Cubs fans, enjoy it while it lasts
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by Hogpage
OPTIMISM IS AN ABUSIVE QUALITY THEY'RE CALLED UPS AND DOWNS, GET READY FOR THE DOWNS Mcbryde and I might disagree with a lot of stuff. May or Mustard. McDonald's or Wendy's. Whiskey or Whiskey. Top or Bottom. What? But one thing we do agree on is the false hope the Cubs are currently instilling inside the hearts of every single one of their fans across the country. Mcbryde explains why Cubs fans better prepare for a change. Because the winning ain't going to last much longer. _____________________________________________ After the Cardinals received a 7-1 ass cleaning from the Cubs Wednesday night, I found myself thinking, "Jesus, do these guys lose anymore?" Chicago's recent resurgence has been crammed down our throats from day one. But let's think about this. The Cubs are an impressive 21-7 since June 22nd. Sure, that looks great on paper, but look at the teams they've played in that stretch: White Sox (46-56), Colorado (51-50), the Brewers (56-46), Washington (43-58), the Pirates (42-58), Houston (45-57), Arizona (55-48), and the Cardinals (45-51). That means in that stretch they've only played TWO teams with winning records and only one division contender, the Brewers. Sure, the D-Backs are only 1.5 games back, but they could easily be out of that division race in a month, considering the talent between the Dodgers and Padres. Sure, it didn't hurt that the Cardinals laid an 11-1 dickwrangling down on the Cubs to spark a "well if this happens we're right back in it, debate." [1]
Now, before you freak out, I'm aware it's not their fault the National League is so sub-par this year. And it's strange, but they genuinely look like a well-oiled baseball machine. I'm just pointing out to the Wrigley faithful that, perhaps, skipping on that extra slice of Chicago style pizza to save up for your World Series ticket might not be the best idea. It looks like the Cubs could be one of those teams that peak late in the first half, and even mid-way through the second. But sooner or later, they'll begin to putter out towards the end like an old man's fart in the wind.
This always happens in baseball. That sensation when your team seems unstoppable for a certain amount of time. Every swing finds a gap. Close calls go your way. Pitchers are sharp. You're winning one run games. You're doing everything a playoff team would do. Then line drives start to find gloves. That call you got early in the season isn't there anymore. Easy ground-balls take weird hops, prolonging the inning. Forcing your pitchers to throw more balls. And finally some asshole won't let a guy bring in his stupid goat and he curses you for all eternity, putting the choke hold on the rest of the season.
We see it every year. Last year it was the Cardinals, and I know what you are thinking, "now look what happened to them." There is just one problem. The Cards had a comfortable seven game lead over the Astros with a month to play in the regular season, and on this exact date, the Cardinals had already built a 5.5 game lead on the division. The Cubs, despite their improvable run, are still TWO games back, and, if the season ended today, wouldn't even make the playoffs.
[2] You just have to question how long they can play .750 baseball. How long until everything stops going their way? The end of this run is near. This has to happen. It's like the sun-rising, or a slutty celebrity getting a DWI and showing her warn-out snatch in the same month. If it didn't happen it would be the sign of the apocalypse. And it's not because they are the Cubs. It's because this is how baseball works. It's a 162-game season. That's a long fucking season. Teams are going to have ups and downs, and call me crazy, but I feel like if the Cubs don't get a sizeable lead within the next week or two, they might not make the playoffs. They've had their up, and it would be helpful if they had some kind of a lead to counter the down. Call me a homer, just don't say I didn't warn you.
On a lighter note, the Cards have a four game set with the BewCrew upcoming. And winning this series puts St. Louis right back where they want to be. Right behind two teams that are setting up for failure. One because of youth and injuries, and the other because the BASEBALL GODS SAID IT MUST BE SO! Just a quick note, the Cards are seven out, including one of the worst first halves in recent Cardinals' memory. We'll know a lot more about the Cardinal' fate after this weekend.
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