My wife knows nothing about baseball 1 and so this morning she asked me, “How many more games do they need to win to go to the World Series?”  When I told her that they just need to win one more, either Saturday or Sunday she said, “Oh, good.  That will be fun.”

And I just stood there and stared.  I was going to explain to her that this is the third time in our lives that they’ve been this close to the World Series.  Just one more win.  One of three in San Diego.  One of three against the Marlins, with two games at home, pitched by their best starting pitchers.

But I didn’t.  I didn’t say any of it, because in a flash, I realized something I’ve thought since last year.  None of that means shit.  The Cubs will never win a decisive NLCS game…until they do. 

So I just smiled.  I said, “They’ve been this close a couple of times.  But this time it’s different.  They’ve never been this good.”

That’s the rub.  Even with Clayton Kershaw facing them in game six, the Cubs are just better.  They don’t need a lucky break.  They don’t need the Dodgers to fuck something up.  They just need to play like they have every day since April.  Their next win will be their 110th of the season and it’s going to send them to the World Series.

The World Series.

It doesn’t even seem like something we should say out loud. 

But we might as well, because we’re going to have to get used to it. 

Here are those annoying footnotes.

  1. And, I’m sure you smartasses just mumbled, “Well, at least you two have that in common.