Do We Really Want This Team to Make the Playoffs?

[SouthSideRyan]

Haven't we already been through the lowpoint where things would have to change. This team won 66 soap dropping games last year, and the philosophy didn't change. What on Earth would make you think that without a different view from the ownership that a 15 game improvement wouldn't be seen as a big gain.

[Keener98]

Haven't we already been through the lowpoint where things would have to change. This team won 66 soap dropping games last year, and the philosophy didn't change. What on Earth would make you think that without a different view from the ownership that a 15 game improvement wouldn't be seen as a big gain.

 

lol

[AlwaysaCub]

Aside from the "blah blah anything can happen blah 2006 Cardinals blah blah" reasons....

 

....do we really want this team to make the post season? do we want anyone in the new ownership, the front office, the media, etc. thinking this team is doing anything right? do we want this insanely mediocre team to be be rewarded in any way, shape or form?

 

this isn't sour grapes. i just don't know what we accomplish by making the playoffs. outside of an outright WS victory, it just seems useless.

 

If you don't want this team to make the playoffs then you are not a fan.

 

Why, exactly, is that? I happen to agree with Derwood's point of view, and I still consider myself a fan. Derwood's point is that he, like me, is sick and tired of this 1 decent year ever 4 or 5 with a load of utter crap marketed as a baseball team in the years between. Sure, 98 and 03 were boatloads of fun, but because of those years this franchise has never entered into rebuilding mode. Because the Cubs have never methodically rebuilt, the franchise hasn't fielded a great team in a long time. They have occasionally put decent teams on the field, but great teams win championships a lot more often than pretty decent ones do.

 

In the last 20 years, the following NL teams have not managed a season of 95 wins:

Rockies

Marlins

Brewers

Cubs

 

In fact, we've only won as many as 95 games once (1984) in the last 60 years. If you don't have a good foundation, the playoff years are going to be few and far between.

 

Let me as you, are you a fan of the 2007 Cubs or the Cubs organization?

 

It seems lately the theme for WS Champions has been get in the playoffs and anyone has a chance. This isn't like the NFL were inferior teams are usually eliminated in the first round. IF the Cubs make the playoffs they have a legit chance at a World Series.

 

Assuming all teams are equal, the Cubs have a 1 in 8 chance of winning the World Series if they are in the playoffs. Therefore there is a 7 in 8 chance that they don't win the world series. Therefore they need to make the playoffs more often than 4 times so far in the 38 years that there have been playoffs. More chances equals higher likelihood, and I am saying that making the playoffs this year would lead to FEWER chances in the future.

[frostwyrm]

The playoff run in 2003 probably cost us the future injuries to the pitching staff. I don't think Lou would abuse this staff the same way down the stretch and in the playoffs. I also don't think that jeapordizing the future of Hill & Marshall bears the same cost as doing it to Prior, Wood & Z. That would be my main concern for pushing for the playoffs this year and that risk has already been mitigated by the acquisition of a disposable Trachsel to take some of that load.

 

As for organizational direction, with new management coming in I think that will change however it will change unless the team is lucky enough to make / win the WS. In which case, I'll take the run for what it's worth.

 

We don't know how baseball-savvy the new owners will be. They might just look at the horrible 2006 record and see a playoff appearance in 2007 as a miraculous turnaround that validates Hendry's methods. It wouldn't surprise me at all.

[JonnyRed]

Absolutely...In the playoffs, it's all about getting hot at the right time. It's oftentimes not the best teams record wise who win the WS. We all know the Cubs are overdue for a hot streak, and we have the pieces to be successful in the postseason: solid pitching, a stud hitter (we have 3) and good defense. If two of our big bats and Z get hot, watch out!

[biittner77]

If the Cubs make the playoffs and lose, isn't there a very good chance that the management will take a "What do we have to do to make it over the hump?" approach? That seems more likely than saying "We were good enough but we were unlucky, cursed, hurt or whatever other excuses they usually roll out.

 

I'm a little surprised no one has pointed this out but the Cards winning last year has no bearing whatsoever on what happens this year.

[Peoriaman]

Aside from the "blah blah anything can happen blah 2006 Cardinals blah blah" reasons....

 

....do we really want this team to make the post season? do we want anyone in the new ownership, the front office, the media, etc. thinking this team is doing anything right? do we want this insanely mediocre team to be be rewarded in any way, shape or form?

 

this isn't sour grapes. i just don't know what we accomplish by making the playoffs. outside of an outright WS victory, it just seems useless.

 

If you don't want this team to make the playoffs then you are not a fan.

 

Why, exactly, is that? I happen to agree with Derwood's point of view, and I still consider myself a fan. Derwood's point is that he, like me, is sick and tired of this 1 decent year ever 4 or 5 with a load of utter crap marketed as a baseball team in the years between. Sure, 98 and 03 were boatloads of fun, but because of those years this franchise has never entered into rebuilding mode. Because the Cubs have never methodically rebuilt, the franchise hasn't fielded a great team in a long time. They have occasionally put decent teams on the field, but great teams win championships a lot more often than pretty decent ones do.

 

In the last 20 years, the following NL teams have not managed a season of 95 wins:

Rockies

Marlins

Brewers

Cubs

 

In fact, we've only won as many as 95 games once (1984) in the last 60 years. If you don't have a good foundation, the playoff years are going to be few and far between.

 

Let me as you, are you a fan of the 2007 Cubs or the Cubs organization?

 

 

If you don't want this team to make the playoffs then you are not a fan. This seems self-evident.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If you don't want this team to make the playoffs then you are not a fan. This seems self-evident.

 

Not in the slightest. Some fans are patient enough that they could tolerate a decent season falling short of the playoffs if it meant a philosophical turn around that led to the team being a perennial pennant contender in the future. Some people have a more macro-minded view than others.

[biittner77]

If you don't want this team to make the playoffs then you are not a fan. This seems self-evident.

 

Not in the slightest. Some fans are patient enough that they could tolerate a decent season falling short of the playoffs if it meant a philosophical turn around that led to the team being a perennial pennant contender in the future. Some people have a more macro-minded view than others.

 

Let's say the Cubs miss the playoffs. Which is more likely to be the response from Hendry:

 

"We need to change our philosophy and get better hitters especially in the outfield"

 

or

 

"That's what happens when you rely on young players in a pennant race"

 

or

 

"If Soriano hadn't gotten injured...."

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If you don't want this team to make the playoffs then you are not a fan. This seems self-evident.

 

Not in the slightest. Some fans are patient enough that they could tolerate a decent season falling short of the playoffs if it meant a philosophical turn around that led to the team being a perennial pennant contender in the future. Some people have a more macro-minded view than others.

 

Let's say the Cubs miss the playoffs. Which is more likely to be the response from Hendry:

 

"We need to change our philosophy and get better hitters especially in the outfield"

 

or

 

"That's what happens when you rely on young players in a pennant race"

 

or

 

"If Soriano hadn't gotten injured...."

 

The people who would hope for missing the playoffs are hoping that it's something like:

 

"I respect [new owner]'s decision and wish them the best of luck in the future.

[TheDude]

I see several folks talking as if the '04 team wasn't the equal or better of the '03 team - when did this thinking emerge?

[SouthSideRyan]

I see several folks talking as if the '04 team wasn't the equal or better of the '03 team - when did this thinking emerge?

 

I've argued for quite some time they were the best Cubs team since the 40s, and maybe more.

[GhostRunner]

I want any Cubs team make the playoffs, but I'll admit, if it does happen, this isn't the way I pictured it going down.

Given history's influence, this whole situation seems appropriate.

 

If the Cubs were to win the World Series, would it seem more Cub-like for them to dominate 100+ games a' la the '27 Yankees, crushing opponents regularly, producing in all facets, juggernautting their way through the riff-raff and afterburning towards an inevitable playoff appearance in which they are unmistakenly the odds-on favorite to take the crown?

 

Or do the Cubs . . . history's Cubs . . . compete ineptly in the midst of a group of sub-par competitors, eking out occasional wins, relying on the misfortunes of others, barely breaking into a winning record, underperforming in most areas yet still getting blown umpire calls, occasional bursts of competence, and blind luck enabling them to sneak by a whisker into the post-season, where they would likely be over-matched by every team yet somehow managing to achieve a victory?

 

The Cubs would probably require a series of crucial opponents' injuries and a faux umpire-payola scandal to win the enchilada, causing Cubs fans simultaneous joy and regret knowing that until the next century they will have to endure jabs of ass-backwarding into a championship and claims of one-in-a-million, guilt-tripped, karmic charity ending their streak of ineptitude, Cards fans wallowing in the notion that their teams always won it the "right way" . . . and it would all seem quite apropos for a franchise so rooted in futility and disappointment.

 

I guess, in other words, this is our year. It feels like it has to be.

[Peoriaman]

posters have way too much time on their hands.

[Derwood]

posters have way too much time on their hands.

 

thanks for adding to the discussion

[Peoriaman]

Your welcome. Only Cub fans, who haven't won a World Series in 100 years, and whose managment has finally opened their wallet, could somewhat conjure up a rational that missing the playoffs is a good thing.

[Derwood]

Your welcome. Only Cub fans, who haven't won a World Series in 100 years, and whose managment has finally opened their wallet, could somewhat conjure up a rational that missing the playoffs is a good thing.

 

if you can't separate the desire for the team to succeed from the price of said success....

[oldcubsfan]

I can't believe this is even a topic. Only a fool would want the team they are supposedly a fan of, to fail to get into the playoffs.

[shnsajax]

On the bright side this team seems to do better against some of the better pitchers in baseball and really suck against the crap. In the playoffs we won't see as much crap.

[Derwood]

Cubs trying to make this topic a moot point

[Mizzou]

I'm embarrassed that this is a topic.

[rocket]

beggers can't be choosers

[Derwood]

considering the amount of lazy "curse/Bartman/99 years/$300 million" coverage the Cubs would get in the playoffs, i'd actually like a team with half a shot to overcome that.

[Soul]

Well, I still want them to make it but I'm having a hard time seeing it. Even when they win it's by overcoming some real bad baseball in the early innings.

 

It's just a real struggle for this team right now. I'm not seeing how that changes down the stretch.

 

Just trying to be realistic here. This is not a good baseball team.

[A New Era]

Ofcourse I want them to make it and win the playoffs?

 

I mean this is a mediocre team but ask yourself. Don't you want guys like Lee, Ramirez, Theroit, Big Z, ect. . guys that want to win as a Cub to win it all? I love this team. Sure it could be better, and maybe a new owner will make it lots better. But all these guys want to win, and they deserve to win.