Reasons why the Cubs have a chance to make the playoffs

by cubswgnrocks on Aug 22, 2009 8:36 PM CDT

This is meant to be an encouraging fanpost for those who are struggling in believing in the Cubs right now. Come here, post your thoughts on why the Cubs will (or have a shot to) make the postseason. If you don't think they will, please don't post. This is not to vent-there are plenty of other threads for that. Post encouraging things about the Cubs.

Why the Cubs will make the postseason in 2009:

I believe that the lineup will start producing the way we know it can very soon.
We have more games at home then on the road
We play sub .500 teams a majority of that time.
Things must turn around at some point. I think that this team has atleast 1 more run of 7 of 8 or so.
We play the Cardinals 3 more times.

Like I said, if you don't have anything to add that involves the subject of this post, please do not comment. I am hoping this will be therapy of some sort for those who are down right now. Look, am I saying that the Cubs will make the playoffs? No. However, I am giving optimistic reasons why they have a chance. Keep the faith.

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.

Tweet Comment 36 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

This team depends so much on Soriano and Soto

and both of them are having brutal seasons. Its over, done finished. Just enjoy watching baseball while its still around this season.

Just say no to players named Aaron on the Cubs.

by nji232 on Aug 22, 2009 8:38 PM CDT reply actions

I love your optimism.

I’m right there with you. Let’s make this a miracle season.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Aug 22, 2009 8:41 PM CDT reply actions

Optimism...

…is what being a Cubs fan is about. I think when we finally win it, it wont be in a 100 win year when we just plow through the playoffs. It will be a hard, “miracle” season where no one expected it to happen.

by northpaw22k on Aug 23, 2009 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Like now.

Right?

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Aug 23, 2009 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Here's the way I look at it

2007-The Cubs go in as the worst team and fail
2008-The Cubs go in as the best team and fail
So all they need to do is go in as a team and the middle. That’s the key.

"That pitch wasn’t down and in, that pitch was down and up." Tim McCarver

by wrigleyrocker12 on Aug 23, 2009 8:32 PM CDT up reply actions

You gotta be kidding

1. They’ll trade Soriano for Pujols.

2. There is no 2.

by bringbackbanks on Aug 22, 2009 8:43 PM CDT reply actions

Sure there is

They trade Soto for Mauer

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim

by Doggie Stalker on Aug 22, 2009 10:05 PM CDT up reply actions

I believe Mlton Bradley

will get hot, drive in 60-70 runs in the last 40 games, and carry this team to the Wild Card.

If you think you've seen it all...just wait!

by CubFanSince1970 on Aug 22, 2009 8:48 PM CDT reply actions

From your keyboard to Milton's bat.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Aug 22, 2009 8:59 PM CDT up reply actions

and aaron miles will double bradley's rbi total

by gocubs1 on Aug 22, 2009 9:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Let's try to confine the predictions to this planet.

"Was you ever punched in the face five hundred times a night? It stings after a while." ~Rocky Balboa

by Goodie1969 on Aug 22, 2009 9:42 PM CDT up reply actions

i was being sarcastic actually

by gocubs1 on Aug 22, 2009 10:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Just win.

"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.

by drewishdrewid on Aug 22, 2009 9:18 PM CDT reply actions

There is no way this team deserves to be in the playoffs, but here it goes…after Sundays game they should win 23 in a row. I know that’s absolutely crazy, but look at the schedule. There is no way this current team will ever compete for the World Series, but I really think they will go on a 23 game winning streak. I’ll check back with you guys in 3 weeks,

by Comfortably Numb on Aug 22, 2009 9:23 PM CDT reply actions

Yes I thought that when they went to San Diego

I mean not 23 in a row but 4 out of 7.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim

by Doggie Stalker on Aug 22, 2009 10:06 PM CDT up reply actions

Karma will get up one day

and move from 1060 W. Addison on down I-55 and bite the Cardinals directly in the ass.

As Elaine Benes once famously said, “One of these days something bad is going to happen to you. It HAS to!”

Outside of this, I’ve got nothing.

"Was you ever punched in the face five hundred times a night? It stings after a while." ~Rocky Balboa

by Goodie1969 on Aug 22, 2009 9:48 PM CDT reply actions

I just don't know how much longer I can

Stick with this team and believe in them. I try, but they’re making it very hard.

"That pitch wasn’t down and in, that pitch was down and up." Tim McCarver

by wrigleyrocker12 on Aug 22, 2009 9:55 PM CDT reply actions

Playoffs?!

Don’t talk about playoffs! Are you kidding me?!

by Damen Jackson on Aug 22, 2009 10:20 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Playoffs?

"That pitch wasn’t down and in, that pitch was down and up." Tim McCarver

by wrigleyrocker12 on Aug 23, 2009 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Last season...

Was so much fun. Great, great team. And so much fun to watch. Yet they failed miserably at the end.

This year hasn’t been much fun at all. I truly haven’t enjoyed watching this team too often this year. Since the regular season has been the opposite of last year (for me), hopefully the postseason (God willing) will be as well.

That’s about all I’ve got at this point.

by kanderber on Aug 22, 2009 10:30 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

+ 1000 BCB points .. that's exactly how I feel ..

Watching the Cubs the past four months has been like watching the motor of some giant 1970’s 8 cylinder monstrosity misfire and sputter as you’re driving 162 miles back home — and you’re stuck on the side of the road when the engine dies. Not fun.

You can watch the whole engine block shake and shudder and listen to it wheezing from vacuum leaks, the pistons banging, whole nine yards. Then you can reach out and grab the accelerator linkage and jam it to the block and hear the thing roar as the carborator carbs all four barrels and the engine roars with all of its remaining compression and power. For a second, the thing sounds like a NASCAR beast. You let go, it drops down to sputter again ..

You realize you got a LONG drive home.

Blue mountains high .. Blue valleys low
I don't know which way we will go ..
One summer dream .. one summer dream ..

coda

ELO, 1975

by cubnational on Aug 23, 2009 7:48 AM CDT up reply actions

cubs

talk about blind enthusiasim. this team is beaten you can see it on their faces. maybe next year some of these players will try harder after this 09 disaster.

by NOMAR on Aug 23, 2009 7:17 AM CDT reply actions

I really, really, really want to BELIEVE but ..

Things are looking grim.

With brutal honesty, BCB states that we are now

61 – 60

Games Back: 8

Streak: Lost 3

Games Left: 41

The math above says almost all of it. It doesn’t show how the Cubs are going to need a near historic meltdown of the first order for the Cardinals to slip from first. It also doesn’t show how the Houston Astros are pushing hard to finally overtake us, as well as the Brewers. They have stank almost as bad as we do, but they’re playing with a whole heck of a lot more focus then the Cubs have. The Astros are playing better ball than the Cubs right now with a win streak of 4 games. And I don’t think the Brewers are going to be laying around waiting for something to happen either.

Per MLB.com, this is the story for the chase for the Wild Card.

Colorado 69 54 .561 -
San Francisco 67 56 .545 2.0
Atlanta 65 58 .528 4.0
Florida 65 58 .528 4.0
Chi Cubs 61 60 .504 7.0

For the Cubs to make any difference at all in the post season, the song remains the same. They have to simply play better and to their potential. It’s one of the most infuriating things for me to realize that we are seeing this team playing like they’re all in a fog somewhere, seeing the bullpen fold, the RISP’s pile up only to turn to LOB’s, etc. It’s a freak show of all too Cubs like proportions.

The only potential good news is that the rest of the season puts us directly against the Cards, Astros and Brewers as well as San Francisco, against the teams that stand squarely in the way of any Cubs postseason hopes. The Mets stink as badly as the Cubs do, so that ought to be fascinating anyway.

At this point, my feel is this – if the Cubs can finally get their heads out of the sand, get a run going here like they did in July when they oh so briefly had first place, and can somehow snatch a win from the White Sux on September 3, who are definitely contenders this year, then they’ll show signs of potentially having enough in the tank to keep fighting onwards. Heck, they got contracts and I would hope some sense of pride left in them as the league champs to do that at least. The Mets, Pirates and Cincy series coming up in September should be winnable ones. And then we’re supposed to hope that the Giants and Cards stumble ..

But first things first. If the Nats and the Mets (for God’s sake, of all people) have us figured out in the next week or so, then I look forward to focusing on the Bears a whole lot more.

Blue mountains high .. Blue valleys low
I don't know which way we will go ..
One summer dream .. one summer dream ..

coda

ELO, 1975

by cubnational on Aug 23, 2009 7:38 AM CDT reply actions

Because the birds' magic number is >0

Just win the next game...!

by blackhawk24 on Aug 23, 2009 9:46 AM CDT reply actions

are the Pirates still mathematically alive?

Do you think they have a shot?

The Cubs need a helluva lot more than MATH.

by elgato on Aug 23, 2009 4:20 PM CDT up reply actions

The Buccos

have 4 teams between them and 1st place, the Cubs don’t..

Just win the next game...!

by blackhawk24 on Aug 25, 2009 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions

Rebuttals

I believe that the lineup will start producing the way we know it can very soon.

I no longer know what this lineup can truly do. I do not know if Soriano is in a slump or a trend. I do not know whether Soto was a one-year fluke. I do not know if Fontenot will ever do anything useful again.

We have more games at home then on the road

So?

We play sub .500 teams a majority of that time.

Like the Padres?

Things must turn around at some point. I think that this team has atleast 1 more run of 7 of 8 or so.

Possible, but irrelevant unless the Cardinals decide to lose 7 or 8 or so.

We play the Cardinals 3 more times.

Unless we are 5 games back or less at that time, even sweeping the Cards will be nothing. The Cards can run out the clock at this point.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Aug 23, 2009 10:50 AM CDT reply actions

Rebuttal to rebuttal

Cubs are 35-22 at home, 26-38 on the road. Playing home games should help.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Aug 23, 2009 11:04 AM CDT up reply actions

It should...

…but here’s the bottom line:

At the start of the season the Cubs were a better team than the Cards, today, the Cards are a better team on paper and on the field. Even if the Cubs put together a solid run to finish the season (not exactly a given), they still may not gain any appreciable ground on the Cards. The Cards have a fairly easy schedule as well, and the chances they go into a tail spin is not very likely.

I would predict the Cubs get no closer than 5 games out on the Cards, and will probably end up double digits behind them at seasons end.

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

by MPH73 on Aug 23, 2009 8:48 PM CDT up reply actions

And, really...

Who honestly thinks that this team can go into St. Louis in late September and sweep the Cardinals? I certainly don’t.

by kanderber on Aug 23, 2009 11:31 AM CDT up reply actions

I'd be suprised if this team swept anyone but the Pirates or Natinals.

"Live and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget that until the day comes when God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these words: wait and hope!" - The Count of Monte Cristo

by Bricks and Ivy on Aug 23, 2009 1:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Likely no, possible definitely

Without being delusional, I still think this year’s team have real but small chance of of making it to the play-offs. If they don’t reach the play-offs, I won’t be very surprised, but that does not mean, to me, I should give up all hope.

They need to win “like crazy” at home, have decent road trips, and (this is the rub) hope for a Cardinal case of the hiccups.

Eamus Catuli

You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein

by eths on Aug 24, 2009 4:25 AM CDT up reply actions

Why the Cardinals will make the postseason in 2009:

The lineup is already producing. Hitting to the tune of .288/.367/.432 as a team over the last 14 days. (This includes the pitchers)

They have more games at home then on the road (21 at home, 16 on the road)

They play sub .500 teams a majority of that time. (24 of the 36 games are against sub 500 teams)

Things don’t need to turn around at some point. They’re 19-6 over the last 25 games. And haven’t lost 2 in a row since July 26.

They already have an 8 game head start.

They play the Cubs 3 more times.

I can continue for the other remaining playoff contenders.

by jxmetal1 on Aug 24, 2009 1:43 PM CDT reply actions

Why you should be quiet

1. we know the Cubs aren’t looking very good, considering we watch every game
2. We know it will be a tough way back to first, but like most cubs fans we believe
3. The Cubs play sub 500 teams too

"That pitch wasn’t down and in, that pitch was down and up." Tim McCarver

by wrigleyrocker12 on Aug 24, 2009 5:24 PM CDT up reply actions

Captain Obvious strikes again!

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Aug 25, 2009 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions

I'll repeat what I said last season after Game Two of the NLDS:

I’m open to a miracle.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Aug 25, 2009 11:27 AM CDT reply actions