A few reasons I like the Chicago Cubs and the one reason I don't

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David Ross / Chicago Cubs (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

Three reasons I like the Chicago Cubs – and one that brings out my loathing.

I like the Chicago Cubs – love, even. It’s been that way my whole life. Ever since way back in 1979, I’ve been hooked on the North Siders. Nearly 41 years later, we finally have that long-awaited World Series championship. Of course, five years ago, we hoped for more. Now, our window is slamming shut before our very eyes.

Regardless, it’s been a great ride. Longtime manager Joe Maddon was absolutely marvelous for the team until his less-than-ideal departure after a disappointing 2019 season. I don’t think any of us will ever forget the 2015 NLDS when they knocked out the Cardinals. Two division titles, multiple postseason appearances and that championship in 2016 – all of it speaks for itself.

This year, we got a new skipper in David Ross. He and the Cubs jumped out to a 13-3 start, but finished 21-23. Thankfully, the Cardinals and Reds were the only division foes to finish over .500. The Brewers finished under .500 but still made the postseason. All told, it was still a good start for Ross. Hopefully, he’ll get his first crack at a 162 game slate in 2021.

Let’s get at it: three things I like about the Cubs – and one I don’t.

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Chicago Cubs and the seventh inning stretch

Just how the seventh inning stretch began is unclear. But a Cubs legend made it what it is today. On the South Side, Caray was singing to himself and one day, Bill Veeck, Jr. left Caray’s microphone on for the seventh inning stretch. When he came to the Cubs, he brought the tradition with him and cemented its undying ties to the Friendly Confines in the process.

When he died in February 1998, the baseball world was lost without him. But they had a tribute for him. That year, they had a guest conductor come in and lead. Guys like Bill Murray, Ozzy Osbourne (seriously, so bad), Michael Jordan and more have come in and led the stretch. To this day, they continue with it – and even put Caray’s clips up regularly on the video board at Wrigley.

While no one knows all the finer details of the seventh inning stretch, we do know the phrase was coined in the 1920s and its origins date even further back. But, to me, the stretch belongs to Harry Caray and the Chicago Cubs.

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Cubs and Hendricks are a match made in heaven

There’s no denying that Kyle Hendricks is a great pitcher. Even on the brink of tearing it all down, I don’t believe the Cubs will line up a trade for him, either. Heavens no. He’s a ‘soft-tosser’ who rarely reaches 90 MPH. Still, he forces balls to be hit on the ground for outs. Since 2016, he’s averaged a 3.00 ERA, with a 2.13 ERA in ’16. And he’s had a WHIP of 1.094. Not too shabby.

He’s a good player and signed through 2023, with a vesting option for 2024. We need to hold on to him. He doesn’t throw hard anyway. What is he going to lose? He’s Greg Maddux-reincarnated. Seriously, if you ever watch Hendricks on a day where he’s locked in, the similarities are uncanny.

In 2020, he had his second-best WHIP (0.996), trailing only his career season back in 2016 – and that’s saying something. With the departure of Yu Darvish, Hendricks is now the guy on the North Side – and it needs to stay that way. He does all the little things and always steps up when called upon, much like Anthony Rizzo.

Hopefully, Hendricks is a part of the next great Cubs team. But, with the team looking to rebuild, you can’t ever say ‘never’ – that’s for sure.

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Cubs: You never know what the postseason will bring

You really can’t predict the postseason, am I right? Despite all their shortcomings, I don’t know if anyone expected the Cubs to go down in straight sets against the Miami Marlins in the Wild Card round this fall. I was stunned by it. But the Marlins were a different type of team.

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The Dodgers were there from start to finish – and they won the World Series. It was a 60-game season, and they weren’t ‘pressed’ with the ups and downs of postseason baseball. The Dodgers went 13-5 in the playoffs, almost a third of the regular season schedule. But after eight-straight NL Wests? I’d say it was long overdue.

Only a handful of teams are yet to win the Fall Classic. The Padres, Rockies, Mariners, Rangers, Rays and Brewers have never stood atop the baseball world. Thankfully, after 2016, we can finally quit seeing the Cubs mentioned on title drought lists.

A history of Cubs ownership

In 2007, the Tribune Company was failing. Sam Zell bought it and announced that he was selling the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and related entities, including a 25 percent stake in SportsNet Chicago. Tom Ricketts and his family were up to the task. On January 22, 2009, Ricketts and his family were selected for the winning bid.

By October, the deal was done. The Ricketts family was the new owner of the Cubs. The first eight or so years of it? Not bad – not bad at all. But in the last three years, we’ve seen the purse strings get pulled tighter and tighter. This came to a head this year and it’s not over yet, with Darvish gone, Kyle Schwarber non-tendered and more changes to come.

Next. The Cubs will trade these players before the deadline. dark

2020 was hardly normal, I know. Without fans in the seats, the Cubs (and every other team) lost tens of millions of dollars in revenue. We hope things will look at least a little more normal this summer, but nobody knows. The lasting impact will loom for years to come – and we’ll see how long ownership leans on it as a reason to not spend big market money.

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Three reasons I like the Chicago Cubs and the one reason I don’t