| Stick a fork in 'em; they're done. This year's Cubs weren't quite as painful as last year's edition, but far more disappointing. Dusty Baker's two years as Cubs manager have seen the Cubs earn back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1971-1972, but little else has changed. The Cubs will still not see the postseason two years in a row; that streak dates back to 1907-1908. The Cubs still haven't appeared in the World Series since 1945 and have not won it since 1908. Want me to actually do a little research to write this instead of pulling stats from my head? Okey doke. Here are some of the highlights from the 2004 edition of the Chicago Cubs. - February 18th: Greg Maddux signs with Cubs. [More...]
- February 26th: The "Bartman Ball" is blown up.
- April 5th: Kerry Wood is featured on the front cover of "Sports Illustrated" next to the headline "Hell Freezes Over -- The Cubs Will Win the World Series" [More...]
- April 7th: Greg Maddux's first game back as a Cub results in a 3-1 Cincinnati win. [More...]
- April 26th: Richie Sexson hits the longest home run in Bank One Ballpark history off of Carlos Zambrano, hitting into his own face on the center field scoreboard. It would wind up being 1 of only 9 he'd hit in the season. [More...]
- May 3rd-5th: Arizona takes 2 out of 3 from the Cubs for the second time in the season. The Cubs are the only team to have a losing record against the Diamondbacks this year.
- May 12th: Alex Cora of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a home run off of Matt Clement on the 18th pitch of the at-bat. [More...]
- May 23rd: The Cubs finish the day tied for 1st in the NL Central. It would be the last time all year.
- May 28th: Rob Mackowiak celebrates the birth of his child by hitting a game-winning, two-out grand slam to secure a win in game one, then tied game 2 in the bottom of the 9th inning with a 2-run home run. The Pirates would later go on to win both games. [More...]
- July 12th: Sammy Sosa swings and misses at his second pitch in the home run derby.
And that's just up to the All-Star Break. I don't really feel like going on. I didn't even get into the injuries, the fact that the Cubs didn't face the Cardinals after July 20th, and all the disciplinary issues they had all year, primarily against the Cardinals. Of course, that was back when there was a prayer that the Cubs would win two straight NL Central titles. Keep dreaming.Yeah, sure, I should focus on the positives, but that's really difficult. This, more than any other year, started with more promise for the Cubs than I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. They were picked by a lot of folks to go the distance. Looking back, I think that's why they failed. Last year, they had the attitude, "Hey, we've got the great Dusty Baker as manager; let's see how far we can go!" This year, it was World Series or bust. The Cubs were more like the Yankees in their sheer inability to accept losing. Unfortunately, they'll get to do that all winter. We'll see who all jumps ship and who Jim Hendry pulls strings to acquire. Renteria would be a nice little trophy. Nothing would thrill me more than to steal a gold glove right out from under that damned arch. Well, go Red Sox in the post season. I can't really think of any other team I'd rather root for that will make it there. See you next year, Cubbies. Lower the expectations and pressures on yourselves before you get started next year, alright? It's a lot easier to take when we don't expect you to win. |
