Formula For the Unthinkable

[cubbieinexile]

In the last 3 years, Oakland has put together spurts of 37-8 at one point during their season. We are a better team than Oakland.

 

Can it be done? Yes. Will it be done? Doubtful with Dusty filling out the line up card.

 

How are the Cubs a better team then the Oakland A's? Especially if we look at the last 3 years? The A's play in the toughest division in the game and the Cubs have several doormats in their division.

[BigbadB]

In the last 3 years, Oakland has put together spurts of 37-8 at one point during their season. We are a better team than Oakland.

 

Can it be done? Yes. Will it be done? Doubtful with Dusty filling out the line up card.

 

How are the Cubs a better team then the Oakland A's? Especially if we look at the last 3 years? The A's play in the toughest division in the game and the Cubs have several doormats in their division.

 

In terms of talent, IMO, I think the Cubs are a better team than the Oakland A's. I probably should have been a little more specific in that regard. In terms of talent (as well as everyone being healthy), I don't think there are many teams period that stack up against the Cubs in talent.

[cubbieinexile]

Well in terms of talent the A's have the Cubs beat in terms of last three years. In terms of merely this year?

Maybe if all players were healthy and in peak form you might have a point, but then again that never happens anyway and a lot of the players the Cubs are relying cannot be relied on to stay healthy and in peak form throughout a season. But even with that the A's probably still have a more talented team then the Cubs. The A's too have had injuries to talented players.

[ddoc12]

#6-Luck. We need baseball magic. We've lost games this year in ways I couldn't imagine. Throwing balls into the dugout after catching a line drive, botched rundowns, you name it. These things usually even out during the season, and we need some luck to fall our way. We need seeing eye singles, bloop doubles, wind blown homeruns, and generous strike zones. And solid defense. No more giving away outs.

 

NO, NO, NO a thousand times NO. I couldn't disagree with you more. You're telling me that over the past century, the Cubs have had equal parts good luck and bad luck? Not a chance. We all know that. You show me a guy that actually believes that the hard outs and soft hits somehow even out over the course of a season, and I'll show you a .250 hitter. The consistently good teams are ALWAYS among the luckiest teams. Sure they are talented, but luck plays a HUGE role in that success.

 

We need some good fortune to finally shine on this franchise and I can't think of a better time for it than RIGHT NOW. (Cue John Belushi and the rest of the Animal House gang running out of the Delta Chi house)....

 

GO CUBS!!!

[Fred Hornkohl]

*bump*

 

 

3/4 from St Louis is a good start. Now, we have Houston. 2/3 is the minimum. The pitching matchups break our way, as we miss Clemens and get Oswalt matching up with Z. Game 1 is the critical game. We have to have Rusch step up and give us 6-7 strong innings.

 

The problem is that 3/4 isn't good enough. The Cubs need to play .800 ball in order to win the 93-95 games it's going to take to win the WC.

 

I'm not sure if any team has ever maintained that level of play for that long of a stretch.

 

The 1906 Cubs went 50-8 to end the season, a .862 winning %.

 

On July 24th the Cubs were 61-28 at the end of the season they had 36 losses and had another 55 wins.

 

That '06 CUBS team went 116-36 for the season.... that's a MLB record winning pct of 0.7632 !!!

[USSoccer]

#6-Luck. We need baseball magic. We've lost games this year in ways I couldn't imagine. Throwing balls into the dugout after catching a line drive, botched rundowns, you name it. These things usually even out during the season, and we need some luck to fall our way. We need seeing eye singles, bloop doubles, wind blown homeruns, and generous strike zones. And solid defense. No more giving away outs.

 

NO, NO, NO a thousand times NO. I couldn't disagree with you more. You're telling me that over the past century, the Cubs have had equal parts good luck and bad luck? Not a chance. We all know that. You show me a guy that actually believes that the hard outs and soft hits somehow even out over the course of a season, and I'll show you a .250 hitter. The consistently good teams are ALWAYS among the luckiest teams. Sure they are talented, but luck plays a HUGE role in that success.

 

We need some good fortune to finally shine on this franchise and I can't think of a better time for it than RIGHT NOW. (Cue John Belushi and the rest of the Animal House gang running out of the Delta Chi house)....

 

GO CUBS!!!

 

Huh?

[Fred Hornkohl]

I personally am not going to get excited unless they sweep houston, and thats going to be tough. I will continue to watch the games. but its gonna take an absolutely monster month and a half, and unless they go on a stretch unprecedented to the Chicago Cubs franchise, Im not going to get my hopes up.

 

The franchise we know as The Chicago Cubs is currently in it's 130th season of competition in the National League. To casually throw around phrases like "unprecedented to the ..... franchise" suggests that you have done little or no research on this team. You may want to start with 1935.

 

Start with 1935? For a little more relevant argument, how about going back 20 years and pull out the years when the monster last month carried the Cubs into the playoffs.......

 

In 1984 the CUBS went 16-11 (0.592) in September to finish 96-65 (0.596). While that's good, I'd hardly call it a monster last month.

[BigbadB]

Well in terms of talent the A's have the Cubs beat in terms of last three years. In terms of merely this year?

Maybe if all players were healthy and in peak form you might have a point, but then again that never happens anyway and a lot of the players the Cubs are relying cannot be relied on to stay healthy and in peak form throughout a season. But even with that the A's probably still have a more talented team then the Cubs. The A's too have had injuries to talented players.

 

As stated, it is MY opinion that the Cubs have a more talented team than the A's. Yes, I am also taking into consideration expected level of production if healthy.

 

I will also state that it is my opinion that the Cubs teams of '03 and '04 had more talent than the Oakland teams. It doesn't make my opinion right, but it is my opinion.

 

If we are grading each team based on everything (including coaching and execution), then Oakland does have the better team, by far.

 

Oakland has met or exceeded their expected finish each of the last 3 years. The Cubs, on the other hand, have failed miserably in the last 2 years to meet expectations. In terms of talent, I believe the Cubs had a better team on paper going into each of the last 3 respective seasons.

[David]

I personally am not going to get excited unless they sweep houston, and thats going to be tough. I will continue to watch the games. but its gonna take an absolutely monster month and a half, and unless they go on a stretch unprecedented to the Chicago Cubs franchise, Im not going to get my hopes up.

 

The franchise we know as The Chicago Cubs is currently in it's 130th season of competition in the National League. To casually throw around phrases like "unprecedented to the ..... franchise" suggests that you have done little or no research on this team. You may want to start with 1935.

 

Start with 1935? For a little more relevant argument, how about going back 20 years and pull out the years when the monster last month carried the Cubs into the playoffs.......

 

In 1984 the CUBS went 16-11 (0.592) in September to finish 96-65 (0.596). While that's good, I'd hardly call it a monster last month.

 

Yea, the 2003 team closed it out better than that... 19-8 in September, and it could easily have been 20-7 or 21-6 (Alou's foul ball in the game we lost to the Cards and a couple of games we easily could have won against the Expos come to mind)... Whatever, either way they got it done and got in.

[da bears]

I personally am not going to get excited unless they sweep houston, and thats going to be tough. I will continue to watch the games. but its gonna take an absolutely monster month and a half, and unless they go on a stretch unprecedented to the Chicago Cubs franchise, Im not going to get my hopes up.

 

The franchise we know as The Chicago Cubs is currently in it's 130th season of competition in the National League. To casually throw around phrases like "unprecedented to the ..... franchise" suggests that you have done little or no research on this team. You may want to start with 1935.

 

Start with 1935? For a little more relevant argument, how about going back 20 years and pull out the years when the monster last month carried the Cubs into the playoffs.......

 

In 1984 the CUBS went 16-11 (0.592) in September to finish 96-65 (0.596). While that's good, I'd hardly call it a monster last month.

 

Yea, the 2003 team closed it out better than that... 19-8 in September, and it could easily have been 20-7 or 21-6 (Alou's foul ball in the game we lost to the Cards and a couple of games we easily could have won against the Expos come to mind)... Whatever, either way they got it done and got in.

 

Well fine, I apologize, an unprecedented run that I personally have not seen in my lifetime (albeit a very short lifetime of only 20 years).