When the Cubs finally won the World Series, Carlos Zambrano wept. He pitched a one-hit complete game, putting the Red Sox in a sleeper hold.
Unfortunately, as he was providing his signature point to the sky, his finger jammed on the headboard, jarring him awake.
There was no trophy, no champagne bath, no iconoclastic moment. This isn’t Katherine Heigl in “27 Dresses.” This is George Burns in 100 tuxedos. Even he couldn’t live long enough to see the Cubs break the curse.
Wait Till Next Year isn’t a motto. It’s a warning.
“I believe this season could be different,” pitcher Ryan Dempster said.
Radio and TV have both been invented — presumably to increase and torture the senses of legions of Cubs fans — since the Cubs won a World Series. What stinks is that they haven’t even played in the Fall Classic since 1945.
They have had a handful of really good teams — OK, a fingerful — but there’s always some loose thread that gets pulled, leaving the Cubs a helpless ball of yarn. There was the infamous black cat that circled Ron Santo at Shea Stadium in 1969, igniting the Miracle Mets’ comeback. There was that crazy billy goat, some lady’s cow and geeky Bartman, who will never be confused with the Dark Knight or Spandex-wearing Robin.
It makes no sense to pick the Cubs to win the World Series. It is the team that walks out of the bathroom with toilet paper on its shoe, the team that smiles with food in its teeth and uses the winning Powerball ticket to write down a drunk buddy’s phone number.
This year’s outfit, though, is so much better than perhaps all of its losing predecessors. It has a meat-grinder lineup that has learned to be picky, picky from Kosuke Fukudome, one of two rookie of the year candidates, along with catcher Geovany Soto.
“I was sitting in the dugout the other day thinking about how tough it is for a pitcher to face us,” closer Kerry Wood said. “Patience is what has made this team successful. I have definitely seen some of the guys feed off Kosuke. They know if they can find a way to get on, we are going to score runs.”
And the way the pitching staff is set up, the Cubs don’t have to be the 1927 Yankees. In Zambrano, Dempster and Rich Harden, they have the best 1-2-3 punch in baseball. Harden is the X-factor, nothing short of Mark Prior circa 2003. When right, Harden is not only the best pitcher on the staff, but arguably in the National League. But he has turned the DL into his own personal timeshare.
“All I know,” Dempster said, “is that we have a chance to do something special if we stay healthy.”
These Cubs won’t play the tragic foils. This is the year they finally spoil somebody else’s party. They will reverse the curse. The next miracle? Lower gas prices.
For the defense.
One of baseball’s great mysteries is quantifying a player’s defensive ability and range. Scout Lewis Shaw, a regular at Coors Field, is working on a system with partners that would incorporate laser technology and mathematics to specifically address a defender’s value.
The system, which is in its infancy, would have a camera in the ballpark that could track the flight of the ball off the bat and compute with precision how many feet a defender ran to retrieve it. Because of the exactness of the math, a large sample size wouldn’t be required to draw conclusions.
In essence, it would help remove the subjectivity of the naked eye. The conversation always goes: “Player X is a bad defender. How do you know? I just do.” This system would provide the raw data to support the observation. In the end, if the sport is open to forward thinking, it could be a valuable business tool in helping assign contract values to players.
Footnotes.
The tough part of making trades this time of year is adding payroll. Most owners aren’t eager to put money on the books when there is no obvious revenue stream to pay those bills. Milwaukee is strapped, having room for only another spare part after bringing aboard CC Sabathia. And Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has let it be known that he wants salaries to be a wash in any major transaction this month. . . . Forget Dan Haren’s 8-5 record. He has a realistic shot at the Cy Young Award when you dig into his numbers, specifically strikeouts and walks to innings pitched. . . . Even Chipper Jones believes the Braves will trade Mark Teixeira if they don’t make a move in the NL East during the next 10 days. . . . Matt Holliday, on meeting the Hall of Famers at Yankee Stadium: “It really was an honor to be standing on the same field as Hank Aaron, and to shake his hand.”
EYE ON
Francisco Rodriguez, RHP, Angels
Background: Signed as a free agent in 1998, Rodriguez introduced himself to stardom with all the subtlety of a guitar riff. The Caracas kid with the bullwhip arm and ice water running through his veins mesmerized the Giants in the 2002 World Series with his ridiculous slider. It was the pitcher’s equivalent of Deadman’s Curve, breaking so abruptly that the hitter had no chance and everyone wondered how long K-Rod’s elbow would last.
What’s up: Rodriguez entered the weekend with 38 saves, a record before the all-star break. He projects to finish with 65, which would obliterate Bobby Thigpen’s high-water mark of 57 set in 1990.
What’s next: K-Rod wants to become Ka-ching Rod. He told the Los Angeles Times that he plans to file for free agency after the season. His point? The Angels had six years to lock him up, so why give them the chance now? This situation bears watching because of the money involved and possible roster ramifications. Rodriguez has no peer, leaving him in line for the richest relief contract ever. How does a four-year, $60 million deal sound? It’s not crazy, given what Francisco Cordero received last season and that Mariano Rivera set that bar at $15 million per season. Money is not an issue with owner Arte Moreno, but he must decide how the puzzle pieces fit together. If the Angels reward Rodriguez, can they still afford to pick up Vladimir Guerrero’s $15 million option?
Renck’s take: Investing in a closer long term is a risky venture (see Corpas, Manuel). It’s such a volatile role that most guys don’t last more than a couple of seasons. That said, Rodriguez belongs in that elite category with Rivera, Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner. He’s the ultimate exclamation point at the end of games, is just 26 and has had no major arm problems.
AT ISSUE
Midsummer Classic needs to make critical adjustments
What: The Bronx Zoo almost became a carnival Tuesday night. The American League and National League couldn’t break up or apart, engaging in a lovelorn 15-inning, nearly five-hour relationship. It was wonderful drama, save for the fact both teams were within one inning of running out of pitchers. Had the game gone into the 17th, which appeared a real possibility, Mets third baseman David Wright and Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew were in line to pitch.
When: This needs to be fixed now. It wouldn’t require a state assembly or a taxpayer-approved referendum or ugly negotiations with the players union.
Renck’s take: There are simple solutions based on arms and schedules. The first is less dramatic. If a pitcher throws on the last day before the all-star break, he’s ineligible for the game. As such, they can call themselves all-stars, travel to the event, get free swag and watch from the bench as they are replaced by pitchers who can go. Just go down the players’ vote list and pick them off from there. But there must be 12 available pitchers. Not 12 pitchers — that’s what led to Phillies closer Brad Lidge getting warm six times Tuesday. Second, move the game to Wednesday and have baseball go completely dark on Thursday. There were only four games this season on Thursday, and besides, according to Team USA Olympic general manager Bob Watson, there’s talk of baseball taking a week off for the all-star break to help get major-leaguers into future Olympics. If the game were scheduled for Wednesday, guys who throw Sunday would be back in play. That would eliminate the indigestion of future All-Star Game pitching coaches. Said Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca, “Once they told us that we had to play the game to a conclusion, it was an uncomfortable feeling. We would have been out of pitching soon.”
THREE UP
1. Mets: Pitcher Mike Pelfrey hasn’t lost since May 26.
2. Red Sox: J.D. Who? Make that J.D. Drew, All-Star Game MVP.
3. Cubs: Lead the National League in on-base percentage and walks.
THREE DOWN
1. Rays: A seven-game skid into the break has some questioning if team is for real.
2. Nationals: The Gnats aren’t bugging anyone; Luis Ayala a huge disappointment.
3. Giants: When pitcher Barry Zito starts, the team is a staggering 5-14.
