Losing, Last Year, and (Hopefully) Context.

by sitrick2 on May 6, 2008 2:14 AM CDT

Hello. Long-time lurker, infrequent commenter, and first-time diary poster here. I wanted to stop for a moment and, in the midst of all the sturm und drang going on in Cubdom at the moment, try to provide a little bit of context for the situation we've found ourself in at this point in the season, particularly in relation to last year's division champions.

On May 5th, 2007, your Chicago Cubs were 14-14, a .500 record. They were 5 games back of the division lead. Lou seemed more than a little bit senile. The team had chemistry issues. The roster was in flux. Wade Miller was a member of our pitching staff. The situation was not good. This came even before we would have our longest losing streak of the season, which would happen later that month.

Think about that. Really, stop, think about that. How much of that could be said for the Cubs of 2008? How much of that have we improved upon in 2008?

I worry about our roster situation, sure. I worry that Lou is going to do something silly like play Cedeno in center and trade Pie. I worry about the significant amount of playing time Reed Johnson and Theriot are getting despite sucking. I worry about losing 8 of the last 10.

But I think it's important to remember that the baseball season is a very, very long one. Teams have good stretches; they have bad stretches. Losing streaks happen. Ask Boston about how they felt about Lugo, Drew, and Pedroia in the first month of the season last year. Ask them what they thought about Dice-K and Shilling in the middle of the season when they were taking their beatings. I'm sure they weren't pleased. They still did well, got hot at the right time, and won a world series.

I just think some folks need to take a deep breath, remember the start we got off to last year and how that ended up, and try to keep things in perspective.

If nothing else, think about this: Boston won a world series last year with a corner outfielder no one liked, a light hitting shortstop and CF, and a rookie that got off to a painfully slow start. Sounds a bit familiar, no?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation, Bleed Cubbie Blue, or Al Yellon, editor-in-chief. FanPost opinions are, however, valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Excellent post.

I’ll repeat something I’ve written often: “Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint.”

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

by Al on May 6, 2008 3:16 AM CDT 0 recs

Thanks. I needed this.

For more perspective, think of the way the Cubs lost games in the last few years. I’ll take a weak pop-out with the bases loaded over a ball bouncing off a batting helment any day. (caveat—I didn’t see or hear any of the game last night, so I don’t know about those 2 errors).

Also, when is the last time you looked at the pre-game line-up and said to yourself, “There’s no way we win this game.” Hasn’t happened to me yet this year.

by TC Cubby on May 6, 2008 6:07 AM CDT 0 recs

Great post.

Way to lead off with a good one!

"I've always felt that starting pitching is the most important part of the rotation." - Joe Morgan, Sunday Night Baseball 8-12-07

by gary varsho on May 6, 2008 7:57 AM CDT 0 recs

thanks, I didnt really need it though

I think we see eye to eye

Also remember that if the Cubs go 3-17 in their next 21 games they would have the same record as last year. Things are on the upswing.

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on May 6, 2008 8:50 AM CDT 0 recs

Great post

and so true. I will bring up from time to time the angst that all of us Cub fans feel during stretches of poor play because we want them to win EVERY GAME. We have grown up with them as the lovable losers and since the Tribune purchase, we have had some very good, winning teams. The 2003 World Series was thisclose and we didn’t get it done. After last year’s rise to the top and the way we exited has made us even more hungry for a WS title. I was at work last night and didn’t get to watch the Cubs lose (listened to it mostly on the internet) and I was STILL a grouchy old bear when I came home. I don’t think it’s the losses, it’s how we seem to be losing lately. Dempster basically threw a gem last night and got the loss because of 2 ground balls. But that’s baseball. But it is hard to want something so bad and see poor play.

"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse

by BigJohnAZ on May 6, 2008 9:18 AM CDT 0 recs

Very very...

...important to understand a team’s TRUE flaws in the first couple of months. This way, Hendry and Piniella can get together on what they need to prioritize in relation to trades.

I’ll admit, I have bee a little puzzled by some of Piniella’s decisions of late. But, I also don’t know everything that he could possibly know, and why he is doing it. In the end, I trust him to do what he did last year, and that was to make a firm decision in the coming weeks on what he has, and what he would like to shore things up.

Regardless of how goofy things may seem in the short term, there are few guys that I think are as good at evaluating, as Piniella.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on May 6, 2008 10:11 AM CDT 0 recs

speaking of Boston...

sitrick just brought up a good point: Francona let the young talent take it’s lumps last year, while fans were clamoring for Pedroia to sit. Look how the season ended up for him: ROY, and he’s now the everyday 2B..

Doesn’t it seem like if Francona had someone like Pie on his roster, he’d play him every day for 3 months or so and really make sure he’s fit/not fit to be on the team? Wouldn’t that be better than starting 2x/week and pinch hitting once in a while?

by cubfan1982 on May 6, 2008 10:17 AM CDT 0 recs

What you don't know...

...is what the Red Sox brain trust would think of Pie as compared to Pedroia. Maybe they would have the confidence to give Pie more playing time and maybe they wouldn’t. They are two different players and you really don’t know how they would read the Pie situation without being close to it.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on May 6, 2008 10:29 AM CDT up 0 recs

True.

But we really won’t ever know what sort of player Pie is unless he plays (virtually) every day for a couple of months, not this way.

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

by Al on May 6, 2008 10:41 AM CDT up 0 recs

"Catastrophic Terms"

As Mr. Kenney said, we all like to think of things in “catastrophic terms”...we lose 8 of 11 and its the end of the season. Like everyone else, the last couple of weeks have given me cold chills thinking about the way I’ve felt in former Mays and Junes: “The season’s over”. But this Cub team really has the talent to picks itself up from a 3 – 8 run and have go 8 – 3 over the next 11.

It sure would be nice to start tonight!

"Cub fans like to think of things in catastrophic terms." - Crane Kenney

by NashvilleBlue on May 6, 2008 11:00 AM CDT 0 recs