Solving the Chicago Cubs World Series Drought
Anyone who was alive to see the last World Series victory by the Chicago Cubs was probably too young to remember it. The Cubs are now in their 102nd year drought of not winning the World Series. They made the NLCS in 2003 and were 5 outs away from going to the World Series against the Yankees. well, as most Cubs fans now, this is when the famous Bartman incident occured down the left field line when Alou went to make a catch near the bleachers and Steve Bartman reached over and deflected the ball. it all went down hill for them the rest of the game and they lost. then the next game, Game 7, they lost as well. in 2008, hopes were high for the Cubs to finally win it all. Despite having one of the best teams in the the whole league they also had the magic of this has to be the year because it was the 100th year anniversary. Sadly, it was not the year. They were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers and were completely embarrassed. The Cubs have the nickname of the Lovable Losers. I personally am not fond of this nickname. I sure hope that those loyal fans who have waited their whole lives to see a Cubs World Series will finally get to see it before the die. I believe there are several steps the Cubs need to take to make this dream a reality.
The Cubs in recent years have acquired big-name free agents and made trades for big-named players. however, when someone is big-named, they come with a big price tag. That also probably means they are in their late 20′s or early 30′s. The Cubs were primed to make runs in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. now those players who they were depending on are now on the down swing of their careers. Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, and Kosuke Fukudome are all getting old and the signs are showing. They all have big contracts that are not living up to the big time money. I think this trade deadline the Cubs need to ship off a couple of these players for some young farm talent (players in single, double, or triple A). get some money off their books for next year and try to get a couple different piece to fill in some holes they have on their roster. Usually when the Cubs bring in a high priced veteran it pays off in the short run. Long term, not very often. They did sign Marlon Byrd this off-season, and so far he has been the best player on the team. If the Cubs can ship off Carlos Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez and bring some young talent in, I think they will put themselves in a position to be better next season and in years to come.
The Cubs need to continue to build through the farm system. in recent years they have brought up some good, home grown talent. Recent players such as Ryan Theriot, Starlin Castro, Geovany Soto, Randy Wells, Carlos Marmol, and Tyler Colvin have all been solid producers so far this year. Soto won Rookie of the Year in 2008. Marmol is turning into a top closer in the game. Hope is that Theriot and Castro can become a great double play combination and Castro can bring some pop to the plate. While it is important to get some good talent via free agency (just look at last years Yankees), it is also important to bring up your own players. it makes things easier, not to mention a lot cheaper. most teams now are putting more emphasis into scouting younger players entering the draft. If you can find those studs in the draft and can groom them into the player they can be it is a lot more rewarding for the orgainzation and the fans.
I think another thing the Cubs must do is fire Lou Pinella. well, either fire him or not bring him back next year. I do not think Lou has what he used to have. he was one of the most fiery managers in the game prior to coming to Chicago. in recent years Lou has been seen in the dugout just sitting there with the same smug look on his face. If you have ever seen Lou give a post game interview it just proves my point more. it appears sometimes Lou has no idea what he is talking about. he will on occasion sit there and not remember a players name. now I understand he is getting old, but if you wanted to be getting paid what Lou does at least look like you care and know what you are talking about. now I do not know what goes on behind closed doors with Lou and the team and Lou and the other coaches. For all I know Lou could be great. But none of the fans see it. The last 2 years the Cubs have been pitiful in the batter’s box. There is a hitting coach, but the manager needs to be able to light a fire under people’s butts and get them going. Lou has proved he is no longer fit to do this. Hopefully when Lou is out the door the Cubs will make a smart hire for the next manager. A lot has been said that Ryne Sandberg should be the Cubs next manager. I do not know if he will be ready to be a big league manager. he hasn’t been coaching long, but he has played in the big leagues in Chicago and in Wrigley. he would know the ins and outs of life as a player in Chicago playing on the Lovable Losers. I personally would like a manager who has some experience being a manager in the big leagues who has shown he knows how to win and bring along the young players. he will also need to be able to coach the superstar(s) on the team and keep him/them playing at his/their highest level.
The Cubs need to shuffle up their roster and get the over-paid and under-producing players out. They need to continue developing good young talent for positions they need depth at. The Cubs need to stop under-producing themselves as a whole unit including the front office. No team should go 100 years without being on top. That is just unacceptable. I believe fresh faces this next year both on the field and leading the players will do a lot for this team. They have the fan support wherever they go. They just need to start playing as a team and take it one game at a time. Play solid defense, cut down on the errors, and drive in runs when there are runners in scoring position. I think Tom Ricketts will do all he can to bring a Championship to Wrigley. not only is he the owner, he is first and most importantly a fan. with a few changes here and there, I believe the Cubs should be competing for a World Series crown within the next 3 years.
