30 Days Left

[Brownie]

I pretty much agree with everything all of you are saying, especially Oleg, who was heroically updating this while I was out of pocket.  The playoffs can be a crapshoot. That's sort of why I started this thread. There's been no race to entertain us, just sustained excellence. Minus that 5-15 patch (holy crap, had they just gone 10-10 during that time, they'd be 106-51 with 109-110 wins in the picture), they've dominated like only a few other teams in my lifetime (I won't include the 75 Reds as I was a mere infant):

-1984 Tigers
-1986 Mets
-1988-1990 A's
-1995 Indians (Check out the 1995 Braves while you're at it)
-1998 Yankees

The Cubs could struggle against the Giants staff next week and find themselves in a 2-1 hole and then, wham - season's over. Still have to celebrate this team, which will be back.

Not to go meatball on you, but that's what I marvel about when I look at the 1985 Bears. Sure, maybe they should have won more Super Bowls. But look at who was in the NFC at the time:
The Washington Redskins with one of the best O-Lines in history, a strong receiving corps, a great front four and one of the best DBs of all time.
The New York Giants, who had the best linebacker I ever saw (whether coke-fueled or not), a strong offensive line and defensive front, and really peak Parcells
The San Francisco 49ers of Montana, Rice, Lott, Bill Walsh
The Minnesota Vikings of Chris Doleman and Joey Browner. A tough win on the road.
The Rams of Eric Dickerson
The Buddy Ryan-era Eagles
And as the window shut on the Bears, the emergence of Barry Sanders and the Lions, Mike Holmgren's Packers, and (the team that fittingly closed the door on the Ditka era) the Jimmy Johnson Cowboys.

Are we going to look back on the Cubs of 2015-2021 and see:
- A still-solid Cardinals team that won 100 games in 2015 and probably contended for a few years after that
- A Pirates team desperately trying to stay relevant
- A rebuilding Brewers franchise that might become a factor in 2018 and beyond?
- The Bryce Harper/Max Scherzer/Stephen Strasburg Nationals, despite Dusty Baker's leadership
- The Giants of Bochy, a dynasty in its own right
- The Dodgers of endless supply of cash and Clayton Kershaw
- The Mets of (assuming they can stay at least semi-healthy) deGrom, Matz, Syndegaard, Harvey
- (And oh, a what could have been for the Marlins of the next two seasons)?

Fact is, the Cubs have a good chance to overshadow them all. At the very least every conversation for the next few years about best team in the NL starts with the Cubs and may include the others.

[Brownie]

Can we just marvel at the 1903-1913 Cubs?
82, 93, 92, 116, 107,99, 104, 104, 92, 91, 88

Thanks to the rainout, best we can hope for is to equal the 1909-1910 club


1. 1906 --  116 (118)
2. 1907  --107 (111)
3. 1909 -- 104 (104)
3. 1910 -- 104 (105)
5. 2016 -- 102 (102)
6. 1935 -- 100 (102)
7. 1908 -- 99 (103)
8. 1945 -- 98 (101)
8. 1929 -- 98 (99)
10. 2015 -- 97 (101)
10. 2008 -- 97 (97)
12. 1984 -- 96 (98)
13. 1989 -- 93 (94)
13. 1904 --93 (93)
13. 1937 -- 93 (93)
16. 1911 -- 92 (92)
16. 1905 -- 92 (92)
16. 1969 -- 92 (92)
19. 1912 -91 (91)
19. 1928 -- 91 (91)
21. 1998 -- 90 (90)
21. 1930 -- 90 (90)
21. 1932 --90 (90)
21. 1886 -- 90 (90)
25. 1938 -- 89 (89)
25. 2004 -- 89 (89)
27. 2003 -- 88 (94)
27. 2001 -- 88 (88)
27. 1913 --88 (88)
30. 1936 -- 87 (87)
30. 1885 -- 87 (87)
30. 1967 -- 87 (87)
33. 1933 -- 86 (86)
33. 1934 -- 86 (86)
35. 2007 -- 85 (85)
35. 1898 -- 85 (85)
35. 1927 -- 85 (85)
35. 1972 -- 85 (85)
39. 1970 -- 84 (84)
39. 1968 -- 84 (84)
39. 1939 -- 84 (84)
39. 1931 -- 84 (84)
39. 1918 -- 84 (86)
39. 1993 -- 84 (84)
45. 2009 -- 83 (83)
45. 1971 -- 83 (83)
45. 1923 -- 83 (83)
45. 1890 -- 83 (83)
49. 1926 -- 82 (82)
49. 1891 -- 82 (82)
49. 1903 -- 82 (82)
49. 1946 -- 82 (82)
49. 1963 -- 82 (82)

The best team since World War II! (Total meaningful wins in parenthesis)

1. 2016 -- 102 (102)
2. 2015 -- 97 (101)
2. 2008 -- 97 (97)
4. 1984 -- 96 (98)
5. 1989 -- 93 (94)
6. 1969 -- 92  (92)
7. 2004 -- 89  (89)
8. 2003 -- 88   (94)
8. 2001 -- 88    (88)
10. 1967 -- 87    (87)
11. 2007 -- 85    (85)
11. 1972 -- 85     (85)
13. 1970 -- 84    (84)
13. 1968 -- 84    (84)
13. 1993 -- 84     (84)
16. 2009 -- 83    (83)
17. 1946 -- 82    (82)
17. 1963 -- 82    (82)

[/quote]

[Quality Start Machine]

One more win means 200 in 2 years from a group that still has unrealized potential.

[WTB...A RING FFS!!]

Barring injuries i could see a bunch of 95+ win seasons with a few 100+ thrown in over the next 8-10 yrs the way the front office has worked since coming here. Now can it be next Friday already...