In my last post, I discussed how good the Red Sox look this year. Though not as strong as the Red Sox, their National League equivalent, the Cubs, have the right manager, a young powerful pitching staff and just enough offense to be dangerous. Could you imagine a double miracle of the Cubbies and the Red Sox in the World Series? The only problem with that miracle is that one of the teams would have to lose and continue their almost status in history.

Dusty Baker is the X-Factor in Chicago. He took a San Francisco team that had one of the unhealthiest duos in history in Kent and Bonds and made it work through his professionalism, his ability to get his players to believe in their chances and get it done...sometimes with mirrors. He is the manager the Cubs haven't had and has the winning tradition that will overcome the negativity that has reigned in Chicago for so long. He will make a difference.

Let's start with Pitching: Kerry Woods and Mark Prior. Man, some franchises never develop a talant as good as one of that pair and they have two of them. The nice thing about the two young talents is that they will push each other. Who is going to be the king of the hill. The Braves have had that competition for a long time and it worked for them. Of Maddox, Glavine and Smoltz, Smoltz had the best arm, but the three of them were a dynamic that stretched each other out to the limit of their talents. Two horses like Woods and Prior can do that too.

But that's not all they have. Clement can be very good. Estes is much better than his horrible season last year. And they have two other young guns in Juan Cruz and Carlos Zambrano. Their bullpen is very deep: Veres, Farnsworth, Remlinger, Benes, Alfonseca and Guthrie have all been there and can do that.

The outfield of Alou, Patterson and Sosa is weak defensively (except in center where Patterson might lose 20 pounds covering for the other two) but should be great offensively. Alou was hurt early last year and it really wasn't until the second half where he was his old self. The only problem here is that they really don't have anyone behind Sosa that can protect him. Bellhorn, Karros (yeah, as if) and others will have to step it up.

Looking at the Cubs on paper, they don't look like much except for pitching. But we'll see what happens.