Gordon Wittenmyer did a great job polling players on the Cubs to get their takes on several categories.
Take a look at the ones that already ran, and stay tuned for further ones:
THE NEXT LOU?
The most likely Cub player to become a manager, according to a survey of 20 Cubs:
C Paul Bako - 35 percent
C Koyie Hill - 20 percent
SS Ryan Theriot - 20 percent
Others* - 25 percent
*-C Mark Johnson, IF Bobby Scales, OF Micah Hoffpauir and Ps Ryan Dempster and Aaron Heilman each received one vote (5 percent).
GYM RAT
According to a survey of 37 players in camp, these are the team's biggest workout fiends:
LHP Neal Cotts - 64.9 percent (24)
OF Reed Johnson - 11.1 percent (4)
RHP Ryan Dempster - 8.3 percent (3)
OF Richie Robnett - 5.6 percent (2)
Others* -- 11.1 percent
*-Mitch Atkins, Rich Harden, Aaron Heilman and Brad Snyder each received one vote.
SURVEYED 20 NON-PITCHERS FOR THESE:
BEST PURE HITTER
Aramis Ramirez - 25 percent
Micah Hoffpauir - 25 percent
Mike Fontenot - 20 percent
Derrek Lee - 15 percent
Ryan Theriot - 10 percent
Alfonso Soriano - 5 percent
BEST POWER HITTER
Soriano - 50 percent
Carlos Zambrano - 25 percent
Ramirez - 10 percent
Milton Bradley - 5 percent
Hoffpauir - 5 percent
Richie Robnett - 5 percent
BEST CLUTCH HITTER
Ramirez - 70 percent
Hoffpauir - 10 percent
Soto - 10 percent
Soriano - 5 percent
Fontenot - 5 percent
BEST OUTFIELD ARM
Reed Johnson - 30 percent
Sam Fuld - 25 percent
Brad Snyder - 15 percent
Fukudome -10 percent
Soriano - 10 percent
Richie Robnett - 10 percent
BEST INFIELD ARM
Ramirez - 50 percent
Andres Blanco - 40 percent
Theriot - 5 percent
Darwin Barney - 5 percent
Interesting, but I don't think these picks are all that meaningful. I hope you commentators are all wrong about Lee and that he regains his power stroke for about forty-five home runs and over 100 RBI's. I think the batting coach will figure out his problems and that he will correct them. R. Johnson may have the best arm, but Soriano would certainly be my choice to cut down a runner at home with the game on the line. theriot seems clearly the best and smartest hitter on the club and Ramirez the clutch man.I can hardly wait for the real season to start. This year's Cubs are the best team I have seen since 1945, and I had already been a Cub fan for 5 years at that time.