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EVENTS AD PARTNERS
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1999 Recap: Leave it to the Chicago Cubs to have a season sidetracked before it even began. Following a magical 1998 season, filled with Sammy Sosa's homer heroics and a wild-card berth, the Cubs' hopes were shattered with the elbow troubles of ace fireballer Kerry Wood. Chicago went on to lose 95 games, its most losses since 1980, a fact that more than overshadowed Sosa's second straight monster season. It was so bad that Sosa nearly became the first player to hit more home runs than his team had wins -- the Cubs finished with 67 wins; Sosa hit 63 homers. 1999 Highlight: At least the Wrigley faithful got to see Sosa put on another show. It wasn't like June of '98, when Sosa hit a record 20 homers, but Sammy slammed eight bombs in a 10-game span from June 24-July 4. He later became the first player to hit 60 homers in back-to-back seasons, even though Mark McGwire won the home run race for the second year in a row. 1999 Lowlight: As if Wood's injury wasn't enough, Chicago had a collapse measuring up to Cub-like standards. After getting out of the gate at a respectable 32-23, the Cubs lost 64 of 88 games from June 8-Sept. 12 -- for a three-month winning percentage of an embarrasingly low .273. Manager: Don Baylor (1st season, 440-469 record in six seasons in Colorado) Coaches: Oscar Acosta (Pitching), Sandy Alomar Sr. (Bullpen), Gene Glynn (Third Base), Rene Lachemann (Bench), Jeff Pentland (Hitting), Billy Williams (First Base). Camp Site: Ho Ho Kam Park, Mesa, Ariz. Reporting dates: Pitchers and catchers Feb 18; full squad on Feb. 18 Additions: CF Damon Buford, Joe Girardi, 3B Willie Greene, SS Ricky Gutierrez, RHP Ismael Valdes, 2B Eric Young, RHP Brian Williams Subtractions: RHP Terry Adams, INF Manny Alexander, SS Jeff Blauser, 3B Gary Gaetti, CF Lance Johnson, 2B Mickey Morandini, C Benito Santiago, RHP Steve Trachsel Spring Cleaning: Sure, Sosa may be the toast of Chicago, but these definitely will be Don Baylor's Cubs. There will be more speed in '99 and a lot of new faces. Mark Grace is the only infielder remaining from Opening Day 1999, joining Sosa and Henry Rodriguez as the lone incumbents.
Pivotal Player: As Wood goes, so go the Cubs. Or at least it seems that way. With Wood, the Cubs won the NL wild card in 1998. Without him in '99, the Cubs lost 95 games. The 22-year-old Wood is continuing his rehab from reconstructive surgery to repair a torn right elbow ligament. If Wood can regain his Rookie of the Year form, the Cubs have a chance to return to their '98 success. The Future is Now: Kyle Farnsworth's on-the-job training in 1999 could pay big dividends for the Cubs this season. Farnsworth, a righty who will only turn 24 on Apr. 14, pitched well down the stretch, posting an ERA of 3.08 after the All-Star break. He likely be the No. 4 starter for Chicago and has the stuff to win 11-14 games in 2000. Opportunity Knocks: Shane Andrews probably isn't going to get too many more opportunities like this. Andrews likely will earn the starting third baseman job by default, which may be a good thing since the Cubs' past "third basemen of the future" Gary Scott and Kevin Orie flopped in major ways. Andrews hit five homers in 19 games for the Cubs at the tail end of last season and the Cubs hope Andrews will regain his 25-homer stroke from '98. But Andrews will have to improve at the plate -- he's a career .220 hitter -- or Chicago will turn to Willie Greene. Prospects to Watch: OF Roosevelt Brown, 1B Hee Seop Choi, C Pat Cline, RHP Ben Christiansen, LHP Scott Downs, RHP Chris Gissell, 3B Eric Hinske, 3B David Kelton, 2B Chad Meyers, RHP Mike Meyers, OF Corey Patterson, RHP Ruben Quevedo, OF Jaisen Randolph, RHP Carlos Zambrano.
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