What an absolutely horrendous way to end the baseball season for the Chicago Cubs; Soriano, Lee and Ramirez went a combined 6 of 38 in the playoffs. Wow, 6 of 38. Talks of managerial decisions and discipline at the plate will dominate this off-season. As painful as it is was to watch the Diamondbacks sweep the Chicago Cubs, there is a silver lining to this 100 year old dark cloud.
Understanding growth, development, and the big picture can be tough in a world of instant gratification. The Chicago Cubs franchise is not a one-hit wonder. It is almost impossible for a team of the Cubs’ stature to make the postseason one out of every five years, and hope to turn one of those years into a World Championship team. Look at the last few one-hit wonders of this generation, the teams that showed up in the playoffs, put together a great run and magically won the whole thing: Diamondbacks 2001, Angels 2002, White Sox 2005, Marlins 1997 and 2003, . What is the one common component of these organizations? None of them were carrying the weight of an entire city, one of the largest fan bases in the country and a curse on their backs. Every one of those teams could just play baseball. There weren’t swirling expectations or the lingering taste of a “cursed” organization.
The Chicago Cubs are not afforded such a luxury. With every passing year comes a greater expectation, a greater desire and a growing anticipation of a World Series. Compound this by ten in a year when the team actually stands a chance of making the playoffs and contending for a ring. Any year the Cubs make the playoffs they take a 25 man roster, a coaching staff, and now 100 years of agony, 100 years of loyal fans begging for just one. (more…)
APIAS 