Cubs will you please get the fudge out
Being a baseball player and fan, I watch as many games as I can every year. I saw the Cubs at the beginning of the year thinking, "yea they are pretty good". I didn't see what all the fuss was about. As the season progressed I couldn't help but notice how everything was going right for the Cubs.
By the end of the regular season they were the best team in the National League with 97 wins. They had great hitting with power and speed, very solid 1-8 hitters, great defense, one of the best if not the best rotation, and a lights out bullpen.
For the past few years, I have thought the Cubs were good, but not good enough to win the title. But this team they had here in 2008, was pretty amazing. Foolish me, I remember telling myself last year after they were swept by the Dbacks that there was no way they could win it.
The following things happened that got them to the #1 seed in the NL.
1. SS Ryan Theriot and 2B Mark DeRosa both had career years at the plate.
2. Geovany Soto will win rookie of the year.
3. Acquired Jim Edmonds to fill the center field hole currently occupied by underachieving Felix Pie. Edmonds was revived and not only played a great CF but he was hitting the ball very well.
4. Ryan Dempster went from a scrub closer with a 4.72 ERA last year, to a Cy Young candidate this year with 2.96 ERA.
5. Rich Harden was acquired by the A's for players that would probably be left off the playoff roster (Gallagher, Murton, Patterson). He may be the best pitcher in the league when he is healthy, but what are the chance he won't get hurt? Harden DIDN'T get hurt and started 12 games for the Cubs and posted a 1.77 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 71 innings.
6. Reed Johnson was acquired from the Blue Jays, playing a solid OF and providing them with a pinch hitter and a utility player.
7. Ted Lilly was their 4th best pitcher sporting a solid 4.09 ERA
8. Kerry Wood was their closer the entire year, only being hurt for 2 weeks because of blister on his finger.
9. Carlos Marmol and Jeff Samardjiza were lights out in the bullpen, both with under 2.70 ERAs
10. The Rotation of Dempster, Zambrano, Harden, and Lilly were all healthy going in to the playoffs.
With ALL of those things happening, they STILL blew it in the playoffs. Are you ****ing kidding me Cubs? What a disgrace you are. EVERYTHING BROKE RIGHT this season. EVERYTHING. Your stars remained stars, your scrubs became stars, your rotation was unstoppable, your hitting was feared......and you ****ed up...AGAIN.
ESPN, FSN, Bookies, Casinos, Baseball Gurus, Sports writers, Schwab....please stop this madness about the Cubs winning. It ain't gonna happen.
I'm an Athletics fan, but I'm sure as hell rooting for Manny and the Dodgers. Go Dodgers **** the Cubs.
Lets do it Dodgers.
