Cubs 2017 Let's Win Two!

[Quality Start Machine]

Not even the cannon blow that was the Schwarber injury stopped them last year, so yeah...I'm finally getting excited for 2017.

It's a damn good thing it happened in the third game of the year and not the thirty-third.

[Brownie]

I know we all know all of this but man it's still fun to spell it all out sometimes. The Cubs have more fucking talent than they know what to do with. I'll never get tired of thinking about that.

Even more, we don't know where their ceiling is. It could be where they are, which means they're pretty awesome, or it could be higher which means we could be making up for some lost time with the World Series Trophies.

I've been a proponent of a notion I've developed of "historic normalization" and the Cubs just happen to be prone to it, that's all.

From 1876 until 1946, they were, year-in and year-out, one of the three or so best teams in the history of the major leagues, a major brand, winners of several NL pennants in the 19th century and on top of that the third team to appear in 10 World Series in the 20th, after only only the Giants and Yankees and ahead of the Dodgers and even the Cardinals (!).  The only chink in this franchise's armor until then, it would seem, would be this nagging run of always losing the World Series (they were the first franchise to lose 5, 6 and 7 straight World Series, 7 remaining as the record that they snapped last year) but that was a discussion for another day, another narrative.

Because of this unparalleled nearly 3-Quarter of a century dominance, with very few valleys--no 5 year stretches of second division finishes etc.-- the franchise's bill came due..and it immediately ushered in 2 decades of their longest string of mediocrity until that point--say, 1946 to 1966.  This was followed by a brief and exciting--but ultimately pennant-less--blip in the very-late 60's through the very-early 70's, before another horseshit decade from '72 until '82 resumed, then the "modern" 30 year or so run of staggered, inconsistent year-to-year excitement, close-calls and plenty of individually shitty seasons...in short, another near 3-Quarter century of consistent and on balance rather awful baseball....swinging the pendulum so far the other way that in fewer than 2 generations the Cubs went from being associated as a historic pre-eminent brand to being associated as the brand of historic  ineptitude.

And now the pendulum's about to swing back.  50[/] chammenships in a row, bitches. Set your sights.

I'll be 91 by the time the Topeka Cardinals take advantage of Kyle Schwarber III's retirement, Anthony Rizzo IV's hand injury, and Theodore Roosevelt Lilly VIII's arraignment on a multistate murder spree and win the NL Central by a game only to be swept by the Las Vegas Padres in the first round and immediately after announce a move to Williston, N.D. By then, I'll be too senile to care.

[Quality Start Machine]

Damn, they gave Soler's number to Eloy.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Damn, they gave Soler's number to Eloy.

Pretty sure it was his jersey, too. Only ones that would fit both of them.

[Saul Goodman]

Brett Anderson makes the rotation despite his 7.15 spring ERA (but no homers allowed and 2:9 BB:SO!). Might want to keep Montgomery stretched out.

[Quality Start Machine]

Brett Anderson makes the rotation despite his 7.15 spring ERA (but no homers allowed and 2:9 BB:SO!). Might want to keep Montgomery stretched out.

Well...that and Anderson probably combusting after about 75 innings.

[Eli]

Brett Anderson makes the rotation despite his 7.15 spring ERA (but no homers allowed and 2:9 BB:SO!). Might want to keep Montgomery stretched out.

It was only 11 innings. If he's healthy, he's probably going to be pretty good.

[Saul Goodman]

Nice to see the Cubs getting an early start to another season of bludgeoning the shit out of the Reds. 6-0 after 1 in Vegas.

[Saul Goodman]

Chris Coghlan, who sucks, released by the Phillies. Damn it, the Cubs are going to get him back, aren't they.

[R-V]

Opening Day roster is in. Duensing to the DL so the La Stella/Szczur decision gets deferred for a while at least.

It is honestly ridiculous that the season starts in 4 damn days. I feel like I am just now coming to terms with what happened in November. This offseason seems like it's been about 10% as long as previous ones.

[Bort]

Opening Day roster is in. Duensing to the DL so the La Stella/Szczur decision gets deferred for a while at least.

It is honestly ridiculous that the season starts in 4 damn days. I feel like I am just now coming to terms with what happened in November. This offseason seems like it's been about 10% as long as previous ones.

Well, we were kind of used to the offseason psychologically beginning in, say, June.

[Canadouche]

It continues to feel weird to me that there is no easy "favourite Cub" in this team. Every time I think that Baez is my favourite, I am reminded of how awesome Schwarber is, who literally did something unheard of that will almost certainly never be duplicated. And Heyward, who burned the Cardinals fans to be here, and has spoken repeatedly about how much he loves this team. And, obviously, Rizzo and Bryant. And Arrieta remains a total badass. I mean, how does one choose?

[Chuck to Chuck]

It continues to feel weird to me that there is no easy "favourite Cub" in this team. Every time I think that Baez is my favourite, I am reminded of how awesome Schwarber is, who literally did something unheard of that will almost certainly never be duplicated. And Heyward, who burned the Cardinals fans to be here, and has spoken repeatedly about how much he loves this team. And, obviously, Rizzo and Bryant. And Arrieta remains a total badass. I mean, how does one choose?

It's Rizzo. He was the first Theo player to be here so he was the harbinger of things to come. Add in the looks on his face of amazement and wonder when good things are happening to the team and it's hard not to think of his personal health history. He's lucky to be alive. And he plays that way. Everything good is a joy to him because he was this close to none of this happening.

He knows how fortunate he is to even be here. And we are just fortunate to watch him.

[Eli]

It continues to feel weird to me that there is no easy "favourite Cub" in this team. Every time I think that Baez is my favourite, I am reminded of how awesome Schwarber is, who literally did something unheard of that will almost certainly never be duplicated. And Heyward, who burned the Cardinals fans to be here, and has spoken repeatedly about how much he loves this team. And, obviously, Rizzo and Bryant. And Arrieta remains a total badass. I mean, how does one choose?

It's Rizzo. He was the first Theo player to be here so he was the harbinger of things to come. Add in the looks on his face of amazement and wonder when good things are happening to the team and it's hard not to think of his personal health history. He's lucky to be alive. And he plays that way. Everything good is a joy to him because he was this close to none of this happening.

He knows how fortunate he is to even be here. And we are just fortunate to watch him.

Chuck is ... not wrong?

[Wheezer]

It continues to feel weird to me that there is no easy "favourite Cub" in this team. Every time I think that Baez is my favourite, I am reminded of how awesome Schwarber is, who literally did something unheard of that will almost certainly never be duplicated. And Heyward, who burned the Cardinals fans to be here, and has spoken repeatedly about how much he loves this team. And, obviously, Rizzo and Bryant. And Arrieta remains a total badass. I mean, how does one choose?

It's Rizzo. He was the first Theo player to be here so he was the harbinger of things to come. Add in the looks on his face of amazement and wonder when good things are happening to the team and it's hard not to think of his personal health history. He's lucky to be alive. And he plays that way. Everything good is a joy to him because he was this close to none of this happening.

He knows how fortunate he is to even be here. And we are just fortunate to watch him.

Chuck is ... not wrong?

It was limited-stage Hodgkin disease, so the "lucky to be alive" part is a bit over the top.