A Full Century of Ineptitude

Mr. Marchman has a good article on the Cubbies and points out that they will be playing for something important this year. They will be attempting to stave off 100 years of futility.

In 1908, the Chicago Cubs of Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance and Three-Finger Brown won the World Series; they were, of course, the last Cubs team to do so. It's worth taking a second to think about how long ago this really was to gain some measure of appreciation for the scale of the Cubs' long history of failure.

The Mets are heading into their 22nd year of a Championship drought and that seems like a long time. I could not fathom having no idea what it is like to have my favorite team not win a championship during my cognitive years. It was not like I was all that old in 1986. I was not in double digits yet, but I still kind of sort of remember it and it still resonates heavily today so I still got a chance to experience it in some fashion.

This team could win, which will make it all the worse for their loyalists when they don't. One hundred years on, they have a fully admirable team and as good a chance as they've had in anyone's memory, and one can be almost certain they'll find some novel and truly unreal way of letting the prize slip from their grasp. Some day, perhaps when Chicago has floated off into the center of Lake Michigan or been launched into space on spindizzies, they'll manage the big win. Whoever is alive to see it will love baseball in a way they never have before.

I would assume that it is generally accepted amongst Cubbie fans there will be no championship. After all, they have been conditioned to believe so. Since 1946, they have made the playoffs five times. All five times came after 1984 so there was a loooooong period of time when they were just terrible. The last time they actually saw a World Series was 1945. While the Mets are not exactly a perennial playoff team, the Cubs have transformed losing into an art form.

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Josh Hamilton = The Natural

"I think Hamilton's got a chance to be maybe the best player in baseball," says a scout who has been tracking the Rangers through the Cactus League. "I mean, this guy is Mickey Mantle or something."

A bold statement for sure.

"You can't wait until he comes up to bat again, just to watch him," the scout says. "In batting practice, he hits to all fields, goes deep everywhere. He runs down balls in the field, he throws ... I don't know if there's anything he can't do."

There's a growing buzz emanating from Surprise, and it isn't simply because there's a new Home Depot or Bed, Bath and Beyond around the corner.

"Everybody stops what they're doing and looks when he comes up," the scout finishes. "And everybody ends up making giggly sounds. Aw, geez! My goodness!"

A man only giggles a few times in his life.

1) The first time he gets a fake ID at 17 and enters a strip club. Giggling...
2) Getting a foot of power and snowboarding through some craptastic glades.
3) Any time you are lucky enough to witness a friend's misfortune.
4) Anyone tripping and falling.
5) Josh Hamilton? I guess so and that is certainly lofty company to be in.

And yet another reason to hate Derek Jeter's stupid ass.

Jessica Alba caught herpes from an ex-boyfriend, it has been claimed.

The 'Fantastic Four' star - recently voted FHM's Sexiest Woman Alive 2007 - previously dated New York Yankees baseball star Derek Jeter, and during their relationship she allegedly contracted the sexually transmitted disease.

Derek Jeter? Public enemy #1. How dare he sully that pure being.

I have not checked out this link, but I'm told it is amusing.

Boy o' boy Kyle Lohse would look pretty nice right now. It is not that I have zero faith in Pelfrey or The Duque, but it is about not having a carousel of players run out in the fifth spot. Besides, there will be many starts that need to be picked up so a little depth couldn't hurt.

Johan and Pedro will make a AAA start instead of pitching against the Marlins or the Braves which makes sense. But just let this marinated in your brain for a second....next Monday, real baseball begins.

Dirty will not be breaking camp with the Mets, but who cares? I think the bullpen looks deep and there is no need to rush him. The Mets will need him this season, but why rush him?

This totally makes sense....

"I don't believe that you need to get up on top of the desk and crack the whip or anything like that," Randolph said. "We have pretty much a veteran ballclub. There might be a little more attention to detail, but that's the case every spring. I'm not going to take this experience and change and try to be a person I'm not."

Sound logic to me. I do not think that he is the right guy to manage this team. The Mets may surely win in spite of him, but he adds very little, if anything, to this team.

It looks like Aaron might have come around and decided that being a reliever is not so bad. I for one would not mind having him as the Met closer after Wagner leaves.

Miggy gets $152.3 million over eight years. That includes the $11.3 he is getting this year, but it really just puts it all into perspective how lucky the Mets are they inked Jose and David so soon. Thy have both players under contract through 2011 and Wright through 2012 for roughly half of what Cabrera is getting.

On a related note, Ryan Howard just wet his pants.

Joe Nathan looks like he is inking for four years and between $11 and $12 per year. As long as it is without a no-trade clause, it is a good deal. I guess it could be a partial, but they have to have the ability to deal him if they need to.