FEAR THE BLUE BEAR

Comedy of Errors

2005-05-06T17:01:00.000-05:00

Note: What follows hereafter is explained much more clearly if read while listening to this. It's streaming mp3- set your media player to "repeat" and read on.

There is a war in my mind fought over the nature of the game of baseball. For most of my life, basketball has been the sport I have played and watched most frequently. So the old adage of "Bigtime players will make bigtime plays in big situations" has been engrained in me. You see, in this sport, the heroic efforts and synergy of cohesive units allow teams to be greater than the sum of their talents. There are so many factors to the game that smart play in tough situations often controls the outcome. I would like to think all sports are this way.

However, baseball is completely different sort of game. Most plays are one-on-one confrontations. Great team chemistry and a penchant for coming up big in big situations might never make a difference in the game. For example, a guy in right field with a great throwing arm can't impact the game with that arm if the ball never leaves the infield. The one-on-one nature of baseball paired with a large 162 game sample size is what lends baseball towards statistical analysis. So, despite my hardwood inclinations, it has been my belief that having "clutch" guys on a baseball team is somewhat irrelvant.

Statistics have shown that, given a large enough sample size, most batters will hit very near their career averages in so called "clutch" situations. Even Derek Jeter, the ESPN god of the Postseason, sports a career .306 playoff average in comparison to his lifetime .315 average (take that John Kruk).

So when I see something like, say, a bloop hit off of Jerry Hairston's glove in shallow right to lose a game, I instinctively think to myself, "Don't worry, self. It is just one unlucky game. Latroy pitched well, and we will get a lucky game sometime in return. Law of averages.... Law of averages....."

This is how I, a Cubs fan, sleep at night.

That's why it is painful when, the very next day, Latroy throws a routine lineout sowewhere onto Addison Street to lose yet another game in the ninth. I swear I saw Latroy look in the camera after that play, point at me and yell, "Average this, b****."

Len Kasper has been quoting statistics all year on Latroy as a closer. The short of it is that, if you include all situations, he is no better or worse than the league average over the last few years. However, his 9th inning statistics are significantly lower.

So where does this leave us? It could be that being "clutch" in baseball simply means being able to perform at the same level all the time- that only "unclutch" guys exist. It could be that the Cubs will win five games in a ridiculous manner later on this season. It could also be that this Cubs team simply has a knack for finding ways to lose games in the most unlikely of ways, and Latroy Hawkins is a head case.

I suppose, if you believe in the paranormal, it is also conceivable that the stat gods have fused the two Chicago baseball teams into one sample. If you consider that the White Sox and the Cubs are playing in opposite directions and many standard deviations away from the mean of baseball luck, you realize that overall they are one big, mediocre team. Personally, I believe that this is just karma paying me back for saying earlier this year that I hear the music referenced above everytime I see video highlights of Rick Ankiel pitching.

Whatever the reasons and regardless of the conclusions we draw, at least the Cubs aren't giving the illusion of competency preceding a meltdown like they did last year. It's probably better on my stress levels if we fall out of the race in May instead of September. Grab some popcorn, fans, for this comedy of errors has many acts yet to come.

Quick Hitters

2005-04-28T15:43:00.000-05:00

- Yesterday's win over the Reds was a big one. Dropping a couple to these guys at home would have hurt pretty bad. I know that it is a long season and that little stretches shouldn't make a whole lot of difference, but we do have a few guys on our roster who are prone to put their head down when things go sour (read: Latroy, Carlos, Kerry).

- I will preface this by saying that I am content with the broadcast team we have. Brenly and Kasper are pretty middle of the road in my opinion, so I don't love them or hate them. That being said, Lenny's voice is really starting to get to me. When he makes a home run call, his voice sounds like Barney from the Simpsons after a kick in the groin.

- Last year's summer mancrush on Derrek Lee is resurfacing pretty strong....

- More later...

P.S. How do the Bulls keep winning? No team that gets significant playing time from Eric Piatkowski, Adrian Griffin, and Othella Harrington should win a game in the playoffs. Kudos to Skiles and the young studs off the bench.

Brushing the Dust off the Blog...

2005-04-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

"In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love...."

.... Or, in the case of this intrepid student, thoughts of exams and final projects. Posts have been scarce as of late but the Blue Bear has been keeping close tabs on the season. I know it may just be perpetual Cubs gloom, but it feels as though the season is slipping away already. Starters are dropping like flies, the bullpen is becoming a mess, and Aramis Ramirez has misplaced his bat thus far. The burden on the starting pitching could be immense this season. Hey, at least we have a logically sound manager at the helm.... uh... hmmm.

- I think it's time we just put this out there, mourn a little bit, and get over it. It's painfully clear that Neifi Perez has sold his soul to the devil. Moment of silence - aaaaand move on.

- Who else is anxiously awaiting the day that Jeromy Burnitz gets season ending whiplash from his gi-normous swing? It's like he thinks he's playing T-ball-- pick a spot and swing as hard as you can at it. I can't decide whether it's a credit to him or a knock on the pitchers that he actually picks the right spot 25% of the time. When he comes to the plate, the Disney cartoon of "Casey at the Bat" plays over and over in my mind...

- I know it's been beaten to death already, but why did Dusty pinch hit Macias for the red-hot Jason Dubois the other night? Maybe Dusty just doesn't trust young guys. It's not like Jason is 26. What's that? Oh.

-The Bill James philosophy on a closer is to bring in your best late inning pitcher when the situation is most critical. For example, if the heart of the order comes up in the 8th, you put the closer in then, instead of saving him for the 9th. While I'm not completely sold on this idea, I think maybe Dusty should try this with Latroy- without telling him. Latroy is the guy who said during spring training that he feels comfortable in the 8th because there is room for error. It's possible that we could trick him into thinking that there is no pressure in the 7th or 8th. Then again, maybe it's not exactly wise to play head games with a guy who tells reporters he is "f***ing crazy." Then again.... if that leads to Latroy taking out Dusty....

-I know there's a nickname joke about Nomar Garcia-popup to Nomar Garcia-groinpull, but I'm not going to make it.

All in all, the Cubs are nowhere close to losing the season. Neifi! and Derrek are making up for the lack of production from Nomar (RIP) and Aramis. Things will even out, and the Wild Card will be within grasp. Don't give up hope just yet.

angry

2005-04-18T20:27:00.000-05:00

the game isn't over yet, but I'm really pissed off no matter the outcome. i didn't get to see most of the game because I had to go to class. Don't know how bad kerry was......it looks like he continues to be baffled by lefty hitters. Who I'm really angry at are Dusty (big suprise) and Barret. Dusty should have kept Rusch in as he had a great first inning. Leicester has been struggling mightily the whole season. So lets put him into the most crucial part of the game.....just stupid. Despite making a bad decision to have Leicester start the inning, he compunds the mistake by keeping him in way too long. Speaking of bad decisions, what the hell is barret trying to do.
What an idiotic attempt at a tripple play. Just be happy you were given the gift of that double play. My anger at barret doesn't stop there. He's not hitting because he's not seeing pitches. He has got to start taking some more pitches. I don't mind him being agressive because that's the type of hitter he is. But he's averaging about 2.5 ptiches per plate appearance this year. That's a number even nomar hasn't come close to reaching. Hoepfully he can begin justifying some of that new contract he signed after having his first good year in the majors. Hopefully hendry's man love for barret will not turn out to be a big mistake. End of rant.

Random Thoughts

2005-04-17T13:12:00.000-05:00

I'm writing this during today's game, and I don't really have any huge ideas to write about. I just have a few random things floating around my head, so here they go:

- WHYYYYYYYYY is Hollandsworth starting today? What happened to the platoon with Dubois? Jason should be starting in the first place, but that's obviously not going to happen. The very least the Cubs could do would be to follow through with what they said they were going to do. I just e-mailed Cubs.com's Carrie Muskat to ask her about it. I don't really expect a reply, but if I do get one, I'm sure she'll respond in her usual charming way.

-How long can Neifi! keep up this charade? I'm putting the over/under at 22 hours.

-Mark Redman=Glendon Rusch

-Short book review: I finished Three Nights in August not too long ago, and it was just okay. It was nice to look back at part of that great 2003 season. It brought back some good, and in the case of 2 out of 3 games of the series covered in the book, bad memories. I guess the book could best be described as a character piece, but the man crush that writer Buzz Bissinger has on La Russa just overshadows everything. The book just makes me dislike La Russa even more. It also seems that the book was also trying to service as an antithesis to Moneyball. Good luck with that. One particularly excruciating segment was the talk of Tino Martinez and his mysterious loss of clutchness after coming to the Cardinals. It talks about the big home run he hit during the 2001 World Series as if that made Greek God of Clutch. (sorry for the pitiful attempt at reference) When he came to the Cardinals he suddenly couldn't get a big hit. Bissinger then describes a crucial part of a game with the Cubs. The bases are loaded with 1 out late in a tight game. He hits a grounder which the author describes as a ball that might make it through or could just as easily be turned into a double play. The ball gets through, runners score, Tino's clutch again, La Russo's happy he found his missing clutchness. Okay, if the grounder off Martinez's bat could admittedly go either way, then how is it clutch? Isn't that just dumb luck? Doesn't make sense to me. There's more of the same throughout the book. It's a shame too, because this could have been a really good book. There were particularly good section's about Eldred's comeback, Ankiel's meltdown, La Russa's divorce, and Kile's death (I can't even fathom the Cub's having to go through something like that). Instead the book tries overly hard to push La Russa as a sort of mad genius, but instead he just comes off as mad. I would recommend this book to Cubs and Cards fans, but no one else. I give it a C+. Next up is Cub Nation. I have a feeling that I'll like this one a little bit more.

- I have to add this in the middle cause I'm watching the game while writing this. Why pinch hit Dubois for Maddux with 2 outs and no one on. Maddux is pitching great, and he's only thrown 77 pitches. I don't get it. Maybe Maddux had a tee time he had to get to. And is there a worse way we could be using Dubois? If there is, Dusty will find it.

- That time of year is here. With the coming of the Cardinal series Wednesday, the fans from the respective teams feel the need to quarrel like 2 frat guys over who pops their collar better. It's all pretty useless in my mind. I guess it’s a fun old pastime, but it gets out of hand sometime. I've definitely been guilty of it from time to time. I've wanted to kill good friends because of this. I've found recently that the Internet fighting can get really absurd. TheBirdwatch.com felt the need to criticize TheCubReporter.com's criticism of former Card and certifiable insane Steve Kline (one thing I found out in Three Nights is that he loves to walk around naked). He not only criticized the criticism, but also the apparently weak diss (did I spell that right?). Thehardballtimes.com also ripped on Kline. Who wouldn't? I respect the fact that Kline is being honest and up front about his feelings. That's cool, but the fact that he's having these feelings is dumb. He chose to get into that situation. He chose to take a couple million more than what he could have got. He's not playing well, but his team is. He needs to get over himself and start playing well. I think he'd be happy then. But back to the point at hand. I'm going to the game on Thursday with some friends, all but one being Cardinal fan. I'm going to be a nervous wreck. There's just something about this rivalry that makes jittery and anxious. It's twice as bad when I'm there for the games. Here's hoping it goes well.

- I love Derrek Lee. He is quickly becoming my favorite position player. Thank God Dusty flipped Burnitz and Lee in the order.

- What the hell is with that picture of Jack Wilson as a pirate at PNC? I know that's the team's name, but that's just ugly and dumb.

- I hate Will and Grace.

-Did I just see Macias take a 2 out walk?

As you can see, my random thoughts are getting pretty bad so I'm going to wrap it up.

You Take the Good with the Bad

2005-04-13T19:55:00.000-05:00

We are now 4-5, and although it's still very early in the season I'm going to go ahead and draw some conclusions. Somtimes I'll watch and see things that our very encouraging, and then other times it looks like last season never even ended. So I'm going to list some pros and cons that I've noticed so far. We'll start with the bad:
Cons
1. Neifi!/Jose and Dusty- This drives me crazier than anything else possibly could. Yes, I know Neifi had 6 hits today, but I don't care. He's most likely reached his quota for the first 2 months, so we should just bench him now. NOW! Of course, Dusty would rather bow down to Tony La Russa than do that. He loves guys like Macias and Perez because he thinks they are versatile. If by versatile he means not good at a lot of things then he's right. I just hate to think that Perez's 6 hits (which traveled a combined 400 feet) will come back to haunt us in the form of September pinch hitting attempts in crucial spots

2. Kerry Wood- I know it's early, but he has looked pretty bad. He has absolutely no command right now, especially over his breaking ball. I'm pretty sure that he'll get back to the level he has established for himself over the past few years. And that's good. He has been a good to very good pitcher over his career, but it just hurts to see that because he has the ability to be great. I'm convinced now that his problemsare 99% mental. He's gotta figure out a way to be consistent, especially when he doesn't have his best stuff. I still have hope that he'll turn into a cy young contender, but they're slipping.

3. Offense- Our offense just has too many holes in it to be a consistent threat. The more I think about it, the more I think that Hendry did an awful job in the offseason. Hollandsworth is not a starter, he's not even a platoon player. He's a guy that should get about 250-300 plate appearances. Burnitz is a fringe starter. He's definitely not a starter for 5 million a year. We could have done a much better job replacing Alou and Sosa. And if The Cubs are going to be cheap and not properly fill the positions they need, they could at least give a guy like Dubois a chance to start. I'm pretty sure he could put similar numbers to Burnitz. As far as second base goes, there is no reason Hairston shouldn't be starting every game while Walker is out. And it's one thing to start Neifi!, but another thing all together when he hits in the 2 hole. It's going to be an automatic out (after today). Oh yea, I forget, Perez can handle the bat.

Pros
1. Derrek/Corey- Both of these guys look great to me so far. Lee seemingly refuses to swing at anything close to a bad pitch. He's seeing the ball great this year, which is great considering his increased importance in the lineup. He's really locked in early as opposed to last year. I'm thinking big for him this year. Like 300/400/580 big. A lot of people, including me were thinking similar to that last year. It didn't happen, but that doesn't mean it can't. My main reasons for thinking this way is his hot start, the similarity in numbers through the same age as Scott Rolen (I'm sure I'm stretching here), and his doubles/homers total last year. Last year, Derrek had his career high in doubles and homers. I have a feeling that a lot of those doubles are going to turn into homers. As for Corey, I'm very suprised. We all read the reports on how he was really working on his approach this offseason. And then Spring Training came and he didn't even walk once. Not once! He's still not walking a lot, but he looks ten times more patient than he was last year. He's taking pitches. Taking pitches, by God! And some of them are even close. He's also fixed his swing a lot in that he's not releasing the bat half way through his swing. He's now got a great 2-handed followthrough on his swing giving him good bat control. He's smacking a lot of line drives up the middle, and while he's not hitting for much power so far, I'm confident it will come naturally if he lets it. My only complaint so far as that he's not stealing every time he reaches first base. There have been a couple obvious times to steal this year, when, for some reason, he didn't go. That needs to change. I'm a Moneyball guy, but I have supreme confidence in Corey's speed. I think this is the crucial year for Patterson. I think this is the year we find out if we are getting Tori Hunter, Garret Anderson, or Carlos Beltran. This year I'm thinking he'll put up around 300/350/470 with 40 steals.

2. Relief Pitching- All three of you probably think I'm crazy for saying this, and maybe I am. But I think that the rumors of our relief corps demise is greatly exagerated. Latroy will put good numbers, closer or not. He may not be an elite closer, but I can't see him being bad like last year again. That first save he blew was a little unlucky. Mike (Sam Elliot) Remingler is very good when healthy, and he claims to be completely healthy and looks good so far. Fox is the same way. Rusch is a very nice swingman. Leicester has very good stuff, command is another issue. I'm not sold on him. The Jury's still out on Bartosh too (how nice would it be to have a real lefty specialist as oppose to Remlinger and his freakish reverse splits). Then there's Mike Wuertz. He was a dark horse coming into this season, and so far has looked very good. He reminds me a lot of former Cardinal Kiko Calero. If Latroy fails, I think he should be the choice for closer. It's also nice to have Scott Williamson in your back pocket for later.

3. Mark Prior- Wait......I don't want to jinx him after one start.

So there you go. It is still very early, and I'm probably jumping to conclusions (except for the Neifi/Jose thing). But, thats what obsessive baseball fans do, and I definitely fill that description. Just keep an eye out for further developments on the list, and we'll check back on it later.

Is it too early?

2005-04-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

OK. I'll admit. I have been too run down from Illinois' run to really get into baseball. Watching the Cubs put up 16 in one game and then drop the next two in Arizona didn't excite or bother me too much. I've been very calm with the season so far. There have been any paranoid "the season is ending" moments for me..... until today.

It is no secret that San Diego has a good bullpen, so when Corey Patterson singled off Akinori "the Balk" Otsuka, I was mildly excited that the Cubs might have something started. You see, it is also no secret that Corey is a very fast person. My hopes were quickly shattered as I remembered that Neifi! was... gasp... the starting 2 hitter. I knew what was coming. Every Cub fan probably did, becuase it is brutally obvious that Dusty Baker is a fan of smallball, especially in the worst situations. So, Neifi! lays down a bunt, followed by your standard issue intentional walk, your standard issue pop-up, and your VERY standard issue Jeromy Burnitz strikeout to end the inning and, essentially, the game.

Why does he not give Corey a chance to swipe that bag??? He is a career 80% base stealer. Yes, Hernandez has a good arm, but it's not like Otsuka is lighting quick to the plate. If Corey is on second, then you can either let Neifi! swing away or lay one down. Assuming he bunts Corey to third (or hits a slow roller to the right side), you now have men on first on third with one out (after the inevitable IBB).

Considering only the ensuing Aramis AB, you lose in either scenerio on a douple play. This would most likely be a groundout.

You win with Corey on second ONLY on a solid base hit.

With Corey on third, you win on a base hit, a relatively deep flyout, and an groundball deep in the hole.

Now, I am a recent convert to Moneyball style of thinking. Statheads agree that you have a higher statistical chance of scoring with a man on second and no one out than a guy on third with one out. I know Dusty would not agree and will lay a bunt down, and I am not totally against the idea when it Neifi! is up to bat. It just makes more sense to bunt Corey to third instead of second. You give yourself more options- more chances to win.

So, I ask, is this too early to be going nuts about Dusty? Probably. Will this revelation lead to a general calm from me about his present and future decisions? Probably not. What does this mean? It could be a long season....

More thoughts:

-Read this excerpt from Gene Wojciechowski's book about the Cubs. Does this sound like the cool handed guy you want closing out your wins? Personally, I think it's equal parts scary and hilarious.

- I kinda like Len Kasper and Bob Brenly. This could just be a honeymoon period, but Kasper seems unannoying and throws in stats pretty well, while Brenly chimes in with some interesting tidbits that only managers might know. This will being a continuing plotline as the season progresses.

- Dempster pitched (surprisingly) well. I would love for him to throw in a dash of consistency with his talent, buuuut I'm not holding my breath...

- I'm impressed by Wuertz so far. Here's hoping he doesn't start in with the 6 run innings like last year.

- I'm also impressed by the team's approach at the plate. Corey looks like a new animal, and we are taking more pitches than last year. There is no reason that D. Lee can't walk 100 times this year.

- Prior starts tomorrow. Let's hope he's better than that first inning in Iowa.

A New Beginning....

2005-04-06T15:11:00.000-05:00

While I've been obsessing over the Illini, baseball season has begun. And this blog is, first and foremost, about the Cubs. So I figure I should write a little bit about baseball. I only got to see a few innings of the first game, but from what I saw, we looked good. Big Carlos had a little hissy-fit, but I'm confident he'll be able to control his emotions soon. We romped on offense, which is always nice to see. It's always nice to start the new season off with a win, but I couldn't get that pumped about it because my favorite team ever would have their dream season ended later that day.
I was able to catch the game last night. I thought Maddux pitched well (except for Gonzo's 2 homers), our offense was very mediocre against very mediocre pitching (how ortiz has won so many games I'll never know), and I'm not even going to comment on the Niefi Perez pinch hitting decision. All in all, it was a frustrating loss. But, with me still left motionless from the Illini game and it being so early in the season, it hasn't bothered me too much.
The recaps of most games will be more in depth than this, but for now I'm gonna cut them short because I want to have some fun. And by fun I, of course, mean predictions!!! So here we go:
American League
East: Central: West:
1. New York (103 wins) 1. Minnesota (94) 1. Anaheim (92)
2. Boston (96) 2. Cleveland (87) 2. Oakland (86)
3. Baltimore (80 and 42 homers from Samuel) 3. Chicago (84) 3. Texas (81)
4. Toronto (68) 4. Detroit (79) 4. Seattle (77)
5. Tampa Bay (65) 5. Kansas City (60)
National League
East: Central: West:
1. Philadelphia (92) 1. St. Louis (95) 1. San Diego (91)
2. Florida (90) 2. Chicago (92) 2. L.A. (87)
3. Atlanta (85) 3. Cincy (81) 3. San Fransisco (85)
4. New York (83) 4. Houston (79) 4. Arizona (72)
5. Mon....Washington (66) 5. Milwaukee (72) 5. Colorado (65)
6. Pittsnolgsburg (62)
Those numbers don't add up completely, but you get the idea. That's all for now.

upset

2005-04-05T15:55:00.000-05:00

I still don't have my thoughts completely collected after the championship game. I'm going to watch the tivo i have of the game this weekend, and after that I'll be able to provide some proper analysis for the game. Right now I'm just really dissapointed for our guys and our program. I'll I can think of right now is that we were the better team who picked a terrible time to have an off shooting night. I loved this team so much. They are officially my favorite team ever. They really deserved this championship. More on the game later.

the dream marches on

2005-03-29T19:15:00.000-06:00

First of all, I'm not even gonna try to comment on the game saturday night. I was there (don't mean to rub it in, but I WAS THERE!!!!), and I can say without embarrassment that it already is, and will always remain, one of my favorite memories. It was an amazing event that I could never do justice to with my words. Plenty of people have already written good articles about it anyway, including Brian. All I can say is that if youre a fan and watched the game, you know what it was all about. We'll all know what that game was about and what it meant to us. We'll always be able to look back on that game with excitement and disbelief.
Okay, enough about that. What an Elite 8 that was. You know you got a great round of regional championship games when that UNC/Wisc game can easily be called the worst game of the bunch. I can't imagine the games to get any better, but for llini fans it can get much better. I can't wait for this weekend, and once again, I will be watching the Illini in person (sorry to rub it in again). But, before I can go, I have to make my picks for the Final Four. I did pretty good with my picks last time, giving me a lot of blind confidence for my next round of picks. So here they are:
UofI v. Louisville- This will be a tough game for our Illini. They are a tough team, and obviously very well-coached. The things I worry about most are their ability to shoot 3's and our tendency to allow open 3's at times. Another thing that worries me is Garcia because we have had some trouble guarding those slashing 6'5" or above slashing small forwards (think tucker(from milwaukee and from madison), morrison, adams, etc.) I see those as our 2 major obstacles. A couple things I like are that I like about the matchup are that they play a 2-3 zone, and they have a tendency to commit some turnovers. Both of those facts could really help us. I got us by 10.
UNC v. Mich St.- Can we please get the national sports writers and so-called experts off of this UNC kick. Yes, we can all agree that they most likely have the most talent, but guess what? Having the best talent does not always mean the best team!!! And they don't have the best team. They got lucky last weekend. First of all, Roy Williams is one of the most overrated coaches ever. He has the best talent year after year. And year after year they dissapoint. They will again. You have to play defense to win, and if you give up over 80 to WISCONSIN, you got problems. Michigan State is better than Wisconsin, with athletes just about (or dare I say) as good as UNCs. They are chalk full of runners and jumpers. They rebound and run like crazy. I don't think UNC can guard them with any consistency. On the other side of the ball, State has some lokc down defenders. They certainly won't completely stop Carolina, but they will be able to contain them well enough. So I'm going with Mich. St. in a barn burner. My one reservation about picking State is that I worry about lil' nietzal. He would get absolutely destroyed by Felton, but I thought the same thing about Rondo and Kentucky, but Izzo was smart enough tokeep him out of the game during key stretches. I think he will be again. In fact, he's gonna dominate Williams on the coaching side.
UofI v. Mich St.- Boy oh boy, is ESPN going to hate this. I'm sure they'll forget it by next year, but it will be nice to rub the Big Ten in their face for awhile. This game worries me as an Illini fan. I would rather play UNC because I like how we match up against them. Mich. St. worries me because they have a lot of those slashing small forward types. I also think that we did not play as well as most people thought. We had one of those games when we just shot incredibly, but for a lot of the game we did not get off geat shots. We also allowed them to have a lot of open outside looks. They missed many of them. They aren't a great outside shooting team, but as they showed against Kentucky they got guys that can hit those shots from time to time. Overall, we are the better team, and basically we are destined to win the whole thing. The Fighting Illini will cap off one of the best seasons in the history of college basketball witha win over their Big Ten rivals. This team has already reached legend, icon, and immortal status throughout these parts, but if they win the national championship, they will be rememberred by all of college basketball years from now.
NOW LET"S GO WIN THIS THING!!!!

Random Thoughts

2005-03-27T14:47:00.000-06:00

Make sure to read the post before this… it’s more than likely a better read.

Thoughts from the IL-AZ game and the tournament in general…

- Luther Head is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite basketball players. Deron Williams will be remembered as the Man from this game, and deservedly so, but Luther is the man who sparked the run. He clearly wanted this game more than anyone else. I love how he works out there. Here is a guy who appreciates the opportunity he has.

- For fun, the short list of my favorite players includes Steve Dixson and Randy Rice from Springfield High School back in the day, Michael Jordan, and now Luther Head. Congrats, Lu, I’m sure you feel honored.

- Yep, once again the Big Ten is dogged by the media and once again it is dominating the tourney. Here’s the thing. The Big Ten is weak, but the top three teams can play with anyone in the country. Michigan State was a couple poor free throw shooting performances away from being a top 5 team. Their success shouldn’t be all that surprising…

- The thing about the Big Ten is that they have solid coaching. Bo Ryan, Bruce Weber, and Tom Izzo are all studs. Combine that with the physical play that the teams face all year, and you end up with teams that are tournament ready every year....

- You know that Nike commercial where the Cobra and Mongoose square off at half court? Well, that cobra is what Salim Stoudamire looked like dribbling out the clock at the end of regulation. I’ve honestly never seen a dribble that was that intimidating. I guess that makes Deron Williams a pretty pimp mongoose…

- Speaking of commercials, is anyone else getting sick of that condescending Asian guy on the Cingular Wireless commercial? I would hit that guy in the face. Someone should ask him why he has to sit in the nosebleeds with the bearded lady if he’s really as rich and cool as he acts.

- Channing Frye is a monster

- Channing Frye… Barack Obam a…. Separated at birth?

- I really feel bad for Villanova. I only saw the very end of the game, but they had to have played well against UNC, and that was the most bogus travel call I’ve ever seen. They are returning EVERYBODY, though. Let the Blue Bear be the first to hop on their top 5 bandwagon for next year.

- All-State arena is a dump… Eddie Sutton called it the worst place he has ever played, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that were true.

- I have about 6000 more random thoughts to write, but I am so drained from the Elite 8 game (did I mention I WAS THERE?!?!?) that this will have to suffice

FIN

-Brian

The Run

2005-03-27T13:41:00.000-06:00

Listening to WSCR in Chicago after the Illinois-Arizona game, I found the call in show really summed up the night well. There were approximately fifteen callers who all said about the same thing. Nothing. Each caller took their turn rambling about the game and saying, in the end, nothing of any significance. What could you say? The more I listened the more I began to appreciate it. This performance by my Fighting Illini was so impressive, so unlikely, so exhilarating, that anyone who talked about it was reduced to clichés.

“Words can’t even describe what just happened.”

I must have uttered that phrase fifty times last night. Did I mention that I was there? I was there.

“This has gotta be one of the best moments of my life.”
“Man, we can always look back and say we were there.”

More tired language! An entire state was turned into babbling idiots by The Run. Down fifteen with four minutes to play, Illinois stormed back, playing flawless basketball to beat Arizona in overtime. People will debate, at least for the rest of the week, what was responsible for this feat. Did Arizona just crumble? Did Lute Olson fall asleep? Was Illinois just that much better? Well, I don’t care. I don’t care at all how much Arizona had to do with it. They can think about it all they want on the ride to Tuscon. As far as I am concerned, this game simply spotlighted what is great about our players and coaches.

Every moment of the epic run took on the personality of the player involved. Watch it again. Watch Luther out-hustling everyone, using his tremendous hands and defensive instincts. Watch Dee speeding the game up, using his unmatched quickness. If almost any other player in America tries to play that fast, they are out of control. Watch Jack Ingram, a throwback to the four headed monster of the 2001 Illini team. Watch him outwork Channing Frye on that jump ball. Watch Deron Williams, walking - yes – walking the ball up the court in the final two minutes. Show me another basketball player with the calm and poise he displayed in the final nine minutes.

What happened Saturday night was so improbable that it is still difficult to believe. The Fighting Illini played outside any rational expectations. Yet, at the same time, each player performed within their own limitations. No one tried to do too much at a time when there was truthfully way too much to be done. Tell me that this doesn’t reflect the personality of the coach.

There is nothing fancy about Bruce Weber’s system. You can count on one hand the set plays that the Illini run. You won’t find any gimmicky defenses on Weber’s chalkboard. Sometimes it seems as though you would be hard pressed to find any inbounds plays either. But when it is all said and done, Bruce Weber prepares his team for big moments better than any other coach in the country. Why is it that the Illini can fast break for forty minutes? Weber is notorious for brutal conditioning. Why is it that the Illini can force Hassan Adams into a desperation heave at the end of OT? Weber teaches a devastating man to man defense. Why is it that the ball found its way to the open man at the end of the game? Weber insists on sharing the basketball. There were questions heading into the Elite Eight regarding the Illini’s ability to overcome late game deficits. They hadn’t seen one all season. But those questions, in truth, were answered long before the NCAA tournament. Bruce answered them by teaching and preparing this team from the first day he stepped foot in Champaign.

As I sat in my seat in Rosemont, Illinois this past Saturday, I found myself searching for consolation with 4:00 on the clock and Illinois down fifteen. Would I be able to look back on this season with any feeling besides disappointment? I wasn’t sure. Then Luther Head began to play harder than any man with one hamstring should. With two minutes to play, I had my answer. I would love this team forever. They would go down fighting, and I could respect that. I was content. Fortunately, Luther and the rest of the team weren’t.

-Brian

Sweet Predictions

2005-03-23T22:53:00.000-06:00

Okay, I know I said I'd come up with baseball predictions soon, and I will, but first I have to come up with my Sweet Sixteen predictions. I was lucky enough to get some tickets from the krush. So hopefully I will be able to celebrate the Illini's entrance into the Final Four firsthand. So, without further adu (ithink thats how its spelled), here are my predictions
Austin Region-
Duke v. Mich. St.- first of all.....I don't understand why a lot of people are saying that duke isnt too talented this year. Huh? I guess they only have 7 mc' all americans this year instead of the usual 8. Anyway, I'm gonna go with State on this one. I watched the game they played back in the acc-big ten massacre, and it seemed to me the State outplayed Duke. They lost because it was at Cameron and State missed some free throws. I really think theyre a better team then Duke and they seem to be playing harder and better as a team than they were earlier this year. So I'm going with State.
Kentucky v. Utah- This is a tough one to call. I don't think either of the teams are that good. I just don't know which way to go with this one, but my gut says kentucky. Don't know why. What I do know, however, is that this game is gonna be very ugly.
St. v. Kentucky- Going with State again. I really think that they are putting it all together at just the right time. And I don't think Kentucky's that good.

Syracuse
UNC v. Nova- This one won't be close now that Sumpter got hurt. I thought before the tourney that Nova had a chance if it came to this matchup, but UNC's been rompin this tourney so far. I just can't see them losing.
N.C.St. v. Wisconsin- I'm gonna start by saying that Julius Hodge is a terrific player. I'm gonna continue by saying that N.C.State would be horrible without him. He is just about everything to that team. The Badgers are as solid team, and N.C. State is bound to play one of their games where they play like a DIII team. I'm going with Wisconsin.
UNC v. Wisconsin- Wisconsin just doesn't have the athletes to compete. Another blowout for Carolina

Albuquerque
Wash v. Louisville- This is one of those rare 1v4 games in which the lower seed is actually favored. Ville didn't get respect from the seeding committee and Wash hasn;t gotten respect from the average basketball team. But they are for real. That being said, Louisville is more real. Wash has got no one that can stop Garcia. He'll continue raising his draft stock with a win.
West Virginia v. Texas Tech.- Talk about a fun matchup. I like WVU a lot. Gansey's my new fav player. But, with a matchup this seemingly even, I'm gonna go with the better coach. Bobby dominated Mark Few last week, and he'll lead his team to another victory.
Louisville v. Texas Tech.- Knight's a great coach, but they just can't match up talent wise. Pitino's not a bad coach either. Louisville easily.

Chicago
Illini v. UMW- They are a 12 seed for a reason like we are a 1 seed for a reason. Nice run, but it ends in a blowout
OK St. v. Zona- Now this is a fun game. First of all let me say that it was obvious to me that Chicago easily had the best 1 thru 3 seeds in the tourney. All of the so called experts were saying how great the Syracuse region was so tough. UNC is obviously tough, but UCONN was way too young and Kansas was just not that goo, and poorly coached i might add. Back to the prediction at hand. I could go either way with this one. I think, like most games with Zona, it depends on Salim. But, St plays tough D, so I will reluctantly say OK St.
UofI v. OK St.- Wow......I'm so scared of this potential matchup. I think the Cowboys are the third best team in the nation.....but I think we are one of the 2 teams that are better. It'll be a dogfight, but we'll come out on top
There they are- UofI, UNC, Louisville, and Mich State. It must seem like I love the Big Ten(which I do), but I also think that it's been obvious throughout the year that the top 3 teams in the Big 11 were as good as any top 3 teams in any league. I also think they have good matchups going for them. Well, thats it for now. I'll come out with my Final Four predictions next week.

Out of Hibernation

2005-03-16T21:36:00.000-06:00

I want to apologize to our 3 readers out there for not posting in a couple months. Chalk it all up to laziness. I'm into the Illini basketball season heavily right now, so I haven't been obsessing over the Cubs like I usually do. But, of course, everyone knows I have good reason to be fully in basketball mode, as the Illini are about to begin their run for a championship. But, this is first, and foremost a baseball blog. So very soon we'll be coming out with our preseason predictions.

More College Basketball

2005-01-27T01:00:00.000-06:00

This post should make it obvious that college basketball now has an official spot on the blog. Of course, if you watch sports with any regularity, you must know that my Fighting Illini broke the 38 game home winning streak at Wisconsin... yada yada yada... something had to give.... blah blah.... Dick Vitale has officially hopped on the bandwagon.... and Erin Andrews has officially become my favorite person on ESPN.

Thoughts from the game:

- In what is becoming typical fashion for this Illini team, the win was keyed by somewhat unexpected contributions. With Roger Powell MIA and Dee having a very average game by his standards, James Augustine and Jack Ingram stepped up to play huge roles. Jack's 3's came at a time when no one looked like they wanted to take a shot, and his defense on Wilkinson in the end might have been the nail in the coffin. And yes, Wilkinson and Tucker dominated Augustine and especially Roger on the offensive end, but James had 14 pts and 8 boards in only 23 minutes of action. Also, his steal and coast to coast dunk in the opening moments has to be one of the best highlights of the year.....

-....and was definitely a Cesar-like play. Earlier this season, during highlights of the Ohio State game, Stu Scott remarked how James au-GUS-tine made a nice play, as though he was named after a dead Roman emperor. Over the years, we've seen two sides to James. One is the side that can't finish after contact, is uncomfortable with the ball, and doesn't take the ball up strong. The other is the monster who seals off big wins with two dunks in the final 3 minutes. From now on this James is Cesar James au-GUS-tine.

- In the beginning of the second half, Wisconsin made 8 straight field goals. I thought they were never going to miss. However, this does highlight something which could be the Illini's greatest weakness. It's not interior defense (see Cincy), it's giving up too many open 3's. They help pretty quickly off penetration, and it leaves the perimeter vulnerable. Something to watch for....

-Mike Wilkinson has perfected the farm version of the Dream Shake. That's a guy I would love to have on my team. Speaking of him, did anyone else see his girlfriend in the band? We know Dick Vitale did. I'm not alone when I find it creepy how he fixates on player's girlfriends, am I? Did anyone see him when Matt Walsh was dating a playmate? Cree-py.

- Deron Williams is well ahead of pace to break the record for passing up open 3 foot pull up jumpers.

-Who else liked Kammron Taylor better in Dogma or his stand up specials Bring the Pain and Bigger & Blacker?

- This game could have gone either way. Wisconsin is a solid team and had an 8 point lead with around 12 to go. If it wasn't for Captain Jack Ingram (so named for his pirate like beard and missing tooth), we could have been looking at a #1 ranked Duke squad....

-....or maybe not!!! After watching what I described as "one of the most fun games I've ever watched," I was subjected to the ugliest basketball game I've ever seen at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Maryland beat Duke 75-66. Nevermind the low shooting percentages (33% for Duke and 41% for Maryland), the ugliest part of this game had to be Maryland's offense.

I mean, I love Gary Williams. He is a great coach, and his players play hard every game, but what does he tell them to do on offense? For one, they must practice with a 15 second shot clock, because shots flew up every possession almost before the clock had a chance to reset. And passing must also be discouraged, unless by pass you mean shooting, missing, and grabbing the subsequent rebound. It must be something like that South Park episode with the underpants gnomes, the one where they're like

"Phase 1: Collect Underpants.
Phase 2:.......
Phase 3: Profits!!!"

only here it was

"Phase 1: Dribble around madly and throw up crap shot after crap shot
Phase 2:........
Phase 3: Beat Duke!!!"

I have no idea how they won this game, except that Duke couldn't hit the broadside of a tobbaco row barn....

- Some Numbers:
The Ill./Wisc game featured 108 shots ----- Duke/Maryland 135.... and the scores were almost IDENTICAL. That's 27 extra shots that were wasted.
The Ill./Wisc game had 15 total offensive rebounds------ Duke Maryland had 38.

So which conference has the grind it out, ugly defensive wars again?

All in all, another great win and more fuel for my "hate the ACC" fire, so I really can't complain.

Working that two dribble magic,
Brian

Goodbye and Welcome Back

2004-12-07T19:13:00.000-06:00

Finally something of importance happened for the Cubs. We got Nomar and Walker coming back for another round. This is exactly what I wanted to see happen. I think these two were our best options for the middle of the infield. The way I see it, I'd much rather overpay for Nomar for one year than overpay Renteria for multiple seasons. Other than those two, I really didn't see any good options for shortstop. As for second base, there wasn't much either. In fact, there aren't that many really good second basemen in the league. The only other freeagent option out there that I thought was acceptable was Polanco. Walker is a great fit for me. I know he's not the greatest fielder out there. (After all, that's why we signed Neifi......for late inning defensive replacement....right?.....Dusty?) I think his offense and attitude make up for it. I really like the moves made today. Also, our guys HAVE to have the best hair of any double play combo in the majors.

In other news, today most likely marked the end of a few players Cub career. I'm only gonna comment about one of them. Moises Alou was involved in a lot of controversy during his time with the Cubs. We know what they were, so I'm not even going to mention them. I was not crazy about Alou for much of the three years he spent in Chicago, especially for the first year and most of the second. What really turned me around was the Cardinal series with about a month left to play. We won 4 out of 5 games in that series and really hurt the Cardinals momentum. That was a huge series for us, and no player was bigger than Moises. He was amazing in that series, and once again during the playoffs. What I saw in him during this time was more than just great hitting, but he showed so much fire when he played. It looked like he really wanted it. He played so well for us during the time we needed him most. If there is such a thing as a clutch player, it's Alou.
His great (offensive) play continued into this season. He had his slumps, but overall he performed very well and better than anyone could have expected. Not many guys in their late thirties could put up all star numbers like he did. He also rarely took a day off. I think we should really appreciate him for how hard he worked. He came into this season thinking it could be his last, and what he really wanted was to bring a championship to Chicago.
He left it all on the field, but when things went bad he let everone know about it. But I think he got a raw deal from a lot of people. I know he has the personality of a snapping turtle, but I think a lot of what he says is just his intensity seeping out when it shouldn't. He had trouble controlling it sometimes. But now, noboday has to worry about that anymore. He's gone now. I'll always remember the good times when it comes to Alou. I'm glad he could stop by for awhile.

Cold Weather and a Hot Shooting Hand

2004-12-02T01:09:00.000-06:00

I hate winter. Can't stand it. In central Illinois, once October ends, you begin to prepare for 3 or 4 months of bitter cold accentuated by a constant 15 mph wind. Most days are cloudy, and the sun is only out until 5 o clock on the days that aren't. I'm never sure if I can take it, but fortunately, hardwood floors and gym lights were made for cold days. So, with little happening with the Cubs (except a rumor of a possible one year Nomar deal), the Blue Bear is going to include a few basketball thoughts today.

I stood in a line in 30 degree weather for four hours today for a chance at a good seat to the much anticipated Illinois- Wake Forest matchup. One of the year's biggest college basketball games was held right here in Champaign, and I was in the fifth row to watch it. The Big Ten/ACC challenge was predictably lopsided, but Illinois came away with a doooooooooominating victory in the clash of the higest ranked teams. Some thoughts:

- Some people camped out all night to get a good seat (The floor seats are general admission). I talked to a kid who slept on concrete in a North Face jacket and a hat. When I talked to him, he had the Just About to Collapse Disposition- eyes wide, soft voice, labored conversation. He kinda looked like Wake Forest did at the 10:00 mark of the first half....

- ESPN analysts are pretty clear about their biases. Digger loves the Midwest teams, and Vitale loves- LOVES- the ACC. Everyone knows this. I wish he would just admit it. Like when they mention Illinois- who according to him isn't a top 10 team and doesn't have one of America's 30 best college players- he should just say "Ya know what, Dan? To be honest, I don't really like Illinois. They're not in the ACC and I just don't pay attention to teams that aren't...... baby." Instead, he comes up with an overzealous response like "OH- DEE BROWN BABY!!! THE FIGHTING ILLINI WITH THAT DYNAAAAMIC DUUO IN THE BACKCOURT!!!!" It's like when a girl plays the Of Course I Love You, Buy You're Like My Brother Card. C'mon, just stop confusing people....

- I don't think I've ever seen- and I may never see- a team as fun to watch as this Illini team. The chemistry is a thing of beauty. There isn't one selfish player on the roster. Tonight, the Illini had assists on 27 of 38 field goals. I wouldn't be surprised if the Assist to field Goals Ratio is best in the nation- and no, I'm not sure if that's a real statistic. Throw in the fact that they play defense with intensity and precision and their intense hustle and I feel I'm watching basketball in its purest form. I just have a feeling that in thirty years I'm going to be that old guy who's telling younger fans, "No, no, no... you should have seen THIS team." The just might be that good. Of course, this is five games into the season and I'm no stranger to seeing teams collapse....

- It's going to take a few years to tell, but it just may be that Bruce Weber is a coach far superior to Bill Self. Team defense is made by a coach in practice, and Weber's teams seem to have a knack for it. I dunno, I always had a feeling that Self's teams were underachieving, but I will say that he can recruit with the best of them. So we may also see which skill is more important- coaching or recruiting....

- It may sound crazy, but after this game I feel like we could beat the Twolves....
.....
...........
I just pictured Nick Smith dunking over Kevin Garnett.

- If Seth Green was the diet coke of evil, then Chris Paul was the full out crack cocaine of frustrated tonight.

- Paul is still probably the best guard in the nation. Bad night, tough crowd. Which is why i hated the "overrated" chant. Yeah, a team returning all its key players from a deep tourney run is probably not all that good.

- Of the matchups of the big three in the Big Ten/ACC challenge (Duke-MSU, Maryland-Wisc., Ill- Wake), the home team won every game. It's a huge advantage.

- Richard McBride has to be at least 35.

- I never thought that I would ever attend an Illini basketball game that featured a dribble drive by McBride, a left handed layup and two- TWO- pull up jumpers by Dee Brown.

- A team that shoots 60% in the first half and 56% for the game is probably going to look pretty good (though, most of those shots were good, open shots within the flow of the offense).

- I saw Dan Roan, Gail Fischer, and Joe Girardi at the game tonight. I half expected to see Norm Van Lier, Dave Otto, and the ghost of Steve Stone when I went to the bathroom.

- There might be nothing as fun as watching your team win is such perfect fashion with really good friends.

Working that two dribble magic,
Brian

2004-11-19T13:33:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I've written anything, but not much has happened since the last post. However, it feels like a lot has. Maybe I'm just getting antsy for some big things to happen. Such as trades involving mr. sosa.
I can't wait to see what happens to Sam-me. Personally, I'm leaning more towards wanting Sosa to go. He is amazingly egotistical, somewhat of an injury risk, getting older, losing his productivity, and is expensive. Those are some bad things to be labeled, but the thing that pisses me off the most is his attitude towards the team. By his actions and comments, it appears he only cares about himself and his place in history.
All that being said, I believe he's going to come back strong this upcoming season. He's a very prideful guy, and that won't allow him to repeat last year. I think it's a long shot that he'll ever hit for the amazing power he showed from 1998 to 2002, but he will be a very good player. I see him hitting to the tune of .280/.380/.580. That is very good, and I really do expect him to hit that well. If he hit like that last season, we would have made the playoffs. But of course we don't know for sure how he'll bounce back. so it can't be counted on. So Hendry and Sosa need to decide if Sammy can live in peace with the team for one more year. Somehow convince him that a championship would cement his legacy.
I don't know which way we should go, I just hope somethig happens soon.

Be Careful What You Pay For

2004-11-08T21:56:00.000-06:00

It's going to be interesting to see what happens to all of the free agents this off season. A lot of them will change cities, some will stay in the same place, and a few will get overpaid (thank you mr. boras). I'm pretty sure that the Cubs will be involved a little too much in the overpaid department. In fact, we already have overpaid a player. Neifi Perez is nothing more than a late inning defensive replacement, but we all know that he'll end up playing a different role. Dusty loves guys like him and will not hesitate to show it. I just pray he doesn't somehow end up being a starter for more than 3 games. I also hope that management is very careful about how they spend their money. With that I'm going to offer up a few lists. (I love lists!

Top 5 Sure Things
1.Beltran- everyone knows this guy is a stud entering his prime. He won't dissapoint.
2.Brad Radke- he's been doing it for a decade now, no reason to think he'll stop now.
3.Carlos Delgado- he had a down year, but if "down" is .372 obp and .535 slg, I think he'll be okay.
4.Jeff Kent- he just keeps putting up solid seasons, especially for a second baseman. I think it's the mustache.
5.Russ Ortiz- he's gone 200 innings in 5 out of the last 6 years and won at least 14 in all 6.

Top 5 "Buyer Beware"
1.Derek Lowe- the good playoffs didn't change my mind about his three year plunge from very good to below average.
2.Pedro- great competitor and fun to watch, but there is no denying that his stuff and stamina are quickly diminishing.
3.Troy Percival- I'm afraid this one is going to hit a little too close to home. It's not a good sign when a strikeout pitcher's k/9 is down to 5.98. It's even worse when he is a flyball pitcher. Even worse than that is suspect health. In fact he can easily make the case for number one on this list. Hendry needs to be careful about this. On the other hand, what the hell else are you going to do when you have limited yourself to either Borowski or Dempster?
4.Magglio Ordonez- has an ambiguous knee injury, and there are reports that his agent won't let him work out for teams right now. Hmmm....I wonder who that agent is?
5.J.D. Drew/Nomar- both of these guys are productive, all star quality players when healthy, but the issue of health will always be there.

There are plenty of other free agents that are worth discussing, but I stop here for right now. Later we will get to what we think the Cubs should do with their money.

Neifi 2005

2004-11-05T21:33:00.000-06:00

The cubs have resigned Neifi Perez to serve as a (hopefully) backup SS... let's hope they also resigned the ghost that inhabited his body over that last month of the season. Seriously, Neifi Perez hits 2 HR in 23 games? and his .371 BA and .400 OBP?? Of course, these stats can only mean that he will win the Jose Macias Inexplicable Pinch Hitting At Every Available Big Situation Award this season...

Working that two out magic,
Brian

Another Cubs Blog?

2004-11-04T21:49:00.000-06:00

Well, this is the inaugural posting for this humble little site. It doesn't look like much, but we'll be working on it a little bit to make it appear half way decent. When I say we, I'm talking about me, Ryan, and my friend that'll also be posting on here, Brian. We are both third year students at the University of Illinois in Champaign. We are both from Springfield, Illinois and have been Cub fans for as long as we can remember.
If you are from that part of the state then you already know that you a fan of either one of two baseball teams: the Cubs or the Cardinals (White Sox fans are few and far between. So when I hear of the rivalry between the two Chicago teams I just don't understand, because to me there is only one true team to measure our success against). I remember when I was a kid, one of the first things you should ask some one is: Cubs or Cards? The answer would bring instant division between the sides. The great thing about it was that the kids had no choice over what they answerred because they were raised to be either one or the other by the families.
That is what makes baseball America's past time. How favorite teams can be passed down from generation to generation. Othe rmajor sports just don't have that kind of longevity yet. The Cubs and Cardinals have played over 2,000 games against each other!!! No other American sport could even begin to reach that number. When parents pass down their favorite teams they connect the generations, allowing there to be great history tied into the present. I will always remember my mom telling me stories about Ernie, Santo, Fergie, Williams, and the collapse of '69. I have an understanding of what they meant to her, and they bring more meaning into my own experience of the Cubs. Time helps make this game great.
When you are a Cub fan however, time is a whole other matter. I'm assuming that anyone that reads this knows that its been a long time since the Cubs have been to a world series, and an even longer time since we won one. It's a tough thought to deal with(considering the freaking Marlins have as many rings as us in a life span of less than 1/10 ofours). And with the Red Sox winning this year it makes it even worse. My feelings for that one were pretty torn. I hate the Cardinals, and while i like the Red Sox, I didn't want them to win. I knew it would make me extremely jealous if they won, and that thought came true when they did. But anyway, it puts the burden of the "cursed" franchise completely on us. And that sucks. But i truly believe that it won't suck for very much longer.
The way I see it, the Cubs are on the brink of something very special. We got a taste of it in '03, and this year showed us how much expectation we have by the dissapointment it caused. '05 WILL BE BETTER. It surely can't get much worse than '03. which is saying a lot. I'd say 89 wins is about the worst that '04 could have done. Next year, whether you take a little talent away or add some, we are going to be favorites for a playoff berth by many people. Whether we make it or not, we are still gonna be a tough team the next season. We are going to have a run of good, talented teams, and it's going to be fun to watch. If(when) we do make the playoffs, anything can happen. And will happen. I truly believe that in the next few years the Cubs are at least going to be playing in the World Series. It'll be a site to see and a pleasure to experience. All Cub fans, and hell, even the people who come around during every Cub playoff team to join in on the fun, can say that they were there. We can say that we were there to see them when they FINALLY did it. We can say that we watched them right alongside Banks, Ron, Jenkins, Billy, and all of the other ghosts of Cubs past. We are all going to be there very soon.....taking it all in together.