Friday, June 23, 2006
Misery in Wrigleyville
The Cubs looked pretty good on paper coming into this year, but the wheels came off the cart early. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood failed to emerge from camp with the team, and while both have pitched this year, they are apparently shells of their former selves. Chicago's best batter, 1st baseman Derek Lee who last year toyed with triple crown numbers and won the batting title, broke his wrist in a freak play and has missed 8 weeks. The Cubs have been in a tailspin since, and have lost 35 of their last 50 games.
This tailspin has old time Cubs watchers now speculating whether this year's team will qualify as one of the worst Cubs teams ever, no easy feat. Today's Chicago Trib runs down the other candidates:
1980
Perhaps the closest analogy to the '06 team is the '80 edition that went 64-98 under manager Preston Gomez, who was fired after 90 games, and his replacement, Joey Amalfitano. Despite closer Bruce Sutter's league-leading 28 saves and Bill Buckner's league-leading .324 batting average, the '80 Cubs were a train wreck from the outset. They hit .251 with only 107 home runs and a .365 slugging percentage, paving the way for the exit of once-revered slugger Dave Kingman.
With Derrek Lee out for two months this year, Baker has perhaps the most feeble-hitting Cubs team since '80, with a .260 average, 60 home runs and a .395 slugging percentage.
1960
The '60 team was run by Grimm, who said upon getting the job for the third time: "Managers are expendable. I believe there should be relief managers, like relief pitchers." Grimm was relieved of his job after a 6-11 start, trading places with Boudreau in the WGN-AM booth.
Ron Santo's debut at third base at the age of 20, Ernie Banks beating Hank Aaron for the NL home run title 41-40 and Don Cardwell's no-hitter were the bright spots in an otherwise dull season.
1962
Banks shifted from shortstop to first base to save his knees, Ken Hubbs was named Rookie of the Year, Billy Williams and Santo combined for 39 home runs and 174 RBIs as a youth movement was in motion. But they managed to beat out only the expansion Mets in the second year of the College of Coaches, an ill-fated experiment akin to the new Coke.
Don Ellsworth went 9-20 with a 5.09 ERA before improving to 22-10 with a 2.11 ERA in '63. Promising rookie Lou Brock hit .263 but eventually wound up as a symbol of Cubs futility when he became a Hall of Fame outfielder after being traded to St. Louis in '64.
1966
In Durocher's first year, he told the media, "This is definitely not an eighth-place ballclub." The Cubs finished 10th, behind the Mets, despite a lineup that included Banks, Williams, Santo, Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley, and young pitchers Ken Holtzman, Bill Hands and newly acquired right-hander Fergie Jenkins.
Under Durocher, this core eventually evolved into the '69 Cubs, an iconic team in Chicago sports history.
As of now, the 2006 club has a lower winning percentage than all but the 1962 team. Cub fans are used to having to find small reasons to keep following their team. It just feels right that we should once again wonder whether this year will be the worst ever. Such is our lot in life.
5 Comments:
By 
Daniel, at
Fri Jun 23, 09:18:00 AM:
Yes cycles are a bitch. I should know, I've been a Detroit Tigers fan for 30 years.
It's been a loooong time 1984.
By Daniel, at
Fri Jun 23, 09:33:00 AM:
Jeez.
That should obviously say "since 1984."
By Chris, at
Fri Jun 23, 11:21:00 AM:
I've been a bit suspicious of the Tribune Company's feelers in the direction of on-field competence. Frankly, it smacks of a "rush to winning". One could even say that "Hendry lied, the season died".
The current direction of the team seems more grounded in the historical model that made me a lifelong fan in the first place. God bless the lovable losers.
At least one of our own sucker punched A.J. Pierzynski. From what I hear, most of both leagues would stand in line for that opportunity.
By Charlottesvillain, at
Fri Jun 23, 01:10:00 PM:
I suppose its only a matter of time before Chicago City Council (http://tigerhawk.blogspot.com/2005/09/city-of-big-shouldersshrugs.html) calls for an immediate withdrawl from the friendly confines.
By Cassandra, at
Fri Jun 23, 03:29:00 PM:
Go Sox???
I hope you don't mean those big meanies from Boston who just brutilized my poor Nats :D
[sob!]
