Yawn and Stretch and Finally Come to Life

Like real bears, the Cub fan comes out of hibernation every spring. With sleep in his eyes and a rumble in his belly, he's hungry for games. Stats. Pitching matchups. Highlight reels. MLB Gameday. And that first chance of the year to question Dusty Baker's lineup. Because why should Opening Day be any different than the other 161?

Juan Pierre is set in the leadoff position, with Todd Walker, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Jacque Jones filling out the meat of the order and Michael Barrett, Matt Murton, Ronny Cedeno and Carlos Zambrano completing the lineup.

Walker can get the job done at the plate, but Murton would bring more excitement to the top of the order. He has the ability to hit for higher average and OBP than Walker, and stands a better chance of scoring from first on doubles by Derrek Lee, who hit 50 of them last year.

Walker, in turn, might be a better fit for the six-spot with Barrett behind him. Why bat a .300 hitter seventh with no protection - and that goes for either Murton or Walker - when you can use those ABs to get your heavy hitters over and in? Barrett may have more power than Walker, but depending on the longball has gotten the Cubs nowhere, and I'd rather see Barrett try to drive in Walker than the other way around since neither is exactly a speed demon.

And then there's the Ronny Cedeno situation. Cedeno tore up the Winter League, but struggled at the plate through Spring Training. Will he keep his starting role if he can't come around quickly enough, or will Baker jump at the chance to get his guy Neifi Perez in the lineup as soon as possible? It backfired with Jason Dubois last year, and Dubois is already long gone. But until he has more games under his belt, there's no way of knowing if Cedeno is a .320 Major League hitter or a .220 Major League hitter.

We'll see, of course. There are bigger issues to bite one's nails over this year, namely starting pitching. We're all waiting as usual for the appearance of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, wondering if Wade Miller will return to form once he's healthy, and anxious to see if Sean Marshall might be the Next Big Thing.

Optimistic? Anxious? Sure, just like every year.

Okay guys, I think I'm ready. You can start the season now.