Well, the Cubs let me down again. At least they got it over with quick and didn't tease us like 2003. I would be disappointed, maybe even angry, but it's the friggin' Cubs--what could one expect? So I have decided to renounce my membership in the Cubs fan club and announce that I am coming out of the closet….AS A CHICAGO WHITE SOX FAN!Look, I wanted to Cubs to win. Bad. The Cubs have two big things going for them: the rustic Wrigley Field, and a history filled with futility. Because of their 100+ postseason funk even a trip to World Series would mean that even the losingest of lovable losers gets to taste triumph at least once--it would be a great story of triumph and redemption.
Unfortunately the problem with that formula is that after 100 attempts the Cubs aren't lovable losers. They are just losers. And I am tired of buying into it.
Seriously, think about something you have never done before, like sew a button on a shirt or juggle some beanbags. Chances are if you try this activity 100 times, by attempt 100 you would have gotten it correct at least once. To not do so would make you--and I apologize for the political incorrectness--a retard. And that's the Cubs--a bunch of retards.
Now let's look at the White Sox. They don't have either of those things going for them. Their ballpark is mediocre at best, and although they had a rough patch, they won it all a couple of years ago. But I think they have other things that I respect more than a classic field and a great story: they have heart. They play above their level. Their manager is batshit crazy, and all the players are likable. Seriously, how could a person root against Jim Thome? They scrap and claw for every run and every out and every victory, so when they lose, you are sad, but you know they tried.
This year's Cubs team won more games than any other team in the NL. After getting swept last year, they were supposed to contend, but instead they went out and shit on the diamond three times. They played like they couldn't wait to stop swinging bats so they could start swinging golf clubs. They didn't even try.
This years Sox team wasn't even supposed to contend. But they fought to the end, and as of this writing are still in it. They fought and won three games in a row against division rivals, including an additional play-in game against the rival Minnesota Twins. They never quit until the other team has put up 27 outs against them.
So I hope the Cubs get some heart, and if they do and they contend next year I'll be happy for them. I'll jump on the bandwagon. But until then, I am going to root for the White Sox.
PS- Here is my theory as to why the Cubs will NEVER win the World Series: Wrigley Field. It is a relic. Because of Wrigley and its location, most of the Cubs games have to be day games. Unfortunately, once a team gets to the postseason, there are no day games--they are all night games because of TV. And I think this has a big effect. An October night in Chicago is a lot different than a September day. So you see, just to get to the postseason, the Cubs have to be built to win in summer heat. And a team built to win in heat is not going to deal well with playing in an autumn chill. Don't believe me? Consider that the White Sox can play night games whenever they want, because they don't have to cater to a yuppie neighborhood--they are surrounded by a parking lot. And what piece of hardware did the Sox pick up in 2005?
I can't really argue with you. The only thing I would probably say is that the Cell isn't a shitty ballpark. It's pretty nice, and they have a cool opening with Thunderstruck and all that. The neighborhood pretty much blows (not dangerous, but boring.) But on the flipside they actually have a parking lot where you can tailgate - which, all in all, makes it a better value than Wrigley.
ReplyDeleteI'll stick with the Cubs, I guess, but that's just because baseball is my third favorite sport. For my favorites I look to the first team I remember winning it all (DA BEARS!) and the greatest team in Chicago history and in my lifetime (DA BULLS).
One of the better baseball commentaries I've read in a while. I never really bought into the whole "lovable losers" angle... I see where it's coming from, since you figure "hey - these guys haven't won in a really long time, but they're fighting their way back and it will be satisfying to see them overcome the long drought and again taste victory," but there's a point where it stops becoming lovable. That point is pretty much once you hit nine straight post-season losses.
ReplyDeleteThis was supposed to be "the year" - it had been exactly one century since the last Cubs victory, they had the best NL record, locked up a playoff spot early... and it ended up just like it always does. Well, where do you go from here? The whole "THIS year will be the year!" thing is getting pretty worn out, if it wasn't already.
I really thought the Sox would go farther than they did this year, based largely on the reputation they've built as a team that can win when it counts. Game 163 with Detroit and the one-game playoff with Minnesota being good examples, but especially after seeing what they did in the 2005 postseason.
They were on a hot streak straight from hell that October and played like their lives depended on it. They swept the previous year's champs in the division series. ALCS pitching was lights out - 4 consecutive complete games. Then they swept the World Series, including a 14-inning Game 3 away. As good as the Cubs were during the regular season, I don't see them pulling off anything comparable anytime soon.
So I'm just fine rooting for the Black & White. Josh, welcome to the fold.
Like I said, I want the Cubs to win, but at this point it's a farce. Maybe the new owner will decide to do something cool. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteBut I just like the White Sox players better. I mean compare Jim Thome to Soriano. Pierzynski to Ramirez. Konerko to D Lee. Sure the Cubs players put up better numbers, but you can see that that the Southsiders play with more grit and more love of the game than most of the northsiders. Minus Big Z, most of the Cubs are pretty vanilla.
"Maybe the new owner will decide to do something cool. Who knows? "
ReplyDeleteWhat an UNFORTUNATE thing to happen on dozen egg night!
"Oh, I know sir, they stopped selling them after the 5th inning. SOMEONE GET THIS MAN A HOT DOG!!"
ReplyDelete"They're still shitty."
ReplyDeleteI didn't read your commentary because I'm ADD but my dad grew up in Chicago and was a SOX fan.
ReplyDeleteLike anyone cares.
I love you.