BACK SWINGING

The season is over. I no longer have any excuses about blogging. Well, that's not entirely true. The reason I haven't blogged much on Cub Fan Nation is because I haven't had a lot to say about the team. It's hard to say positive things about a negative situation, but it's even harder to say the same negative things every day when things are going absolutely terrible. But the Hot Stove league is starting and I'm going to try to get back to posting at least three times a week.

The one catch: my primary point of interest is the more-popular Goat Riders site. GROTA has to keep being updated, and if I find myself as the only one writing there on a daily basis, this site will suffer as a consequence. So, if you don't see an update on this site, hit the GROTA link and you will probably see something there that is written by me.

Anyway. I am not upset about the White Sox winning the World Series. I feel sorry for my Cubs brethren in Chicago who'll have to put up with taunts for God knows how long, but I live in Toronto and that doesn't effect me.

I've also gained a renewed sense of optimism about the coming season and I believe the Cubs could win it all. In fact, I expect them to.

I've come to terms with the fact that Dusty Baker will still be here. I can accept that Jim Hendry hasn't lost his job. I'm ok with this because the White Sox have worse managing than the Cubs, and they still won. It can be done.

It's hard to change one's perspective, but I will be trying to do that for the 2006 season. Unlike other years, I will try not to sweat just because the Cubs are going into the 9th with a tight lead. I won't worry if they allow a few runners on in that situation. I will not begin swearing under my breath while muttering about how they're going to blow it.

I need to believe. I need to exist without doubt. I don't need the undue stress of worrying about my team. But, as much as I can't stand Dusty Baker, I believe he's right about one thing: our perception effects our outcome. Any time last season that LaTroy Hawkins took the mound in the 9th and we began booing, I believe we made it easier for him to blow the game. Any time the Cubs held a tight lead and we began complaining about how they were going to blow it, I believe we made it more possible for the outcome to change. So, for 2006, I am going to be one of those annoying optimistic Cub fans for as long as I can handle it. I will swill the Cubbie Blue kool-aid. I will look for the positives of even crappy situations. I will believe in my team until there is absolutely no reason to believe in anything.

In other words, I'm going to annoy the crap out of half my reading audience. Sorry about that in advance. But on the bright side, there's a better than 50-50 chance that I'll have either forgotten this pledge come April, or that I will have changed my mind come June.

Regardless, I want the Cubs to win. I need to believe that it's possible. I hope you'll agree, or at the very least bear with me while the season progresses.

P.S. One other thing - I believe the reason Cubbie-Blue Cub Fans are so annoying is not just because they are painfully, blindly optimistic, but also because they are critical of those who aren't. I won't be criticizing those who are more pessimistic than me. I might voice my opinion that perception effects outcomes, though. I hope that's enough.

AND ANOTHER THING!

Having just seen the final out of the 2005 campaign, I would like to note that Dusty's choice of a lineup again did the Cubs in. Yes, Patterson had a hit or two today, but in the end, the last Cub to hit was Macias. There were two runners on in scoring position with two outs. On any other team, this is a scary moment because the #2 hitter is supposed to be a good one. Instead, the Astros had the good fortune of facing Macias, who went down two strikes before lining it to the second baseman, thus ending the Phillies hopes of making the post season this year.

So who the hell do you root for in the National League? The Padres? The Braves? Those are my choices?

I have to congratulate Dusty Baker for his decision to honor the Astros by setting up a situation in which they faced the worst hitter on the Cubs roster in a decisive moment. Hell, Macias might be one of the worst hitters in the game, not just on the Cubs.

So, another season is over. This would be the time that I give grades to the players on the squad, but I think I'm just going to wallop them with an "F."

Dusty Baker is a piece of shit and we are the toilet bowl he remains unflushed in. This is my hell.

REASONS TO HATE DUSTY BAKER

It's the last day of the season. Your team is trying to keep another team from clinching a playoff spot. You owe it to this other team to play your best players. So, you have Corey Patterson bat leadoff and Jose F'n Macias batting in the two-spot.

And Neifi Perez is in the lineup somewhere, too.

What. The. Deuce?

It's the last day of the season. Why aren't you playing any of the young talent? Where's Ronny Cedeno? How in God's holy name can you justify batting Patterson and Macias anywhere near the top of the order? How can you justify having Patterson, Macias, and Neifi in the same lineup?

God damn.

Please, Jim Hendry. Please get this schmuck out of Chicago. I'm on my knees begging you. For God's sake, man! There's no harm in admitting your mistake and correcting it! PLEASE!!!