Looking "Back" at 2020 Cubs

[NCCubFan]

Dateline: October 2030

 

It's hard to believe that it's now been ten years since the magical-turned-tragic 2020 season, when the Cubs almost made it to their first World Series since 1945 and would have probably won their first World Championship since 1908. Following the end of the 2030 season, by far the worst in Cubs history and almost the worst in baseball history (only an inexplicable 7-0 final week allowed the Cubs to finish 43-119, just missing the 1962 Mets' futility record of 120 losses), it seems like a good time to reflect on better days and reminisce about the team no Cub fan will ever forget.

 

To set the stage, the 2019 Cubs were well on their way to winning the NL Central title, with a 70-42 record and leading the division by 10 games in early August. Unfortunately, in a collapse of epic (even by Cub standards) proportions, the team staggered to a 10-40 finish, ending up at 80-82 to continue a string of consecutive losing seasons that began in 2005. President Jim Hendry (who became team President following the appointment of his predecessor, Andy MacPhail, to replace Bud Selig as Commissioner) finally came to the conclusion that changes must be made and fired General Manager Dusty Baker Manager Larry Rothschild, Pitching Coach Dick Pole, Bench Coach Sonny Jackson, and co-Hitting Coaches Gene Clines and Gary Matthews. Before Hendry had a chance to name a new GM, a bombshell was dropped. After more than a decade of rumors and denials, Mark Cuban purchased the Cubs from the Tribune Corporation, then celebrated by legally changing his last name to Cubfan. Making it clear that he would not tolerate business as usual, he immediately fired Hendry. Taking a page from Philip Wrigley in the 1950s but going one better, Cubfan hired a veteran sports reporter to the dual role of President and GM. In his first move in the dual role, Bruce Miles hired Neifi Perez as Manager. Perez in turn hired Glendon Rusch as Pitching Coach, Ryan Harvey as Hitting Coach, and Henry Blanco as Bench Coach. Perez did retain first base coach Gary Matthews Jr. and third base coach Darren Baker, saying that you can't really evaluate the performance of base coaches when they don't have base runners to coach. As happens so often in baseball, the new staff's success at managing and coaching far surpassed their playing careers.

 

Cubfan gave Miles the biggest budget in Cubs history (even after adjusting for inflation). However, most free agents chose to take a wait-and-see approach, wanting to see what the new regime would bring before making a commitment. The one high profile signing was Carlos Zambrano who, like Greg Maddux a decade and a half earlier, returned from the Atlanta Braves at the end of his Hall of Fame career. Having won 18 or more games every year from 2006 to 2019, including 10 years of 20 or more wins (three of those years over 25) and eight Cy Young Awards, Zambrano had enough of the Braves, who are in a streak of consecutive last-place finishes dating all the way back to 2006. Zambrano's impact was expected to be mainly sentimental, as the Cubs already had a great pitching staff (every starter had a career ERA of under 3.50 despite having losing records due to the lack of offense).

 

The biggest change in Spring Training was Harvey's preaching a "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy of patience, working the count, and embracing bases on balls. Harvey kept stressing to his hitters the value of learning lessons from his own playing career, emphasizing that his own lack of patience was the main reason he never advanced past class AA. The results were staggering. The veteran core offense of Matt Murton, Ronny Cedeno, Felix Pie, Brian Dopirak, Eric Patterson, Freddie Bynum, and Angel Pagan all had career years. As a result the Cubs, despite finishing in the middle of the National League pack in batting average, set major league records for runs scored and On-Base Percentage that stand to this very day. Pitching-wise, Zambrano failed to live up to expectations, missing half the season with injuries, the first time in his entire career since his rookie season in 2002 that he spent time on the disabled list. However, with new-found offensive support, the other starters exploded. Angel Guzman, Sean Marshall, and Rich Hill all won over 20 games. Sean Gallagher and Don Veal filled in ably as swingmen during Zambrano's absence. But the real surprise was Mark Prior. After announcing in the off-season that he would retire following the 2020 season, Prior went out in style, completely avoiding the DL for the first time in his career and finally living up to the promise he showed in 2003. Prior's 28-3 record and 1.85 ERA won him unanimous selection for both the Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player. Ageless wonder Kerry Wood (who, along with Prior, announced that he would retire after the year) continued the dominance that, since being converted to closer following the 2006 season, allowed him to surpass Dennis Eckersley as the standard of comparison that all starters-turned-closers will be measured against. Once seen as injury-prone, Wood had not spent a single day on the DL since his conversion to closer.

 

All of this offensive and pitching excellence resulted in a season that rewrote the history books. After the best regular season record in major league history (130-32), the Cubs swept the Wild Card Pittsburgh Pirates, in their first year in the NL East after a realignment resulting from the Florida Marlins' move to Las Vegas, 3-0 in the NL Division Series. The Cubs then took a 3-0 lead against the Las Vegas Gamblers (formerly the Florida Marlins) in the NL Championship Series. Leading Game 4 15-2 with two out in the bottom of the 9th, all was well in Cubdom after so, so many years of suffering.

 

Then, disaster struck. Lightning (in the person of Steve Bartman) struck twice. Bartman, now living in Las Vegas and a Gamblers fan, took his pet parakeet with him to Game 4 (this resulting from a unique bring-your-bird-with-you promotion started by owner Donald Trump). As Patterson was about to catch an easy popup for the pennant-winning out, Bartman's bird cage door accidently (or so he claims) flew open. The parakeet flew out and got in Patterson's eyes, causing him to drop the ball. Reverting to the immaturity of his younger days, Zambrano (who had recovered from his injuries and pitched superbly down the stretch) came completely unglued. By the time the damage was done, the Gamblers came back and won 16-15 in 14 innings. With new-found life, the Gamblers then won three more games in a row to shock the baseball world with a 7-game series win. They then swept the Portland Rays (formerly the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, their partners in exodus from Florida) to win the World Series everybody had conceded to the Cubs.

 

Sadly, much like the last playoff appearance in 2003, the Cubs were unable to build on a promising year. Many of the veteran players started showing their age the following year, and the Cubs have not had a winning season since to this very day. However, as Miles (who several years ago came to the conclusion that being adored by Cub fans as a writer is much less stressful than being villified as the chief of a hard-luck franchise and returned to sportswriting) stated in a recent column, part of the beauty of baseball is that a playoff team can appear out of nowhere at the least expected time. The end of the Cubs' 122-year World Championship drought has to be right around the corner. Just wait 'til next year!

[CubsBullsBears]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[AllStarMe]

Well done sir, that was an extremely entertaining read. Painful, but entertaining. I bet Bruce Miles might have something to say about his supposed future hiring of Neifi as manager.

[NCCubFan]

I bet Bruce Miles might have something to say about his supposed future hiring of Neifi as manager.

I'm giving him credit for recognizing that a lousy player can still be an excellent manager. :D

[CoolHandLuke]

That sounds like it could be one of the oldest teams in history! :shock:

[KaiserCesar]

Where's Tyler Colvin the K master and Jake Fox. I demand to know where they are.

 

 

DISCLAIMER - I've had a little to drink tonight.

[NCCubFan]

Where's Tyler Colvin the K master and Jake Fox. I demand to know where they are.

They're the best pinch hitters in baseball. :D

[NCCubFan]

That sounds like it could be one of the oldest teams in history! :shock:

Hence the reason they started showing their age the following season. :lol:

[Derwood]

This is complete garbage. The Cubs would NOT play the Pirates in the first round of the playoffs as they are in the same division. God!

[cubfan1955]

This is complete garbage. The Cubs would NOT play the Pirates in the first round of the playoffs as they are in the same division. God!

 

"the Cubs swept the Wild Card Pittsburgh Pirates, in their first year in the NL East after a realignment resulting from the Florida Marlins' move to Las Vegas"

[otis89]

This is complete garbage. The Cubs would NOT play the Pirates in the first round of the playoffs as they are in the same division. God!

 

HMMMMMMMM.

 

the Cubs swept the Wild Card Pittsburgh Pirates, in their first year in the NL East after a realignment resulting from the Florida Marlins' move to Las Vegas

[Derwood]

What, you want me to read ALL of that story?

 

too many words...

[otis89]

What, you want me to read ALL of that story?

 

too many words...

 

Well, don't question it if you haven't read all of it.