Cubs 2026

 Eh.  Whaddaya Say?

As stated in the previous post, they've been dead in the water since Labor Day.

I can't recall going into a postseason as underwhelmed and fatalistic about their chances as I was with this one.

The fact of the matter is, they hadn't passed the eye test since Labor Day, at least, and possible longer.

No matter how much Boog and JD and the polyannas trumpeted the Cubs' Record Breaking Offense.

The truth is, that offense had a handful of games (6, maybe 8 or 9) where they piled on runs, stacked offensive numbers.  

But they really weren't all that good.  They hit .249 with runners in scoring position.  And the number is actually less than that if you take out those crazy games where they scored 13 and 17 runs.  

It's why run differential is a fool's statistic.

Losing Horton early on, and Boyd for extended time was the thing that did it.  Cabrera was a bust in his first year with the club (luckily, the red haired wonder they traded to Miami to get him exceeded my 33% strikeout rate prediction by striking out nearly 40% of the time....which might be alright if you're putting up Kyle Schwarber numbers, but not if you're putting up Owen Caissie numbers....).

But it overworked and overexposed the bullpen, which was fair at best.  By the time they got to mid-August, the bullpen was tired, and didn't have any tricks left that the league hadn't already scouted to death.

I dunno.

It's disheartening.   

But that's life, ain't it?

The postseason goes on.  The Braves won, and will proceed to face the Dodgers.  I'm rooting for them.  And I think I'm rooting for The White Sox....which might get my Cubs card revoked, but I'm not local, so fuck it.

I just like my Phoenix metaphors.

Something else to get my Cubs card revoked?  I won't be too dismayed if the Brewers win it all.

They'd deserve it.  If only for leading the league in hitting with runners in scoring position (.276 don't you know?).  I won't be actively rooting for them, but it won't bother me an iota for them to win it.

However, if we're treated to another Yankees/Dodgers World Series I'm gonna flip some tables.

I'll probably go to Eric's house to do it.