Cubs try new century rule

The streak of futility is unmatched in American professional sports: The Cubs have played 99 consecutive seasons without winning the World Series. There could be poetry to bracket the misery: Win in 1908, win in 2008, lose every year in between.

And the stars seem to be aligned. The Cubs won the NL Central last season, and they’re the consensus pick to repeat. They have enviable depth in their rotation and -- in Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez -- a lineup core worthy of the AL.

But seldom does a division favorite enter a season with so many nagging questions: If the Cubs are so good, why did they spend all spring trying to trade for a second baseman and center fielder? Can Kosuke Fukudome produce immediately in the middle of the Cubs’ order after nine years in Japan? Could any starter besides Carlos Zambrano crack the top three of any NL West rotation? Do the Cubs seriously believe Kerry Wood will last an entire season as closer? And will the Cubs inherit another curse if Sam Zell sells naming rights to Wrigley Field?