Wait till Next Year Part 100: Cubs Swept

The Chicago Cubs have once again proved to be the biggest losers in sports by going 0 for 100 in World Series Titles. The LA Dodgers completed dismantling the NL favorites by beating the Cubs 3-1 to complete a 3-0 sweep of epic proportions. As a Cubs fans myself, I took 15 minutes to yell curse words as loud as I could outside, then immediately sat down to capture my initial reactions.

15 Minutes After Sweep (AS)

One word: embarrassing. This was an absolute SHELL of what was supposed to be the best team in the National League. It is almost worst than last year because a few players actually decided to show up offensively (Lee and DeRosa) but they made up for it with lax defensive plays in a clutch situation. Alfonso Soriano’s approach at the plate works fine in the regular season, but when you scout him hard for three weeks he is the easiest out in the Cubs line-up (Sliders away anyone?) I’m pissed that this team of paid professionals continue to melt when the lights are brightest. Regular season accomplishments might cut it in most of the time, but THIS year with THIS team, the Cubs fan’s deserved better.

20 Minutes AS

My last post that I left on this blog had alot to do with Brian Roberts and what a potential line-up with Mr. Roberts would look like. My concessus was that Alfonso Soriano isn’t and should never be a lead off hitter, which became painfully evident during this Dodgers series. I could throw you some ugly looking stats (.071 BA in the 08′ postseason) but I’m not getting into that. Soriano in the lead off spot has been a nice experiment. I’m not sure about Texas, but he got away with it in Washington because the team was never in contention and he seemed like he would bug out if management would try to bat him somewhere else. Chicago isn’t Washington. If Alfonso Soriano wants to play ball for this team he has to bat anywhere BUT lead off. You have to put Soriano into a situation where he can succeed and the #1 spot isn’t it. You could call the pitches before the Dodgers staff would throw them. Slider low and away. Rinse and repeat. And he keeps swinging and swinging and swinging and swinging. Put him lower in the order when there are people on base and the pitcher is forced to throw him strikes. It so damn obvious that he has ZERO intention of working the count. The Cubs need to tell Soriano to swallow his pride and drop down… or they will continue to lose in the playoffs.

30 Minutes AS

I just had a frightening revelation. The Cubs caught so many breaks:

1. A career year from Mark DeRosa

This guy played all over and constantly hit. Will he even be close to those numbers next year?

2. A healthy Rich Harden for the entire 2nd Half

The biggest question mark in the deal for Harden was whether he would be healthy for the rest of the regular season AND postseason. Mission accomplished. Can the Cubs even get 20 starts out of him next year with his checkered injury past?

3. Picking up two discarded pieces (Edmonds and Johnson) to turn a weakness (Pie) into a strength.

How many times do you sign to guys who have been released and they turn out to be A+ with the bat and the glove. Who knows if that spark will carry over into 09? Edmonds is getting old and Johnson may have had a flash in the sky kinda year.

4. Ryan Dempster winning 17 games when most people before the season would’ve considered 10 wins a stretch.

Who expected 17 wins from Dempster? If you say “I did!” then you are lying. Dempster made every Cubs fan cringe when he took the mound as a closer, and everyone expected the same when he was named a starter.

40 Minutes AS

Most of my anger is gone and now all I have is that terrible feeling knowing the next baseball game I will honestly care about is months away. The Cubs have a lot of decisions to make this off season, and not all of them are going to be well received. The Cubs might be entering a phase where they begin to see a difference between a winning team and a championship team. 100 years is a long time. My Grandfather and my Father have never seen the Cubs win a World Series. I’m sure when they were my age they thought “It’s gonna happen”. My Grandfather DIED without seeing his favorite sports team win a World Series. My Father, who at one time thought a World Series would be guaranteed in this life time, now begins to wonder if he will share the same fate as his Dad. That leaves me, who believes that certainly the Cubs will win before I leave this world…. just ask me that question again in 40 years…

1 Hour AS

There is no doubt that the Dodgers handed the Cubs their own rears on a platter. Instead of being all bitter, I will wish them luck. So Dodgers, fate may have been on your side in the NLDS, but you are going to have to make your own fate in the NLCS. Good Luck.