Dear Cubs: Please, don’t break our hearts this time

By ANDREW DREISCHARF
The Cubs are going to the playoffs for just the fifth time in my lifetime. The franchise hasn’t won a World Series title in 99 years, but hey, who’s counting? While I’m very happy and plan on watching every minute of their playoff games, I’m still not drinking the “Cubs Kool-Aid” but I’ve noticed many in Woodstock and the surrounding areas are.
Even at dinner last night at Finn McCool’s in Crystal Lake, someone had already gotten “Chicago Cubs 2007 National League Central Champions” painted onto the back of their truck. Both Sports Authority stores in Crystal Lake had sold out of Cubs division champion gear by 4 p.m. on Saturday. Let’s not plan that parade just yet.
Part of me still isn’t sold on the 2007 Chicago Cubs. It is a team that has done well this season, but how well? It’s not that I’m a jaded fan, but I am a realistic fan. I learned at a young age that the Cubs were a team that was loved by many, no matter how well or not they did. The traditional Cub fans’ mantra of “This is our year” usually would turn to “Wait until next year” by mid July. I’ve been waiting since 1982 for it to be our year.
In my time on this planet, I’ve seen every major Chicago sports franchise at least make it to the title game or series, except for my beloved Cubs. I’ve seen the Bears and White Sox each bring back one title to Chicago, and have been spoiled by seeing and loving the Bulls win six NBA championships. While those were all special, I don’t think anything could compare to the Cubs finally bringing home a World Series championship. As of now, the most meaningful championship in the last 25 years in Chicago is the Bears Super Bowl XX win over the New England Patriots, but I don’t really remember much of it. I was only about to turn 4-years-old three weeks later. I loved all six of the Bulls titles, but I think most of that was because I actually remember those vividly, and I adored Michael Jordan. At the time, what kid didn’t? The White Sox title of 2005 was cool, and while I hold nothing against the Sox and I’m not a Sox hater, it isn’t my team. That leaves the Blackhawks who I love, but they’re constantly doing nothing. They’ve not won a title since 1961, and last made the Stanley Cup finals in 1992, but that’s for another blog.
Now, back to the Cubbies.
Time after time, Cubs fans get a bad rap. People who aren’t Cubs fans will say, “You’ll root for anyone” and they call the Cubs and their fans the loveable losers. While some people who claim to be Cubs fans are like that, most of us are not. I hate losing. I hate being out of the playoff hunt in June. I don’t go to Wrigley just to drink, or talk on my cell phone and waive at the camera. I go to watch the Cubs and hopefully a good baseball game. If a player or the team having a bad game, I don’t say, “It’s OK, they’ll bounce back.” I get upset. Baseball’s not an inexpensive thing to go to. When I go, I demand a good product on the field.
My point is that no longer will Cubs fans accept a bad product just because the wrapper says Chicago Cubs. I guess I’m part of the fan base Chicago columnist/radio host Chet Copack has dubbed a new breed Cubs fan. I’ll gladly agree with him.
2006 was a disaster of a season for the Cubs. The team finished 66-96 and was eliminated by mid-summer. It was terrible. By that point I couldn’t wait for the Bears to start, just to take my mind off the Cubs. In the off-season, the Cubs shocked me and pleasantly surprised me by spending money on free agent outfield Alphonso Soriano, starting pitcher Ted Lilly and the signing a nice core of players that play team baseball. Guys like Mark DeRosa, Cliff Floyd and Daryle Ward were welcome additions to a Cubs club that in the past has had too many “me first guys.”
The capper was when the Cubs named Lou Piniella manager. He never would have taken two months to tell Sammy Sosa he wasn’t batting third anymore when he wasn’t hitting.
I was so happy to follow the Cubs all summer going to Wrigley Field, US Cellular Field and Miller Park in Milwaukee to see this Cubs team. It’s a team that cares and plays as a team was something that seems to have been lacking the last few seasons on the north side. It was quite the breath of fresh air. However, I won’t lie and say I knew this was going to happen. When I made my picks back in March, I had the Cubs winning the wild card and going 86-76. They finished 85-77, pretty good, huh? My reasoning was the Cubs had made enough good moves in a bad division to win the wild card spot. Had I know the Cardinals team that won it all in 2006 was going to be so hurt by injuries, I would have picked differently. The rise of the Brewers came about a year or two earlier than most had thought. The Cubs should have run away with the National League Central though, and that’s why I’m still skeptical.
The playoffs won’t be easy, they never are. The teams that made it this year, for the most part, played much tougher schedules than the Cubs did. If what happened in 2003 has taught us anything, it’s that anything can and will happen in the playoffs. I do have hope, though.
The NL Central winner the past two seasons has made it to the World Series. As my grandmother always told me when I was a little kid, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” Don’t go printing those World Series tickets just yet. I really want to see the Cubs win a title. I just won’t be crushed if it’s not this season. Even if the Cubs bow out this week, we asked for a foot this season, and they gave us a yard.