By Marty Gangler
So, that happened.
Just so many great things on the other side of a World Series Championship. Sure, all the clichés are there. You know, about being able to die in peace and wishing grandparents and family members could see this, yada yada. Sure, those are all great, and real, but when it comes down to it, when I’m about to die I’m probably going to do my best to just not die and I may not think about the Cubs at all, you know, because I might be about to die.
I guess my point is that for the living, the coolest thing about the Cubs winning it is that I don’t have to think about next season much at all. Who they need to move, who they are going to acquire, who’s on my hate list, etc. It’s all just Cubbie Blue gravy now.
I also think Steve Garvey is probably an OK guy now; same for Will Clark. Leon “Bull” Durham was a solid defensive first baseman and they put out a lot of great music in 1969, what else happened that year? Yeah, the goats (literal and otherwise), villains, and all the ghosts of losing past are all pretty much off the hook – except maybe Dusty. And it feels like a lot of sports fan baggage has been lifted off the Cub fan’s back. All this being said, it still hasn’t truly sunk in. I’m sure it will in a little more time. And even that will be nice.
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Season in Review: After being the best team in the regular season the Cubs become the best team in the World. Not bad.
Offseason in Preview: In short, who cares. OK, we know they’ll lose the demi-god David Ross, for one. And then they’ll have to think about what to do with a few other guys. I’m not even sure what it is they should do, have to do, or should want to do. It sure would be fun to run it all back with this same group of guys because, well, these are the guys that did it. But there will be a handful of new faces coming aboard and other guys moving on. But we’ll always have 2016 with those guys and fans will remember them. They’ll get standing Os coming into town for a weekend series in May wearing another team’s uniform, and even that will be cool.
Musical Outfielders: And no we aren’t talking about Matt Szczur playing the French horn. The big move was just rolling with what was working, when it came down to it: Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward in the field. And they all chipped in in their own ways. Even Heyward apparently summoned his best “One for the Gipper” speech during that 17-minute rain delay that got the boys’ heads back on straight after the lead was blown. Still seems like the Cubs will have a log jam in left come next season, but like I said, that’s an issue for some other offseason.
Oh, and the tag up from Albert Almora (Jr.) led to the entire 10th-inning rally. Just a super heads-up baseball play from a guy who came through the “new” Cub farm system where they preached the “Cubbie Way.” Maybe Almora can hang out with Javy Baez in the offseason and get some of that baseball IQ to rub off on him. (I love Javy, but a little more baseball IQ and he could be scary good and not just a “wow” play guy here and there).
Former Annoying Cub of the Week: Nothing but love right now. OK, I still don’t like Darwin Barney.
Current Annoying Cub of the Week: Nothing but love again here, except maybe…
Mad(don) Scientist Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe. What happened to you? The coolest cat in the room lost his mind. Just too panicky with the quick hooks with the starters and riding the big guy in the pen. But in the end, he stayed the course enough with the lineup and those guys came through in a couple big spots.
Kubs Kalendar I’m thinking there should be at least three bobbleheads down the line from this series: The Fowler Running Backwards On The Homer in Game 7, the Heyward Wall Catch, and maybe the Kyle Schwarber Fred Flintstone-like Steal in Game 7 as well.
Beachwood Sabermetrics: A complex algorithm performed by The Cub Factor staff using all historical data made available by Major League Baseball has determined that this cannot be taken away. It happened.
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Marty Gangler is The Cub Factor. He welcome your comments.
Posted on November 3, 2016