It’s not just that Cubs fans are paranoid, it’s that over the years, the Cubs have given them so many reasons to be that way that causes the reaction the current edition is getting. Â The Cubs have won 86 games, the most in the major leagues, and their fans are inching their way up toward the edge of the ledge.
It’s not like the Cubs haven’t given their fans some reason for the panic. Â After winning seven in a row to go to 85-50 on August 29, the Cubs have lost seven of eight.
It’s all a matter of perspective. Â 86-57 is pretty good. Â Just not when you went 1-7 to get there.
What had been missing from all of the angst though was a signature loss. Â It sucks, but it’s not as hard to take when your team is getting outplayed. Â For the first six losses in this stretch, the Cubs deserved what they got. Â They got pantsed by Brett Myers, Roy Oswalt and Bronson Arroyo. Â They missed on about 1,000 chances to win that extra innings game against Houston, and their losses were just leaving you disgusted.
Until yesterday, when the Cubs finally put up a loss worthy of inclusion on any documentary to commemorate the 150th or 200th anniversary of the 1908 championship club.
Ronny Cedeno gets to be immortalized.
We can argue for hours about how much of yesterday’s loss was Ronny’s fault. Â After all, his double had actually given the Cubs the lead that a sure double play grounder he misplayed would give away.
Did the ball take a bad hop? Â Would Ronny have been able to get to the bag (yes) and still throw to first in time to complete the double play (probably)? Â Was it typically shitty and lazy of him to play the ball off to the side so that a bad hop would end up in the outfield? Â (Of course.)
Kerry Wood walked Jay Bruce and the great Javier Valentin in that inning, so he can suck on the goat horn, too. Â
Yesterday’s loss was the first time that those of us who have refused to overreact to the bad stretch of games started to wonder if the Cubs had started to gag.
I’ve tried to avoid the trap of thinking this kind of stuff just happens to the Cubs. Â We all know that curses are just made up horseshit that the media use to entertain themselves (between that, eating press box food and trying to convince the concierge to change the hotel receipt so that Spectravision shows up as ‘The First Wives Club’, they don’t have much).
So I know there’s nothing to that.
Then again, in 2003 I was resting assured that the Cubs would not blow three chances to win the pennant because the 1984 team had. Â The odds of it happening again were to astronomical to worry about. Â We all know how that turned out.
Interesting, isn’t it, that just a couple of weeks ago, talk show hosts were pondering if the Cubs should try to “let” the Brewers win the division so they could avoid the Diamondbacks in the first round of the playoffs. Â Interesting, of course, because the Diamondbacks are now in second place and could very well miss the playoffs entirely.
The Cubs’ saving grace? Â While they’ve gone 1-7, the Brewers have gone 3-5, hardly breathing down their necks. Â Maybe that’s the problem. Â Maybe the Cubs have a false sense of security because they figure when they lose, Milwaukee will, too?
Whatever it is, it’s sucking the life out of the last month of the season. Â When the month started the Cubs were looking at simply needing to go 15-10 to win 100 games. Â That was the big concern.
Well, now they need to go 14-5, and frankly it might take a run like that to make Cubs’ fans feel like when, or if, they get to the playoffs, that the team has any shot.
Now is the part where I am legally required to calm your nerves with tales of two alleged World Series winning teams, though I have no actually visual evidence of either of these accomplishments. Â Basically, I didn’t watch the 2005 or 2006 World Series, but legend (and probably just legend) has it that the White Sox and Cardinals won them.
The White Sox entered September in 2005 80-51 and with a 7.5 game lead over Cleveland. Â Then, they won seven in a row. Â It was over. Â Until they went 1-6, which became 3-9. Â The Indians were only 4.5 out on September 15, and on September 20 they got within 3.5. Â The Sox sphincters started to tighten. Â On September 22 Brandon McCarthy was pitching a gem against the Twins until Jock Jones homered in the seventh to tie the game at one. Â In the 11th, Jock doubled in two more runs in a 4-1 Twins win. Â Two days later, the Indians cut the Sox lead to 1.5 games. Â The Sox went on the road to Detroit and then had to finish the season in Cleveland. Â They only lost one more game the rest of the way, including the postseason.
The Cardinals were dominating a bad NL Central in 2006 and on September 1 they had a five game lead over the Reds and seven over Houston. Â As late as September 16 they led Houston by seven games and were 79-68. Â Then, the wheels fell off. Â They lost seven of eight, which became eight of ten. Â Their lead shrunk to 2.5 games on September 25 and to one-half game on September 28. Â Then, Scott Spiezio crawled out of a bar and hit a triple against Milwaukee and the Cardinals hung on to their lead. Â They won two more before losing on the last day. Â If Houston had won in Atlanta they would have been 83-79 and the Cardinals were 83-78. Â The Cardinals would have had to have played a rained out game against the Giants, and had the Cardinals lost that game, then there would have been a one game playoff in Houston to determine the NL Central title.
The White Sox, like the Cubs this year, had been the best team in their league all season, then they stumbled in September, their fans shrugged it off at first, then got worried, then went into full scale panic, and the Sox eventually righted the ship. Â
The Cardinals had been the best team in the NL in 2004 and 2005 and were not nearly as good in 2006. Â Most of us Cubs’ fans had been relieved when they bombed in the 2004 World Series and then blew the 2005 NLCS to Houston because we thought they’d missed their chance at a world title. Â Apparently, all they needed was the adrenaline of almost blowing a seven game lead with two weeks left to spur them on.
Baseball’s full of near missed choke jobs. Â The Diamondbacks had the NL West won with seven games to go last year, but lost five of them and nearly gave it away. Â Then…they swept the Cubs in the playoffs.
As ugly as this is, the Cubs just need to get in. Â Then it really does all start over.
But for our sakes, could they hurry up and do it already?
Thank you for the Dose…of reality. The Cubs still have 86 wins with 19 to go. That’s pretty good. In fact, that is the best in MLB. There has yet to be a moment that completely takes the wind out of the sails. If anything, the Cubs are pressing right now and will probably continue to press until the end of the season, which doesn’t seem to work very well. But when the season ends, and the Cubs are in the playoffs, everyone will take a nice clean breath of October air and sink the Goat in the middle of Lake Michigan. Bet on it.
By the way, Thank You for not claiming you “just wanted to see a chicago team win” like a lot of these other asshats out there. It was not good on any level. I was actually trying to figure out how both Houstan and the Sox could lose at the same time, but it kept coming down to an ’89 earthquake and I figured that wouldn’t happen in Chicago or Houston.
Meh, screw the Cubs. How ’bout those BEARS!!!!!
Anyone notice how Muskrat’s Mailbag today had nothing to do with its title? I’m pissed because I really want to know why Howry keeps getting appearances. Oh, well.
Hey Andy,
Despite my being one of the world’s oldest Bleed Cardinal Red fans, I doff my chapeau to you. Your line, “Then, Scott Spiezio crawled out of a bar and hit a triple against Milwaukee…” was Pure Genius.
Nicely played, lad. Even we Morans south of Joliet liked that one.
Jeez, guys, don’t get so obsessive over a losing streak. Every team gets them, even pennant winners. You want choke, guys? I’ll give you choke. It’s called the Deadbirds 2008 Bullpen. As of last Saturday, we have a MLB-leading 30 blown saves. Maybe those clowns should all find the bar Spiezio crawled out of and go drink heavily there. Hell, it couldn’t hurt.
Now, boys, I’m not looking for sympathy here — since you’re all Cubs fans, I realize you’ll tell me that I can find sympathy between shit and syphilis in the dictionary. I’m just putting it into perspective for you — the Cubs are in pretty good shape. The Cards ain’t going anywhere (they’ve turned out better than expected, frankly), and the Lastros, once again, woke up way too late.
But I’m no expert, your mileage may vary, take this under advice of your family physician, as certain side reactions may occur……like insanity, moranity, etc….
Warmly yours,
Satan the Crimson
The odds of it happening again were *too* astronomical to worry about. We all know how that turned out.
OH MAN! I’M CHOKING!
Hello!
F*** this f***ing team.
Just keep telling yourselves that it can’t happen again as it’s happening right in front of your eyes.
Even if the Cubs somehow get to me, will it even matter? This team has lost whatever confidence/mojo/magic/good luck that they had earlier in the season. Now, they just find ways to lose. Wonderful.
someone hold me! This is going to be heart-wrenching.
Lou needs to go out on the field, grab 1st, 2nd, 3rd base and start tossing them into his own dugout followed by some dirt, and maybe even some baseballs and bats. It would be the most consistent hits this team has gotten in September. Here’s the new rule: Each player on the offense needs to give $100 to Cubs Care when the offense scores less than 4 runs. Each pitcher playing who contributes to giving up 5 or more runs needs to give $200 to Cubs Care with an additional $50 for every non-intentional walk. Then at least someone would benefit from this suck job they’ve been doing lately.
I feel better after bitching about this recent crappy stretch of play. Here’s to the Cubs being able to switch it on like the Bears defense did. I’m just going to act like this is pre-season and it doesn’t matter because in the playoffs we will turn it on and issue beat downs like the Bears handed to the Colts this weekend.
I’ll give the bullpen a ride home from the bar
Why drive when you can fly?
Is it possible for Andy not to mention Dusty Baker? I guess it is when his team beats the Cubs 2 out of 3 in September. Well, here’s hoping Dusty returns to his losing ways, because Andy’s head exploding would create a terrible mess if he ever actually won something in Cincinnati.
The sound of the Cubs backing into October.
Hi fellows. Anybody miss me?
Cue mouthbreathing shot.
Great post…..I just spewed my “cold frosty Budweiser” all over the screen when I read your Josh Hancock line.
Even as a Card fan, it still baffles me why their P.R. machine memorializes the idiot’s number. Guh.
Lucifer the Red,
“Your Resident Desipio Moran”