Truth be told, I don't really care for end-of-year lists that much. They seem somewhat forced... but on the other hand, at least until we hear about what the Cubs are bidding in the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes (I assume they will, in fact, put up the $20 million maximum bid for the right to talk to him), there isn't much Cubs news in the inter-holiday period.
Thus, this list. I thought perhaps one of the best ways for all of us to purge the badness that was the 2013 season, is to relive in the form of a list some of the worst moments of the year.
I'm listing these in chronological order, so as not to influence your vote in the poll. This didn't happen intentionally, but these 13 moments are against 13 different teams, thus spreading the 2013 Cubs badness across both leagues.
April 14, Cubs vs. Giants at Wrigley Field
The Cubs are one strike from victory when Shawn Camp allows a game-tying home run to Hunter Pence. To complete Camp's awesome day, he then balked in the winning run in the 10th inning.
April 22, Cubs vs. Reds at Cincinnati
The Cubs blow a 2-0 lead fashioned by Travis Wood; the game goes into long extra innings before the Cubs score two in the top of the 13th. With one out in the bottom of the inning, a single and two doubles tie the game; Michael Bowden gives up a game-winning single to former Cub Cesar Izturis.
June 1, Cubs vs. Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field
Leading 3-1 going into the top of the seventh, Cubs relievers allow 11 runs in the last three innings, including a grand slam by Paul Goldschmidt off Carlos Marmol.
June 16, Cubs vs. Mets at New York
Marmol again. I'm sure you remember this one, Marmol spoiling a great start from Matt Garza by coming in for a save with a 3-0 lead and allowing a home run to Marlon Byrd, then issuing a walk, giving up a single and then a walkoff homer to Kirk Niewenhuis, who was 3-for-29 with 14 strikeouts before this game.
June 28, Cubs vs. Mariners at Seattle
Again, a late-inning lead: 4-2 going into the bottom of the eighth. James Russell gave up a pair of runs to tie it, and then after Blake Parker walked the first two hitters in the last of the 10th, it was Camp again, giving up a game-winning single to Mike Zunino. Camp was released nine days later.
July 4, Cubs vs. Athletics at Oakland
The only run in this 1-0 loss scored on a passed ball charged to Welington Castillo. The Cubs had only two hits, both singles.
July 10, Cubs vs. Angels at Wrigley Field
The top of the first inning began this way off Jeff Samardzija: Double, double, wild pitch, walk, home run, out, home run. It was downhill from there as Shark gave up two more home runs before he was pulled, in the worst start of his career.
July 14, Cubs vs. Cardinals at Wrigley Field
Again, the Cubs go into the late innings with a lead: 4-3 after six. The bullpen allows seven runs in the last three innings. Kevin Gregg came into the pitch the ninth with the score tied, then gave up a run on a double and a single and then a three-run homer to Yadier Molina.
July 30, Cubs vs. Brewers at Wrigley Field
In the second game of a day-night doubleheader, the Cubs are twice one strike from victory. Leading 2-1 in the top of the ninth, after those two outs, Gregg gives up a single, a walk and another single, scoring two runs and ruining Jake Arrieta's outstanding Cubs debut.
August 8, Cubs vs. Phillies at Philadelphia
Shark again, this time erasing the "worst start of his career" mark by giving up the same number of runs he did July 10, only in one fewer inning.
August 22, Cubs vs. Nationals at Wrigley Field
After Donnie Murphy hit a two-out, game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth, ex-Cub Chad Tracy squeezed in the winning run for the Nats in the 13th.
August 25, Cubs vs. Padres at San Diego
"The Game No One Wanted": neither team scored until the 13th inning, when the Cubs pushed across a pair of runs with the help of a San Diego error and a sacrifice fly. With two out in the bottom of the 13th, ex-Cub Ronny Cedeno tripled in a run and scored on a Kevin Gregg wild pitch. The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the 15th but could not score and in the bottom of the 15th, the Padres scored on a single, a walk and another single off Hector Rondon.
September 23, Cubs vs. Pirates at Wrigley Field
After Kevin Gregg struck out the first two hitters in the top of the ninth of a 1-1 tie, Starling Marte homered for Pittsburgh and Nate Schierholtz was thrown out at the plate to end the game. The Pirates' win clinched a wild-card spot for them.
Vote for the worst moment of 2013 in the poll.