Take a stroll down memory lane with the 2003 Cubs

[SouthSideRyan]

As time has worn on, Game 1 of the NLCS now bothers me more than Game 6. Florida melted in the first inning, but we couldn't capitalize.

 

It should have been a sweep.

 

My lasting memory of game 1 is Dusty choosing to face Mike Lowell with Guthrie rather than face Lenny Harris with Dave Veres. [expletive] Dusty in the ass with a flaming iron rod.

[XZero771679666304]

Not me. That choke job haunts me to this day. You can't blame Bartman, but their was no overcoming that change in momentum - or whatever the hell you call it. That series was in the bag. Makes me sick now just thinking about the pain....

 

Those two sweeps combined don't even touch the pain that was 2003.

 

 

2003 was disgusting because we hadn't been so close for so long, and because of how underwhelming the Cubs were as a division winner, there was a sense (at least for me) that we might not be that close again for quite a while.

 

2007 and 2008 didn't sting as much because 2004 primed us for dashed expectations. Before that, there really weren't any expectations to speak of. Hendry loaded the team so well in the preceding offseason (that rotation alone: Wood, Prior, Zambrano, Maddux, Clement, ugh) that for the first time in my life I really expected a big winner, and we all know how that turned out.

 

In 2003, we had the prize ripped from us suddenly, in 2004 we watched it crumble over the course of months. 2004 was more disappointing in it's totality, but for sudden, sheer heart rending agony, 2003 takes the cake.

 

Honestly, the day I joined NSBB was the first time I allowed myself contact with anything sports related since the end of game 7. But it was game 6 that really did me in. Before that inning, I was feeling really, really good. After I was full of doubt.

[Exile on Waveland]

As time has worn on, Game 1 of the NLCS now bothers me more than Game 6. Florida melted in the first inning, but we couldn't capitalize.

 

It should have been a sweep.

 

My lasting memory of game 1 is Dusty choosing to face Mike Lowell with Guthrie rather than face Lenny Harris with Dave Veres. [expletive] Dusty in the ass with a flaming iron rod.

 

Yup. That and Sosa's homerun are about the only things I remember. That move pretty much encapsulates all that's wrong with Dusty. What a moran.

[Soul]

Yes, let us take a stroll into extremely painful territory.

 

Great idea!

 

How 'bout NO.

[hawkeyecub]

Because of my schedule, I've never seen more regular season baseball than I did in '03 and '04. The drama of the races made it even easier to remember so many details from so many regular season games.

[illiniguy]

I have zero doubt that the '03 playoffs shaved years off of my life. Stupid Dusty and his belief that Lenny Harris was somehow a threat.

[javy knows my name]

 

* the 5-game series against the cardinals in early september. i believe troy o'leary had the best comment where he said something along the lines of "if you weren't a fan of baseball before this series, you are now." cardinals come into wrigley thinking they are the better team, cubs take 4 out of 5 and st. louis leaves knowing they aren't. so many classic moments from these games...sosa hitting a game-winning home run against jeff fassero, alou going bananas over the foul-line "hit," larussa and baker yelling at each other from the dugouts...i've yet to watch a cubs series after 2003 that had that much excitement.

That was an amazing series. I saw two of those games and it was pretty much exactly as you said. Total playoff atmosphere.

[UMFan83]

Because of my schedule, I've never seen more regular season baseball than I did in '03 and '04. The drama of the races made it even easier to remember so many details from so many regular season games.

 

Same here. Who can remember these moments from September:

 

-The dropped fly ball in the bermuda triangle during that game in San Jose that blew the game.

-Blowing a 9-4 lead to the Pirates in the first game of a doubleheader, but winning 10-9

-Getting shut down by Ryan [expletive] Vogelsong in that game series.

-Prior pretty much winning every game he pitched handily. To the point where everyone considered it a win when he was scheduled to pitch.

-The Shawn Estes game of course.

-Losing to Cincinnati 1-0 with Zambrano pitching a gem (9 IP 4H, 1 ER on a 2 out bloop single)

-The Cubs getting rained out the final Friday of the season, and watching a 68 win Brewers team score 9 runs in the first 2 innings to destroy the Astros, bringing the magic number down to 3.

-Of course the doubleheader sweep to clinch the division.

[CubmanPi]

Didn't watch the video. Won't watch any 2003 Cubs stuff on purpose until after The Big One finally happens.

 

04 was a huge letdown in line with other big Cubs letdowns, '07 was very anger-inducing, and '08 was almost predictable, but '03 was soul crushing on a level none of the others reached.

 

I thought the Yankees series was great, and it was during the same homestand as the Tampa series with the cork. And that series with Atlanta was intense. Kerry Wood carried the team in both games he started, pitching great and coming up huge with the bat in both. I used to have his Game 7 homerun saved to my computer. That homerun and the intensity in and around the stadium when it happened gave me goosebumps everytime I watched it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

A stroll down memory lane.

 

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/tgraphs/20031007_Marlins_Cubs_0.png

 

 

And of course everybody's favorite...

 

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/tgraphs/20031014_Marlins_Cubs_0.png

 

 

And the capper.

 

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/tgraphs/20031015_Marlins_Cubs_0.png

 

[UMFan83]

And while those games sucked they still had memorable moments in them.

 

I flipped out when Sosa hit that game tying HR. Felt completely the opposite when Lowell hit his HR.

[HossmanGT]

Anyone remember the 1989 Cubs video WGN created to the same tune? I still have it on VHS and it's one of the few remaining tapes I care about. A few of the 1989 memories included in the video:

 

* Dwight Smith's hit to complete the comeback against Houston after being down 8-0 in the 7th inning.

* Shawon Dunston catching a pop-up in short left field and doubling the runner off first base to end the game.

* Mitch Williams getting the strikeout on opening day to win the game after loading the bases.

* Rainout during the first ever night game at Wrigley.

* Ryno/Hawk/Grace highlights.

* Mitch Williams finishing off the Expos to clinch the division with Harry in the background.