Just a quick thought before we get way ahead of things.

[vinson555]

Which I know many will, but this is the first time since 07-08 where we had back to back winning seasons since the cubs won game 82 just now. I know that with the team the way they are we likely feel this could be season after season after season, but right now we have done something that in my lifetime, I can only remember being done once before and making the playoffs in both seasons.

Just thinking about all the bad years to get to a point to have a team like this, this young overall to build with. I'm grateful.

 

[DJMoore_is_fat]

Yep - so many dark days. I'm so grateful we have a healthy organization at all levels. Our entire core is young (Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Baez, Rizzo, Contreras, Russell, Heyward, etc).

Theo has said all along -- the whole philosophy is to make the playoffs 7 times in 10 years. If we do that, the odds are we'll punch through once.

But you're right - we've come such a long way. And in 2008-09, we didn't have as healthy of an organization. Not even close.

We still have several top tier prospects in our farm system. I'm very grateful to be in the position we're in. We are set up to have a punchers chance for the foreseeable future.


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[CSF77]

2007-8 was built to sell the Cubs. All of the contracts were set up back loaded so the new owner's; Zell was one of them, would end up paying it off. Zell flipped the Cubs but put a spending cap in place. That is why 2009 imploded. They had to sell off the team just to be able to squeeze in MB. That team was not as deep and could not handle losing ARam depth wise. Add to it with a cap in place they couldn't replace externally.

The Rickett's and Theo got crap for the first 3 years . They had to wreck it and rebuild it right. That didn't sit well with many.

 

[chibears55]

2007-8 was built to sell the Cubs. All of the contracts were set up back loaded so the new owner's; Zell was one of them, would end up paying it off. Zell flipped the Cubs but put a spending cap in place. That is why 2009 imploded. They had to sell off the team just to be able to squeeze in MB. That team was not as deep and could not handle losing ARam depth wise. Add to it with a cap in place they couldn't replace externally.

The Rickett's and Theo got crap for the first 3 years . They had to wreck it and rebuild it right. That didn't sit well with many.

Imagine what this team and system would be like now had they stayed the same and extended Ramirez, signed a Pujols or Fielder, held onto Soriano, etc etc..
like a lot of fans wanted them to, just to stay competitive

Ricketts and Epstein took a gamble and gutted pretty much the entire organization and it paying off so far...





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[TC in Mississippi]

Imagine what this team and system would be like now had they stayed the same and extended Ramirez, signed a Pujols or Fielder, held onto Soriano, etc etc..
like a lot of fans wanted them to, just to stay competitive

Ricketts and Epstein took a gamble and gutted pretty much the entire organization and it paying off so far...





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Yeah, they'd be the Angels. No thank you. I seriously have dreamed about an organization like this for 35 years.

 

[CSF77]

Imagine what this team and system would be like now had they stayed the same and extended Ramirez, signed a Pujols or Fielder, held onto Soriano, etc etc..
like a lot of fans wanted them to, just to stay competitive

Ricketts and Epstein took a gamble and gutted pretty much the entire organization and it paying off so far...





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That is what Boyd and his crew argued. Sign Fielder hold onto Cashner. Resign ARam. All it would have done is extend the misery.

 

[Diehardfan]

Imagine what this team and system would be like now had they stayed the same and extended Ramirez, signed a Pujols or Fielder, held onto Soriano, etc etc..
like a lot of fans wanted them to, just to stay competitive

Ricketts and Epstein took a gamble and gutted pretty much the entire organization and it paying off so far...





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Except for a few years under Dallas Green...they would've done what they've always done. Throw away tomorrow, worrying about today. Been there, done that too many times to count with this team.

 

[CSF77]

Except for a few years under Dallas Green...they would've done what they've always done. Throw away tomorrow, worrying about today. Been there, done that too many times to count with this team.

1989 was the peak of his work. While Jim Fry was GM. Young ace; Grace etc. Fry screwed up trading Palmero but there was a clear need for a closer. Wouldn't make that deal again if we had a redo. His Ped's started in Tex with Cansaco carrying his Ped's from the A's. He was fine in LF that year before the deal.

Larry Heimes wrecked everything he did.

 

[Mr. Cub]

After being a Cubs fan for so long it is hard to be crazy excited. Like I am exited that the team is great, but I can't expect anything, especially in baseball when it seems like the best team rarely wins it all. Always some decent team who gets hot late.

At the same time it is fun knowing we have as good a chance as ever. We got a good starting staff and closer, a hot KB. Plus our other guys. The blowpen is still worrisome, at least until Strop and Rondon are back. I just hope the offense doesn't go cold in the playoffs like always.

 

[JP Hochbaum]

So there was a time in my Blackhawk fandom where I stopped watching the regular season so regularly and started to really just pay attention to how they were becoming ready for the playoffs.
I feel that way about the Cubs already. I still watch games when I can, but I am only seeing it now as a preseason to the post season.
It is probably gonna be like this for the next 5-6 years. So enjoy these times guys, we have waited a while, and some people even died waiting, actually a lot of people died waiting.