Defining Lou Piniella's Cubs

The Lou Piniella Cub era is starting to take shape.

Moves still need to be made, and a couple of kids need to put all the pieces together consistently, but the core of the Cubs' offense for the next several years could be shaping up. And they're winning.

Without a permanent solution in right field, without a bona fide starting catcher, with up to five rookie- to rookie-plus starters on any given day including the pitcher, and before Piniella's first trade deadline as manager, they're winning. Above .500 at the halfway point and closing ground on a Brewers team that blew an opportunity to put away the division early.

It's been a good month.

The kids are getting the job done. Despite fewer than 100 career at-bats, Mike Fontenot was a sparkplug in the two-slot, where he needs to return, slugging over .600. He re-forms a double-play combination that's won before, joining his partner Ryan Theriot from Louisiana State's 2000 College World Series champs, with a coach in Alan Trammell who played next to the same guy for 19 years.

Felix Pie, even at .220, is a force to be reckoned with. Though he's been riding the bench lately, he's had enough playing time to jump to third on the team in stolen bases and a tie for second in triples, and I drool at the prospect of double-digit outfield assists and Gold Glove potential at two positions for years to come.

Carlos Marmol has also stepped up his game. Upper 90s on the speed gun, wicked movement on his slider, and in the games I've seen, he keeps the ball down. Regardless of whether he was imagined as a starter, he's doing a great job in the setup role and shows definite closer potential.

And Sean Marshall has pitched well. And when Rich Hill is on, he's on.

That's six guys making an impact at bargain-basement prices on a team that made headlines for its spending spree in the off-season.

Throw them all together, along with Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee and Alfonso Soriano, and you could be looking at six starters, possibly seven including the pitcher, on Opening Day 2010.

Even if 2007 doesn't turn out to be the year, this will be the core of a team Cub fans will talk about for a long time to come.