1st Place!

by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 2, 2007 9:07 AM CDT Comment 6 comments

I'm almost speechless to think i'm sitting here on August 2nd and seeing the Cubs in 1st place. It's almost like a dream after the nightmarish start to this season, but its happened.

Jim Hendry's offseason plight to save his job has brought about a quick turn around in the team's fortunes and combined with a weakening NL on the whole (thanks to limited offseason activity by the top teams and a lack of impact prospects spread throughout the league), the Cubs have a legitimate shot to get into the playoffs and do some damage. It's a beautiful thing and while i'm aware of the $72 million in committments we have to 6 players come 2009 (DLee, Aramis, DeRosa, Marquis, Lilly, Soriano) and openly terrified of this clubs future, i'm living in the moment and loving 2007.

I questioned this plan all off-season while all the way suggesting if it brings a championship run in the next 2-3 years it'll be worth it and with Tim Wilken at the helm restocking the farm system we could still have a chance to be successful further down the road but it would ultimately be severely dependent on his ability to restock the system quickly.

Regardless i'm really happy right now and am looking forward to a pennant chase down the last 8 weeks of this season.

As i've learned when i've gotten older, the journey is often more important than the end result. The 2006 Bears brought me one of the most unforgettable seasons of my sports fandom life capped off by watching the Hester kick return next to my dad in person at the Super Bowl. The 2003 and 2004 Cubs brought me two great years of pennant chasing and while they came with a lot of heartbreak, they also came with a lot of memories of watching games with my father or sitting alone in my fraternity room rocking Leo Mazzone style hoping for something good to happen. Every day i'd wake up with a smile on my face and looked forward to every game, while i've done this pretty much my whole life with the Cubs, Bears, and Bulls its a different feeling when those games are being played in a playoff run. And I cherish all those feelings that come along with it, because its not every season you get to enjoy those feelings. When I was younger, i took for granted the Bulls run and thought it was more important for bragging rights than anything else. Now as i'm older, the important things are the memories i have from those days, not the trash talking of friends and rivals, but the cartwheels i tried to do on the lawn after MJ hit the game 6 winner in Utah or the feeling i felt getting on a plane during the Bulls letdown against Portland, only to find by the time i had gotten off the plane they had another victory and were on their way to another championship

So today and for the next 2 months i'm going to soak in every moment of this pennant chase and enjoy everything it brings.

While i'll be rooting as hard as i ever have for a happy ending and god do i hope there's a happy ending behind this.. i'm going to make sure to enjoy the journey

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Nicely stated.

I think that's how we all feel; at least I do.

Enjoy the ride. We've been waiting a while to even get back to this point.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Aug 2, 2007 9:15 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It's simple

The journey is the reward.

Eighty-five percent of the f*ckin' world is working. The other fifteen percent come out here. -- Lee Constantine Elia, 1983.

by krummy12 on Aug 2, 2007 9:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

good post

i feel the same way, im just thankful for a chance to have all this excitement this late into the season, the fact that we get to be excited for baseball through september is definitely something to make sure you savor and dont take for granted. as long as we make the playoffs i will be happy, but gosh i hope we can bring it home.

Big Z on Cuban: "Plus, I can be signed by him. You know, I know he has the money for me. Hopefully he can buy the Cubs."

by kylejo on Aug 2, 2007 10:07 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Fan experiences

There have been socialogical and psychology studies about the concept of fans and collective experiences...of note...the recent experience of Iraq's soccer team and the euphoria celebrated by many in that war torn world, further example the experiences of the USA in 1980 and its joy with the National Hockey Team...et cetera...et cetera...et cetera....

Cubdom or Cub Nation or the DieHards is a special group of virtual communities that possess a collective experience. Yes it is correct that the journey of an eventful and exciting season is something, the Bears of 2006 was something, but I will state the Bears of 1985 were better, they closed out the season.

Cub euphoria could eclipse all of those examples: Bulls, Sox, Bears....even Wolves.

There is a favorite summer time movie, "Sandlot" that captures the essence of baseball....with its lore of "legends" metaphor.

My take is that we are witnessing a special season with the Cubs, I have tried and failed to express it but allow me to do it again.

This team is not being led by superstars, (AROD, Griffey in his prime, Sosa, Johnson or Maddux in their primes), they have begun to fuse together as a team far more powerful than their parts. Evidenced, they hit only 13 HR's in July (second worst to LAD who are tied in the loss column for first place) and yet their collective ERA for July led the league.

They are playing winning baseball as a team, the roles are becoming more firmly established and instead of gaining individual statistics they are gaining team wins. I have seen this before in other venues and teams I have followed. Often team champions have great players who folded into a team concept and expanded a role that fit perfectly. My examples come from college BB, and IU. In 1976 the Hoosiers went 32-0 and had first round picks and yet it was Q Buckner who played the longest and was on champion NBA teams as a role player who led that team. Wilkerson was their best athletic player, May their best scorer, Benson was their center and Abernathy their other forward with a great 6 man in Laz, all were drafted, none were stars and in reality all became role players, but they are considered one of the greatest teams of all time.

What I am saying is watch this team as it continues to write a Cub chapter as how they are playing together. Tomorrow Wood will be activated as a middle reliever, and Lou is alluding to the idea that he is going to send down a position player and keep 13 pitchers for at least 20 or so games. That will mean that either Murton, Cedeno or Fontenot go down.

Murton is beginning to show life, Fontenot has performed well at 2B and maintained a .300 average and Cedeno is probably needed to spot Theriot at SS. My guess is that Fontenot or Cedeno go, and it could be Fontenot so he can get back in the groove again playing everyday.

When the 20 game stretch finishes they can recall whomever and put down a pitcher for the next 10 days until the September call up. But what you are witnessing is more than 25 players submitting to the team goal and not their own. It is something to watch!

Milw-09-24-98--Brown in for defense--bases loaded--flyball--HE DROPPED THE BALL!!!NO NO NO, cubs lose 8-7

by Ivy Walls on Aug 2, 2007 10:15 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs