Filed under: Cubs | Tags: 100 years, black cat, Carlos Zambrano, Cubs, curse, goat, Lou Piniella, next year, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster, Steve Bartman, World Series, Wrigley Field
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When a team hasn’t won a World Series for 100 hundred years, it’s only natural that excuses will be made as to why that is so. However, for this historic franchise, their excuses have some merit. The team has been cursed. From the goat to the black cat to the infamous Steve Bartman. This team has seen it all throughout this century. It’s amazing that Cubs fans have been able to stay optimistic and anually utter the Cubs mantra, “There’s always next year.” But next year is here and the feeling in the air is different from year’s past.
The Cubs playoff run officially begins tomorrow for a five-game series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. I’m nervous. I’m psyched. I’m ready. This is probably the spot where someone should remind me that I’m just a fan, but I think it’s too late for that anyways. Ryan Dempster will take the mound for the Cubs to start off the series. Is her our best pitcher? No, Rich Harden is. Is he our highest paid ace of the staff? No, Carlos Zambrano is. He simply is our best pitcher when it comes to pitching at home in Wrigley Field. He’s 14-3 at home with a 2.36 ERA and those are statistics you can’t ignore when choosing who to start at the Friendly Confines. After closing for us for the last 3 years, Dempster got converted back to a starter this year in a move that makes our coach, Sweet Lou Piniella, look even more like a genius. Especially when the guy earned the nickname “Dumpster” for throwing some garbage games as a closer. But the past is in the past and the stars have aligned for my Cubbies. Things don’t have to make sense to know I believe in this team. Go Cubs!
