Latest News
The St. Louis Cardinals are going to the World Series. Which is good news for the Chicago Cubs. Huh? Because the Cubs basically are following the same steps the Cards have taken. Or so that line of thinking goes. Sure. Whatever gets you through the World Series. Or offseason. Or next several years (if not longer).
Merely because the Cubs are trying to produce home-grown talent that actually will be productive on the major-league level is no guarantee that the franchise will enjoy anything approaching the success St. Louis has had in recent years (forget about historically where the Redbirds have 11 World Series championships, second only to the New York Yankees’ 27).
Something says most fans would rather see a photo of Cardinals fan/bikini competitor Katie Miller than one of Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller. Credit: Bersano Photography
And, for the sake of amusement, let’s say the Cubs are successful in emulating the Cardinals’ formula. That means they will be better than the Cardinals? Because why? Maybe the arms of all those young Cardinals pitchers fall off. Or Carlos Beltran leaves for free agency (a possibility that the Cardinals seemingly would be able to accommodate by having Allen Craig, their leading run producer who has missed the postseason because of injury, in right field and rookie left-handed slugger Matt Adams play first base).
The Cubs have anyone in their farm system comparable to Michael Wacha, the 22-year-old who was named National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player? Or even anyone comparable to Shelby Miller, the Cards right-hander who went 15-9 during the regular season and will receive rookie of the year votes — yeah, the same guy who did not throw a pitch in the NLCS (other than warming up in the bullpen).
Speaking of Beltran, he will be appearing in his first World Series in an illustrious 16-season career (2,064 regular-season games). Among active players who have not appeared in the World Series, the top of the list features a few names familiar to Cubs and White Sox fans:
* Miguel Tejada (Royals): 2,171
* Torii Hunter (Tigers): 2,091
* Ichiro Suzuki (Yankees): 2,061
* Aramis Ramirez (Brewers): 1,924
* Adam Dunn (White Sox): 1,870
Hunter has a chance to exit the list if Detroit can beat the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. The Tigers trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven competition.
Of course, the all-time list of players with most games without a World Series appearance has its fair share of those who have been part of the Cubs’ fabled — not to mention failed — history.
Tops on the chart (well, what do you know, not all have Cubs ties) is Rafael Palmeiro (2,831), followed by Ken Griffey Jr. (2,671), Andre Dawson (2,627), Ernie Banks (2,528), Julio Franco (2,527) and Billy Williams (2.488).
There is optimism in some quarters of Cubdom because the club believes the team could benefit from a bilingual manager and/or coaches who speak Spanish. And this is a revolutionary concept?
I will believe in Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer and the rest of that regime when I see a winning ballclub at Wrigley Field. OK, a winning team other than the one in the visitors’ dugout.
Cubs fans may despise the Cardinals. But they really should admire them as well. After all, besides being the team they want to beat, the Cardinals are really the team the Cubs want to be.
Here is where to go for a daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the efficient efforts of the editorial and video departments at elliottharis.com and their broad definition of “gratuitous”):
Advertising opportunities are available on ElliottHarris.com. For information and rates, contact sales@elliottharris.com.