Steam shortstop Lou Boudreau was born in Illinois. He was an Illini at college. He died in Illinois. But he was NEVER a Cub. He played for the Tribe all but his final two years (then the Red Sox). Why the Steam (a.k.a. Cubs) picked him is a mystery. Guess the Steam is embracing diversity. To deviate from the plan last year is a good plan.
What could work: A team, a park, a plan. Put everybody where they are comfortable and make the fans happy. Greg Maddux had a decent second half in the Municipal League last year and is capable of winning more than twenty games. Hippo Vaughn and Fergie Jenkins could both win 15 to 20 games. Their career win totals were always held down because they played on mediocre to poor teams (a.k.a. Cubs). Lee Smith is a fine closer. Kenny Lofton will score runs courtesy of RBI machines Dawson, Sosa, Hack Wilson, and Ernie Banks. Rhino is Hall of Famer and a class act at second base.
What could fail: These are the Cubs. Beyond that…The team has five outfielders that should all be playing at the Ivy walls of Wrigley (Lofton, Dawson, Bobby Murcer, Sosa and Hack). Boudreau could be the only .300 hitter on the squad. In fact the team will likely be found at the bottom of the league in batting average. This team has no depth in the infield. Cey at third, Boudreau at short, Rhino at second and probably Banks at first. Collectively good, but not great.
Result: 81-81. They’ll look good in the standings, and recover from a disastrous season last year, but this is a weak division that’ll be beat on by the NL East.
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