the truth(imo)

[neely crenshaw]

bottom line cub fans it's time to realize that we do not have to be happy or satiisfied with this team.

the truth..hendry,MacPhail and dusty have put together the best 3 year run of cubs baseball in my life(38 years).

also the truth just because it's better than we have had...does not mean it's good or that they have done a good job.

the truth is also that they haven't. the cubs are 200 games below .500. the have spent more money than ever and wasted more money than anyone this side of ny. they do not have a good line up. their prized pitching staff is now in tatters, and the farm system has been severly devalued while bringing little help.

it does not have to be like this and dare i say..i shouldn't! this organization is a small market...it does not have to sell off players when they get expensive. it is making money and lots of it. we don't need a yanks payroll but we derserve to have the organization fill in holes when they are evident! there is no reason we shouldn't be like the braves and win our division every year .chicago deserves this and cub fans definitely do too!

my worry is that if we retool and do not really make a go of winning this thing soon, guys like prior,z,dlee are all going to look elsewhere, no matter what the money is!(see maddux:greg)_they will make millions somewhere! i 'm sure they want a chance to win. there is clearly nothing in the minors that is remotely like a z-prior combo...we had better strike while the iron is hot.

mark my words they will be out of here...

[imb]

how can truth be an opinion?

[Beer Kaese]

I'm 42 and I don't think this run is any better then 68-72.

[neely crenshaw]

ok so the point was just because this current situation is better than most of the garbage we have been through does not mean it is good. and we should not be satisfied because the new divisions and wild card allowed us to be in the race longer....

[NCCubFan]

I'm 42 and I don't think this run is any better then 68-72.

It's better because, unlike 67-72 (67 was the start of that run, not 68 ), the Cubs did make the postseason and win a series this time. However, even though it's better, it still isn't good enough.

[Soul]

Though 2 winning seasons in a row was nice, it's still far short of my own expectations and therefore not up to par.

 

The only thing I realize about the Cubs and baseball as a whole is, there is only 1 team who should feel "satisfied" at the end of the season. Everyone else should be upset. Anything less is setting the bar too low---something this ballclub has done far, far too often in my 3+ decades as a Cub fan.

 

The truth is, if you didn't win the World Series you didn't get the job done. We have therefore failed as an organization for nearly 100 years. I can not, will not, and nobody can make me, be satisfied under those circumstances.

[Balsa]

Though 2 winning seasons in a row was nice, it's still far short of my own expectations and therefore not up to par.

 

The only thing I realize about the Cubs and baseball as a whole is, there is only 1 team who should feel "satisfied" at the end of the season. Everyone else should be upset. Anything less is setting the bar too low---something this ballclub has done far, far too often in my 3+ decades as a Cub fan.

 

The truth is, if you didn't win the World Series you didn't get the job done. We have therefore failed as an organization for nearly 100 years. I can not, will not, and nobody can make me, be satisfied under those circumstances.

Disagree. No matter where the A's land this year, Billy Beane has got to be happy. This was their 'rebuilding' year, and they're almost in the playoffs.

[Omar]

If I was every Cubs fan at Wrigley, I would cause a riot. Seriously. Us fans have had too much..

 

But thats just me, and I have a terrible violent temper.

[burnt out cubbie fan]

I love it when threads are called the truth. I would gladly see Greg Maddux go somewhere else. I would pay for his cab fare.

[Mike Aller]

bottom line cub fans it's time to realize that we do not have to be happy or satiisfied with this team.

the truth..hendry,MacPhail and dusty have put together the best 3 year run of cubs baseball in my life(38 years).

also the truth just because it's better than we have had...does not mean it's good or that they have done a good job.

the truth is also that they haven't. the cubs are 200 games below .500. the have spent more money than ever and wasted more money than anyone this side of ny. they do not have a good line up. their prized pitching staff is now in tatters, and the farm system has been severly devalued while bringing little help.

it does not have to be like this and dare i say..i shouldn't! this organization is a small market...it does not have to sell off players when they get expensive. it is making money and lots of it. we don't need a yanks payroll but we derserve to have the organization fill in holes when they are evident! there is no reason we shouldn't be like the braves and win our division every year .chicago deserves this and cub fans definitely do too!

my worry is that if we retool and do not really make a go of winning this thing soon, guys like prior,z,dlee are all going to look elsewhere, no matter what the money is!(see maddux:greg)_they will make millions somewhere! i 'm sure they want a chance to win. there is clearly nothing in the minors that is remotely like a z-prior combo...we had better strike while the iron is hot.

mark my words they will be out of here...

I think that the bottom line is that every now and then you should hit the enter button twice. See below.

 

Hey, how are you?

[neely crenshaw]

very constructive...

[sandberg23]

my worry is that if we retool and do not really make a go of winning this thing soon, guys like prior,z,dlee are all going to look elsewhere, no matter what the money is!(see maddux:greg)_they will make millions somewhere!

 

Maddux did not leave the Cubs for more money. He left because the organization didn't treat him well and didn't want him back - he had no choice but to leave. I don't blame him for leaving and signing with a good team. If I recall, he took less money to go to Atlanta than if he had signed with the Yankees...it's not all about the money all the time.

[neely crenshaw]

that is my point exactly...i fear we will lose prior and z no matter what the cubs offer because they will want to go to an organization where they can win. just like maddux did with atlanta. the cubs offered more money but atlanta ofrered a chance to win it all.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

that is my point exactly...i fear we will lose prior and z no matter what the cubs offer because they will want to go to an organization where they can win. just like maddux did with atlanta. the cubs offered more money but atlanta ofrered a chance to win it all.

 

Let's not practice revisionist history. Maddux joined the Braves because the Cubs pulled their offer from the table. Himes offered what he believed was fair. Maddux wanted to test the market. Himes spent the money allocated for Maddux on a bunch of crap. Maddux called after finding the Yankees were the only ones willing to beat the Cubs offer. Himes said that the offer is off the table. Maddux signed with the Braves.

 

Maddux will now say it worked out for him, but had Himes went to the Trib and gotten permission to keep him, he'd have signed. Maddux's decision to go to the Braves was business pure and simple. No where did it have anything to do with a mythical "chance to win it all."

[SCCubbieFAN]

Disagree. No matter where the A's land this year, Billy Beane has got to be happy. This was their 'rebuilding' year, and they're almost in the playoffs.

 

What most of us tend to forget, 2003 was supposed to be a "rebuilding" year for the Cubs too. It was, IIRC, year 2 in their 4-5 year plan to rebuild into a consistent contender. No one predicted ST. Louis and Houston would have sub-par season and the Cubs would sneak in on the shoulders of what ended up being a terrific pitching staff. The Cubs ended up making moves late that year which helped them into the playoff but were not quite enough to get them to the WS. And the moves they made disrupted their rebuilding plan.

 

I still content 2003 was the year the Cubs should have realized was their year and moves should have been made late in the year to insure a WS title.

[Chocolate Milk]

I would pay for his cab fare.

 

What if he went to San Diego? Would you pay his cab fare from Chicago to SanDiego?

[gus_dog]

that is my point exactly...i fear we will lose prior and z no matter what the cubs offer because they will want to go to an organization where they can win. just like maddux did with atlanta. the cubs offered more money but atlanta ofrered a chance to win it all.

 

Let's not practice revisionist history. Maddux joined the Braves because the Cubs pulled their offer from the table. Himes offered what he believed was fair. Maddux wanted to test the market. Himes spent the money allocated for Maddux on a bunch of crap. Maddux called after finding the Yankees were the only ones willing to beat the Cubs offer. Himes said that the offer is off the table. Maddux signed with the Braves.

 

Maddux will now say it worked out for him, but had Himes went to the Trib and gotten permission to keep him, he'd have signed. Maddux's decision to go to the Braves was business pure and simple. No where did it have anything to do with a mythical "chance to win it all."

 

IIRC, Maddux approached the Cubs, and wanted a long term deal. Management told him that they would not do any deals until the end of the season, and that they would talk then. Maddux said he did not want to wait, and wanted to do the deal sooner, rather than later. The Cubs came back with the same responce - wait until the season is over because they don't do deals mid-season. Then, about two weeks or so later, they announced the big deal locking up Sandberg. Maddux felt as though he was lied to, and that the Cubs had a double-standard. In the end, it did not matter what the Cubs offered - he was NOT going to sign with them.

[YearofDaCubs]

Too bad we have regressed from 2003 for various reasons.

[sandberg23]

that is my point exactly...i fear we will lose prior and z no matter what the cubs offer because they will want to go to an organization where they can win. just like maddux did with atlanta. the cubs offered more money but atlanta ofrered a chance to win it all.

 

Let's not practice revisionist history. Maddux joined the Braves because the Cubs pulled their offer from the table. Himes offered what he believed was fair. Maddux wanted to test the market. Himes spent the money allocated for Maddux on a bunch of crap. Maddux called after finding the Yankees were the only ones willing to beat the Cubs offer. Himes said that the offer is off the table. Maddux signed with the Braves.

 

Maddux will now say it worked out for him, but had Himes went to the Trib and gotten permission to keep him, he'd have signed. Maddux's decision to go to the Braves was business pure and simple. No where did it have anything to do with a mythical "chance to win it all."

 

IIRC, Maddux approached the Cubs, and wanted a long term deal. Management told him that they would not do any deals until the end of the season, and that they would talk then. Maddux said he did not want to wait, and wanted to do the deal sooner, rather than later. The Cubs came back with the same responce - wait until the season is over because they don't do deals mid-season. Then, about two weeks or so later, they announced the big deal locking up Sandberg. Maddux felt as though he was lied to, and that the Cubs had a double-standard. In the end, it did not matter what the Cubs offered - he was NOT going to sign with them.

 

If I recall, what you say happened first, during the season so Maddux was a bit soured by the Cubs because they wouldn't lock him up when he wanted to return to the team. Then, the off-season stuff happened that Vance said. I don't blame Maddux one bit.

[hardcorecubfan]

for all who said "no not 2005" (back in 2004) but it will be 2006 will start our run at 3 consecutive championships"

 

Do you still feel the same way?

[Soul]

Disagree. No matter where the A's land this year, Billy Beane has got to be happy. This was their 'rebuilding' year, and they're almost in the playoffs.

 

What most of us tend to forget, 2003 was supposed to be a "rebuilding" year for the Cubs too. It was, IIRC, year 2 in their 4-5 year plan to rebuild into a consistent contender. No one predicted ST. Louis and Houston would have sub-par season and the Cubs would sneak in on the shoulders of what ended up being a terrific pitching staff. The Cubs ended up making moves late that year which helped them into the playoff but were not quite enough to get them to the WS. And the moves they made disrupted their rebuilding plan.

 

I still content 2003 was the year the Cubs should have realized was their year and moves should have been made late in the year to insure a WS title.

 

Happy & satisfied. These two words....they do not mean the same thing. Can Beane be "happy" in light of the position of his ballclub given the fact that he had to unload so much talent? Sure. Satisfied with just playing and not winning the World Series? That's the way of the loser---and I highly doubt a guy like Beane is satisfied just to put a team out there.

 

As for the Cubs' rebuilding plan: how is it working out now that we are completing year 4 of the plan? Not too good. Something's not right, and I'll tell you what it is. We've been on a rebuilding plan for 100 years. Every time we complete another 5 year rebuilding cycle, we still stink and everyone just accepts that a new plan is in place.

 

It's time to reject that philosophy of losing and the acceptance of losing. I fully expect the Cubs to win the World Series next year. If they don't, then they have failed and failed miserably. And that's the bottom line. Win or find new jobs. No rebuilding cycles. No "plans" to delay the ire of fans and fool those who don't know better. Win now. After 100 years, we have a right to expect to win and win immediately.