Alfonso Soriano was one of the things going right for the Cubs in 2007 in his first season in the Windy City.

“Play Like There’s No Tomorrow” – That is the slogan the Cubs marketing department devised for the 2007 season. The team erected a 70-foot tall sign in downtown Chicago with that slogan on it to let their fans know that they were committed to bringing a World Series banner back to the Windy City for the first time since 1908. “Spend Like There’s No Tomorrow” might have been a better choice of words though. General manager Jim Hendry embarked on a mission to completely remake the team, after a disastrous 2006 season in which the team finished dead last in the NL Central division, with a record of 66-96. Hendry went on a player acquisition spending-spree, committing over $300 million dollars of payroll, and signing several of the most sought after free agents to hit the market in years. The Cubs also replaced manager Dusty Baker with the always-mercurial Lou Pinella, in the hope that he would help the team develop a winning attitude. The made over team did not deliver a World Series appearance, but did improve. They went from worst to first and won the NL Central with a record of 85-77.

What Went Right

First, the Cubs finally got smart and stopped resting their fortunes on the arms of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. After they combined for 14 innings between them in 2006, the Cubs began planning for their departure. Wood spent most of 2007 injured again, but did complete the transition to the bullpen. He finally joined the team in August, and made 22 appearances out of the 'pen, hurling 24 innings for a record of 1-1, with an ERA of 3.33. More importantly, he struck out a batter per inning, and held opponents to a batting average of .207. He will compete for a job out of the bullpen again in 2008 and has been mentioned as a potential closer. Prior, on the other hand, has been non-tendered and is seeking a contract elsewhere.

Speaking of the bullpen – overall, it was one of the true strengths of the 2007 Cubs. Bobby Howry provided solid setup innings, closed when Ryan Dempster was injured, and made a total of 78 appearances with an ERA of 3.32.

Carlos Marmol was the team's ace out of the pen. He ended with a record of 5-1, an ERA of 1.43, and struck out 96 batters in just 69 innings of work. His stuff is electric and he has the swagger of a closer, a role he should inherit in 2008 if Pinella does not give it to Wood.

Lefty Scott Eyre was shaky in the first half (6.60 ERA), but pulled it together for the second half (0.81 ERA), when he was practically unhittable. Only two teams in MLB had fewer blown saves than the Cubs

For several years the Cubs have had solid pitchers in their rotation, but misuse and abuse by Dusty Baker led to injuries and late-season meltdowns. Under Pinella, with pitch counts in place, and liberal use of the bullpen when warranted, the starting rotation thrived. As a team, the Cubs pitching staff led MLB in strikeouts (for the 7th straight year), BAA, K/9 inn, and were fourth in ERA at 4.04. In '06 they needed 15 different starters, while in '07 they used 5 pitchers for 152 starts. The other 10 starts were split among 3 pitchers.

Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis, two of the free agents signed during Hendry's off-season spending spree, combined to go 27-12 with a 4.20 ERA.

Carlos Zambrano had another up and down year, going 18-13 with an ERA of 3.95, and getting into arguments with catcher Michael Barrett who was eventually traded away to preserve order in the clubhouse.

Rich Hill emerged as a reliable #3/#4 guy, giving the Cubs 32 starts with a record of 11-8 and a 3.92 ERA.

Jim Hendry's biggest splash in free agency was the signing of Alfonso Soriano, who continued to post terrific numbers despite his butt-ugly, free-swinging ways. He led the team in homers with 33, batted .299, stole 19 bases, and bopped 42 doubles. He switched back and forth between center field and left field, but will likely play left in '08, with Felix Pie taking over in center.

Ryan Theriot turned out to be a pleasant surprise for the Cubs in 2088. Pinella liked the kid's hustle and eventually gave him the shortstop job. Theriot led the team with 28 steals. He should be the starting shortstop in 2008.

The Cubs had some catching issues last season, to say the least, with Michael Barrett struggling at the plate and eventually melting down before being traded to the Padres. They then acquired Jason Kendall in a deadline deal with the A's who were dumping salary. However, it was Geovany Soto who opened some eyes within the organization. It is a small sample, but he showed some hitting skills, with an average of .389, and 11 of his 21 hits (in 54 at-bats) were for extra bases, including three homers. He projects as a backup catcher, but could get the starting nod if the Cubs cannot land an established catcher over the winter.

What Went Wrong

Even though they had several players who had fine offensive seasons, the Cubs struggled at times to put runs on the board. Nowhere was it more apparent than in their road stats. They ranked 15th among the 16 NL teams in runs scored and home runs on the road. With the dominant pitching they had, they should have won many more games than they did. The Cubs record when they scored fewer than three runs in a game was 5-34.

They also struggled against left-handed pitching with a record of 19-24 against southpaws. There was no such thing as a comeback for this squad either. When losing a game upon entering the sixth inning their record was 10-55. Finally, in games decided by one or two runs, their record was 32-36, and in games in which their opponent scored first, they were 21-46.

Overall, the team had a feast or famine type offense. When their heavy hitters were not hitting, the team was not scoring runs. They were a team that relied heavily on the long ball to put up runs, but did not have enough long ball hitters in the lineup. The other problem was an inability to manufacture runs. As great a hitter as Soriano is, he is not a traditional lead off man. He strikes out too often and was unwilling to take a walk when that was what the team needed him to do in the lead off role.

Another aspect of the Cubs clubhouse that may have contributed to their eventual demise was a lack of team chemistry, particularly as it pertained to the pitching staff. The team used seven different catchers during the season, including Michael Barrett. For one reason or another, Barrett had difficulty getting along with the staff, especially Carlos Zambrano. The two of them exchanged shoves and shouts on more than one occasion. Barrett reportedly also had problems with Ted Lilly. That kind of friction in a pitcher/catcher battery makes working together difficult at best. Eventually, the Cubs shipped Barrett out, but that only led to another catcher having to learn the tendencies and strengths of the staff. That slowed development of a rapport and chemistry between the players and contributed to the demise of the Cubs.