Some key numbers for Cubs fans to watch

Numbers tell the story better in baseball than they do in any other sport. For the Cubs, a whole bunch of numbers have a whole bunch of meaning, both on the field and off the field. And some of those numbers have dollar signs in front of them (with lots of zeros at the end). Let’s take a look at the 2012 Cubs by the numbers:

3 million

The Cubs are pulling out all the stops to sell tickets. If the team is bad on the field, will they reach the magic 3 million mark this year? The last time they didn’t crack 3 million was 2003 (2.62 million fans).

200

Pitcher Ryan Dempster looks to reach the 200-innings-pitched mark for the fifth straight year. Dempster joined Roy Halladay as the only hurlers to reach 200 innings pitched in each of the last four seasons while in their 30s.

25

Cubs management sounds like it believes left fielder Alfonso Soriano can hit at least 25 homers this season. If he does, it sounds like they’ll be happy with that. Soriano has 10 straight seasons of at least 20 homers, joining Albert Pujols and David Ortiz in that department.

$54 million

Soriano has three years and $54 million left on his eight-year contract.

.313 and 22

Second baseman Darwin Barney will have to do better than last season’s .313 on-base percentage and 22 walks.

The Cubs will need a lot more than the 0 home runs in 48 games third baseman Ian Stewart hit last year during an injury-plagued season at Colorado. Stewart did hit 14 homers at Class AAA Colorado Springs, and he hit 18 homers for the Rockies in 2010.