Trying to change my pessimistic ways....

[Cubzfan64]

I promised my wife I'd try very hard to change my pessimistic ways - in general and specifically regarding this season's Cubs. In light of that....

 

I think the stage is set for a dramatic ending to 2005. Picking up Lawton gives us some OBP and speed at the top of the lineup... Nomar will hopefully come back healthy enough to play 75%+ of the time and provide an offensive shot to the arm.... Scott Williamson could come in and provide that same shot to the arm for the bullpen and give us someone we can consistently rely on, and .... Kerry Wood seems to be taking to the bullpen role very well - both physically and mentally - for the remainder of this season.

 

As it was last year in the wild card chase, the ball is in our court to do with as we choose. I'm really hoping we have a solid last 1/3 of a season and find some way to overcome those above us in the standings.

 

The year Ryno goes into the HOF would be a great year for us to win a WS!

[wade]

I think there is one major key if the Cubs are to sneak into the wildcard.

 

Let me preface that by pointing out that several other things will have to come together, i.e. Kerry Wood being good in the pen, Williamson being good in the pen, Ohman and Dempster staying pretty good in the pen, and most of the hitters doing what they should do (new guy get on base, Lee, Burny, Rammy drive him in).

 

The big thing though, and what I firmly believe has to happen for a miracle run is Nomar has to come back and light it up for the next 60 games. He'll be an upgrade over Neffi offensively, but for this team to finish anywhere around 90 wins he's going to have to be crazy good.

 

Can he do it? Talent to hit I say yes, health-wise I hope yes.

[Dr. Cub]

I promised my wife I'd try very hard to change my pessimistic ways - in general and specifically regarding this season's Cubs. In light of that....

 

I think the stage is set for a dramatic ending to 2005. Picking up Lawton gives us some OBP and speed at the top of the lineup... Nomar will hopefully come back healthy enough to play 75%+ of the time and provide an offensive shot to the arm.... Scott Williamson could come in and provide that same shot to the arm for the bullpen and give us someone we can consistently rely on, and .... Kerry Wood seems to be taking to the bullpen role very well - both physically and mentally - for the remainder of this season.

 

As it was last year in the wild card chase, the ball is in our court to do with as we choose. I'm really hoping we have a solid last 1/3 of a season and find some way to overcome those above us in the standings.

 

The year Ryno goes into the HOF would be a great year for us to win a WS!

 

=; Cubs suck. They're finished. Wait 'til next year. :eye:

 

Just kidding. Felt like peeing in your Cheerios.

[Soul]

I don't think we suck. 8)

 

Somebody would have to explain to me how & why Houston & Florida are going to collapse before I would see a Cub Wild Card berth though.

[erik316wttn]

I think we have far too many "ifs" right now to make a run. We need too many things to come together and too many guys to pull thier heads out of their rectal orifices.

 

But, IF we can pull those things together, this team can scare people and can make a lot of noise.

[Cubzfan64]

I promised my wife I'd try very hard to change my pessimistic ways - in general and specifically regarding this season's Cubs. In light of that....

 

I think the stage is set for a dramatic ending to 2005. Picking up Lawton gives us some OBP and speed at the top of the lineup... Nomar will hopefully come back healthy enough to play 75%+ of the time and provide an offensive shot to the arm.... Scott Williamson could come in and provide that same shot to the arm for the bullpen and give us someone we can consistently rely on, and .... Kerry Wood seems to be taking to the bullpen role very well - both physically and mentally - for the remainder of this season.

 

As it was last year in the wild card chase, the ball is in our court to do with as we choose. I'm really hoping we have a solid last 1/3 of a season and find some way to overcome those above us in the standings.

 

The year Ryno goes into the HOF would be a great year for us to win a WS!

 

=; Cubs suck. They're finished. Wait 'til next year. :eye:

 

Just kidding. Felt like peeing in your Cheerios.

 

Hey, thanks! My cheerois weren't soggy enough as it is :-P.

 

The potential is there for this to be a "storybook" finish for the Cubs - I know there are a ton of if's, but c'mon, we HAVE to get lucky one of these years don't we????

[TB_11]

I think we have far too many "ifs" right now to make a run. We need too many things to come together and too many guys to pull thier heads out of their rectal orifices.

 

But, IF we can pull those things together, this team can scare people and can make a lot of noise.

 

I think that puts it perfectly - there's just too many uncertainties right now, and we'd need everything to go perfect or near perfect to consider ourselves serious contenders. If you had to guess our odds of making the playoffs right now, what would you say? 10%? 20%?

 

Then again, I was probably saying all these things in 1998 and 2003......

[wolf stansson]

But, IF we can pull those things together, this team can scare people and can make a lot of noise.

I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to instigate something here, but what actually makes you think the Cubs would have what it takes to make it out of the first round? Your team really doesn't scare anybody. Last year I understood that statement when Cubs fans would drop the the standby "If we get in, we'll be tough to beat" because your pitching staff was healthier (IE - Wood) and you hat a scary clutch hitter Alou. Not to mention Nomah healthy and Sammy still counted for something. I realize Nomar will be back by playoff time, but I don't see him being anywhere near to his normal self. Too much rust and trepidation. Prior is a scary prospect, but not as much if he's going up against a Clemens/Carpenter/Willis/Smoltz/Peavy #1 guy. I'd take the Astros, Braves, and Cardinals rotation in a playoff series over the Cubs any day of the week. The only team the Cubs would scare IMO is whoever comes out of the west. Again, I'm not trying to be a homer or instigate anything, that's just how I see it. Two hitters and two pitchers that inspire any kind of fear.

[DivineBovine]

But, IF we can pull those things together, this team can scare people and can make a lot of noise.

I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to instigate something here, but what actually makes you think the Cubs would have what it takes to make it out of the first round? Your team really doesn't scare anybody. Last year I understood that statement when Cubs fans would drop the the standby "If we get in, we'll be tough to beat" because your pitching staff was healthier (IE - Wood) and you hat a scary clutch hitter Alou. Not to mention Nomah healthy and Sammy still counted for something. I realize Nomar will be back by playoff time, but I don't see him being anywhere near to his normal self. Too much rust and trepidation. Prior is a scary prospect, but not as much if he's going up against a Clemens/Carpenter/Willis/Smoltz/Peavy #1 guy. I'd take the Astros, Braves, and Cardinals rotation in a playoff series over the Cubs any day of the week. The only team the Cubs would scare IMO is whoever comes out of the west. Again, I'm not trying to be a homer or instigate anything, that's just how I see it. Two hitters and two pitchers that inspire any kind of fear.

 

I seem to remember a mighty team with the mighty Cy Carpenter get their a$$es handed to them in the World Series last year. And that team was better than the current one on paper. Which bring me to my point- why are you mentioning "getting out of the first round"?? Does it make any sense? A division winner has not won the WS since 2001. I'm sure you picked the Marlins or Angels to get out of the first round. I know who you picked last year in the WS, and I know that didn't work out well. The trick is getter there, and once you're in, ANYBODY can win. All it takes is getting hot at the right time.

 

And I think the Cubs have a good shot at making the playoffs. I won't be a homer and say that they will, but they have a shot, which is all I care about. I really like the Cubs lineup a lot better now. If Nomar comes back to anywhere near is old self, the weakest hitter in the lineup is Hairston, and the second weakest is Barrett. That's pretty good. And the Cubs have 2 potentially scary pitchers in Prior and Zambrano. Wood could be totally money out the pen and actually be better for the Cubs as a reliever in terms of adding to wins. The pen is the weakness of the pitching staff, not the starters.

[wolf stansson]

Settle down bovine. You didn't answer my question. You also clearly felt instigated by my post. It wasn't meant to be that way. I just want somebody to objectively tell me why they think the Cubs would have any kind of a chance in the playoffs. But kudos for dropping that reference to last year's world series sweep. I could of course mention that we were in the World Series when you were in full Bears mode or whatever NFL team you follow, but that would be stooping to your level and I will not allow myself to do that.

 

Oh yeah, Cy Carp didn't get anything handed to him during the WS unless that was some nachos or an ice pack for his nerve damaged bicep.

Edited August 3, 2005 by wolf stansson

[DivineBovine]

Settle down bovine. You didn't answer my question. You also clearly felt instigated by my post. It wasn't meant to be that way. I just want somebody to objectively tell me why they think the Cubs would have any kind of a chance in the playoffs. Clearly you are not the guy to look to. But kudos for dropping that reference to last year's world series sweep. I could of course mention that we were in the World Series when you were in full Bears mode or whatever NFL team you follow, but that would be stooping to your level and I will not allow myself to do that.

 

 

I did answer your question. Objectively speaking, the trick is getting to the playoffs. How could you say they wouldn't have a chance if they got there? The Marlins and Angels are 2 examples of teams that "had no chance". And I do think they have a shot at the playoffs. I don't want to get into comparing Zambrano or Prior with Carpenter/Clemens/etc... and who's would make the most damage in the playoffs. I don't see the point. They are all solid pitchers who can all beat each other on any given day. By the way, I didn't really feel instigated. I know the Cubs suck. The Cardinals were really strong on paper last year. I personally thought there was no way that offense could be stopped, which is why I brought them up.

 

Oh, sorry to bring it up again. How in the WS, the Cardinals looked more like the other Missouri team that they used to pad the win total last year. Because I thought that offense was absolutely unreal.