much for being pessimistic.

Ha, who am I kidding, being pessimistic is the reason why you’re reading this! That Garza trade was awful! The Cubs have to make a decision, are we rebuilding or competing for a championship? Looking at the NL Central this year, it is going to be really tough to compete with the Cardinals and the Reds, even the Brewers. So giving up four minor leaguers, (two of which I’m okay on leaving: Sam Fuld and whoever that catcher was), but that pitching prospect, which I’m too lazy to look up his name because I forgot it, and that Asian guy who plays short stop who is too long to spell, love the run on sentence there. Either way we could have used those propsects as trade bait for somebody who isn’t so much like Zambrano.

I really don’t know what the point of this season is going to be. On paper the Cubs look decent, but deep down I know that they’ll finish fourth in the NL Central.

I guess I’ll put out my projected batting order even though spring training hasn’t started yet:

SS- Castro

2B- Dewitt

CF- Byrd

3B- Ramirez

1B- Pena

LF- Soriano

C- Soto

RF- Fuko/Colvin

SP

Hmmm…what if Soriano starts leading off again?