Today marks the Chinese New Year. It is the Year of the Goat.
When a goat reference is made, most Cub fans cringe. The Billy Goat Curse is still one of the foundational ulcer creating myths of Cub nation.
Now, with unbelievably high expectations for the 2015 season because of the signings of Joe Maddon and Jon Lester, the goat reference takes on a haunting significance.
Lester may be a good to great pitcher. He is a quiet leader (his actions on the field speak louder than his words). But he is now a Cub. He is not a Cub savior. However, there is no guarantee that he will be better than Samardzija.
Maddon has only managed in the quiet library of Tampa Bay. He has had success with the Rays, but one still must consider he got the talent benefits of one of the best young general managers in the game, Andrew Friedman. Maddon now has to roll the dice with Theo and Jed's take on "can't miss" prospects such as Soler, Bryant, and Russell.
Either Maddon or Lester could be this season's scapegoat.
If the Cubs start slowly, which is probably a given considering the distractions that surround the Wrigley Field rehab circus and at least two months of bleacher ticket holders removed from their seats, the blame game may be the only game in town.
A few hyperstatistic sites have crunched some numbers and predict that Rizzo is going to have a down year. One states that his contact (how hard he hits the ball) is one of the weakest on the team (which equates to more luck than hard contact). My concern with Rizzo is more body type. He has begun to square up, more beefy body frame. Add that weight to the stress of keeping up with the young, hard swinging, full body torque home run hitters like Baez and Soler, Rizzo is primed to have more back issues.
Castro continues to have off-season strange stories, including investigation of two shooting incidents in the Dominican Republic. He has not been charged with any crime, but just the fact he is in the area of questionable behavior is a concern. Some scouts believe that Castro will have his full batting stroke in 2015. It will be interesting to see how Castro performs with the pressure of Russell in AAA ready to take his job at shortstop.
The pressure is on all the young players to perform at veteran levels in order for the Cubs to even reach .500 in 2015.
Showing posts with label curse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label curse. Show all posts
February 19, 2015
October 15, 2014
FABLES & FOIBLES
For some it still has the cringe of walking down a dark, blind alley to find a serial killer; "five outs away from a World Series."
The 2003 Cubs were soooooooooooooooo close, yet so far away from making dreams come true.
And despite the public lynching of an innocent fan for alleged fan interference of a foul pop, the Cubs lost Game 6 by a butchered error by shortstop Alex Gonzalez and poor managerial decisions of Dusty Baker. And people tend to conveniently forget, the Cubs also lost Game 7 so the team lost its chance for World Series glory, not some kid named Bartman.
It is easier to find excuses than rely on the facts. Why some people wear the Cubs curse as some badge of honor is strange. Normal fans want their team to win, and not justify the losses by some cosmic fate.
The unintended consequences of the 2003 implosion continue to this day. This is when Wrigley Field was The Place to be . . . the bleachers will filled with drunken yuppies, sell out after sell out, a real party atmosphere around the park. It was in this intense environment Tom Ricketts noticed that the Cubs as a business drew massive support (money) win or lose. He would later convince his father to invest in the Cubs since it was like buying a money printing press.
So the fortunes of the entire franchise turned in 2003 as Ricketts became the owners of the club.
The heady days of Tribune spending and free spending housing boom would soon crash and burn in 2007, taking the Tribune into bankruptcy and the Cubs being sold. By most objective standards, the Cubs franchise has steadily gone down hill since the Ricketts purchased the team and its assets. Team performance cratered, attendance fell dramatically and ownership was more interested in real estate construction projects or fighting with the neighbors than getting a 2003-type competitive ball club on the field.
There was an instant myth that the Cubs were "saved" from the evil corporation by a billionaire family promising instant success and championships. It would not be a business, but run as a cherished community monument. But what we have learned since those initial press conferences is that the family has not put money into the team due to high debt load restrictions. Instead, the family has bought up property to build commercial venues to make Wrigley a 365 day destination spot like Times Square. Instead of rebuilding the major league roster with expensive major league talent, the money has been diverted to create an enclosed electronic signage wonderland inside Wrigley Field. The Ricketts have been more guarded with spending money than previous owners.
In the grand scheme, the Cubs have been set aside as the ugly stepsister. The Cubs are merely a tenant playing at Wrigley Field. The business side of the team is calling most of the shots. Perhaps some day, the Cubs will turn into a Cinderella story, but it is unlikely.
The 2003 Cubs were soooooooooooooooo close, yet so far away from making dreams come true.
And despite the public lynching of an innocent fan for alleged fan interference of a foul pop, the Cubs lost Game 6 by a butchered error by shortstop Alex Gonzalez and poor managerial decisions of Dusty Baker. And people tend to conveniently forget, the Cubs also lost Game 7 so the team lost its chance for World Series glory, not some kid named Bartman.
It is easier to find excuses than rely on the facts. Why some people wear the Cubs curse as some badge of honor is strange. Normal fans want their team to win, and not justify the losses by some cosmic fate.
The unintended consequences of the 2003 implosion continue to this day. This is when Wrigley Field was The Place to be . . . the bleachers will filled with drunken yuppies, sell out after sell out, a real party atmosphere around the park. It was in this intense environment Tom Ricketts noticed that the Cubs as a business drew massive support (money) win or lose. He would later convince his father to invest in the Cubs since it was like buying a money printing press.
So the fortunes of the entire franchise turned in 2003 as Ricketts became the owners of the club.
The heady days of Tribune spending and free spending housing boom would soon crash and burn in 2007, taking the Tribune into bankruptcy and the Cubs being sold. By most objective standards, the Cubs franchise has steadily gone down hill since the Ricketts purchased the team and its assets. Team performance cratered, attendance fell dramatically and ownership was more interested in real estate construction projects or fighting with the neighbors than getting a 2003-type competitive ball club on the field.
There was an instant myth that the Cubs were "saved" from the evil corporation by a billionaire family promising instant success and championships. It would not be a business, but run as a cherished community monument. But what we have learned since those initial press conferences is that the family has not put money into the team due to high debt load restrictions. Instead, the family has bought up property to build commercial venues to make Wrigley a 365 day destination spot like Times Square. Instead of rebuilding the major league roster with expensive major league talent, the money has been diverted to create an enclosed electronic signage wonderland inside Wrigley Field. The Ricketts have been more guarded with spending money than previous owners.
In the grand scheme, the Cubs have been set aside as the ugly stepsister. The Cubs are merely a tenant playing at Wrigley Field. The business side of the team is calling most of the shots. Perhaps some day, the Cubs will turn into a Cinderella story, but it is unlikely.
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