- 1998's "magical" (steroid induced) summer come to a crashing halt when the Atlanta Braves swept us in the playoffs
- 2003's run, a team with the perfect balance of youth and experience, with power pitching up and down the rotation, come to an abrupt end when Alex Gonzalez screwed up a tailor-made double play ball and Dusty decided to let Prior pitch his way out of it. (I should also note we still had Sammy "steroids been berry berry good to me" Sosa on this roster)
-2007's team catch fire, steal the division, then get swept by the ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (who have not been heard from since; it's like they went into hiding after that homicide).
-2008 ... a year which will sting for quite awhile: the Cubs surge early, hold the division lead most of the year, lead the NL in wins, have a dynamite offense and solid pitching with a dynamic 1-2 in the bullpen (Woody and Marmol) ... and they get swept by the 'roided up Manny and Co. from Dodger town.
Now, being a Cubs fan forces me to focus on the negatives, but on the plus side I could note that:
- From 1945 through my year of birth (1986) the Cubs made the playoffs exactly once (1984)
- From 1986 through the present, however, they have made it five times (1989, 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008) and the appearances are getting more frequent!
Still, our team is getting older by the day, we are saddled with the worst contract in the history of professional sports (Alphonso Soriano, who we have the joy of paying $18,000,000 a year for the next five stinking years!), and we apparently have an offense that can only score if Aramis Ramirez is in the lineup.
So, how do we right this ship? I mean outside of forcing Soriano to retire, shipping Kevin Gregg to the minors, and getting a shipment of HGH in for our entire lineup. Here's how:
- Admit we made a huge mistake and bring Mark DeRosa back. Look, we get it: we tried to sell high, and we needed Milton Bradley's bat. We had to cut some payroll. And I understand that the sale isn't going perfectly, which further makes this an issue. But find a way to bring him back. And see if you can get Cleveland to take Aaron "I'm a turncoat LaRussa spy" Miles back with him.
- Come to grips with the fact that we don't need another starter, we need someone in the bullpen other than Angel Guzman who can get an out. Marmol will probably come around, although Lou has used him so much in the past two years that he may just have a tired arm (I'd shut him down for a couple of weeks just to see). Demote Kevin Gregg to middle relief, and try to be creative in finding a closer. Maybe you call up Samardzija, have him start and move Harden to the pen. Maybe you sign Pedro and give him a little extra to be the closer, pointing out to him what a move to the pen did to Smoltz' career. Maybe Guzman can handle it. I don't know. But you've got to do something, and if you're going to sign Pedro it better not be for the rotation. So find an answer, because the only thing Kevin Gregg is the answer to is "what is going to cause Mike to have meltdown this year?"
- Finally, go to our old friends in Pittsburgh and see what it would take to get Freddy Sanchez. I know I already advocated getting DeRosa, but Mark could then be the super utility man we know and love. He could give everyone (especially Soriano) days off. Pittsburgh is always willing to sell, and they already shipped McClouth out for pennies on the dollar. Sanchez is a batting champion, so he'd cost more, but try to get him.
At the basic level we need bullpen help (lots of it) and someone who can actually play second base. How we didn't sign Orlando Hudson this offseason is beyond me, as is how anyone thought that taking a closer with a penchant for blowing saves was a good idea. But this season can still be salvaged if Jim Hendry is willing (and, perhaps more importantly, able) to make some big moves. Let's hope he is.
PS - Here's a shot of Gregg walking off the field last night after blowing the game, courtesy of ESPN.com. Well done sir. Well done.
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