Chicago, Il. Week 52

In Theo We Trust.

The Cubs have been criticized for the choices they’ve made since the new ownership and now the the management of the team since the end of the Jim Hendry days. Funny that it took a massive season ending choke job by the Red Sox in 2011 to get Theo here. A choke surpassing the choke job of the ’69 Cubs.

Since he’s been here he’s signed and traded nearly every free agent for draft picks and minor leaguers. Let Ryne Sanberg slip through his hands. He’s yet to trade away Castro who has gotten now two managers and counting fired. It’s possible to say that when/if this team starts winning it might be in spite of Theo.

Being shouted out by Scott Boras the fact that a team that actually made money last year through a second straight losing season. A large market team like the Cubs are not in the market for any big name free agents besides possibly considering a Japanese pitcher who won twenty four games last year. Which team isn’t looking at him?

For once I agree with this strategy. I never liked the mid season sell offs of veterans unless it meant winning or losing a division. I believe the Cubs are still short of talent for the long term winning they profess. Certainly one good year could win it for anyone.

Rich Rodriguez an underwhelming signing by the Cubs may just a baseball genius according to whatever matrix Epstein and staff are using. Maybe he has an ability to teach young players particularly Latin players but coming from the National League West where all the pomp and circumstance is due to Hollywood and not talent. Though the National League West has won two recent Championships, league play hardly includes the difficulty of three playoff contenders every year.

The Cubs only chance is to win the National League Central. The Wild Card system is a disaster. The current talent in the minors will certainly bring a burst of success which will just as quickly burn out. Will a World Series come from this? We can hope. My prediction is the burst will begin in 2015 and burn out by 2020. The losing will then return to the north side. By then Cub fans will return to comfortably numb.