Yeah, we all hate Illinois Na zis and we all love Wrigley Field.  "We" being Cubs fans of course.  And right now as a Cubs fan, I'm beginning to get downright giggly excited about this version of the North Siders and the hopes and dreams of what might lay ahead for this team.

What has me so giddy is that the temperature has been very cool for springtime, and yet, the team is spraying hits and scoring runs like ... like ... aw hell, I don't know what it's like but I know I'm loving it!  And when the temperature warms up, I can only think that the offense will be even more potent.

Combine that with a respectable starting rotation (led by Big Z) and a bullpen (led by Carlos Marmol) that appears to be settling in nicely, and the future looks very bright.

Now, before any Illinois Na zi preachers can begin their internet sermons about the history of the team, let me say that I understand it is still basically very early in the season.  Besides, this is the Chicago Cubs, my beloved Cubs, we're talking about.  There will be rough seas ahead, it's a Law of Nature, just like when there is a full moon the crazies will come out at night.  Everyone knows this.

Illinois Na zis are out there, and some of them even pretend to be Cubs fans.  To these "fans" that recommend being cautious and curbing my enthusiasm and waiting to see what happens, I say, "Kiss my ####."  I live for these rare times when the team is actually doing well and I actually have something to cheer about.  And I will enjoy every moment of it, just as the dude that survived AA savors every sip of that first cold beer as he falls off the wagon.

I've suffered enough and had my heart broken enough, and that just makes the good times all the more worthy of celebrating.  I'm not saying this is "The Year" nor am I making any predictions of greatness for this team.  I'm simply saying the fans should enjoy the fun, every drunken and misguided minute of it.  The main thing I enjoy about this team is just that, it's a team.  There is great depth and each game it seems as if a different player is stepping up and making a big play at a crucial moment.

Sure, there are tweaks here and there I'd like to see, such as I'd like to see Theriot leading off and Soriano batting second.  Or Reed Johnson leading off.  I don't like Soriano's weak OBP, and getting on-base is what batting in the lead off spot is alll about.  Not swinging for the fence with every at-bat.

But hey, Lou Pa is the manager and Lou Pa likes Soriano hitting lead off.  So Soriano is hitting lead off, and I'm left writing a blog b!tching that Soriano should not be hitting lead off.  I've never managed a Major League team before and most MLB games that I've attended I've gotten so drunk that I've forgotten more than I can remember about those games.  So it's quite possible that Lou might just know what he's doing.

One strange question mark has been the defense.  The relatively high number of errors and unearned runs have really got me scratching my head, but looking at the fielders the Cubs have I've got to believe that the nagging defensive problems will slowly disappear.  The defense is just too good to struggle like this for an entire season.

On the flip side, a great positive has been Kosuke Fukudome.  The dude just doesn't seem to have any weaknesses in his game, and day after day, he just goes out and gets the job done.  I'm only wondering here, but it has occurred to me that Fukudome's workmanlike attitude has had a tremendous effect on the team.  It's possible that I'm exaggerating for effect, but I certainly feel that he's had a positive influence on overall team discipline.

**Film capture from Blues Brothers Central website

Blogger's Note: This Cubs blog is dedicated to myself only, and no one else.  Not another goddam soul.  That's right, only my own insufferable wit and my own intolerable writing are responsible for this Cubs blog.

And I take full credit.  For myself.

Well, actually, I would like to dedicate this Cubs blog to my parents because without them I could not be here to write this great Cubs blog.  Can't forget the folks.  But that's it.  Just me and my folks and no one else.

Okay, upon further consideration if I'm going to dedicate this Cubs blog to my folks then I've got to also dedicate this Cubs blog to my two older siblings, Lisa and Eric.  And I guess my sister's husband Dan and my niece Sarah and my nephew John.  Them too.  So there you have it, just me, my folks, Lisa, Eric, Dan, Sarah, and John.  And not another person in the world.

Uhm, that's not right either.  I have to give a shout out to my drinking buddies Cheese, Scuba, Pheebs, Lenny, Schmitty, my neighbor Christine, my rec league basketball team, my friend Lisa W, and all of the goobers at work.  Basically all the people that promise to read my blogs, but never do.  So even though none of you will ever read this Cubs blog, I dedicate this Cubs blog to you.

But really, that's it this time.  I mean it.  This Cubs blog shall not be dedicated to another freakin person!

Here's the thing.  I have to at least mention the other bloggers.  All of them, every single blogger out there who has inspired me to write this wonderful and terrific Cubs blog.  This Cubs blog is dedicated to all bloggers everywhere, both big and small, both short and tall.  There are too many to name by name and in fact I don't even know them, but this is dedicated to them anyways.

Seriously, that's all.  No more dedications.  You know, I think maybe all of the Cubs fans everywhere should have this Cubs blog dedicated to them, because I like Cubs fans.  Hell, I am a Cubs fan ...  and  ...  and  ....  oh god I need another beer.