Pittsburgh Pirates

Article by Kathryn Jones

No matter what league you play on, you need a variety of gear to play baseball. It’s essential to get gear that’s suitable for your position, as well as the standardized equipment everyone needs. You don’t want to be concerned about your gear on the field, so if you make sure everything is right ahead of time you can give your full attention to the game. If you stick to the following guidelines, you’ll be sure that all of your baseball gear is just right for you.You should, first of all, make sure you get the right kind of bat that’s suitable for you and the team you play on. There are certain restrictions on bats, depending on where you play, so you have to become familiar with the rules. You’re safest with a wooden bat, both in terms of avoiding injuries and staying within the guidelines set by various leagues. There are also bats made from aluminum, as well as graphite and titanium bats that are more durable and also create greater velocity when the ball is hit.

Many high schools, little leagues and other leagues have banned aluminum and other metal bats, as many people consider them unsafe. The idea is to find the kind of bat that is appropriate for you, and that gives your swing the most control and power. It’s widely known that the catcher is the position with the hardest job in baseball. The catcher is the one most likely to get hit with a bat or a blisteringly fast ball as he crouches for hours behind home plate. For this, you need lots of special gear, including a full face mask, a special glove with extra padding and other protective gear. Catchers should have a shin guard, chest protector and cup, because you never know when you’ll be hit by a wayward ball or even the tip of a bat. You also want to make sure all your protective gear fits comfortably, as you’ll be wearing it for hours on end.When you have a baseball uniform, you don’t have to worry about what to wear, but there are still some items you have to pick yourself. It’s important to dress right for the weather and the conditions you’ll be playing in, or you won’t be comfortable and this can be a distraction.

The main principle is comfort, so everything, from your shoes to your jersey should be just right so you can move with maximum speed and agility. Your clothing and uniform should not be anything you even have to think about on the field, as long as everything is loose and fits well. As you can see the right gear can make a huge difference in how well you play the game. To be at your best, you have to be comfortable and have equipment that fits properly and is well suited for your position. For example, if your glove doesn’t fit properly, it can cause you to make errors in the field. If you want to play your best it’s imperative that you use the ideas we’ve discussed here but also keep in mind there may be more equipment options you’ll want to consider as well.

If you play baseball you should concentrate on your athleticism all year long! Agility is a necessary trait for baseball players because you have to have quickness when trying to react to making a play on a ground ball, getting the jump on a pop fly, or making the first move to dive back to the bag when leading off of the base! All of these are hard examples that define quickness and agility. Check out the following 2 drills that you can implement to help you to improve on all of these examples you encounter on the field of play.

1. 3 Cone Shuffle: For this particular drill you will need the availability of 3 agility cones. This is a great quick foot drill for baseball players to improve on lateral agility. To start, set up the cones in a straight line with about 2 feet of distance between each cone. Stand facing the 3 cones in an athletic stance with your inside foot lined up in front of the middle cone and your outside foot lined up in front of on one of the outside cones.

From here the objective is for you to make a quick single lateral step shifting the middle foot to line up with the outside cone on the far side, and to bring the foot that was lined up with the outside cone to the middle cone. Remember to stay low and to shift your weight back and forth to the “outside” with each lateral shuffle. Count a repetition every time you shuffle to both sides. Stay low and touch the outside cones with your outside hand each time you shuffle. Perform each lateral shuffle as quickly as possible.

2. 8 Cone Shuffle And Sprint: For this drill you will need the availability of 9 agility cones and some flat open space. Line the first 8 cones up in a straight line and place the 9th cone in line with the first 8 cones with a distance of 10 yards between them. Start the drill by lining up in front of the straight line of 8 cones. Shuffle laterally back and forth between the 8 cones progressing forward as quickly as possible. Once you shuffle around the 8th cone explode into a full sprint all the way past the 9th cone. This is great for improving a baseball player’s overall athletic performance and conditioning! Give it a try.

Article by Yi

On the floor coverings practice intended for baseball though would not audio enjoyment; When refers to this sporting, people always connect to the mlb wholesale jerseys. It may possibly be efficient exactly like backyard perform. There are lots of inside baseball perform ideas any particular one can certainly benefit from. The regional household hockey capability should be utilized with regard to the purpose of practicing. Your indoor setting doesn’t give the actual freedom that certain loves (hitting, throwing) in the outside. It really is on the other hand, possible for making the actual in house baseball drills helpful and also helpful by using the creativity. That write-up provides a group of valuable tips regarding practicing within the indoor environment. Your pitching pastime is definitely necessary section of the experience of snowboarding. It is possible to control the pitching hobby simply by typical train. Managing the path (curve, height) associated with golf ball will be the effusion of pitching; indoor practice will need to accommodate honing these pitching skills which has no incidents. The easily transportable household mounds are used for pitching train inside indoor atmosphere. These types of mounds assist the purpose of supplying an elevated job, very much alike that will use a baseball arena. The length between house registration along with pitching mound ought to be that will connected with 60 toes as well as a few ins for your pitching exercises to be effective. A house eating plan made of plastic ought to be applied as well as catcher positioned guiding that menu. Your 150 pitches should be sent out each inside several exercises per week. The following indoor baseball train program regarding pitching should assist in enhancing that important proficiency. The equipments necessary for batting train throughout a strong indoor atmosphere add some pitching unit along with indoor parrot cage. By using indoor crate is usually seeing that useful because training inside an outdoors environment. It is possible to analyze and improve the skills with nudists the bat through that exercise. A batter needs to be authorized taking 15-20 swings in a stretch out. The employment of pitching equipment inside batting practice is usually discretionary. Dwell wearing the wholesale basketball jerseys practice along with pitchers is definitely an additional alternative. The actual L-screen needs to be applied for your safeguard connected with pitchers if a good indoor competition can be used. That here is how to construct the batting competition can come very helpful in case you want it is likely to yard regarding exercising with your such as oriented close friends whom have the community. There are lots of things to test to get improving upon this fielding. Hooking is definitely crucial feature of fielding. Pop-ups usually are not a possibility if inside train can be performed. Instead of pop-ups someone can consider participating in soil hits; the ground strikes also need to enable ample train intended for fielders. Hammering rise baseballs likewise belongs to the options. Journey balls will be the bites which will travel as a result of atmosphere.

When looking to solve a baseball hitting problem, always look for the easiest “fix” first. Here is a list of some possible solutions if you are swinging late and not catching up to the pitch:

1) Make sure you are not using a bat that is too heavy for you. Like I said, we look for the easiest solution first.

2) Make sure you are loading up early enough and giving yourself enough time to get the bat into the hitting zone. You never want to load up late so if needed, load up earlier. I’ve seen many 10 to 12 year olds going back toward the catcher when the pitch is already on its way. This makes baseball hitting impossible. Watch for this with younger players. I’ve seen it many, many times.

3) Many youngsters in particular, have the bad habit of loading up twice. You go back once, not twice. They load up once and then they make the common mistake of loading up a little bit more. You can’t be going back toward the catcher when the pitch is on its way. It’s similar to what we mentioned above, but it’s not loading up late, it’s actually loading up twice.

4) You are possibly taking too long a route to the ball. Be more direct when going from point A, where you are “loaded up,” to point B, where you make contact. The first movement after you are loaded up should be down toward the ball and the bat should level out only at the point of contact. It definitely makes my top five list of baseball tips on hitting! Many of the weaker baseball hitters at all levels of play have the bat parallel to the ground at the beginning of the baseball swing and this is wrong.

5) Another possibility for being late is the bottom of the knob of the bat is facing toward the catcher. This will cause the bat to have to travel a much greater distance to get to the ball and make you late on your swing. Or possibly the bat is wrapped too far around your head. Again, the bat will have to travel too far and you will be late on the pitch. Maybe the bat is being held too much straight up and down. If you are doing this, try a compromise of half way in between straight up and down and parallel to the ground.

6) When swinging, you don’t want to have your hands too far away from your body, which causes the front arm to straighten out too soon. This will cause a longer and indirect swing, causing you to be late on the pitch.

7) Maybe you are gripping the bat too tightly. It’s a known fact that you can swing the bat more efficiently and quicker by not gripping it too tightly.  

In summary, there are two things I would look for right off the bat, no pun intended. First, make sure you don’t have “too much bat” and that you can handle the weight of the bat comfortably. Second, make sure you are being direct to the baseball.

One of the best baseball tips on hitting you will ever hear is that you go from point A, where you are loaded up, to point B, where you make contact, in a straight line. Remember to keep the front elbow pointing down at the very start of your swing. Contrary to what many believe, the swing levels out only at the point of contact!

About The Author:

You CAN improve and overcome any baseball weaknesses if you are a player, a coach, or a baseball parent and your son is struggling! Larry Cicchiello has hundreds of baseball articles on line and has some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips available at http://www.LarryBaseball.com.Get ready to be raising a few eyebrows!

Article by Jiayou

Good salespeople are aggressive, dynamic types. Everybody knows that.

There are plenty of good salespeople out there. They have good product knowledge. They have good selling skills. And they are likable.

The more competition you have, the more products that can do the same or similar things as yours, the more you need to help and advise your customers, not just sell to them.

Great salespeople are an extremely valuable commodity because they are in such short supply. So, what are the bottom line differences between good salespeople and great?

Great salespeople are continually trying to better themselves. They are always layering on new skills while honing the skills they already have.

Don’t just be GOOD. Many of your competitors are good and they’re doing everything that they can to be better. Become dissatisfied with good. If you are good – want to be excellent. Then become dissatisfied with excellent. When you are excellent, want to be outstanding. Continue along this path as far as you can.

Great salespeople also have a higher level of ambition than ordinary

salespeople. Sure, they want all of the things that money can buy, such as bigger houses bigger cars and more interesting vacations. They also want the non – tangible things that money can buy such as respect, admiration and more freedom.

Another big difference between good and great is that great salespeople have a love for selling.

Now, you and I both know that it’s possible to make a great deal of money selling without having any love for it. So, what’s the big deal?

The big deal is that at the end of a long career in sales, you have been competing against people who do love it. This means that for your entire career you have been competing against people who are willing to invest more time, and more energy in what they do for a living because they love what they’re doing.

Putting more time and energy into any endeavor will almost always lead to greater success. This is as true for selling as it is for playing chess, playing piano or playing baseball.

Imagine working for thirty years competing against people like that. For most of your career, you will feel like the salmon swimming upstream. You will have had a very long, very tiring journey, and, at the end of this long journey you will be completely worn out.

But, most importantly, great salespeople are great because they want to get the most out of themselves. The big money is a byproduct of being great. It’s just another way of keeping score.

Winner Take All

Selling is a ‘winner take all’ competition. The customer rewards the winner at the expense of everybody else. If you are even just slightly better than your competition, you will earn much, much more money.

Let’s say you and I are competing salesmen, going after the same big account. If you are only 2 percent better than I am – follow-up, service, closing ability, etc. – and you make the sale, do you get only 2 percent more commission than I do? Of course not. You get it all. You get 100 percent and I get nothing.

That’s why a very small increase in your ability or effectiveness can lead to a very large increase in your income.

Here is the one thing that you can do to give yourself that extra advantage over your competition. This is the one strategy that can catapult you from good to great. By adding this one weapon to your arsenal you can guarantee yourself that you will dramatically increase your income.

The solution is to study and understand how your customer is going to use your goods or services – in depth. The best salespeople see things through their customers’ eyes. You must not only profile your customer, you must profile their customer too.

That’s it. The fastest way to dramatically increase your sales is to understand and help your customers’ customers.

CONCLUSION

Each and every single day, we are being tested as salespeople because clients and prospects vote with the dollars they spend.

Show the buyer how they will make or save money by using your goods or services. It is even better if you can translate that into dollars and cents.

Do these things and I can assure you that you will have all of the great successes that your heart desires.

Baseball collectible enthusiasts have an appetite for more than just playing cards. The memorabilia that’s now being sought after spans the spectrum from bobble heads, bats, gloves, jerseys to autographed balls, caps and even action figures.

Of course the best kind of baseball collectible is the one you were able to secure for yourself – having a baseball player sign an autograph is a memory you won’t soon forget.

But for many fans of the sport, baseball collectibles can only be obtained through online purchases or the occasional gift a loved one presented to them. Memorabilia is often passed down from generation to generation, increasing the value of the baseball collectibles throughout the years.

It’s just the monetary value of the memorabilia that makes it so special. Baseball is America’s favorite past time, and baseball collectibles often provide fond memories of warm summer nights and good times spent with friends and family.

When it comes to keepsakes, the barriers of team against team break down because fans often appreciate the value of a baseball collectible regardless of what team the item originated from.

While cards used to be the primary starter kit for any fan wishing to amass a collection of baseball memorabilia, today’s collectors focus on a variety of mementos. Vintage equipment, pins, and pennants are a staple of many fans’ baseball collectibles.

Anything carrying an autograph from a player, such as a cap, call, or glove is a prized possession when it comes to baseball collectibles. Bobbing (or bobble head) dolls of players are extremely popular, circulating from as early as the 1950s when baseball was as much a part of every American family’s life as the food on their dinner table.

Some fans like to approach their baseball collectibles from the standpoint of team memorabilia, focusing on an entire assortment of Yankee or Red Sox souvenirs. Others prefer to simply collect items from major players of any team, as long as the player made an impact on the game itself.

While modern day figures may not fetch as much as the ones who made this game so popular in the beginning, that hasn’t deterred loyal fans from scooping up keepsakes from the headliners of today. Not only are baseball collectibles a good investment of memorabilia, but many fans enjoy the fun they have tracking down special and unique pieces to preserve over the years and pass down to their own heirs.

See other positions: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | SP1 | RP

General thoughts on drafting CF:

Centerfielders are by nature very fast, and CF is a great position for filling up the SB column in your fantasy league.  For example, even the #30 player on this list (F. Gutierrez) put up 25 SB last year.

There are a few players that can also bring the offense firepower, and those guys are worth jumping on early.  That way, if defensive concerns move them to a corner OF slot, they are still worth keeping on your team.

In general, you’ll find there’s a surplus of OF compared to positions in the infield.  Don’t overdraft the position, even though it may be tempting.

Rankings:

1)   Carlos Gonzalez (COL) (25): CarGo was pretty much as good as it gets last year and looks like a superstar in the making.  Two causes for concern: high luck (.384 BABIP) and a pretty big home/away split at Coors Field.

2)   Josh Hamilton (TEX) (29): Troubled former #1 overall pick broke out in a big way with an MVP season.  However, .390 BABIP is unsustainable, advanced age may be a concern, as are his off-the-field problems.   He’ll go early because of his awesome season, though.

3)   Matt Kemp (LAD) (26): Former fantasy all-star still has tons of potential, but didn’t live up to it last year.  Due to bounce back, but keep in mind that his totals from last year are inflated by homering in the last 5 games.

4)   Andrew McCutchen (PIT) (24): Great numbers for a 24 year on a bad team, should be a force in CF for years to come.

5)   Colby Rasmus (STL) (24): Young slugger has not reached his peak yet, and if he can find a way to coexist with Tony LaRussa, will be a very valuable piece indeed.

6)   Jayson Werth (WAS) (31): I’m a Phillies fan, and I’ve watched Werth carry the offense at times over the last few years.  His move to the Nats doesn’t scare me, but don’t draft him assuming that he’ll qualify for CF in 2012.

7)   BJ Upton (TB) (26): Put up 18 HR and 42 SB at the age of 25.  Not too bad, but it came with a .237 BA.  Good value.

8)   Chris Young (ARI) (27): Has struggled with consistency in the past but his near 30/30 season cannot be ignored.

9)   Drew Stubbs (CIN) (26): Another player that put up numbers similar to Chris Young (above).  Expect less power (maybe 20 HR) and more SB (maybe 30).

10)  Brett Gardner (NYY) (27): Gardner was sneaky good this year, putting up a very solid .383 OBP and 47 SB.  One of the few Yankees who isn’t overhyped.

11)  Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS) (27): Missed most of last season due to injury, but can put up elite steal numbers when healthy.  I’m guessing you’ll want to let someone else take him, as he gets a lot of attention for playing in Boston and there are other players who will be reachable at the end of the draft.

12)  Curtis Granderson (NYY) (29): Somewhat streaky hitter didn’t live up to the high mark he has set in previous seasons.  You have to like a LH hitter in Yankee stadium.  However, you also have to think that Granderson is past his peak as a hitter.

13)  Alex Rios (CHW) (29): Slugger had a pretty good year for Chicago, but approach with caution – he’s been notoriously unpredictable in the past.  Seems to have benefited from moving out of Toronto, but you never know.

14)  Michael Bourn (HOU) (28): Bourn’s value is tied up completely in his SB totals, as he’ll never be a run producer of any consequence (38 RBI last year).  May be something of a risky play, because even a slight injury to his legs will have drastic negative consequences.

15)  Grady Sizemore (CLE) (28): 30/30 man in 2008 seemed to have unlimited upside, and then was struck low by injuries the last two seasons.  Worth a flier if he’s healthy – he’s a potential first-round talent, but watch the medical reports coming out.

16)  Shane Victorino (PHI) (30): The Flyin’ Hawaiian put up good numbers but gets some slight points off because of his age.  He still plays good defense, but CF is a demanding position.

17)  Adam Jones (BAL) (25): Good upside play has not lived up to expectations yet.  Will never offer the SB of other guys on this list, but is still young enough that he’s worth taking a risk on.

18)  Austin Jackson (DET) (23): This youngster showed some skills in his first full season, and has the bat to stick in the MLB.  Will never be a source of HR, but could offer a consistent 20 SB a year.

19)  Vernon Wells (TOR) (32): Wells put up a great season last year (31 HR), but that seems to be an aberration.  He’s past his prime years and will do Toronto absolutely no favors with that ridiculous contract.

20)  Denard Span (MIN) (26): Seems to command respect, but with middling numbers.  Still young enough that he’s worth something, though.

21)  Tyler Colvin (CHC) (25): Colvin put up 20 HR before a freak injury (bat shard in chest) forced him out for the season.  You have to like his upside, but could just as easily disappear.

22)  Dexter Fowler (COL) (24): The stats haven’t quite caught up with the hype on Dexter Fowler yet, but expect performances more in line with 2009’s 27 SB than last year’s 13 SB.

23)  Torii Hunter (LAA) (35): A great player, but you have to wonder how many years he has left.

24)  Angel Pagan (NYM) (29): Pagan broke out last year with 37 SB while filling in for Carlos Beltran.  It’s good enough to win him the RF job this spring, but wasn’t considered much more than a part time player before that. 

25)  Carlos Beltran (NYM) (33): You have to look at his injury history and think twice about drafting him early.  Puts up good numbers when healthy, but hasn’t been 100% healthy since 2008.

26)  Coco Crisp (OAK) (31): Coco has been a trendy sleeper pick before, and should be again this season.  His numbers – 8 HR, 32 SB – aren’t too bad, and everybody seems to have written him off after a lost 2009.

27)  Peter Bourjos (LAA) (23): Rookie flashed tons of upside in limited time last year.  Might need some time to develop, and will never be a power producer, but a great buy at this point in the draft.

28)  Andres Torres (SF) (32): Could be last year’s most surprising player.  Hard to know how to value him given his advanced age and short track record of success.  Likely 2010 was a career year, don’t overpay for it.

29)  Marlon Byrd (CHC) (33): Another late bloomer was a doubles machine in Wrigley last year.  Ditto what was said for Andres Torres, with even less upside.

30)  Franklin Gutierrez (SEA) (27): Player that’s more valuable in real life than in fantasy.  25 SB comes along with subpar offensive stats.

Don’t forget: Michael Brantley, Nate McLouth, Nyjer Morgan, Cody Ross, Mike Cameron

Ah, that quality of life everyone’s been talking about…  Is there really such a thing?  Or, are you still waiting for “IT” to happen or hit you in that old home or mediocre neighborhood of yours?  The reality is, it’s that elusive and quite ideal, but fortunately, there are communities which thrive on this goal, and residents are just simply pleased and amazed.  These places are rare, but home buyers who are smart and resourceful enough can grab not just estates or homes for sale in these locations, but enjoy that quality of life they’ve been looking for so long.  So, how can one distinguish a quality location from the average ones?  Here are a few factors to consider when scouting around for neighborhoods having that brand of quality of life, say, in Golden real estate or among Golden homes for sale for example.  You may start your search through real estate listings which abound now over the Web, like Golden MLS.

This small yet vibrant community is a home rule municipality (one among the 98 of the state), is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado.  It lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the breathtaking and renowned Rocky Mountains.

As old as the city’s, the Golden’s Downtown Business Districts are enclaves of great shops, restaurants – whether fast food or fine dining (located mostly in Canyon Point, Safeway Area, Golden High School Area, Heritage Road and 6th Avenue), two hotels (at Jeffco Fairgrounds Area), several bed and breakfasts, banks, auto-related businesses (South Golden Road), among others. 

Originally home to second school in Colorado, Golden is now considered part of the Jefferson County R-1 School District which provides public education throughout Jefferson County, Colorado. The city houses three elementary schools, Mitchell, Shelton and Ralston Elementary in the foothills to the west; one middle school, Bell Middle School; and Colorado’s oldest senior high school, Golden High School.  The city houses the oldest public-owned institution of higher education in the state, the Colorado School of Mines, its campus is seating near the heart of the city overlooking its core area.  The CSM is a small public teaching and research university devoted to engineering and applied sciences, with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth’s natural resources.  Roughly 900 students are taken in every year in its freshman class, but more than 10,000 students from all over the US vie for such limited slots.

A bunch of indoor recreational activities include arts and crafts, fitness, dance, youth athletics, aquatics, day camps, trips and tours (all done indoors).  As for outdoor recreation programs adult softball, basketball, kickball, and volleyball leagues and tournaments; tennis lessons and tennis teams; youth summer track; youth soccer, baseball, flag football and lacrosse are among the favorites of locals.  If you want to chill out, especially the men, then head to the world’s largest brewery – the Coors, and of course, they have their own “micro” to boot as well.  Bikers and hikers alike have a large venue for their endeavors in the much-acclaimed Golden Bike Park, which contains the first purpose-built, mountain-bike-only trails of the city.  Ride options include a downhill flow trail, bi-directional access trail, skills area and beginner pump track.  Other attractions and must-go places are golf courses, theme parks, museums, a library, farmers market, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and a host of others.

The City of Golden is a genuinely an exquisite place – a community where you can call home and live your life to the full with a unique Golden-brand.

After winning 91 games and taking down the NL Central in 2009, the St. Louis Cardinals once again are the clear favorite to win the division heading into 2010.  As usual, the Chicago Cubs are expected to make some noise but will need comeback years from Carlos Zambrano and Alfonzo Soriano to have a chance while the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds have talented lineups but pitching issues that will likely keep them out of postseason contention. Bringing up the bottom of the division looks to be the Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates, two teams that don’t seem to have the level of healthy talent to compete with some of the better teams in the division.

With arguably the best player in the game in Albert Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals once again have a stacked lineup that is sure to give fits to NL pitchers all season long.  In addition to Pujols, who won his third MVP award last season, the Cardinals will have slugger Matt Holiday for an entire season as well as other big bats like Ryan Ludwick to carry their lineup through the season.

But what separates the Cardinals from the rest of the division isn’t the presence of Pujols in the lineup.  The Cardinals boast perhaps the best one-two punch at the top of their rotation in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.  After a strong 2008 season, Wainwright broke out in 2009, going 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA, which was one of the best in the entire league.  Carpenter also came back strong from injuries and returned to his previously dominating form.  With a microscopic ERA of 2.24, Carpenter was one of the few pitchers to have a lower ERA than Wainwright and heads into the 2010 season with high hopes of another year of dominance.  Additions like Brad Penny into their rotation also should help the Cardinals down the stretch and it seems likely that they will shoot more towards winning 100 games this season.

The Chicago Cubs, on the other hand, are looking to bounce back from a very disappointing 2009 season.  After winning the division in 2008, the Cubs were a trendy pick to return to the postseason and maybe even the World Series in 2009, though they were hampered by injury and underperforming superstars.  Derek Lee and ace Carlos Zambrano got off to slow starts last season and star outfielder Alfonzo Soriano was injured for a good chunk of the year.  When Soriano was in the lineup, he still wasn’t very effective and batted just .241 with 20 home runs and 55 RBIs in 117 games; with a salary of million in 2009, Soriano’s lack of production is a significant problem for the Cubs.

With Aramis Ramirez and a healthy Soriano, however, the Cubs still do have plenty of talent to make a push in 2010.  If Zambrano can stay on track all season, the Cubs even have a very strong rotation, with Ted Lily and Ryan Dempster being nice options as well.  A lot of things will have to go right for the Cubs to win the division in 2010, but they have the best chance outside of the Cardinals.  With two heavily talented teams at the top of the division, however,