A Century of ‘Next Years’ (MLB)

October 14, 1908, Bennett Park in Detroit: Cubs right-hander Orval Overall gets Tigers catcher Boss Schmidt to ground out to first, completing his Game 5 shut-out as the Cubs win consecutive World Series Championships.

One hundred years have since passed without a title, the longest World Series drought in Major League history.

The epic streak, complete with Billy Goats, black cats, curses and Steve Bartman, has become something more than just a mere stat in baseball’s record book.

It has become iconic, an expectation in the unpredictable world of sports. It has become an inheritance, passed on from one generation of fans to the next. It has inadvertently become the identity of a team affectionally known as “The Lovable Losers.”

Yet a legion of fans as loyal and devout as the Red Sox Nation has stuck with the Cubbies through thick and thin, holding on to their die-hard belief in “next year.”

And maybe 2008 is next year. The Cubs have a lot going for them this season.

For starters, “Sweet” Lou Pinella is at the helm again after leading the Cubs to the NL Central title in his first year.

First baseman Derek Lee is back at full strength after an injury plagued 2007 season, batting .324 with eight dingers.

Veteran ace Carlos Zambrano is as reliable as ever with a 5-1 record, an impressive 1.80 ERA and a team leading 38 K’s, while hitting a respectable .250. Last year’s closer, Ryan Dempster, has gone 4-0 with two no-decisions and a 2.72 ERA in his return to the starting rotation. Kerry Wood returned to the roster as the closer and has done well, striking out 16 with five saves.

Japanese free-agent import Kosuke Fukudome has lived up to the hype surrounding his acquisition over the off-season. He is hitting .320 with 13 RBIs while slugging an outstanding .456. His lone homer was a ninth inning game-tying three-run shot in the Cubs’ season opener and his MLB debut, endearing him to Cubs fans in grand fashion.

But Fukudome brings more than a quick bat; he also brings a Zen-like patience at the plate, something that has rubbed off on the rest of the team. The Cubs lead the National League in runs (195), and RBIs (185), and rank second in walks (163) and on-base percentage (.370).

But it is only May, and the 19-15 Cubs have a long way to go before October.

They are two and a half games out of first in the NL Central behind longtime rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, who took two of three from them over the weekend. They dropped two more games in Cincinnati to the struggling Reds to start the week, division opponents Milwaukee and Houston are nipping at their heels, and they face the red-hot Diamondbacks next.

Of course, none of this will ever dissuade the Cubs faithful. This year, just like the last 99, is next year.

–Aaron Whitebread, RED Editorial Staff