My first memory of the Chicago Cubs was in 1984. I was just four and half years old, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I sat next to my brother Indian style and watched the Cubs lose game 5 to the Padres.
My whole family was upset. People were crying and yelling and I didn't understand exactly why. A few days prior they were all celebrating. The Cubs were great for a few games, but then lost a few tough games in San Diego.
Later in the off season, I realized people were proud of the Cubs. During their 5 game series their stars played like stars. Sure they came up short, but they played well.
Five years later the Cubs were back in the playoffs. Once again they would come up short. The Boys of Zimmer gave it their best but couldn't get the job done. However, their stars played like stars. Mark Grace and Ryan Sandberg played like the stars they were.
The Cubs would eventually fall in 5 games to a much better Giants team. That said, the Cubs were in every game, and were not done until Sandberg grounded out to second to end the game. The 89 season was done, and while I was a crushed 9 year old boy, I understood my Cubs gave it their best. They just came up short. What else can you ask for?
Ten years later the Cubs bounced back from a pitiful 1997 season, and made the playoffs. The Cubs lost to a much superior Braves team, but once again they went down fighting. After getting blown out in game 1, the Cubs lost in extras in game two and lost a tough game 3 in Chicago. I was proud of the Cubs. I was proud to be a Cub fan.
They scratched their way all the way to the playoffs.
Five years later the Cubs were back in the playoffs. It was 2003 and Dusty Baker was the Cubs skipper. The Cubs would win just 88 games with their slightly above average team.
The Cubs were a huge underdog against the much superior Braves. I really didn't think the Cubs had a shot in this series. I remember telling my wife that I was hoping they could at least win one game. They stood no chance in beating the class of the NL East. The Braves were a 100 win team that played in the best division in the game.
I remember Dusty's press conference before game one like it was yesterday. Dusty took the pressure off his guys and put it on himself.
Everyone knows the story, the Cubs would go on and beat the powerful Braves 3-2, but would go on and loose a heart breaking series to the future World Champion Marlins. My Cubs were so close, and I was crushed. It took a few months, but I was able to look back at the season and tip my hat to that team.
They were not as talented as the 08 Cubs, or even the 84 Cubs. However they played their hearts out, and they were not afraid of losing.
That brings us to the 2007 team. The Cubs would overcome an 8.5 deficit to win the NL Central. The Cubs would lose a very close game 1 after Lou decided to pull his ace in a 1-1 game in the 7th after just 85 pitches.
After the game, the worst playoff manager in Cub history told the media he was saving his ace for game 4. Anyway, I brushed off the sweep saying the Cubs would be back and better in 2008.
Well, the Cubs returned in 2008 and they were a lot better than 07. The Cubs dominated all summer long. Aramis and Soriano put their pitiful 2007 playoff performances behind themselves.. They were stars, and the Cubs could not be stopped.
During my vacation in Los Angeles, a local sports radio host said there was a better chance of seeing snow then seeing the Dodgers win a series against the Cubs. The host said it had nothing to do with the Dodgers, but it had to do with the Cubs being so good..
I guess it's snowing in LA this morning. I slept a total of 2 hours, last night. I'm not as much hurt as I mad. I am so angry with the Lou and his team. My Cubs let everyone down.
They let the fans down, a GM who went above and beyond, and they let themselves down. They are a disgrace for not playing up to their potential. Our former playoff teams, all gave it their best. Not these guys.. Disgrace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm done with Lou!!!!!! I'm done watching him have no clue on how to mange a post season game. The series was lost in game one when he did not bring in Marshall to face the lefties. I'm done with Lou!!!!!!! Zero at bats for Reed Johnson!!!! I'm done with you Lou.. Taking the pressure off yourself and putting it on your players. .. I'm done with you Lou!!!!!!!!! I hate you!!!!!!!!
I'm done with you Aramis and Soriano!!!!!!!!!! You are not men.... You don't know what being clutch is. Clutch is not hitting a game winning homer in June. Clutch is hitting a game winning homer in October. I'm done with you both. You're are a couple of choke artists. I hate you both. I will not acknowledge anything you do during the regular season..
I'm done with you Fukudome!!!!!!!! You piece of shit.. Free agent bust!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Worst free agent since Tood Hundley. You suck Fukduome. You can't even get it done it July.. I can't look at a Japanese person without getting pissed at you. Thanks to you, I hate Japanese people. You make Jaque Jones look like Ted Williams.
I'm done with you Cubs convention!!!!!!! I've already cancelled my room. I'm done with it!!!!!!
I'm done with the regular season!!!!!! Other them checking the scores, I'm done watching these pieces of shit in April-Sept
I'm done with going to to Wrigley in the regular season!!!!! I'm done with my W flag and Go Cubs Go!!!!!!!!
I'm done until they win a playoff series!!!!! Next year was this year and this very talented team pissed it away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm done with MLBTRADERUMORS.COM. I'm done with it!!!!!! I could care less what they do in the off season..
I'm done with Hot stove baseball talk!!!!! I'm done. The only thing that matter is October..
I'm done!!!!!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
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12 comments:
I said the same thing when I went to bed last night. The Chicago Cubs are not worth my time anymore. They didn't even try out there, just pathetic. I am going to ignore the entire regular season for the cubs...b/c it doesn't even matter. Even if they make it into October, they won't get the job done.
Wow, you guys are a couple of piss poor Cub's fans. Get over yourselves!
The regular season was a flat out blast to watch.
The postseason was the exact opposite.
Life goes on.
More painful than '07, less painful than '03, '89, and '84.
Hendry will figure something out. Maybe with a focus on potential talent that has a proven postseason track record.
No reason to worry now. Watch the baseball postseason with some emjoyment quotient instead of anger. Go Rays and Red Sox.
And of course, happy Day 1 of football season.
Piss poor Cubs fans?
You need to go here to see that:
www.bleedcubbieblue.com
Thos people are piss poor.
We quite often rag on our beloved men in blue because we care so much.
I can't think of anyone that posts here thinks they have the gold key to the executive washroom.
We do have a passion for the game and our team through thick and thin.
Just because the Cubs have started to play better these past few years, doesn't mean we just jumped on the bandwagon, and because they've fallen flat on their face the past two years in the playoffs means that us complaining is just whining.
I lurk this blog all the time and I never post, but I feel the need to add something this time. I live in Orlando, where most baseball fans (there's not that many here, people here live and die with college football) like the Braves, mostly because they grew up with them everyday on TBS.
There's bandwagon Rays fans here, and I guess I'm one of those, though I've always rooted for them, just kind of as the home team, and I'm stoked that they're good this year.
I guess what I'm feeling right now though is what braves fans went through for a long time here. The braves were good for a long time, but just couldn't win it all, so the fans started to become complacent. Here, fans start to watch baseball in august, if the team is in contention.
I have been a die hard cubs fan all my life. My father is a cubs fan from bloomington, and he, after '69 stopped caring for the team, because they sucked for years and years. But, while I'm too young to actually remember, 1984 was the year he got back into them, because Dallas Green built a hell of a team. They were, by all accounts, exciting to watch.
I remember 1989 with Zimmer. That was a great team, and they didn't crap out in the NLCS in the same way that these 2008 cubs did. I've stuck with this team through thick and thin. But after this unforgivable performance, I just don't feel like getting the mlb.tv package and watching these jerks 120+ games next year. I realize now that watching a good cubs team is masochistic and I'm tired of the pain.
So now I feel like the braves fans I grew up with, and never understood, how they could take so much good baseball for granted. Now I do, because these cubs, are NEVER gonna win, because there's just too much pressure to be THAT team. The only way this can feel better for me is if I only get behind a winner late in the season, that way it won't hurt so bad.
In the meantime, go Rays.
Good to hear you Chris!
Keep stopping by!
The Cubs players spent much of the season downplaying talk of the alleged curse, only to have Cubs brass bring out a Greek priest to spread holy water in their dugout the day of the start of the playoffs. What kind of a show of faith in the high-priced team was that? Piniella and the players were blind-sided by the stunt.
-Chicago Tribune
There are other instances, but I still can't believe the Cubs organization, and namely, Crane Kenney, really buy into the curse to the point where he's doing stuff like this. I don't understand why the Cubs ever even give the topic the light of the day when it is all a bunch of baloney.
Chris, very interesting thought about Braves fans and Cubs fans. I know a lot of Cubs fans that won't get amped up about the regular season knowing that all that really matters is getting in and letting the chips fall where they may. Whether it's weekend road trips, standing in line in February for tickets, or just devoting the hundreds of hours of time we do watching the team. You won't see a change in the support because there are too many others ready to buy a ticket or make a hotel reservation, but they certainly have burned out a few fans.
I can tell you that I never allowed myself, after 2003, to fall hard about a team, and as frusturating as it is, I'm already over this season. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride for what it was, and excellent regular season. I enjoyed being in a better mood over the summer, because let's face it, the day is always better when the Cubs win. But after 2003, I can deal with this a lot better. And there are no what-ifs. Too many mistakes make it impossible to say what-if Dempster had command, or what if the Cubs played defense. On the short term, as crappy as watching those 3 games were, it was pulling a band-aid off fast instead of agonizing. Like how the Angels will feel after a 5 hour marathon last night if they win at Fenway and then lose again at home in Game 5.
Cubs just sucked, and the Dodgers just didn't.
I'm still stunned, though, I'm not gonna lie. Just totally stunned.
And angry. I wish there was even more anger.
A frame of reference this postseason from the leadoff, three and four hitters for the Brewers and Phillies.
Brewers
Cameron 3-13 4K 3BB OHR ORBI
Braun 5-16 4K 0BB 0HR 2RBI
Fielder 1-14 5K 2BB 1HR 2RBI
Phillies
Rollins 6-16 2K 1BB 1HR 1RBI
Howard 2-11 5K 5BB 0HR 1RBI
Burrell 3-12 1K 2BB 2HR 4RBI
I think you might be done.
I've been a Cubbie since 1944 and Lou is the worse manager since then. That includes the season of rotation managers. He is intimedated by Soriano wanting to bat lead-off. Soriano is not nor will ever be a lead-off hitter. He is a free swinger who takes no pitches, strikes out and cares less about setting the table for the 3 and 4 hitters. He is and will always be a #4 or 5 hitter..not 1, 2, or 3 where the team needs patience and contact. His body language tells it all...Home run or nothing. Count the times that Lee came up with no one on base.
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