Is There a "Bad" Team to Beat in the World Series?

[BleacherBadger]

Does anyone know what the Cubs record is since they traded for Harden?

 

Traded for Harden on July 9th.

 

So since July 9th, the Cubs are 22-12, 5-2 on days that he has pitched, and his record is 3-1, 2.04 era, 1.08 whip

[bukie]

No team in the NL has had a +200 run differential in 10 years. In 1998 both the Braves and Astros did (In 2004, the Cardinals did have a +196 differential).

 

In the AL, though...the Red Sox did it last year. The Mariners actually had a +300 differential in 2001.

[CuseCubFan69]

Does anyone know what the Cubs record is since they traded for Harden?

 

Traded for Harden on July 9th.

 

So since July 9th, the Cubs are 22-12, 5-2 on days that he has pitched, and his record is 3-1, 2.04 era, 1.08 whip

 

Thanks BB.

[Derwood]

Does anyone know what the Cubs record is since they traded for Harden?

 

Traded for Harden on July 9th.

 

So since July 9th, the Cubs are 22-12, 5-2 on days that he has pitched, and his record is 3-1, 2.04 era, 1.08 whip

 

Incorrect. His record is 3-1, 1.50 ERA, 0.95 WHIP

[jersey cubs fan]

FWIW, this team is over the top great. It'll take a WS trophy to cement it, though.

 

They might win 100 games. If they do that and win the world series, they will be among a fairly large group of really really good champions. But I don't know about "over the top great".

 

 

100 wins, a run differential of near 200, and a championship would have to qualify in my book. Especially (but not limited to) within the context of what's being said in this thread...only an idiot would question that team's legitimacy as a deserving champion.

 

This team is very good to great in every facet of the game.

 

I don't know if you'd need them to challenge the win record or something to be considered "over the top great"...??

 

I don't know what over the top great means, but it sounds to me like something that requires something along the lines of record setting seasons. There's the top, and then there's over the top. The 98 Yankees were probably over the top great. 110 wins, 300+ run differential, 11-2 in the postseason, 3-4 Hall of Fame players. The 2002 Angels were not over the top great. 99 wins, 200+ run differential.

[UMFan83]

No team in the NL has had a +200 run differential in 10 years. In 1998 both the Braves and Astros did (In 2004, the Cardinals did have a +196 differential).

 

In the AL, though...the Red Sox did it last year. The Mariners actually had a +300 differential in 2001.

 

Of the 5 teams you listed, only the Red Sox last year actually won the World Series, and only 2 of those teams even made the World Series.

[BleacherBadger]

Does anyone know what the Cubs record is since they traded for Harden?

 

Traded for Harden on July 9th.

 

So since July 9th, the Cubs are 22-12, 5-2 on days that he has pitched, and his record is 3-1, 2.04 era, 1.08 whip

 

Incorrect. His record is 3-1, 1.50 ERA, 0.95 WHIP

 

That is very correct. I took a quick glance and espn shows era and whip for the year. my bad.

[jacey]

Any team making it thru a 162 game grinding season to reach the WS is good in my book. I could care less who we play and beat. Its a win

[anabiono]

it is a stupid qualifier really...how in the hell are we supposed to control what bloody team comes out of the AL

 

bah

 

bring em all on

 

except tampa

 

if that freaking team makes it to the series and beats us...i will have an emotional breakdown and have to move to a different state

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Don't worry about what fans of other teams say. Some dork will say anything about any team, anywhere.

 

The Cubs could win every playoff game 25-0 against the reincarnated 1927 Yankees (who, incidentally, wouldn't really be that good by today's standards I imagine) and still there would be naysayers.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I usually remember who won the world series, it's the team they beat I have a difficult time with

[littleburr24]

I don't think it's a concern. While I'm irritated we missed out on a chance to have HFA, winning the world series without it would add some "legitimacy".

 

Either way, if we win, I couldn't care less what critics say, unless it's by a forfeit or some other weird occurrence.

 

I'm sorry but HFA seems useless in this. "Hey, you have HFA but you have to play 3 straight games away!"

 

Everything should follow Stanley Cup Playoff formats... 2 home, 2 away, 1 home, 1 away, 1 home.

[bcl412]

The way I look at it is that those "crappy" teams beat the really good teams so you are still beating a good team.

[CuseCubFan69]

Losing to any of those teams would hurt in different ways. TB because they are having their first winning season, ever I think. Boston, annoying fans that have had it way too good of late. The White Sox....enough said. The Twins...they get decent and pull one out out of nothing and then go back to being average. The Angels would hurt the least but I want mine first.

[danonwaveland]

If all of professional baseball went on strike except the Cubs, and Bud Selig allowed the Owensboro, KY Little League team to compete against the Cubs for the World Series, and the Owensboro team took the Cubs to 7 games and the Cubs won on a forefit because Owensboro got 3 inches of rain the night before and their field was unplayable, I still wouldn't care what people said about our championship.

 

Well-said! The other day, I went to a WSox talk board -- I needed to practice rolling my eyes, and I thought this would be a good place to do it -- and people were talking down the Cubs, as usual. They started comparing this year's Cubs to their '05 team and saying that unless the Cubs went 11-1 in the postseason, they'd be an inferior WS champ. WHO CARES????????

________________________________________________

Sandberg>Mazeroski>Morgan

[Cynosure]

EDIT:

 

DOH! Read further.

[biittner77]

Playing Tampa or Minnesota would be great since 2 of our better hitters (Soriano and Ramirez) seem to do not as well in colder weather and the domes would take that out of the equation.

 

Of course it really doesn't matter. ESPN will still lead with the story "Team other than the Yankees or Red Sox won something now let's talk about Tom Brady and Brett Favre."

[anabiono]

Playing Tampa or Minnesota would be great since 2 of our better hitters (Soriano and Ramirez) seem to do not as well in colder weather and the domes would take that out of the equation.

 

Of course it really doesn't matter. ESPN will still lead with the story "Team other than the Yankees or Red Sox won something now let's talk about Tom Brady and Brett Favre."

 

ESPN will be all over the cubs in the series/winning the series...no doubt about it...if they do it this year...everyone will be following that series

[Mizzou]

Wow, just saw this thread. Derwood, is your friend mentally [expletive]?

[David]

Yea, I really don't get how people think the Cubs are an overlooked team.

 

They might not get as much regular pub nationally as those other teams, but that's because they're not regularly as good as those teams. There is no chance in hell that a winning Cubs team gets brushed aside.

[Derwood]

Wow, just saw this thread. Derwood, is your friend mentally [expletive]?

 

No, he actually has a PhD from Vanderbilt and is about to get his Law Degree (and a job at the top law firm in Pittsburgh).

 

I'm sure his concern wasn't terribly deep; he'll take a win however he can get it. He just thinks that the Cubs' championship drought has been this long running joke and he doesn't want any question as to the "legitimacy" of the win.

 

Me? I say give me the weakest lineup of opponents possible. I just want the ring

[DubCub]

.

Honestly, the only "bad" team I could envision the Cubs playing in the World Series is the Rays, and that's because I hate watching baseball games played in crappy stadiums. Twins too, if they managed to make it.

 

Obviously, if they get there I'm not really gonna care that much, but it would suck to finally get there and have to play in the SkyDome or Metrodome (or Tropicana) or something. Domes suck. I despise them.

 

I think it would be pretty cool to play any of the other three teams for various reasons.

Plus the Cubs have had really bad luck playing in domes this year.

[hossdriver]

Have none of you ever questioned the legitimacy of the White Sox win in 2005?

 

They did get to face the WC Astros (89 wins) instead of the 100-win Cardinals... I think things might have been different against the Cardinals.

 

I'm not taking anything away from Ozzie's White Sox, he certainly got every ounce out of every player that year.

 

Sometimes, that is just the way the ball bounces though. I certainly want to face Tampa in the World Series right now, because they look to be the weaker team. The Red Sox have experience on their side, and the Angels look to be a well-balanced juggernaut.

 

I'll take the young, inexperienced Rays over anybody else. They are tied for the 2nd best record in baseball, and I don't think anyone would question the legitimacy of a win over any of the AL contenders...