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Cubs: We took the 2017 team and its success for granted as fans
Cubs fans have not had a great time watching the 2021 team so far, and if their current struggles continue, it could be the end of an era on the North Side. Oftentimes people reference the shortcomings of the team since they won it all in 2016 as to when things started to decline; that the 2017 season is where the troubles began.
No, the Cubs did not return to the World Series in 2017 and the offense’s inconsistencies started rearing their ugly head, but I can speak for myself when I say I wish I appreciated that season more. I spent much of it angry and frustrated over the fact that Chicago was not steamrolling opponents on a daily basis the same way they did the year prior.
Let’s be real, the frustration in the first half was warranted. They were sub-.500 (43-45) at the All Star Break and were 5 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place. They ended up storming back to win the NL Central, win a postseason series and made it within three games of the World Series.
That season would have been celebrated like 1969, 1984, 2003, or 2015 had it happened prior to 2016. There would have been commemorative books, documentaries, posters, memorabilia, etc. It ended up feeling like a disappointment to many.
I think I can speak for fans that they would love to have that 2017 team back compared to now. It was a flawed team but they were still pretty dang good.
Cubs: Their second-half run was one for the record books
The World Series victory honeymoon ended for many Cubs fans fairly quickly after the first week of the season. The banners were raised, the rings were distributed, the trophy was encased in public display and it was time to defend the title. What followed was several months of annoying, subpar play from the defending champs.
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Neither the starting rotation and offense clicked like the previous year. The starting pitching staff pitched to a 4.66 ERA and 1.4 WHIP in the first half ( vs. 3.09 ERA and 1.1 WHIP in the first half of 2016); they were notorious for giving up first-inning runs and putting the offense in early holes. The offense itself slashed .239/.326/.419 with a 99 OPS+in the first half (.256/.348/.438 in 2016 first half). It was no wonder they were sub-.500 come mid-July and it was very tough to watch with expectations so high.
Then came the second half when everything clicked again. Instead of nearly half the team going to the All-Star Game like 2016, the boys got to rest and regroup. They went 49-25 (.662) the rest of the way, overtook those pesky Brewers and clinched the division in St. Louis on September 27 with four games to spare. To go from 5 1/2 back to winning the division by a full six games in 2 1/2 months is pretty remarkable.
In that time the starters’ ERA went from 4.66 to 3.36 and they slashed .273/.352/.459 at the plate. Cannot fail to mention how they dominated the Brewers and Cardinals which was key in returning to the postseason. Winning three-of-four at both Miller Park and Busch Stadium in back-to-back series in late September was the icing on the cake. Not often the Cubs do that.
The Cubs typically blow big leads, not rise above them. Even when the team ran out of gas in the NLCS against a clearly superior Los Angeles Dodgers team it was a season to remember. It was hard not to enjoy a postseason run with the “curse breaking” pressure off, after all.
Cubs: Even with inconsistencies, the 2017 team brought some very good things
Home run power:
The 2017 Cubs set some franchise records that year in terms of power. They had six players with 20+ home runs that season (Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Ian Happ, Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras), and the team totaled 223 regular season bombs. Outside Rizzo, everyone who hit 20+ home runs was 25 and under.
Nice platoon/bench depth:
This team had good production from the bench and platoon players. Jon Jay hit .296 with a .374 OBP. Albert Almora showed promise as a youngster slashing .298/.338/.445 in 132 games. Tommy La Stella hit .288/.389/.472 and was once again one of the better pinch hitters in baseball. Rene Rivera, who was brought in just to be veteran catcher depth, hit a surprising .341/.408/.591 in 20 games. Alex Avila, another veteran catcher, drove in 17 runs in 35 games and sported a .369 OBP. Bench production has really lacked the past few years.
An incredibly reliable closer:
Wade Davis was one of the main reasons the Cubs got as far as they did in 2017. He was the team’s only All-Star and he converted 32 of 33 save opportunities, sporting a 2.30 ERA, 3.38 FIP, 1.14 WHIP and 12.1 K/9 in 59 appearances. He also picked up four saves in the postseason. Hopefully Craig Kimbrel can keep up his good start in 2021, but it is hard not to look back and miss what Davis did for the Cubs in 2017.
Next. Ian Happ still the best option for leadoff. dark
The 2021 season has a ways to go, and it is funny because the 2017 season began somewhat similar to this. However I am not convinced that this team is nearly as good at the 2017 one. If this truly is the end of an era, then it is hard not to remember the good times even if we did not realize how good we had it immediately after the World Series.