Solid 1st half leaves Cubs in good position

On the first day of spring training, Ryan Dempster made a “crazy” prediction. “I think we are going to win the World Series,” he said. Doesn't seem so outlandish these days, does it? Six months after Dempster's prediction, the Cubs are a trendy pick to win it all. And why shouldn't they be? Considering the Cubs, at 57-38, carry baseball's best record into the second half, it would be somewhat surprising if they didn't come away at least with the NL pennant. They lead baseball in run differential (plus-106) and home record (37-12). Their offense is lethal, and their pitching is as good as anybody's. Then again, they are the Cubs. And there is that pesky 100-year drought to think about. But look at the facts. The Cubs have an elite lineup, two ace starting pitchers, a quality bullpen, a solid bench, good chemistry, an experienced, win-at-all-costs manager and a general manager who wants to win this year. They also have a 4 1/2-game lead in their division. And one of their best players, Alfonso Soriano, is set to return after missing basically half of the first half. It's been a good first half - memorable, even. It's the best since 1969. No doubt, it's an ‘A.' Unfortunately, the first half - although important - means little in the long run. The second half is what matters. Fortunately, the Cubs have what it takes. “We've got all the pieces in place to make a run,” Mark DeRosa said. No argument here. Grades for the team's first half:

Pitching: A- Carlos Zambrano (10-3, 2.84 ERA), Ryan Dempster (10-4, 3.25), Kerry Wood (NL-best 24 saves) and Carlos Marmol made the All-Star team. Ted Lilly (9-6) looked good at times, awful at others. Jason Marquis was on the chopping block all season, but did just enough to remain in the rotation. Rich Harden was sublime in his first start - an already-good rotation got even better upon his acquisition. The bullpen, however, has resembled a patchwork quilt. Michael Wuertz, Kevin Hart and Sean Marshall shuttled between Triple-A Iowa and the bigs. Scott Eyre missed time with a groin injury. Jon Lieber has proven little more than a long guy. The Cubs desperately need another reliever to step up - it seems manager Lou Piniella uses Wood, Marmol or Bob Howry (138 combined first-half appearances) every day.

Offense: A The Cubs lead the NL in six offensive categories: runs (507), batting average (.281), hits (933), walks (384), on-base percentage (.360) and slugging percentage (.443). Amazingly, they were able to do this without Soriano, who has missed about half the season with calf and hand injuries. Catcher Geovany Soto (.288, 16 HRs, 56 RBIs) has been a godsend. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez (.285, team-leading 17 HRs, 66 RBIs) is one of the league's top clutch hitters. Shortstop Ryan Theriot (.320 average) is having a breakout year. First baseman Derrek Lee (.306, 15 HRs, 56 RBIs), utilityman Mark DeRosa (.283, 50 RBIs) and center fielder Jim Edmonds (.921 on-base plus slugging since joining Cubs in mid-May) have been solid.

Defense: B- As good as Geovany Soto has been offensively, it's his defense, his ability to throw out opposing runners, block pitches and call a game, that pitchers rave about. The team is solid around the infield, but the outfield is where the Cubs have ran into some problems. Kosuke Fukudome - possibly the NL's top defensive right fielder - Edmonds and Reed Johnson make up a solid outfield, but when Soriano returns to left field, look out.

Bench: B+ Where would the Cubs be without Johnson's defense, patience and clutch hitting? Where would they be without infielder Mike Fontenot? Where would Soto be without backup catcher Henry Blanco's guidance? Pinch-hitting specialist Daryle Ward has won a game for the Cubs - infielder Ronny Cedeno has won a couple. Micah Hoffpauir looked good in limited action - he could be huge when rosters expand to 40 on Sept. 1, as he'll provide an additional left-handed bat off the bench. Without quality reserves, there's no way the Cubs would have weathered Soriano's injuries as well as they did. Manager: B+ Although Piniella is not the best manager in the NL Central - that would be St. Louis skipper Tony LaRussa, who, somehow, has kept the Cardinals in contention - he isn't far behind his childhood friend. Despite key injuries (Soriano, Zambrano) and a mental meltdown (Rich Hill), Piniella has kept his team playing at an elite level. He's done an admirable job throughout the year - really, other than the few times he's failed to lift Soriano for a defensive replacement, Piniella hasn't made many mistakes.

Front Office: A When it became obvious outfielder Felix Pie wasn't the answer, general manager Jim Hendry quickly found a capable replacement in Edmonds. When it became obvious the Cubs needed another front-line starter, Hendry traded for Harden. Grabbing Johnson off waivers proved a stroke of genius. Fukudome has lived up to his $48 million contract. Handing the closer job to Wood was the right move. Signing him to an incentive-laden, relatively inexpensive deal was even better.