Boswell on Cubs: Misery Springs Eternal

This is a brutal, but honest, take on the Cubs problems by one of the premiere baseball writers. You may need to register for a free account to read the whole thing.

To be clear, I'm not endorsing his views, particularly not the way he ends it. But it is a far better written account than most of what ails this team.

over 2 years ago Orval Overall 8 comments 0 recs |

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Another beautifully written piece by one of my all-time fav baseball writers

This one, though, hits much closer to home than most. It makes me wonder why I continue to put myself through this kind of misery year after year. By this point though, it’s in my blood. Besides, the good parts, as fleeting as they often are, are usually enough to keep me coming back.

Besides, what’s the big deal about a WS win anyway? I mean, seriously, it’s not like it’d make me love the Cubs any more than I already do.

by bluekoolaide on Aug 27, 2009 8:05 PM CDT reply actions

Manages to mention goats, black cats and Bartman within three paragraphs.

These guys think they’re being oh-so-preciously-cute by doing that.

That’s where they lose my respect.

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

by Al Yellon on Aug 27, 2009 8:19 PM CDT reply actions

Give him credit

He managed to slip Durham in there, too. That’s one that most of the lazy national journalists miss when they want to rag on the Cubs (again).

"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root

by Clutch16 on Aug 28, 2009 5:29 AM CDT up reply actions

I tend to agree, but...

those things are part of the psychology of the fanbase, same way the fictitious “Curse of the Bambino” was part of the Red Sox fans’ experience until they finally won. They are obviously hokum, but they’re not totally irrelevant. The pressure of not winning for 100 years — even when most of us have only been alive a fraction of that time — makes the fans turn into lunatics, which can’t have a positive influence on the team’s psyche.

by Orval Overall on Aug 28, 2009 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions

I think they NEED to be irrelevant.

That’s part of the problem — media reminds the team all the time of such pressures, and it seems — as it did last year — to overwhelm the “let’s just go play baseball and win” mentality that you need to win it all.

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

by Al Yellon on Aug 28, 2009 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions

I agree with you, Al

I usually like Boswell, but this is full of the usual cheap shots and the color-by-numbers stuff. Not really illuminating.

by Not Bruce Froemming on Aug 28, 2009 6:22 PM CDT up reply actions

Well shucks

Anyone could go 100 years without a title with the front office incompetence and downright bad luck the Cubs have had since winning the 1908 World Series. The Cubs probably won’t be the last professional sports team to go 100 years without winning a title. The Indians are giving it a good run (2048 will be their 100th anniversary) and the Giants aren’t far behind (2054). We won’t live to see it, but any combination of bad luck could have Indians and Giants fans going nuts the same way we Cubs fans are right now. Hopefully, the Cubs will have ended the drought by then. If I do live to 2048 and the Indians still haven’t won, I’ll bring up the 2008 Cubs.

And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.

by Ace Venom on Aug 27, 2009 9:10 PM CDT reply actions

are you kidding?

Indians still have to go another 39 yrs. & Giants another 44. Both are just past the half-way point. I really think the pennant drought is even more amazing. No team has come close to approaching the now record 64 yrs. (& counting) without one. Even a hapless situation like the Bucs, will have to go another 35 yrs. to surpass it.

"It's a funny old world. Man's lucky if he gets out of it alive." W.C. Fields

by KedzieKid on Aug 28, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions