There have been recent rumors that Alex Rodriguez might sign with the Cubs next season. I don’t believe major league baseball would allow that for the following reasons:
- It would be a logistical nightmare for baseball. The Cubs would still be batting in their half of the first inning of their opener in July, and this would create havoc with the schedule.
- The baseball manufacturers would not be able to supply enough baseballs, as they would not be able to meet the demand.
- Ticket sales would be adversely affected, as teams would have to evacuate the bleachers and other outfield seats as a safety precaution when the Cubs came to bat.
1. Colin Cuzman on October 29th, 2007 10:04 pm
Do I need to recall a few names? Derrek Lee? Sure, he was great the second full year with the team, but then Cub fans deemed him a god. He was supposed to be the key to unlock the winning formula that the Cubs were missing (just like Kerry Wood and Mark Prior were supposed to be as well). Needless to say, he’s hit an abysmal 30 HR and 112 RBI in the following 200 games. 2007 was a sub-par year (except for average), and the Cubs choked again in the playoffs.
Soriano, who again was supposed to unlock the key to success for the Cubs, had a disappointing season in 07. His average was statistically up, but the 40/40 statistic was far from reality. Despite his hamstring injury, the Cubs still found a way to minimize an All-Star’s talent. Soriano SHOULD have been hitting in the third or fourth spot in the lineup. I don’t see anything wrong with going Soriano, Ramirez, and Lee in the middle of the lineup. Soriano’s RBI and run production would be way up, and the Cubs would have been much better off. I didn’t see anything wrong with Theriot, especially at the end of the year. A solid young kid with speed could have filled that leadoff spot easily.
Needless to say, the Cubs repeatedly take All-Star players and turn them into “good” players, not playmakers. If the Cubs do get A-Rod, it’ll only make their ticket sales go through the roof (not like it hasn’t already). The Cubs will be hyped to win the World Series, but they still don’t have the CONSISTENT pitching to do it. Pitching and defense wins championships, not hitting. Look at the 2005 and 2006 White Sox, respectively, to see that.
2. Colin Cuzman on October 30th, 2007 4:41 pm
Let’s take a look back over 40 years ago. In 1962 the Cubs had a PHENOMENAL team. Just to list off a few names, the Cubs had Ernie Banks, Lou Brock, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo. Three of these are Hall of Famers (and one is a whiny baby and thinks he should be one), yet the Cubs still managed to pull off an astounding 59-103, 9th in the national league. No matter what the time era, the Cubs can’t take great players and make it a winning team.
In ‘65 when the Cubs had Larry Jackson (career ERA 3.40), they managed to lose 21 games for him despite a 3.85 ERA that season. They also had Dick Ellsworth (career ERA 3.72) throw over 220 innings and a 3.81 season ERA, but they lost 15 of his 29 decisions. Not to mention they still had Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, and Ron Santo. The three combined for 95 home runs and 315 RBI, and hit a combined average of .288. Despite a very solid core group of guys, the Cubs again finished 72-90, eighth in the NL.
So go ahead, grab A-Rod. It’s not going to matter.