Likely no one, including the Mets themselves, would have honestly predicted this heart-shredding NLCS ending for the Cubs.
New York completed the sweep Wednesday with an 8-3 win at Wrigley Field, meaning “next year” won’t arrive until at least 2016.
Still, after seeing so much progress on the North Side, now is the perfect time to dispel any thoughts that the supernatural is keeping the Cubs from becoming champions. Instead, it makes sense to believe the team’s dynamic core of young players and ace manager require just a shrewd signing or two (starting pitchers, probably) to put them over the top. #TheyWillStillBeGood
That said, this is Chicago, and logic doesn’t always carry the day. Which is every sports fan’s right, truth be told.
So now that the “predictions” of “Back to the Future Part II” are a thing of the past—and seeing as the Cubs’ “fate” was co-written by a Cardinals fan—it might take a little more mojo to snap this World Series title drought.
Specifically:
Name power
Clearly just one player with an appropriate name, Addison Russell, wasn’t enough to put the Cubs over the top in 2015. Now that they have one of the best minor league systems in baseball, Theo Epstein and crew should scour draft prospects for talented players named Ferguson Sheffield or Ernie Caray. Bonus points if they find a Clark Waveland.
New rally movie
It’s probably too late for the Chicago-set “Divergent” franchise to conjure any Cubs mojo. A dystopian future sets the wrong tone anyway. But as RedEye’s Matt Pais said, sports movies could stand to recapture some of their old magic
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. Something with the whimsy and heart of “Rookie of the Year.”How’s this for a screenplay: Centenarian drinks Old Style on her birthday, discovers she has baseball powers that manifest only at Wrigley. Call it “100 going on 30.” OK, so no one would go see that. You see what I’m getting at, however.
Joe Maddon glasses
Come to think of it, how has there not already been a promotion at Wrigley built around this? (One Lakeview store capitalized last year.) Seeing through the super-cool manager’s eyes, somewhat literally, can only help matters. Perhaps everyone in the organization should be given that chance, not to mention fans.
Demolition tradition
Perhaps it wasn’t that the destruction of the Steve Bartman ball in 2004 went too far. Maybe it didn’t go far enough. A sweep at the hands of the Mets stings worse than drinking warm beer the rest of your life. How to make things right? Turn models of Citi Field and Shea Stadium into bonfires each October; the latter should include a miniature Ron Santo toupee for good measure.
Get over it
Finally, but perhaps most important, forgive Bartman already. Ban any fan who curses his name from Wrigley until they apologize profusely. And grant every goat within a 100-mile radius of Chicago an official reprieve while they’re at it.
Chris Sosa is RedEye’s sports editor. @redeyesportschi
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